IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTATORY ENGINES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Smith, the younger, of No. 11, Coburg Place,
Upper Kennington Lane, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, for the
.Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTATORY ENGINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th
April 1864.
I, GEORGE SMITH, the younger, of No. 11, Coburg Place, Upper Ken-
nington Lane, in. the County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTATORY ENGINES," to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of rotatory
engines to be worked by steam, air, gas, or water, and consists in the employ-
ment of a hollow driving drum provided with end covers, and, fitted upon a
driving shaft,in such a manner as to have free longitudinal play thereon, whilst
it carries the shaft round with it. This drum and shaft are placed.eccentrically
inside the cylinder of the engine, the end covers of the cylinder. having a
circular opening made eccentrically therein to receive the ends of the main
drum. A number of slots or openings are made equidistant in the surface.
of the drum, in each of which is placed a roller, which serves as a rolling:
revolving piston. These rollers are interposed between the internal surface.
of the cylinder and the periphery of a smaller drum situate inside the, main
driving drum, but concentric with. the cylinder, and the rolling pistons. thus
roll between the two surfaces of the cylinder and the small internal drum.
The steam or other medium employed in working the engine is introduced, and

page_text: allowed to escape by two sets of separate and independent ports or passages,
or, if desired, the ordinary arrangement of ports or passages may be used.
The reversing valve consists of the ordinary D slide valve of a size to embrace
both sets of ports, when two sets of steam and exhaust ports are employed.
On the steam entering the cylinder it acts upon one or other of the rolling
pistons, which being contained in the slots or openings in the main driving
drum cause that drum with its shaft to revolve, and so impart motion to any
machinery to be driven. The ends of the rolling pistons and of the inner or
small drum are packed so as to work steam-tight against the covers of the
main drum and of the cylinder by means of metal packing rings, which fit
into the ends of the rolling pistons and small drum, the part so inserted being
angled or bevelled to allow for wear, whilst the part which works against the
end'covers of the main drum and cylinder is perfectly plain or flat. In order
to prevent any escape of steam between the periphery of the end covers of the
main drum and the inner surface of the circular opening in the cylinder
covers, I interpose between such surfaces a metal packing ring of a bevelled
section, to which a rotatory motion, half-the-speed of the main drum, is
imparted. To this packing ring are fitted the axes of a number of anti-
friction rollers, which axes are supported at their, opposite or outer ends in a
loose ring, conical washers being employed to keep the rollers in a central
position on their axes. A central elastic driving ring, connected by springs
and adjusting screws to a boss on each of the covers of the main drum,
imparts a rotatory or rolling motion to the several antifriction rollers, which
revolve in contact with the interior of an antifriction cylinder and the surface
of the central driving ring, and being connected with the packing ring or
rings, is herein-before referred to, causes that ring to revolve at half 'speed.
The bevel in each of these packing rings is so arranged that the pressure of the
steain tends to keep the packing tight. This system of antifriction rollers and
elastic ring serves also to remove a portion of the strain from off the driving
shaft by giving a partial support thereto should the stuffing boxes and glands
in the end covers of the antifriction cylinders become worn.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd October 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE 8
SMITH, the younger, of No. 11, Coburg Place, Upper Kennington Lane, in
the County of Surrey, Engineer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her. most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the -twenty-seventh year of. Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Smith, Her special license that I, the said George Smith,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Smith, my executors, 'administrators, or 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
ROTATORY ENGINES,". upon the condition (amongst others) that. I, the said
George Smith, my executors or administrators, by, an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of, one of them, 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 immé-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
..NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Smith, do hereby declare the
nature. of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to a peculiar. construction and arrangement of
rotatory. engines to be worked by steam, air, gas, or water, and consists,
according to one modification, in the employment of. a. hollow driving drum
provided with end covers or disc plates, which are fitted upon a driving shaft
in such a manner as to allow the drum and: disc plates to have. free longi-*
tudinal play thereon, whilst the shaft is carried.round therewith. This drum
and shaft. are placed eccentrically inside. the main working cylinder. of the
engine,.and a.number of slots or openings,are.made equidistant in the surface
of the drum, in each of which is placed a roller, which serves as a rolling and
revolving piston. These rolling pistons are interposed between. the internal
surface of the main working cylinder and the periphery of a smaller.drum
situate inside the main driving.drum, but placed concentric with the working
cylinder, the rolling pistons thus rolling and revolving between the two
surfaces of the working cylinder and the small internal drum. The steam
or other medium employed in working the engine is introduced and allowed
to escape by two sets of separate and independent ports or passages, or, if

