IMPROVE- MENTS IN ROTATORY ENGINES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Daniel Lancaster Banks, of 42, St. James'
Place, Toxteth Park, Liverpool, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ROTATORY ENGINES."
Sealed the 25th January 1854, and dated the 24th November 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Daniel Lancaster
Banks at the Office of the Commissioners. of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 24th November 1853.
I, DANIEL LANCASTER BANKS, of 42, St. James' Place, Toxteth Park,
Liverpool, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ROTATORY ENGINES" to be as follows:-
This Invention has its object the use of the same steam or fluid con-
tinuously in the cylinders in such manner as to obtain continuous
rotatory motion of the pistons without alternately charging the cylinders
with steam or fluid, and discharging the steam or fluid from the cylin-
ders. For this purpose I prefer that the cylinders employed should be
fixed horizontally. In each cylinder I apply a piston, dividing the
cylinder horizontally into two equal compartments; this piston is
mounted on or carried by axes or moving fulcrums, and in acting these

page_text: fulcrums rotate with the piston; hence the steam (when steam is used)
on the one side of the piston is acting on the piston with a tendency
to depress the longer end thereof. "A constant vacuum may be kept
up on the other side of the piston, or high-pressure steam may be
used. The fulcrums or axes are facilitated in their movements by their
being carried by rollers, which, by preference, work within the steam
cylinder. At each of the ends of the piston there are two discs which
fit the cylinder, and are packed to make them steam-tight, and they
revolve with the piston. The steam is let into the compartments thus
formed from the boiler, and there are passages to let the steam into the
cylinder so as to act or press on one or other side of the piston. By
valves and gearing the steam and vacuum are respectively kept up, and
provision is made for reversing the action-of. the piston, as is the case
in other engines. In order to make up for leakage and condensation
of the steam in the cylinder a small continuous supply of steam is
ensured to the working cylinder. In constructing engines according to
this my Invention one or more cylinders may be used to give motion
to the same shaft or axis as heretofore, and other fluids than steam. may
be employed for working such engines.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Daniel Lancaster Banks in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 23rd May. 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
DANIEL LANCASTER BANKS, of 42, Saint James' Place, Toxteth Park,
Liverpool, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three; in
the seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for. Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said -Daniel Lancaster Banks,
Her special licence that I, the said Daniel-Lancaster Banks, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Daniel

page_text: Lancaster Banks, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland; the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTATORY ENGINES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Daniel Lancaster Banks, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Daniel Lancaster Banks, 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 thereof (that is to say) :-
This Invention has for its object the use of the same steam or fluid
continuously in the cylinders in such manner as to obtain continuous
rotatory motion of the pistons without alternately charging the cylinders
with steam or fluid, and discharging the steam or fluid from the cylinders.
For this purpose I prefer that the cylinders employed should be fixed
horizontally. In each cylinder I apply a piston, dividing the cylinder
horizontally into two equal compartments; this piston is mounted on or
carried by axes or moving fulcrums, and in acting these fulcrums rotate
with the piston; hence the steam (when steam is used) on the one side
of the piston is acting on the piston with a tendency to depress the longer
end thereof. A constant vacuum may be kept up on the other side of
the piston, or high-pressure steam may be used. These fulcrums or
axes are facilitated in their movement by their being carried by rollers,
which, by preference, work within the steam cylinder. At each of the
ends of the piston there are two discs, which fit the cylinder and are
packed to make them steam-tight, and, they revolve with the piston.
The steam is let into the compartments thus formed from the boiler,
and there are passages to let the steam into the cylinder so as to act
or press on one or other side of the piston. By valves and gearing the

page_text: .
steam and vacuum are respectively kept up, and provision is made for
reversing the action of the piston, as is the case in other engines. In
order to make up for leakage and condensation of the steam in the
cylinder a small continuous supply of steam is ensured to the working
cylinder. In constructing engines according to this my Invention one
or more cylinders may be used to give motion to the same shaft or axis
as heretofore, and other fluids 'than steam may be employed for working
such engines.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to
explain the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING..
Figure 1 shows a plan of an engine constructed according to my
Invention; Figure 2 shows an end view; Figure 3 shows a longitu-
Jinal section the engine; and Figure 4 a transverse section. In
each of these Figures the same letters indicate the same parts., a, a, is
a steam cylinder fixed in a suitable frame b, b; c, d, are two slide
valves and slide box; e, f, are steam passages or ports; the steam
pipe from the steam boiler is connected at. g, and the valve box is
therefore constantly full of steam; h, h, are two ports or passages open
to the atmosphere or to a vacuum. I would, however, state that I
prefer to employ high-pressure steam, and that the ports or pas-
sages h, h, should be open to the atmosphere. i, i, are levers for
moving the slide valves; ; is a piston which divides the cylinder a into
two equal compartments; the piston is fixed to two discs, which
fit and revolve within the cylinder a, a. The ends of the piston are
packed with metal packing kept out by springs. On the outside of
the discs are formed cylinders, on cach of which is fixed or
formed a hollow trunk, one of which trunks, when the engine is
at work, is constantly filled with steam from the steam box, and the
steam passes from the trunk, through the steam passage j", into the
cylinder a, through the disc or 12, the steam getting to the steam
passage j, from the trunk, by the short passage 77. On either side of
each of the hollow trunks is metal packing, pressed outwards by
springs. By these means the trunks, and other parts revolving within

page_text: ***. On the
the cylinder a, are kept steam-tight. k, k, are fixed rings which retain
the piston and parts connected, and revolving therewith correctly in
position within the cylinder a, a; and j,j, are flanches on the cylin-
ders, which come within the fixed rings.k, k, as is shown.
ends. of the cylinders a, a, are fixed two short cylinders which I
prefer to. be formed of or lined with 'wrought iron or other strong
material, as they have to resist the pressure of the piston, as will here-
after be better understood when the working of the parts are fully
described. On the cylinders j', formed with the disc ',, are formed
interior projections or brackets. for receiving, the axes of the wheels m
and n, and also for receiving the crank pins o, o, on the cranks p of the
shafts or axes q, q. of the engine; and it is by means of the cranks p
being thus in connection with the piston that motion is communicated
from the piston to the shafts or axes of the engine. The axes of the
wheels m and n may be considered the fulcra of the piston; the axes
of the wheels m forming a fulcrum for the piston when it is moving in
one direction, and the axes of the wheels n, n, forming a fulcrum for
the piston when it is moving in the other direction, and the wheels m
and n are in contact with the interior surfaces of the cylinders fixed to
the ends of the cylinder a, and it is recommended that the peripheries
of the wheels m, n, should be of wrought iron or other strong material.
Having thus explained the nature of the parts of which the engine is
composed, I will proceed to describe the manner of its action, and such
description will be better understood by reference to Figures 3 and 4.
In Figure 3 the slide valves_are_shewn to be in a position to admit of
the steam flowing into the engine through the disc j', and so as to press
on the upper surface of the piston j, and by reason of the piston j
having its fulcrum at the centre of the axis of the, wheels m, the
amount of pressure of the steam on the two sides of such fulcrum will
be unequal, and largely preponderate in favor of the right-hand end
thereof, as shewn at Figure 4, the effect of which preponderance would
be to have a tendency to press down the right-hand end of the piston
(Figure 4) in the direction of the arrow; and it will be readily under-
stood that by reason of the fulcrum of the piston being on wheels, and
by reason of the continued pressure of the steam still preponderating

page_text: on one side of the axis or fulcrum itself will be caused to move, and
this action will be constant so long as the steam is allowed to remain
pressing on the upper surface of the piston, and there will be no
emptying of the cylinder a, the same steam continuing in action, any
small leakage being made up or compensated for by the interior of the
cylinder a above the piston being in open communication with the
boiler. Hence it will be understood that the cost of working such an
engine will be small as compared with an engine which has to be alter-
nately filled and emptied, whether steam or other fluid be used. When
it is desired to cause the piston to move in the opposite direction the
slide valves are to be reversed, when the steam will flow through the
disc, and below the piston, and the axes of the wheels n will for
the time being become the fulcrum of the piston: :
Having thus described the nature of my 'said 'Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that I
make no claim to any of the parts separately, nor. do I confine myself
thereto, as variations may be made therein and yet retain the peculiar
character of my Invention; but what I claim is, the construction of
engine herein described, wherein by the continuous pressure of the
same steam or fluid the piston is caused to revolve without requiring
the cylinder (in which the piston works) to be alternately filled and
emptied.
In witness whereof, I, the said Daniel Lancaster Banks, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of May, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
DANIEL LANCASTER BANKS. (L.S.).