Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 30th June, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 26th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 5th June, 1897
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to rotary fluid pressure motors and is embodied in a rotary
steam engine having two or more pairs of parallel cylinders the openings in which
intersect or overlap, and a pair or pairs of shafts corresponding to said cylinders,
each having a piston carrier and piston thereon within its cylinder whereby it is
actuated, the said shafts being geared together so as to rotate in unison so that all
of the said piston carriers rotate at an equal angular velocity. The invention
consists mainly in a novel arrangement of the induction and exhaust ports in
combination with the cylinders and pistons thereon as hereinafter described, but
also includes certain details of construction which will be hereinafter stated.
With the arrangement of parts embodied in my invention, fluid pressure, as that
of steam, is utilized through the greatest possible length of stroke, while the
mechanical arrangement is such as to produce the greatest efficiency and at the
same time make the apparatus compact and the parts thereof readily accessible for
inspection or repairs.
The engine embodying the invention is a compound engine, two or more pairs of
cylinders being arranged preferably one pair above another and connected by ports
through which the steam exhausts from one pair to the next, live steam being
admitted to one connected pair of cylinders and acting upon the pistons therein
during more than three-quarters of a rotation of the shafts driven thereby, and
then being exhausted into the next pair of eylinders which are of greater diameter
than the first pair and thus contain a proportionately larger steam space and piston
area so that the steam exhausting from the first pair of cylinders expands in the
next pair thus producing a compound engine; and any desired number of such
pairs of cylinders may be used to permit the required amount of expansion of the
steam in passing through the series. As herein described three such pairs of
cylinders are used, thus affording triple expansion of the steam which is finally
exhausted from the last pair.
In each pair of cylinders and connected with the main shaft are two hubs or solid
piston carriers of the same length as the cylinders in which they work but of less
diameter, being of a diameter equal to the distance between the axes of the shafts
so that the peripheries of the said piston carriers just touch each other but bave a
rolling contact upon each other in the rotation of the pistons and shafts. Each
piston carrier is provided with a single piston projecting from its periphery across
the space between the periphery of the piston carrier and the inner surface of the
cylinder, and each piston carrier has adjacent to the piston thereon a recess which
receives the piston on the other piston carrier as the pistons pass each other in the

page_text: rotation of the shafts, the said pistons of each pair thus intermeshing like the teeth
of a gear.
Steam is admitted to the cylinders at one side of the point of contact of the
piston carriers, for example above, and is exhausted therefrom at the opposite side
of the point of contact, that is, below, and the said piston carriers thus constitute
an abutment to confine the steam so that it acts upon the radially projecting pistons
and drives them around in the annular space between the piston carriers and
cylinders, being exhausted when the pistons pass the outlet port.
The piston carriers are so arranged that the pistons in each succeeding cylinder
of the series pass the induction port of their own pair of cylinders at substantially
the time when the pistons in the preceding cylinder pass their exhaust port, and
after the exhaust port is thus passed, the annular space around the piston carriers
of the preceding pair of cylinders is open from their inlet to their exhaust ports
since there is but one piston on each carrier, and these pistons at that period of the
stroke are passing each other at the middle of the cylinders.
Thus taking, for example, the first and second pairs of the series it will be seen
that during the first portion of the revolution of the piston carriers in the second
cylinders, live steam is admitted directly thereto, after which the pistons in the
first cylinders pass their induction port, acting practically as a cut off for those in
the second cylinders, which are then operated for the remainder of their stroke
by the expansion of the live steam already admitted together with the exhaust from
the first cylinder.
By means of a novel arrangement of the induction and exhaust ports the pistons
in each pair of cylinders are caused to take steam simultaneously and the general
arrangement of the engine is such that it is practicable to make all the cylinders
of a single casting, the induction and exhaust, ports consisting of passages in said
casting, while the cylinder heads consist of plates covering the ends of the cylinders
thus greatly simplifying the construction of the engine and reducing the expense of
construction.
The invention further consists in novel means for packing the pistons, and in
accordance there with the pistons are provided with packing blades each having a
cylindrical shank which enters a corresponding bore or socket in the piston, so that
the said packing blade has a pivotal or swivelling connection with the piston and.
may be forced by the steam pressure against the surface of the bore of the cylinder.
The bearing socket in the piston extends more than half way around the cylindrical
shank of the packing blade so that the latter while having a free pivotal movement
through a sufficient angle cannot be thrown radially from the piston while passing
through the space where the bore of the cylinder is interrupted.
