Improvements in Rotary Motors for Driving Washing or other Machinery.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 9th June, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 10th Oct., 1896--Accepted, 20th Feb., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Motors for Driving Washing or other
Machinery.
1, JAMES MCALLISTER of 7 Rupert Street, Great Western Road, Glasgow,.
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in and connected with rotary
motors, which can be operated by steam or other fluid pressure, and be used for
driving washing or other machinery.
The invention is specially adapted for washing machines.
In carrying out my invention I use a wheel having a series of radial paddles or
arms and this wheel is secured. to a driving shaft. The driving shaft is carried
in bearings in a casing which conforms to the shape of the wheel and encloses
it. The casing is preferably made in two parts secured together and having
their internal faces ground so that the paddles may work fluid tight against
them. The central part of the wheel is either made solid like a disc or with
spokes and it has or may have a thickened rim or edge which works tight in the
casing.
The hub of the wheel is preferably passed through a stuffing box in the
casing.
Two fluid pressure inlets are or may be provided one at each side of the casing,
and these inlets are or may be made so as to taper away gradually until they
reach about the depth of the casing. An exhaust outlet is preferably made at
the bottom of the casing.
3
In the case of an ordinary direct driving motor only one fluid pressure inlet is
necessary but in the case of washing machines where it is desirable to reverse the
direction of rotation at intervals, two inlets are necessary.
The shaft has a pinion on it which gears with a spur wheel fitted on or connected
to or with the rotating part of the washing machine so as to rotate it.
Instead of rotating the washing machine by spur gearing it can be driven
by rope, belt, worm or other gearing and if desired the pinion can be made to
drive an internally or externally toothed. wheel fitted on to the casing of the
washing machine or its inner basket or cylinder or to a shaft connected to either
of these.
It is desirable to cause the washing machine to rotate alternately a number of
revolutions in each direction-this is accomplished by reversing the action of the
motor at the proper times by automatically acting valve mechanism which I will
now describe.
The mechanism consists of a fluid pressure cock or valve, preferably two way,
whose spindle or plug bas two arms on it one provided with a counter weight and
the other coupled to a vertical rod provided with stops. This rod has at its lower
end a cam plate or its equivalent made preferably with a triangular opening in it in
which works a pin fitted in or in connection with a wheel driven off the axle.
arrangement is such that the revolutions of the axle cause the rod to rise and fall
and thereby turn the cock or valve back and forward so as to admit fluid pressure
first to one inlet and then to the other.
The
The stops allow the rod to move a certain distance before acting on the cock or
volve

page_text: The whole mechanism is, in the case of a washing machine, preferably, bolted to
its casing.
If desired the rotary motor may be fitted up inside the washing machine only
the end of the shaft or axle being left projecting to work the automatic valve
gear.
If desired I may convert the end of the inside rotating shell of the washing
machine into the motor, the valve gearing being operated from the end of axle.
In this case a Ramsbottom ring would be sprung on top of the inner shell to keep
the wheel fluid tight.
When the motor is made to drive in one direction only, it is necessary to use a
simple through fluid pressure cock or valve without the reversing gear.
Dated this 8th day of June 1896.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70 Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Motors for Driving Washing or other
Machinery.
I, JAMES MCALLISTER of 7 Rupert Street, Great Western Road, Glasgow,
Engineer, 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 certain improvements in and connected with rotary
motors, which can be operated by steam or other fluid pressure and be used for
driving washing or other machinery.
The invention is specially adapted for washing machines.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I have hereunto
appended three explanatory sheets of drawings which show, by way of example, the
invention as adapted for a washing machine.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the motor.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the motor.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the motor.
Fig. 4 shows vertical cross sections of the casing of the motor.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged side and front view showing the method of fitting the
arms,, to the plug of the cock l.
Fig. 6 is a front view of the rotary wheel or piston.
Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the same.
Fig. 8 is a horizontal section of the cock.
Fig. 9 is a section and Fig. 10 a front view showing a method of fitting the
vanes.
