IMPROVEMENTS IN TURBINES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Christian Schiele, of No. 20, Milton Street, in the
City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TURBINES."
Sealed the 26th January 1864, in pursuance of an Order of the Lord Chan-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said hristian Schiele at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,. on the
7th July 1863.
I, CHRISTIAN SCHIELE, of No. 20, Milton Street, in the City of Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TURBINES," to be as follows:-
I mount a disc on a spindle, and raise, cast, or otherwise fix a series of
turbine wings in a concentric ring form on the face of the disc; I prefer.to
use double turbine wings, which receive the water flowing into the spaces
between them at the point of junction The water flows in jets on. to the
turbine wings at their junction through openings or guides constructed simi-
larly to those employed in Joinval's turbines, and issues out of the turbine
wheel in a radial direction to the axis inwardly and outwardly. I sometimes
join these turbine wheels together to balance end pressure; I sometimes do
this in such a way that a'space remains between the turbines for a convenient
waterway. I sometimes form the turbine wings so that at theirjunction, where
they receive the jets of water, these jets are more equally distributed into the
passages; I do this by forming; the receiving edges of the wings oblique and

page_text: sharpening them. Sometimes I construct the turbine wings so that they will
allow of an adjustment in the size of their discharge openings either byspring
action or by a swivel point near the junction of the wings, and by mechanical
links to adjust to requirements. Sometime I construct an additional disc to
the turbine which can be slipped over the wings, thereby allowing of the
adjusting to the water supply. The grooves I cover with a cylindrical ring
attached to the additional disc, the portion of the wings not then in use.
Sometimes I adjust the guides by altering their inclination, and sometimes do
this simultaneously with the adjustment of the additional disc plates by means
of radial levers, rods through stuffing boxes, and by known mechanical appli-
ances. In forming guide grooves I sometimes cut them on the edge of a
ring, this edge being turned oblique; I thus obtain guides tapering towards
the turbine; a second plain ring joins the edges of the guides. Sometimes,
instead of using a disc for the turbine wheel, I construct it as a ring held by
spokes, and I then form these spokes sharp in front and on back, and curve
or shape them similarly to ship screw blades, as the easiest mode for passing
the water. Sometimes I regulate the speed of the turbine to suit the econo-
mical application of the water when passing at a varying quantity; I do this
sometimes self-acting by applying a wheel at a discharge portion of a turbine
in such a manner that the wheel will turn whenever the water issues in an
oblique direction. I connect this wheel so as to adjust differential gearing, or
to regulate the load, as, for instance, the feed to a griuding mill. Sometimes
I so construct the second turbine disc that it balances the pressure of the
passing water and adjusts itself to the varying quantities. I construct the
turbines so that I can adjust the turbine wheel in its relative position to the
stationary portion of the machine in which the guides are formed. I some-
times employ centrifugal pumps for governing the speed of turbines by using
an elastic kind of drum constructed of a series of rings of thin metal joint
alternately on out and inside edges. The foregoing improvements or parts
thereof ove also applicable to stoom tumbin
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Christian Schiele
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th January 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHRISTIAN
SCHIELE, of Number 20, Milton Street, in the City of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excel'ent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
l'atent, bearing date the Seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Christian Schiele, Her special license that I, the said Christian
Schiele, iny executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Christian Schiele, my executors, administrators, and assigns; should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TURBINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,.
the said Christian Schiele, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office on or before the Twenty-sixth day of
January One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Christian Schiele, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to he particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say):-
My improvements in turbines consist, first, in the peculiar forms of turbine
wheels herein-after described, whereby great simplicity of construction and
economy of manufacture, besides other advantages, are obtained.
Secondly, in the peculiar modes or methods described of directing or
guiding the water or fluid into the water or fluid ways of the turbine
wheel without shock or jerk in a more efficient manner, and so as to exert
a greater power on the turbine wheel.
Thirdly, in the modes or methods described of simultaneous regulation or
adjustment of the water or fluid ways in the turbine wheel and the passages
of the inlet guides, so that the areas of the passages in the inlet guides are
altered in due proportion to the altered areas of the water or fluid ways in
the turbine wheel, whereby the power of the turbine may be diminished
as required, without lessening the efficiency of the inlet guides, and with-
out waste of water or fluid, or lessening its useful effect.