It is also necessary to have a substantially steam tight joint between the ends of
the piston carriers and the inner surfaces of the cylinder heads. In order to
accomplish this without producing undue friction as the piston carriers rotate and
at the same time to allow for any inequalities of expansion of the said parts when
heated, each piston carrier is divided into two parts, the outer ends of said parts
being seated against the inner surfaces of the cylinder heads while the inner ends
thereof are adjacent to each other but separated by an annular disk of yielding
material preferably asbestos. In the said inner surface are cut annular grooves
thus making a series of V-shaped projections the apexes of which are opposed to
each other, but separated by the yielding disk which forms a steam tight joint.
The two portions are thus held firmly in contact with the cylinder head while the
disk of yielding material allows them to come together somewhat under pressure
caused by variation in expansion or otherwise so that it is impossible for the piston
carriers to bind between the cylinder heads. The said piston carriers are secured
to the shaft by means of a spline or splines, and are secured to each other as by
means of dowel pins.
That portion of the invention which consists in the arrangement of the port
openings relative to the piston and in the details of construction of the piston
packing and means for seating the ends of the piston carriers upon the cylinder

page_text: heads so as to form a practically steam tight joint without undue friction may be
embodied in an engine having only a single pair of cylinders and pistons adapted
to operate properly therein.
Dated this 30th day of June 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Rotary Fluid Pressure Motors.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
My invention relates to rotary fluid-pressure motors and is embodied in a rotary
steam-engine having two or more pairs of parallel cylinders the openings in which
intersect or overlap, and a pair or pairs of shafts corresponding to said cylinders,
each having a piston-carrier and piston thereon within its cylinder whereby it is
actuated, the said shafts being geared together so as to rotate in unison, so that all
of the said piston-carriers rotate at an equal angular velocity.
The invention consists mainly in a novel arrangement of the induction and
exhaust ports, in combination with the cylinders and pistons thereon, as hereinafter
described, and also in certain details of construction which will be hereinafter fully
set forth.
With the arrangement of parts embodied in my invention, fluid-pressure, as that
of steam, is utilized through the greatest possible length of stroke, while the
mechanical arrangement is such as to produce the greatest efficiency and at the
same time make the apparatus compact and the parts thereof readily accessible for
inspection or repairs.
The engine embodying the invention is a compound engine, two or more pairs of
cylinders being arranged, preferably one pair above another and connected by
ports through which the steam exhausts from one pair to the next, live steam being
admitted to one connected pair of cylinders and acting upon the pistons therein
during more than three-quarters of a rotation of the shaft driven thereby, and
then being exhausted into the next pair of cylinders, which are of greater diameter
than the first pair, and thus contain a proportionately larger steam-space and
piston area, so that the steam exhausting from the first pair of cylinders expands
in the next pair, thus producing a compound engine; and any desired number of
such pairs of cylinders may be used to permit the required amount of expansion of
the steam in passing through the series. As herein shown, three such pairs
of cylinders are used, thus affording triple expansion of the steam, which is finally
exhausted from the last pair. In each pair of cylinders and connected with the
main shaft are two hubs or solid piston-carriers of the same length as the cylinders
in which they work but of less diameter, being of a diameter equal to the distance
between the axes of the shafts, so that the peripheries of the said piston-carriers
just touch each other but have a rolling contact upon each other in the rotation
of the pistons and shafts. Each single piston-carrier is provided with a piston
projecting out from its periphery across the space between the periphery of the
piston-carrier and the inner surface of the cylinder, and each piston-carrier has
adjacent to the piston thereon a recess which receives the piston on the other
piston-carrier as the pistons pass each other in the rotation of the shafts, the said

page_text: pistons of each pair thus intermeshing like the teeth of a gear. Steam is admitted
to the cylinders at one side of the point of contact of the piston-carrier, for
example, above, and is exhausted therefrom at the opposite side of the point of
contact, that is, below, and the said piston-carriers thus constitute an abutinent to
confine the steam so that it acts upon the radially-projecting pistons and drives
them around in the annular space between the piston-carriers and cylinders, being
exhausted when the pistons pass the outlet-port.
