Improvements in Rotary Engines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 27th Aug., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Engines.
We, MELVIN ELAM GILBERT, Machinist, a citizen of the United States of
America, located and doing business at Martinez, County of Contra Costa, State
of California, United States of America, and FRANK P. WICKERSILAM, Capitalist, a
citizen of the United States of America, located and doing business at Fresno,
County of Fresno, State of California, United States of America, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement: —
The object of the invention is to do away with the present style of crank and
fly wheel engines, and to produce an engine without a dead center, which will
maintain an even pressure or power and run at a high rate of speed without
throwing out of balance and causing vibration, while at the same time obtaining
full power from the high pressure of the steam; being so constructed as to make
the loss of steam and back pressure very slight, while securing the greatest
efficiency of the steam entering therein; the engine being simple of construction,
durable and inexpensive of manufacture; it being so constructed that the im-
pelling wings or blades will be gradually moved toward or from the inner face of
the casing; thus removing or dispensing with the excessive jarring or pounding
incident to machines of this class.
Referring to the drawings forming a part of this application-
Figure 1 is a front view of the engine, with one of the face plates removed, to
disclose the inner mechanism thereof; one of the rings being partly broken away;
Figure 2 is an end view partly in section.
Figure 3 is a front view of the engine casing with one of the face plates
removed;
Figure 4 is an enlarged detail sectional end view, partly broken away, of a
portion of the casing, showing the inner side rings or flanges and one of the slide
wings;
Figure 5 is a detail broken top plan view showing the inner rings or flanges
and one of the wings;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the wings or flanges and the oscillatory
cam arm for raising and lowering the same, and one of the bearing rolls;
Figure 7 is an inside view of one of the inner rings or flanges;
Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view of the ring on liner, Figure 7.
Figure 9 is a perspective view of the removable head block or abutment; and
Figure 10 is a detail view of the four way steam valve, the cover of the valve
casing being removed.
In the drawings the letter A is used to indicate the casing of the engine, which
is closed by the circular face plates A1; the flange a of said face plates being
secured to the edges of the casing by bolts a¹. Through the face plates A¹ and
casing extends the drive shaft B; to which shaft is keyed or otherwise secured the
disk B. The diameter of this disk is somewhat less than the interior diameter of
the casing, so as to leave an annular passage way b between the periphery of the

page_text: said disk and the inner face of the casing. The disk B is provided in the
present case with four radial slots 1, 2, 3, 4, within which are fitted to slide ver-
tically the wings or blades 5, 6, 7, 8; which wings or blades also slide in radial
grooves or channels 9, cut in the inner face of the rings or flanges C, located a
distance apart within the casing at each side of the disk B. These rings or
flanges are fitted upon the shoulders 6 projecting from each side of the disk B¹
and completely fill the space existing between the inner side of the face plates A¹
and the outer faces of said disk; being bolted or otherwise secured to said disk.
Being thus held in position, it is impossible for the side rings or flanges to move
from side to side or from their adjusted position. Inasmuch as the wings or
blades fit and work within the radial grooves or channels cut in the inner face of
the rings or flanges and within the radial slots cut in the disk B, it is obvious
that as the said disk is rotated, by the movement of the drive shaft, to which it
is keyed, the said wings or blades will be carried around within the casing. To
the outer face of each ring or flange C are fulcrumed, by cross-rod d, the oscilla-
tory cam arms C₁; which arms have cut in their free ends the elongated open-
ings . Through these openings project the trunnions e, Figure 6, projecting
from the lower end of the wings or blades. Each fulcrumed cam armi C¹ fits and
works within the counter-sunk portion 10 of the face plates A¹ and each arm
carries a bearing roll 11, which works within the counter sunk eccentric groove or
channel 12 of the face plates, Figures 1 and 2. The wings or blades 5, 6, 7,
and 8, are gradually lowered and raised vertically, during the rotary movement
of the disk B and rings C, as the bearing rolls 11 move into or out of the eccen-
tric portion of the groove or channel 12.
To the top of the casing A is bolted or otherwise secured the plate E, which
supports the block E¹ fitted through an opening E2 formed through the casing.
The lower end of this block projects into the annular passage way band fits between
the inner faces of the rings C. This block acts as a bulk-head for preventing the
live steam entering the casing forcing itself backward beyond a given point; said
head block E being held in place by the screw-bolts E3; by means of which it
may be readily removed in case it is desired to insert a new block in lieu thereof.
In order that the wings or blades may, when outward their full distance, bear
against and maintain a tight joint with the inner face of the casing, each wing or
blade has a transverse slot or groove f¹ within which is fitted an end piece f.
This end piece is held outward by a spring cushion f3 and is prevented from
moving completely out of its seat by means of the pins or studs h, which passes
through the said end piece and play within elongated openings cut through the
wings or blades, Figures 4, 5, 6. By thus constructing each wing or blade with
a spring-cushioned end or tip, the same may give to any irregularity in the metal
of the casing and undue frictional wear be avoided,-which is essential in this
class of machinery.
Through the casing, at each side thereof preferably, are formed two pas-
sages, H, H', which act, in accordance with the running of the engine, as steam
inlet or escape ports. These ports or passages communicate with the annular pas-
sage way b, Figure 1, and with the ports or passages connect the steam pipes H³‚H³,
which lead from the four way valve casing H, into which steam enters from the
pipe H. Within each pipe H2, H3, is located a butterfly valve G, which is connected
to the governor G₁ by the lever g fulcrumed to standard g¹ attached to the casing
and the levers 92, 93, as shown in Figure 1; connection between the governor and
the belt wheel G2 secured upon one end of the drive shaft B being made by the
belt G. Upon the opposite end of the said shaft is affixed the pulley wheel G.
From the casing extends the exhaust pipe J, which communicates with the
exhaust port j in the casing. Communication is established between the valve
casing H and the exhaust pipe J by means of the connecting pipe J, which
conveys the
escape steam entering the casing into said exhaust pipe.
The valve casing H is provided with four ports, 14, 15, 16, and 17, which are

page_text: controlled by means of the valve 18 operated from the outside of the casing by
handle 19.
In operating the engine, the valve 18 is turned to open two of the ports (say
14 and 15); when the steam entering within the casing from pipe H³ will escape
into the steam pipe H3 and (the butterfly valve G being open) will enter into the
annular passage-way b of the engine, through port H. As the steam enters into
the annular passageway of the engine, it strikes against one of the wings or
blades say 5 and causes the disk B', rings C, and the blade or wing to rotate
within the casing; the steam impinging against each wing or blade, as carried
past the steam inlet port H, if rotating in the direction of the arrow and acting
as an impelling jet. The steam entering the annular passageway b is confined
within a limited space, for it can not force itself in one direction beyond the head
block E which acts as a bulk-head or in the other direction beyond the wing or
blade; hence its area or expansion is confined. As the wings or blades are forced
beyond the exhaust port j, the confined steam will escape into the exhaust pipe J;
consequently as the wings or blades are carried from the exhaust port toward
the inlet port, there is no load to be raised. Should, however, any steam escape
in front of the wings or blades or not be entirely expelled through the exhaust
port, the same will escape from the engine through the port H¹ into the pipe H³
and enter the lower half of the valve casing chamber through port 17 and flow
therefrom through port 16 in to the connecting pipe J, from which it is dis-
charged into the exhaust pipe. As the wings or blades approach the head
block E, during the rotary movement thereof, the bearing rolls enter upon the
eccentric portion of the pathway 12, cut in the face plates, and gradually throw
the fulcrumed oscillatory cam arms downward,-which draws or forces the said
wings or blades gradually inward within the radial slots cut in the disk and
grooves of the rings until the same clears or is enabled to pass under the head
block. As carried past the head block, the cam arms gradually lift the wings or
blades outward, as the bearing rolls move from within the eccentric portion of the
pathway 12.
In order to reverse the machine, the handle 19 is turned to open ports 14 and 17;
when the flow of steam and the movement of the engine will be the reverse of
that just described.
By means of the governor mechanism, the speed of the engine is controlled in
the usual manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In a rotary engine, the combination with the casing having in its opposite
end walls cam grooves 12, 12, of the radially slotted disk, the rings or flanges C
having radial grooves in their inner faces only, the radially slidable wings move-
ably secured in the said slots and grooves, the cam arms pivotally fulcrumed in
the rings or flanges, rolls working in the cam grooves mounted on the cam arms
and a pivotal sliding connection between the cam arms and wings, substantially
as described.
2. In a rotary engine, the combination with the casing, of the drive shaft
passing therethrough, the disk secured to the drive shaft and located
within the casing so as to leave an annular passageway between the peri-
phery and the inner face of the casing, rings or flanges secured within the casing
at each side of the disk, radial slots cut in the disk and radial grooves or channels
cut in the inner face of the rings or flanges, a series of wings or blades mounted to
slide vertically in the radial slots and grooves or channels, the oscillatory cam
arms fulcrumed to the outer face of the rings or flanges, pivotal sliding connection
between the oscillatory cam arms and the moveable wings or blades, devices for
raising and lowering the fulcrumed oscillating cam arms, and of the inlet and
outlet ports in the casing.

page_text: 3. In a rotary engine, the combination with the casing therefor, the eccentric
groove formed in the inner face of the casing, the disk mounted to rotate within
the casing, the rings or flanges located at each side of the disk, radial slots cut
in the disk and radial channels in the inner face of the rings or flanges, a series
of vertically movable wings or blades working in said radial slots and channels,
oscillatory cam arms fulcrumed to the outer face of the rings or flanges, pivotal
sliding connection between the oscillatory fulcrumed cam arms and the wings or
blades, bearing rolls carried by the fulcrumed oscillatory cam arms which travel
within the eccentric groove of the face plates, and of the inlet and outlet ports
in the casing.
4. In a rotary engine, the combination with the disk mounted to rotate within
the casing, of the ring or flange located at each side thereof, the vertically
movable wings or blades carried by the disk and rings or flanges, and of the
oscillatory cam arms fulcrumed to the rings for raising and lowering the wings
or blades.
5. In a rotary engine, the combination with the casing, of the disk mounted
to rotate therein, the rings or flanges carried by said disk, the vertically movable
wings or blades secured therebetween, and of the head block extending through
the casing and fitting between rings or flanges.
1000
MELVIN ELAM GILBERT,
FRANK P. WICKERSHAM,
Boult and Wade,
Agents for the Applicants.