Rota-gravity Steam Engines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 10th June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 10th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 11th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Rota-gravity Steam Engines.
I, GEORGE ALFRED POOLE, of Askern, near Doncaster, in the County of
York, Clergyman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention for ROTA-GRAVITY
STEAM ENGINES to be as follows:-
A straight shaft without crank is mounted upon ordinary bearings, a short length
of the shaft projecting beyond the bearings at each end. A. fly-wheel is keyed
Upon one end of
upon the shaft in any convenient position between the bearings.
the shaft, outside the bearing, a frame, about equal in length to the diameter of the
fly-wheel, is fitted and keyed. Within the frame an ordinary reciprocating
cylinder is fixed so that its centre of gravity is exactly opposite and in line with the
centre of the shaft. The piston rod passes through each end of the cylinder and is
connected to two equal weights sliding within grooved portions of the frame, the
weights being on opposite sides and balancing each other in a certain position, that
is, when the piston is immediately opposite the centre of the main shaft.
The whole engine is mounted upon the main shaft and revolves with it. When
the engine is at rest, the frame is nearly vertical, the upper end having a slight
inclination in the direction of motion, given to it by means of a counter-weight on
the fly-wheel. A better, although more expensive plan, is to have ratchet teeth
cut on the inner circumference of the fly-wheel, and start the engine by a hand
lever.
To put the engine in motion steam is admitted below the piston, which being
driven to the other end of the cylinder, draws up the lower weight nearer the centre
of motion, and forces the upper weight from the centre of motion, the distance
traversed in each case being equal to the stroke of the piston. Force of gravity
then causes the engine to make half a revolution, and the relative position of the
weights is reversed, the upper side of the piston becomes the lower, when steam
being again admitted, the action is repeated, and a regular and continuous motion
sustained.
In rota-gravity steam engines, the name given to this invention, gravity plays
the principal part, steam being the auxiliary force; the result of the combina-
tion of the two forces being, that the power developed by the use of one pound
pressure of steam is equal to that produced by four pounds pressure as used in
the best direct acting steam engine. This statement may be fully proved by
inspection of my working model, of which the fly-wheel measures 32 in. in
diameter, and weighs 67 lbs., the total revolving weight of 110 lbs. being kept
in rapid motion by use of a steam-cylinder only 1 in. diameter by 3 in. stroke;
the piston making one forward and backward stroke per revolution, with a
pressure of 20 lbs. to the sq. in. in the boiler:
1000
G. ALFRED POOLE,
Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Rota-gravity Steam Engines.
I, GEORGE ALFRED POOLE, of Askern, near Doncaster, in the County of
York, Clergyman, 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 :—
A straight shaft without crank is mounted upon ordinary bearings, a short

page_text: length of the shaft projecting beyond the bearings at each end. A fly-wheel is
keyed upon the shaft in any convenient position between the bearings. Upon
one end of the shaft, outside the bearing, a frame, about equal in length to the
diameter of the fly-wheel, is fitted and keyed. Within the frame an ordinary
reciprocating cylinder is fixed so that its centre of gravity is exactly opposite
and in line with the centre of the shaft. The piston rod passes through each
end of the cylinder, and is connected to two equal weights sliding within grooved
portions of the frame, the weights being on opposite sides and balancing each other
in a certain position, that is, when the piston is immediately opposite the centre of
the main shaft. The whole engine is mounted upon the main shaft and revolves
with it. When the engine is at rest, the frame is nearly vertical, the upper end
having a slight inclination in the direction of motion, given to it by means of a
counter-weight on the fly-wheel.
To put the engine in motion, steam is admitted below the piston, which being
driven to the other end of the cylinder, draws up the lower weight nearer the centre
of motion, and forces the upper weight from the centre of motion, the distance
traversed in each case being equal to the stroke of the piston. Force of gravity
then causes the engine to make half a revolution, and the relative position of the
weights is reversed, the upper side of the piston becomes the lower, when steam
being again admitted, the action is repeated, and a regular and continuous motion
sustained.
