Improvements in Rotary Steam Engines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 30th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left 16th June. 1892-Accepted. 16th July 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Steam Engines.
I, ANTHONY EPHRAIM NARLIAN, of Lipari, in the Kingdom of Italy, Estate
Agent & Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
That it makes away with the piston; the piston & connecting rods; & cranks;
& makes the shaft, of the engine; to which the screw propeller, or the pulley is
attached; to pass through the cylinder in the direction of its axle. To this shaft, a
rectangulare blade being attached in the cylinder this blade receives the compact
of the force of the steam; & revolving in the cylinder, causes the shaft to be
revolved with it.
Dated this day of 30th Mar 1892.
:
ANTHONY EPHRAIM NARLIAN,
London.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Steam Engines.
ANTHONY EPHRAIM NARLIAN Estate Agent and Merchant, Lipari, in the
Kingdom of Italy, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
This engine does away with the piston; piston & connecting rods & crank. It
makes the shaft to which the propeller, or pulley is attached, to pass through the
cylinder in the direction of its axis. To this shaft a blade, or feather is attached
in the direction of the shaft, & which blade; being inside the cylinder; receives
on one side the compact of the force of the steam & is forced to revolve; causing
the shaft to which it is attached, to. revolve also. This principle is applied in
three different ways, to explain which the drawings, Fig. 1. to Fig. XXIII. are
made.
In the Fig. 1., CCC represent the section of a cylinder through which the
shaft S of the engine passes. S being the section of the shaft to which the propelling
screw or the pulley; as the case may be; is fixed.
To this shaft & inside the cylinder, a solid drum D D is fixed (see the figures)
which has the same length of axis as the interior of the cylinder. To this drum a
rectangular blade of the same length is fixed in the direction of the axis of the
shaft & which blade reaches the internal circumference of the cylinder. This blade,
which is seen in a section at B B in the drawings Fig. I. Fig. II. III.; & IV.,
I shall hereafter call "The Driving Blade."
The cylinder on the other hand is cut open at both ends of one of its diameters
in E & E, Fig. I.; so as to admit in, the slide EE & E' E', which are sheets,
also rectangular in form & move in & out of the cylinder in the grooves cut at the
flat ends or the top & bottom of the same.
When the slides touch the drum DD;
they, with it, divide the interior of the cylinder into two equal sections or compart-
ments, the upper & the lower. These grooves in which the slides move being
designated in the drawings by the dotted lines.
Now, the two slides EE & E' E¹ being pushed into the cylinder as shown in the
Fig. I., & the driving blade being as it is seen in the same Fig. 1. at B B; steam
is let in the compartment F. The rest of the cylinder being free from steam & the
27

page_text: slide E' E' fixed into the grooves, the pressure of the steam will act upon the
driving blade Fig. 1. & move it towards the slide E E or to the right & with it.
the drum D D & the shaft S in a revolving motion.
As the blade is being so moved, the slide E E is drawn out of the cylinder as
shown in the Fig. III. so that when the said driving blade is in the direction of
the same slide E E, this is out of cylinder altogether, leaving the driving blade to
pass on & enter the lower compartment G of the said cylinder.
As soon as the driving blade passes the direction of the outdrawn slide E E, this
is pushed in again, so that when the blade reaches the position shown in Fig. II.,
this slide E E is in its former position as shown in the same Fig. II.
At this stage, a way is opened to the steam of the upper compartment F of the
cylinder, which runs out to the next & low pressure cylinder of the same con-
struction at the same time, steam is let in, in the compartment G Fig. II.,
which will make the rotary motion of the blade & the shaft to be continued.
Meantime, the slide E' E' is drawn out of the cylinder as in Fig. IV., in a way
that when the driving blade reaches the direction of the same, this slide is out of
the cylinder altogether.
The driving blade thus passing the said direction E¹ E' enters again the upper
section F of the cylinder, when the slide E' E' is again pushed in & it reaches the
drum D D & the blade its starting point, as in Fig. I.
As soon as this is accomplished; an outlet for the steam in the lower
compartment G is opened & at the same time steam is let in, in the upper
compartment F.
Here the driving blade having accomplished an entire revolution together with
the shaft, the process is repeated again & again, causeing a continuous revolution of
the same.
The Figs. V. & to X. illustrate the way in which the slides E E & E' E' are
worked in & out of the cylinder.
