Blowers, Motors, and other like Rotary Apparatus
Year: 1885

page_text: Blowers, Motors, and other like Rotary Apparatus
I, CEMER THOMAS COLEBROOK, of 15, Union Square, Islington, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO ROTARY PUMPS, EXHAUSTERS, BLOWERS,
MOTORS, AND OTHER LIKE ROTARY APPARATUS to be as follows
"
-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in or applicable to rotary pumps,
exhausters, blowers, motors, and other like rotary apparatus, and for facility of
comprehension will be hereinafter described as applied to a pump
The Invention has especial réference to that class of such rotary apparatus in
which there is mounted within and excentrically or otherwise in relation to an
outer cylinder or casing, formed or provided with inlet and outlet passages, and
with end covers, a cylindrical rotary drum or centre piece accurately fitting (with
facility of turning) against a segment of the inner surface or periphery of the
cylinder, and also between such end covers, and keyed or fixed upon or securely
fitted on or to an axle or shaft passing through one or both of such end covers,
and formed in its periphery with a series of longitudinal recesses or grooves in
which loosely fitting cylindrical rollers or equivalent devices of a solid or hollow
formation are placed
The principle of action sought to be attained in rotary apparatus of this class,
18, that when the drum is rotated, the said rollers shall roll freely around in their
respective grooves in such a manner as to remain at all parts of their revolution
round the centre of the said casing, or for such part thereof as they are required to
net, in contact with the inner surface or periphery thereof, so as to act as true
pistons at all times and parts of their sad revolution, or for such part thereof as
required to act in effecting a tight joint both between their peripheries and the
driving edges of their respective grooves, and between their peripheries and the
inner periphery of the said containing casing
In such apparatus as hitherto constructed, this principle of action has not been
perfectly attained, and this is principally due to two causes, the one of which 18
the peculiar and unsuitable forms hitherto given to the said grooves, within which
the said rollers or pistons have a limited radial outward movement,-as hitherto
constructed, such grooves have had almost as much, (and in some formations more,)
CD 037

page_text: tendency to carry the said rollers round about the centre of the rotating drum, as
(or th in) to carry them round in contact with the excentric or other inner periphery
of the outer casing, against which latter they are desired to be carried around, and
hence, the rollers have been liable to be carried around with the drum for the
earlier part of its revolution, after leaving the said segment and until after they
are required to begin acting, without being in contact with the inner periphery of
the casing, and to be then impelled (especially when the apparatus is so mounted
as that the crescent or other shaped space between the drum and the casing, where
they are not in contact, is at the bottom,) outwards against the inner periphery of
the casing with a very considerable and destructive force, rendering the apparatus
practically useless on account of the physically unbearable hammering noise con-
sequent upon the rollers being thus forcibly impelled into contact with the casing,
but this action is otherwise very detrimental to the full utility of such apparatus,
as an appreciable percentage of useful effect is lost, and to this extent the apparatus
18 also rendered ineffective and wasteful
It has been sought to remedy these defects by forming bosses upon the end covers
concentric with the inner periphery of the casing so as to cause the rollers to
travel always in contact therewith, but this remedy was the cause of still greater
disadvantages
The other of such causes herein before referred to, consists in the unsuitable sizes
and proportions given to the diameters of the roller pistons relatively to the width
of the space between the drum and casing, and which have hitherto been so inade
as that there has been no positive tendency, or other tendency than merely that of
gravity, and of centrifugal force, or that of the guiding bosses herein before referred
to, to keep the rollers in contact with the cylinder during the time they are required
to act by being in contact therewith, and such tendency has not been operative
during the whole of such time, and when such rollers have been thus made, and
have been used in connection with grooves of the formation hitherto used, the
apparatus is not applicable for general use when worked by hand, but requires to
be worked at such a speed as necessitates the employment of power, and hence its
use is very limited, and, moreover, as hereinbefore referred to, an appreciable per-
centage of useful effect is lost owing to the rollers not being positively kept in
contact with the cylinder for the whole period they are required to be
The special object of the present improvements is to remedy all these and other
disadvantages and defects attendant upon the use of such rotary apparatus when
constructed as hitherto, and to make such improvements therein as that the above
referred to principle of action sought to be attained shall be practically attained,
and more perfectly and with greater advantage than in any existing apparatus of
like kind
To this end, one modification of the present improvements consists in the
formation of the grooves of the drum in such an improved manner as that their
working or driving side or sides shall (for its or their whole extent, or for such part
