AN IMPROVED PIECE OF MACHINERY, WHICH, BEING COMBINED WITH PARTS OF THE STEAM ENGINE OR OTHER ENGINES, SUCH AS PUMPS, FIRE ENGINES, WATER WHEELS, AIR PUMPS, CONDENSERS, AND BLOWING ENGINES, WILL EFFECT AN IMPROVEMENT IN EACH OP THEM RESPECTIVELY
Year: 1829

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
SMITH, of the Borough of Derby, in the County of Derby, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Fourteenth day of January, in the ninth year of his reign, did,
for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Smith, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, His special licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Thomas Smith, my
exors, adiñiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Smith,
my exors, adññiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term of
years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also
in all His Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "AN
IMPROVED PIECE OF MACHINERY, WHICH, BEING COMBINED WITH PARTS OF THE STEAM
ENGINE OR OTHER ENGINES, SUCH AS PUMPS, FIRE ENGINES, WATER WHEELS, AIR
PUMPS, CONDENSERS, AND BLOWING ENGINES, WILL EFFECT AN IMPROVEMENT IN EACH
OP THEM RESPECTIVELY;" in which Letters Patent there is contained a proviso
obliging me, the said Thomas Smith, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the
same to be enrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six

page_text: calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said 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
Thomas Smith, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is described and ascertained
in the Plans Nos. I., II., & III., drawn upon these presents, and the following
explanation thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists as well as in exhausting, raising, forcing, or pro-
pelling any fluid or fluids, as in applying the impulse of any fluid or fluids
to the propelling of machinery, which I effect by means of two pistons
alternately moving at unequal speeds or velocities, but over the same space
and surface in succession, except so far as respects the joint of such pistons
which is the centre round which they move within a cylinder, into which
cylinder steam, water, air, or any other fluid is allowed to enter, in order to
press upon or be pressed by such pistons alternately, as the use to which the
engine is applied may require, and out of which cylinder such steam, water,
air, or other fluid is allowed to pass or is propelled by the said pistons
alternately as may be required for the respective purposes to which such
Invention is applicable, and which pistons are by the intervention of certain
wheels, levers, or cranks herein-after specified, or any of them, or any com-
bination thereof, or of the same with other wheels, levers, or cranks, or of any
other effective contrivance, made to move at such intervals in succession and
alternately that the one of such pistons alternately shall be ascelerated or
shall pass over a greater space than the other of such pistons in the same time,
and that such other piston alternately shall be retarded, or shall pass over a
less space, than the ascelerated piston in the same time, and shall become the
fulcrum or bottom or point. of resistance, against which the steam, water,
air, or other fluid shall press or be sustained in its operation upon the
mechanism, or in the action of the mechanism upon it, which spaces may be in
the proportion of one in four, one in five, or other unequal ratios, so that the
joints between each piston and also the interval between the pistons and the
sides and internal periphery of the cylinders are constantly kept air-tight, and
so that the fluid is permitted to enter and depart at openings made at two
convenient points in such part of such cylinder or of its internal periphery s
only as will bear the same proportion to the whole periphery as the velocity
of one of such pistons bears to the velocity of the other piston. The form
and material of such pistons, so that they have a proper joint between them,
ll be as most convenient for effecting the above purpose; and may be either:

page_text: two thin plates or wings of metal; or, two segments of a hollow air-tight
cylinder, or two segments of a cylinder cast with light cores, or two segments
of a solid cylinder, bearing respectively not more than the same proportion to
the whole cylinder as the space which the piston when retarded has to travel
bears to the whole space of such cylinder, the periphery of each piston being
nearly equal to the least distance upon the periphery of the cylinder between
the two openings therein, the only difference between a flat and a hollow or a
solid piston being that the latter saves its additional bulk in steam when
applied to the propelling of machinery by that power, and that for receiving
the impulse of water or air, and for many other purposes, as the exhausting,
raising, or propelling of any fluid, a flat piston is prefereable, because it allows
more of the fluid to enter the cylinder during each revolution. Upon the part of
such respective pistons which passes over the periphery of the cylinder, there
is a sloped groove A to admit the fluid to pass freely, except over a very small
space (a) more than the thickness of the packing of that part of the piston
which rubs against or passes over the internal periphery of the cylinder, and
which may be called the semi-cylindrical face of the piston; one of the five
other faces adjacent to and forming the joint f, g, h, i, is hollowed out to fit
the two rods or axles of the pistons. The two other faces B, B 1, which rub
against or pass over the inside of the covers of the cylinder, are nearly
triangular, or rather a figure having two opposite sides bounded by right lines
and the other two opposite sides by semicircles of different dimensions
respectively, depending upon the size of the internal periphery of the
cylinder and the size of the axles or rods to which such pistons are attached.
The two remaining faces C, D, of such piston are rectangular, of the most
convenient form, and of sufficient area according to the power required and to
the ordinary calculations; and upon that rectangular face of such piston C
which has not any part of the said groove A for receiving the fluid there are
grooves b, b, b, b, on the three sides which rub against the sides and periphery of
the cylinder and against the opposite joint, to hold the packing.over which is
screwed a thin plate of metal d, d, d, d, the size of and covering such rect-
angular face to secure and tighten the said packing. The second or other
rectangular face of the said piston D is reduced by the size of the deepest part
of the groove A, formed to receive the fluid, and the said pistons are made to
work nearly close to each other, and are alike in their form and dimensions,
except as respects their adaptation to opposite sides; and that rectangular
face of one piston C which has the packing plate above it and that rect-
angular face of the other piston D which has the deepest part of the groove
for receiving the fluid being always placed opposite to each other, so that after

page_text: the packing and the said small space (a) between it and the commencement
of the induction groove A upon the retarded piston B, Fig. 9, have passed
over the induction way or opening E, in the periphery of the cylinder F,
Fig. 9, through which the fluid is admitted, such fluid may enter such induction
groove A and pass freely into the interval between the two pistons, and either
by the increase in quantity of such fluid, or by the inherent property of
expansion in bulk of steam, or by both increase in quantity and expansibility
of steam, or by the gravity of water or other fluid, or by any other properties
thereof respectively, such respective fluids may convert that piston B, Fig. 9,
which was previously retarded, into the accelerated piston B, Fig. 10, and so
also that after the packing and the said small space (a) between it and the
commencement of the eduction groove A upon the previously accelerated
piston B 1, Fig. 9, have passed over the other opening G in the periphery
of the cylinder, which opening or eduction way communicates either with
the atmosphere or with a condenser and air-pump, the fluid which had
propelled or had been pressed upon by such previously accelerated piston
B 1, Fig. 9, from the induction way or charging aperture E, to the
eduction way or discharging aperture G, may pass freely along that educ-
tion groove, whilst the accelerated piston B, Fig. 10, is pressing upon
such fluid, and whilst the retarded piston B 1, Figure 10, is travelling
towards the induction way or charging aperture E. The packing b, b, 1, b,
may either be metallic, or with hemp, wool, or other proper material, but if
it be not metallic, the packing in that part which is subject to friction from
the holes in the periphery should be covered with a smooth plate of
copper or brass sunk into the packing and pressed by it against the periphery.
The joint f, g, h, i, must also be air-tight, and subject to this condition, and to
the further condition that the joint will allow the pistons to come nearly close
together and to revolve alternately, and at the unequal velocities required; any
form of joint will serve; but for these purposes I find it most convenient to
make the joint by attaching the respective pistons to separate rods or axles
I, K, either by screws or by casting the piston and its rod together for half
the thickness of the interior of the cylinder f, g, the other half thickness of
the pisten h, i, being hollowed out as before mentioned, to admit and ride
over that part of the other axle which is in like manner attached to the other
piston. The part g, h, where the two axles meet, must be ground or packed
air-tight, and from thence, in each axle, a longitudinal hole must be made, to
hold a cylindrical pin H, by means of which pin the two axles are jointed
together firmly, and round which pin the two pistons revolve. The parts of
the respective pistons which press upon the axles respectively must either he

