Improvements in Rotary Motors and Pumps.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 13th May, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 13th May, 1898-Accepted, 29th Oct., 1898
Improvements in Rotary Motors and Pumps.
I, LOUIS JULES JEAN BAPTISTE LE ROND, of 106, Miromesuil, Paris, in the
Republic of France, Civil 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 a rotary engite which may be used either as a motor or
as a pump.
When used as a motor, the engine may be actuated by steam, compressed air,
hot air, gas, petroleum, water under pressure and, generally, by any fluid susceptible
of exerting a pressure upon a movable wall or slide, or of expanding in a closed
space of variable capacity.
When used as a pump, the said engine being worked by a motor-may serve
cither for the suction or forcing of a liquid, or for compressing a gas, or for creat-
ing a vacuum in a closed space.
The invention is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawing in
which:
Figure 1 is an end elevation of a multiple-expansion motor, in which the dis-
tribution is not illustrated.
Figure represents two parts of the same motor in longitudinal section;
Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section of the same motor, this section being
made through the roller when under pressure.
Figure 4 is a similar section of a motor having only one roller this view serving
for the purpose of explaining the operation; and
Figure 5 is a section through a 'roller having several wings or vanes and several
sets of rollers.
The only object of these few examples is to show that similar modifications con-
stitute by no means different machines, but are merely variations representing
accessory arrangements of parts of the improved engine.
The engine represented in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, is composed of a
number of essential parts as follows:
1. A cylindrical jacket A, permanently connected to the frame and provided with
a series of grooves S which will be hereinafter referred to.
דוס..._D

page_text: 2. A driving shaft (b) lying in the same axis as the cylinder A and supported
for this purpose in bearings formed in the ends of the cylinder A.
3. A movable cylinder or roller B, the outer diameter of which is but very little
smaller than the inner diameter of the jacket A, the said cylinder being keyed upon
the driving shaft (b) or made integral therewith and the axis of which cylinder
lies in the axis of the jacket A and of the shaft b. Under these conditions the
cylinder B will be co-axial with the jacket A, in the interior of which it can turn
freely, and without friction, and with as small amount of play as desired. The
cylinder or roller B is provided with any suitable number of annular grooves or
recesses C C C (at least one) and having the same axis of revolution as the said
cylinder.
4. An upper roller or set of rollers D D D
mounted on the shaft d,
parallel with the driving shaft b. These upper rollers are equal in number to the
recesses C, C¹, C. . . in the lower roller B and are spaced in identically the same
manner, and have very nearly the same profile. The shaft d is supported in bear-
ings of any appropriate type, which are however so arranged that the upper rollers
remain constantly engaged, by adapting themselves exactly within the recesses of
the cylinder or roller 13. Provided always that this engagement can take place,
the profile of the rollers may form any line, either broken or curved. The rollers D,
D, D are connected to the shaft d by any appropriate wedging or keying device
or they may be made integral therewith so as to be rigid with this shaft and partake
of the same rotary motion.
5. A series of slots formed in the cylinder jacket A, in order to enable the
rollers D D D to engage in the recesses C, C, C of the roller B contained in the
said jacket A; the said slots having very nearly the geometrical form and size
necessary for this purpose.
6. A series of wings or vanes E, E¹, E" totally intercepting the recesses C C¹ CHI
along the meridian-planes of the inner cylinder or roller B; and limited by the
virtual surface of the said cylinder.
7. A series of recesses F, provided in the periphery of the rollers D D D and
corresponding to the wings or vanes E, E, E" in such a manner, that when the
roller B and the rollers D, D', D receive uniform continuous rotary motion and
when arranged in proper relation to each other, the recesses F, will be automatically
moved into such a position as to allow the wings or vanes E, to pass.
8. An appropriate mechanical means of transmission, such for example as the
gearing represented in Figures 1 and 2, serving to impart to the shaft da given
rotary movement, proportional or equal, as the case may be, to that of the driving
shaft (6) but in an opposite direction; the object of this transmission being that,
during the rotation, the simultaneous passage of the recesses F and the wings or
vanes E may be obtained in a very reliable manner.