thereof as constitutes the actual acting part which is effective or instrumental in
propelling the roller pistons from the position they occupy at the time they begin
to act in drawing water or in passing the inlet until the position they occupy at the
time at which the discharge of such water begins or until reaching the outlet) be
caused to occupy such a position in relation to the centre of actuation, and to the
rollers, as that they will have a constant positive tendency to thrust such rollers
outwards, and to keep them in contact with the inner periphery of the casing, at
all parts of their said revolution, or while they are required to be operative,
irrespective of the position of the casing, and of whether the drum is being rotated
at a slow or at a fast rate of speed
This result is attained, in accordance with the present improvements, by causing
the said driving side or sides or such acting part as herein before mentioned of such
grooves, to occupy a position in relation to the centre of actuation either radial
therefrom, or radial from a point on either side of such centre of actuation, situated
anywhere within a circle drawn about such centre and of a diameter not exceeding

page_text: that of the width of the peripheral opening of such grooves, or it may be still more
forward thereof, but not so advantageously, the degree of advantage increasing as
the said direction of inclination more and more approaches a true radius from such
centre of actuation, from the forward side thereof
Especial advantages arising from this improved formation of the said grooves,
are, greater ease in working, less noise, a much greater range than is in other
arrangements possible in the amount of space between the periphery of the drum
and that of the enclosing casing, and also in the size of rolleis used in the said
grooves, which latter facilities are of very considerable advantage in pumps when
working with rough and dirty fluids, greater facility of ascertaining and applying
the most advantageous weight of rollers to work to the best advantage, and which
also is a point of great importance in working with fluids of different specifio
gravities, and that in a pump especially, I am enabled to use common bar metal or
diawn or rolled tubing for the roller pistons without needing to turn them,
without appreciably increasing the fiction, and which is resultant in considerably
diminishing the cost of manufacture
When the drum thus formed is mounted within a suitable casing or cylinder
formed or provided as herein referred to, and is rotated by hand or otherwise, the
rollers will, by reason of the novel and peculiar formation and direction of inclina-
tion giving to the driving sides or to the desired extent or acting part thereof of
the grooves operating them, have a positive force tending to roll them out of the
said grooves, and away from the centre of the drum, and against the internal surface
of the casing so that there will be a complete avoidance of such sudden impulses
and destructive hammering existent in such apparatus as hitherto constructed
The Invention also comprises the formation of the rollers of such apparatus of
such proportional sizes or diameters in relation to the width of the space between
the drum and casing, as that, while traversing the periphery of the casing between
the inlet and the outlet, the rollers shall be positively supported by the edges or
acting parts of the grooves of the drum at some part of them within a circle struck
from the centre of actuation, and intersecting the points at which the centres of the
rollers are least distant from the centre of actuation when between such points of
inlet and outlet, and when the rollers are thus proportioned, formed, and adapted,
the particular formation of the grooves is not so material as it otherwise 15, and
such parallel sided shapes as have been hitherto used may be used therewith
For the purpose of securing the most advantageous operation, and evenness of
work in a pump, I cause the outlet therefrom to be situated at or to extend from
the commencement of the segment of the casing against which the dium rotates
to that point of the crescent or other shaped space (where the drum and casing are
excentric, or are not in contact,) at which the forward roller will be situated at the
moment when or immediately after the space between the two acting rollers 18
fully charged, and the inlet I cause to extend from the end of the said segment to
that part of the said space at which the roller coming into operation will be situated
at the moment when the varying cubic capacity between the two acting roller
pistons is the greatest, or when or immediately after the said space is fully charged
The cylinder, may, however, be so shaped as that the cubic capacity between the
two acting roller pistons will remain constant from the moment of being fully
chaiged until the moment of the commencement of escape of the material under
treatment, by so forming and constructing the casing as that the part traversed by
the rollers from the time of passing the inlet until the time of reaching the outlet,
shall be concentric with the periphery of the drum, the concentric parts of the
casing of different diameters being formed to give or allow of the rollers gradually
altering their radial distances from the centre of actuation
I also construct the shaft and drum in one piece, which further considerably
lessens the cost of manufacture, and form the end cover or covers in such an
improved manner as that they require no packing glands, and form and adapt the
rotating drum thereto where it abuts thereagainst so as to prevent leakage more
than sufficient to lubricate the adjacent parts unless the same should become very

