IMPROVED ROTARY ENGINE PUMP OR BLAST
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thrift, of No. 20, Pennyfields, Poplar,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVED ROTARY
ENGINE PUMP OR BLAST."
Sealed the 2nd May 1865, and dated the 7th November 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thrift at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
November 1864.
I, WILLIAM THRIFT, of 20, Pennyfields, Poplar, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
ROTARY ENGINE PUMP OR BLAST," to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object an improved rotary engine pump or.
blast, which will be easily understood by reference to the annexed Drawing,
A being the shaft; B, hinged fans attached to shaft; C, stoppage. The
stoppage C is a solid block of brass or other metal fastened to inside of the
cylinder, and is steam-tight to inner side of cylinder and shaft, and to
prevent the steam from getting to outlet before it has acted upon the fan ready
for action which turns the shaft and releives the other fan which is forced
open by a spring when it passes the stoppage; the spring can be placed in the
bolt of the fan, or as shown in Drawing. D, cylinder; E, inlet; F, outlet;
G, springs; H, packing; I, stand; K, bolts; L, frame; M, nut to tighten
up shaft; N, screw bolt to prevent nut from turning. The steam admitted
into the cylinder at E drives the fans to outlet F, which, after letting the

page_text: condensed steam escape closes by the force of steam acting upon the other
fan revolving in cylinder, which forces the inactive fan to close in the shaft
when it comes into contact with stoppage C, as shown in Drawing. The
fans are so placed that the steam is always acting on one of them before the
other reaches the outlet, which causes a continual motion to shaft with full
pressure the whole time of the revolution. The shaft to be tapered in
cylinder in the same form as the plug of a cock, and to be steam-tight at each
end; the stoppage to be steam-tight to shaft; the fans when open are steam-
tight to the inside of the cylinder.
The improvements in this engine are the simplicity of its construction and 1
the saving of steam, as it makes very near the whole of the revolution before
it wastes any steam, and is in full power the whole time, so that when in
action as a pump it throws a continual stream of water, and when in action as
a blast it blows a continual force of air.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Thrift in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th May 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
THRIFT, of 20, Pennyfields, Poplar, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Thrift, Her special licence that I, the said William
Thrift, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Thrift, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "AN IMPROVED
ROTARY ENGINE, PUMP, OR BLAST," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said William Thrift, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what s
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the

page_text: Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Thrift, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say:-
The
A being the shaft; B, hinged fans attached to shaft ; C, stoppage.
stoppage C is a solid block of brass or other metal fastened to inside of
cylinder, and is steam-tight to inside of cylinder and shaft to prevent the
steam from getting to outlet before it has acted upon the fan ready for action,
which turns the shaft and relieves the other fan which is forced open by a
spring when it passes by the stoppage C. The spring can be placed in the
bolt of the fan, or as shewn in Drawing. D, cylinder; E, inlet; F, outlet;
G, springs to open fans; J, bracket; K, cone-shaped bearings on shaft;
L, cone-shaped bearings for shaft, also sides of cylinder; M, springs to keep
pieces tight to inner side of cone-shaped bearings or sides of cylinder, as shewn
in Drawing. The steam admitted into the cylinder at E drives the fans to
outlet F, which, after letting the condensed steam escape, closes by the force
of steam acting upon the other fan revolving in cylinder, which forces the
inactive fan to close in the shaft when it comes into contact with stoppage C,
as shewn in Drawing. The fans are so placed that the steam is always acting
on one of them before the other has reached the outlet which causes a con-
tinual motion to shaft with full pressure the whole time of the revolution.
The shaft to be tapered in cylinder like a cone; the tapered part to have four
or more pieces of brass or other metal fitted in places cut out of cone for
them with springs bearing on shaft to keep them always tight to inner side of
the cone, as shewn in Drawing.
The improvements in this engine is the simplicity of its construction and
the saving of steam, as it makes very near the whole of the revolution before
it wastes any steam, and in full power the whole time of the revolution, so
that when in action as a pump it throws a continual force of water, and when
in action as a blast it blows a continual force of air. When required to be
reversed the steam to be let in at the opposite end.
I claim the principle of the fan working on the circumference of the said
engine opening and shutting on hinges in the cylinder by the aid of springs
to receive the action of the steam, and shutting in the stoppage placed in the
cylinder.
I also claim the cone-shaped bearing for the shaft of the engine, and the
principle having parts of the said bearing moveable, the centre of the shaft

page_text: solid with springs let into the bearing or shaft, or both radiating from the
centre to act on bearing so as to keep a continual pressure towards the sides
of the said bearing that it may be steam-tight.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thrift, have hereunto set my.
hand and seal, this Sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
WILLIAM THRIFT. (L.S.)