The piston-carriers arc so arranged that the pistons in each succeeding cylinder
of the series pass the induction-port of their own pair of cylinders at substantially
the time when the pistons in the preceding cylinder pass their exhaust-port, and
after the exhaust-port is thus passed the annular space around the piston-carriers
of the preceding pair of cylinders is open from their inlet to their exhaust ports,
since there is but one piston on each carrier, and these pistons at that period of
the stroke are passing each other at the middle of the cylinders. Thus taking,
for example, the first and second pairs of the series, it will be seen that during
the first portion of the revolution of the piston-carriers in the second cylinders live
steam is admitted directly thereto, after which the pistons in the first cylinders
pass their induction-port, acting practically as a cut-off for those in the second
cylinders, which are then operated for the remainder of their stroke by the
expansion of the live steam already admitted, together with the exhaust from the
first cylinder.
By means of a novel arrangement of the induction and exhaust ports the pistons
in each pair of cylinders are caused to take steam simultaneously, and the general
arrangement of the engine is such that it is practicable to make all the cylinders of
a single casting, the induction and exhaust ports consisting of passages in said
casting, while the cylinder-heads consist of plates covering the ends of the cylinders,
thus greatly simplifying the construction of the engine and reducing the expense of
construction.
That portion of the invention which consists in the arrangement of the port-
openings relative to the pistons and in the details of construction of the piston-
packing and means for seating the ends of the piston-carriers upon the cylinder-heads,
FO as to form a practically steam-tight joint without undue friction, may be
embodied in an engine having only a single pair of cylinders and pistons adapted
to operate properly therein.
Figure 1 is an end elevation of a rotary engine embodying this invention.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the center of the engine, showing the
arrangement of the cylinders, ports, and pistons.
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of one of the shafts and piston-carriers, showing
the means whereby the ends of the said piston-carriers are held in contact with the
cylinder-heads; and
Fig. 5 is a detail in plan showing the means for supporting and adjusting the
shaft-bearings.
The engine comprises a series of pairs of cylinders A A 2 B B2 C C 2, herein
shown as three in number, the bores or spaces of the two cylinders of each pain
overlapping or intersecting, as best shown in Fig. 3. Passing longitudinally
through the said pairs of cylinders are pairs of shafts a a 2bb2, and c c 2, the said
shafts being concentric with their respective cylinders and extending through the
heads thereof, the ends of the said shafts being mounted in suitable bearings
outside of the cylinders. Each pair of shafts is geared together by means of gear
wheels a 3, 63, and c 3, respectively, while the upper right-hand shaft a 2 is geared
to the middle left-hand shaft 6 by means of a gear a 4 on the shaft a 2 and th
gear 4 on the shaft. The lower right-hand shaft c2 is also geared to the
shaft by means of the gear-wheels c4, so that all of the said shafts rotat
simultaneously and at equal angular speed, while power may be taken from any o
them as desired, preferably from the shaft b. The gears are all shown in Fig.
at one end of the machine, but it is obvious that part of them may be placed a

page_text: the opposite end, if desired, such an arrangement being preferable in practice.
Each shaft has keyed upon it a cylindrical piston-carrier e equal in length to the
length of the cylinder in which it works, but of less diameter than the bore of the
said cylinder, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to leave an annular space between the piston-
carrier and the inner surface of the cylinder, the diameters of said piston-carriers
being equal to the distance between the axes of their respective shafts, so that the
peripheries of each pair of piston-carriers just touch with a rolling contact as the
shafts rotate in the direction of the arrows.
The pairs of cylinders A A 2, B B2, and C C2, as herein shown, are of
gradually-increasing diameter, the cylinders A A 2 being the smallest and the
cylinders C C 2 being the largest, while the cylinders B B2 are intermediate, so
that the steam-space in each succeeding cylinder of the series is larger than in the
preceding one, and the pressure acts at a greater radial diameter from the axis of
the shaft, so that the effective forward pressure due to the expansion of steam
exhausting from the smaller to the larger cylinder exceeds the back pressure
thereof, as is necessary to obtain advantage from compounding. It is preferable,
however, to also increase the piston area in each succeeding cylinder, and to
accomplish this end the piston-carriers in the larger cylinders are, as shown, of
such size that the width of the annular space between their peripheries and the
inner walls of the cylinders is greater than the width of the corresponding space in
the smaller cylinders, the radial length of the pistons being greater and the piston
area consequently larger. Thus the steam passing through the series will work
expansively, as is usual in compound engines. The piston-carriers e are provided,
respectively, each with a single piston f, shown as a plate secured in a recess f2 in
the periphery of the piston-carrier and extending radially outward therefrom
across the annular space between the periphery thereof and the bore of the.
cylinder, said pistons also preferably increasing in size in the consecutive pairs of
cylinders as shown and above mentioned, in proportion to the diameters of the
piston-carriers and cylinders, so that the proper increase of piston area is afforded
for successive expansions.
