Improvements in Rotary Motors.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Motors.
I, GEORGE CROYDON MARKS, of 18, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, (a communication from abroad by
Henri Chaudun, of Paris, in the Republic of France), do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in rotary motors and has for its object
to produce a motor of high efficiency which is simple in design and which may
utilize gas, petroleum, or other hydro-carbon for producing motive power.
My invention consists of a rotary motor in which two connected cylinders are
employed wherein synchronously work annular pistons one of which effects the
suction and compression of the inflammable mixture, while to the other is com-
municated the motive effect of the explosion and which latter also effects the expul-
sion of the residual gases.
In carrying my invention into effect I provide a casing of two connected cylinders
whose cylindrical surfaces intersect and provide a communication one with the
other. Within each of these cylinders is provided a concentric shaft parallel one
with the other and geared so as to rotate synchronously. These shafts are mounted
within bosses which extend across the width of each of the cylinders, such bosses
being provided upon their opposite faces with a curved surface corresponding in
contour to the respective interior surfaces of the cylinders. The cylindrical casing
is provided with a lateral cover in which the extremities of the shafts are taken and
one of the shafts protrudes so as to carry a fly-wheel or belt pulley upon its exterior
extremity, from which rotation can be communicated as required. Upon each of
the shafts and projecting into a corresponding recess in the cover of the cylindrical
casing, is provided a flanged boss which in each case carries an annular rotating
piston working within the respective cylinders. Within the cover of the cylindrical
casing provided a combustion chamber into which projects the terminals or
electrodes of an electric circuit, communication being made from the said. combus-
tion chamber with the respective cylinders at determined points; each of the
apertures issuing therefrom into the cylinder, being under the control in the upper
cylinder of the valve flange of the annular piston and in the lower cylinder of the
annular piston, so that communication can be made at determined intervals as
required in the cycle of operation.
The annular Pistons are provided as segments having their exterior surfaces of
approximately, less than one half of a circle. Their exterior periphery is arranged
so as to tightly fit the interior cylindrical surfaces of the casing, so that the joints
made shall be absolutely gas-tight and' preclude all possibility of leakage from one
space to the other, while the opposite cylindrical faces of the respective carrying
bosses of the shafts, as the annular pistons pass in turn thereupon, effect a tight
closure of the communicating apertures.
It will be understood that the annular pistons rotate in opposite direction's.
The cycle of operation is as follows The upper annular piston moving in a direction

page_text: opposite to the hands of a watch by its rear edge uncovers the inlet for the inflam-
mable mixture that issues to the upper part of the casing, and in its further progress
draws behind it an inflammable charge; meanwhile communication upon the
opposite side of the cylinder is cut off by means of the lower anuular piston and a
charge previously drawn in is compressed on the forward side of the upper piston
until the valve flange of the upper piston uncovers the aperture leading to the
combustion chamber, when the compressed charge immediately passes into the
combustion chamber. Meanwhile communication is cut off from the combustion
chamber to the lower part of the cylindrical casing by the forward edge of the lower
annular piston which forces before it the residual gases from the previous explosion,
while the rear edge of the upper annular piston again uncovers the inlet for the
inflammable mixture. Thereupon the communicating apertures are cut off by
means of the upper annular piston as also the inlet, while the exploded charge
issues behind the lower annular piston through the aperture uncovered by its rear
edge, thereby impelling the piston forward, whose forward edge next closes com-
munication between the cylinders ready for the compression of the previously
admitted charge and so on. The compressed mixture is ignited in the combustion
chamber by means of sparking between the terminals, an electric current being
passed at the determined instant by such means as a commutator arranged upon a
shaft which completes the circuit at a determined part of the revolution or any
other suitable means for effecting periodic ignition may be provided.
D1
. 1
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.
Improvements in Rotary Motors.
I, GEORGE CROYDON MARKS, of 18, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, (a communication from abroad by
Henri Chaudun, of 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 particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in rotary motors and has for its object
to produce a motor of high efficiency which is simple in design and which may
utilize gas, petroleum, or other hydro-carbon for producing motor power.
The invention consists of a rotary motor in which two connected cylinders are
employed wherein synchronously work annular pistons one of which effects suction
and compression of the inflammable mixture, while to the other is communicated
the motive effect of the explosion and which latter also ects the expulsion of the
residual gases.
The methods of carrying the invention into effect are illustrated in the
accompanying drawings as follows:-
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Figures 1 and 2 are respectively side elevation and longitudinal section through
the improved motor.
Figure 3 is a side elevation partly in section on the line v≈ Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section through the motor on the line y z Figure 2.
Figure 5, is a plan, and Figures 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are diagrammatic sections
illustrating the different positions of the mechanism during different portions of
the cycle.
In carrying the invention into effect the casing J is provided consisting of two

