AN IMPROVED ROTARY ENGINE, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR USE AS A PUMP, A FLUID METER, A BLOWER, AN EXHAUSTER, AND A HYDRAULIC BUFFER FOR ABSORBING THE RECOIL OF ORDNANCE."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Daniel Gallafent, of Woolwich, in the County of Kent,
for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED ROTARY ENGINE, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR
USE AS A PUMP, A FLUID METER, A BLOWER, AN EXHAUSTER, AND A
HYDRAULIC BUFFER FOR ABSORBING THE RECOIL OF ORDNANCE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Daniel Gallafent at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th July 1880.
DANIEL GALLAFENT, of Woolwich, in the County of Kent. "AN IMPROVED
ROTARY ENGINE, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR USE AS A PUMP, A FLUID METER, A
BLOWER, AN EXHAUSTER, AND A HYDRAULIC BUFFER FOR ABSORBING THE
RECOIL OF ORDNANCE."
My Invention relates to an improved rotary engine which may be driven by
steam, compressed air, water, or gas, and which may, with or without modification,
be adapted for use as a pump, a water meter, a blower or exhauster, or as a
hydraulic buffer for absorbing or destroying the recoil of heavy guns.
The Invention consists in the combination of pistons revolving in an annular
chamber or cylinder through which the shaft passes eccentrically, the pistons being
connected with the shaft by means of a radially slotted disc keyed on the shaft, so
as to revolve together with freedom for the pistons to recede from and approach
the shaft as they revolve in their eccentric orbit. I prefer to use three pistons in
the form of segments of the annulus in which they revolve, and I prefer that the
cylinder and pistons should be in duplicate with a single radially slotted disc
separating the two cylinders, the pistons being connected in pairs at opposite sides
of the division plato by studs passing through the radial slots.
. The casing or cylinder is provided with induction and eduction ports suitably
arranged, but there is no partition or abutment for the steam in the cylinder itself,
the steam pressing equally on the front and rear faces of consecutive pistons, but
with unequal effect, owing to the greater leverage due to the greater distance from
the shaft of the one piston than the other.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Daniel Gallafent in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th January
1881.
DANIEL GALLAFENT, of Woolwich, in the County of Kent. "AN IMPROVED
ROTARY ENGINE, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR USE AS A PUMP, A FLUID METER, A
BLOWER, AN EXHAUSTER, AND A HYDRAULIC BUFFER FOR ABSORBING THE
RECOIL OF ORDNANCE."
My Invention relates to an improved rotary engine which may be driven by
steam, compressed air, water, or gas, and which may be adapted for use as a pump,
n water meter, a blower, or exhauster, or as a hydraulic buffer for absorbing or
destroying the recoil of heavy guns.
The engine consists of pistons, three or more (but preferably four) in number,
revolving in an annular chamber or cylinder eccentric-to the shaft to be driven (or
by which they are to be driven in the case of a blower or exhauster), the pistons
being connected with the shaft by means of a disc or its equivalent keyed on the
shaft, and furnished with radial slots or guides by which the pistons are so
connected to the said disc that the whole revolve together at same time that the
pistons are free to recede from and approach the shaft as they revolve in their
eccentric orbit. The pistons are in the form of segments of the annulus in which
they revolve, the length of the segments or pistons being so proportioned to their
number and to the eccentricity of the annular chamber in which they revolve, that
the adjacent faces of two consecutive segments or pistons shall be close together
when at the point of least distance from the shaft. The space between the pistons
gradually increases as the pistons in revolving in their eccentric orbit recede from
the shaft, and gradually decreases as they approach-the-shaft. There is no partition
or abutment for the steam in the cylinder itself, the steam pressing equally on the
front and rear faces of consecutive pistons, but with unequal effect, owing to the
greater leverage due to the greater radial distance from the shaft of the one piston
than the other. The casing or cylinder is provided with induction and eduction
ports, and by so arranging the foriner that the steam is cut off, whilst the interval
between the pistons is increasing, the steam is worked expansively.
When used as a motive power engine, prefer that the cylinder and pistons
should be in duplicate with a single radially slotted disc separating the two
cylinders, the pistons being connected in pairs at opposite sides of the division
plate by pivots passing through the radial slots.
:
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents an elevation of this improved rotary engine; Figure 2

page_text: of corresponding diameter and width, so much of said chamber as is external to the
circumferential portion of the cylinder B being by preference cast in one therewith,
the remainder being formed by parts of the cylinder covers B². The disc fits
accurately in its chamber, so as to revolve steam tight therein. E are the pistons,
three or moro in number (preferably four), and cach in the form of a segment of
the annular cylinder B in which the pistons are accurately fitted to revolve steam
tight, the pistons being provided with suitable metallic packings, or cup leather
packings in the case of a water motor, meter, or pump.
The pistons are in duplicate sets, disposed symmetrically at opposite sides of the
disc C, to which they are connected in pairs in the following way-The disc C has
radial slots C extending from near the shaft A to near the circumference of the
disc, or the distance required to permit of the revolution of the segments or pistons
in the eccentric annular cylinder, and yet maintain the connection between the
pistons and disc. G are blocks fitting and sliding in tho radial slots C¹, and H are
cylindrical pins fixed in the said sliding blocks, and projecting at each side thereof,
and received in corresponding sockets in the pistons E, which are thus free to pivot
on the pins H, and assume the different angular positions with regard to the radial
slots C¹ due to the eccentricity of their orbit, or the pins H might bo fixed in the
pistons, and turn within the sliding blocks G.
When the disc has through radial slots the segments or pistons should be of such
length as to cover at all times that portion of their corresponding slots which
crosses the annular chamber or cylinder, so as to prevent any escape of steam
through the slots; I and K are the induction and eduction pipes connected
respectively with induction and eduction passages in the cover of the cylinder B.
L, L', is an annular groove cut in the outer face of each cylinder cover B' opposito
the ends of the annular cylinder; and M is a ring bolted on the outside of the cover B'
and enclosing the groove; is a stop across the groove opposite the point where
the annular cylinde is nearest to the shaft, and the pipes I, K, communicate with
the two ends I, L', of said groove through the cover M at opposite sides of the
stop ; n, n', are series of ports leading from groovo L, L', through the cover B¹
into the annular cylindor. Each series commences near the stop l, and is continued
round an equal distance in opposite directions, the distance between tho end ports
of the two series n, n', being rather greater than the length of the maximum
interval between the pistons E, so that the induction and eduction ports cannot
communicate with the same space at the same time; O is a segment of a ring
filling the middle portion of the groove. It is longer than the distance between
the end ports of the two series n, n', and is fitted to slide steam tight in said
groove and form a valve separating the induction from the eduction ports and
covering some of one or both series. It has rack-teeth sunk in it at back, into
which gears a pinion P upon a short shaft P¹ enclosed steam tight in a casing p,
cast on the ring M. To ensure the simultaneous and uniform adjustment of tho
two valves at the opposite ends of the duplicate cylinder, their two shafts P¹ are
geared with and operated by the same longitudinal shaft R, as shown, or they may
be otherwise coupled together. By shifting the valve O the one way or the other
some of the one series are covered at same time that some of the other series of
ports n, n¹, are uncovered as required, and by adjusting the valve to cover more or
less of the induction ports, steam will be cut off more or less early by the pistons
passing the last of the series of induction ports left open by the valve, and therefore
worked more or less expansively by being cut off before the spaces between the
pistons attain the maximum dimensions. To reverse the engine it is only necessary
to make K the induction and I the eduction pipe and to adjust the valves
accordingly. A convenient arrangement for this purpose is a four way cock or
valve S (shown only in Figure 1) with which the two pairs of pipes I, I, K, K, of
the duplicate cylinder communicate at opposite sides. By turning this cock either
pair of pipes I or K may be put in communication with the steam pipe whilst the
other pair is connected with the exhaust pipe.
The engine may be mounted on any. suitable frame and work in any convenient

page_text: position. I would observe that although I have shown and described pistons and
cylinders of rectangular form in cross sectional area I do not limit myself thereto,
but may use circular, semicircular, or other forms of piston, the cylinder being of
corresponding form, but being in all cases an eccentric annular chamber as above
described.
I would also observe that I do not limit myself to the above described arrange-
ment of valve, as various other systems might be adopted to effect the same purpose.
Figure 5 is a vertical section of a water or other fluid meter constructed on the
same principle, the section being taken on line 3-3, Figure 6; and Figure 6 is a
plan of the same with the top cover and registering apparatus removed, and parts
of the disc broken away to show other parts beneath.
In this case, as very little pressure is required to drive the registering apparatus,
a single cylinder and set of pistons is sufficient, and it is preferred to arrange the
machine horizontally, so that the revolving disc; which in-this-case--also forms a.
cover for the eccentric annular cylinder, shall rest upon it by its own weight,
aided by the pressure of the water or other fluid on the back of the disc. The
same letters of reference indicate the same parts as in the previous Figures, so
that a detailed description is unnecessary.
B is in this case a solid casting with an annular groove b in the upper surface,
preferably of the half round form shown in cross section. C is the disc with radial
slots C' as before, and revolving on a central spindle A eccentric to the groove b.
E are the segments or pistons filling in the groove b. G are the blocks sliding in
the slots C, and H are the pins by which the pistons are connected thereto. Lis
the registering mechanism of any well known or suitable construction for counting
and recording the revolutions of the disc C, driven by a spindle a, connected with
the spindle A of the disc, and passing through a stuffing box-on--the cover M,
screwed or otherwise fixed on the casting B, and enclosing the disc C. In this case
the inlet I communicates with the space within the cover, and several induction
passages i communicating with said space lead to a channel i, extending along the
bottom of the annular groove ba sufficient distance to admit the water or other
fluid to the spaces between the pistons, almost up to the moment when the said
spaces attain their maximum dimension. is the eduction channel also extending
along the bottom of said groove symmetrically with channel i', as shown in the
same Figure, and K is the outlet communicating therewith.
To use the engine shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, as a blower or exhauster, it is only
necessary to drive the shaft A by any suitable motor, and to place the induction or
eduction pipes, as the caso may be, in communication with the capacity to be
exhausted of or supplied with air; but in order to adapt the said engine as a pump
for water or other liquid, it is necessary, as the liquid is incompressible and
inexpansive, to remove the valve O and replace it by a shorter segment, which
merely serves to separate the two series of ports, n, n', whilst leaving both wholly
unclosed.
To adapt the engine as a hydraulic buffer for absorbing the recoil of heavy guns,
the arrangement last described would be used, and the engine would be mounted
between the cheeks of the gun carriage, the shaft A being fast by its two ends
in the same, and the circumference of the concentric cylindrical casing D would
be toothed and gear with a rack fixed along the gun platform. Instead of the
two induction pipes I and two eduction pipes being connected together as above
described, each induction pipe I would be connected to the eduction pipe K of the
same cylinder, and throttled more or less by a cock, so as to impede the circulation
of the water or other liquid with which the apparatus is filled, produced by the revo-
lution of the cylinder B about the shaft A and pistons E as it rolls along the rack.
Instead of a rack the circumference of D may be a sheave, and have a rope or chain
lapped round it; or instead of the shaft A being fixed dead, the cylinder may be
fixed and the shaft rotate in bearings in the cheeks of the gun carriage, and have
sheaves or gear wheels on its outer ends to engage with racks or chains as now
practised with other rotary hydraulic buffers.

page_text: Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The improved rotary engine, blower, or exhauster, constructed and operating
substantially as herein shown and described.
2nd. The improved fluid meter, constructed and operating substantially as herein
shown and described.
3rd. The improved pump or hydraulic buffer, constructed and operating sub-
stantially as herein shown and described.
4th. A rotary engine, fluid meter, blower, exhauster, or hydraulic buffer, in which
pistons revolve in an annular chamber eccentric to a shaft or spindle, with which
the pistons are connected in such manner as to revolve or be revolved by said shaft,
substantially as herein specified.
5th. A rotary engine, fluid meter, or hydraulic buffer, in which the steam or
other fluid pressure is equal and opposite on the adjacent faces of consecutivo
pistons, but unequal in offect, so as thereby to produce the rotation of the shaft
without the use of any movable abutment or partition in the cylinder, substantially
as described.
6th. The combination of the shaft, the annular chamber or cylinder eccentric to
said shaft, the segment shaped pistons revolving in said chamber or cylinder, the
radially slotted disc fixed concentrically on the shaft and serving as a cover to said
eccentric annular chamber, and the connections between the disc and the pistons,
the whole constructed and operating substantially as herein shown and described.
7th. The combination of a single shaft, duplicate annular chambers or cylinders
eccontric to said shaft, duplicate sets of segment shaped pistons revolving in said
chambers or cylinders, and a single radially slotted disc fixed concentrically on the
shaft, and revolving between the two eccentric annular chambers or cylinders, and
serving as an inner cover to both, and the connections between the disc and the
pistons, the whole constructed and operating substantially as herein described and
shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Daniel Gallafent, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
DANIEL GALLAFENT. (L.S.)