A New or Improved Rotary Steam or Water Engine, also Applicable for Use as a Water Meter or Pump.
Year: 1886

page_text: A New or Improved Rotary Steam or Water Engine, also
Applicable for Use as a Water Meter or Pump.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON Fel. Inst. P. A. of the Agency for Foreign Patent
Solicitors 6, Lord Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster and 323 High
Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature
of this invention (a communication from abroad by Henry S. Hopper of Detroit,
County of Wayne, State of Michigan, United States of America, Inventor,) and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention consists as follows:
Figure 1 is a plan view,
Figure 2 a vertical section,
Figure 3 an interior view of the ring cylinder.
Figure 4 illustrates the relative distance the pistons travel in the same time at
different parts of their revolution.
Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 illustrate the relative positions of the pistons at different
parts of their revolution.
This invention is designed more particularly to provide
First a steam, high pressure engine to drive electric dynamos etcetera, by direct
connection, while at the same time it may have a general application.
Second-which shall be adapted also as a pump by simply making the ports
and passages proportionately larger.
Third which shall also be adapted for a water motor, or,
Fourth which may be proportioned and adapted as a water meter, the con-
struction being essentially the same for any of these various uses.
A is a circular or ring cylinder consisting of a removable case A¹ which may be
engaged with the stationary portion A in any suitable manner. This case is
preferably constructed with an outer piston ring, as shown in Figures 2 and 3
at A3 and an intermediate space having concentric disks or heads located therein.
The outer removable portion of the cylinder is constructed with a journal bearing

page_text: as shown at a and the stationary portion of the cylinder A* with a casing a and a
supporting web a³.
A represents a steam passage cored in the casing of the stationary ring of the
cylinder provided with steam ports a' and a communicating with the interior of
the cylinder.
B is a steam pipe communicating therewith. As is an exhaust passage, also
cored in the case and provided with exhaust ports a, a7, communicating therewith.
B' is the exhaust pipe.
C, C³, C², represent pistons provided with arms c, c1, c2, engaged therewith, said
arms connected respectively with concentric disks D, D¹, D2, rotatable in the
intermediate space of the cylinder; these disks being each constructed with a
hub d, d', d, respectively, said hubs extended through the case a² and provided
with concentric arms E, E¹, E. These concentric disks are designed to be held
close together so as to be steam tight, in any suitable manner, as by packing
rings, F, F, contained in corresponding grooves in the cylinder casing, and which
may be adjusted by means of set screws f f¹; the force of the adjusting screws
being moderated by springs f interposed between them and the packing rings.
The wear of the disks may thus be compensated by tightening the rings.
The hub of the disk D runs in the case a² having suitable wedge shaped gibs G
and which may be adjusted for wear by keys g. The hub of the disk D¹ is
journaled within the hub of disk D'; and the hub of the disk D in the hub of
disk D¹.
The disk D is journaled also in the journal bearings a, as shown in Figure 2.
The crank arms E E¹ E' are provided with wrist pins e, e¹, e², which run in
brasses h, h1, h2 which in turn slide between guides h³ on the guide wheel H.
Said guides cause said brasses to travel on lines radiating from the centre H¹ of
said guide wheel and preferably distant from each other 120 degrees. The guide
wheel is mounted upon a shaft I which may also carry a band wheel 11, the
bearing j, j of said shaft being supported upon any suitable frame J. The relative
positions of the pistons at different parts of their revolution are indicated in
Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8.
In Figure 5 steam enters through the parts a', a³, when it will be seen the
pistons occupying the positions therein shown, that the steam will press against
both the pistons C, C, the piston C being in equilibrium, but as their positions
are respectively governed by their crank pins, which slide in guides h³ on the
wheel H, the crank pin of the piston C¹ will be further from the centre H' of the
guide wheel H than the crank pin of the piston C, and consequently the piston C¹
will move away from the steam ports faster than the piston C will move toward
said ports, making the wheel revolve in the same direction, indicated by the arrow
in said Figures and bring the pistons into the relative positions shown in Figure 6,
where the piston C is in equilibrium having the same steam pressure upon both its
faces, and the steam pressing equally against the pistons C¹, C³, as illustrated in
said Figure. In Figure 5 the piston C¹ will move away from the steam ports,
while the piston C2 will move toward said ports and bring the pistons into the
positions shown in Figure where the piston C¹ is on the point of crossing the
exhaust port, the piston C having just crossed the steam port.
In these positions the pressure is against the pistons Cand C with C¹ nearly at
the point of equilibrium, and the ratio of the distance of the wrist pin of the
piston C to the centre, to the distance of the wrist pin of the piston C to the
centre being about the same as before.
Continuing their revolution they come into the positions shown in Figure 7
when the piston C₁ is in equilibrium, and the pressure of the steam is equally
against the pistons C and C2 with the distances of their respective crank pius from
the wheel, in about the same proportion as before consequently they revolve to the
position shown in Figure 5, having caused one third of a revolution of the wheel H,
the pistons being collectively in the same relative positions, as when they started,
and are ready to repeat the action just described.

