IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTIVE POWER ENGINES
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Jonas Cartwright at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th May 1881.
JONAS CARTWRIGHT, of Idle, near Leeds, in the County of York, Spinner.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTIVE POWER ENGINES."
The said Invention relates to improvements in the construction of rotary engines,
and consists in a combination of revolving moveable plates or floats, which are
successively operated on by steam or compressed air, and which actuate the driving
shaft of the engine, the plates or floats being pushed out in succession into a fixed
cylinder to act as pistons for the steam or air to act against.
For this purpose I employ a cast iron outside cylinder which is provided at both
ends with hermetically closed covers made with stuffing boxes, in which works tho
driving shaft of the engine, and inside the covers are fitted or cast guides placed
eccentrically to the cylinder, and in which work small friction pulleys fitted on
studs secured in the ends of the plates or floats, and which give the in and out
motion to the plates or floats; or the plates or floats may be actuated by gear and
levers to lift the plates in succession over a fixed piece to enable the steam or air
always to act against the same sides of the plates to force them. The cylinder is
made with a branch pipe for the admission of steam or compressed air, or the
cylinder is made with a face plate having steam ports, and on this face plate is
secured a jacket, within which works a slide valve actuated by an eccentric rod
and levers receiving motion from the driving shaft; the other end of the outside
cylinder is made with one or two exhaust passages leading to an exhaust chamber,
and the cylinder is secured to a frame bolted onto a foundation plate.
Within the outside cylinder is fitted a barrel or inner cylinder secured to the
driving shaft, and the barrel or cylinder works eccentrically within the outside
cylinder, and is made with a series of longitudinal openings, in which pass and
work a number of plates or floats, the number employed depending on the size of
the cylinder and power of the engine; these plates or floats receive in the revolving
of the shaft and inner cylinder an in and out motion, keeping the faces of the
plates or floats always pressed against the inside of the outside cylinder, and with
practically equal pressure through their revolution; the top parts of the plates or
floats may be made independent of the lower parts, but joined and fitted with
springs to allow for wear and tear, and for keeping up an equal pressure.

page_text: Steam passing through the steam passages or ports acts on the plates or floats
forcing them forward, each plate being brought in position to be acted on by the
steam in succession and until brought in contact with the exhaust passage or
passages, when the steam is exhausted and removes any pressure from the back
of the plates or floats.
The plates or floats give a quick rotary motion to the inside cylinder and shaft;
a fly wheel is secured on one end of the driving shaft, and a pulley for driving
purposes on the other.
When atmospheric pressure is employed a vacuum is created behind the plates
or floats, allowing air to rush in the front of the plates or floats.