page_text: desired, the ordinary arrangement of ports or passages may be used. The
reversing valve consists of the ordinary D-slide valve of a size to embrace
both sets of ports when two sets of steam and exhaust ports' are employed.
On the steam entering the cylinder it acts upon one or other of the rolling
pistons, which being contained in the slots or openings in the main driving
drum cause that drum with its shaft to revolve, whence motion may be trans-
mitted to any machine requiring to be driven. The ends of the rolling pistons
and of the inner or small drum are packed so as to work steam-tight against
the covers or end plates of the main drum by means of metal packing.rings,
which fit into the ends of the rolling pistons and small. drum, the part.so
inserted being angled or bevelled to allow for wear, whilst the part which
works against the end covers or disc plates of the main drum is perfectly plain
or flat.
In order to prevent any escape of steam between the periphery of
the end covers or disc plates of the main drum, and the inner surface of
the circular opening in the cylinder covers in which such plates revolve, I
interpose between such surfaces a metal packing ring of a bevelled section, to
which a rotatory motion, at half the speed of the main drum 'is imparted. To
this packing ring are fitted the axes of a number of antifriction rollers, which
axes are supported at their opposite or outer ends in a loose ring, conical
washers being employed to keep the rollers in a central position on their axes.
A central elastic driving ring, connected by springs and adjusting screws to a
boss on each of the end covers or disc plates of the main drum, imparts a
rotatory or rolling motion to the several antifriction rollers, which revolve in
contact with the interior of an antifriction cylinder formed by the covers of the
main working cylinder and the surface of the central driving ring, and being
connected with the packing ring or rings, herein-before referred to, causes
such ring or rings to revolve at half the speed of the main shaft. The bevel
in each of these packing rings is so arranged that the pressure of the steam
tends to keep the packing tight. This system of antifriction rollers and elastic
ring serves also to remove a portion of the strain from off the driving shaft
by giving a partial support thereto, should the stuffing boxes and glands in
the end covers of the cylinders become worn.
According to a second modification I dispense with the main driving drum,
and have cross grooves or channels made in the disc plates, for the purpose of
properly guiding the rolling pistons as they roll between the surface of the
smaller drum, herein-before referred to, and the interior of the main working
cylinder.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
I shall
purpose

page_text: refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Fig. 1 of my Drawings represents a transverse vertical section of the
arrangement of rotatory engine, herein-before first referred to, taken through
the D valve and ports; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same,
taken along the main driving shaft; and Fig. 3 is a corresponding end view,
with the end cover of the main working cylinder in transverse section,
shewing the arrangement of antifriction rollers, springs, and parts connected
therewith.
In these Figures A represents the main working cylinder, and a, (Fig. 2),
are the end covers thereof bolted to the flanges A', and forming also the anti-
friction cylinders herein-before mentioned. The steam chest is shown at a¹,
within which works the reversing D slide valve a². The steam or other
medium employed enters the cylinder by the induction pipe a³ and ports or
passages as, and escapes again by the exhaust pipe a'; a' is the reversing rod
of the slide valve a³, and as are stuffing boxes made in the end covers a of
the working cylinder, in which boxes the main driving shaft E revolves freely
as in bearings; B is the main driving drum, on to each end of which is keyed
an end or disc plate 6 by means of the keys 610, shown in Fig. 3; these end
or disc plates consequently revolve with the drum B. The disc plates 6 are
feathered on to the main shaft E by a feather or loose key e, which allows the
disc plates and drum B to, have a slight lateral motion longitudinally along the
main shaft, whilst at the same time they carry that shaft round with them;
D¹, D, D³, D, are the rolling revolving pistons, the main drum B being
slotted longitudinally at equal distances all round to receive them. These
pistons may either work at these ends against the plane flat surface of the
disc plates b, or they may be fitted so as to turn freely at their ends in guide
blocks d, as shewn in the Drawings, sliding in cross grooves 6¹ made in the
disc plate b. In order to prevent leakage of steam from the working cylinder
with the cylinder covers a behind the disc plates 6, I introduce a conical
packing ring 6 between the peripheries of the disc plates 6 and the inner
surface of the covers a; C is a smaller loose drum, without an axle, situate
under the main driving drum B, but concentric with the main working
cylinder, and kept in its place by the revolving pistons, which roll between the
outer surface of this drum C, and the inner surface of the working cylinder A.
In order that the ends of the rolling pistons and the drum C may work steam-
tight against the disc plates b, I insert a bevelled packing ring b³ of a
triangular section at those parts, the bevelled portion being fitted accurately
inside the pistons and drum C, whilst the flat portion rubs against the disc