"
"
The recesses 2 are arranged to register with one another in the rotation of the
piston-carriers with the connected shafts, and the said recesses are wider than
the thickness of the piston-blades, one of which is set at the forward side of the
recess in its piston-carrier, while the other is set at the rear side of the recess in its
carrier, using the terms "forward and << rear in relation to the direction of
rotary movement of the periphery of the piston-carrier. Thus the recess 2 of each
piston-carrier is in proper position to receive the projecting portion of the
piston of the other carrier as the pistons pass through the place where the
piston carriers adjoin one another in the rotation of the said piston-carriers.
Steam is admitted to the first or high pressure cylinders A A 2 through an
inlet-port g, Fig. 3, arranged to be connected with the steam-supply pipe, the said
port opening through the side of the cylinder A 2 at a point above the meeting-line
of the piston-carriers e and adjacent to the point of intersection between the two
cylinders. The intermeshing pistons are so arranged that that on the right-hand
piston-carrier travels in advance of that on the left-hand piston-carrier, the recess
in the right-hand piston carrier being behind the piston, while that in the left-hand
piston-carrier is in front of the piston thereon. If, therefore, the induction-port
opened directly at the point of intersection with the cylinders the right-hand piston
would pass the mouth of the same port before the left-hand piston has reached it,
thus causing back pressure upon the said left-hand piston. By the arrangement
berein shown, however as indicated in Fig. 3, the left-hand piston reaches the
left-hand edge of the induction-port at the same time that the right-hand piston
reaches the right-hand edge thereof, so that the steam thus entering passes into the
annular space between the piston-carrier and cylinder and bears simultaneously
upon the radially-projecting pistons fand tends to force them around in the said
space and produce rotation of the shafts and piston-carriers in the direction
of the arrows shown in Fig. 3, the piston-carriers themselves, by their

page_text: engagement with one another on a line adjoining the axes of the shafts,
constituting an abutment which confines the steam, so that it presses effectively
on the pistons.
The outlet-port from the first pair of cylinders is below the meeting-line_of_the
piston-carriers therein and is shown as a passage g 2 in the main casting leading
from the cylinder A to the cylinder B 2, the inlet-opening of said passage (i.e., the
exhaust-port opening for the cylinders A A 2) being in the lower right-hand
portion of the cylinder A diagonally opposite the mouth of the main induction-
port and adjacent to the point of intersection of the two cylinders. The
exhaust-opening of said cylinders thus bears the same relation to the pistons
therein as that of the main induction-port above described, so that the said
pistons pass the edges of the opening of said port simultaneously after being acted
upon by the steam for somewhat more than three-fourths of a revolution. The
said passage extends from the cylinder A diagonally downward into the
cylinder B 2, which it enters at a point corresponding to the opening of the main
induction-port g in the cylinder A 2, so that the pistons in the cylinders B B2 are
simultaneously acted upou in the same manner as those in the cylinders A. A 2.
When, therefore, the pistons fin the cylinders A A 2 pass the point at which they
are shown in Fig. 3, the connecting-passage 92 is in open communication with the
annular space in said cylinders, so that the steam can exhaust through said passage
into the second pair of cylinders, in which the pistons are so located as to be
adjacent to the mouth of said passage g 2, (which constitutes the inlet-port for the
second pair B B 2 of cylinders,) as shown in Fig. 3, and ready to be acted upon
simultaneously by the steam entering through said passage from the cylinders A A 2.
