An Improved Rotary Motor to be Driven by Steam or other Motive Fluid.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Sept., 1898-Accepted, 4th Mar.,
1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Rotary Motor to be Driven by Steam or other Motive
Fluid.
I, CONRAD FRIEDRICH CHRISTIAN LOHMANN, of No. 13, Andrew Street,
Northcote, near Melbourne, in the Colony of Victoria, 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;
This invention has been devised in order to provide a motor which will utilize
the initial power derivable from steam or other motive fluid either alone or in
any combination and in conjunction with the forces of nature in a more efficient
manner than has hitherto been practicable, thereby minimising the waste of
power incidental to the use of the steam-engines and motors as at present
constructed.
In order to facilitate a clear understanding of my invention I will describe
it by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:.
―:
Figure 1 is a vertical central section of a rotary motor constructed according
to this invention, whilst :-
-
Figure 2 is a sectional view illustrating the construction of a part of the
motor, and
Figure 3 is a similar view to Figure 2 illustrating a modification of such part.
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation illustrating a slight modification of the
motor, and
Figure 5 is a vertical central section shewing another slight modification thereof.
The same letters of reference are used to indicate the same parts throughout
the drawings.
The essential feature of my improved rotary motor consists in the employment
of a circular wheel or wheels, disc or discs A A¹ made in two parts separated
from each other by a layer of suitable insulating and non-conducting material B
consisting by preference of wood soaked in oil and covered with a thin sheet of
asbestos. Instead of being made in two parts the circular wheel or disc may
be made solid, although I prefer the former.
The wheel is constructed of solid metal in order that it may be of considerable
weight, and, by preference, it is made of copper because that metal is a good
conductor.
The surfaces of the wheel or disc A. A¹ are preferably shaped as shown in the
drawings subject to variations to suit the magnetic inclination of the place where
the motor is to be used. The lower part of the wheel is preferably shaped as
shown and may have a suitable refrigerating chamber therein if, required to
increase the variation of temperature.
The wheel A A' is mounted upon a spindle C whose lower end is stepped in
suitable bearings c whilst its upper end works in bearings in a bridge-piece D
so as to keep it running perfectly steady. A third bearing ³ may be provided
below the wheel A A' if preferred.
The upper end of the shaft C is hollow and is connected to a boiler or other
initial source of motive fluid and thence discharges into a heat chamber not

page_text: shewn in the drawings but which may be provided in the disc A and then bly
or through radial discharge ports E which are formed in the upper part A of the
rotating disc or wheel and extend to the periphery thereof as shewn in order to
direct the initial motive fluid between a set of radial blades F with which
the wheel or disc is provided. These radial blades are preferably set at an angle
corresponding to the angle of magnetic inclination of the place where the motor
is to be used, and like the wheel or disc A A' they are divided longitudinally
with a sheet of non-conducting and insulating material between the two halves,
the upper portion of blade being in metallic contact with the upper part A of
the wheel and the lower portion completely insulated therefrom and in metallic
contact with the lower part A¹ of said wheel.
The purpose of setting the blades corresponding with the magnetic inclination
of the place where the motor is to be used, is to avoid any possible resistance due
to the wheel being made to cut the lines of force of a magnetic field when
revolving at a high speed.
In section these blades are constructed of the shape illustrated in Figure 2
although they may be constructed as illustrated in Figure 3. The wheel or
disc AA is mounted so that it rotates below an opening in the upper part of
a case or chamber having a chimney H of fairly large dimensions projecting
up to as great a height as may be required in order to create a draught and
thereby drawing in air between the radial blades FF1 and thus assisting in
driving the motor.
This chimney may be arranged alongside the wheel as illustrated, or it might
be mounted directly over it, in which case the position of the wheel would have
to be reversed in order to utilize the up draught instead of the down draught.
If preferred a fan or blower I might be provided in any convenient position, as
illustrated in Figure for producing the draught through the wheel or wheels
or discs instead of using the chimney, or a fan and chimney may be used in
combination for such purpose.
If preferred a slide valve J may be provided, as illustrated in Figure 5, within
a steam chest J1 and be operated by an eccentric pin K or crank on the end of
a spindle K driven by a cord or belt from a small pulley L on the motor
spindle C passing around a larger pulley L¹ on the crank spindle.
These two pullies are of such a diameter that said valve J will be operated
as often as required as for instance once in every five revolutions of the
spindle C. Means may be provided for putting this valve out of operation if
required as for instance in starting the motor.
The effect of the steam or other initial motive fluid in issuing from the
discharge ports E on the vacuum side of the blades which are heated by contact
with the upper part of the disc, is to cause an expansion thereon and while so
expanding it contracts correspondingly the upper surface of such blade and
creates pressure, whilst on the underside of blades the atmosphere being com-
pressed through the action of the wheel or discs, and the lower part or section
of blade being in intimate connection with the refrigerated part or section A¹
having a colder temperature causes the surface of the underblade to expand on
making contact with the warm atmosphere, and in doing so causes an instant
dissolving of resistance and thus gives a maximum of power at a minimum
cost, thereby increasing the efficiency of the motor and enabling a higher per-
centage of work to be done with a lower expenditure of power than has been
practicable hitherto.
It will be obvious that instead of only one, two or more of the rotating discs
or wheels above described may be employed. They may either be arranged side
by side and be set to revolve horizontally or they can be arranged one above
the other and rotate either in the same or in opposite directions as preferred.
The speed of the motor may be regulated by controlling the draught of air
passing through it. This might be done by means of a throttle valve in the
chimney or the speed of the blower might be varied.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that
what I claim is :-
1. The herein described rotary motor to be driven initially by steam or other
motive fluid either alone or in any combination and in conjunction with the
atmosphere, consisting of the various parts constructed, combined and operating
substantially as and for the purposes herein described and explained and as
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a rotary motor to be initially driven by steam or other motive fluid
either alone or in any combination and in conjunction with the atmosphere a
wheel, wheels, disc or discs each made in halves with a layer of insulating and
non-conducting material between such halves and having radial inclined vanes
or blades also made in halves with insulating material between, the upper
halves of the blades being in metallic contact with the upper part of the disc
but insulated from the lower part and vice versa, the whole being mounted
upon a spindle made hollow for a portion of its length to conduct the steam or
other initial motive fluid to the radial discharge ports or passages leading to
the periphery of said wheel or disc, substantially as and for the purposes herein
described and explained and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a rotary motor to be initially driven by steam or other motive fluid
either alone or in any combination and in conjunction with the atmosphere a
wheel or wheels or discs made in halves and whose upper and lower surfaces
are substantially as shown in the drawings, that is so that they correspond more
or less to the magnetic dip or inclination of the place where the motor is to be
used, said wheel or wheels having blades arranged at similar angles, substantially
as and for the purposes herein described and explained and as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
4. In a rotary motor to be initially driven by steam or other motive fluid
either alone or in any combination and in conjunction with the atmosphere a
wheel or disc having radially projecting blades set at an angle corresponding
to the magnetic dip or inclination of the place where the motor is to be used
substantially as and for the purposes herein described and explained and as
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
5. In a rotary motor to be initially driven by steam or other motive fluid
either alone or in any combination and in conjunction with the atmosphere a
wheel or wheels, disc or discs made in halves with insulating and non-conducting
material between, in combination with a fan or blower (such as I) for producing
the draught through said wheels substantially as and for the purposes herein
described and explained and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
6. In a rotary motor to be initially driven by steam or other motive fluid
either alone or in any combination and in conjunction with the atmosphere a
wheel or wheels, disc or discs made in halves with insulating and non-conducting
material between, in combination with a slide valve (such as J) set so as to open
at intervals substantially as and for the purposes herein described and explained
and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Ninth day of August. One thousand eight hundred and
C. F. C. LOHMANN.
G. F. Redfern & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.