Year: 1888

page_text: I, WILLIAM NELSON HUTCHINSON, General in Her Majesty's Army, of the "Lodge
Silverdale" Eastbourne, in the County of bussex do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows
My invention 15 1 novel method by which powerful steam-engines using the
'Jones-circuitously-travelling-piston, can be constructed with but a small surface
subjected to friction while keeping the piston's channel steam-tight
By my invention the piston is attiched to the periphery of an immense hoop
connected by spokes to the le-the motor that drives the michinery The revolving
hoop is of the same breidth as the piston and travels in a fixed three-sided circular
frame ( hollow hoop) which fits close to the parallel sides of the revolving hoop,
while giving the necessary annular steam-tight space for the piston's travel
The evolving hoop has just the thickness that will best admit of layers of plates or
rings pressed outwards by springs, much as Barton's metallic pistons are constructed
As an addition il security gunst the escape of steam, were the pullel sides of the
circulir frame produced beyond the revolving hoop, the angle thereby formed might
receive further plates or hemp packing or other packing
As the thickness of revolving hoops will, as a rule, be nearly uniform, much size in
ste im-engines has this advantage that the greater they are, in inverse ratio is the
proportionate spice subjected to friction, and the longer the leverage on the driving
axle, also the less the divergence from the strught line in which the steam would act
with most efficiency
The "Jones-drop-valve" is by my invention pressed downwards by a spiral spring
roun the bottom of the valve's rod From a spoke, or from the underneath part of
the revolving hoop, projection, terminating in sheave, comes in contact on every
revolution of the hoop with roller at the extremity of the arm of a crank, whose
other arm overcomes the resistance made by the said spring and momentarily raises
the drop-valve to allow the piston to piss-but, as spoke always affords the required
fulcrum, other arrangements could obviously be made for instantaneously lowering
and raising the valve
Dited this Eighth day of June 1888

page_text: I, WILLIAM NELSON HUTCHINSON, General in Her Majesty's Army, of the Lodge
Silverdale Eastbourne in the County of Sussex, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the sime is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertuned in and by the following statement
The object of the present invention is to show i means by which in steam engines
of all sizes the loss of power consequent on the stoppage and fresh start at every stroke
of the piston can be ivoided The unprovements relate principally to a new method
of obtaining steam-tight joints-of lessening friction-saving steam power-and
making the engines work steadily and smoothly The invention is applicable to all
similar engines propelled by any elastic fluid
Figure 1 in the accompanying drawing is a longitudin il section, showing the supposed
Jones-circuitously-travelling piston d, thit by my invention is firmly attached to the
periphery of thin disc b, fixed to le c-the motor that drives the machinery
૧
For
large engines the disc unight, if so preferred, become a wheel having flat spokes, but
to the disc the air presents less resistance in rapid revolution
The piston travels in hxed three-sided fi ime, a Figure 1, seun better in the
transverse section Figure 2 The frame might be regarded as 1 hollow hoop
concentric with the disc b having the same axle c, but of such greitor diameter than
the disc that a steam-tight annular channel 8 is afforded for the piston's travel
Much of the fourth side (with the layers of plates or rings) is fixture, being
attached to the fixed threc-sided frime The part not so attached is fixed to the
periphery of the disc revolving with it It might really become the periphery of
the disc By preference the frame is double-willed, the space between the walls
being filled with stem to keep the interior hot The exterio I like to have
The narrower the longi-
covered with wood, felt, or other non-conducting miterial
tudinal central opening for receiving the disc the less the surface not covered by the
steam jacket With careful workmanship so narrow is the space (a mere crevice)
between the frame and the disc by which the steam could escape, that but little foice
is required to enable springs, acting on metal bars in the form of arcs, to make
lubricated soft paching to successfully resist the pressure of the stem
The packing is formed of lubricated metal rings, Figure 3-or hemp-or
vulcanized india-rubber, w Figure 2-pressed into the exterior angle formed by the
disc and steam Jachet Well lubricated vulcanized india-rubber may be the preferable
packing, as from its lasticity it fits closely with but little pressure, therefore with but
little friction, against the disc-with no friction agunst the steam Jacket Hollow
sections of tube (1 pipe), t Figures 2 and 3, lying in a complete circle outside the

