Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd July, 1894 -Accepted, 1st Sept., 1594
improving
1, JAMES HAZEL ADAMSON of No. 23 Hawke Street, West Melbourne, in the
Colony of Victoria, Engineer, 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 invention consists in improvements in rotary engines in which all
reciprocating parts are dispensed with and in which steam pressure gas or water
may be employed as the motive power. The motion of all its parts is rotary and
having no slide valve it can be run at a higher speed with more regularity and less
wear than ordinary engines with reciprocating parts, and owing to its high
speed it also has the advantage of allowing less time for the steam to condense in
the cylinder.
I will now refer to the accompanying drawings in which―
Figure 1 shews a sectional elevation of my rotary engine.
Figure 2 is a sectional plan of same.
Figure 3 is a detail shewing the manner of supplying and cutting off the steam.
Figure 4 is a side view of the engine as constructed with a disc and two piston
cylinders.
Figures 5 and 6 are side and end views respectively of the drum.
Figures 7 and 8 shew a method of constructing a single piston engine.
Figure 9 shews a manner of keeping the shaft casing close against the drum.
"A" and "A" are two cylinders which have a segment cut from each adjoining
side and are secured together parallel to each other with connecting bridges or
circular portions "E" arranged to form a partial casing to a drum "F." This
drum "F" fits into the interior of the circular portions "E" and has packing
pieces "W" kept against it by springs "W" which are inserted in recesses in the
drum casing "E" to allow the drum to run freely and at the same time prevent
the escape of steam. The drum is keyed on to a shaft "J" with which it
revolves within the casing. "C" is a longitudinal gap semi-circular in form near
the central shaft "J" but towards the cusps "T" of an increasing radius. This
gap "C" does not extend the whole length of the drum but stops against the ends
which form complete discs as shewn at "X" (Fig. 5).
"
Pistons "B" "B" are secured to shaft casing "K" within the cylinders "A
and "A1" so as to revolve with the said shafts. These pistons are the full length
of the cylinders and extend from their shafts "L, L" to the interior surface of the
cylinders and reach into the gap "C" of the drum alternately so as to permit
the drum "F" and shaft "J"to rotate at a uniform speed with them but in an
opposite direction.
The discs "X" on the shaft "J" are kept against the ends of the cylinders by
means of springs "H" which press against collars "J1" formed on the shaft "J."
The discs are sunk into the cylinder covers at each end so that the inner
surface "H, H₁" of the discs that form its ends are flush with the ends of the
cylinder "I, I" and thus form no obstruction to the free revolution of the pistons.
The discs are of sufficient thickness to allow a channel "G" being formed in them
to admit the steam. This channel (see Fig. 6) forms about one third of a circle,
a plain surface being left between its two extremities "G" and "G" to cut off
the steam at the required position.
The drum can be made more simply by omitting the discs and allowing the gap
to extend the whole of its length, in this case the ends of the drum will not require

page_text: to be sunk in the ends of the cylinder but the length of the channel will be
limited to leave sufficient plain surface to cut off the steam.
"
It will be seen from the previous description that the ends of the drum fulfil the
functions of a slide valve in the ordinary steam engine or as an alternative I may
place the disc on the piston shaft, either inside or outside of the cylinder ends and
the steam might then be led directly into the cylinder and the passage "R'
dispensed with. The engine can be worked with one drum disc for both cylinders.
"N"
"N" are the steam inlet pipes which come into communication by the
ports "N" with the channel "G on the disc "X" as same rotates and the
channel covers the ports "N" by which the steam enters from the boiler and
"P" by which it is admitted by the passage R" into the cylinder through the
steam port "P" (which is arranged outside the periphery of the drum) and into
the cylinder. Q, Q" are the exhaust ports and "O,O" the eduction pipes.
"M, M, M" are three spur wheels of equal diameter and pitch keyed on to the
shafts "J, L, L" respectively and gearing into each other to ensure the pistons
and drum moving round at an equal speed.
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66
The shafts "L, L" may be encased in tubes "K, K" (Fig. 1) so that the cusps
of the drum may not come too close together. The tubes "K, K" are made a
fixture of the shaft "L" but where spring pressure is to be employed (as herein-
after referred to) the tubes "K, K" should be slightly increased in diameter.
More than one piston and cylinder may be used if desired in connection with
the revolving drum to secure greater power and steadiness of movement and also
to economise space-or more than one drum may be used with a piston and its
cylinder. If only one piston be employed it will be carried round by a fly
wheel "Z" (Fig. 4) after the steam is cut off by the plain surface of the discs till
it be again admitted.
Figures 7 and 8 shew a method of constructing a single piston engine by which
more piston surface is obtained in proportion to the size of the cylinder which
greatly increases its power. This is effected by dispensing with that part of the
shaft which passes through the centre of the drum in the first method described
and supporting it on two fixed stud shafts "J" so that the gap "C" of the
drum "F" may be of greater depth and the piston casing "K proportionately
reduced so as to allow of an increased piston surface.
"
In Figure 9"K" is the shaft casing, "L" is the shaft whilst "U" is a
spiral spring arranged in the said casing "K" and operates to keep the casing "K"
against the drum "F" (Fig. 2). This spring, or its arrangement, may be varied
or modified or an equivalent employed, but in practice I prefer the mechanism as
illustrated.
I have before referred to steam only as the motive power but if pressure water
or gases be employed the devices for admitting and exhausting them would be
modified accordingly.
66
I will now describe the manner in which my engine operates-When the
piston "B" is in the position shewn by the dotted line "S" (Fig. 1), assuming
the piston and drum to be revolving in the direction shewn by the arrows D, D¹
the gap "C" in the drum will have passed the casing tube "K" within the
cylinder "A" and the cusp "T" of the drum "F" will be resting against it.
Whilst in this position the channel "G" at the end of the drum will have crossed
the inlet ports "P" and "N¹" in the cylinder cover, which is removed, but are
indicated by dotted lines in the drawing and admit the steam which passes along
the chamber "R" as shewn by arrows (Fig. 3) and out by the ports "P" and "Pi
into the interior of the cylinder and is thus enclosed between the piston "B" and
a cusp "T" of the drum "F" which now presses against the casing tube "K'
and thus having no outlet forces the piston round in the direction of the arrow "D"
till it passes the exhaust passage "Q" where the steam exhausts Prior to this
the inlet of steam is cut off by the plain surface of the discs of the drum between
the ends "G" and "G" of the channel. The drum by means of the gear
wheels "
M, M" revolves at the same speed as the pistons and when they have
k
"
"

page_text: each performed half a revolution the piston in the cylinder "A1" and the gap "C"
in the drum will have arrived at the same position relative to each other to that in
which the piston in the opposite cylinder held to the gap on starting and the steam
will be admitted in a similar manner at the opposite end of the cylinder and the
motion thus be continued.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is-
"
1. In rotary engines-a disc as "X" provided with a channel as "G to admit
and cut off steam said disc being automatically adjusted by spring or analogous
device as "H" as and for the purposes described.
"
2. In rotary engines-the combination with a drum as "F" having a curved
gap as "C" in same, of one or more cylinders as "A and "A" and arranged to
synchronously operate with one another as and for the purposes described.
3. In rotary engines-a drum having fixed stud shafts in combination with
extended blade pistons as shewn on Figs. 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings as
and for the purposes described.
4. In rotary engines-the general arrangement and combination of the several
parts substantially as and for the purposes described and in the manner illustrated
on the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 18th day of June 1804
J. H. ADAMSON.