IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY AIR, GAS, OR VAPOR PUMPS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Skene, late Ice manufacturer of High Street
Bloomsbury in the County of Middlesex, but now of the firm of Skene and
Lambie of Lambeth in the County of of Surrey Engineers for an invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY AIR, GAS, OR VAPOR PUMPS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Skene at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd March 1882.
ROBERT SKENE, late Ice-manufacturer of High-Street, Bloomsbury, in the
County of Middlesex, but now of the firm of Skene and Lambie, of Lambeth, in
the County of Surrey, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY AIR, GAS, OR
VAPOR, PUMPS,"
My invention relates to rotary pumps applicable to the pumping, compression
or exhaustion of air, gas, or vapor, and has for its object the rendering of the
sliding surfaces more perfectly air or gas tight, and further the simple and
economical seperation of the air, gas, or vapor from the medium of lubrication
My improvements may be most conveniently adapted to a rotary pump of the
following construction.
Within a cylinder, having inlet and outlet ports, revolves another cylinder of
smaller diameter, eccentrically to the outer cylinder, and almost touching the
interior of the outer cylinder between the two ports, where a stop packing piece is
provided, so as to make an approximately tight air or gas joint.
In a central transverse alot, across the revolving cylinder, work two flat
reciprocating pistons, which completely fit the said slot, and are pressed apart
by central springs, so as to bear on opposite sides of the interior of the outer
cylinder.
To this pump, at the ends of the revolving cylinder and within the outer
cylinder, I apply two rings, that are pressed against the end or ends of the
revolving cylinder, and work air-tight.
I apply also a ring of packing between the said rings.
I further modify and improve the construction of such a pump by providing a
Lan kannath the outlet nont which I fll with a lianid not miscible with the

page_text: vapor, air, or gas, that the pump is exhausting or compressing, but which at the
same time is a lubricant.
From the bottom of this chamber is a tube, leading to near the centre of the
revolving cylinder.
The pressure upon this liquid at the outlet port, will force it into, and cause it
to fill, the inside of the revolving cylinder. The exhaustion or suction at the inlet
port is utilized to draw out the air from the interior of the revolving cylinder by
means of another tube, carried from the interior of the said cylinder to the
chamber under the inlet port. The lubricating liquid will thus completely fill the
revolving cylinder, and when full a cock will stop the communication, and prevent
liquid being drawn out of the cylinder.
There is also a connection between the stop packing piece groove, and the
bottom of the chamber containing the lubricating liquid, so as to prevent any
air passing, and press it against the revolving cylinder.
I also find great advantage from the use of improved inlet and outlet ports,
through the shell of the cylinder. These I make in the form of a large number of
small holes, preferably drilled, which are extended in the interior, by grooved slots,
to the packing piece. Over the outlet port I place a flap valve, which will only
open when the pressure within exceeds the pressure without.
The liquid in the inside of the revolving cylinder also serves to press out the
pistons against the cylinder, to make them more perfectly airtight, and at the same
time to keep the whole perfectly lubricated.
Any of the lubricating liquid that may escape through the revolving cylinder,
by the pistons, or at the ends, is discharged along with the vapor, air, or gas, and
falls again into the chamber under the outlet port. Baffle plates are used at the
outlet port to prevent any of liquid being carried away with the vapor, air, or gas.
A second chamber, if necessary, may be here employed to more effectually disengage
the lubricant.
Should any of the lubricating liquid be eventually carried over with the vapor,
air, or gas, I place, where condensation of vapor or gas is effected, a receptacle in
the delivery pipe, subsequent to such condensation. This receptacle is preferably a
glass cylinder or a vessel to which a gauge glass is fitted, to show when there is.
any lubricant accumulated.
In the case of ice-making machinery, for which my improvements would be
applicable, the catch vessel would be placed between the condenser and refrigerator.
The lubricant, (which, in the case of the vaporisation of ether, would conveniently
be glycerine), would settle by its higher specific density in the bottom of the
vessel, whilst the ether could be withdrawn quite pure from the surface. In the
case of sulphurous acid, condensed vapor, and oil, the oil will float on the surface
of the acid and the pure acid would be withdrawn from the bottom.