page_text: Jacket and in Figure 2 within the ledge m, serve as the bars to force the packing into
the angle, being pressed by springs against the packing, the ledge m giving the
fulcrum from which the springs act A piessing bai a¹ may be useful in addition to
the tube, as seen in Figure 4 To preserve the sections of the tube in an unbroken,
tiue circle, the reduced end of one section fits into the hollow end of the contiguous
section They are filled with oil forced against the picking through smill holes in
the side of the sections By pipes from cash above the frame, oil is led to the
several sections
If layers of metal rings (in contact or separated-whole or in sections) Figure 3,
form the packing, oil ejected from the sections agunst the contiguous layer ind the
disc, is by the revolution of the disc and centrifugal force so diffused that the edges of
all the rings, even of the remotest, are well lubricated Similarly, by branch pipes
from the sections the inner surf ice of the chamber is so lubricited that but little
friction is caused by the pressure of the blocks in the travelling piston The brinch
pipe 9, Figure 2, leuds to the much smaller pipe q¹ entering the innulir chumbers,
but the connection between the two pipes is closed by the piston when it is forced
outwards by the ste un-pressure When, however, the annulu chunber is open to the
exhaust sto im-outlet f, the pressure of the partially confined oil on the large head of
the piston shifts it, ind a small stream of oil is free to enter the chamber Supposing
only one drop-valve rangement (large engines would have several), if the opening
for receiving the oil into the chamber be made th of the length of the piston's
circuitous travel in advance of the steam-inlet g, the oil will run into the innulir
channel while the piston travels from the sud inlet g until it passes the oil-opening-
th it is, during th of circuitous travel By action on the cock ), Figure 2, the
pressure und flow of oil from the cast is automatically stopped for calculated
inter ils
The disc is thin and all but touches the frame a, being retuned ste ulily in one
plane by the friction-wheels o, Figures 2 and 3, which by slight touch prevent any
literal movement The me number act on both sides of the disc outside the frame
as represented, their 'es rotating in strong metal knobs, Figures 2 and 3,
attiched to the stem jichet Though of much ids antige they would not in all cases
be essential is the sockets in which the tale of the engine rotates are fixed with great
firmness to the frume a
After obt uning provisional protection for it, the patent No 67217, w is unexpectedly
abandoned m which the "Jones-piston and the "Jones-drop-vils' would have
been described therefore it is necessuy to show how circuitously travelling piston
and drop-valve could be mide to act steam-tight, and how perform their respective
duties
In small engines the channels is nearly constantly divided into two pirts by a
ste un-tight hop-valve, represented by e in Figures 1 and 2, between and contiguous
to an inlet opening 9, Figure 1 for receiving the stem, ind in outlet opening f
Figure 1, for its es pe, to be condensed if so wished With large engines there
would be more than one drop-valve and piston
On the piston's (d Figure 1) close approach to the drop valve, e Figue 1, the valve
automatic illy rises by the action of a mechinical cim arrangement att iclied to the
axle c, into stem-tight recess, n Figures 1 and 2, on the periphery of the frame a
The instant the piston pisses, the drop-valve falls, or is pressed into the channels,
and is then automatic illy mide steam-tight by the pressure of the steam entering it g
Figure 1, which stem propels the piston in its circuit, while the stem that is in
front of the piston (having performed its propelling duty) is escaping at the outlet
opening Figure 1 The piston's progress is continuous in circles without jerks or
vibrations
The piston (Figures 1 and 3) consists of two plates h and A, the former buing a
fixture to the disc b Between these two plates are paching blocks, 11, which are
forced outwards by springs as clearly shown in Figure 3 If there be more thin one
layer of blocks the junction lines of one layer are covered by the surfice of the next