page_text: As shown in Figure 4 it will be seen that one piston would travel from k to k¹
while another piston was travelling from k² to k³ making an effective stroke of the
distance from to k' less the distance from 2 to k³, and as there are three pistons
the total stroke per revolution would be three times the distance of said effective
stroke.
The wrist pins e e¹ e² may readily be removed by releasing the nuts on their ends
and driving said pins back through orifices H in the guide wheel H when the
brasses will be permitted to slide between the guides. The wrist pins, brasses and
guides may be readily oiled by arranging an oil cup L upon the adjacent standard,
the cup being provided with a tube 7, the guide wheel constructed with a flanged
hub, as shown at Ho, the oil being emitted from the tube within the said flange,
when the centrifugal force generated by the revolution of the wheel will cause it
to flow through passages h to the guides and brasses. The brasses being provided
with passages as shown at h³, so constructed that a part of the oil may be trans-
ferred thereby to the wrist pins.
By reference to Figure 3 it will be seen that a very simple and effective means
for packing the piston is shown, the piston being constructed in the ordinary
manner and provided with rings c³ made narrower than is generally the case, that
they may inore readily adapt themselves to the circular shape of the cylinder.
When used as a pump the column of water in not started and stopped at every
revolution but is forced forward with equal velocity at every part of the revolution,
consequently no air chambers are required either on the suction or discharge pipes
and it will work steadily without jar or vibration when used as a water motor it
uses the entire pressure of the water instead of its momentum only, as in the case
of ordinary water motors. When proportioned for a water motor it also may be
used as a perfect water meter.
An important feature of this invention is the fact that the centre of the guide
whee! H is not coincident or in the same plane with the centre of the concentric
crank arms engaged with the concentric disks, the centre therefore of the wrist
pin circles being different the crank arms are eccentrically engaged with the guide
wheel in consequence of which it follows as already indicated, that the piston
whose crank pin is nearest the centre of the guide wheel travels the slowest while
the piston of the crank pin farthest away from the centre of the guide wheel
travels fastest, and therefore its leverage is far greater than the resistance offered to
the piston having its crank pin nearest the centre of the guide wheel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination with an annular cylinder, constructed with an outer piston
ring, of pistons located therein, said pistons engaged with concentric hubs, substan-
tially as described.
2. An annular cylinder constructed with fixed and separable sections, one of said
sections provided with a casing a², pistons located in the inner periphery of said
cylinder, said pistons engaged with concentric disks, said disks provided with
extended hubs, substantially as described.
3. An annular cylinder provided with inlet and exhaust ports having in com-
bination therewith pistons located in the inner periphery of the cylinder, said
pistons engaged with concentric disks by connecting arms c c³ c³, substantially as
described.
4. The combination with an annular cylinder provided with inlet and exhaust
ports of pistons located in the inner periphery of the cylinder, concentric rotatable
disks engaged with said pistons, said disks provided with crank arms, substantially
as described.
5. The combination with an annular cylinder provided with inlet and exhaust
ports of pistons located in the inner periphery of the cylinder, and engaged with

page_text: +
concentric disks, and a guide wheel engaged with said disks by intervening crank
arms, substantially as described.
.
6. The combination with an annular cylinder provided with inlet and exhaust
ports of pistons located in the inner periphery of the cylinder and engaged with
concentric disks, a wheel provided with guide ways radiating from the centre of
said wheel and connected by crank arms with said concentric disks, said arms
working in said guide ways, substantially as described. .
7. The combination with an annular cylinder provided with inlet and outlet ports
of pistons located in the inner periphery of the cylinder and having concentric disks
engaged therewith, and an adjustable packing to engage said disks, substantially as
described.
8. The combination with pistons having concentric disks and concentric crank
arms of a guide wheel engaged with said crank arms, the centre of the. circle
described by said crank arms and the centre of said guide wheel being upon a
different line, substantially as described.
•
9. The combination with rotatable pistons and their concentric disks of a guide
wheel, eccentrically connected with said disks, the construction being such, that
said pistons will operate with a different speed at different portions of their
revolution, substantially as described.
.
10. The combination with a guide wheel provided with perforated guide ways,
a flange H of an oil cup provided with a tube / leading to the flanged part of said
wheel, the construction being such that oil will be communicated by centrifugal
force by said guide ways, substantially as described.
11. The combination with a guide wheel provided with perforations H2 and
guide ways h, h¹, h³, of wrist pins located in said guide ways, the construction being
such that said wrist pin may be removed through said orifices in the guide wheel,
substantially as described.
12. The combination with an annular cylinder provided with a casing a³ of
pistons located in the inner periphery of the cylinder, concentric disks engaged
with said pistons, said disks provided with hubs extended through the case a²
of the cylinder, wedge shaped gibs and keys to tighten said hubs in said case,
substantially as described.