9. Two series of openings suitably arranged so as to serve either for the admis-
sion or suction or for the exhaust or discharge of the fluid. The openings may
however be provided either in the fixed wall of the cylinder jacket A, or in the
movable walls of the recesses they may be controlled by any appropriate system of
slides or valves.
Under these conditions, the whole arrangement of recesses C, C¹, C" and of the
wings or vanes E constitutes, together with the jacket A, a series of closed spaces
of variable capacity, reserved for the fluid, and the tight closure of which is
principally obtained by the rapidity of rotation, which prevents or reduces to a
minimum the escape through the spaces, which may be as minute as desired, and
which are comprised between the surfaces in motion.
Before going into the operation of the apparatus, I may here remark that the
parts above described may be modified without thereby changing the invention
either in principle or as regards the mode of action.
Thus, for example, the cylinder B may be made in one single piece or of annular
parts mounted on the same shaft (b) or on co-axial shafts, and the same is the case,

page_text: with the rollers D and their shaft d, provided only, that each complete set of parts
forming a groove is rigidly connected with the shaft, carrying the same, and turns
synchronously with the corresponding part on the other shaft.
The shaft of the upper rollers may also be formed by separate parts and the
rollers D may be adapted to move longitudinally upon this shaft, always provided
that a suitable connecting device be provided which always ensures the synchronism
above referred to.
One and the same groove may also present several wings or vanes equally dis-
tributed over the circumference, and recourse may consequently be had to several
shafts d, provided with their sets of rollers arranged as shown in cross section in
Figure 5. To each roller then correspond two series of openings.
The diaphragms E, E, E and the recesses F1, F2, Fa may also receive any
appropriate cross section, provided that this section be symmetrical relatively to a
meridian-plane and that the recesses be sufficient to afford a passage for the wings
or vanes.
Operation of the apparatus when used as a motor is as follows:-
I will consider the simplest case shown in Figure 4, where the cylinder B has
but one groove C, this groove having only one wing or vane E. The shaft & then
only carries one roller D and if the shaft d be connected with the shaft b by means
of two gear-wheels for instance of equal diameter, the roller D will only be pro-
vided with one recess F. In order to enable the operation to be clearly under-
stood I will suppose, that the orifices or ports L1 and L2 are provided in the wall
of the outer jacket A.
It will under these conditions be easily understood that when steam is admitted
for instance through the port L', the roller D forming the groove C with a tight
(or essentially tight) joint, plays the part of a fixed cylinder-end. The wing or
vane E represents the movable piston, and under the influence of the steam pressure
it is given a rotary movement, carrying along with it the driving shaft in the
direction of the arrow. If now the admission is shut off at a suitable moment, the
steam will expand behind the said diaphragm, up to the moment at which it will
reach the opposite port L³, when the exhaust will take place. If, however, the
ris viva of the rotating masses forming, or acting as, the fly wheel, is sufficient,
the rotation will be enabled to continue, until the wing or vane has reached and
passed the port L', at which moment steam may again be admitted, in order to
obtain the second piston-stroke. In the meantime, however, the joint operation
of the wing or vane and of the recess having been regulated once for all,--the
wing or vane, by means of this recess will have passed over the tight closing
bottom, formed by the roller D.
If instead of steam being admitted through L and exhausted through L2, the
reverse operation is effected, the movement would have taken place in the inverse
direction.
The machine therefore can be worked indifferently forward or backward.
From the preceding description it will be seen that the angle at the centre, com-
prised between the exhaust-port and the admission port, measured in the direction
of rotation, is a dead or non-effective angle.
If, however, instead of using a single driving roller a suitable number be
employed, the diaphragms of which form appropriate angles relatively to each other,
the arrangement may be made such, that the motor has not only no dead centre,
but that the driving impulse is moreover rendered as constant as desired.
On the other hand, I may either feed each driving roller with steam derived
directly from the boiler, or I may expand-by the aid of suitable communications
with or without the interposition of slides or other mechanisms-in a given succes-
sion of rollers, the steam admitted to the first roller.
In a word, the rotary engine is-without change of form and arrangements, and
by simply repeating the constituent elements involving only a prolongation in
direction of the axis of the driving shaft-applicable to various methods of steam
distribution.