In the Fig. V. the circle W W W represent two wheels one in front of the
other, a side view of which is seen in the Fig. VI. The circumference of these
wheels is four times the length travelled by the lever F F, from the point F to K.
Each wheel is toothed on one fourth of its circumference & placed as seen in the
Fig. VI. & Fig. V., in such a way that, if the back wheel is cogged from W to W¹,
the front wheel is cogged from W¹ to W
To these wheels correspond the bars R; R & B ; B₁ (see Figs. V.; VI. & VII.;
the Fig. VI. being a side view & Fig. VII. a top view of the said bars). These
bars are racked for part of their length.
Supposing now the shaft S Fig. V. to turn from left to right, the back cogwheel
will be in contact with the racked part of the bar B B & push it to the right &
with it the slide E' E', until the wheel or the shaft has made one fourth of
revolution, in which time the whole of the slide E' E' is pulled in & brought in
contact with the drum D & the cogwheel is now released from the rack on the
bar B B. At this moment, the levers L L & L L' take the position of L M I
Fig. V. & the bar B' is consequently drawn to the right too. At this moment the
point W¹ of the front wheel is at W & catches the racked part of the bar R R &
turning to the right pushes it in the same direction, which causes the slide E E to
be pushed out of the cylinder in another quarter of revolution of the wheel. Here
the levers FF & F F take the position of F K K' F', with the slide E E out
of the cylinder. Now the point W of the back wheel is at W" & catches the rack of
the lower bar R', pushing it from right to left & causing the slide E E to enter
in the cylinder again & to take the position shown in the Fig. V. This is accom-
plished in another quarter of revolution of the shaft or wheel, when the back wheel
will release the said bar R' & the front wheel will catch the lower bar B', which
is pushed from right to left, causing the slide E' E' to be pushed out of the
cylinder; but as soon as another quarter of revolution is over & the slide E' E
out, the cogwheel releases the said rack of the lower bar B & the back wheel is
again in contact with the rack of the upper left bar B B of the slide E' E¹.

page_text: This arrangement causes each slide to be drawn out in a quarter of revolution of
the shaft or wheel, while in the next. quarter of revolution it will be drawn in
again; thus allowing the driving blade to pass through. The slide, so pushed in,
will not be moved in another half revolution of the shaft, in which time the wheels.
will push out & in, the other slide E E, allowing passage to the driving blade through
their points.
As for the distribution of steam; it is made in a cylindrical box H, Fig. V.;.
VI.; & VIII., through an excentric at G (Fig. V.) which causes the disc in
the said box to make a quarter of revolution to the right & to the left
alternately...
The bottom of the box, which is fixed, has three openings. (see Fig. VIII.)
of which M & M are each in communication with one of the two compartments
of the cylinder & L is the outlet of the steam, communicating with the low pressure:
cylinder.
As the lever at H, Fig. V., is made to. move up & down for a quarter of
revolution by the excentric G, a disc which is in contact with the bottom of
the said box is made to move with it. This disc is cut through at OO & has
a depression at H H. As the hole at OO is brought on the bottom hole M', the
depression at H will cover the other hole at M; & this will allow the steam to go
in the cylinder through the hole at M'; while the steam in the other compart-
ment of the cylinder will find its way to the low pressure cylinder, through the
lioles M & L.
:
The low pressure cylinder is constructed on the same principle & in quite
similar way.
.
The Figs. IX. & X., illustrate sections N N & N' N' of the distribution box in
Fig. VIII.
To reverse the engine, this disc in the distribution box is turned by one half of
revolution in respect to the lever.
Another way of obtaining the motion of the slides E E & E' E', is illustrated in
the Figs. XI. & XII.; Sheet III.
In this, W, W' & W₁ are cogged wheels having equal diameters, so that when W
moves by one revolution from left to right, the other two, turn also one revolution.
but in opposite directions, as shown by the arrows.
In front of these wheels W¹ & W", there are fixed to the former, two more..
wheels, cut on one quarter of their circumference, which is equal to four times the
length travelled by the slide E E.
The bars RL & R' L' join in one at L L' & at their extremity in F are linked
to the slide through a pin at F, which is made to pass through & move in the
guides G G, Fig. XI.