Fig. 104 shows a modified arrangement of the vanes.
Fig. 11 is a reduced view showing a method of gearing the inside shell or basket
of a washing machine with the rotary motor.
Fig. 12 is another reduced view showing a different arrangement.
Referring to the drawings whereon the same reference letters wherever repeated
indicate the same or similar parts.
In carrying out my invention I use a wheel a having a series of radial paddles
or vanes 6 preferably of disc shape as shown. The wheel a is secured to a driving
shaft c which is carried in bearings c' c, in a casing d which conforms to the shape
of the wheel and encloses it. This casing is, preferably, made in two parts d', d³,
as shown at Fig. 4, secured together and having their internal faces e, e', ground

page_text: so that the vanes and the wheel disc can work fluid tight against them.
The central part of the wheel, as shown at Figs. 6 and 7, is, preferably made
solid like a disc although it may be made with radial spokes and it has a thickened
rim, a', which works tight against the faces e of the casing. The hub a' of the
wheel is passed through a stuffing box / in the casing and it has keyed on its outer
end a worm g.
Two fluid pressure inlets, or ports A, i, are provided, one at each side of the
casing, and these inlets, as shown, are made to taper away gradually from the part
to the point y. The ports increase in diameter from the part z to the part .
A single exhaust port is provided at the bottom of the casing and the port, as
shown, gradually tapers from its largest diameter at j' to its smallest diameter at j.
If desired the inner surface of the casing may be cut away along the dotted lines,
towards the outlet.
Bolted to the inlet branches of the casing is the barrel of a two way cock
of which is the steam or other fluid pressure inlet, one outlet and the
other outlet. m is the plug of the cock and m' an arched or curved passage
therein,
As it is desirable, in washing machines, to cause the inner basket or shell to
rotate alternately a number of revolutions in each direction I accomplish this, in
my machine, by reversing the direction of rotation of the motor at the proper
times by means of automatically acting valve mechanism which I will now
describe.
Fitted to the spindle of the two way cock I are two arms 1, , at, or about,
right angles to each other. The arm is provided with an adjustable weight l
whilst the arm is coupled by a sleeve to the vertical rol o. This rod o, which
is provided with stops o¹ o2 and 03 on it, has, near its lower end, a cam plate p or
its equivalent, made with a triangular opening p' and also with a recess p in it.
The corners of the triangular opening are rounded as shown. q and q¹ are
respectively guide brackets for the upper and lower parts of the rod o.
Meshing with the teeth of the worm g at the end of the wheel hub a2 is a worm
wheel fitted on one end of a short shaft carried in a bearing bracket.
At the opposite end of the shaft r¹ is a disc provided with a pin which works
in the triangular opening of the cam plate p aforesaid.
sare lugs by means of which the casing d can be easily bolted to the outer
casing of the washing machine.
As will be seen, at Fig. 2, the axle e of the wheel a passes through the easing
of the washing machine and is provided with a pinion s at its end which gears
with an internally toothed spur wheel fixed to the revolving inside shell or
basket of the washing machine as shown at Fig. 11.
It will be noted from Fig. 5 that the spindle of the plug of the cock is cut
out at t and that a key passed through the collar of the arms 1, 1 fits loosely
into said cut out part-a clear space being left at either side. The object of this
arrangement will be explained' bereafter. is a pin for locking the key t¹ in
place.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
The cock is first opened and steam or other pressure fluid is admitted to, say,
the passage and port whereupon the steam gains access to the vanes 6 at the
left hand side of the wheel and acts thereon forcing the wheel to revolve in the
direction of the arrow 1. The steam escapes through the exhaust port j.
The revolution of the wheel causes the shaft or axle c. to revolve and puts in
motion the inner shell or basket s (Fig. 11). The motion of the wheel also causes
the worm g to actuate the wheel r and disc with its pin which latter is caused
to travel in the opening p' of the cam plate p until it reaches the bottom of the
triangular space (Fig. 2) when it gradually forces down the eam plate with its
rod o until eventually the cam is forced down so far that the pin, after travelling
the inclined plane at the bottom of the cam regains its place in the recess p² and is
at a point almost diametrically opposite, on the disc, from that shown at Fig. 2.