page_text: ground air-tight or be secured by the packing before mentioned. The cylinder
must be truly bored, and, to keep its lids or covers air-tight, the edges of the
cylinder must be recessed at each end, so as to admit both the edge and part
of the inside of each of the covers to fit tight against the face m, m, m, m,
and the edge of the cylinder 1, 1, 1, 1, which is made to project from the face,
or be otherwise made air-tight. One of these covers is taken off in the smaller
engines to pack the pistons, and a half cover is screwed on at the lower part
of the opening. The first packing plate is then taken off, and when the
packing of one piston has been made good, and the packing plate replaced
and screwed fast, that piston is pushed aside and the other piston takes its
place and is repacked in like manner; the half cover is then removed, and
the original cover replaced. In the larger engines a round and tapering valve,
of convenient diameter, and ground air-tight, is made in one of the covers, and
the pistons are packed through this valve without removing the cover. The
piston rods or axles I, K, have a shoulder n, n, m, n, closely fitting the cover
and against the brasses of the stuffing box, and pass out of the cylinder at
each end, through the centre of each cover, and must be secured by stuffing
boxes in the usual way. Upon each of these rods or axles is fixed one wheel,
lever, crank, or other contrivance for communicating the power of the fluid to
the external machinery, and for governing the pistons in their alternation and
velocity, when they are used for any hydraulic or pneumatic purpose. The
form of such wheel, lever, or crank, or other contrivance, is of no importance
provided that it allow the pistons to work alternately quick and slow and
preserve their alternate rotation and unequal velocities in the proportions
before mentioned, or any of them; but I find it convenient to make such
contrivance in some one of the following methods, and to use wheels, levers,
cranks, or other apparatus, of the respective forms set forth in the said plans,
and marked with the letters No. I., Figure 2, and 3, 4, 5, 6, and No. II.,
L and M, No. III., M, M, the proportions of which wheels, levers, cranks,
or other apparatus, respectively are to be varied as occasion requires to
correspond with the before-mentioned proportions between the velocities of
the pistons.
The first, No. I., Figure 5, consists of two wheels and two segments of
wheels, and is calculated to make the pistons revolve in the proportion of one
in four, whilst the axle of each piston makes a revolution in the same time.
The second, No. I., Figure 4, is a pair of eccentric wheels, of which the
smallest (s) makes two revolutions whilst the largest (t) makes one, and is
suitable for a cylinder where the velocity of the pistons is in the proportion of
one in four. The third, No. II., L, M, No. III., M, M, is a pair of oval