From this description of the disposition of the wheels it will appear, that at the
first quarter of revolution of the shaft, as in the former case, in the Fig. V., the
wheel W" will catch the rack of the bar R' L' & push it from right to left, pulling
the slide in the cylinder.
At the second quarter of revolution, the point B' of the lower front wheel being
at A', will catch the bar of the opposite slide E' E¹ (not seen in the drawing) and.
push it out of the cylinder.
At the third quarter of revolution, the point C of the upper front wheel being
at A, will catch the upper part of the same bar, but move it from left to right,
pulling the slide E' E' in the cylinder.
At the fourth quarter of revolution, the point B of the same upper wheel being
at A, will catch the rack of the bar R L & push it & with it the slide E E out,-
bringing the same to the starting position, as shown in the Fig. XI.
The Fig. XII., is a side view of the Fig. XI., as seen from the point F in the
Fig. XI.
The second way of applying the same principle is illustrated in the Fig. XIII..
to the Fig. XVII.
In this case, the cylinder CC & C C¹ in the Figs. XV. & XIV., are only half

page_text: cylinders cut in the direction of the axis. S is the shaft which passes through
the axis of the same. This shaft is in part cylindrical or round (see S S S
Fig. XIII.) & in part square at S. To the round part of the shaft: fits the
drum D D Fig. XIII., & to this drum is fixed the driving blade N N Fig XV.
This drum. D D is at one end fixed to the cogwheel W W Fig. XIII. & at the
other, ends with a clutch or ratchet seen in the Fig. XVII., which fits in the
corresponding clutch in the drum B B, which. is on the square portion S¹ of the shaft
Fig. XIII
"
Supposing now the ring A A in the Fig. XIII. to be locked or bolted with
the drum Ď D, it is evident that this will be free to turn on the shaft in one
direction, say from right to the left, without catching the clutch of the ratchet
in B B, Fig. XIII. & XVII., but will not turn in the opposite direction; say
from left to right; without causing the said ratchet to turn with it but as this
ratchet is on the square cut portion of the shaft at S, the same shaft will
turn in the same direction with it: viz. from left to. right, or from E to A, in
the Fig. XV.
Therefore if steam is let in, in the Fig. XV., in E, the blade N N moveing
towards A, will cause the shaft to turn in the same direction from left to right.
The cogwheel W W which is turning with the drum D D, will cause the corre-
sponding wheel W'W' in the Fig. XIII. to move through the wheel W", but in.
a contrary direction to the movement of the wheel W & the drum D D ; & as the
cogwheel W W₁ is similarly attached to the drum D¹ D' in the Fig. XIII. &
which carries the blade Ni N in the other half cylinder C' C' Figs. XIV..
& XIII., this other blade N' N' Fig. XIV., will move from right to left
or from E to A', while the blade N N in the Fig. XV. is turning from left to
right.
The drum D¹ D', to which the ring in A' A' is locked, in turning from right
to left, will not catch the clutch of the ratchet in BB Fig. XIII., but will do
so in turning from left to right. In turning however from right to left, the ratchet
in B B will be pushed along the square cut portion of the shaft at Si Fig. XIII..
& will not return to its position by the spring at P till the shaft has completed one
half revolution. At the end however of one half revolution of the shaft from
left to right, the drum D' D' having made a revolution in the opposite direction &
by the same amount, riz. half a circle; the ratchet B B will again be brought to
its place by the spring at P1.
From this it is evident that, while steam is let in E Fig. XV., the blade N N
turning from left to right must carry the shaft with it & at the end of one half
revolution, while this blade N N will be in A, the blade N' N¹ of the other
cylinder CC Fig. XIV., will be in A'.
At this moment the drum D D Fig. XIII. will catch the ratchet of the B' B';
the steam in the cylinder CC Fig. XV., will run through the hole at E into
the low pressure cylinder, while steam will be let in A in the other half
cylinder CC Fig. XIV.
The blade N N in the cylinder C'C', is now situated exactly as the blade N N
in the Fig. XV.; & the blade N N of the cylinder CC is situated as N' N' in;
Fig. XIV. of the cylinder C¹.
