IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES, WHICH MAY BE WORKED BY STEAM AND OTHER FLUIDS
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JEAN
FRANÇOIS VICTOR FABIEN, of King William Street, in the City of London,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Sixteenth day of March, in the third year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Jean
François Victor Fabien, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Jean François Victor Fabien, my exors, adñiors, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Jean François Victor Fabien, my exors,
adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY
ENGINES, WHICH MAY BE WORKED BY STEAM AND OTHER FLUIDS;" communi-
cated to me by a certain Foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Jean François Victor Fabien,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said Jean
François Victor Fabien, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to

page_text: the Drawing hereunto annexnd, and to the ngures and letters marked
thereon (that is to say):-
The Invention consists of a new high-pressure rotary steam engine, working
expansively, and giving the shaft a direct motion. Its construction and im-
provements are given hereafter, with the subjoined plans. This engine is
composed of an horizontal cylinder, having both the eduction and exhaustion
pipes cast with it. On the shaft revolving in the cylinder is keyed the piston,
being a cylindrical boss, having two diametrical plates, which are curved in
such a manner as to afford a perfect contact between them and the slide, which
is the fulcrum of the steam working expansively here. The piston is within
two vertical plates adhering to it, having their circumference provided with
circularly curved segments concentric to the shaft, and having for radius that
of the cylinder. Their internal sides which are not occupied by the piston rub
against the lateral side; segments of rectangular section rubbing against the
internal side of the two plates. The circular one in contact with the piston
in all its possessions rubs against its surface; by that disposition nullifies any
communication of steam between the eduction and exhaustion before it has
produced its effect. The slide is horizontal, and motion given to it by two
parallel rollers revolving in a lever fixed to the shaft on each side of the engine,
describing their revolution round the shaft in two curves, calculated so as to
make the slide follow the curve of the piston by their alternative horizontal
motion. The admission of steam is regulated by two double cams of a peculiar
curve acting upon a frame and catch, opening and shutting the orifice of the
educting of steam by a conical valve, when it is put into motion by a disengaging
lever, by means of which the engine can be stopped when required.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, elevation; Figure 2, plan; Figure 3, vertical section; Figure 4,
horizontal section. A, cylinder to which are fixed its curves a, a, by bolts.
B, frame made of two vertical plates connected together by cross ties, B', b',
and fixed to the ground by bolts, c, c¹, c", c¹¹, &c. C, slide case having two
stuffing boxes and two horizontal segments, t¹, t', pressing against the upper
surface of the slide and lower one by the effect of springs h, h. G, &c. details
segments of slide D in contact with the moveable lateral plates forced by spiral
springs a, a. t, cylindrical segment having for its object to follow the curve of
the piston in all the positions of its revolution. Each end of this segment is
provided with two cylindrical plugs, b, b', forced against the lateral plates by
two springs. a" a", horizontal shaft revolving in spherical bearings fixed to the
frame. e, e', spiral segments placed at the end of each curved plate, pressed

page_text: against the internal sides of the cylinder by the springs. e, e, screws used to
limit the motions of the segments in their mortices. V, V, moveable internal
plates fixed to the piston by screws in the lateral sides, at the circumference of
which are segments f, f.f, pressed by the springs 9, 9, 9, against the side of
the cylinder, in order to intercept the passage of steam. G, G, lever fixed to
the shaft; each end has a roller / revolving in steel bearings j, j, sliding between
two mortices pressed at the end of their stroke by springs 1, l, leaning against
the horizontal tie m, to press at once upon the two bearings. n, cross bolt con-
necting the two; j,j, parts of the lever, and serving as fulcrum to the springs
1, 1. p, p, plates keeping the bearings in their grooves. G', G', curves fitted
in two cast iron frames, having an alternative horizontal motion communicating
to the slide D by the rods H, H, the iron head I, and those K, K, fixed to the
iron head by bolts and to the slide by the keys J, J, they are calculated so as
to be always in a contact in all the positions of the movement. H', H, H¹,
guides to keep the frames in their moving direction. r, r, half bearings
rubbing along the upper rod H². The two lower guides slide in the blocks I, 1,
fixed to the frame; 1, A, brackets fixed to the cylinder, being a fulcrum to the
upper guide H'. S, S', connecting nuts of rods, H, H, regulating the draught
of the slide D against the piston P. L, eduction pipe containing a conical
valve q, put into motion by the cam m, fixed on the shaft, acting on the frame
n, n, m, n, by pressing against a steel plate at the point O, the said frame sliding
between two blocks n', n'. The motion given to the frame is transmitted to
the lever 1, 1, by the disengaging lever M. The shaft v placed over the slide case
C, describing a part of revolution in the blocks x, x, x, transmits its motion
to the iron head n by the two rods y, y, fixed to the levers Z, Z, placed above
the shaft v, v. N, N, stuffing boxes. O, moveable buttons receiving the
packings. y', y', stuffing boxes, bolts, being a guide to the crosshead n, n.
S, waste pipe. X, X, stuffing boxes at the centre of cylinder cover, preventing
any escape of steam through the centre.
MOTION OF THE ENGINE.
The steam is introduced into the cylinder through the orifice L. When
entering, the conical valve 9 is opened, and the steam occupies the space R
between the slide D, the surface of plate P of the piston, and the plates
V, V. The pressure of the steam will cause the point C to turn round its axis
E, by following the internal surface r, r1, 11, of cylinder. When the plate P
of the piston has moved to r¹, the point m of the expansion cam leaves, the
point O, the plate r, r, meets the catch O', by its contact forces the frame n, n,
From this
to take a contrary motion to that previously given by the cam m.
effect the valve shuts the orifice, and prevents the steam from coming into the

page_text: engine, then by its own expansion gives the piston the complement of its
stroke, till the plate P of the piston be in S, where the steam begins to escape
through the waste pipe after having produced its effect. During this revolution
of the piston P, the segment C', opposite the segment C, has come to 211, to
present to the new contact of the steam the surface P. As the lateral curves
a', a', are calculated to give the slide a permanent contact with the piston in all
its revolution, it follows that no communication of steam from the eduction to
the exhaustion can exist. As the curve of the piston varies in all its positions
and that the contact between the slide and that curve ought to be the most
perfect possible, the cylindrical segment perfectly fulfils that object, for if it be
supposed the piston to be deviating from the left to the right, the segment
whieh is moveable is obliged to submit to the direction given by the curve of
the piston which is pressed upon it by the springs y, y, and being itself sub-
mitted in its rotary movement to the springs b', 6', compelling the contact with
the curve, the new disposition of the moveable discs of plates (containing
the segments) fixed to the piston revolving with them, thus nullifying any
kind of friction, and reserving but necessary adherence to the flexible circular
segments.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jean François Victor Fabien, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Sixteenth day of September, in
the year of our Lord 1840, the aforesaid Jean François Victor Fabien came
before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Sixteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty.