Improvements in Rotary Engines or Motors.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 8th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 29th Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Engines or Motors.
GEORGE WILLIAM ROTHERY, Garden Cottage, Parton, Whitehaven, Cumberland
England Engine Fitter do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
A rotary engine or motor consisting of a rotating disc, and chambers, so
arranged, that the rotation of the disc, conjointly with the position of the chambers,
will automatically effect the admission, cut off, and eduction, of the propelling
medium.
I attain these objects by the mechanism of an engine, of which the following
is a brief description. A chamber to receive the motive power, the smaller
diameter of the said chamber being circular in shape, and perforated at one or
more points of its circumference by slanting slots or ports.
A disc divided into segments, supported by a shaft, and capable of being freely
rotated in a closely enclosing chamber, which communicates with the chamber
containing the motive power, through the abovenamed slanting slots. The
periphery of the chamber in which the disc rotates, is also pierced by any suitable
number of openings or ports for the eduction of the motive power.
The eduction ports communicate with an eduction pipe, which is preferably
enclosed in the outer chamber containing the motive power, or the eduction ports,
may be conducted outside of that chamber, and the exhaust motive power from the
several eduction ports, may be delivered into a pipe outside, and be disposed of,
as convenience may require.
To start the engine, the fly-wheel may be revolved by hand, and as the segments,
of the disc uncover the ports, the motive power rushing through the orifices,
impinges against the segments of the disc or against attachments to the disc
effecting its automatic rotation.
Dated this 10th day of December 1809
G. W. ROTHERY.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Engines or Motors.
J, GEORGE WILLIAM ROTHERY, of Garden Cottage, Parton, near Whitehaven,
in the County of Cumberland, Engineer, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in rotary engines or motors.
The object of my said invention is to construct a simple motor of the rotary type,
to be worked by impact of a working fluid upon vanes or projections secured upon
the main shaft of the motor.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I will now proceed to
describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a diagram which illustrates in vertical section a motor constructed
according to my invention,
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the motor illustrated in Figure 1,
Figure 3 is a cross section of a portion of Figure 1 on the line x x of the latter
figure,
Figure 4 is a view, partly in section, of an alternative form of motor constructed
according to my invention, and

page_text: Figures 5 and 6 are views, at right angles to each other, of a detail of Figure 4,
drawn to an enlarged scale.
Similar reference letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is the base-plate. B is a cylindrical casing secured thereon. C is a shaft
arranged to turn in bearings A' on the said base-plate, and to pass axially through
the said cylindrical casing. E E are stuffing-boxes provided in the ends of the
casing B to ensure a fluid-tight joint at the places at which the shaft C protrudes
from the said casing. D is a fly-wheel, and E' is a pulley; both of these are
secured upon opposite ends of the said shaft C, outside the casing.
Within the said casing B, a hollow disc F is fixed upon the shaft C, to rotate
therewith, in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1. Upon the said disc, radial
extensions G are provided, for a purpose hereinafter set forth. The working fluid
is received in the spaces between the said extensions.
H is an annular wall which divides the interior of the casing B into two principal
portions, that is to say the jacket I, and the working-space, or cylinder proper, J.
I is an induction passage for the delivery of fluid to the jacket I, whence it passes
by the ports I to the interior of the cylinder J.
The said ports are so formed in the wall H that the fluid which passes there-
through enters the cylinder J approximately tangentially. These ports do not
extend across the full width of the wall H, from one end of the cylinder to the other,
for a small width of metal is left at their ends to form a support for rollers, which
travel thereon as hereinafter explained.
Within the said jacket I is an eduction channel K, provided with an eduction
passage K and with ports K' connecting the said eduction channel with the
cylinder J. The width of the eduction ports K' is limited, like the width of the
induction ports I, and for a like purpose.
The aforesaid disc has an annular projection L formed upon each side thereof.
The said projections exaggerated, in the drawings, extend for a small distance
from the sides of the disc; they are concentric with the shaft C and constructed
to make contact with the contiguous ends of the working-space J to prevent the
flow of fluid from the chamber J across the end of the said disc towards the said
shaft C.
The outer ends of the extensions G are almost in contact with the inner
periphery of the cylinder I, and are provided at their edges with transverse
channels G in which bars G' are adapted to fit, and to slide in and out radially.
The said bars fit closely to the cylinder wall at their ends; M M are pins secured
to the said bars G'; M' M'are nuts adjustable upon the pins M to limit the move-
ment of the said pins and the bars G' towards the inner periphery of the working
chamber. A spring N is placed in each channel G³ to bear upon each bar G¹ to
press it towards the wall H. Each said bar carries rollers O'therein. The said
rollers are journalled in the faces of the bars G'. The said faces are recessed
at G', in order to minimise friction between them and the rollers; the said.
rollers bear loosely at their ends against the walls of the working chamber so
that end play is prevented, and they are caused by the action of the springs N on
the bars G¹ to make contact with the said inner periphery of the working chamber..
The object of the said rollers is to obtain a rolling bearing, instead of a sliding
one, between the ends of the extensions G and the inner circumference of the
space J.
When passing the ports I' and K* the said rollers bear upon the metal
which is left, as aforesaid, at the ends of the ports. The induction ports 12 and the
eduction ports K' are arranged alternatively with each other in the wall H, and the
extensions G are so spaced, and are of such a width over the faces opposed to the said
wall and over the faces of the bars G' that the space between any two extensions
can only be in communication with one port, that is to say either an induction or
eduction port, at a time. The relation of the number and arrangement of the
extensions G to the number and spacing of the induction ports 1' determines the
number of impulses received during one revolution by any segment G and deter-
mines also the order in which the several extensions receive the said impulses.

page_text: The duration of admission of working fluid through the ports I'* depends upon
the distance between successive extensions G. By lessening the said distance, the
duration of admission is lessened in proportion.
The operation of my improved motor will now be described :-The working fluid
delivered to the jacket 1 by the passage I passes through the slanting ports 1 and
impinges upon the extensions G, thus setting them and the shaft C in motion; the
overhanging portions G³ of the said extensions check the flow of the working fluid,
in the direction of the shaft C, and enable it to impart a stronger impulse to each
extension, than if its flow were unimpeded. The extensions G as they pass the
ports I cover or uncover the same, as the case may be and automatically regulate
the passage of working fluid therethrough, and the charge of fluid which remains in
the space between consecutive extensions G after the closure of each port l'is
carried round in the said space until the space comes into communication with
one of the eduction ports K2 through which the charge of working fluid exhausts
itself.
As an alternative the extensions G can be arranged so that each occupies a
greater angle than as at present illustrated. In such a case a cavity would be
formed in each extension in the face thereof opposed to the wall H, and bars G¹
with rollers O therein would be provided at each edge of the cavity, in addition to
those provided at the outer edges of the extension, to operate in like manner and
for similar purposes.
I may dispense with the rollers in the bars (and allow the said bars to bear
directly upon the inner periphery of the wall H.
As a further alternative I employ the modification illustrated in Figure 4, in
which a circumferential channel Fis provided in the circumference of the disc,.
wings or vanes P being placed therein and hinged to the rings L by means of
pins P, the ends of which are received in the said rings. The said wings or
vanes P, which are shown separately in Figures 5 and 6, receive the pressure of the
working fluid, and are of greater length than the distance, measured radially,
between the rings L and the wall H, so that by the pressure of the working fluid on
their rear sides their free ends are kept in close contact with the said wall H. The
said free ends each carry a roller P2 which is journalled therein in the same manner
as the rollers O are journalled in the bars G¹ Figures 1 and 2. The use of the
rollers P2 ensures contact with the said wall H and the ends of the working chamber,.
and minimises friction.
The said wings or vanes are provided with projections P³ near their hinges; the
said projections are received in the channel F1 and bear upon the bottom thereof to
limit the movement of the wings or vanes so that the free ends of the same shall not
be able to move far from the wall H.
Should water be employed as the motive agent, the supply pipe would be
arranged to enter at the top of the casing B, the admission passages would be all
arranged at one side of the chamber J and directed downward from the jacket into
the chamber, and the eduction passage K¹ would issue at the bottom of the motor
casing.
The aforesaid wings or vanes may be placed behind the extensions G in a motor
of the kind illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 as indicated by dotted lines at P in the
said Figure 1, in which case suitable recesses are provided in the disc F to receive
the projections P³.
The eduction channel K may be placed outside the jacket I, and the ports Kled
from the said channel, through the jacket to the cylinder. Other modifications of
details of my improved motor may be made without departing from the nature of
my invention.
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 is :-
1. A rotary engine comprising a cylindrical working-chamber, a shaft with a disc

page_text: thereon, provided with extensions, and rotatable in the said chamber, and admission
ports and eduction ports in the walls of the chamber, the admission ports being
inclined, substantially as herein before described.
2. A modification of the engine claimed in the preceding claiming clause, having
wings or vanes in combination with the extensions on the disc, or in lieu thereof,
substantially as hereinbefore described for the purpose specified.
3. The combination, with the extensions G on the disc F, of bars G¹ in recesses
in the said extensions, and rollers in the said bars, substantially as hereinbefore
described, for the purposes specified.
4. The vanes or wings P constructed substantially as hereinbefore described, and
operating as, and for the purposes, specified.
5. A rotary engine constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 or to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings, and
operating as specified.
Dated this 8th day of March 1803
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.