Improvements in Rotary Steam Engines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 17th Oct., 1896
[Communicated from abroad by KER. D. DUNLOP, of Sibley, County of Osceola
and State of Iowa, United States of America.]
Improvements in Rotary Steam Engines.
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 an improvement in rotary steam engines and more
particularly to such as employ reciprocating pistons,-the object of the invention
being to produce an engine which shall be so constructed and arranged as to be
compact and at the same time possess a high degree of efficiency.
A further object is to construct a rotary steam engine in such manner that a
comparatively small amount of steam need be employed for actuating it and
causing it to exert considerable power.
A further object is to produce a rotary steam engine which shall be simple in
construction; occupy a small amount of space and one which shall be effectual, in
all respects, in the performance of its functions.
With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of
construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as hereinafter set forth
and pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a sectional view illustrating our invention;
Figure 2 is a cross section;
Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, are views illustrating details.
A represents an engine bed and B a casing mounted thereon and adapted to
enclose the engine. The frame of the engine proper, comprises two wheels or
rings 1, 2, connected together and properly spaced apart by means of a series of
connecting rods or bars 3. The wheel I is made with a hub through which the
end of a shaft 4 partially projects and to said shaft the hub of the said wheel 1 is
secured by means of screws 4 or in any other suitable manner. The shaft 4 is
mounted in bearings 4 at the top of a standard 5, and in bearings 4* secured to
one end of the casing B.
The wheel 2 is mounted loosely on a fixed shaft 6, the outer end of which is
secured to a bracket 6 secured to the casing B. To the inner end of the fixed
shaft 6 a disk 7 is keyed and separated from the wheel 2 by means of a washer 7.
A short shaft 8 is mounted in the hub of the wheel 1, its outer end abutting
against the inner end of the revoluble shaft 4, and on the inner end of said short
shaft a disk 9, similar to the disk 7 is keyed and separated from the whee! 1 by
means of a washer 7. The disks 7, 9, at points immediately over the shafts 6, 8,
are made with perforations 10 for the reception of the respective ends of a crank
arm or pin 11 which are secured in said perforations by means of set screws 11".
Thus it will be seen that the wheels 1, 2, of the engine frame are revolubly
mounted and that the disks 7, 9, and the crank arm 11 carried thereby are fixed
for a purpose hereinafter explained.
Each ring 1, 2, of the engine frame, is made with a series of perforated bosses or
enlargements for the reception of the trunnions 12, 13, of a series of oscillatory

page_text: cylinders 14, there being preferably four of such cylinders provided, and each
having a single head. The trunnion 12 of each cylinder may be made solid as
shown in Figure 3, but the trunnion 13 is made tubular to form a duct a, which
communicates at one end with a duct & leading into the rear or outer end of the
cylinder. A pipe 15 is connected with each tubular trunnion 13 by means of a
uuion or expansion joint 16, and with ench of said pipes 15 one end of a smaller
pipe 17 communicates. The other end of each pipe 17 communicates with ducts.
in a casting or block 18, which, in effect, constitutes a steam chest.
The easting 18 is mounted loosely on the fixed shaft G and provided with
perforated lugs e adapted to align with similar lugs e ou arms C on the wheel 2,
and through these lugs, bolts C are passed, whereby to secure the casting or
steam chest 18 to the frame of the engine and cause it to rotate therewith. The
casting or steam chest 18 is made with a series of four angular ducts 19, one end of
each duct being made to communicate with one of the small pipes 17 leading to
the hollow trunnions of the cylinders, whereby to conduct live steam to the latter
or exhaust steam therefrom as the engine revolves,-the inlet and outlet of steam
being controlled by means of a valve 20. The valve 20 is made in the form of a
block or casting and is secured to the fixed shaft 6, one end of said valve or block
being made to enter a recess 21 in the casting or steam chest 18. The block or
valve 20 is made at diametrically opposite points with ducts 21, 22, which com-
municate at one end in semi-circular slots 23, 24, respectively, made in the inner
face of the said block or valve 20. With the duct 21 a live steam inlet pipe 25
communicates and with the duct 22 and exhaust steam pipe 26 is connected. From
this construction and arrangement of parts it will be seen that as the engine
revolves, the steam chest or casting 18 will revolve with it and the valve 20 will
remain stationary, so that as the ends of the ducts 19 pass the slot 23 in the valve,
live steam will be caused to pass to the pistons successively, and as said ducts 19
pass the slot 24 in the valve, the exhaust from the successive cylinders will be
permitted to escape.
Within each eylinder a piston 27 is located and to each piston one end of a
piston rod 29 is secured, each piston rod being made angular in form, viz., com-
prising arins or members f, g, projecting at an angle from each other, so that when
the engine is in operation the cylinders will be disposed at an angle or be inclined
in the direction of rotation of the engine when live steam enters between the
cylinder head and piston. A sleeve 29 is mounted loosely on the crank arm or
pin 11 and between its ends is provided with perforated flanges 30 to which the
arms or members g of three of the piston rods 28 are pivotally connected. The
'arm or member g of the fourth piston rod is made with a screw threaded shank h
to enter a screw threaded boss i projecting from the sleeve 29.
It is evident that when steam is admitted in a cylinder between the head thereof
and the piston, the pressure of the steam will tend to force the cylinder and pistons.
in opposite directions and as the pistons are connected with the fixed crank arm 11,
the cylinder will be forced forward, carrying the revoluble frame with it, and on
account of the angular form of the piston rod, the cylinder will oscillate so that its
head will be projected in the direction of rotation of the engine. The various
cylinders and pistons will act, successively, in this manner and cause the continuous
rotation of the frame in which the cylinders are mounted, the steam being supplied
to and exhausted from said cylinders in the manner hereinbefore explained. It is
evident that as the frame in which the cylinders are mounted, revolves, and that
as the crank arm with which the pistons are connected, is stationary, the revolution
of the said frame will cause the necessary reciprocatory motion of the pistons
relatively to the cylinders. The valve mechanisin above described is so arranged
that the cylinders will take steam at upper center and exhaust when it passes lower
center of crank.
In an engine constructed and arranged as above described, having a capacity of
15 horse power the piston movement is two and a half inches.
Thus an engine with four or six inch cylinders; seven inch leverage and two

page_text: and a half inches piston movement, only requires three-fourths of an inch steam
pipe and will develop 15 horse power. My improved engine has no dead centers
and is effectual in all respects in the performance of its functions.
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 correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:
1st. In a rotary steam engine the combination with a revoluble frame and a
fixed crank, of a series of oscillatory cylinders mounted in said frame, a piston in
each cylinder, a piston rod connected with each piston, a sleeve mounted loosely on
the crank having flanges, a socketed boss on said sleeve, and a crank on one of
the piston rods to enter said socketed boss, the other piston rods being pivotally
connected with said flanges, substantially as set forth.
2nd. In a rotary steam engine, the combination with a revoluble frame com-
prising two rings connected together, of a shaft secured to one of said rings, a
fixed shaft on which the other ring is loosely mounted, a disk secured to the fixed
shaft, a short shaft mounted loosely in said first-mentioned ring, a crank arm
secured at its ends to said disks, a sleeve on the crank arm, cylinders carried by
the revoluble frame, pistons in said cylinders and connections between said pistons
and the sleeve on the crank arm, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 11th day of August 1896.
HASELTINE LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant