Improvements in Rotary Steam Engines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Apr., 1890-Accepted, 24th May;. 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Steam Engines.
I, PETER JENSEN, of number 77, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex
Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of this
invention, which has been communicated to me from abroad by Stanley Singleton
Stout and Harold Green Underwood, of 66, Wisconsin Street, in the City and
County of Milwaukee and Stato of Wisconsin, United States of America, Patent
Solicitors, to be as follows:-
The invention has for its object the construction of an improved rotary steam
engine, and to this end the improvements consist in certain peculiarities of con-
struction and combination of parts to be hereinafter described with reference to the
accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, represents a longitudinal vertical section of a rotary engine constructed
according to my invention the section being taken on line, 1-1, Figures 2 and 4;
Figure 2, an elevation of the rear side of a cylinder carrying disk that forms part
of the engine, said disk being partly broken away for the purpose of better
illustration;
Figure 3 a vertical transverse section on line 3-3 of Figure 1,
Figure 4 an elevation of the front side of the cylinder carrying disk,
Figure 5 a detail elevation partly broken away to illustrate the construction of a
valve that constitutes part of my invention,
Figure 6 a vertical transverse section on line 6-6 Figure 9,
Figure 7 a detail elevation of the valve, the view being taken from the side opposite
that shown in Figure 5,
Figure 8 a detail elevation of the hub of the cylinder carrying-disk, and
Figure 9 a horizontal section on line 9-9 of Figure 1.
Referring by letter to the drawings A represents the engine-frame in which is
mounted a drive-shaft B, the latter being shown as provided with a coupling C for
connection with a system of shafting or other suitable gear for transmitting the
rotary motion of said drive shaft. Keyed or otherwise rigidly secured to the front
end of the drive-shaft is a disk D carrying cylinders E E and F F, said disk being
also provided with interior channels & b and c c¹, arranged in pairs, the latter channels
being at right angles to the former, said channels communicating with the cylinders
as follows: In one position of the disk D the channel b forms the passage for admission
of live steam to the cylinders E E', and the channel the passage for exhaust steam
from said cylinders, but when said disk has. made a half revolution the latter channel
becomes the live steam passage and the former channel the passage for exhaust steam,
while at the same time the channels c c¹ are similarly arranged with relation to the
cylinders FF.
Arranged to operate in the cylinders E E¹ are pistons G G¹, and pistons H H¹
operate in the cylinders F F. The pistons G G₁ have their rods connected to a
slotted cross-head I that reciprocates in a frame J, the latter being rigidly connected
to the disk D, and the pistons H H' have their rods connected to a slotted cross-head K
that also reciprocates in said frame, these cross-heads being at right angles to
each other and to their respective piston-rods, while the cylinders are so arranged
that those in each pair are diametrically opposite each other and at right angles
The slotted cross-
to those in the other pair, as is best illustrated in Figure 4.
heads I, K, work on a block L loose on a pin M, the latter being rigidly secured
to an armu A¹ of the engine-frame and arranged eccentric to the centre of the
disk D, this construction being best illustrated in Figures 1 and 4.

page_text: .
The pin M is provided with a central channel e having a branch e¹ that connects
with an oil-cup N, the latter being secured to the engine-frame, and said pin is also
provided with channels f, g, that intercept 'the one e 'at right angles, this con-
struction being best illustrated in Figure 1. The loose block L is provided with
openings relative to the channel in the pin M and also with openings i relative
to the channel
in said pin. By the construction- just described the openings hi
in the loose block L come in and out of register with the channels f, g, in tho
pin M and thus the surfaces on which the cross-heads I, K, travel are supplied
with oil at regular intervals and in such quantity as is necessary to a proper
lubrication, thereby preventing waste, one filling of the cup N being sufficient. to
supply lubricant for a certain number of hours according to the dimensions of
said cup.
Leading through the hub of the disk D are ports j, j, k, k¹, that respectively
communicate with the channels bbc c¹ in said disk, the ports being arranged on
a circle at equal distances apart to successively register with the inlet-port'o and
outlet-port p, in a circular valve, the latter being arranged to turn on the shaft D by
means of a lever O.
The disk-hub is held tight against the valve by means of a spring P arranged on
the shaft B and compressed between the engine-frame and a fixed collar Qon
said shaft, a washer R being preferably interposed between said spring and engine
frame.
The circular valve is composed of a flanged plate S, preferably in one piece with the
lever O, an elastic packing ring T and a face-plate U, said packing ring and face-plate
being retained on said Hanged plate by means of bent over lugs q (as shown in
Figure 5) or other suitable means. As best illustrated in Figures 5, 7 and 9, the
inlet port o of the valve is provided with leads y y' that extend in opposite directions
on each side of said port a distance approximately equal to that between two of
the disk-ports, the purpose of these leads being to insure of the engine taking
sufficient steam to effect a start the instant said inlet-port of the valve is opened,
regardless of the position of said disk-ports with relation thereto.
The inner bearing for the shaft B is made in two sections, the upper section V
being recessed to form a chest for live steam admitted through a pipe W, this chest
being provided with a contral bridges that divides it into two parallel passages it'
united by a cross-passage u, as is best illustrated in Figure 9.
The lower section V₁ of the inner bearing for shaft B is provided with a recess v
that registers with the outlet port p in the valve, above described, and leading from
said recess is a spout w for the escape of exhaust steam, and as shown in Figure 3
this spout may be coupled to a pipe in order to carry said exhaust-steam to a
convenient point of discharge.
Cast with or otherwise rigidly secured to the upper section V of the inner bearing
for the shaft B is a segment X provided at intervals with notches for engagement
with a spring-dog Y connected to the lever O and by this mechanism the valve may
be locked in any position to which it is adjusted, this valve being held tight
against said bearing by the draw on the shaft occasioned by the spring P, as above
described.
In the operation of the engine we will assume that the latter is dead, the valves
lever being in its vertical position and the disk-port j in line with the inlet-port o of
the valve and the bridges in the steam-chest. Now if the valve-lever be moved
toward the left to open the valve, steam will be admitted through the lead y into the
disk-port to find its way through the channel c¹ into the cylinders F F, the pistons
in these cylinders being on the half-stroke, and the pistons in the cylinders E El are
at the finish of their stroke. The cylinders F F¹ being off centre the engine starts up
in the proper direction and such steam as enters through the disk-port from the inlet
opening of the valve will find its way through the channel c into the cylinders E Ei
and begin to act when the latter have passed the centre on which they stood.
As the disk-port k passes the lead y it will take a small amount of steam in
opposition to the movement of the engine, but at this time the pistons G G¹ will be

page_text: on their stroke and the leverage is so great that no appreciable resistance is offered!-
by 'the steam taken from said fead. As the motion of the engine continues each disk-
port will take some steam from the lead y¹, but for the reason above described..no..
apparent resistance will result.
Should the engine be stopped so that disk-ports stood on opposite sides of the inlet...
port of the valve and the latter be opened in either direction, one of the leads y y
would come into register with a disk-port corresponding to a pair of cylinders in which
the pistons were on stroke opposite to that now. desired, and consequently the disk: D
would move in the wrong direction, this movement being very slight because the disk-
port that will next take steam is one corresponding to the cylinders having their
pistons on stroke in the proper direction, the latter disk-port getting its steam; direct...
from the inlet-opening in the valve in such quantity as to overcome what has been.
taken by the former disk-port and the engine then runs in the proper direction, the
disk-ports successively taking full steam as they come into register with said inlet-
opening of the valve.
As the disk revolves in either direction each disk-port is successively cut off prior
to the time the pistons in the relative cylinders have finished their stroke; but by
expansion of the steam admitted to said cylinders the stroke is completed and by the
time the next disk-port is in register with the inlet-port of the valve the disk will...
have made a quarter revolution and another pair oi cylinders will be taking stean.
As the rotation of the disk continues the cylinders that first took steam will exhaust..
and it is obvious that this exhaust takes place through the same channel. and, disk-portr
by which live steam was admitted, the position of the cylinders being reverse to thater
at which they started.
The operation just described has a tendency to cant the disk at various points of its
revolution, and to obtain a tight-joint between the disk-hub and the valve is one of
the main objects of the peculiar construction of the valve above described, it being
evident that when the elastic packing-ring T is compressed at one point by the thrust
of the steam on the cylinder heads the diametrically opposite point of said packing-
ring expands to compensate for said contraction, the face-plate U- is forced tight
against the disk-hub and the flanged-plate S is likewise held tight against the inner
bearing of the shaft B that carries said disk and derives its motion from the latter, it
being obvious that the force of the spring P will be sufficient to cause the packing
ring to remain steam-tight at the point where expansion of said ring takes place
thereby obtaining an absolutely steam-tight joint between the inner shaft-bearing and
the disk-hub.
The exhaust from a disk-port being cut off prior to the time the pistons in the
relative cylinders have finished their stroke there is a compression within the cylinders
during the remainder of said stroke. This compression acts as a cushion and extends
back through the exhaust channel and disk-port leading thereto, consequently when
said disk-port reaches the inlet opening in the valve the force of the incoming steam
meets said cushion and is immediately applied upon the relative pistons to start the
latter upon their new stroke.
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, and also shown how the same may be conveniently and
advantageously carried into practice, I claim,
1. In a rotary engine, the combination of a disk secured to a main driving-shaft
and carrying two or more sets of cylinders, each set consisting of two cylinders placed
diametrically opposite each other, pistons arranged within the cylinders and provided
with cross heads slotted at right angles to said piston-rods, a fixed pin arranged
eccentric to the centre of the disk to extend into the cross-head slots and provided
with a longitudinal channel having lateral branches extended to the periphery of said
pin, a loose block interposed between the pin and cross head and provided with
openings that come in and out of register with said lateral branches, and an oil cup
arranged to communicate with said longitudinal channel.
2. In a rotary engine, the combination of a disk fast on a drive-shaft and carrying

page_text: cylinders arranged in pairs, those in each pair being diametrically opposite each
other, and provided with ports extended through the disk-hub, pistons arranged
within the cylinders and having rods connected to a slotted, cross head movable on a
fixed pin arranged eccentric to the centre of the disk, a circular valve rotary adjustable
on the shaft adjacent to said disk hub and provided with inlet and outlet openings,
said valve comprising a flanged plate, an elastic packing ring and a face plate rigidly
united; a steam chest provided with a cut-off for the inlet opening of the valve, and
an exhaust port arranged with relation to the outlet-opening in said valve.
3. In a rotary engine, the combination of a disk fast on a drive shaft and carrying
cylinders arranged in pairs, those in each pair being diametrically opposite each other,
and provided with ports extended through the disk-hub, pistons arranged within the
cylinders and having rods connected to a slotted cross-head movable on a fixed pin
arranged eccentric to the centre of the disk, a circular valve rotary adjustable on the
shaft adjacent to the disk hub and provided with an inlet opening having leads
extended therefrom in opposite directions, an outlet-opening in said valve, a steam-
chest provided with a cut-off for the inlet-opening of the valve, and an exhaust-port
arranged with relation to the outlet-opening in said valve.
4. In a rotary engine, the combination of a disk fast on a drive-shaft and carrying
cylinders arranged in pairs, those in each pair being diametrically opposite each other,
and provided with ports extended through the disk-hub, pistons arranged within the
cylinders and having rods connected to a slotted cross head movable on a fixed pin
arranged eccentric to the centre of the disc, the upper section of the inner bearing
for the shaft recessed to form a steam-chest having a central bridge, the lower section
of said shaft bearing provided with an exhaust-port, and a rotary adjustable valve
arranged on said shaft between said bearing and the disk-hub.
T: on. 11
p
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.