Improvements in Rotary Engines, Applicable also to Rotary Pumps and Meters.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 26th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 28th Dec., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Engines, Applicable also to Rotary Pumps
and Meters.
We, LEWIS CASS HUSON, of Elmira Chemung County, New York Inventor and
THE HUSON MOTOR COMPANY Limited of Scranton, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania,
United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
These improvements in rotary engines relate to a novel construction of the piston
head or drum and of the parts by which the sections of the piston or blade are
operated, to a compound engine comprising three separate chambers or sections each
having a piston head or drum and all of such heads or drums being fixed on the same
shaft live steam being supplied to two of such chambers and the exhaust steam from both
such chambers being discharged into the third chamber so that two of the three heads
or drums will be operated by live steam and the third by exhaust steam and by
preference the exhaust steam from said two chambers passes alternately into the third
chamber.
The Invention also has for an object to increase the bearing surface for the steam
without diminishing the guide surface of the blade or piston.
The three chambers are arranged close together, and are formed of cylinders and
their end plates, the joint between such parts being packed by the rings which are
bevelled on their inner faces, to correspond with the bevelled edge of the piston heads
or drums, and are pressed inward against such edges by springs behind them.
The end plates of the central chamber form partitions between such chambers and the
side chambers and are provided with annular shoulders which fit within the central
and side cylinders and facilitate the proper connection and packing of the chambers at
the juncture of said parts. The several piston heads or drums are alike, the central
one being preferably larger than the side ones, therefore the description of construction
of one will answer for all. The piston heads or drums are fixed on the shaft and are
arranged eccentrically to the cylinders or barrels in which they operate their rims or
circumferences moving closely against the abutment formed between the inlet and exit
ports. A way for the piston or blade is formed diametrically through the head or
drum and ports or channels lead from the circumference of the head to the said way,
the ore channel opening thereinto at about the centre of the head while the other opens
into the way between the centre and the circumference of the head and the two
channels open out of the circumference of the head a distance apart about one third
the circumference of the head at opposite sides of one end of the way. These channels
serve te admit steam to the steam chambers within the piston head or drum, as will be
more fully described hereinafter. The piston or blade, preferably formed of brass,
operates in the way and is formed of two oppositely radiating sections loosely yoked
together at their inner ends whereby they are capable of a limited independent
movement. This yoking may be accomplished in various ways but by preference it is
effected by a novel construction of the sections at their inner ends and it is also
preferred to so construct the interlocking portions that they will provide chambers in
which the steam may act for forcing the sections in and out and also so that the said
chambers will be arranged in such manner that the steam will act equally at the
opposite sides of the inner edges of the sections so that such sections will not be given
a greater pressure at one side than the other and so given a binding tendency within
the way therefor. To this end it is preferred to construct the one section with a
T-shaped head or portion at its inner end and the other section with L-shaped
portions at the opposite sides of its inner end which latter portions lap over and
interlock with the head of the T shaped portion and thus interlock the two portions
of the blade. This interlocking is effected so that the parts may move slightly

page_text: independently and so that a steam chamber may be provided between the end of the
T-shaped portion and the end of the other section and a chamber may be
provided on the opposite sides of the shank of the T-shaped portion and between
the head of such portion and those of the L-shaped portions. The inner edges of
the heads of the T and L shaped portions being the walls of chambers, form
bearings for the action of the steam which bearings face toward the outer ends
of the sections of the blade so that the action of the steam thereon may in a
measure serve to draw the sections in so that such sections will not only be
forced in by contact with the curved walls of the casing but will also be given such a
tendency by the action of the steam. By this construction there is avoided the
friction between the outer ends of the piston and the inner surface of the barrel of the
casing, incident to those engines in which the sections of the piston are forced in by
the bearing thereagainst of the casing. This drawing of the sections inward by the
action of the steam is an important feature of the invention. When steam is admitted
into the one chamber the sections of the piston are forced outward while the reverse
is the case when steam is admitted to the other chamber.
In operation, when the piston stands midway between the steam and exhaust ports
steam enters through the one chamber holding the one piston section steam tight.
against the casing until the other piston section shall have been pressed in so far
as to cut off the entrance of the steam to said chamber when the exhaust steam
entering the other chambers will serve to draw the two piston sections in, slightly
easing their pressure against the cylinder. It will be seen that the chambers are
neither ever entirely closed, the diameter of the case being such relatively to the
piston sections and the other parts being so proportioned that the entire closure
of both chambers is thus prevented. The said chambers being never entirely closed
have, it will be understood, within them at all times during operation steam either
live or exhaust so that the sections of the piston are balanced between the pressure
of exhaust steam in one chamber and live steam in the other or adjusted in or
out as the pressure in one chamber exceeds that in the other. By operating the
piston sections in and out by steam action, as before described, the operation of the
engine is rendered easier, the friction being largely reduced.
The relative arrangement of the blades or pistons in the three cylinders is such that
they are at 120° to each other so that the side chambers will exhaust alternately into
the central chamber. An important feature of the invention is the recesses formed
in the piston heads or drums immediately in rear of the guide-ways for the pistons.
These recesses enable the engine to take steam quicker and better, and have an end
wall which separates them from said piston ways, such walls being formed to provide a
bearing against which the steam may act to drive the piston heads. By preference,
the walls are formed on lines approximately parallel to the blades or pistons, such
construction increasing the surface against which the steam may act without in any
degree decreasing the length and efficiency of the guideway of the blade or piston.
Each of the side cylinders have steam inlet ports and exit or exhaust ports, the inlet
ports being suitably connected with the source of steam supply and the exhaust ports
being connected by pipes or chambers with the inlet port of the central chamber or
section. As before described, the exhaust by the relative arrangement of the blades or
pistons in the side chambers is discharged alternately from said chambers into the
central chamber or section, but in order to control the discharge of such exhaust into
said chamber it may be preferred to provide cut-off valves operating in pipes, or
channels and supported on a lever on opposite sides of the pivot of said lever, such
lever being connected with another lever connected with an eccentric on the shaft
so that such valves may be alternately opened and closed.
In specifically describing the construction which permits the alternate passage of
the steam from the end to the central cylinder it may be stated that the object has
been in practice to make the channels or pipes leading from the said end cylinders
to the inlet of the central cylinder of equal or greater area than the steam space in
the end cylinders between the ends of the blade at the instant one of such ends passes
the inlet port so that the steam in the space between the ends of the blade will at the

page_text: instant the advance or front end of the blade passes the exit port pass into the pipe or
connection and at the instant such steam passes into such pipe or connection the cut-
off of such pipe will open and the steam will expand and pass into the central cylinder.
It should be further remembered that the operation of the engine is very rapid and
that the opening and closing of the cut-offs is almost instantaneous.
While the construction has been described as embodied in a rotary engine it should
he understood that the improvement is not confined to such use but may be embodied
and used in rotary meters, rotary pumps, and analogous devices, without departing
from the broad principles of the invention.
Dated this 20th day of Day
L. C. HUSON.
THE HUSON MOTOR Co., LD.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Engines, Applicable also to Rotary Pumps
and Meters.
We, LEWIS CASS HUSON, of Elmira, Chemung County, New York, Inventor, and
THE HUSON MOTOR COMPANY Limited, of Scranton, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania,
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 :-
These improvements in rotary engines relate to a novel construction of the piston
head or drum and of the parts by which the sections of the piston or blade are
operated; to a compound engine comprising three separate chambers or sections each
having a piston head or drum and all of such heads or drums being fixed on the same
shaft live steam being supplied to two of such chambers and the exhaust steam from
both such chambers being discharged into the third chamber so that two of the three
heads or drums will be operated by live steam and the third by exhaust steam and by
preference the exhaust steam from said two chambers passes alternately into the third
chamber.
The Invention also has for an object to increase the bearing surface for the
steam without diminishing the guide surface of the blade or piston.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification in which figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section, figure 2 is a front
elevation, figure 3 is a top plan view, and figure 4 is a transverse section, of the
engine. Figures 5 and 6 are detail sectional views. Figure 7 is a detail perspective
view of the piston head or drum with the piston or blade therein. Figure 8 is a
detail view of the piston or blade, and figure 9 is a cross-sectional view. The same
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
In the construction shewn, the three chambers A, B, B', are arranged close together,
chambers B, B', being arranged on opposite sides of the chamber A, and, for
such reason and for convenience of reference, the following description will refer
to chamber A as the central chamber or section and to chambers B, B¹, as the
side chambers or sections.
These chambers are formed of the cylinders and the end plates, the joint betweeen
such parts being packed by the rings C which rings are bevelled on their inner
faces to correspond with the bevelled edge d of the piston heads or drums D and
are pressed inward against such edges by springs, as shewn. The end plates E
of the central chamber form partitions between such chamber and the side
chambers, and are provided with annular shoulders e which fit within the central
and side cylinders and facilitate the proper connection and packing of the chambers
at the juncture of said parts.

page_text: The several piston heads or drums D are alike, the central one being preferably
larger than the side ones, as shewn, therefore the description of construction of one
will answer for all.
The heads D are fixed on the shaft and are arranged eccentrically to the
cylinders or barrels in which they operate, their rims or circumferences moving
closely against the abutment formed between the inlet and exit ports. A way y
for the piston or blade is formed diametrically through the head or drum D and
ports or channels n' n² are formed from the circumference of the head and
intersect the way g. The channel n² opens at its inner end into the way g at about
the centre of the head while the opening n opens into the way g between the
centre and the circumference of the head, and the channels n n² open out of the
circumference of the head a distance apart about one-third the circumference of
the head. They also open on opposite sides of one end of the way g, as clearly
shewn in figure 7. These channels n¹n² serve to admit steam to the steam
chambers within the piston head or drum, as will be more fully described
hereinafter.
The piston or blade G, preferably formed of brass, operates in the way g and is
formed in sections 01, 0%, loosely yoked together at their inner ends whereby they
are capable of a limited independent movement. This yoking may be accomplished
in various ways but by preference it is effected by the novel construction of the
sections at their inner ends and it is also preferred to so construct the interlocking
portions that they will provide chambers in which the steam may act for forcing the
sections in and out and also so that the said chambers will be arranged in such manner
that the steam will act equally at the opposite sides of the inner edges of the sections so
that such sections will not be given a greater pressure at one side than the other and
so given a binding tendency within the way therefor. To this end, it is preferred to
construct the section O with a T-shaped head or portion o¹ at its inner end and the
section with L-shaped portions o² at the opposite sides of its inner end which
portions o² lap over and interlock with the head of the T-shaped portion o¹ and thus
interlock the portions 01, 02. This interlocking is effected so that the parts 01, 0³, may
move slightly independently and so that a steam chamber P may be provided between
the end of portion o¹ and the end of the section 02 and a chamber PI may be provided on
the opposite sides of the shank of portion o¹ and between the head of such portion and
those of the portions o², as shewn. The inner edges of the heads of portions o² o² being the
walls of chambers P₁ form bearings for the action of the steam which bearings, as shewn,
face toward the outer ends of the sections 01 02 so that the action of the steam thereon
may in a measure serve to draw the sections in so that such sections will not only be
forced in by contact with the curved walls of the casing but will also be given
such a tendency by the action of the steam. By this construction there is
avoided the friction between the outer ends of the piston and the inner surface
of the barrel of the casing, incident to those engines in which the sections of the piston
are forced in by the bearing thereagainst of the casing. This drawing of the sections
inward by the action of the steam is an important feature of the invention.
When steam is admitted into the chamber P the. sections 01 02 of the piston
are forced outward while the reverse is the case when steam is admitted to the
chamber P'.
In operation, when the parts are in the position shewn in figure 9 steam enters
through channels n into the chamber P holding the piston section steam tight
against the casing until the piston section O¹ shall have been pressed in so far as to
close the inner end of channel n¹ when the exhaust steam entering through channel n²
into chambers P₁ will serve to draw the sections 0, 0³, in, slightly easing their
pressure against the cylinder. It will be seen that chambers P P₁ are neither ever
entirely closed, the diameter of the case being such relatively to the piston sections as
to prevent the latter being adjusted outward so far as to close the chamber P¹ and the
shoulders o of the section O¹ abutting the ends of portions o³ before the chamber P
can be closed; the entire closure of both chambers P P¹ is thus prevented. The said

page_text: chambers P P being never entirely closed have, it will be understood, within them at
all times during operation steam either live or exhaust so that the sections of the
piston are balanced between the pressure of exhaust steam in one chamber and live
in the other or adjusted in or out as the pressure in one chamber exceeds that in the
other. By operating the piston sections in and out by steam action as before
described, the operation of the engine is rendered easier, the friction being largely
reduced.
The relative arrangement of the blades or pistons in said chambers is shewn in
figure 4 in which the piston of side chamber B is shewn in full lines, the piston of the
central chamber A in dotted lines No. 1, and the piston of the other side chamber B¹
in dotted lines No. 2, such pistons being arranged on about thirds, as shewn, so that
the side chambers will exhaust alternately into the central chamber. An important
feature of the invention is the recesses F formed in the piston heads D inmediately in
rear of the guide-ways g for the pistons G. These recesses enable the engine to take
steam quicker and better, and have an end wall which separates them from said
ways such walls f being formed to provide a bearing against which the steam may
act to drive the piston heads. By preference the walls fare formed on lines
approximately parallel to the blades or pistons, such construction increasing the
surface against which the steam may act without in any degree decreasing the length
and efficiency of the guideway of the blade or piston. Each of the side cylinders have
steam inlet ports H and exit or exhaust ports H, the inlet ports being suitably connected
with the source of steam supply and the exhaust ports being connected by pipes or
chambers I, I, with the inlet port H2 of the central chamber or section. As before
described, the exhaust, by the relative arrangement of the blades or pistons in the side
chambers is discharged alternately from said chambers into the central chamber or
section, but in order to control the discharge of such exhaust into said chamber it may
be preferred to provide cut-off valves operating in pipes or channels II and
supported on lever J on opposite sides of the pivot of said lever, such lever J being
connected with one end of a lever K the opposite end of which lever K is connected
with an eccentric L on the shaft M so that such valves i i¹ may be alternately opened
and closed.
The exhaust port w of the central or intermediate section or chamber is shewn in
Figures 2 and 5.
In specifically describing the construction which permits the alternate passage of
the steam from the end to the central cylinder, it may be stated that the object has
been, in practice, to make the channels or pipes leading from the said end cylinders to
the inlet H2 of the central cylinder of equal or greater area than the steam space in the
end cylinders between the ends of the blade at the instant one of such ends passes
the inlet port H so that the steam in the space between the ends of the blade will, at
the instant the advance or front end of the blade passes exit port H¹, pass into the
pipe or connection 1 or 11 and at the instant such steam passes into such pipe or
connection the cut-off of such pipe will open and the steam will expand and pass into
the central cylinder. It should be further remembered that the operation of the
engine is very rapid and that the opening and closing of the cut-offs is almost.
instantaneous.
While the construction has been described as embodied in a rotary engine, it
should be understood that the improvement is not confined to such use but may be
embodied and used in rotary meters, rotary pumps, and analogous devices, without
departing from the broad principles of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is;
1. The improved piston, for rotary engines and the like, formed in sections having
their inner edges constructed to loosely interlock with each other whereby such
sections are connected together and yet may move to a limited extent independently
of each other, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 2. The casing and the head having a way for the piston combined with said piston
fitted to the way and formed of sections loosely yoked together, substantially as set
forth.
3. The combination of the casing the head or drum having a way for the piston and
the sectional piston fitted to said way and having its sections provided at their
inner edges with interlapping portions whereby they are yoked together, substantially
as set forth.
4. The combination of the casing the drum or head having a way for the piston and
provided with steam ports or channels intersecting said way and the piston formed in
sections having bearings in advance of their inner ends such bearings facing toward
the outer ends of the piston whereby steam acting on said bearings may operate to
draw the sections inward, substantially as set forth.
5. The combination of the casing the head or drum having channels n' n² and a way
for the piston and the piston sections 0 02 the section O' being provided at its inner
end with a T-like head and the section 02 having at the opposite sides of its inner
end L-shaped portions engaging the T-head of the section 01, substantially as set
forth.
6. The combination, with the head or drum, of the piston section sliding therein
and provided with a bearing arranged and adapted to receive steam pressure in such
manner as to draw the piston section inward, substantially as, and for the purposes,
specified.
7. The combination of the casing the drum having way g and ports or channels n' n²
and the sectional piston constructed to provide steam channels P P¹, substantially as
.set forth.
8. A compound rotary engine consisting of a central chamber or section having a
piston drum or head, the side sections arranged one on each side of the central section
and having piston drums or heads, the shaft to which all three of said drums are
secured, and pipes or channels connecting the exhausting ports of the side sections
with the inlet ports of the central sections, substantially as set forth.
9. In a compound rotary engine, the combination, with a central chamber or section,
of two side sections having their exhaust ports connected with the inlet port of the
central section such side sections being arranged to discharge their exhaust alternately
into the said central section, substantially as set forth.
10. In a rotary engine, the combination of the central section the side sections the
pipes or channels I 1' connecting the exhaust ports of the side sections with the inlet
port of the central section, the valves i and connections between valves i i¹ and an
eccentric on the shaft, all substantially as, and for the purposes, specified.
Dated this och de
19
L. C. HUSON.
THE HUSON MOTOR Co. (LIM.).
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.