IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES AND PUMPS to be as follows:-
Year: 1885

page_text: I, WILLIAM BROOKS SAYERS of Belgrave Road, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES AND PUMPS to be as follows:-
"
This invention relates to rotary engines and pumps of the kind described in the
specification of the application for Letters Patent made by me and Nod 10877
dated July 28th year 1884. A casing of the form described in the above named
specification is fixed rigidly on a shaft mounted in bearings, and whose axis
coincides with the axes of the conical surfaces in the casing. The disc or diaphragm
is fixed concentrically upon a spherical enlargement of a second shaft, which
spherical enlargement fits into a cavity provided for it in the centre of the
casing. The second shaft is mounted in bearings at such an angle to the first,
that the sides of the disc touch the conical sides of the casing; the thickness of the
dise, and the angles which the conical surfaces make with the axis being mutually
arranged, so that, the disc may touch the conical surfaces evenly from the point
nearest the centre of the casing to that farthest from it.
As in my said former specification the disc or diaphragm is slotted to allow a
parallel piece (having the character, and bearing the designation of a piston in the
above mentioned Specification, but which is fixed in the casing according to the
present invention) to slide through it, the edges of the disc being suitably packed.
This piece forms a steamtight partition, its free edge being also suitably packed, so
as to make a tight joint against the spherical part in the centre of the disc.
If rotary motion is communicated to either of the shafts the motion will be
transmitted to the second shaft, which, however will not rotate in the prolonged
axis of the first, but at a fixed angle to it, and by the interaction of the parts
mounted upon the two shafts, contracting and expanding chambers are formed. It
will be seen that if suitable connections are made to these chambers for the
admission and discharge of liquids or of fluids the device becomes either a pump
or a motor.
The simplest manner of arranging the ports for the admission of liquid or fluid
is by means of two passages traversing for part of its length, the shaft on which
the casing is mounted, having side out lets at points sufficiently removed one from
another in the direction of the length of the shaft to allow of separate swivel
connections being made. These passages lead to outlets, one on either side of the
fixed partition. With this arrangement no valves will be required when the device
is used either as a pump or as a non-expanding engine.

page_text: .
When the device is used as a steam engine economical considerations render it
desirable to cut off the steam supply at intervals, or intermittently, so as to allow
it to expand in the chambers. In order to avoid filling those chambers which are
about to exhaust with live steam, and to use that admitted to the best advantage,
the admission of steam must commence as soon after a new chamber has been
evolved as possible, but not before the position of the edge of the disc on the face
of the partition is such as to limit the steam supply to the one chamber. As two
chambers are involved, each revolution (one on each side of the disc) the time when
steam can be advantageously admitted occurs twice in a revolution. It may be
desirable to have separate ports for the chambers formed on the two sides of the disc,
in which case there will be four in all. I may form them, two on each face of the
partition near the conical surfaces of the chamber, the two on one face being inlet,
and the two on the other face outlet ports. Communication with these may be
made either through the shaft or through the side of the casing and the steam
admitted for a period commencing just after an expanding chamber has been
evolved, the duration of supply depending upon the ainount of expansion desired.
The admission of steam may be regulated either by valves actuated by cams,
excentrics or other gearing, or by providing stationary covers to the rotating ports
in the shaft or casing, so arranged as to cover them steamtight during the period it
is not desired to admit steam. In order to vary the amount of expansion these
covers may be made capable of contraction or extension, and suitable gearing
provided to produce contraction or extension of them; while the engine is under
steam, the gearing being again actuated either by hand power or by some well
known centrifugal actuating arrangements so as to form a speed governor. The
advantages of the method of supplying steam just described I may attain without
the necessity of having four separate ports and admitting steam twice. in a revolu-
tion; by forming a passage, (or two passages if the engine is to be reversable) in
the partition to connect the expanding chambers formed on one side of the disc
with those formed on the other side. The openings of this passage (or passages)
being controlled by a valve which may be moved by the edge of the disc, in such
a manner as to open communication between the chamber receiving or containing
live steam and the one being evolved on the other side of the disc as soon after
its formation as possible and to close it just before the first chamber is open to
exhaust.
A rolling, combined with slight sliding motion takes place between the disc and
the conical surfaces of the chamber, and the method I employ of making the place
where these two surfaces touch fluid light, is to cover one or both with some
yielding material such as indiarubber, leather or asbestos, and I may again cover
this yielding material with thin sheet metal in order to make it more effective and
⚫ durable.
+3 100M