page_text: much worn or be under very great pressure, and this result I attain in one modifi-
cation by annularly recessing the end covers, at parts surrounding the shaft near
adjacent to theu faces, and by leading ducts from such recesses to the faces of the
covers, on the suction side of the drum when in operation, so that any small leakage
around the shaft on the delivery side of necessity finds its way into these annular
and is immediately drawn back into the casing on the suction side
recesses,
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
Agents for the Applicant
Improvements in or Applicable to Rotary Pumps, Exhausters,
Blowers, Motors, and other like Rotary Apparatus
I, CEMER THOMAS COLEBROOK, of 15, Union Square, Islington, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said 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 relates to certain improvements ID or applicable to rotary
pumps, exhausters, blowers, motors, and other like rotary apparatus, and for
facility of comprehension will be hereinafter particularly described as applied to
a pump
The Invention has especial reference to that class of such rotary apparatus in
which there is mounted within and excentrically or otherwise in relation to an
outer cylinder or casing formed or provided with inlet and outlet passages and
with end covers, a cylindrical rotary drum or centre piece accurately fitting (with
facility of turning) against a segment of the inner surface or periphery of the
cylinder, and also between such end covers, and keyed or fixed upon or securely
fitted on or to an axle or shaft passing through one or both of such end covers,
and formed in its periphery with a series of longitudinal recesses or grooves in
which loosely fitting cylindrical rollers or equivalent devices of a solid or hollow
formation are placed
The principle of action sought to be attained in rotary apparatus of this class, 18,
that when the drum is rotated, the said rollers shall roll freely around in their
respective grooves in such a manner as to remain at all parts of their revolution
round the centre of the said casing, or for such part thereof as they are required to
act, in contact with the inner surface or periphery thereof, so as to act as true
pistons at all times and parts of their said revolution, or for such times and parts

page_text: of their said revolution as required to act in effecting a tight joint both between
their peripheries and the driving or driven edges of their respective grooves, and
between their peripheries and the inner periphery of the said containing casing
In such apparatus as hitherto constructed, this principle of action has not been
perfectly attained and this want of efficiency 18 principally due to two ciuses, one
of which is the peculiar and unsuitable forms hitherto given to the said grooves
within which the said rollers or pistons have a limited radial outward movement,—
as hitherto constructed, such grooves have had almost as much, (and in some
formations more) tendency to carry the said rollers round about the centre of the
rotating drum, as (or than) to carry them round in contact with the excentric or
other inner periphery of the outer casing, against which latter they are desired to
be carried around, and hence the rollers have been liable to be carried around with
the drum for the earlier part of its revolution after leaving the said segment and
until after they are required to begin acting in concert with the inner periphery
of the casing, without being in contact therewith, and to be then (especially when
the apparatus is so mounted as that the crescent or other shaped space between
the drum and the casing, where they are not in contact, is at the bottom,) impelled
outwards against the inner periphery of the casing with a very considerable and
destructive force, rendering the apparatus practically useless on account of the
physically unbearable hammering noise consequent upon the rollers being thus
forcibly impelled into contact with the casing, but this action is otherwise very
detrimental to the full utility of such apparatus, as an appreciable percentage of
useful effect is lost, and to this extent the apparatus is also rendered ineffective
and wasteful
It has been sought to remedy these defects by forming bosses upon the end
covers concentric with the inner periphery of the casing so as to cause the rollers
to travel always in contact therewith, but this remedy was the cause of still
greater disadvantages
The other of such causes hereinbefore referred to as rendering such apparatus as
hitherto constructed inefficient, consists in the unsuitable diametrical sizes and
proportions given to the roller pistons relatively to the width of the space between
the drum and casing, and which have hitherto been so made as that there has been
no positive tendency, or other tendency than merely that of gravity, and of centri-
fugal force, or that of the guiding bosses herein before referred to, to keep the
rollers in contact with the cylinder during the time they are required to act in
contact therewith, and such tendency has not been operative during the whole of
such time, and when such rollers have been thus made, and have been used in
connection with grooves of the formation hitherto used, the apparatus is not
applicable for general use when worked by band, but requires to be worked at
such a speed as necessitates the employment of power, and hence its use is very
limited, and, moreover, as herein before referred to, an appreciable percentage of
useful effect is lost owing to the rollers not being positively kept in contact with
the cylinder for the whole period they are required to be
The special object of the present improvements is to remedy these and other