In rota-gravity steam engines, the name given to this invention, gravity plays
the principal part, steam being the auxiliary force; the result of the combination
of the two forces being that one pound of steam, plus the force of gravity brought
to bear, exerts a power equal to that produced by four pounds of steam as applied
in any other form of engine. The advantage gained is clearly seen in the com-
paratively small boiler required, a five horse-power boiler being capable of supplying
sufficient steam to keep a twenty horse power rota-gravity engine working at its
full capacity.
The uniform speed of these engines, coupled with their great economy in working,
renders them specially suitable for supplying power to cotton and spinning mills,
and factories of all descriptions. This uniformity of speed is a natural result of
the principle upon which the engine is constructed, and is inseparable from it;
sudden variations in the work, or increased pressure of steam cannot cause racing,
the engine pursuing its even course under conditions that would ruin any other
engine.
I will now describe the various parts of the engine in detail by reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation, Fig. 2 a ground plan, and Fig. 3 an end
elevation of the engine. In Fig. 1. the reciprocating cylinder is seen in position,
with its piston rod passing through stuffing boxes at each end, the driving
weights W. W. connected to the piston rod, shewing the position of the weights at
the beginning of a revolution.
It may be observed that the cylinder is extremely small in comparison with the
size and weight of the engine; as a matter of fact it is only one-fourth the size of
the cylinder of an ordinary horizontal engine of the same power, and requires only
one-fourth the steam-power to work it.
It is essential that the cylinder should be perfectly central, so that the steam-way
hub S. H. Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 revolves truly as if it were a part or continuation of
the main shaft. To secure this result, a face-plate is first fitted and keyed on to
the end of the shaft, and turned up true, the cylinder is then bolted on to the face-
plate, and the steam-way hub turned up true between centres, the open ends of the
steam-ways being cut out afterwards. The course of the steam-ways is clearly
indicated in Fig. 4; and Fig. 5 presents an enlarged view of the casting which
encircles the hub, the steam-pipe being coupled to it on the right and the exhaust
on the left.
There are two open spaces cut on the inner side, each about one sixth
of the circumference in length, and in width a little larger than the steam ports, the

page_text: lower one for steam and the upper for exhaust as the hub revolves the steam
ports alternately communicate with the live steam and exhaust. Referring again
to Fig. 1, the cylinder having been mounted as described above, the two sides of
the frame, which are cast from one pattern, are bolted on to the face plate, and the
grooved plates M. Fig. 6, and the driving weights are carefully adjusted, see
section of weight and frame Fig. 7, so that when connected to the piston rod they
can move freely in the desired direction without any play, the careful adjustment
being necessary on account of the constantly varying positions they take пр during
working. The grooved plates are then fixed in their places by screws or bolts.
An arrangement for locking the weights, to prevent free inotion when steam is
shut off, is shewn in Fig. 6. the catch N. which moves stiffly on its centre, is shewn
in its normal position, this is closed when required by a small arm attached to the
bed-plate, K. Fig. 1. which is operated by a hand-lever fixed in any convenient
position, the free end being turned slightly outwards by this means, the catch N.
is gently pressed in, and the small block O. coming in front of pin P Fig. 7, the
sliding motion of the weights is stopped, and the engine ceases to revolve.
preferred, instead of the catch N. and the block Q, a small oblong block can be
hinged on the side of the frame, with a small flat spring to keep it in position.
When the block came in contact with the small projecting arm, it would simply
turn over on its side in front of pin P. Fig. 7, and answer the same purpose in a
neater manner.
If
The steam and exhaust pipes Fig. 1 instead of being horizontal, may be bent
near the flange, and stand vertically, being fastened to the floor, thus giving support
to the casting, and overcoming its tendency to revolve, on account of the friction of
the revolving hub.
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. The manufacture and use of engines, having one or more reciprocating
cylinders mounted upon the main shaft, moving weights, which produce and maintain
rotary motion.
Dated this 9th day of March 1891.
G. ALFRED POOLE,
Applicant.