page_text: plates b. A number of antifriction rollers b' are fitted upon spindles, which are
supported at one end in the slowly revolving conical packing ring 6, and at
the other end in a loose ring 67, which serves to keep them equidistant. These
rollers travel round an elastic central driving ring 6, which is kept in its place
laterally by a ring 66; 68 are springs, which support the elastic centrál driving
ring, such springs being tightened up more or less, as required, by the
adjusting screw bolts 6 tapped into a boss on each of the disc plates b. The
action of this engine is as follows:-The steam on being admitted into the
cylinder, as shewn by the red arrows, exerts a pressure upon one-half of. the
surface of the drum C, and against the three pistons D¹, D³, D', the power
gained being due to the excess of leverage of the piston D', over and above
that of the piston-D³, the former piston being further from the driving shaft E
than the piston D³. Power is also gained by the pressure of the steam against
the unbalanced surface of the drum, C, which it will be seen is eccentric to
the main shaft E. The leverage of the pistons, and the eccentricity of the
drum C may be increased or diminished by placing the main shaft E moro or
less eccentrically within the main working cylinder. The pistons on the
exhaust side of the cylinder A receive the pressure of the hollow drum C, and
are consequently caused to roll round by their frictional contact with the
drum C and the interior of the cylinder. The guide blocks in which the
pistons work slide to and fro along the cross grooves in the disc plates b, and
carry the said disc plates and the shaft E round with them; or if these guide
blocks and grooves be dispensed with, then the pressure of the pistons against
one side of the slots or openings in the main drum B will forco that drum
round, and with it the disc plates (keyed thereto) and the main shaft. The
black arrows indicate the exhaust or outgoing steam. The rotatory motion of
the disc plates is transmitted also to the elastic central driving ring b³, and
thence to the series of antifriction rollers &, which carry round with them the
packing rings b³.
- Fig. 4 represents a transverse vertical section of a slightly modified form of
rotatory engine, in which the driving drum B is dispensed with; Fig. 5 is a
longitudinal vertical section of the same; and Fig. 6 is an end elevation with
one of the disc plates and cylinder covers removed, shewing the pistons-in a
different position to that illustrated in Fig. 4. In these Figures corresponding
letters of reference indicate all those parts which have been referred to in
Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and consequently it will not be necessary to refer again
individually to the whole of such parts. A is the main working cylinder.
provided with large flanges A' at each end, to which flanges are bolted the
cylinder covers a, a, as in the arrangement previously described; b; b, are the .

page_text: disc plates keyed on to the main shaft E, and capable of lateral movement
thereon; but in this arrangement they are not connected with a drum B, as
in the first-described arrangement, such drum being here dispensed with.
The shaft E, as before described, is placed eccentrically in the main working
cylinder, and within this cylinder, concentric therewith and supported by the
rolling pistons D¹, D³, D³, D', is placed the loose drum C, as in the first-
described arrangement. The rolling pistons are carried and regulated in their
course by the sliding blocks which work freely in the radiating cross
grooves 6 made in the inner faces of the two disc plates 6; a' are the rubbing
surfaces of the ends of the main working cylinder, against which rotate the
disc plates b. Two pipes, as, communicate between the induction pipe a³ and
the two cylinder covers, so as to allow steam to enter the covers behind the
disc plates b, and force the latter against the rubbing surfaces a' on the ends of
the main cylinder. The steam on entering the cylinder acts against the rolling
pistons and forces them round, causing them to roll between the drum C and
the interior of the working cylinder. In their revolution round the drum,
these pistons being connected to the slides d, carry round with them the disc
plates 6 and main shaft E. In both these arrangements I have shown the
steam space as colored red.
.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is, the combination in rotatory engines of
a hollow drum without an axle, placed concentrically inside and in the axial
line of the main working cylinder, with revolving disc plates carried by a main
shaft eccentric to the working cylinder, and with rolling revolving pistons or
rollers working in contact with the exterior of the hollow concentric drum
and the interior of the main working cylinder, substantially as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of September, One thousand