Improvements in or relating to Impulse Engines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Aug., 1898
Complete Specification Left. 6th June, 1899-Accepted, 10th Aug., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Impulse Engines.
I, CHARLES M. JOHNSON, of 22 and 23, Laurence Pountney Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows;-
This invention relates to impulse engines, that is to say, those in which the
impact of a mass of fluid under pressure against a movable object is employed
to produce mechanical power.
According to this invention after the fluid under pressure has been so supplied
to the engine as by its first entry therein to impart to it an impulse in the
manner hitherto commonly employed, it is retained within one or more cavities
in the engine. The subsequent operation of the engine allows the fluid so
retained to partly escape by expansion through suitably arranged valves or
other communicating passages into other cavities in the engine so as to impart
as by successive
thereto 'further impulses, this operation being repeated so
stages to allow the fluid to expand to any desired limit.
The fluid employed according to this invention may be steam under pressure,
explosive or other gases such as are employed in explosion engines as usually
constructed, or may be any compressible fluid whatever.
One construction of engine according to this invention will now be described
by way of example.
Upon a horizontal shaft is mounted a solid cylindrical body, in the circum-
ferential periphery of which are formed several series of cavities somewhat
similar in shape to a cup or to the teeth of a ratchet wheel. The cavities are
arranged circumferentially and the series axially. This cylindrical body is
enclosed within a casing within which it is capable of rotation and with which it
makes a substantially gas tight joint circumferentially.
An inlet is provided in the casing for the fluid under pressure, this inlet being
so arranged that the fluid is successively impelled against the substantially radial
faces of one of the series of cavities above mentioned. so as thereby to impart to
the cylindrical body a series of impulses and so produce a motion of rotation of
the cylinder. The rotation of the cylinder causes each cavity in turn to retain
a certain quantity of the fluid impelled thereinto, as it moves away from the
supply inlet.
The further rotation brings the cavity into communication with another and
the fluid under pressure in the first mentioned cavity thereupon expands into
this second cavity so as to thereby impart to one of its walls an impulse tangential
to the axis of rotation, which increases the motion of rotation of the cylinder.
These two cavities, now in communication with one another, are again, by the
continued rotation, put into communication with one or more others, the "walls
of which in turn receive an additional impulse the magnitude of the impulse
decreasing with each successive expansion. This operation is repeated until the
fluid has been expanded to the desired limit, upon which the fluid may be allowed
to oscane from the engine.

page_text: When it is desired to apply this invention to fluids the pressure of which
is produced by explosion the supply to the engine may be effected through a
pipe, which delivers the charge in one of the cups and then may be fired and
expanded, or through a rotary cylinder carrying at or near its circumference a
series of longitudinal perforations within which the explosive mixture is fired,
the mixture being conveniently supplied to these perforations as required through
a hollow spindle upon which the said cylinder rotates. The above-named per-
forations are successively put into communication with the engine immediately
after the charge in each has been fired and it is preferred to cool the cylindrical
body by allowing water or other suitable liquid to flow through each perfora-
tion for a short time after it has been discharged into the engine and before it
again receives its charge, of explosive mixture.
I may also combine this engine with a condenser in such a manner that the
contraction of the fluid will create a vacuum or partial vacuum, and thereby
increase the efficiency of the engine.
I may also construct the engine in a conical form, so that any wear may be
readily adjusted..
Dated this Oth Joy of
T}
1000
Pimprovements in or relating to impuise Engines.
I, CHARLES M. JOHNSON, of 22 and 23, Laurence Pountney Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, 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 impulse engines, that is to say, those in which the
impact of a mass of fluid under pressure against a movable object is employed
to produce mechanical power.
According to this invention after the fluid under pressure has been so supplied
to the engine as by its first entry therein to impart to it an impulse in the
manner hitherto commonly employed, it is retained within one or more cavities
in the engine. The subsequent operation of the engine allows the fluid so
retained to partly escape by expansion through suitably arranged valve.
other communicating passages into other cavities in the engine so as to impart
thereto further impulses, this operation being repeated so as by successive
stages to allow the fluid to expand to any desired limit.
or
The fluid employed according to this invention may be steam under pressure,
explosive or other gases such as are employed in explosion engines as usually
constructed, or other compressible fluid.