disadvantages and defects attendant upon the use of such rotary apparatus when
constructed as hitherto, and to apply such improvements to such apparatus as will
cause the above referred to principle of action to be practically attained more
perfectly and with greater advantage than in any existing apparatus of like kind
The Invention is illustrated in the sectional elevation Fig 1, of the accompanying
drawings as applied to a rotary pump exhauster, blower or like apparatus in which
the shaft of the drum is driven by hand or power, and as aforesaid will be herein-
after particularly described as applied thereto
On the accompanying drawings, 1, represents the outer cylinder or casing of the
apparatus, 2, 3, its inlet and outlet passages respectively, 4, the end covers, 5, the
cylindrical rotary drum or centie piece, 6, the segment of the cylinder, 1, against
which the drum 5, rotates, 7, the shaft of the drum, 8, the longitudinal recesses
or grooves in the periphery of the drum, and, 9, the rotary pistons which are

page_text: required to be carried round thereby in contact with the periphery of the
cylinder, 1, as and at the times required
The present improvements consist in part in the formation of the grooves, 8, of
the drum, 5, in such an improved manner as that then working or driving side or
sides 10, shall be so disposed in relation to the centre of the drum as the centre
of actuation, and to the rollers (as the parts they actuate in a pump exhauster or
blower wherein the shaft of the drum is actuated by hand or by power, or as the
parts by which they are acted upon as in an engine motor or meter wherein the
drum is actuated by the fluid passing through the apparatus) as that such working
or driving side or sides of such grooves will have a constant positive tendency to
thrust such rollers outwards (whether driving them or being driven by them) and
to keep them in contact with the inner periphery of the casing at all parts of their
said revolution, or while they are required to be operative, irrespective of the
position of the casing, and of whether the drum is being rotated at a fast or at a
comparatively slow rate of speed
This peculiar disposition of the driving or working part of the said grooves may
be applied to one side of each groove as in the modification represented in single
acting rotary apparatus, or may be applied to both sides of each groove in double
acting or reversible rotary apparitus, and may be applied to the whole extent of
such side (or sides) as in the modification represented, or for such part thereof as
constitutes the actual working part which actuates or propels the rollers or 18
acted upon and propelled by them between the positions they occupy at the time of
passing the inlets and the positions they occupy at the time of reaching the outlets
In effecting such improvement, the said driving side or sides, 10, (or such acting
part thereof as herein before mentioned or referred to) of such grooves, 8, 1s disposed
in relation to the said centre of actuation in a plane either radial therefrom as in
the modification represented or radial from any point (referring to a transverse
sectional view) on either side of such centre of actuation situated anywhere within
a circle drawn about such centre and of the diameter of the rollers, or it may be
still more forward thereof, but not so advantageously, the degree of advantage
being the greatest when the said plane is radial from the said centre of actuation
Especial advantages arising from this improved formation of the said grooves,
are, greater ease in working, less noise, a much greater range than is in other
arrangements possible in the amount of space between the periphery of the drum
and that of the enclosing casing and also in the size of rollers used in the said
grooves, which latter facilities are of very considerable advantage in pumps when
working with rough and dirty fluids, greater facility of ascertaining and applying
the most advantageous weight of rollers to work to the best advantage, and which
also is a point of great importance in working with fluids of different specific
gravities, and that in a pump especially, I am enabled to use common bar metal
or drawn or rolled tubing for the roller pistons without needing to turn them,
without appreciably increasing the friction, and which renders the improved
apparatus capable of being manufactured at comparatively small cost
When the drum thus formed is mounted within the casing or cylinder, 1, formed
or provided as herein referied to, and as illustrated on the accompanying drawings,
and is rotated by hand by means of a handle on a squared extremity of the drum
shaft, 7, or is otherwise rotated or driven, the rollers 9, will by reason of the novel
and peculiar formation and direction of inclination giving to the driving sides, 10,
or to the desired extent or acting part thereof of the grooves operating them, have
a positive force acting on them and tending to roll them out of the sud grooves,
and away from the centre of the drum, and against the internal surface of the
casing, so that there will be a complete avoidance of such sudden impulses and
destructive hammering existent in such apparatus as hitherto constructed
The Invention also comprises the formation of the rollers, 9, of such apparatus of
such proportional sizes or diameters in relation to the width of the space between
the dram and casing, (or to the greatest width of such space if varying) as that,
while on throughout the time they are traversing the periphery of the casing

page_text: between the inlet and the outlet, the rollers shall be positively supported with the