page_text: By this time, however, the rod o has been moved so far down and has pulled the
arm down to such an extent that the weighted arm is over the vertical position
so that it, of a sudden, by its own gravity falls over to the right (Fig. 1) until the
sleeve is caught by the stop o². This movement of the arm causes the plug
of the cock to move roimd so far that steam is cut off from the passage and is
supplied to the passage and port i thereby acting on the vanes b at the right
hand side of the wheel a and causing the latter to revolve in a reverse direction
i.e. in the direction of the arrow 2 (Fig. 3). The reverse action of the motor of
course reverses the motion of the washing machine and also reverses the action
of the worm and worm wheel r whereby its pin is caused to travel in a reverse
direction and after traversing the space pl to act on the upper inclined face of the
cam and thereby gradually force it and the rod o upwards until the parts are
again in such a position that the weighted arm again falls over, this time towards
the left as at Fig. 1, and steam is readmitted to the port h so as to cause the
wheel a 'to again reverse its direction of motion. The parts are, preferably, so
arranged that this reversal of the motion of the wheel a takes place, by preference,
at every 12 revolutions of the washing machine.
When the arm is at the vertical position the engine is at its "dead point" and
in order to overcome this point 1 have made the arrangement shown at Fig. 5,
that is, I have cut out the part in the spindle of the plug the cock so that the
weighted arm is never allowed to remain in a vertical or balanced position but is
always slightly inclined to one side or other.
Figs. 9 and 10 show a convenient method of fitting the vanes 6 to the disc
wheel a. The wheel a is made with radial jaws a, as, between which the discs b
are inserted. A piece is cut out of each disc b as indicated in dotted lines and
this cut out part fits on a rib a left between the jaws as indicated in dotted lines.
This arrangement permits of the easy removal of the discs for repair or to be
replaced by others.
Fig. 104 shows a simpler arrangement wherein the jaw a is made removable,
being secured by studs a to the wheel rim and jaw a. The jaw a' is recessed
at a for the reception of 'a removable ring a" which forms the edge of the vane
and can be taken out and replaced when desired.
of
In Figs. 9, 10 and 10 the wheel a is shown as provided with packing rings a', a.
Fig. 12 shows an arrangement wherein the rotary motor is fitted within the
casing of a washing machine. In this case the end of the inside shell
the washing machine has a wheel a with vanes 6 fitted to it. A Ramsbottom
ring is sprung on top of the inside shell to keep the wheel steam tight. The
shafte is extended out through the outer casing in order to operate the automatic
reversing gear.
If desired the motor and its casing, as at Figs. 1 and 2, can be fitted within the
wasbing machine, the end of the driving shaft or axle being left projecting in
order to work the automatic valve gear.
The rotary motor can be used for driving other machines besides washing
machines, and, in cases where a drive in one direction only is required, a simple
supply and cut off valve or cock of any well known construction is used instead
of the two way cock and the automatic reversing gear is, of course, dispensed with.
The casing d will, also, of course, in this case be only provided with one inlet port
and one exhaust port.
The parts of the machine can be modified or altered without departing from the
principle of the invention.
The exhaust steam from the motor may be conducted to the washing machine.
With this invention belts and gearing are dispensed with.
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 consider
novel and desire to claim is :-
1. The combination with a washing machine of a rotary motor fitted thereto and

page_text: capable of revolving the inner shell or basket of the washing machine alternately
in different directions, substantially as herein before set forth.
2. In combination, a washing machine, a rotary motor fitted thereto for operating
the machine and automatic reversing gear for reversing the direction of rotation
of the motor and washing machine, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
3. The construction of rotary motor substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to the drawings annexed.
4. The automatic reversing gear, substantially as herein before described and
shown on the drawings annexed.
Dated this 8th day of October 1896.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70 Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.