Fourthly, in the modes or methods described of governing and regulating
the speed of the turbine to suit the economical application of the water
when passing at a variable quantity or with a variable pressure,

page_text: And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I will
now proceed to describe the several Figures in the accompanying Sheets
of Drawings.
Figs. 1 and 2 represent one modification of my improvements in turbines
as applied in driving machinery; Fig. 1 is an elevation (partly in section)
of the turbine with the gearing for driving machinery, and Fig. 2 is a plan
of the turbine (also partly in section). In these two Figures the same
letters of reference represent similar portions of the apparatus.
a is a disk mounted on a spindle ; upon the face of the disk a I raise,
cast, or otherwise fix a series of turbine wings c in a concentric ring form. In
Fig. 2 the gearing and governor are left out, the turbine wings c are shewn in
section, and the direction in which the turbine wheel revolves is shewn by the
arrow on the outside of the turbine wheel. The water enters the water or
fluid ways e of the turbine wheel on the inner side, and having exerted its
power in turning such turbine wheel, is delivered from the said water or fluid
ways on the outside of the wheel in a radial direction to the axis of the said
wheel. The inlet guides through which the water passes to the water or
fluid ways e between the turbine wings c, are formed by a series of blades cast
or otherwise fixed on the circumference of a stationary cylinder, and are
shaped similarly to the guide blades in Jonval's turbine, narrowing in the
direction of the passage of the water. Instead of delivering the water, how-
ever, in the direction in which it enters and parallel to the axis (known as the
"parallel flow"), as in Jonval's, I construct the inlet guides d so that they
deliver the water into the water or fluid ways of the turbine wheel from the
sides of the guides, in a direction diverging from the axis and nearly tan-
gential to the guides, and instead of confining the guides d on their periphery
by a cylindrical tube for their whole distance, as in Jonval's, I only confine
the lower part of the guides d with a cylindrical tube f, and I leave the portion
facing the turbine water or fluid ways e open, so that the discharge of water
into the turbine water or fluid ways e may be continuous and nearly tan-
gential without shock or stoppage of any kind. The water is led by a tube g
into a tubular chamber h, which leads the water into the guides d, from
which it issues as represented by the direction of the arrows.
The regulating or adjusting apparatus applied to this modification of my
turbine is as follows:- represents a disk or disk ring, to the lower side of
which are attached two cylindrical rings and m, one of which cylindrical
rings, I, is without, and the other m is within the wings of the turbine wheel,
The cylindrical ring m slides up and down over the inlet guides d, and so
adjusts the areas of the passages in such inlet guides, while the disk or disk

page_text: ring k is cut out or perforated, so as to allow of the passage through it of the
wings of the turbine wheel, and sliding up and down between such wings
adjusts the water or fluid ways between the wings, in due proportion to the
adjustment of the passages in the inlet guides by the sliding over thein of the
cylindrical ring m. The cylindrical ring m turns with the turbine wheel, and
should slide up and down close to the inlet guides d, and almost in contact
with the guide tube f, so as to prevent unnecessary waste of water. The
cylindrical rings and m are connected underneath by a plate n. Bolts o are
fixed to the bottom plate n and pass through the wings c and disk a, so
that the disk / with the cylindrical rings and m and the plate n may
be raised or lowered and the water ways adjusted, as already described, from
the upper portion of the turbine. The narrowing or otherwise diminishing the
areas of the passages between the guides d'in the direction in which
the water passes enables me to control their area by the raising or lowering
of the ring m without interfering with the speed of the water, or the direction
in which it issues. Sometimes, instead of narrowing the passages by the
guides d approaching each other in the direction of the passage of the water,
I form these guide blades parallel to each other, and on a conical instead of a
cylindrical surface, as shewn in Fig. 3, an so obtain the same result of
narrowing their areas. I raise and lower the disk : with its adjuncts by means
of arms or a plate p, to which the upper ends of the bolts o are fixed; the
plate p is fixed to a tube, which surrounds the boss of the disk a and the
turbine shaft b. The upper end of this tube q is acted on by the governing
gear, and thereby raised or lowered as required. In order to prevent the
waste of power by the plate p and its brackets and projecting parts, when
immersed in water forcing their way through the water, I cover all these parts
with a smooth circular cover B, attached to the disk a, and sufficiently loose
on the tube q, so as not to interfere with its up-and-down motion. The above
described mode of regulating or adjusting the areas of the water or fluid ways
in the turbine wheel simultaneously with and in dne proportion to the passages
of the inlet guides, I consider a very valuable improve:nent. Instead of fixing
the turbine disk a to the spindle b in the usual way by keying it, I form on the
bottom of the spindle ba plater (shewn in dotted lines), on which the
turbine disk a rests. Several strong pins 8, firmly fixed to the plate r,project
through holes in the turbine disk a. A key on a higher part of the shaft b
best situated above the water level) holds the turbine disk a to its place.
