Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Nov., 1887
Complete Left, 9th Apr., 1888
Complete Accepted, 11th May, 1888
I, RICHARD HAMMERSLEY HEENAN of Newton Heath Iron Works Manchester in
the County of Lancaster Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows :-
My invention relates to spherical engines of the kind described in the Specifications
to Patents No. 3953 of 1879 granted to B. Tower and No. 13102 of 1884 granted
to Heenan and Froude. "In such an engine there is a librating and revolving piston
forming the middle member of a universal joint connecting two inclined shafts,
these shafts having semicircular blades jointed to the piston at right angles to each
other.
The jointings of the blades to the piston presenting themselves, as they have
hitherto done, at the circumference of the piston render the packing of the piston
and jointings difficult and complex. Now according to my present invention 1
arrange these jointings nearer the centre of the piston, thus permitting the piston
to have outside and beyond them an uninterrupted periphery which I fit with a
spring packing ring or several such rings extending in a recess continuously round
it except at the points where they are split. across obliquely to give them elasticity.
The joints of the blades to the piston are provided with bushes and packings, and for
lubricating these oil holes are drilled obliquely through the blades and their bosses to
a central oil passage in the shafts from which the blades project. When the engine is
to be worked with light pressure, or when durability is not of importance, as for
instance when it is applied to a torpedo, the hinging of the blades to the piston may
be made in a simple manner by screwing into each blade a pair of eye-screws, and
from the recess in the periphery provided for the spring ring screwing in set screws
through these eyes to form the pivots of the hinges.
Botad this 30th day of November 1887.
ABEL & IMRAY,..
Agents for the Applicant..

page_text: Improvements in Spherical Engines.
I, RICHARD HAMMERSLEY HEENAN of Newton Heath Iron Works, Manchester in
the County of Lancaster, 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 :-
My invention relates to spherical engines of the kind described in the Specifications
to Patents No. 3953 of 1879 granted to B. Tower and No. 13102 of 1884 granted
to Heenan and Froude. In such an engine there is a librating and revolving piston
forming the middle member of a universal joint connecting two inclined shafts,
these shafts having, semicircular blades jointed to the piston at right angles to each
other.
The jointings of the blades to the piston presenting themselves, as they have
hitherto done, at the circumference of the piston render the packing of the piston
and jointings difficult and complex. Now according to my present invention I
arrange these jointings nearer the centre of the piston, thus permitting the piston to
have outside and beyond them an uninterrupted periphery, which I fit with a spring
packing ring or several such rings extending in a recess continuously round it
except at the points where they are split across obliquely to give them elasticity.
The joints of the blades to the piston are provided with bushes and packings, and,
for lubricating these, oil holes are drilled obliquely through the blades and
their bosses to a central oil passage in the shafts from which the blades project.
The accompanying drawings shew the constructive details to which my invention
relates.
Fig. 1 is a front view and Fig. 2 is a diametral section of the piston disc. Fig. 3
is a front view Fig. 4 a side view and Fig. 5 a plan of the one blade with the engine
shaft in one piece with it, the same figures representing the other blade with the
short shaft in one piece with it, indicated by dotted lines. Figs. 6 and 7 are front
and side views, and Fig. 8 is a transverse section in the middle, of the pin for jointing
one of the blades to the piston disc. Figs. 9 and 10 are side views of the two part
pins by which the other blade is jointed to the piston disc. Fig. 11 is a plan and
Fig. 12 a face view of the packing piece inserted over each of the joint pins.
The piston disc A is bored through diametrically by two holes of equal size to
receive the joint pins, and at the mouth of each hole are cut two slots a to receive the
two tongues of the packing piece 6 Figs. 11 and 12 which is inserted to cover the
ends of the joint pin.
There is also inserted in a slot in each of the four recesses of the piston a packing
piece c.
A groove d, turned in the edge of the piston disc all round it, receives a spring
packing ring or two of these side by side.
Each blade B is cast in one piece with a length of shaft, the one with the shaft S
of required length for acting as the engine shaft, the other with the shorter and
smaller shafts which merely revolves in a bearing in the casing without passing

page_text: through to the outside. The blade is bored diametrically through its two bosses with
holes so much larger than the joint pins that they receive flanged bushes e which are
inserted in halves. In case of wear, these bushes can be readily removed and fresh
bushes can be substituted. There is also in a slot in the middle recess of the blade a
packing piece f, and in a slot of each circular edge a packing piece g. The slots in
the piston A for the packing pieces c and those in the blades B for the packings fare
most conveniently made by a revolving cutter such as is employed for cutting key
ways, and the ends of these slots being round the packings c and f are made with
rounded ends to fit the slots. Under each of these packing pieces as well as under
the packings band 9 may be placed thin blade springs to press them against the
surfaces which they bear upon.
The joint pin C (Figs. 6, 7, 8) for jointing one of the blades B to the piston A bas
through its middle a transverse hole and recess to receive the one part D (Fig. 9) of
the other joint pin E (Fig. 10) which has its screwed end passed through the holes
in C and screwed into the other part E (Fig. 10).
The pins C. D and E have notches h cut where their surfaces protrude beyond the
metal of the piston disc A so as not to interfere with the full stroke of the blades B.
For the purpose of lubricating the working parts, I drill in each blade two oblique
oil holes o meeting a cross hole p in the shaft S or so that lubricant by centrifugal
force is made to flow from the shaft bearings to the joints and to the interior surface
of the spherical casing.
When the engine is to be worked with light pressure or when durability is not of
importance, as, for instance, when it is applied to a torpedo, I simplify the hinging
of the blades to the piston in the manner shewn by Fig. 11. In this case I screw
into each blade a pair of eye screws k, and into these from the recess d provided for
the packing ring I screw pins which enter the eyes and form the pivots for the
jointings of the blades of the piston.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. Constructing the piston A with a circular
entirely surrounding its circumference, and with
2. Constructing each blade B with packings
pins and with oblique holes o for lubrication.
groove to receive a spring ring d
packings b and c.
and g, with bushes e for the joint
3. The modified jointing of the blades to the piston by screw pins / entering eyes
of screw as shewn by Fig. 11.
Dated this 9th day of April 1888.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.