page_text: eccentric wheels, whose revolutions, are equal, but the change of velocity is
in the proportion of one in four. The fourth, No. I., Figure 2, 3, is a
pair of eccentric wheels, with rolling planes; their revolutions are equal,
but the change of velocity is in the proportion of one in five.
And the
fifth, No. I., Figure 6, is one side of an arrangement of cranks (u) parallel
to each other upon the connecting shaft N, with sliding cranks (v) at right
angles to each other upon the two piston shafts I, K, connected with the
former cranks by two levers W, which latter cranks slide through the shafts
of the pistons at I, and vary their levers momentarily, and are fastened by
pins to the said two levers, which are attached in the usual way to the
cranks of the connecting shaft (u) at one of their extremities, and at their
other extremities slide through a universal joint (x); their revolutions are
equal, but the change of the velocity of the sliding cranks is in the pro-
portion of one in five. The way of fixing any eccentric wheel, lever, or
crank upon the axle is that when the packing of the respective pistons is
in the centre, between the two openings for charging and discharging the
cylinder, No. 1, Figure 10, the longest and shortest levers of the eccentric
wheels, levers, or cranks, are and ought to be parallel to the centres of the
axis of the two pistons, and also to the axis of the connecting shaft; and, as
respects the fixing of the opposite wheels, levers, or cranks, in such case the
whole of the longest and shortest levers must be in the same plane, as is apparent
in the side elevation, No. II., L, M, the pistons of which, under such circum-
stances, stand on the position No. 1, Figure 10. Such engines may be
constructed of any size and applied to any of the hydraulic or pneumatic
purposes set forth in the title of the said Patent, and may be worked with the
cylinder either horizontal, vertical, or at any oblique angle which convenience
may render necessary, or with two or more cylinders of the same or different
sizes, and upon the same or different axles, so that the plane of the wheels be
parallel to the plane of rotation of the pistons, and that the alternate revolution
and unequal change of velocity be maintained in manner before mentioned,
and they may be worked either by ordinary atmospheric condensation and at
any pressure which the boiler will bear, in which case I discharge the steam
either through a wide pipe into the air, or carry the discharge pipe O through
the supply of water P, and where it is carried upwards, the condensed water
will run off by any such contrivance as is represented at Q in the end and
side elevation, or they may be worked at low pressure with a separate
condenser and air-pump, in reference to which latter mode of operation claim
nothing new in the arrangement of mechanism, except the mode of effecting it
with a rotary air-pump, constructed upon the same principles as are herein set

page_text: forth, and worked either from the piston shafts or from the connecting shaft,
and either by equal round wheels, No. I., Figure 1, or by eccentric wheels,
cranks, pulleys, levers, or other contrivance as may be most convenient,
by the rise of which rotary air-pump the intermediate valves, between the
steam cylinder and the discharging valves of the hot well, may be dispensed
with, the pistons of such rotary air-pump forming their own valves during
their rotative action, and acting without intermission during the working
of the steam engine. In feeding the boiler of the steam engine, I admit the
water either cold or hot, and either from above or below the surface of the
water in the boiler, into a separate strong air-tight vessel, No. I., Figure 7,
either as the water in the boiler evaporates or at convenient times, and having
shut off further communication with the supply cistern P, by the stopcock
(a 1), I turn the stopcock (j), and allow the steam, at any temperature
which it may then be in the boiler, to enter such separate vessel, wherein the
pressure of the steam upon the surface of the water in such vessel will then
counterbalance and overcome the resistance of the steam within the boiler,
and the water will flow or will be forced out of such separate vessel through
an opening into the boiler against any pressure upon turning the third stop-
cock; and I claim the power to effect this either by hand or by geering, and
either by No. 1, Figure 7, a fixed separate vessel, or by suspending such
separate vessel R upon a balance or weighted lever S, so as by the gravity of
the water to move sliding valves T in such manner as is represented in the
end elevation and side elevation R, S, T, or with other valves or pipes and
stopcocks attached to, worked by, or sliding against, such separate vessel, in
the most convenient manner of combining, applying, and working the same,
so that the boiler be fed by the agency of the steam in equalizing the pressure
of itself above and below the water, and so that the feeder be moved by the
gravity of the water alone, or by that gravity united with the agency of the
steam in emptying such separate vessel, and forming a vacuum without
requiring any communication with the machinery of the steam engine for the
purpose of working the same feeder.
I claim the Invention of an improved piece of machinery acting rotatively
by the force of and upon steam, water, air, or other fluid in a new manner, by
the alternate and unequal acceleration and retardation of pistons successively
revolving round a centre within a cylinder, and successively forming within such
cylinder not only the fulcrum, bottom, or point of resistance of the fluid, but
the valves for admitting and discharging such fluid at proper intervals whilst
operating upon such improved piece of machinery for the purpose of pro-
ducing and maintaining an uniform rotative moving power, or whilst being