In the accompanying diagrammatic drawings,
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of the rotating disc or piston of one
construction of engine said drum being detached from its casing, and
Figure 2 is a diagrammatic vertical section of the piston in operative position
within its casing, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.
Figures 3, 4 and 5 are similar views to Figure 2, but showing the piston in
different positions relative to its casing.
Figure 6 is a detail showing an alternative form of cavity.

page_text: Figure 7 is a view of an alternative construction the piston in elevation, the
casing in section. and.
Figure 8 is a vertical section on the line S-8 of Figure 7.
Like letters indicate like parts in all the figures.
Referring first to Figures 1 to 6.
Upon a shaft A, which constitutes the main driving shaft of the engine, is
secured a cylindrical body or drum B, which forms the piston of the engine and
in the periphery of which is placed a series of cavities C C C³ etc. arranged
circumferentially, and all in one plane at right angles to the axis of the cylinder.
These cavities may be of any shape suitable to receive the impulse of the
motor gases; they may be curved or cup-shaped, as shown diagrammatically in
Figure 1, or angular resembling the teeth of a saw or ratchet wheel, as shown
diagrammatically in Figure 6.
Conveniently the series may consist of five cavities C C C C C, as shown
in the figures, and preferably two or more series are employed, placed parallel
to each other, as shown in Figure 1, where two series are illustrated.
An additional peripheral cavity D, which may be similar in shape to the
cavities before described, is likewise provided, but placed with reference to
the series of cavities C in a different plane at right angles to the cylinder axis.
Where two series are employed the cavity D may be placed centrally between
them as shown in Figure 1.
The ends of the drum or piston B are left free; its sides are enclosed by a
casing E, within which the drum is adapted to rotate, the drum and the casing
being accurately fitted to prevent the escape of the motor gases from the peripheral
cavities; or suitable packing devices may be used for this purpose. Preferably
the drum and the cavity of the casing within which it fits are slightly conical in
form so that any wear may be readily adjusted.
The casing E is provided with a base plate E¹; within its walls are formed
one or more series of passages F F¹ etc. corresponding with the series of drum
cavities C C etc. These passages open at each end into the interior of the
casing, and are so shaped and arranged that when one cavity (say C, Figure 2)
coincident with one opening of a passage, its adjacent cavity (say C²) of the same
series is coincident with the other opening of the same passage. The openings of the
passages are also formed so that a gas passing through a passage at high
velocity will discharge freely and impinge against a side of a cavity coincident
with the opening so as to communicate a rotative impulse to the drum
The casing is provided with one or more exhaust outlets G, preferably one
being provided for each series of drum cavities as shown in chain lines in
Figure 1.
An inlet H for the supply of the motor fluid is formed in the casing placed
to coincide with the drum cavity D when the drum is in the position shown in
Figure 2 (the inlet H is also indicated in chain lines in Figure 1). The inlet H
is so placed that the fluid on entering may strike one end of the cavity D and
give a rotative impulse to the drum B. In front of the inlet H, and in the same
vertical plane, so as to coincide with the cavity D on the forward rotation of
the drum, is placed one end J1 of a passage J, of which the other end J2 is
placed to coincide with the drum cavity C when the end J¹ coincides with the
cavity D. When two series of cavities Care employed the passage J is bifurcated
as shown in chain lines in Figure 1. The operation of the engine is as follows:-
When the drum B is in the position relative to the casing E, shown in
Figure 2, the motor fluid, entering at H impinges on the front face of the
cavity D, giving thereby a rotative movement to the drum B in the direction of
the arrow. This movement brings the cavity D over the end J¹ of the passage J,
and at the same time the cavity C of each series is in communication with the
ends J2 of the passage J, as shown in Figure 3. The motor fluid confined
within the cavity D expanding rushes through the passage J and impinging
on the side of the cavity C gives an additional rotative impulse to the drum. As

page_text: the rotation of the drum continues the cavity C comes to coincide with one end
of the passage F whilst at the same time the cavity C¹ being over the other end,
the two cavities are placed in communication, as shown in Figure 4, and the
motor fluid in C expanding into the cavity C₁ gives a further impulse to the
drum B. The drum completes its rotation alternately placing the adjacent
cavities of each series in connection with each other and breaking that con-
nection as they pass over and away from the ends of the passages F FI F2, causing
a succession of impulses to be given to the cavities C C etc. by impact from the
expansion of the motor fluid from one cavity to another. In Figure 5 the drum
is shown in the position in which the cavity C is commencing to exhaust, pre-
paratory to receiving a fresh charge from the cavity D, being placed in con-
nection with the outlet G by the passage 12 and cavity C¹. The outlet G may
open into the atmosphere or be connected if desired with a condensing apparatus.