Thus at the time when the pistons in the first pair of cylinders pass the exhaust-
port thereof and permit the steam to exhaust from the first into the second
pair.of cylinders, the pistons in the second pair are substantially at the beginning
of their annular stroke through the second pair of cylinders and are thus effectively
acted upon by the steam entering from the first pair, and as soon as the shaft is
advanced somewhat less than a quarter-turn from the position shown in Fig. 3 the
pistons in the first pair of cylinders again receive the direct pressure from the
steam entering the said cylinders, or are at the beginning of their stroke with
relation thereto, and are thus carried around by the live steam entering while the
steam in advance of them is being exhausted into the second pair of cylinders, and
acting on the pistons therein to do effective work from its expansion from the
volume occupied in the first to that occupied in the second pair of cylinders, as its
forward or driving pressure in the second pair acts upon a larger piston area than
its back pressure in the first pair. By this arrangement, moreover, the passages
between successive pairs of cylinders are direct and short, thereby affording a
minimum of clearance. It is to be noted, however, that the expansion may also be
effectually used without substantially increasing the piston area in the successive
cylinders, when the said cylinders are of larger diameter than those preceding
them in the series, since, as herein before mentioned, the point at which the pressure
is exerted is at greater radial distance from the shaft in the larger than in the
smaller cylinders, so that the forward pressure acts with greater advantage in
leverage than the back pressure.
When three or more pairs of cylinders are used, as shown, the exhaust from the
second is through a port g 3, connecting said cylinders and standing in the same
relation to the second and third pair of cylinders that the port g2 does to the first
and second, and the pistons in the third pair of cylinders are in the same relation
to the pistons in the second pair that the latter are to the pistons in the first pair,
that is, a portion of a revolution in advance, substantially equal to what is required
to carry the pistons from the exhaust to the inlet ports of the cylinders
corresponding thereto. It will be seen that there is a short interval of time in
which the pistons in the first pair of cylinders are passing from the exhaust-port to
the position at which they again pass the inlet-port opening into said cylinders, in
which interval of time live steam will pass directly around through the first pair

page_text: of cylinders and into the second pair, but as soon as the pistons in the first pair of
cylinders pass the inlet-port thereof they cut off further admission of live steam to
the second pair of cylinders, the pistons in which are then operated solely by
expension of the live steam previously admitted thereto and the exhaust from the
first cylinder. The arrangement is such, inoreover, that when the pistons of the
first cylinder are passing each other, or, in other words, are at that portion
of the stroke during which they are not acted upon by the steam-pressure, the
pistons in the second pair of cylinders are exposed to direct steam-pressure from
the boilers, while those in the third are also in a position to be operated upon by
expansion. Similarly, when the pistons in either of the other pairs of cylinders
are passing their neutral or inoperative position, the remaining pairs are performing
effective work. Thus taking the engine as a whole, there is practically no
dead-point, so that the usual fly-wheel may be dispensed with, and this fact, taken
in connection with the general structure of the engine, makes it especially adapted
for direct connection with the load, this being a desirable feature when the engine
is to be utilized for driving a dynamo, the armature of which may be coupled to
whichever shaft of the engine is to be used as the driving-shaft. The steam is
exhausted from the last pair of the series of cylinders through an exhaust-port g 4,
shown as formed in the lower side of the cylinder C, in a position corresponding
to that of the exhaust-ports of the other cylinders. In this manner the steam may
be used expansively to any extent that is desirable, and finally exhausted into the
air or into a condenser, as is usual in steam-engines.
The pistons fare provided with packing-blades f3, having a cylindrical shank f4,
which enters a corresponding bore or socket in the piston, so that the said
packing-blade has a pivotal or swivelling connection with the piston and may be
forced by the steam-pressure against the surface of the bore of the cylinder. The
bearing-socket in the piston extends more than half-way around the cylindrical
shank of the packing-blade, so that the latter while having a free pivotal
movement through a sufficient angle cannot be thrown radially from the piston
while passing through the space where the bore of the cylinder is interrupted. The
said bearing-socket consists of a recess f5 at the back of the piston f and near the
outer end thereof, which extends to the surface of the cylinder, but is not closely
in contact therewith, so as to produce undue friction. The shank f4 is retained in
the said recess by a supplemental block or portion f6, having at its outer end a
recess portion registering with the recess f5, thus forming a socket extending more
than half around the shank, as above described. The piston fand the supplemental
portion 6, are secured to each other and to the piston-carrier by means of
screws f7 or equivalent fastening devices. Since the piston f is in front of the
packing-blade, as the shaft rotates it is obvious that the said packing-blade cannot
be turned in its socket beyond a perpendicular position with relation to the axis of
the shaft and is firmly seated by the pressure of the steam against the inner surface
of the cylinder, thus forming a steam-tight joint. On the other hand, should the
pressure in front of the piston exceed that behind it, as might be the case in a
double or triple expansion engine when working under less than its full load of
steam, so that the atmospheric pressure exceeds that of the steam when at its
maximum expansion, it is obvious that the packing-blade may become unseated,
since the supplemental portion does not extend beyond the axis of the shaft f4.
