A NEW SYSTEM OF ROTARY STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jean Guillaume Butt and Jean Alfred Martin, both
of Paris, in the Empire of France, and of 32, Essex Street, Strand, for
the Invention of "A NEW SYSTEM OF ROTARY STEAM ENGINES."
Sealed the 13th November 1855, and dated the 17th May 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jean Guillaume Butt and
Jean Alfred Martin at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 17th May 1855.
We, JEAN GUILLAUME BUTT and JEAN ALFRED MARTIN, both of Paris, in
the Empire of France, and of 32, Essex Street, Strand, London, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW SYSTEM OF ROTARY STEAM
ENGINES" to be as follows, viz. :-
This Invention relates to a new system of rotary steam engines, so arranged
as to concentrate great power in a small space, and increasing the power
obtained by combining two toothed wheels, or two chain pulleys, or chain or
sprocket wheels, one of which remains stationary on the framing foundation
plate or foundation of the engine, and the other turns about and gears into
the one that remains stationary; this latter wheel or pulley being set in
motion by cranks, connecting rods, and a piston in a common cylinder, which

page_text: is fixed on the centre of the shaft which carries the wheel first mentioned, and
partakes of the rotary motion of the same. The wheel whose centre is revolving
about the centre of the other, and this latter may have any suitable propor-
tional size, according to the speed which it is desired to obtain.
For using wheel gear as above, I arrange the machinery by fixing a
cylinder upon trunnions, which are capable of turning in pillow blocks or
pedestals. A spur wheel is also keyed upon one of the trunions and an oblong
framing, composed of two plates, having at one end bearings for a crank shaft,
carrying a wheel which gears into the stationary wheel, and at the other slides
for the slide blocks at the end of the cross head. The motion is communicated
to the crank shaft by means of suitably framed connecting rods, so as to con-
nect the cross head with the cranks, and pass on each side of the trunions and
of the steam cylinder. Upon steam being admitted, which is done by stuffing
boxes at the centre of motion, a rotary motion will be found to ensue, which
will be continued. The apparatus for letting the steam in and out are the
same as those in common steam engines, and especially oscillating steam
engines.
In case strap cables or chains are used instead of spur gear, the arrange-
ment of the cylinder or driving part is the same, only the shafts of the driving
pulley and the pulley driven (on which latter the steam cylinder is fixed) can
be set further asunder than with wheel gear. The frame plates on the trunions
also carry pulleys for stretching the cord or chain.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jean Guillaume Butt and Jean Alfred Martin in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 16th November 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JEAN
GUILLAUME BUTT and JEAN ALFRED MARTIN, both of Paris, in the Empire of
France, and of 32, Essex Street, Strand, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred. and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Jean Guillaume Butt and Jean Alfred Martin, Her special licence,
that the said Jean Guillaume Butt and Jean Alfred Martin, our executors,
we,

page_text: administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Jean Guillaume
Butt and Jean Alfred Martin, our 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
"A NEW SYSTEM OF ROTARY STEAM ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Jean Guillaume Butt and Jean Alfred Martin, by
an instrument in writing under our hand and seal, 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 within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Jean Guillaume Butt and Jean
Alfred Martin, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our Invention relates to a new system of either rotary or oscillating steam
engines, so arranged as to concentrate great power in a small space, and
increase the power obtained by combining two toothed wheels, or chain wheels,
or pulleys, one of which remains fixed to the framing foundation plate or
foundation of the engine, and the other turns about and gears into the one
which remains stationary. However, a wheel may be made greater than the
other, according to the speed the engine is desired to have.
The following are the general arrangements of our engine:-It consists of a
cylinder, with two long trunnions of the same cast with it; said trunnions
turning in two pedestals fixed on the framing. On the same framing and in
the same axis of the trunnions of the cylinder, but entirely independant from
them, the fixed wheel is keyed, round which rotation will be effected. On each
side of the cylinder is an oblong framing, bearing at one end the pillow blocks
for an elbowed shaft, to which the cam is fixed that effects the distribution of
steam. The said shaft also carries at its end the movable wheel, which turns
round and gears into the wheel fixed on the framing. At the other end of the.
oblong framing are two slides, in which are gliding the rollers of a cross piece,
to which the piston rod is fixed. From this cross piece the motion is imparted
to the elbowed shaft by means of two corresponding rods, suitably arranged, so
as to connect the cross piece to the cranks of the elbowed shaft; the two con-
necting rods are on each side of the cylinder. Upon the admission of steam,

