A DIRECT-ACTION ROTARY STEAM ENGINE
Year: 1859

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Day at the Office of the
Commissioners.. of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th October
.1859.
I, WILLIAM DAY, Builder, of Burton Latimer, near Wellingborough, in the
County of Northampton, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention
for," A DIRECT-ACTION ROTARY STEAM ENGINE," to be as follows (that is to say):
I form a cylinder open at the ends, with a strong division, plate, in, the
middle for. the, main axis or shaft to work through; the periphery of; this
cylinder may be divided into two, four, six, or eight divisions, each part being
separated with a sunken groove for receiving a division plate to cut off the
connection one from the other, and by dividing these series of external divi-
sions so that the points of division shall form one complete revolution-in-the
series, and radiating from the centre; in each part I apply projections nicely
fitted or arranged for an elastic seat, so that it shall exert its force in a radial
direction. The size of these radial pieces in connection with the diameter of
the cylinder and pressure of steam used defines the power of my engine, as
will be hereafter seen. The cylinder, as described, is fitted to a suitable case
or stand with bearings for the axis, the internal form of this case being
such as to be capable of dividing the several parts of the periphery of the
cylinder before referred to, the intermediate space being determined by the
projection of the radial pieces before described, and which space is for
the action of the steam. And suppose, for illustration, that the periphery of
my cylinder is divided into four parts, and the radial pieces being so placed

page_text: one on each division so as to divide the whole series into four, and supposing
that one is in a position for admitting the steam by its having passed over a
slot in the induction channel so as to admit the steam, which pressing on the
radial plate moves the cylinder around by the expansion of the steam until the
next radial plate is in position, which exerts its force by the action of
the steam so as to continue the rotary action of the cylinder until the next or
third radial plate has been brought into position so as to receive the pressure
of the steam and continue the action, and by the time the last radial plate has
completed its duty the first will be again in position to continue the action.
The steam is admitted through a stuffing box placed upon the axis of the
cylinder and filling up the internal portion of the cylinder on each side, and
by way of cutting off the steam I fit in the same case a wheel or cylinder of
the exact diameter of the cylinder already described, and the contact of their
surfaces performs this important operation without materially increasing the
friction, and in order to effect this operation sunken cavities are formed in
their stated positions in the second roller or cylinder for the radial plates of
the former to fall in as the two cylinders are revolving, and in order to keep
the two cylinders working in unison cog wheels may be applied, either on the
shaft or axis outside or on the periphery of the cylinders, as may be desired.
By this contrivance I am enabled to to obtain a direct rotary action, and more-
over to apply the power of the steam in the most advantageous position for
exerting its power. And in cases where it may be desirable of having the
means of reversing the action of the engine, it may be done with suitable
gearing, or by having two steam ways, one on each side of the radial plates,
but of course so constructed as to be under control to open or close them as
desired.