page_text: whatever the outline of the piston the blocks are always pressed into close stem-
tight contact with the inner surf ice of the frime (the channel s) until worn out by
friction, which must be distant time unless lubrication be neglected
The details of the several parts for working the drop-valve, and the stem-tight
valves opening and closing the inlet and outlet ipertures, g ind f, are not shown in
the drawings, as they form no part of my invention, and are well-known to practical
engineers If preferred, the piston instead of buing rectangular, might be circular,
as seen in Figure 4-1 form which, are is being the sime as in the rectangular,
presents less surface for friction, and demands less metal in the frame, but more
elaborate workmanship All parts would be constructed on the principles just
described
The drop-valve, e Figures 1 and 2, working in a steam-tight recess n, on the
periphery of the innular chamber, is a sheet of metil is thin is the edges entering
the groove (which will be immediately described) as is permissible, while from
gradually increased substance towards the centre, ict uning sufficient strength to
resist the greatest pressure that it can over be subjected to from the force of the
sterm The inner sides of the inner wall of the fi ime e grooved in longitudinal
plane of the axle between the aforesaid inlet and outlet openings, g and f Figme 1,
until in line with the periphery of the disc Ilie grooves icccive the thin edge of the
drop-valve, which, as seen in Figures 2 and 5, is wider thin the innului chimber,
allowing it (the valve) to be eas ly moved upwards ind downwards, excepting when
held firmly in the lowest position by the impusoned steam pressing it steun-tight
against the rear side (as it may be called) of the groove The groove is narrower
than the width of any of the packing blocks of the piston, in order that its travel iniy
continue perfectly smooth The instant the action of the steam ceises the diop-valve
1s raised ind lowered by its rod, Figures 1 and 2, working in steam-tight collar
As security gunst the escape of steam but such an addition could not be requirod
were the workmanship really good, vulcanised india-rubber pad, shown by dots u
Figure 5, might lie within the recess, n, along side the reu of the opening and
groove in which the drop-valve works up and down The pad is even pressed into
the interior angle at the edge of the drop-valve while in its lowered position The
pressure would be effected by springs, acting on the 1ods Figure 5 (diawn to double
size), in contact with the pad, or by exteriorly a inged spu springs Projections y,
from the back of V-springs, passing steam-tight through both the walls of the fiame,
are so timely acted on by an um in connection with the before mentioned cam-
arrangement ictu iting the valves, &c, that pressure on the pad is only exerted while
the drop-valve is closing the channel s Thus the pad is subjected to no friction
whitever It would occasionally be got at through steam-tight opening>
Without increasing the difficulty of preventing escape of steam at the longitudin il
opening in which the disc revolves, the grooves could be prolonged across much of
the bottom part (the floor) of the channels, but in large engines, to yet more
effectually guard against any possible loss of steam, a layer of thin picking plates
could be fixed (on the principle described for the construction of Diston) on the rear
(the flat face) of the drop-valve without trespassing on the thin edges Careful
workmanship would be necessary to keep this annexe to the valve so thin that the
opening into the recess, through which the valve passes up and down, should not bo
wider than the piching-blocks of the piston-or if the opening must be larger, that
the bottom surface of the valve with the annex accurately aligns with the slightly
curved surface of the piston
There is undisturbed space outside the frame, close to it, for the machinely required
to operate on the rod, and on the valves opening and closing the apertures 9 and f,
for the frame is attached to the vessel, or to whatever object it belongs, by stays only
on its circumference
On reverse travel being given to the piston the inlet opening for steun, g, becomes
the outlet opening the outlet becomes the inlet opening
When for navigable balloons, or other purposes, much lightness is required in the

page_text: engine, if it be built in one or more transverse or longitudinal sections, they could be
firmly grasped in a true, unyielding position by thin transverse brackets
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim, in
connection with rotary engines, 15
1 The friction-wheels for diminishing friction and preventing side-way motion in
the disc, or wheel carrying the piston, substantially as described
2 The engine substantially as described & shewn in the drawings