Although preferably the cavity D, which first receives the motor fluid, is
placed, as before described in a different plane at right angles to the cylinder
axis relative to the other cavities, an alternative construction may be employed,
the cavity which first receives the motor fluid being placed in the same plane
with, and so as to form one of a circumferential series of cavities.
In this case the inlet H would take the place of the passage end Ja, the
passage J, J, being dispensed with if more than one series of cavities be
employed each series would have its own inlet H.
In this construction each cavity C, C1, C2, etc. would receive a charge on
arriving over the inlet H.
In Figures 7 and 8 is shown an alternative construction in which the cavities C,
C, C etc. of the piston B are triangular in shape and placed close together and
the connecting passages F F F etc. take the form of recesses K K' K² etc., per-
mitting the expansion of the motor fluid from one cavity into its adjoining one,
when on the rotation of the drum or piston the dividing septum B₁ comes
opposite thereto. A separate inlet cavity D is provided for each series of
cavities, and these are preferably placed, as shown in Figure 7 on opposite sides
of the piston, and provided with a side extension D¹, communicating with the
centrally placed inlet H in the casing. A common exhaust outlet G with
branches GG2, is provided, and preferably the drum and its casing are conical
A central
as shown in Figure 7, to allow for adjustment to compensate for wear.
boss bolted to the casing E by arms E2 and a flange E³ may be furnished as
bearings for the shaft A.
When it is desired to apply this invention to fluids the pressure of which
a separate
is produced by explosion, the explosive mixture may be fired in
apparatus, or the explosive mixture may be delivered under pressure through the
supply opening H to the cavity D, and fired therein, preferably when the cavity
is in the position shown in Figure 6, that is past the opening H and not yet
placed in connection with the end J' of the passage J. The charge may be fired
in any usual manner, conveniently electrically by wires K terminating in a
small recess K¹ in the casing E, as shown in Figures 6 and 8.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
1 claim is:-
1. In an impulse engine means for obtaining a series of impulses by expanding
the motor fluid substantially as described.
2. In an impulse engine comprising a cylindrical piston rotating within a
casing and having peripheral cavities expanding the motor fluid from one cavity
into an adjacent one, substantially as described.
3. In an impulse engine comprising a casing and a cylindrical piston having
peripheral cavities, forming the casing with passages or recesses which place
adjacent cavities in and out of communication with each other as the cylindrical
piston rotates within the casing substantially as described.

page_text: 4. In an impulse engine the combination with a casing such as E having
a passage such as J with openings JJ and other passages such as F F etc. of a
rotatory piston such as B having cavities such as D C C etc. substantially as
described.
5. In an impulse engine the combination of a casing such as E having recesses
such as K K¹ etc. of a rotatory piston such as B having a cavity such as D D' and
other cavities such as C C etc. substantially as described.
6. In an impuse engine carrying the motor fluid from one passage or receptacle
in the casing to another by means of a recess in the rotatory piston substantially
as and for the purpose described.
7. In an impulse engine of the kind described firing an explosive mixture
within a cavity in the rotatory piston.
8. In an impulse engine the combination with a rotary piston having one or
more peripheral cavities or pockets of a casing provided with
(a) An inlet for an explosive mixture.
Means for igniting that portion of the explosion mixture carried in
the piston pocket as it rotates and
(c) Means for the escape of the products of the explosion, all three being
arranged in the path traversed by the rotating pocket.
9. The impulse engine substantially as described or as illustrated in Figures 1
and 2 and in Figure 6 and in Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this First day of June 1899.
CHARLES M. JOHNSON.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.