Improvements in the Construction and Arrangement of Rotary Motors Actuated by Fluid Pressure.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 5th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 4th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction and Arrangement of Rotary
Motors Actuated by Fluid Pressure.
We, JAMES CAMBELL STEVENSON, of 10, Elm Grove, Edge Hill, Liverpool,
Engineer, and TOM MILBURN, Britannia Works, Staleybridge, Engineer, both in
the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of a new form of fluid rotary motor in
which a number of concentric cylindrical tubular cylinders automatically divided
into several segments or short cylinders are employed to give a rotary motion to a
number of pistons secured together by a piston disc fixed to the main central
driving shaft; also to means whereby the segmental cylinders are automatically
supplied with the actuating fluid and discharged at the required time, and further-
more to apparatus employed for actuating the partition or dividing pieces forming
a tubular cylindrical or ring cylinder into segments on a number of shorter cylinders
for the purpose hereinafter specified.
In one form of apparatus according to this invention the cylindrical concentric
tubular or ring cylinders are formed in two parts viz. an upper part and a lower
part.
When the axis of the driving shaft is vertical a section line passing directly
through the centres of the ring cylinders will be at right angles to the axis of the
driving shaft. The upper and lower ring cylinder casings are bolted together around
their outer periphery, and are provided with suitable bosses to receive the drawing
shaft; also with inlet and outlet passages. Their inner faces are each formed with
corresponding concentric grooves so that when put together they form circular
openings or ring cylinders. Between each ring cylinder sufficient metal may be
left to allow of another concentric groove being cut for the reception of a ring
to make a joint between the upper and lower cylinder casing and the piston disc.
These joint rings may be held to their faces in any convenient manner such as by
screws or the like, or by the application of an elliptical or Bourdon pressure tube
inserted between the ring and cylinder casing so that by regulating the pressure
applied to the tube the ring will be uniformly loaded and held to its face.
The upper half of the cylinder casing is provided with a number of valve boxes
in which the before mentioned drop valves take. They are so proportioned and
equally divided that there shall be one more drop valve in each ring cylinder than
there are pistons working in the same, so that an approximately even pressure
may be constantly exerted on the pistons during the whole revolution, that is to
say whilst one piston is passing beneath the raised drop valve and no pressure is
acting on it, the other pistons will have a full expanding pressure behind them,
when steam or compressed air is employed, thus ensuring steady running. The
drop valves may be connected in sets and automatically raised and lowered by the
application of a slide valve regulating the admission and emission, worked in any.
convenient manner from the driving shaft, such as by one or more revolving cams,
connecting rods and levers.
The arrangement of the drop valve is such that as one of the pistons advances
towards it, it is automatically raised and held up until the said piston has passed
when it immediately drops and simultaneously admits the actuating fluid between
itself and the piston, thus driving it forward until it is close to the next drop valve
which also opens to allow the piston to pass and so on. When the drop valve
is down that is across the cylinder barrel the exhaust on the back side is opened
and the inlet on the other side is also open. The lift of the drop valve is somewhat

page_text: greater than the diameter of the ring cylinder and the valve may be provided with
air cushions when working at high speeds.
It will thus be understood that each set or nest of drop valves, which may be
arranged in radial lines from the centre shaft is provided with a suitable slide valve
for actuating the same as previously referred to. We do not confine ourselves to
this form of valve as in some cases it may be advantageous to employ a circular
valve revolving with the central spindle on a suitably fixed face having ports for
admitting and emitting the actuating fluid and also the fluid for raising and dropping
the stop or drop valves.
We would have it understood that we may vary the details of valve gear to suit
different circumstances and fluids without departure from the essential feature of
our invention.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction and Arrangement of Rotary
Motors Actuated by Fluid Pressure.
We, JAMES CAMBELL STEVENSON, late of 10, but now 14, Elm Grove, Edge
Hill, Liverpool, Engineer, and TOM MILBURN, Britannia Works, Staleybridge,
Engineer, both in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this
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 the construction of a new form of fluid rotary motor in
which a number of concentric cylindrical tubular cylinders automatically divided
into several segments or short cylinders are employed to give a rotary motion to a
number of pistons sccured together by a piston disc fixed to the main central driving
shaft; also to means whereby the segmental cylinders are automatically supplied
with the actuating fluid and discharged at the required time, and furthermore to
apparatus employed for actuating the partition or dividing pieces forming a tubular
cylindrical or ring cylinder into segments or a number of shorter cylinders for the
purpose hereinafter specified.
In one form of apparatus according to this invention the cylindrical concentric
taoular or ring cylinders are formed in two parts viz. an upper part and a lower
part. When the axis of the driving shaft is vertical a section line passing directly
through the centres of the ring cylinders will be at right angles to the axis of the
driving shaft. The upper and lower ring cylinder casings are bolted together
around their outer periphery, and are provided with suitable fixings to receive the
driving shaft; also with inlet and outlet passages. Their inner faces are each
formed with corresponding concentric grooves so that when put together they form
circular openings or ring cylinders. Between each ring cylinder sufficient metal
may be left to allow of another concentric groove being cut for the reception of a
ring to make a joint between the upper and lower cylinder casing and the piston disc.
These joint rings may be held to their faces in any convenient manner-such-as-by-
screws or the like,-or-by-the-application of an elliptical or Bourdon pressure tube
inserted between the ring and cylinder casing so that by regulating the pressure
applied to the tube the ring will be uniformly loaded and held to its face.
The upper half of the cylinder casing is provided with a number of valve boxes
in which the before mentioned drop valves take. They are so proportioned and
equally divided that there shall be one less drop valve in each ring cylinder than
there are pistons working in the same, so that an approximately even pressure may
be constantly exerted on the pistons during the whole revolution, that is to say

page_text: whilst one piston is passing beneath the raised drop valve and no pressure is acting
on it, the other pistons will have a full pressure behind them, thus ensuring steady
running. The drop valves may be connected in sets and automatically raised and
lowered by the application of a slide valve regulating the admission and emission,
worked in any convenient manner from the driving shaft, such as by one or more
revolving cams, connecting rods, and levers.
The arrangement of the drop valve is such that as one of the pistons advances
towards it, it is automatically raised and held up until the said piston has passed
when it immediately drops and simultaneously admits the actuating fluid between
itself and the piston, thus driving it forward until it is close to the next drop valve
which also opens to allow the piston to pass and so on. When the drop valve is
down that is across the cylinder barrel the exhaust on the back side is open and
the inlet on. the other side is also open. The lift of the drop valve is somewhat
greater than the diameter of the ring cylinder and the valve may be provided with
air cushions when working at high speeds.
It will be understood that each set or sets of drop valves, which may be arranged
in radial lines from the centre shaft is provided with a suitable slide valve for
actuating the same as previously referred to. We do not confine ourselves to this
form of valve as in some cases it may be advantageous to employ a circular valve
revolving with the central spindle on a suitably fixed face having ports for admitting
and emitting the actuating fluid and also the fluid for raising and dropping the stop
or drop valves.
We would have it understood that we may vary the details of valve gear to suit
different circumstances and fluids without departure from the essential features of
our invention.
Referring to the accompanying two sheets of drawings
Fig. 1. is a plan or top view partly in section of a motor according to this inven-
tion in which three concentric cylinders are used and the main driving shaft is
vertical.
Fig. 2. is a sectional elevation on the line 6-7 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3. is a plan similar to Fig. 1. but shewing the lower casing as it would appear
when the upper one is removed, and also the arrangement of pistons and drop
valves.
Fig. 4. is an enlarged view shewing one of the drop valves raised to allow the
advancing piston to pass.
Fig. is a similar view shewing two of the drop valves down and blocking up
the passage.
A. B. C. are three concentric cylindrical or ring cylinders formed of an upper
half casing D. and a somewhat similar lower one E. The upper and lower casings
are each divided in this instance into four quarter sections, bolted together at their
outer peripheries and also radially as shewn in Fig. 1. Between each of the radial
joints recesses are formed to allow drop valves F. F. to slide so as to block and
divide the cylinders A. B. C. into four shorter cylinders and allow the pistons to
pass as hereinafter described. Taking into each of the ring cylinders are five
pistons G. G. G. arranged at equal distances apart and formed with or secured to
the arms and rim of a piston disc K. (Figs. 1. 2 & 3.) which is secured to and drives
the vertical shaft L. that is guided and retained in position by a suitable footstep
fixing M. secured to the ring cylinder casing E.
The piston disc K. has concentric rims H. and J. (Figs. 2 & 3) that connect the
radial piston arms together, these rims being placed in the spaces between the side
walls of the ring cylinders A. B. C. and the shaft L. as shewn in Fig. 3. To make
a joint between the upper and lower casings D. and E. and the inner ring on the
piston disc K. grooved rings D' E' are provided, their outer surfaces and the inner
surfaces of the casings being recessed to receive an elliptical or Bourdon pressure
tube D E Fig. 2. so that by regulating the actuating pressure applied to the tubes
the rings D' and E' will be uniformly loaded and held against the faces of the ring
on the piston disc K.

page_text: f
The drop valves F. F. are raised and lowered automatically at the required
times by the action of pistons N. in the cylinders N¹; the piston rods N take
direct as will be seen into the middle drop valves F. and their upper ends are
connected to the other drop valves by cross bars N³ secured to the valve
spindles F F Fig. 2. Both the valve spindles F1 F1 and the piston rod N² slide
through stuffing boxes formed by a lid or cover secured to the upper half casing D,
which is provided with ports or openings for the admission of the actuating fluid
from the main supply pipe O. The piston N. with the attached three drop
valves F. F. F. is moved up or down in the cylinder N₁ by the admission of a portion
of the actuating fluid first on one side of the piston N. and then on the other
through supply and discharge pipes P. P* the flow being controlled by an ordinary
slide valve moving in the valve box P¹ (for clearness, one of the valve box covers is
removed also the slide valve Fig. 1). The slide valve spindle Q is actuated by a
lever Q pivotted near one end to a fixed stud secured to the casing D. Attached
to the end of the shorter arm of this lever is a rod Q carrying an antifriction
roller whilst its other end is provided with a suitable piston Q taking into a
short branch Q formed with the supply pipe O. as shewn in detail in one portion of
Fig. 1. For moving the valve spindle Q, and admitting the actuating Huid into
the cylinder N¹ a suitable cam or wheel L is provided on the shaft L. Five anti-
friction rollers evenly divided around its circumference are provided and placed
relatively with the pistons G. G. and also at such a radius that as they revolve with
the shaft L, each will at the required time come in contact with the roller and
move the lever Q and slide valve, thus allowing the actuating fluid to flow below
the piston N. and raise the drop valves F. F. into the positions shewn on the right
hand half of Fig. 2. and in Fig. 4. and allow the pistons to pass. As soon as the
piston is clear the drop valve will immediately close by reason of the actuating
fluid pressing the piston Q³ forward and reversing the slide valve. The pipe P.
connects with the upper end of the cylinder N¹ and the pipe P* with the lower side;
S¹ is the discharge pipe, and O¹ the feed pipe to the valve box Fig. 1.
J.
The valves F. are so formed that when lifted into the position shewn in Fig. 4.
the supply through the opening R. to the section of cylinder in advance of it is
closed in which condition it will remain until the valve again drops and uncovers
the opening or port R. The discharge outlets S. S. from the ring cylinders A. B. C.
are formed with the lower casing E. as shewn in Figs. 4. and 5. and are always open
except during the time the pistons G. G. are travelling over them; they may
conveniently be all connected to one common discharge pipe S².
It will be understood that as the pistons advance towards the closed drop valves
the valves will be automatically raised and after they have passed immediately
dropped again and the pistons will be driven towards the next set of drop valves by
the actuating fluid.
Apparatus of the kind referred to may be modified to suit different actuating
Huids and the number of drop valves increased or diminished without departure
from the essential features of our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
1. A rotary motor constructed with an annular space or chamber or with two or
_ more concentric-spaces or-chambers each provided with two or more drop valves for
controlling the admission of actuating fluid and with exhaust passages substantially
as described.
2. In a rotary motor of the kind referred to in the preceding claim the combina-
tion with each drop valve or set of drop valves, of a piston for opening and closing
the said valve or valves at the required times and itself operated at intervals by
the admission and emission of actuating fluid controlled by a distributing valve
operated in one direction by a rotary cam, wheel or the like substantially as herein-
before described for the purpose specified.

page_text: 3. The combination with each of the distributing valves referred to in the
preceding claim of a lever and a piston subject on one side to the pressure of a
motive fluid in the main supply pipe, the arrangement being such that the piston
will reverse the motion of the slide valve and cause the drop valve or set of drop
valves to quickly descend as soon as each rotary piston or pistons has or have passed
the drop valve or valves substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. The improved rotary motor substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the drawings annexed.
Dated this 4th day of February 1891.
JAMES CAMBELL STEVENSON.
TOM MILBURN.