IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walter Alfred Barlow, of 6, St. Paul's Churchyard,
66
in the City of London, Patent Agent and Engineer, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES." A communication from abroad by
Joseph Ritz, of the Firm Brothers Ritz and Schweizer and Albert Nebele,
of Gmünd, Wurtemburg, Germany.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walter Alfred Barlow at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th November 1881.
WALTER ALFRED BARLOW, of G, St. Paul's Churchyard, in the City of London,
Patent Agent and Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES." A com-
munication from abroad by Joseph Ritz, of the Firm Brothers Ritz and Schweizer
and Albert Nebele, of Gmünd, Wurtemburg, Germany.
The object of this Invention is to provide rotary or motive power engines for
doing useful work through the medium of steam, water, air, or combustiblo
mixtures, and to raise, force, or move liquids, or to compress or measure the
saine.
The principal parts are,—
The working cylinder, which is carried on a central axis or shaft mounted in
end bearings and bed blocks, valves and locking piece, provided with holder piece,
cylinder lid, a treble arm with central set screw, three holding screws, and suitably
formed tumbler pieces carried on the ends of the valves adjacent to their outer bed
for receiving the action of the valve cain.
An inlet opening is provided for steam or other expansive force, and another
opening for the exhaust, a working space being formed in the nave of the cylinder
which receives the steam, water, or other force, and is to be as capacious as
possible.
The valves as well as the valve closing or locking piece are air tightly fitting in,
and the closing lid is also ground to fit quite closely on to the end of the working

page_text: cylinder, the valves, and the valve closing or locking piece. The valves lies sunk
in the working cylinder so that the space in the nave of the said cylinder is
everywhere of equal depth.
Between the closing lid and the valve closing or locking piece is a packing for
ensuring absolute security, said packing being inserted either in the closing lid or
in the said locking piece.
Now when steam enters by the inlet opening it brings (through pressure on the
valves) the working cylinder with its axis into rotation.
While in this manner one of the valves is turned, and the other attains the
requisite position by means of the tumble pieces and cam, so that said valve does
not interfere with the locking piece when it turns further, and when the piece is
passed said valve attains its former position, that is, it closes up again the space in
the nave of the working cylinder, and so on for the second and other valves.
To prevent the movements of the valves taking place whilst under pressure which
exists during the working, that side of the valve which is towards the axis (so far
as it is not necessary for the seating thereof, is put back a little before closing the
working space, and the space thus created is through a groove in the lid made
accessible to the inner pressure.
Likewise the exhaust opening has connection through a groove in the closing lid
far enough towards the left to release the valves at the proper time immediately
before they begin to move.
Whilst the machine is in motion the pressure in the working cylinder against
the closing lid is alternately on a smaller or larger surface in proportion as the
valves have completed a loss or greater turn from the valve closing or locking
piece.
If there were for the closing a simple lid it would have to be set to correspond
with the greatest internal pressure, and would cause therefore considerable friction
on account of the lesser interior pressure, therefore this engine is made with a
double lid.
The lid next to the cylinder extends far into a second lid through the frame
screwed on the lid with screws and provided with packing, thus forming compart-
ments, which compartments only have openings against the interior of the working
cylinder. As the valves in the working cylinder move simultaneously with it they
pass the said openings, and thus make the compartments accessible to the interior
pressure, the form of the said compartments being varied as required.
According to a modification for pumps, a double lid can be dispensed with, but
on the other hand it is of great value to have a groove turned in the lid in front
of the working cylinder which is connected with the exit opening, and which is
sometimes filled with the matter to be pumped, so as to effect with little pressure a
good closing.
In the secondary closing lid and in the face of the opposite end standard a
groove is turned to receive the ends of a tin or sheet metal cylinder, which entirely
covers the working cylinder, and in this way any matter between the working
cylinder and the closing lid cannot escape, as for instance if steam enters at the
inlet opening it presses the valve on its sealing, and assists in the perfect closing
thereof.
In the case where steam must enter and leave alternately the valves must be
changed, and they will be formed with a double cam for the operating of the
valves.
To lessen the tension in the space in the working cylinder opposite the first lid,
that is, to offer a smaller surface thereto, the working cylinder spaces will be of a
coincal configuration narrowing to the outside.
In that case the valves must be fitted from the back of the working cylinder,
and the valve lids similar to the corresponding openings in the cylinder, which are
then to be screwed on.
The valve closing or locking piece in order to lay it in is made of several parts,

page_text: and it will be understood that the pressure on the first lid is transferred by
connecting screws and 3 arms.on to the axis, whereby friction is caused, which can
be entirely avoided if two machines are set on one and the same axle, and the
pressure of one lid is transferred on to the lid of the other.
For a machine constructed on the above system for large volumes of water with
not too high a pressure, single or all parts can be made of wood. The valves and
valve closing or locking piece can be covered with a flexible material.
For the purpose of measuring liquids a cylinder of ascertained or given
will
bo used, and the computation will be by the capacity of said cylinder plus the
number of revolutions, as the cylinder fills and discharges at each revolution and
counting mechanism driven by gearing off the axis may be used, as will be well
understood.

page_text: but afterwards expansion sets in, and when opening comes into communication
with channel m the steam escapes. At that time the guide g comes into operation
against the guide blocks and alters the position of the valves b, so that the oval
ends can pass the locking piece c, and when said locking piece is passed the valves
are again placed in their former position, and at the moment when it has taken the
position b², Fig. 2, the openings k and channel in come into communication and
allow the steam to enter, and so on.
The steam in the working space f is of sufficient tension to press the closing
lid d down, and to escape between it and the working cylinder a. As far as this
is effected the steam fills the space between closing lid d and second closing lid n,
and thus creates a corresponding counter pressure for itself.
The second or top closing lid n is bolted to the working cylinder a, and
encircles the prolonged nave of the closing lid.
Instead of one locking piece and one valve, one locking piece and two valves,
or two locking pieces and two valves may be employed. q, Fig. 1, indicates the
transmission.
As to Figs. 5 to 8, if the axis e is turned the working cylinder a and valve b
must follow its motion. But as the locking piece c is held fast by the closing
lid & the space between the valve and locking piece is enlarged or shortened, and
thus liquid will be drawn in or pressed off.
The guiding of the valve bis effected in similar manner to that shown in Fig. 3,
the closing lid d and guide are connected together by a second cylinder o, Fig. 7,
and through the set screw p, Fig. 5; the working cylinder a can be kept more or
less in contact with the closing lid d.
Watermotors are built like pumps, with the exception of the altered turning
direction which have to correspond with those shown in Fig. 3.
Having now described the nature and particulars of the said Invention
I claim,
First. The combination in a rotating machine of a rotating working body a
with the concentric working space f, with a firm packed locking piece c resting
in the latter, and one or more automatic adjustable locking valves barranged in
the ring shaped working space f, the turning axis of which is parallel with the axis
of rotation of the working body, as set forth and shown by the Drawings.
Second. In a rotating machine the combination of the guide cam g connected
with the shut off valves b operating in relation to the guide block or blocks h, for
the purpose of effecting the change of position of the valves by the rotation of the
working body itself, as herein specified in reference to and shown by the respective
Figures of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Walter Alfred Barlow, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this 25th day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.