When required, this key t is easily withdrawn, and the turbine can then be
raised up on the shaft out of the water without taking the shaft of the turbine
or driving gear out of their position,

page_text: The governor which I use to act upon the regulating or adjusting apparatus
herein-before described,and to govern the speed of the turbine,is as follows:-
I use an elastic drum u, constructed of a series of rings of thin metal, jointed
alternately at out and inside edges, and which by the action of varying water
pressure, produced by a centrifugal pump c, driven from the spindle of the
turbine, expands or contracts as the turbine goes faster or slower. When
this drum expands, the break w comes into action, retarding a short tube'a,
turning loosely on the shaft b between two collars; this tube a has formed
on its outside a left-handed screw, which enters the tube q, and lifting it up,
raises with it the regulating or adjusting apparatus herein-before described,
until by reduced speed the break w slackens again. When the drum u
contracts beyond its proper dimensions from the speed of the turbiuebeing too
much reduced; the break rod c guides the strapy from its loose pulley on to
the pulley, fixed to bevil gear, which turning the tube a quicker than the
speed of the shaft b, lowers the tube q,and with it the regulating or adjusting
apparatus herein-before described, until the speed of the turbine rises to such
an extent as to take the strap y back again on to the loose pu'ley. I do not
make any claim to any of the parts forming this governor when separate and
Where the
apart from the combination described, except the elastic drum.
adjusting ring k slips over the wings c of the disk a I sometimes attach
leather D or other yielding material, as shewn in section, Fig. 4, so as to
insure a better closing-up between the surfaces. This mode of forming the
joint I adopt more particularly in the larger and more powerful class of
turbines.
A, Figs. 1 and 2 is a flush gate which I open occasionally for clearing the
pipes and waterways leading to the turbine from foreign materials which may
have accumulated therein. Sometimes in cases of low falls I prefer to use
double turbine wings c (Figs. 5 and 6), which receive the water at their points
ofijunction through openings or guides d, which guides are delineated in Fig.7,
and are constructed like those employed in Jonval's turbines, delivering the
water in a direction parallel to the axis; the water issues out of the turbine
wheel in radial directions to the axis inwardly and outwardly. I run the
turbine wings against the stationary flat plate n, thus confining the water to
the passages formed by the wings c. I would, however, here remark that
I do not make any claim to the guides shewn in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, except in
the combination therein shewn.
When the room for the turbine is limited in diameter, and it becomes
necessary to make the turbine wings deeper than generally used; I form the
turbine wings c so that at their junction' where they receive the jets of water

page_text: these jets are more equally distributed into the passages c between the wings c.
I do this by forming the receiving edges of the wingsc oblique, as represented
in Fig. 8 (sharpening them in some cases), and by bringing the guides d. to
the junction of the turbine wing c. I support the guide blades d by a
midfeather or a ring i. Where I use single turbine wings only, it is some-
times more convenient to form them as shewn in Fig. 9, where the passages e
are but few, and separated by cylindrical portious n guiding the water tangen-
tially into the passages c.
The mode of adjustment or regulation of discharge from the water ways of
the turbine wheel when I use double turbine wings is as follows:-I construct
the turbine wings c, as shewn in part of Fig. 6, so that they will turn upon
swivel joints s; these turbine wings are connected by levers and links t, with a
spring o fixed at one end m to the boss of the disk a, and at the other v to
the central wheel connection a of the levers and links t; this spring o has a
constant tendency to keep the wings closed against the pressure of the water,
which is tending to open them. When the pressure of the water is sufficient,
it forces open the wings according to the supply of the water, and so a system
of self-adjustment of the water passages in the turbine wheel is obtained.
