IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES AND ROTARY PUMPS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES AND ROTARY PUMPS."
-A communication from abroad by Kenyon Cox and Theodore Cox, both
of New York City.
Sealed the 19th February 1861, and dated the 21st September 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 21st September 1860.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES AND
ROTARY PUMPS," to be as follows:-
This Invention of improvements in rotary engines and rotary pumps relates
to that description of rotary engine having sliding pistons rotating with an
inner cylinder or drum arranged excentrically within a larger stationary
cylinder, and it consists principally in constructing the sliding piston of two
parts, and applying the same in connection with arc-formed revolving guide
-plates, which are secured to the ends of the pistons, and arranged between the
heads of the inner drum and outer cylinder.. The edges of the pistons are

page_text: packed with soft metal, and the pistons are arranged and constructed in such a
manner as to present themselves with their outer faces concentric to the inner
periphery of the outer cylinder and in proper contact with the periphery
throughout the whole of their revolution, and the escape of steam, water, or
other fluid between the pistons and outer cylinder, and between the cylinder
and the rotating drum, is very effectually prevented without any necessity for
stuffing boxes around the shaft.
It also consists in a peculiar construction of the ports in the outer cylinder
whereby, after the pistons in their revolution have passed that portion of the
inner periphery of the outer cylinder with which the rotating drum comes in
contact, the steam, water, or other fluid is received into the cylinders both in
front and behind them, until they arrive at a position where the steam or
other fluid in the case of an engine used as a motor may act upon them, or the
water, in the case of a pump, may be acted upon by them with a good effect,
and a free eduction is provided for. This is effected by constructing the ports
in the form of elongated narrow cavities, commencing near the packing
piece, and extending to a line drawn diametrically through the axis of the
drum.
It further consists in the construction of an adjustable packing piece, which
is fitted to the inner periphery of the outer cylinder to constitute a bearing for
the outer periphery of the rotating drum, whereby provision is made for
adjusting the packing piece toward the axis of the rotating drum without any
danger of the pistons catching against the packing piece in their revolution,
and so injuring or being injured by it. The packing piece is adjusted to its
work by means of set screws, and it is supported laterally by blocks, whose
upper edges are bevilled off, so as to prevent the rotating drum and piston
from striking against them as they move round.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st March 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,

page_text: did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 ROTARY ENGINES AND ROTARY PUMPS," being
a communication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William Edward Newton, 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 William Edward Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention of improvements in rotary engines and rotary pumps relates
to that description of rotary engine having sliding pistons rotating with an
inner cylinder or drum, arranged excentrically within a larger stationary
cylinder, and it consists principally in constructing the sliding piston of two
parts, and applying the same in connection with arc-formed revolving guide
plates, which are secured to the ends of the piston, and arranged between the
heads of the inner drum and outer cylinder. The edges of the pistons are
packed with soft metal, and the pistons are arranged and constructed in such
a manner as to present themselves with their outer faces concentric to the
inner periphery of the outer cylinder, and in proper contact with the periphery
throughout the whole of their revolution, and the escape of steam, water, or
other fluid between the pistons and outer cylinder, and between the cylinder
and the rotating drum, is very effectually prevented without any necessity for
stuffing boxes around the shaft.
The Invention also consists in a peculiar construction of the ports in the
outer cylinder, whereby, after the pistons in their revolution have passed that
portion of the inner periphery of the outer. cylinder with which the rotating
drum comes in contact, the steam, water, or other fluid is received into the
cylinders, both in front and behind them, until they arrive at a position where