page_text: Improvements in Rotary Engines and Pumps.
I, WILLIAM BROOKS SAYERS of Belgrave Road Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES AND PUMPS," and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
This invention relates to Rotary engines and pumps of the kind described in the
specification of the application for Letters Patent made by me, and Nod 10,877
dated July 28th 1884.
:
A casing of the form described in the above named Specification is fixed rigidly
on a shaft mounted in bearings, and whose axis coincides with the axes of the
conical surfaces in the casing. The disc or diaphragm is fixed concentrically upon
a spherical enlargement of a second shaft, which spherical enlargement fits into
a cavity provided for it in the centre of the casing. The second shaft is mounted
in bearings at such an angle to the first, that the sides of the disc touch the
conical sides of the casing; the thickness of the disc, and the angles which the
conical surfaces make with the axis being mutually arranged; so that the disc may
touch the conical surfaces evenly from the point nearest the centre of the casing to
that farthest from it.
As in my said former specification the disc or diaphragm is slotted to allow a
parallel piece (having the character, and bearing the designation of a piston in the
above mentioned specification, but which is fixed in the casing according to
the present invention,) to slide through it, the edges of the disc being suitably
packed. This piece forms a steam-tight partition, its free edge being also
suitably packed, so as to make a tight joint against the spherical part in the
centre of the disc.
If rotary motion is communicated to either of the shafts, the motion will be
transmitted to the second shaft, which, however will not rotate on the prolonged
axis of the first, but at a fixed angle to it, and by the interaction of the parts
mounted upon the two shafts, contracting and expanding chambers are formed.
.It will be seen that if suitable connections are made to these chambers for the
admission and discharge of liquids or of fluids, the device becomes either a pump
or a motor.
The simplest manner of arranging the ports for the admission of liquid or fluid
is by means of two passages traversing for part of its length the shaft on which
the casing is mounted, having side outlets at points sufficiently removed one from
another in the direction of the length of the shaft to allow of separate swivel
connections being made. These passages lead to outlets, one on either side of the
fixed partition. With this arrangement no valves will be required when the
device is used either as a pump, or as a non-expanding engine.
When the device is used as a steam engine economical considerations render it
desirable to cut off the steam supply at intervals or intermittently, so as to allow
it to expand in the chambers. In order to avoid filling those chambers which are
about to exhaust, with live.steam, and to use that admitted to the best advantage,