The engine can therefore be used to advantage with less than its maximum load,
since the back pressure or false load caused by the expansion of steam to a point at
which its pressure is less than that of the atmospheric pressure is thus avoided, the fit
of the piston-carrier being sufficiently loose or inexact to allow air to pass between
it and the bore of the cylinder, unseating the packing and bringing to a balance
the pressure on opposite sides of the piston. It is also necessary to have a sub-
stantially steam-tight joint between the ends of the piston-carriers and the inner
surfaces of the cylinder-heads. In order to accomplish this without producing.
uudue friction as the piston-carriers rotate and at the same time to allow for any
inequalities of expansion of the said parts when heated, the piston-carrier. is

page_text: divided into two parts e 2 and e 3, Fig. 4, the outer ends of said parts being seated
against the inner surfaces of the cylinder-heads, while the inner ends thereof are
adjacent to each other, but separated by an annular disk e 4 of yielding material,
preferably asbestos. In the said inner surface are cut annular grooves thus
making a series of V-shaped projections e 5, the apexes of which are opposed to
each other, but separated by the yielding disk e 4, which forms a steam-tight
joint. The two portions e 2 e 3 are thus held firmly in contact with the cylinder-
head, while the disk of yielding material allows them to come together somewhat
under pressure caused by variation in expansion or otherwise, so that it is impossible
for the piston-carriers to bind between the cylinder-heads. The said piston-
- carriers are secured to the shaft by means of a spline or splines e 6 (shown in
dotted lines, Fig. 4) and are secured to each other by means of dowel-pins e 7,
which may be fast in one of the parts, but capable of moving longitudinally in
the other, so as to allow the relative movement thereof. The pistons themselves
may be connected together by a sliding connection, such as a spline, or, if desired,
the disk e 4 may be large enough in diameter to extend outward between the
pistons on the respective sections of the piston-carriers, so as to close the space
between the said pistons substantially as the space is closed between the sections
of the piston-carrier. The packing-blade f3f4 is preferably made continuous,
since, it is in itself flexible and therefore will not tend to bind in the cylinder.
The engine is preferably constructed and arranged as best shown in Figs. 1
and 2, and is composed mainly of a single casting h, provided with a base portion
or standards 2, and contains the cylinders A A 2, &c., arranged in pairs, said
cylinders being parallel and preferably one above the other. The shaft-bearings d
are supported upon cross-bars d 2, resting on longitudinal bars d 3, which are
supported on shoulders 3 at the sides of the main casting. The bearings are
provided at the inner sides with bolts or screws d 4, Fig. 5 screwed into one of the
bearings and extending outward therefrom into contact with the adjacent bearing.
The said bearings are thus capable of lateral adjustment by means of the screws
which determine their distance from each other, and after they are in proper
position they are held in place by means of wedges d 5, driven in between the
outer sides of the bearings and projections or lugs d 6 upon the cross-bars d 2, the
said lugs being integral therewith, as shown, or secured thereto by any other
suitable means. After the bearings are in proper position they are finally securel
At the outer ends
by means of cap-screws d8, screwed into the cross-pieces d 2.
of the cylinders are stuffing-boxes i, affording a steam-tight fit for the shafts.
Engines constructed as herein before described are inexpensive, efficient, and
durable, while the parts thereof are few in number and readily accessible. As
the piston-carriers engage each other with a rolling contact only at their
peripheries they are not subjected to wear, but at the same time will insure a
substantially steam-tight contact, while the direction of their rotation is such as to
tend to throw steam on the inlet side away from said contact, so that a very
effective abutment is produced by this construction. The ends of the said piston-
carriers, moreover, being provided with the yielding packing connection, which
forms a part of this invention, are also subjected to but slight wear, and at the
same time form with the cylinder-heads tight joints through which substantially
no steam can escape. This feature, in connection with the novel packing device
for the pistons themselves, and also the arrangement of the induction and exbaust
ports, results in a very economical production of power not heretofore obtained
with any rotary engine known in the art.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination with two or more pairs of cylinders the openings or bores of
each pair of which intersect or overlap, of a pair of cylindrical piston-carriers
for one pair of cylinders, said piston-carriers being of a diameter equal to the

page_text: distance between their axes and each having a single piston and a recess adjacent
thereto; a similar pair of piston-carriers and pistons in each succeeding pair of
cylinders set with the pistons in position to pass the corresponding inlet-port
substantially as those in the preceding pair pass the exhaust-port corresponding
thereto; a connection between the several piston-carriers whereby they rotate in.
unison and maintain the relation above set forth, a connecting-passage between a-
given pair of cylinders and the next, whereby steam is exhausted from the for.ner
to the latter; and an induction-port for the first pair of cylinders and an exhaust-
port for the last pair of cylinders substantially as described.