page_text: the steam or other fluid, in the case of an engine used as a motor, may act
upon them, or the water, in the case of a pump, may be acted upon by them
with a good effect, and a free eduction is provided for. This is effected by
constructing the ports in the form of elongated narrow cavities, commencing
near the packing piece, and extending to a line drawn diametrically through
the axis of the drum.
It further consists in the construction of an adjustable packing piece, which
is fitted to the inner periphery of the outer cylinder to constitute a bearing for
the outer periphery of the rotating drum, whereby provision is made for
adjusting the packing piece toward the axis of the rotating drum without any
danger of the pistons catching against the packing piece in their revolution,
and so injuring or being injured by it. The packing piece is adjusted to its
work by means of set screws, and it is supported laterally by blocks, whose
upper edges are bevilled off, so as to prevent the rotating drum and pistons
from striking against them as they move round.
In the accompanying Drawing, Figure 1 represents a section of an engine
or pump complete, the plane of section being perpendicular to the axes of the
stationary outer cylinder and the rotating inner drum; Figure 2 is a section
of the same, taken centrally and parallel with the axes of the cylinder and
drum; Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the outer cylinder, taken in the
planes indicated by the line x, x, Figure 1; Figure 4 is an end view of the
rotating drum and its appendages, omitting the face plates on the end which
is presented to the spectator; Figure 5 is a top view of the rotating drum and
its appendages; Figure 6 is a side view of the packing piece, which is fitted
to the outer cylinder to form a bearing for the periphery of the rotating drum;
Figure 7 is an outside face view of one of the arc-formed face plates. Similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures.
A is the stationary outer cylinder, bored truly and fitted at each end with a
tight head B; D is the rotating drum, bored truly, and secured to a concentric
shaft S, which works in bearings in the cylinder heads B, B;. the position of
these bearings being excentric to the main cylinder, so that the periphery of
the rotating drum may work in contact with the packing piece C, which is
fitted to an opening in the cylinder A; this packing piece C has its face (with
which the drum D works in contact) made concave to fit this drum, and is
constructed as herein-after described. The cylinder heads B, B, are each
furnished internally with a projecting circular boss 6 (Fig. 3), which is
concentric with the cylinder A, and the inner face of which is flat and
perpendicular to the axes. of the cylinder A and drum D. The rotating
drum D fits snugly between the faces of the bosses, whose diameter is such

page_text: that the inner cylinder just covers them at the point furthest from where the
cylinder fits to the packing piece, and the ends of the drums are grooved to
receive packing pieces d, d, as shown in Figure 4. G, H, G, H, are pistons,
two in number, each composed of two principal pieces G and H, as will be
presently more fully explained; F, F, F, F, are the arc-formed guide plates,
four in number, two fitted into each of the annular recesses 1, 1, between the
bosses b, b, and the inner periphery of the outer cylinder, and made of a
thickness equal to the depth of the recesses. Each of the plates F at one end
of the cylinder is rigidly connected with one of the plates at the other end by
the outer portion G of one of the two pistons. The portions G, G, of the
pistons are dovetailed into the plates, as shown in Figure 7. These portions G
of the pistons have their outer faces fitted to the inner periphery of the outer
cylinder A, and are furnished with packing strips c, c, of soft metal or other
material, to make them steam or water tight. The portions H, H, of the two
pistons are fitted to slide in radial grooves m, m, provided for them in the
drum D, and are of a width to fit between the bosses b, b, of the cylinder A,
and consequently between the inner faces of the guide plates F, F, on each
side, and have their side edges fitted with packing strips e, e, to keep them
steam-tight between the bosses and plates. The portions H, H, are each
connected with the pair of guide plates F, F, to which its respective portion G
is connected by means of two pivots i, i, formed upon its outer corners, and
fitting to holes provided for them in the guide plates. The outer edges of the
portions H, H, are rounded off concentrically to the pivots, as shown in
Figure 1, to fit to concave recesses provided for them all along the inner sides
of the portions G, G, by which means steam or water tight rolling joints are
formed between the pieces G, G, and H, H. The drum D is made in two
pieces, which are bolted together by bolts h, h, as shown in Figure 1, for con-
venience of facing the interiors of the grooves m, m, which may be fitted with
packing. strips, to keep the sides of the parts h, h, of the pistons tight as the
latter slide in and out of the grooves in their revolution with the cylinder. The
above-mentioned sliding movement of the pistons (by which they are kept in
contact. with the inner peripherical surface of the cylinder A) is produced by
the revolution of the guide plates F, F, in the annular recesses 1, l. These
guide plates, in their revolution with the drum D and pistons, are caused to
revolve at a variable speed, owing to the excentricity of the cylinder A and
drum, D, and hence those at the same end of the cylinder approach and recede
from each other; and for this reason they cannot be of complete semicircular
form to fill up the whole circumference of the recesses 1, 1, but they are made
as near semicircular as the above-mentioned approaching and receding move-