Anothermodeof regulatingandadjusting thewater or fluid ways of the turbine
wheel with double turbine wings so as to balance the pressure of the passing
water is represented in Figs. 10 and 11 in sectional elevation, wherein a is the
turbine wheel, c are the double turbine wings, (constructed as in the portion
of Fig. 6 shewn in section); k is the regulating disk cat out or perforated as
in Figs. 1 and 2, to allow of the passage through it of the turbine wings c;
this disk adjusts itself either by its own weight, as represented in Fig. 10, or
by the springs o, represented in Fig. 11. In other respects the turbine is
constructed in a similar mauner to that represented in Figs. 5, 6, and 7.
In
The manner in which I apply my system of regulation or adjustment of the
water or fluid ways in the turbine wheel simultaneously, and in due proportion
to the alteration in the passages in the inlet guides to turbine wheels with
double turbine wings is represented in Figs. 12 and 13. Fig. 12 is a sectional
elevation, and Fig. 15 a plan, with the turbine wheel partly removed.
these Figures a represents the turbine wheel (constructed with double wings,
as shewn in the portion of Fig. 6, in section). In this case I alter the areas
of the passages in the guides by altering the inclination of the guide blades d
towards each other on swivel joints »; this I effect by means of the ring 1,
the links m, and the connecting rods n, which pass through stuffing boxes o to
the outside of the cases p, where the uniform adjustment is accomplished
by means of the radial levers q connected by the rods r to the disk k. This
2

page_text: disk is constructed and acts in a similar manner to that shewn in Figs. 10:
and 11, and may be raised or.lowered by hand gear, or by the governor, as
described in Fig. 1. I use a cover B attached to the disk k, by its cylindrical
ring w; its upper portion slides on the turbine shaft b, so as to cause the
disk to move parallel. In forming guide grooves d, I sometimes cut them
on the edge of a ring e, Fig. 14; this edge is turned curved inwards. A
second plain ringfjoins the edges of the guides, thus improving the form for
ajet; but I do not claim this mode of forming the guide grooves as a novelty.
Sometimes instead of using a complete disk for the turbine wheel, I. construct
it as a disk ring a, Figs. 15 and 16, held by spokes l, and I then form these
spokes sharp in front and on back, and curve or shape them similarly to
ships' screw blades (shewn also in sections in Fig. 16), as the easiest mode for
their passing through. the water, which issues in this case partly from the
centre upwards through the wheel. Sometimes I regulate the speed of the
turbine to suit the economical application of the water when passing at a
varying quantity, caused; for instance, by the irregular height of fall of tidal
waters, by applying a wheel g. (Figs. 17 and 18) at a discharge portion of a
turbine, in such a manner that the wheel g will turn whenever the water issues
in an oblique direction. I connect this wheel g by the well-known appliances
shewn, so as to adjust differential gearing, also shewn, or to regulate the load,
for instance the feed to a grinding mill. Sometimes I construct the turbines
so that I can adjust the turbine disk a, Figs. 5 and 6, in its relative position
to the stationary portion n of the machine in which the guides d are formed.
I do this by the lever and the screw m; but I do not claim this as a novelty.
Figs. 19 and 20, and 21 represent another modification of my improved
turbine where two turbine disks a are mounted face to face on the same
spindle, but so that the fluid presses against them in opposite directions,
whereby end pressure is balanced. Figs. 19 and 20 are in sectional elevation.
Fig. 21 is another elevation with the cover h removed. so as to shew the
interior of the chamber g and the outlet passage p. In Fig. 20 the inlet
guides are shewn in elevation, and not in section. In Fig. 19 the guide
blades are removed from the space prepared for them, so as to shew.better the
opposite flow of the water from the interior chamber i. In Figs. 19, 20,
and 21, a, a, represent the turbine wheels (constructed similarly to that
represented at Fig. 9); b, the spindle on which they are mounted and fastened
by the pinching screws o (Fig. 20); d, d, are the inlet guides, firmly fixed in
the spaces between the interior chamber i and the turbine wheels. In this
turbine the water enters.into the interior chamber i between the two turbines,
from thence.it-flows in opposite directions through the guides. d into the

page_text: turbine, water, or fluid ways e, and having expended its power in turning the
wheels, it is delivered from the said water or fluid ways of the wheels, and
passes into the surrounding chambers g formed by the covers h, h, and from
thence into the outlet, passages p, from whence it is discharged through the
tube t. The bearings for the spindle bare in one piece with or attached to
the surrounding covers h. Fig. 22 shews in elevation the centre piece on
which the guides d are formed, which narrow in the direction of the passage
of the water, as delineated in Fig. 23. In Figs. 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23,
the arrows shew the direction in which the water passes; the spindle b
projects beyond one of the bearings sufficient to allow of a pulley m being
fixed thereto.
Fig. 24 represents another modification of the last-described turbine, in
which the water enters from the top, then diverges to the outside of the
turbines, which, in this case are mounted on the spindle back to back, the
water entering on to the turbine wheels through the guides d, here shewn in
elevation; all other parts are shewn in section, except the spindle. After the
water has passed the turbine wheels a, it is discharged into the interior
casing c, part passing between the turbines a into the discharge pipes P,
which here serve as suction pipes. For these pipes p a single pipe may be
substituted, but only when the full quantity of water uniformly passes, but as,
in most cases, varying quantities pass, which, when too little, would not carry
the air along it, and then the suctional action of the pipe would be injured.
I prefer to use several pipes, closing one or more of such pipes according to
the quantities of water used, thus securing efficiency of suctional action.
When suction pipes are used, I employ stuffing boxes a of novel construction,
which are also applicable for steam turbines, or other steam engines where
stuffing boxes are required. It consists in introducing the stuffings in a
rectangular direction to the spindle b tangentially on one side of it, and where
the spindle 6 revolves I introduce the stuffing s against the direction of its
revolution; the casing then narrows round the spindle in a spiral form, as
shewn in Fig. 25 in sectional elevation (the arrow showing the direction of
revolution of the spindle 6), so that the pressure applied by a flanged plunger u
from the outside may close the packing up to the spindle, and as the stuffing
touching the spindle 6 wears away it is tightened up by the pressure of the
plunger u and the spiral formation of the stuffing box x. Screws pass
through the flange of the plunger u, by means of which the pressure required
is produced. In some cases I prefer to introduce the stuffings on the opposite
side of the spindle 6 in the direction of its revolution, so that the friction of
the spindle may assist in keeping it tight. The turbine wheels are in small
b

page_text: turbines constructed with few water ways e, as represented in Fig. 9, but in
large turbines the number of the water ways is increased. Sometimes I round
the guides d, as shewn in Fig. 26 in section. This mode of construction I
find more particularly useful where the water contains quantities of leaves,
sticks, or other foreign articles.
.
Figs. 27 and 28 represent another modification of my improved turbine,
which I consider more particularly useful as a steam turbine, although it is
also applicable for a water turbine. Fig. 27 is in side elevation, one half of
the cover being removed, as well as one of the spindle bearers; Fig. 26 is in
sectional front elevation. I mount the wings con opposite sides of a disk a;
the guides & are on each side of the disk a. The guides only face a part of
the turbine wings, forming what is known as a partial turbine. The guidés d
are supplied from the steam chambers h, which receive steam from the steam
pipe g. The steam after passing the wings c which run close to the surfaces i,
is discharged into a circumferential tube or chamber k in connection with the
exhaust pipe I further enclose the disk a by the casings m which guide
the spindle b on which the disk a is mounted, and I prevent escape of steam
by stuffing boxes a, similar to those described and represented by Fig. 25.
I have also the outside bearings o for carrying the spindle and the supports p
for the casing to secure its central position. For governing this description of
turbine, I employ slides r, which, by a screw rack v and a worm w, close a
greater or less number of the steam guides d, thereby preventing part of the
steam from entering.
In witness whereof, I, the said Christian Schiele, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
said Christian Schiele, in the
presence of
CHRISTIAN SCHIELE. (L.S.)
J. CAMPBELL ROWLEY, Solicitor,
Manchester.