Improvements in Rotary Steam Engines, Pumps, Blowers, and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 16th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 16th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 13th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Steam Engines, Pumps, Blowers,
and the like.
We, JEAN SÉVÉRIN BIEULAC and MATHIEU JULIEN of 95 Boulevard
Beaumarchais, Paris, in the Republic of France, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
-
The steam as it issues from any available steam-generator is introduced into the
engine through a suitable orifice upon its arrival in the steam-chamber, the slide-
valve being in the position to admit the steam fully to one of the ports.
The steam enters through the port, acts upon a blade in the piston, and turns
it round the distance of half a revolution, whereby the second blade is caused to
occupy the position first taken up by the first blade, and vice versa. The steam
having by this time accomplished its maximum amount of work, escapes through a
second port, passes through a port in the slide-valve, then through a port in the
cylinder body, and is eventually discharged through the exhaust branch.
REVERSION OF MOTION.
By reversing the position of the slide-valve the engine is instantaneously caused
to work in the opposite direction. The slide-valve is operated by hand, preferably
by means of a hand-wheel though any other suitable operating device may serve
the purpose.
The admission of steam is controlled by means of a throttle or other valve
arranged to act upon the orifice inlet whereby the actual motive power and the
number of revolutions of the engine may be adjusted at will.
The main feature of this invention resides in the peculiar construction of the
rotary piston which is formed of a number of sections or blades. These are
bevelled so that the wear may not loosen them, the inclined surfaces continuing in
contact with the cylinder. Springs traversing the shaft constantly keep the blades
against the cylinder walls. A loss of steam thus becomes impossible, inasmuch as
the spring-controlled blades expand in all directions and notwithstanding any
ordinary degree of wear, they tightly adhere to the surface of the cylinder.
This engine may be employed in all trades or industries and coupled or connected
with sources of motive power, either directly or indirectly, by straps, gearing,
friction-coupling, or any other suitable means of transmission of motion. It may
work to advantage as a rotary pump or as a fan to produce a blast or air-pressure.
Where, however, steam is not the motor agent, it will be understood that the
steam-chamber and slide-valve are superfluous. In these cases the admission and
exhaust orifices should be arranged in preference on the sides of the cylinder.
The cylinder may be of any convenient size or shape in section, for example, of
oval or ellipsoid form, and made of any suitable material.
Dated this 16th day of May 1892.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Steam Engines, Pumps, Blowers,
and the like.
We JEAN SÉVÉRIN BIEULAC and MATHIEU JULIEN, of 95 Boulevard
Beaumarchais, Paris in the Republic of France 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 relates to an improved rotary engine applicable also as a pump
or blower, aud the invention consists essentially in the peculiar construction of the
piston blades which are made in sections so fitted together as to be self-expanding
to take up wear and maintain a fluid-tight contact with both the circumference and
ends of the cylinder.
The invention is illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings, forming
part of this Specification, wherein
Figure 1 is a front elevation, and Figures 2 and 3 are opposite end elevations, of
the engine complete.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section, on line 1-1 Figure 5 which is a cross-section,
on line 2-2 Figure 4, of the body portion of the engine..
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of the piston in the plane of the blades, shewing
the peculiar construction of the latter which constitutes, as above stated, the
essential feature of the invention.
The cylindrical body of the piston is formed of two nearly semi-cylindrical
segments a a bolted to a longitudinally-slotted yoke 6 of square section formed on
the shaft B which with the cylindrical body is mounted eccentrically within the
cylinder C. The cylinder C is provided with induction and eduction ports c c
whose communication with the inlet and exhaust pipes DE is controlled by a
reversing slide-valve F which is traversed within the valve chest G by a rack and
pinion movement H on the back of the valve so as to put either of the ports c c in
communication with the exhaust port e by the cavity f of the valve and the other
port of the two in communication with the valve chest, according to the direction
in which the engine is to run. The blades or pistons proper 11 are two in number
fitted in the same diametrical plane within the body A and slotted yoke so as to
project from the circumference of the body at opposite sides, the two blades or
pistons being pressed outwards in opposite directions by sets of springs K interposed
between them, the same springs acting on both, and held in place by guide rods k
received in sockets in the pistons. The pistons are held and fitted to slide
between the two segments a a of the body and each is constructed of three sections,
a central section between two end sections ¹, the central section being wedge-
shaped, its inclined sides fitting against the correspondingly-inclined sides of the
end sections . The central section i has its smaller end directed outwards and it
is pressed outwards by a greater number of springs, and consequently with greater
force than the end sections, and as the wearing surface in contact with the
circumference of the cylinder is of less area than those of the end sections, should
any slack occur between the sections and the ends of the cylinder the middle
section will wear away and its inclined sides will slide upon those of the end
sections producing a wedge-like action of the middle section which forces the
end sections constantly against the ends of the cylinder and maintains a tight
joint both at the circumference and ends by the expansion of the blade in the
radial and longitudinal directions. The wear of the middle section is, however,
only sufficient to follow up any slack occurring between the ends of the piston and
cylinder.
In order to avoid unnecessary fatigue of the springs, the cylinder may be
elliptical in section instead of truly cylindrical, so that the two pistons will slide
together as one, without variation of distance between them. The admission of

page_text: steam is controlled by a throttle-valve L under the control of a governor M.
When the engine is not required to reverse, or when used as a pump or blower,
the valve and chest would not be required and the pipes D, E, would connect
directly with the sides of the cylinder.
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―
A rotary engine, pump, or blower, having radial piston blades forced outwards
by springs and constructed each in three sections, the middle section being shaped
and caused to act as a wedge to force the sections between which it is placed in
the endwise direction of the cylinder, so as to constantly maintain a tight joint
between the piston blade and the ends and circumference of the cylinder, sub-
stantially as specified.
Det 1
C
1000
MATHIEU Julien,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.