2. A rotary fluid-pressure engine comprising two or more pairs of intersecting
or overlapping cylinders arranged parallel with one another, the said pairs of
cylinders increasing in diameter from one to another of the series; a pair of shifts:
in the first pair of cylinders having piston-carriers consisting of cylindrical hubs.
each having a single piston extending radially from the outer surface thereof to
the inner surface of the cylinder, and a recess adjacent to said piston; a similar
pair of piston-carriers and pistons in each succeeding pair of cylinders set with
the pistons a portion of a revolution in advance of those in the preceding pair,..
substantially that required to carry any given pair of pistons from the exhaust to
the inlet port of the pair of cylinders in which they operate; a connection
between the several piston-carriers whereby they rotate in unison and maintain.
the relation above set forth, and passages extending from one cylinder of each.
pair to the opposite cylinder of the adjacent pair, and opening in each cylinder at
a point adjacent to the point of intersection of the pair of cylinders; said.
passages constituting exhaust-ports for the cylinders of smaller diameter an
inlet-ports for the cylinders of larger diameter, substantially as described.
3. The combination of a pair of cylinders having a corresponding pair of shafts
and piston-carriers on the said shafts; with pistons on the said carriers extending-
radially outward' therefrom; sockets at the outer end of the said pistons; packing.
blades having cylindrical shanks contained in said sockets, more than one-half the
said shanks being embraced thereby, and the front walls of said sockets being
higher than the rear walls thereof, as and for the purpose described.
4. The combination of a pair of cylinders having a corresponding pair of shafts
and piston-carriers on the said shafts; with pistons on said carriers, and packing-
blades or extensions near the extremity of the said pistons, the said packing blades
having cylindrical shanks working in sockets formed in the rear portion of said
pistons and embracing more than one-half the said shanks, whereby the said blades
are connected with the pistons and capable of pivotal movement with relation
thereto, substantially as described.
5. A rotary fluid-pressure engine consisting of a series of pairs of intersecting
or overlapping cylinders all formed integral and arranged parallel one pair above
another, the heads of said cylinders consisting of plates adapted to cover the ends.
of all of the said cylinders, and ports or passages extending diagonally from the
lower side of one cylinder adjacent to the line of intersection with its mate to the-
upper side of the opposite cylinder of the next pair; in combination with a pair
of shafts in one pair of cylinders having piston-carriers thereon of a diameter
equal to the distance between the axes of said shafts and a single radial piston
for each carrier extending from the surface thereof to the inner wall of the
cylinder, and a recess in each carrier adjacent to the said piston; a similar pair of
piston-carriers and pistons in each succeeding pair of cylinders set with the pistons.
a portion of a revolution in advance of those in the preceding pair, substantially
that required to carry the pistons of any given pair of cylinders from the exhaust
to the inlet port thereof, and a connection between the several shafts whereby the
piston-carriers rotate in unison and the relation above set forth is maintained,..
substantially as described.
6. The combination with a rotary fluid-pressure engine comprising a series of
pairs of cylinders arranged one above another and plates adapted to close the ends
of said cylinders, of supports for the shaft-bearings mounted on shoulders formed.
B

page_text: in the said plates; adjustable separators interposed between the bearings for each
pair of shafts and wedges adapted to secure the bearings in position when properly
adjusted by said separators, substantially as described.
7. In a rotary fluid-pressure engine consisting of a pair or pairs of overlapping
intersecting cylinders and shafts extending longitudinally through the said
cylinders and adapted to rotate therein, the herein-described piston-carriers
consisting of two or more cylindrical hubs or blocks mounted on the said shafts
and connected thereto so as to rotate therewith but free to move longitudinally
thereon, annular V-shaped grooves in the adjacent ends of the said hubs
respectively, and disks of yielding material such as asbestos between the said
hubs and engaged by the portions thereof between the said grooves whereby the
said hubs are separated and the outer ends thereof held in yielding engagement
with the inner surface of the cylinder-heads, as described.
Dated this 26th day of March 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.