page_text: '
f
the admission of steam must commence as soon after a new chamber has been
evolved as possible, but not before the position of the edge of the disc on the face
of the partition is such as to limit the steam supply to the one chamber. As two
chambers are evolved each revolution (one on each side of the disc) the time when
steam can be advantageously admitted occurs twice in a revolution.
It may be desirable to have separate ports for the chambers formed on the two
sides of the disc, in which case there will be four in all. I may form them, two on
each face of the partition near the conical surfaces of the chambers, the two on one
face being inlet, and the two on the other face outlet ports. Communication with
these may be made either through the shaft, or through the side of the casing,
and the steam admitted for a period commencing just after an expanding chamber
has been evolved, the duration of supply depending upon the amount of expansion
desired.
The admission of steam may be regulated either by valves actuated by cams,
excentrics, or other gearing, or by providing stationery covers to the rotating ports
in the shaft or casing, so arranged as to cover them steamtight during the period it
is not desired to admit steam.
In order to vary the amount of expansion, these covers may be made capable of
contraction or extension, and suitable gearing provided to produce contraction or
extension of them while the engine is under steam, the gearing being again
actuated either by hand power, or by some form of the well known centrifugal
actuating arrangements so as to form a speed governor.
The advantages of the method of supplying steam, just described, I may attain
without the necessity of having four separate ports, and admitting steam twice in
a revolution; by forming a passage (or two passages if the engine is to be
reversible) in the partition, to connect the expanding chambers formed on one side
of the disc with those formed on the other side. The openings of this passage (or
passages) being controlled by a valve which may be moved by the edge of the disc,
in such a manner as to open communication between the chamber receiving, or
containing live steam, and the one being evolved on the other side of the disc as
:soon after its formation as possible, and to close it just before the first chamber is
open to exhaust.
A rolling, combined with slight sliding motion takes place between the dise and
the conical surfaces of the chamber; and the method I employ of making the,
place where these two surfaces touch fluid-tight, is to cover one, or both, with
some yielding material such as india-rubber, leather or asbestos, and I may again
cover this yielding material with thin sheet metal in order to make it more
effective and durable.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawing the.
manner in which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 is a side elevation with the front half of the spherical part of the
casing removed to show the interior. Figure 2 is a horizontal section on the dotted
lines A B figures 1 and 3. Figure 3 is an end view. a a is the casing which is
made conveniently in two halves and mounted rigidly on the shaft s. b is the disc
or diaphragm which is fixed concentrically on the spherical enlargement of the
shafts, and which is maintained at a fixed angle to the shaft 8 by the bearing c.
g is the parallel piece or partition which is fixed in the casing and is grooved on
its surface as shown by dotted lines figure 1 to allow of communication between
the chambers formed on each side of the disc. This does not form an economical
arrangement but being simple is convenient for a description of the invention.
In order to form a tight joint the conical surfaces of the casing against which the
disc brolls and slightly slides, is covered with a thin layer of yielding material
such as asbestos which may again be covered with thin sheet metal. Fine spring
wire may be woven in with the asbestos or other material and the cloth so formed
used with or without the sheet metal covering, or a wire cloth may constitute the
yielding material. Or a number of layers of thin sheet metal slightly dented or
bulged at frequent intervals as by the blow from a light round ended instrument,

page_text: so as to make them slightly compressible, either alone or covered with an undented
picce may be used.
e is a chamber which is in communication through the shaft with the port f. In
this chamber and on the face of the casing are formed three ports like as in the
steam chest of an ordinary steam engine. The centre one communicates (passing
through the partition g and shaft s¹) with the outlet port f¹. The two side ports
communicate one each with the chambers formed on each side of the partition g
and these ports are respectively inlet or outlet ports according as the valve h is set
to cause the engine to run in one direction or the other. The valve h is actuated
by the excentric ring j by means of the stud k, sliding piece and arm and valve
rod m.
The excentric channel in which the ring runs is made adjustable so that
the engine may be reversed and the amount of expansion varied. In an economical
engine the admission of steam to the chambers on either side of the disc would be
effected through separate valves and channels, or one valve may control two sets of
channels.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First. A casing of the form described having a partition in one part, mounted
rigidly on an axis in combination with a slotted disc or diaphragm mounted so as
to rotate in a plane intersecting the plane of rotation of the casing; the several
parts being disposed in such a manner as to form when rotating upon their
respective axes expanding and contracting chambers substantially as and for the
purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. In a rotary engine or pump; the method of mounting the casing so
that it may rotate with the other rotating parts; the object being to reduce the
friction of the wearing surfaces substantially as described and illustrated.
Thirdly. Making liquid-tight or finid-tight joints between rolling or rolling and
sliding surfaces. Firstly, covering one or both surfaces with a layer of yielding
material, and then with thin sheet metal. Secondly, covering one or both surfaces
with a number of layers of thin sheet metal, either smooth, corrugated, or slightly
bulged at intervals, substantially as described and illustrated.
Datad this Twelfth day of January 1886.