Steam now being on at A2 in the cylinder C¹ Fig. XIV. the blade N¹ N will
turn from left to right & the drum D D' Fig. XIII. having hold of the corre-
sponding ratchet B B1, it will cause the shaft to make another half revolution in
the same direction, while the cogwheel WW1 through the wheels W₁ & W, will.
move the drum DD in Fig. XIII. in the opposite direction or from right to left, &
will push the ratchet in B B along the square part of the shaft in St, till another
half revolution being completed, the blade N N is brought back to its former
position as in the Fig. XV. & the spring at P', pushes the ratchet B B Fig. XIII.
to its place.
In this way, steam is alternately let in the two half cylinders C & C, Fig. XIII.,
& while N N forced by the pressure of the steam is, working the shaft by one half

page_text: revolution, the other blade N' N₁ of the Fig. XIV. is returning to its position
from E to A¹.
The Figs. XVI. & XVII. are to illustrate better the arrangement of the
drums D & D & the way they clutch the ratchets B B. B B & the different parts
of the shaft on which they work.
:
To make this machine to reverse; the rings A A & A' A' in the Fig. XIII.
are released from the drums D D & D D¹ & locked with the corresponding
ratchets B B & B B as these rings are cut in clutches on both ends, but
in opposite directions, it will happen that if they turn, say from left to right, they
will catch the ratchets B B & B B', and act on the drums D D & D₁ D';
while in turning from right to left, they will not catch the drums D D & D' D',
and not act on the ratchets B B & B B', except in pushing them along the shaft.
In this disposition of the drums D D & D D' & of the ratchets B B & B B',
steam is let in the cylinders C & C', not by the holes at E & A Figs. XV. & XVI.
but by the holes at A & E', alternately. The blades N N & Ni N¹ will then be
worked by the steam from right to left & as in this disposition, the drums will catch
hold of the ratchet drums B B & B'B', they will work the shaft, but in the opposite
direction, viz. from right to left.
Another & third way of applying the same principle is illustrated in the
Figs. XVIII. to XXIII.
In this, the shaft S is in the centre of the drum D D but not of the cylinder CC,
(see Figs. XVIII.; XIX. & XX.).
The drum D, has its axis equal to the axis of the interior of the cylinder & touches
it at its lowest portion.
The blade B B, Figs. XVIII.; XIX. & XX., in this case is not fixed to the
drum, but moves in it, in & out & is pushed out by a spring at P, so that if
steam is let in at A, Fig. XVIII. & the blade B revolves from left to right,
this spring at P pushing the blade out of the drum, will keep it always in
contact with the interior surface of the cylinder, till the blade is in M; after
which point the pressure of the steam, in continuing the revolution of the
blade & of the shaft the blade will be forced & pushed in the drum D D,
till it will disappear in it at the point where the drum & the cylinder are in
contact.
In A Fig. XVIII. is the waste hole; so that once the blade is past this point,
the steam in the cylinder will run to the low pressure cylinder, & as soon as the
blade will pass the point of contact, it will again begin to emerge out of the drum,
& steam will be let in again for another revolution.
The Figs. XXI.; XXII.; & XXIII.; illustrate the sections of the drum D D
in Fig. XIX., while Fig. XXIII. represents the blade itself with the spring P.
To reverse this machine, it is enough to let steam in A' instead of A, & to turn
out steam by the hole at A, instead of A'; or to turn the steam hole to waste &
vice versa.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what I
claim is, that the whole of the accompanying drawings with their explanations in
the foregoing pages constitute novelty. particularly claim novelty to the
following features of my invention.
1°. That the driving blade is placed on the shaft in a line with the axis
of the same shaft and not in an inclined position to it, as would be the case
in a fan.
20. That this driving blade is moved, not by rush or current of steam as in a
turbine, but by the action of compressed steam, just as the piston is in the ordinary
steam engine.
30. I claim novelty to the mechanism by which the slides in the first engine
are moved in & out, by partially cogged wheels & bars as illustrated in the

page_text: 4°. I claim novelty to the idea of the second engine illustrated in the Fig. XIII.,
in which there are two half cylinders instead of one, allowing the shaft to be placed
low in the marine engines, as well as to the whole contrivance to obtain the move-
ment of the shaft in this second engine.
50. I claim novelty to the movabie blade of the third engine, in which the driving
blade is pushed in & out of the drum & the shaft is not passing through the axis of
the cylinder.
60. I claim also novelty to the rotary motion of the steam distributor.
Dated this 30th day of May 1892.
ANTHONY EPHRAIM NARLIAN,
Of Lipari, Italy.