page_text: connected cylinders B and C and the cylindrical surfaces of these cylinders inter-
sect and provide a communication one with the other. Within each of these.
cylinders B and C two shafts 1) and E are arranged as shown, and these shafts.
carry upon their outer extremities gear wheels L and K which intermesh and cause
the shafts D and E to rotate synchronously but in opposite directions. These
shafts are mounted in bosses H and I formed integral with the casing J and these
bosses have provided at their inner and opposing surfaces depressions which corre-
spond to the contour of the inner periphery of the cylinders B and C.
One side of the casing J is closed in by an external cover or flange, (as shown
clearly in Figure 2) and this cover or flange receives the ends of the shafts 1) and E
and also receives in a suitable recess bosses F G¹. These bosses are keyed respec-
tively to the shafts D and E and have formed integral with them flanges one on
each-shaft which carry annular pistons G and the piston F working in the
cylinder B and the piston G working in the cylinder C. Formed within the casing
cover is an explosion chamber O which leads by two ports O and O", in the first
instance into the cylinder B, and in the second instance into the cylinder C
Within this explosion or combustion chamber there are placed wires Q and Q³,
the said wires being insulated by a suitable fastening and forming a spark gap at
their inner ends in the chamber, while at their outer ends they are connected up
to a dynamo R¹ by brushes R a suitable cam being interposed so that at the
required times high tension sparks will pass across the spark gap and ignite the
mixture. The annular pistons F and G are arranged as segments having their.
exterior surfaces of approximately half a circle and the outer or rubbing surfaces
are arranged as a sliding fit within the casing so that they may be practically gas-
tight and prevent leakage from one space to the other.
The cycle of operations of the herein before described mechanism is, best seen by
reference more particularly to Figures 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 of the accompanying
drawings. The port or passage N communicates with a supply valve of any well
known kind providing the inflammable mixture of air and hydro-carbon vapour or
gas while the port or passage N¹ is an exhaust or eduction one. The arrows on
the figures illustrate the direction of rotation of the pistons F and G and the respec-
tive relative position of these pistons during one complete cycle of operations is
successively shown in the drawings.
In Figure 6, the rear end of the piston F is advancing and beginning to uncover.
the port
and draw in fresh mixture while the front end of the piston F is com-
pressing mixture that has already been drawn in between it and the piston G.
The flange P which forms portion of the boss F during this stage of the operations
covers the port O¹, the port Ou leading into the chamber 0 being at this period
uncovered.
Referring to Figure 7 the pistons F and G are still advancing in the same
directions the rear end of the piston F drawing in fresh mixture through N and the
front end of the piston F compressing the mixture between it and the piston G.
At or about this point the port O¹ is being uncovered by the edge P1 of the flange P
while the port O is newly covered by the side of the annular piston G. Simul-
taneously with this operation the exhaust passage N' is opened and the spent or
burnt mixture is gradually. town out by the advance of the piston G.
Referring to Figure 8,--the continued rotation of the pistons F and G takes
place and the rear end of the piston F is still drawing in combustible mixture while
its front end has compressed all the mixture in that portion into the combustion
chamber O, the port 01 being at or about this point shut off by the edge P¹ of the
flange P, the passage ou is still closed by the piston G and the exhaust port N¹ is
still open to the eduction of the spent gases.
Referring to Figure 9, the rotation of the pistons continue in the same direction
with the following results:-Compression of the combustible mixture into the
chamber O has taken place and the suction stroke of the rear side of the piston F
is completed while the port or passage N is closed by one edge of that piston and
the exhausting by the piston G through the passage N¹ is nearly terminated.
At or

page_text: about this point, the rear end of the piston G uncovers the port 011 and simul-
taneously with this the cam and ignition device operate causing a spark to fire the
explosive mixture contained in the combustion chamber O while the port O¹ is of
course still closed by the flange P.
Referring to Figure 10,--the pistons are shown about the completion of the
working stroke, the explosive mixture issues out through the port Ou into the
cylinder C expanding rapidly and giving the required impulse to the piston G.
This completes one cycle of the operations of the motor, and the pistons G and F
are now in the first or starting position hereinbefore described with reference to
Figure 6.
As a means of cooling the casing in lieu of the ordinary water jacket it is pre-
fered to arrange circular and radiating ribs such as A around the outer surfaces
of that casing and it is to be clearly understood that the working fluid of this motor
may be suitably varied, and that the arrangements of ports and passages with the
position of the external combustion chamber may be also varied and all without
departing from the subject of the present invention.
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. In rotary motors actuated by the explosion of a mixture of hydro-carbon
vapour and air, or like fluids, the provision of a double cylinder casing in which two
annular pistons geared together move synchronously, and in opposite directions,
and are so constructed that one piston sucks in fresh mixture upon one side from
an external port which its motion governs, and compresses the fresh mixture upon
the other side into an external combustion chamber by means of a port governed
by the rotation of the piston, while the second piston is actuated by the explosion
of the compressed mixture upon one side, the said mixture being ignited at the
proper time in the external combustion chamber and admitted therefrom by a port
which the motion of this piston governs; while the other side of this second piston:
expels the spent gases through a port in the casing which the motion of this piston
also governs all substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
2. The improvements in rotary motors substantially as and' for the purposes
herein before described with reference-to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of February 1898.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.