Year: 1888

page_text: ROBERT JOSEPH DAWSON, Draughtsman Woodbank Cottage, Meersbrook Bank
Derbyshire Lane, Sheffield, Derbyshire, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a new form of Rotary Pump and Blower in which a
rotating central drum, or barrel, is revolved by a straight shaft and imparts a conical
rolling motion to a circular vane or piston, moving in a spherical casing having
conical sides.
My invention differs from ordinary Rotary Blowers and Pumps, as only the central
barrel or drum revolves, and not the circular vane or piston: and it differs from
disc blowers and pumps, because the circular vane is not a part of, or attached to a
central gyrating ball, but is a continuous sliding vane working in a rotating drum or
barrel.
By this arrangement I can include a much wider angle within the casing and
obtain a greater air or water pressure than is possible in ordinary disc machines,
can also run at higher speeds, and with less frictional loss, than either ordinary disc
machines, or rotary machines, having gearing, or sliding vanes, or abutments, at
right angles to the plane of motion or otherwise; and further by dispensing with the
use of a gyrating ball, which is common to and a part of all machines of the disc
class, and by using instead a rotating drum or barrel and a circular sliding vane, I
can make absolutely air or water tight joints between the moving parts, inside the
machine and the casing, and in the same manner prevent what is known as "end."
play" of the driving spindle, with the usual attendant evils in working the machine.
Ordinarily in disc blowers and pumps constructed with spherical casings and
conical sides a flat solid disc is employed, being attached to, or a portion of, a central
gyrating ball which does not revolve, but has a rolling or rocking motion imparted
to it, either by a shaft perpendicular to the disc, or conaxial with the casing. When
pressure is formed in such machine, the ball being attached to the disc is alternately
forced. from side to side of the casing, and a tight joint between the ball and casing,
and between the disc and casing cannot be maintained.. The disc. being, solid, and flat.

page_text: in these machines is also, when made of general sufficient strength, weakened where
the slot is cut for the division plate, and the edges at those points spring and strike
alternately upon each side of the casing.
To overcome these drawbacks, I dispense with the gyrating ball and fixed disc, and
employ instead a rotating drum, or barrel, made preferably in halves and divided
across the axis of rotation at any suitable angle with the said axis, and I provide a
circular tapered hollow vane made preferably of two thin dished plates placed face to
face, and free to slide between the two halves of the drum which revolves with the
shaft and does not gyrate, by these means when pressure is put into, or formed in the
machine leakage and end play is prevented; instead also of cutting a parallel slot
in the vane for the division plate between suction and delivery, 1 cut out a segment
being the full width of the inlet and outlet ports on the edge of the vane, and radial
from the centre of the machine.. and allow only the outer part of the edge of the
segmental slot fitted with a projecting toe piece to slide upon a suitable guide in
the casing or bed plate; and in order to avoid loss of pressure in consequence of
the segmental shape of the slot I fit check plates or blocks to the side casings parallel
with the segmental edges of the circular vane.
All machines of the disc and gyrating ball class, have their inlet and ontlet ports,
both upon the same side of the machine and close together, this is a disadvantage and
and in my machine 1 prefer to place, or construct the machine upon a suitable bed
plate, having the inlet upon one side, and the outlet upon the opposite side of the
machine, and may also form in the bed plate, or at any part of the periphery of
the machine, a suitable division, or check plate, not in contact with the moving vane,
to separate the suction from the delivery sides of the machine.
In order to carry out my improvements I employ an ordinary spherical-casing
having conical sides which may, or may not carry the bearings for a straight shaft.
Upon the shaft I place a rotating drum, or barrel, already described, which is partly
turned outside from the same centre as the spherical casing, and is free to slide upon
keys or feathers on the shaft, each half of the drum may also be interiorily recessed.
ont-with-semicircular annular channels-in-which-the-vane-can-freely-slide- whilst the
drum revolves.
The vane may be made solid, or it may be made hollow as described, but either
way it is shaped to suit the spherical casing, and projecting semicircular, or other
shaped rings are formed upon it, near its centre, to fit freely into the annular channels
in the two halves of the driving drum. When the vane is formed of two plates they
may either be attached to each other, or separate, leaving a suitable space between
them for a spring or ordinary packing ring to be inserted to work against the inside
of the spherical casing, and the space between the two plates forming the vane, may
be filled up, or partly filled, with any suitable material, to prevent the air or other
fluid passing between the plates, and to increase their rigidity.
