AN IMPROVED ENGINE
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Lane, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Merchant, and John Taylor, of Birkenhead, in the County of Chester,
Engineer, for the Invention of" AN IMPROVED ENGINE."
Sealed the 30th November 1855, and dated the 2nd June 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Lane and John
Taylor at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 2nd June 1855.
We, JOHN LANE, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant, and
JOHN TAYLOR, of Birkenhead, in the County of Chester, Engineer, do hereby
"declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED ENGINE " to be as
follows (that is to say):-...
To construct an engine.according to this Invention, a rotating circular
piston is mounted upon and made fast to a shaft, which passes through it and
isisupported upou suitable pedestals. The piston has a slot or cut extending
from its outer (circular) edge towards its axis, in which a flat plate or" tongue-
piece" works, and when travelling round the cylinder describes a kind of
eccentric motion from the centre or axis of the piston, from being attached to
a collar or collars, which. revolve on the same centre as the cylinder and
eccentricly to the rolling piston. The circular rotating piston is enclosed
within a circular-rotating cylinder, which is of larger diameter internally than

page_text: the piston. This cylinder is also mounted on bearings, and centred so that the
edge of the piston is in contact with the circular side of the cylinder, upon
which it rolls as the cylinder revolves. The induction port or passage is
carried through the axle (or shaft) upon which the piston is mounted into the
body of the piston, and thence through the body of the piston so as to enter
the cylinder at one side of the tongue-piece. The exhaust port extends
from the opposite side of the tongue-piece through the body of the piston and
reverse side of the shaft (of the piston) to the exhaust pipe.
On each of the inner flat sides of the cylinder there are disks, which are
turned to the exact size of the cylinder, which can be pressed against the
sides of the piston from the outside of the cylinder by means of set screws.
That this Invention may be more readily seen and understood, hereunto are
annexed Drawings of an engine constructed according to this plan. Like
letters refer to similar parts.
Figure 1 is an external view of the engine, and Figure 2 is a section of
ditto, taken from the points a, .
.
A, the external cylinder, which rotates on B, the bearings of ditto; C, shaft
or axle, which is made fast to and revolves with D (Figure 2), the circular
rotating piston; E, bearings, upon which the shaft of the revolving piston
rotates; F, the induction port; f(Figure 2), dotted lines showing the induction
passage from the shaft, through the body of the piston; G, the exhaust port;
(Figure 2), dotted lines show the passage through the piston to the hollow
shaft for the exhaust port; H, a tougue-piece (or flat plate) which extends
across the circular face of the piston, and which is always in contact with the
outer cylinder at three sides, the fourth being within the slot or cut, which
extends across the circular face of the piston. This tongue-piece is attached
to circular collars (or rings), (placed within recesses formed in the inner sides
of the cylinder), which revolve on the same centre as the outer cylinder, and
rotates at the same speed as the piston, which is greater than that of the outer
cylinder. F¹ and F2 are two pieces of metalic packing extending across the
piston, through openings formed to receive them on each side of the tongue-
piece a little below the circular surface of the piston, and which are pressed
against the sides of the tongue-piece by K'and K2, two packing pieces, which
are acted upon by L, a circular spring, by which a continual pressure is
exerted against the packing of the tongue-piece. The reverse side of the
piston is provided in like manner with packing pieces and a circular spring,
by which arrangement a uniform pressure is exerted against both sides of the
tongue-piece.
:f
If preferred, the tongue-piece may be made fast to the outer. cylinder, by

page_text: which arrangement the piston and cylinder will make an equal number of
revolutions; but the first-described method is prefered by the Inventors.
This engine can be used as a motive power engine or as a pump. When
used as a motive power engine, the power is taken off from the outer cylinder
by a strap or gearing passing round it. When used as a pump, the motive
power is applied to the outer cylinder.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Lane and John Taylor in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 1st December 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we JOHN
LANE, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant, and JOHN TAYLOR,
of Birkenhead, in the County of Chester, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for. Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, or such
others as we, the said John Lane and John Taylor, our executors, adminis-
trators, 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 the Isle of
Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED ENGINE," upon the condition (amongst
others), that we, the said John Lane and John Taylor, by an instrument in
writing under our hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and to 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 we, the said John Lane and John Taylor, do
hereby declare the nature of our 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 accompanying Drawing,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
To construct an, engine according to this Invention (which belongs to the
class of engines known as rotary engines), we form a circular piston, which
:

page_text: we mount upon and make fast to a shaft, which passes through it, and is
supported upon suitable pedestals constructed upon the framing of the engine,
and upon which the piston and its axle rotates.
The piston has a'slot or groove across its circular face from side to side, and
extending from its outer surface towards its axis. In this groove a flat plate
or "tongue-piece," of the full width of the piston, is fitted, and which extend s
above the circular face of the piston to the inner circular side of the cylinder
in which it is enclosed, and when travelling round has an eccentric motion
from the centre or axis of the piston, and runs concentricly to the outer
rotating cylinder, being attached to a collar or collars, which revolve on the
same centre as the outer enclosing cylinders, recesses being formed in the
inner flat side of the cylinder in which the collars revolve.
On the sides of the "tongue-piece," which extends across the circular face of
the piston, are placed metallic packings which extend across the piston through
openings formed to receive them a little below the circular face of the piston
and which are pressed against the sides of the tongue-piece by a couple of
packing pieces placed within recesses formed for their reception on each of
the flat sides of the piston, and which are acted upon by the ends of a C or
crescent-shaped spring, which is also placed within the recess in the sides
of the piston. The tongue-piece is also fitted with packing pieces on its outer
edges, which are in contact with the inner sides of the outer cylinder. These
packing pieces in cross section are of a T shape, the lower limb being placed
within grooves formed on the edges of the tongue-piece, and the upper limb
abuts against the sides of cylinder, and against which it is pressed by spring
packing, placed at the bottom of the grooves, and acting against the lower side
of the T-shaped packing pieces.
The circular revolvingcylinder, in which the circular revolving piston works,
is of larger dimensions internally than the circumference of the piston, and is
also mounted on bearings supported on the frame of the engine, and centred
so that the circular edge of the piston is in close contact with the inner
circular side of the cylinder, upon which it rolls as the cylinder revolves. The
induction port (or passage) is carried through the axle (or shaft), upon which
the pistonis mounted, into the body of the piston, and thence through the body
of the piston, so as to open into the interior of the cylinder at one side of
the tongue-piece; and the exhaust port (or passage) extends from the opposite
side of the tongue-piece, through the body of the piston and the reverse end
of the revolving shaft (of the piston) to the exhaust pipe.
On each of the inner, flat side of the cylinder we fit disks, which are turned
to the exact size of the interior of the cylinder, and which can be pressed

page_text: against the flat sides of the piston by set screws passing through the 'side
plates of the cylinder, and which can be adjusted from the outside.
It will be seen that either of the passages through the hollow axle and the
piston may be used as the exhaust or induction ports at pleasure, by which
arrangement the action of the engine may he reversed, which will be readily
understood.
That our Invention may be more readily seen and understood, we have
hereunto annexed Drawings of an engine constructed on our plan. Like
letters and figures marked on the Drawings relate to similar parts.
Figure 1 is an external elevation of the front of the engine; Figure 2 is a
view of the interior of the cylinder and side of the piston, showing the edge
of the tongue-piece (H), and the ends of its metallic packing pieces (I' & 12),
the sides of the two side packing pieces (K¹ & K2) which are pressed
against (I & I) by the crescent-shaped spring (L); Figure 3 is an enlarged
perspective view of the body of the rolling piston and its shaft, the dotted
lines marked the direction of the feed and exhaust passagès; Figure 4 is a
side view of the tongue-piece and collar; Figure 5 is a front view of ditto,
shewing the collars N' and N2 on each side, with their sleeves, which in
this modification of the Invention is used as an axle for the outer cylinder to
revolve upon; Figure 6 is a side view of one of the side packing pieces (K);
Figure 7 is a side view of the C or crescent-shaped spring (L), used to press
the packing pieces against the side of the tongue-piece (H).
A, the external cylinder, which revolves on the sleeves 1 and 22; B, the
bearings of 'ditto; C, the shaft (or axle), which is made fast to and revolves
with D, the circular rotating pistons; E, bearings upon which the shaft of the
revolving piston rotates; F, the induction port; (Figure 3), dotted lines)
show the induction passage from the shaft through the body of the piston;
G, the exhaust post'; g (Figure 3, dotted lines) show the passage through the
body of the piston and the hollow shaft for the exhaust passage; H, a tongue-
piece (or flat plate) which extends across the circular face of the piston, and
which is always in contact with the outer cylinder at three sides, the fourth
being within the slot which extends across the circular face of the piston;
this tongue-piece is attached to N¹ and N2, circular collars or rings, which
revolve within recesses formed in the inner side of the cylinder, and which
revolve on the same centre as the cylinder, and rotate at the same speed as
the piston, which is greater than that of the outer cylinder. V'and V2 sleeves
(formed on the collars N¹ and N2) upon which the outer cylinder revolves.
I and I, the two pieces of metallic packing extending across the piston
through openings formed to receive them on each side of the tongue-piece, a

page_text: little below the circular surface of the piston, and which are pressed against
the sides of the tongue-piece by K' and K2, two side packing pieces, which
are acted upon by L, a C or crescent-shaped spring, by which a continual
pressure is exerted against the packing of the tongue-piece. M, packing-pieces
on the edges of the tongue-piece, which are passed against the inner sides
of the cylinder by packing place in the bottom of the grooves into which they
are fitted. The reverse side of the piston is provided in like manner with
packing pieces, and a C or crescent-shaped spring, by which arrangement a
uniform pressure is exerted against both sides of the tongue-piece.
If preferred, the tongue-piece herein-before described may be made fast
to the interior sides of the cylinder, in place of to the revolving collars
described, in which case the edge packing pieces are dispensed with, the
tongue being bolted to the cylinder on two sides, and the third shipped into a
slot formed on one of the inner flat sides of the cylinder, or it may be secured
in any other convenient manner. When the tongue-piece is secured to the
cylinder, the piston and cylinder make an equal number of revolutions round
their axis. This method we have found to answer remarkably well in
practice. Engines constructed according to this Invention can be used as
motive power engines or as pumps. When used as a motive power engine,
the power is taken off from the outer cylinder by a strap or gearing passing
round it, or from the hollow axle upon which the piston is mounted. When
used as a pump, the motive power is applied to the outer cylinder or to the
axle of the piston.
Having now described our said Invention, in what manner the same may
be performed, what we claim is the construction and use of engines as herein-
before described, or any near modification thereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Lane and John Taylor, have here-
unto set our hands and seals, this Thirtieth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
WILLIAM WALKER.
JOHN (L.S.) LANE.
JOHN (L.S.). TAYLOR.