My above described improvements are not restricted solely to the form of
rotary pump referred to, but are equally applicable to any rotary pump in which
the lubricating liquid can be introduced into the interior of the revolving piston,
so as to lubricate and improve the air tightness of the rubbing surfaces.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Robert Skene in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd
September 1882.
ROBERT SKENE, late ice-manufacturer, of High-Street Bloomsbury, in the
County of Middlesex, but now of the firm of Skene and Lambie, of Lambeth, in
the County of Surrey, Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY AIR, GAS, OR VAPOR
PUMPS.
My invention relates to rotary pumps, applicable to the pumping, compression,
or exhaustion of air, gas, or vapor, and has for its object the rendering of the
sliding surfaces more perfectly air or gas tight, and further the simple and
economical separation of the air, gas, or vapor from the medium of lubrication.
My improvements may be most conveniently adapted to a rotary pump of the
following construction.
Within a cylinder having inlet and outlet ports revolves another cylinder of
smaller diameter, eccentrically to the outer cylinder, and almost touching the
interior of the outer cylinder between the two ports, where a stop packing piece, is
provided, so as to make an approximately tight air or gas joint.
In a central transverse slot across the revolving cylinder work two flat recipro-
cating pistons, which completely fit the said slot, and are pressed apart by central
springs so as to bear on opposite sides of the interior of the outer cylinder.
To this pump, at the ends of the revolving cylinder, and within the outer
cylinder, I apply two rings that are pressed against the end or ends of the revolving
cylinder, and work air-tight.
I apply also a ring of packing between the said rings.
I further modify and improve the construction of such a pump, by providing a
chamber beneath the outlet port, which I fill with a liquid not miscible with the
vapor, air, or gas that the pump is exhausting or compressing, but which at the
same time is a lubricant.
From the bottom of this chamber is a tube leading to near the centre of the
revolving cylinder. The pressure upon this liquid at the outlet port, will force it
into, and cause it to fill, the inside of the revolving cylinder. The exhaustion or
suction at the inlet port is utilised to draw out the air from the interior of the
revolving cylinder, by means of another tube, carried from the interior of the said
cylinder to the chamber under the inlet port. The lubricating liquid will thus
completely fill the revolving cylinder, and when full a cock will stop the
communication, and prevent liquid being drawn out of the cylinder.
There is also a connection between the stop packing piece groove and the bottom
of the chamber containing the lubricating liquid, so as to prevent any air passing,
and press it against the revolving cylinder.
I also find great advantage from the use of inlet and outlet ports through the
shell of the cylinder. These I make in the form of a large number of small holes,
preferably drilled, which are extended in the interior by grooved slots to the
packing piece. Over the outlet port I place a flap valve, which will only open
when the pressure within exceeds the pressure without.
The liquid in the inside of the revolving cylinder also serves to press out the
pistons against the cylinder, to make them more perfectly air tight, and at the
same time to keep the whole perfectly lubricated.
Any of the lubricating liquid that may escape through the revolving cylinder by
the pistons or at the ends, is discharged along with the vapor, air, or gas, and falls
again into the chamber under the outlet port. Baffle plates are used at the outlet

page_text: .
port to prevent any of the liquid being carried away with the vapor, air, or gas.
A second chamber if necessary may be here employed to more effectually disengage
the lubricant.
Should any of the lubricating liquid be eventually carried over with the vapor,
air, or gas, I place where condensation of vapor or gas is effected a receptacle in
the delivery pipe subsequent to such condensation. This receptacle is preferably a
glass cylinder, or a vessel, to which a gauge glass is fitted, to show when there is
any lubricant accumulated.
In the case of ice-making machinery, for which my improvements would be
applicable, the catch vessel would be placed between the condenser and refrigerator.
The lubricant, (which in the case of the vaporisation of ether would conveniently
be glycerine) would settle by its higher specific density in the bottom of the vessel,
whilst the ether could be withdrawn quite pure from the surface. In the case of
sulphurous acid, condensed vapor, and oil, the oil will float on the surface of the
acid, and the pure acid would be withdrawn from the bottom.
My above described improvements are not restricted solely to the form of rotary
pump referred to, but are equally applicable to any rotary pump in which the
lubricating liquid can be introduced into the interior of the revolving piston, so as
to lubricate and improve the air tightness of the rubbing surfaces
And in order that my invention may be the better understood I now proceed
to describe the drawings hereunto annexed, reference being had to the figures and
letters marked thereon :-
Fig. 1 is a transverse section of a pump with my improvements.
Fig 2. is a longitudinal section of the same.
Fig 3 general arrangement of pump and catch vessel for ice-making
Fig 4. detail of packing ring
Like letters refer to like parts throughout the figures
A is a cylinder provided with an inlet port a, and an outlet port a'. Another
cylinder B, of smaller diameter, revolves on the shaft beccentrically, within the
cylinder A, almost touching the interior of the outer cylinder between the two
ports C and D, which communicate respectively with the inlet a and outlet a'; a
stop packing piece E being provided and set up by a spring or springs, so as to
make an approximately tight air or gas joint.
F is a transverse slot across the body of the revolving cylinder B, in which
work two flat reciprocating pistons G, which completely fit the said slot, and are
pressed apart by central springs H, so as to bear on opposite sides of the interior of
the outer cylinder.
To this pump of known form, or to any pump of similar construction, my
hereinafter described improvements are applicable.
I apply at the end of the revolving cylinder B and within the outer cylinder at
either or each end, a pair of packing rings J J¹, which is pressed against the end of
the revolving cylinder and works air-tight, compensating for wear.
I apply also a ring of packing ; between the said pair of rings, which is contained
in a circumferential chamber with one or both faces inclined, so as to force out
the packing against the interior of the cylinder. This is shown in detail in
Fig. 4.
I further modify and improve the construction of such a pump by the addition
of a chamber K, in which I store a liquid which is not miscible with the vapor, air,
or gas, that the pump is exhausting or compressing, and which at the same time
is a lubricant.
The tube k leads from the bottom of this chamber to near the centre of the
revolving cylinder. The pressure upon this liquid at the outlet port will force it
into, and cause it to fill, the inside of the revolving cylinder B. The exhaustion
or suction of the inlet port a. is utilised to draw out the air from the interior of
the revolving cylinder B, by means of the tube L provided with a stop cock 7,
which is closed when the air has been completely withdrawn.
A communication M is provided between the chamber K and the stop

page_text: packing piece groove E so as to press the packing piece against the revolving
cylinder, and make an air-tight joint.
These inlet and outlet ports C and D are made in the form of a large number of
small holes, preferably drilled through the shell of the cylinder, and extended
in the cylinder by grooved slots d Over the outlet port D is placed a flap
valve m, which will only open when the pressure within exceeds the pressure
without.
A baffle plate or plates N is provided to check the discharge of any lubricant,
which may be carried over with the discharged vapor, air, or gas, and a second
baffle plate n is used over the stored liquid to prevent dispersion.
Figure 3 is the arrangement of the receptacle Q, to which a gauge glass is fitted,
and which serves as a catch vessel for any lubricant carried over with the discharged
vapor, air, or gas. This vessel is placed in the delivery pipe O; preferably after
condensation of the gas or vapor.
The condensed gas or vapor (say ether) is then drawn from the top of the
receptacle by the pipe P, to be carried to the refrigerator whilst the lubricant
(say glycerine) drains back by the pipe and tap p. to the storage chamber K in the
pump.
The pipes are fitted as shown, for drawing off ether, the lubricant, such as
glycerine, settling in the bottom of the vessel, from which it may be drawn off by
the tap p to the storage champer K in the pump. In the case of sulphurous
acid the conditions would be reversed, the oil or lubricant floating on the surface
of the acid. The level of exit of the pipes P and p would in such case be altered
to suit.
.
And having now particularly described and ascertained the method in which my
said invention may be carried into effect, I hereby state that what I consider novel
and desire to profect by letters patent is :-
1st In any rotary pump to which my improvements are applicable, the use of a
lubricant, not miscible with the air, gas, or vapor pumped, which is forced by
pressure into the interior of the revolving cylinder, to lubricate and make air-tight
the sliding surfaces of contact, substantially as described.
2nd. The use of a catch vessel in the delivery pipes from such a rotary pump,
to separate the lubricant by specific density, from the condensed gas or vapor,
substantially as described.
In witness whereof Ithe said Robert Skene have hereunto set my hand and
seal this first day of September in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred
and eighty-two
Witness
S. P. WILDING
23 Rood Lane,
London. E.C.
Patent Agent.
ROBERT SKENE. (L.S.)