In order to secure noiseless working and prevent slip or loss of pressure 1 may
line the conical sides of the machine inside with felt, leather, India rubber, or other
suitable material, or I may cover the circular vane with such material.
I also apply a spiral spring between the two halves of and inside the rotating
drum, to prevent the drum from shaking, or leaving the side pistons, when the
machine is running light, or otherwise. This spring can be adjusted from outside the
machine whilst running by means of a hand wheel on one, or both sides of the machine,
working on a screw on the ends of the bearings, or otherwise, and pressing upon pins
passing through the casing, attached to side pistons which are free to move parallel
with the driving shaft inside the casing and are in side contact with the driving drum
whose ends revolve against their faces, these pistons prevent side leakage, and may be
fitted with Ramsbottom rings, and the lubrication of the side faces, and also of the
interior of the driving drum and vane can be easily effected in the ordinary way by
means of oil holes not open to the pressure of the fluid in the machine, but passing
through the side pistons to the interior.
In high pressure machines I may arrange a series of balls, between the revolving
drum ends and the side pistons, forming ball bearings between the surfaces to reduce

page_text: the friction. By these contrivances I am also enabled to adjust the position of the
vane inside the casing whilst the machine is at work.
In some cases instead of making the vanes as described with semicircular or other
shaped annular projections near the centre, I may make them entirely flat, and
instead also of using side pistons, I may use adjustable collars on the driving
spindle.
When the machine is used either as a high pressure blower or a pump I may by
preference make the rotating drum solid instead of in halves, and the vane may he
made in sections, and the rotating drum may be either free to slide upon the driving
shaft, or be fixed to it, or solid with it; in either case, one or both sides of tho
casing may be made adjustable and neither pistons nor collars employed. I may
also make the vane to bear upon the division plate in the ordinary way, or only at
the outer edge upon a fixed pin, or upon an adjustable sliding slipper or roller. The
periphery of the vane may be made tight and a working fit in the spherical casing
by any ordinary piston ring arrangement; and the division plate may be made either
solid or hollow, and fitted with spring packing clips or bearing blocks to make a
perfectly tight joint between it and the revolving drum, and between the conical
sides of the casing.
Another arrangement consists of fixing two rotating drums and circular vanes as
already described upon one spindle so as to form a double machine, but in this case
the vanes themselves are conical, and the apex of each coned vane would fall either
within, or outside the casing and he conaxial with the casing. The casing in this
machine is divided by a central division plate at right angles with the conaxial axis
into two parts, each part comprising an angle of about 60 degrees from the perpen-
dicular to the axis, and by this means I secure the maximum possible capacity capable
of being obtained and utilized from any given diameter of spherical casing.-When
I employ this arrangement I can if required make the two chambers and discs of
different diameters, and I can arrange the inlet and outlet ports on opposite sides, or
upon the same side of the machine, I may also connect the outlet of the spherical
chamber containing the largest diameter vane, to the inlet port of the smaller one
or, vice versa.
By the arrangements herein described 1 obtain within a spherical chamber, or
chambers, a rolling, or rocking piston motion in a circular sliding vane, or piston,
from a rotating drum, without the use of a gyrating spindle and wabbling hall; or
conaxial spindle with Z crank; or conaxial spindle with inclined collar, gyrating a
ball and disc in a spherical casing.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Spherical Chamber Rotary Blowers and Pumps.
ROBERT JOSEPH DAWSON Draughtsman Woodbank Cottage Meersbrook Bank,
Derbyshire Lane Sheffield, Derbyshire, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to he performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to a new form of Rotary Pump and Blower in which a
rotating central drum or barrel is revolved by a straight shaft and imparts a conical
rolling motion to a circular vane or piston moving in a spherical chamber having
conical sides.
.
-My-Invention differs-from-ordinary-Rotary-Blowers and Pumps, as only the central
barrel or drum revolves and not the circular vane or piston and it differs from disc
Blowers and Pumps, because the circular vane is not a part of, or attached to a central
gyrating ball, but is a continuous sliding vane working in a rotating drum or
barrel.