Baid outward tendency by the edges or acting parts of the grooves of the drum at
some part of them nearer the centre of actuation than the distance therefrom of their
axes To attain this result the rollers may be made of a diameter somewhat less
than double the width (or greatest width) of such space, or of a diameter so much
larger than the width (or greatest width) of such space as will avoid any liability
of the rollera jamming in any part thereof, or of any size intermediate between
such limits, and when the rollers are thus proportioned and adapted, the particular
formation of the grooves is not so material as it otherwise is, and such parallel
sided shapes as have been bitherto used may be used therewith
For the purpose of securing the most advantageous operation, and evenness of
work in a pump, I cause the outlet, 3, therefrom, to be situated at or to extend
from the commencement of the segment, 6, of the casing, 1, against which the
drum 5, rotates, to that point of the crescent or other shaped space (where the drum
and casing are excentric, or are not in contact,) at which the forward roller (a) will
be situated at the moment when or immediately after the space between the two
acting rollers (a, b,) is fully charged, and the inlet I cause to extend to that part of
the sud space at which the said roller (b) will be situated at the moment when the
varying cubic capacity between the two acting roller pistons a, b, is the greatest, or
when or immediately after the said space is fully charged The cylinder, may,
however, be so shaped as that the cubic capacity between the two acting roller
pistons will remain constant from the moment of being fully charged until the
moment of the commencement of escape of the material under treatment, by so
forming and constructing the casing as that the part traversed by the rollers from
the time of passing the inlet until the time of reaching the outlet shall be
concentric with the periphery of the drum, the concentric parts of the casing of
different diameters being connected by parts so shaped as to cause or allow of the
rollers gradually altering their radial distances from the centre of actuation
I also construct the dium, 5, in one piece with projecting ends or axles, 7, which
further considerably lessens the cost of manufacture, and I form the end cover or
covers 4, in such an improved manner as that they require no packing glands, and
form and adapt the rotating drum thereto where it abuts thereagainst so as to
prevent leakage more than sufficient to lubricate the adjacent parts unless the
same should become very much worn or be under great pressure, and this result
I attain by annularly recessing the end covers at parts, 11, surrounding the shaft
near adjacent to their faces as represented in the sectional detail view Fig 2, and
by leading ducts 12 from such recesses to the faces of the covers, on the suction
side of the drum when in operation, so that any small leakage around the shaft on
the delivery side of necessity finds its way into these annular recesses, and is
immediately drawn back into the casing on the suction side
Fig 3, and, 4, on the accompanying drawings respectively represent in sectional
elevation a rotary engine or motor, and a rotary meter fitted with drums grooved
and adapted in accordance with the present improvements, the drums being
rotated by the pressure of the roller pistons against the working faces of the
sides, 10, of the grooves
It will of course be understood that the drums may be formed with the number
of grooves most suitable for the intended use of the apparatus,-in forming the
grooves in drums intended for use in pumps and like apparatus it is of advantage
to make them of such a width as to give plenty of lateial clearance for the rollers
and the fluid being pumped, and in forming the grooves in the drums intended for
use in engines the least lateral clearance possible should be allowed for
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim 18 In rotary apparatus of the class heieinbefore described
1 The formation of the grooves of the drums in such a manner as that their
working or driving side or sides (or such part or parts thereof as required as

page_text: herein before referred to) shall be so disposed in relation to the centre of the drum
as the centre of actuation, and to the rollers as aforesaid, as that such working or
driving side or sides or part or part of such grooves will have a constant positive
tendency to thrust such rollers outwards (whether diving them or being driven by
them) and keep them in contact with the inner periphery of the casing at all parts
of their said revolution or while they are required to be operative, substantially as
hereinbefore described
2 The formation of the roller pistons of such proportional sizes or diameters in
relation to the width of the space between the drum and casing (or to the greatest
width of such space if varying) as that while or throughout the time they are
traversing the periphery of the casing between the inlet and the outlet the rollers
shall be positively supported with the said outward tendency by the edges or
acting parts of the grooves of the drum at some part of them nearer the centre of
actuation than the distance therefrom of their axes, substantially as herein before
described
3. In a rotary pump or like apparatus, arranging the inlet and outlet respec-
tively in relation to the concentric and excentric portions of the casing substantially
in the manner hereinbefore described
4 Forming the end covers with annular recesses at parts surrounding the shaft
adjacent to their faces and leading ducts from such recesses to the suction side of
the drum, substantially as and for the purposes herein before described