page_text: which is effected through the stuffing box of the trunnions, the piston works
the elbowed shaft through the connecting rods; the movable wheel gears into
the fixed wheel, and the whole system is set in motion. The slide valve may
be the same as in all common steam engines. The motive power is imparted
by the trunnions of the cylinder or main shaft. In case the engine is quite
rotary it will of course need no fly wheel.
In the annexed Sheets of Drawings, Figs. 1 & 2, A, A, is a cast-iron
cylinder, enclosing a piston and its rod; the upper part is provided with a
stuffing box; B, B, piston rod; C, C, trunnions, of the same cast with the
cylinder, turning in the pillow blocks D, D, D, of the framing T, T. These are
hollow on one side, for the admission of steam into the distributing apparatus
and thence into the cylinder, and on the other side, too, for the emission of
steam after it has worked the piston. They also bear the main shaft, which
itself carries many other pieces, which will be described hereafter. D, D, D,
cast-iron pillow blocks, in which the shaft and trunnions C, C, are turning;
E, E, E, cast-iron pieces, fixed on the shaft C, C, which act as a guide for the
cross piece fixed on the piston rod, as well as for supporting the pillow blocks
in which the shaft H, H, turns; F, F, F, F, rods connecting the elbowed
shaft H, H, H, H; G, cross pieces, bearing the two connecting rods and
two rollers for guiding the piston; H, H, elbowed shaft, joining the cross
piece G by the two connecting rods; I, I, I, pillow blocks, in which the
shaft H, H, turns; J, J, toothed wheel, gearing into the fixed wheel K;
K, gear wheel, fixed on the framing T, T, T; M, steam-distributing slide
valve, enclosed in a box and actuated by an eccentric fixed on the elbowed
shaft. In this engine the distributing apparatus may be the same as
those of the fixed or oscillating engines. N, N, metallic tube, through which
steam is admitted into the hollow shaft C, C, the slide valve M, and the
cylinder; Q, tube through which steam is emitted after working the piston;
R, R, R, screws, pressing the tubes N, N, & Q, and also the stuffing box, to
prevent the flight of steam: S, eccentric, placed on the elbowed shaft H, H,
and communicating by means of a rod the motion to the slide valve M;
T, T, T, cast-iron framing on which all the other pieces rest and work; U, U,
cross bars, that separate the different pieces of the framing T, T, T; V, V, V,
catches, of a same cast with the gear wheel, which they secure to the framing
T, T, T.
Figs. 3 & 4.
straps, cables, or chains.
In this apparatus the motion is transmitted by means of
A, A, cast-iron cylinder, like that shown at Figures
C, C, iron or cast-iron shaft, on which many other
1 & 2; B, B, piston rod;

page_text: pieces are fixed and turn simultaneously with it; D, D, D, cast-iron pedestals,
with bronze pillow blocks, in which the shaft C, C, turns; E, E, E, cast-iron
pieces, fixed on the shaft C, C, and turning with it; F, F, connecting rod,
fixed on the shaft H, H, and the cross piece G. G; G', G', connecting rod,
adhering to the piston rod B, B; H, H, elbowed shaft, bearing the connecting
rods and communicating with the cross bars G, G, and the piston A; I, I, I,
cast-iron pedestal, with bronze pillow blocks, in which the elbowed shaft
H, H, turns; J, J, chain wheel or pulley, fixed on the shaft H, H, worked
by the connecting rod, which is itself actuated by the piston; K, K, wheel
or pulley, worked by chains, cables, or straps; L, L, L, rollers, on which the
chain, cable, or strap is stretched; M, slide valve, to regulate the admission
of steam into the cylinder; N, N, tube through which steam is admitted
into the hollow shaft C, C; 0, 0, tube through which steam is emitted from
the shaft. C, C, into the slide valve M, and thence into the cylinder A, A,
Fig. 4; P, tube through which steam is emitted from the cylinder A, A, into
the hollow shaft C, C, and goes out through the tube Q, Q; R, R, R, screws
that press the tubes N, N, & Q, Q, and also the stuffing box, to prevent the
emission of steam; S, eccentric wheel, placed on the shaft II, and communi-
cating through a rod the motion to the slide valve; T, T, framing, or cast-iron
plates, on which all the other pieces rest and work; V, V, V, catches on the
chain wheel or pulley K, K, which secure the latter to the framing or plates
T,T; X, X, iron pin, serving also to secure the same chain wheel or pulley.
Fig. 5 shows the manner in which steam goes into the tube C, C. Fig. 6
shows the elbowed shaft H, II. Fig. 7 shows an arrangement of the pulleys
J, J, & K, K, allowing the suppression of the rollers L, L, as shown at
Figs. 3 & 4. Fig. 8 shows the chain wheels J, J, & K, K. Fig. 9 shows
two gear wheels J, J, & K, K. Fig. 10 shows the shaft H, H, with two
elbows. Figs. 11, 12, 13, shows the cylinder A, A, and its trunnion C, C.
Fig. 13 shows the manner in which the axes are formed, in order to leave a
way to the connecting rods F, F. The engine may be arranged so as to
be made oscillating.
The Sheet 2, Fig. 14 & 15, annexed to our Specification, shows a peculiar
arrangement by which such modification may be obtained. It will be
remarked, that instead of a whole wheel K fixed on the framing, one portion
may be sufficient, which should be equal to the length of an oscillating of the
engine. The same letters of reference stand for like parts in the different
Figures.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in

page_text: which it is or may be carried into effect, we wish it to be distinctly understood
that what we claim as novel, and being secured to us by the herein-before in
parts recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the peculiar arrangement of rotary steam engines round a wheel
fixed or secured to the framing.
Second, and also the oscillating engine constructed from this principle.
In witness whereof, we, the said Jean Guillaume Butt and Jean Alfred
Martin, have hereunto set our hand and seal, this Tenth day of
November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-five
(L.S.) J. G. BUTT.
J. A. MARTIN. (L.S.)