By this arrangement I can include a much wider angle within the casing and obtain
a greater nir or water pressure than is possible in ordinary disc machines. I can also
run at higher speeds and with less frictional loss than either ordinary disc Machines
or rotary machines having gearing or sliding vanes, or abutments, at right angles to
the plane of motion or otherwise, and further by dispensing with the use of a gyrating
ball which is common to and a part of all machines of the disc class, and by using instead
a rotating drum or barrel and a circular sliding vane I can make absolutely air or
water tight joints between the moving parts inside the machine and the casing, and
in the same manner prevent what is known as "end play" of the driving spindle with
the usual attendant evils in working the machine.
Ordinarily in disc blowers and pumps constructed with spherical casings and
conical sides a flat solid disc is employed, being attached to, or a portion of a central
gyrating ball which does not revolve, bnt has a rolling or rocking motion imparted to
it either by a shaft perpendicular to the disc, or conaxial with the casing. When
pressure is formed in such machine the ball being attached to the disc is alternately
force from side to side of the casing and a tight joint between the ball and casing
and between the disc and casing cannot be maintained. The disc being solid and flat
in these machines is also when made of general sufficient strength weakened where the
slot is cut for the division plate and the edges at those points spring and strike
alternately upon each side of the casing.
To overcome these drawbacks I dispense with the gyrating ball and fixed or attached

page_text: The sliding vane S may have a segmental portion removed as shown at U, or it
may merely have a parallel slotted portion removed in the usual way, it may also be
fitted with a suitable spring packing ring V and near its centre it may be provided
with semi-circular rings W or rings of any other suitable shape to fit into annular
spaces in QQ. It may be made of two or more parts as shown or of a single plate solid
with the ring W. Figs. 5 and 6 show the split driving drum QQ upon an enlarged
scale and the central portion of the sliding vane S, with the semi-circular rings W
which are free to slide in the annular channels in Q Q when the drum is revolved by
the shaft R by means of the projecting feathers or keys ✗. The circular vane S is
formed with projections or toe pieces Y Y Fig. 4 which slide upon the ledges D
Fig. 1 preventing it from revolving and causing it to slide alternately across the
suction and delivery openings B & C, thus producing a constant vacuum upon one
side of the partition E and a constant pressure of air or liquid upon the other side in
the usual manner.
"
The interior of the conical sides K may be provided with narrow projections
from D Fig. 1 up to the driving drum Qas shown at a, so as to form checks for the
air or fluid when the sliding vane is at either end of its stroke, such projections being
just of sufficient width to "compensate for the segmental portion U which has been
removed from the sliding vane for the purpose described and by extending the width
of such projections what is known as "back pressure or "cushioning" may be
obtained. The interior of the conical sides K may be turned smooth, or they may be
covered with felt, leather, india rubber or other suitable material as shown at Z Fig. !,
or in order to secure a perfect fit and destroy mere line contact between the sliding
vane and the conical sides of the chamber I may cover the vane with any suitable
substance or material.
Ou sheet No. 2 a double chamber machine is shown in Figs. 7 and 8, A is the casing,
B the inlet and C the outlet when the machine is being driven in the direction of
the arrow D but when the direction of rotation is reversed B becomes the outlet
and the inlet ports. E is the division plate between the inlet and outlet ports and
Fa division plate in the centre of the-machine-dividing-it-into-two-chambers A. A
-G-G-are two coned circular vanes free to slide in the drums which are rotated
by the shaft I. Friction plates J are inserted in the cylindrical ends of the conical.
chamber K.
The drums H are fitted with Ramsbottom or other suitable packing rings and
revolve against the friction plates J which may be adjusted by set screws outside the
machine. The chambers A and the discs G may be covered in a similar manner to
the single machine already described.
In Fig. 9 the revolving drums H are shown in plan and in Fig. 10 a plan of the
coned vanes G showing the parallel slot L into which the division plate E is inserted
in the ordinary way.
In Figs. 11 and 12, M is the pump casing N the end conically shaped cover, O the
driving drum, P the circular sliding vane. Q the balls forming ball bearings. R the
inlet and S the delivery when driven in the direction of the arrow T. U is a lining
of leather or other suitable material.
The drum O in this case is shown one half solid with the driving shaft V and the
other half connected to it by the set screw W or an equivalent thereto so that the
vane P is free to slide in it in the manner hereinbefore described.
In order to carry out my improvements I employ an ordinary spherical casing
having conical sides which may, or may not carry the bearings for a straight shaft.