page_text: operated upon by such improved piece of machinery for other hydraulic or
pneumatic purposes. And I further claim the combination of such improved
piece of machinery, with parts of the steam engine, whether such steam engine be
stationary, portable, locomotive, marine, or otherwise, and also the combination
of such improved piece of machinery, with parts of other engines, such as
pumps, fire engines, water wheels, air-pumps, condensers, and blowing engines;
but I do not claim any previously known parts of such respective stationary,
portable, locomotive, marine, or other steam engines, or of such other engines,
or any previously known combination or application thereof respectively.
The Drawings No. 1, Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, are intended
to represent details of the Patent Rotary Engine, or separate parts of the
mechanism referred to in this Specification, and not shewn in Nos. II. and III.
The first seven are all upon a scale of an inch and a half to the foot, and
8, 9, 10, and 11, are all upon a scale of one foot to three inches. No. II. is
a side elevation, and No. III. is an end elevation of a steam engine, con-
structed with and shewing some other parts of the rotary mechanism specified,
and upon a scale of an inch and a half to the foot; and the same letters,
marks, and numbers, refer to the corresponding parts of each.
No. I. contains Figure 1, a round wheel working the air pump from the piston
shafts, Figure 6, letter I.; Figures 2 and 3, eccentric wheels, with rolling planes;
Figure 4, eccentric wheels; Figure 5, cccentric wheels, formed of (o) one
quarter segment and (p) one three quarters segment, working into (q, r,) two
round wheels of different diameters; Figure 6, one side of cranks, sliding cranks,
and levers, with universal joint; Figure 7, the fixed vessel with stopcocks and
pipes for feeding the boiler; Figure 8, end elevation of the semi-cylindrical face
of the piston, shewing A, the groove for receiving steam, water, air, or other
fluid; (a), the small space between such groove and the packing, and b part
of the packing groove; Figure 9, a plan of the cylinder F, with B, B 1, the
pistons; a, a, the small intervening space; b, b, the packing; c, c, the heads of
the pins; d, d, the packing plates; c, e, holes for the heads of the pins; E, the
induction or charging way; G, the eduction or discharging way; 1, the edge
or projecting rim of the cylinder; m, the face of the cylinder; H, the centre
pin; I, the axle or piston rod; n, the shoulder and arrows shewing the course,
first action, and entry of the fluid. Figure 10, another plan of the cylinder F,
with the same parts and references as the last Figure B, B 1, the pistons
being at their full power, and the arrows shewing the course of the steam, at
that period charging and discharging the cylinder. Figure 11 a section of
C, D, the two pistons, shewing the manner in which they are jointed, and
their position when the fluid first enters as in Figure 9, and when ready for

page_text: packing, with A, the groove for receiving the fluid; b, b, the packing groove;
f, g, h, i, the joint; H, the centre pin; I, K, the two axles, rods, or shafts f
the two pistons; k, longitudinal and vertical oiling holes; n, n, n, n, the
shoulders; pin holes for the packing plate.
No. II. contains a side elevation of the boiler, furnace, steam pipe, fly wheel,
governor, float, wire safety valve, thermometer, and grease cock, combined with
which are represented side elevations of E, the induction way from the steam
pipe or charging pipe; F, one end cover of the cylinder; G, the eduction way
to the discharging pipe; I, the end of one piston shaft; L, M, a pair of oval
eccentric wheels; N, one end of the connecting shaft; O, the discharge pipe;
P, the cistern; Q, the condensing apparatus; R, the moveable vessel for
feeding the boiler; S, the fulcrum and balance of the feeder; T, the steam
pipes and sliding valves of the feeder.
No. III. contains an end elevation of the same steam engine, combined
with which are represented end elevations of F, F, F, F, the flanges and
breadth of the cylinder; M, M, a pair of oval eccentric wheels; N, N, N, N,
the connecting shaft; O, the discharge pipe; P, the cistern; Q, the
condensing apparatus; R, the moveable vessel for feeding the boiler; S,
the fulcrum and balance of the feeder.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Eleventh day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-nine
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eleventh day of July, in
5 the year of our Lord 1829, the aforesaid Thomas Smith came before our
said Lord the King in His 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.