page_text: ment will permit, so that their ends may meet as they pass the middle of the
packing piece C, and thus leave no opening at any time for the passage of
steam between the cylinder heads B, B, and piston drum D. Owing to the
guide plates always being concentric with the cylinder A, the whole width of
the outer faces or edges of the parts G of the pistons will always bear against
the peripherical surface of the cylinder, and present a true packed surface to
the cylinder in every position, notwithstanding that the main portions G, G,
of the pistons are radial to the drum D, which is excentric to the cylinder.
The drum D must have its ends tightly closed, but to provide for the insertion
and screwing up of the bolts h, h, one end of the drum is fitted with movable
panels g, g, as shown in Figure 4, and the panels are fitted perfectly steam or
water tight into their places. I and J are two pipes, communicating with the
cylinder on opposite sides of the packing piece C, either of such pipes being
the induction, and the other the eduction pipe, according to the direction in
which the drum and pistons are desired to rotate. By making a proper system
of connections between these pipes, and employing a suitable reversing valve,
either pipe may at pleasure be made the induction pipe, and the other the
eduction pipe. At the inner orifices of these pipes there are provided in the
cylinder elongated narrow cavities or ports a, a, commencing near the packing
piece C, and extending to such points at equal distances from the packing
piece that their upper ends will just come within a line drawn diametrically
through the axis of the drum. These elongated ports a, a, admit steam or
water on both sides of the pistons after they have passed the packing piece or
abutment C on the induction side thereof until the faces which are in front
have entirely passed the upper ends of the ports, by which time the opposite
piston will have arrived at the commencement of the opposite or eduction port,
after which the induction takes place on the back side only. It will thus be
seen that each piston is only operative during that half of its revolution in
which it presents the greatest surface between the drum and the cylinder,
and each is prevented from interfering with the one which precedes it in its
revolution, while the latter presents a larger area of surface between the drum
and cylinder. The elongated ports a, a, also provide for the eduction of the
steam, water, or other fluid from the front of the pistons till they arrive at
the packing piece C.
The construction of the packing piece C, by which the pistons are prevented
injuring or being injured by the piece in striking it during their revolution,
is illustrated in Figures 1, 3, and 6. The packing piece is made with a
flange n, n, for the reception of the set screws p, p, by which it is adjusted in
proper contact with the drum D. Its main body t, t, is made with a series of

page_text: square projections q, q, on each side of it, which are fitted accurately to corre-
sponding recesses formed in the sides of the opening that is provided in the
cylinder for its reception. The inner or upper face of the piece which projects
slightly into the cylinder is made of a concave form to fit the drum D, but the
corresponding faces of the projections 9, 9, are bevilled, as shown, the bevil
terminating outside of the main body t, t, of the piece, as shown at 10, 10, in
Figures 1 and 3, so that it will be impossible for the pistons to catch against
the sharp edges of the body t, t, between the projections 9, 9, as they will first
meet the edges 10, 10, of the bevils, and so be conducted easily over the edges
of the body.
Having now described the Invention of improvements in rotary engines and
rotary pumps, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and
having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the
Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, the mode herein set
forth of constructing, combining, and arranging the several working parts of
the above-described rotary engines and rotary pumps.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)