Upon the shaft 1 place a rotating drum, or barrel, already described which is partly
turned outside from the same centre as the spherical casing, and is free to slide upon
keys or feathers on the shaft, each half of the drum may also be interiorily recessed
out with annular channels in which the vane can freely slide whilst the drum
revolves. The vane may be made solid or hollow but either way it is shaped to suit
the spherical casing, and projecting semi-circular or other shaped rings are formed
upon it near its centre, to fit freely into the annular channels in the two halves of
the driving drum.

page_text: When the vane is formed of two plates they may either be attached to each other,
or separate, leaving a suitable space between them for a spring or ordinary packing
ring to be inserted to work against the inside of the spherical casing, and the space
between the two plates forming the vane may be filled up, or partly filled, with any
suitable material, to prevent the air or other fluid passing between the plates, and
also to increase their rigidity.
In some cases instead of making the vanes as described with semi-circular or other
shaped annular projections near the centre, I may make them entirely flat, and
instead also of using side pistons I may use adjustable collars on the driving spindle.
When the machine is used either as a high pressure blower, or a pump, I may by
preference make the rotating drum solid instead of in halves and the vane may be
made in sections, and the rotating drum may be either free to slide upon the driving
shaft or be fixed to it, or be solid with it, in either case one or both sides of the
ensing may be made adjustable and neither pistons nor collars employed.
I may also make the vane to bear upon the division plate in the ordinary way, or only
at the outer corners of the slot or 'segmental opening in the vane already described,
the vane may also be fitted with pins to slide in properly shaped grooves in the
interior of the spherical chamber at various parts of the circumference. The division
plate may he made either solid or hollow and fitted with spring packing clips or
bearing blocks to make a perfectly tight joint between it and the revolving drum
and between the conical sides of the casing.
Another arrangement consists of fixing two rotating drums and circular vanes as
already described upon one shaft or spindle so as to form a double machine but in
this case the vanes themselves are conical and the apex of each coned vane would
fall either within or outside the casing and be conaxial with it.
The casing in this machine is divided by a central division plate at right anglos
with the conaxial axis into two parts, each part comprising an angle of about 60 degrees
from the perpendicular to the axis, and by this means I secure the maximum possible
capacity capable of being obtained and utilized from any given diameter of spherical
casing.
When I employ this arrangement I can if required make the two chambers and
discs of different diameters, and I can arrange the inlet and outlet ports upon opposite
sides, or upon the same side of the machine. I may also connect the outlet of the
spherical chamber containing the largest diameter vane to the inlet port of the other
one or vice versa.
By the arrangements herein described and illustrated by the drawings 1 obtain
within a spherical chamber or chambers a rolling or rocking piston motion in a circular
sliding vane, or piston, from a straight rotating shaft and drum without the use of a
gyrating spindle and wabbling ball; or conaxial spindle with Z crank; or conaxial
spindle with inclined collar gyrating a ball having a disc fixed to it.
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 1
claim is:
Firstly. In spherical chamber Rotary Blowers and Pumps the arrangement of a
straight plain shaft with a diagonally split revolving drum or drums for the
purpose of imparting a conical rocking motion to a circular sliding vane or disc.
Secondly. A circular sliding vane or disc formed solid or hollow either flat all over or
tapered or with annular projections upon one or both sides of it to fit into corresponding
recesses in the drum or drums, and with parallel or segmental slot for the division
plate as herein described.
Thirdly. A new form of spherical chamber and bed plate combined for disc blowers
and pumps, with the division plate formed in the bed plate and the inlet and outlet
ports upon opposite sides of the machine.
Fourthly. In spherical chamber blowers and pumps a means of adjusting the posi-
tion of the disc or sliding vane whilst the machine is in motion.

page_text: Fifthly. In spherical chamber blowers and pumps the combination of two spherical
chambers with a central division plate F. Fig. 8. Sheet No. 2, and of two
revolving drums and sliding vanes upon one straight plain shaft to form one
machine.
Sixthly. The arrangement of ball bearings for reducing the friction between the
ends of the revolving drums and the casing and end cover of the machine.
-
Seventhly. The general arrangement of spherical chamber Rotary Sliding vane or
disc blowers and pumps substantially as described and illustrated by the drawings.
Dated this 29th day of April 1889.