page_text: :
: What has been above stated with regard to steam is equally applicable to com-
pressed air, hot air and the like, and, in general, to all, fluids of a liquid or gaseous
nature, susceptible of exerting a pressure upon a movable wall, or of expanding
in a closed space of variable, volume.
66
241 1.
the
The same explanation, applies to the operation of the apparatus when used: as
a. pump, all that is necessary, is to respectively, substitute the, words; "suction"
and "delivery" for the words " admission " and exhaust."
The advantages of the apparatus are very numerous. It may suffice, to indicate
the main advantages..
1. All the parts of the apparatus admit of being very exactly balanced, and, of
exclusively receiving one uniform rotary movement, the result of which is the
complete absence of vibrations, which has, up to the present time,, been only
attained in turbines. This characteristic quality is especially to be appreciated
in the case of engines, serving for traction-purposes and in the case of motor-cars
running on rails or on roads for industrial, private or other purposes.
2. There is no friction whatever-apart from that arising from the two rollers
upon each other (and from the gearings if recourse be had thereto) and which
friction may be reduced to as minute a limit as desired-and consequently there are
no vibrations. The motor is in this respect, especially designed for use in motor-
vehicles, and for industrial and private purposes.
3. The suppression of friction which may be carried as far as desired in this
engine by means of suitable arrangements, permits of collecting upon the shaft a
far more considerable effect from the driving motor, an advantage appreciated in
all branches of industry.
4. The working effect upon the shaft can be rendered as constant as desired--
(in particular more so than with any arrangement having a number of cylinders
with alternate movement, equal in number to the number of rollers in the roller
motor) and the regularity of motion is ensured even independently of any regulator,
by the absence of any part worked with alternate movement, and by the mass or
bulk of the rotating parts, acting as fly wheels. These advantages ensure a motor
which is especially commendable for electric light installations.
5. As the motor is an entirely rotary one, and is further perfectly balanced and
free from friction, it may be devised for operating at the highest speed attained in
turbines, if not at a higher speed, at an equal driving pressure, so that the same
may be utilized for directly driving machines or mechanism such as dynamos,
ventilators and the like.
.
6. It moreover presents, with regard to turbines the advantage of permitting, as
in the case of cylinder-engines; of the complete expansion and utilization of the
steam.
7. As the same is adapted to turn at a very high speed, it can develop a very
high power under a very small volume and weight-advantages which are very
desirable in most branches of industry, if not in all, but which are especially suit-
able in the case of transports (by ships, locomotives, traction engines, motor cars
travelling on rails or on roads), in the case of industrial, private and other purposes.
8. Owing to the rotary speed the losses of heat through the walls are reduced
to a much greater extent and the caloric output, and consequently the saving are
increased in proportion.
.9. The combination in one and the same motor, of all these advantages, namely:
economy, considerable power in a greatly reduced volume, and weight, stability,
absence of shocks and vibrations, render its application advantageous in all branches
of industry and impart to it a manifest superiority toward the solution of actual
problems, such as the problem of designing motor-cars the steering of balloons,
flying machines and so forth.
Consequently and for the purpose of distinguishing the same from any other, in
view of its eminent qualities I have given the machine the name "intrepid."
On the other hand, with regard to the use of the apparatus as a pump, its advan-
tages are those of a pump capable of turning at a high rate of speed in a continuous
direction.

page_text: 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. The above described rotary engine comprising the following characteristic
parts: (a) A fixed cylindrical jacket. (b) An inner cylinder keyed on the driving
shaft turning without friction co-axially to this jacket, and carrying any suitable
number of annular grooves or recesses which play the part of the cylinders of
ordinary engines, and which are provided with wings or vanes acting as pistons.
(c) A set (or several sets) of upper rollers equal in number to that of the lower
rollers, mounted on one (or several) shafts, parallel to the driving shaft
and worked thereby, which penetrate without friction through the cylindrical
jacket, adapt themselves exactly to the grooves of the lower roller, and play the
part of the cylinder ends, the said rollers being caused to turn in a continuous
direction by the driving shaft, so as to automatically present recesses, provided
for this purpose, which recesses are adapted to afford passage to the wings or vane-
shaped pistons.
2. The improved rotary motor or pump constructed arranged and operating
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.
·תנות
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton. Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton. Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.