Improvements in Rotary Engines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 28th Sept., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Engines.
I, FRED DENISON OWEN, of 1209 K. Street, Washington, in the District of
Columbia, United States of America, Artist, do hereby declare the nature of my
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 rotary engines and has for its object to provide a rotary
engine which will be simple in construction, effective in operation and durable.
The invention consists in a rotary engine constructed and arranged as hereinafter
described and claimed.
Figure 1 is an end view in elevation with plate removed showing the interior of a
rotary engine constructed in accordance with this invention.
Figure 2 is a similar view of a modified form thereof. Figure 3 is a per-
spective view of a detail thereof, partly broken away, showing the compound supply
and discharge valve.
Figure 4 is another perspective view of the compound supply and discharge valve
partly broken away. Figure 5 is a view of another modification of a rotary engine,
constructed in accordance with this invention with end plate removed and showing
the interior of the engine.
In the construction of this invention the cylinder 1 is preferably cast in a single
piece with the base 2 which may be secured to a suitable foundation by bolts 3 or
in any other suitable manner and to be of any desired length or width. The ends
of the cylinder 1 are closed by plates, (not shown) which are bolted thereto by bolts
passing through bolt holes 4 in the base 2 and in lugs 5 on the cylinder. Within
the cylinder 1 is mounted on the shaft 6 having its bearings in suitable stuffing boxes
(not shown), the rotary cam shaped piston 7 having a rib or longitudinal projection 8
bearing against the interior longitudinal surface of the cylinder 1. In order to form
a tight steam joint at the edge of rib 8, the latter is provided with an elastic or
yielding packing 9 located in a groove 10 therein. To provide for the passage of the
steam in driving the cam piston 7, the latter is of such a diameter with reference to
the diameter of the casing 1, as to form a chamber or steam space 10¹ between the
In carrying out
periphery of the cam piston 7 and the interior wall of cylinder 1.
this invention separate supply and discharge valves are dispensed with and a
compound supply and discharge valve employed in lieu thereof. This valve is
located in a valve chamber in the wall of the cylinder and normally or when in
action rests on a bed of steam which affords a yielding and elastic bearing or
cushion therefor.
In Figure 1 two of these compound supply and discharge valves and valve chambers
are shown, to form a reversible engine. In figures 2 and 5 but one compound valve
and chamber is employed. Referring to Figure 1, 11 indicates a vibrating valve
consisting of the strip or plate 12, having the rounded end 13 located in the circular
recess 14 in the base 2 and forming a pivoted hinge joint, the valve 11 being adapted
to vibrate in the recess or valve chamber 15 formed in the base or side 2 of the
cylinder. The upper surface of the valve 11 is provided with the curved face 16
which forms a continuation of the interior surface or wall of cylinder 1 when valve 11
is closed in recess 15. To simplify the valve mechanism, and to provide a cushion
of steam for the valve, steam is admitted through a tube 17 in the base 2 through an
opening 18 in the tube 17 and an opening 19 in the base to the chamber 15 and
beneath the valve 11, and thence through L shaped passage ways 20 in the end of
valve 11, opening out of the end of the latter into the steam space 101 when the
valve 11 is raised; steam is discharged from the steam space 10 through shaped
passage ways 21 opening into the steam space 10 at the top of valve 11 and extending

page_text: back through the latter to the rounded end 13 which is hollow and through which the
steam passes off to a suitable condenser or otherwise. By this means when steam is
admitted beneath the valve 11, the latter will be raised and will rest on a bed or
cushion of steam, the steam will pass through passage ways 20 and escape through
the ends of the same, which have been raised above the interior surface of the
cylinder 1, into the steam space 10¹ behind the rib 8 of piston 7. The steam acting
on the rib 8 causes the piston 7 to rotate the rib 8 moving forward over the interior
wall of the cylinder 1 until it reaches the rear of the valve 11, held up by the steam
beneath it when it rides over the curved surface 16 of the valve and presses it back
into the recess 15. The variation of the curve of the piston 7, from the rib & for a
short distance in the direction of its travel in the line indicated by the arrows in
Figure 1, or what I shall call its leading face is such that before the rib 8 in the
rotation of piston 7 reaches the end of valve 11, the piston acts on the valve 11 to
gradually move it into the recess 15, thereby at first cutting off the steam supply to
space 10, by moving the open ends of passages 20 below the interior surface of
cylinder 1, and then as the rib 8 arrives at the end of valve 11, closing the outer ends
of shaped passage ways 21 and cutting off the discharge of steam. Immediately
upon the rib 8 passing the end of valve 11, the latter is released and forced up by the
steam from tube 17 which passes through passages 20 and out at their open outer
ends which have been raised above the interior surface of cylinder 1, into the steam
space 10 behind rib 8 and again drives the piston forward. In the release and
upward movement of the valve 11, its end rides over the preferably concave surface 22
of the piston 7 in the rear of rib &, and owing to the gradual curvature or concavity
of the surface 22, permits the valve 11 gradually to rise to an elevated position where
it rests upon the cushion of steam in recess 15 and bears at its outer end against the
cam piston 7 during the rotation of the latter. As the rib 8 passes the end of
valve 11, the latter being released from its chamber by the pressure of steam
beneath it, is forced out against the concave surface 22 of the piston, allowing
live steam to enter the cylinder behind the rib 8, forcing the piston forward
until by the cam action of the leading face of the piston on the valve 11 the
latter is pressed sufficiently into its chamber 15 to cut off the steam supply at
a desired portion of the stroke allowing the piston to finish the entire stroke
by the natural expansion of the quantity of steam admitted. This latter feature is
a very desirable feature in all new cut-offs of engines. By means of this construction
and arrangement of parts, a smooth, easy and effective movement of the engine is
obtained. By having two compound supply and discharge valves 11, as shown in
Figure 1, the engine may be reversed, the valve shown raised in Figure 1, dropping
into its recess or chamber 15 and the other valve 11 being raised and steam
supplied to steam space 10, and discharged against the rib 8 on the opposite side
so as to drive the piston 7 in the opposite direction from that indicated by the
arrows. In Figure 2 is shown a modification of the engine in which only one
compound supply and discharge valve is employed. In this construction a modified
form of valve 23 is used having a straight horizontal portion 24 with a vertical
slightly curved arm 25 at its end. In this instance the whole of the valve does not
move into and out of the cylinder 1, but only its curved vertical arm 2, the cylinder
being cast to have its interior wall nearly continuous, with an opening 26 through
which projects and moves the arm 25. The end of the arm 25 has a curved
surface 25 which corresponds to the curvature of the interior surface of the cylinder
as well as the curved surface 6 of valve 11 in Figure 1. The opening 26 is provided
with bearing strips or packing 27, to form a tight joint. To aid and provide against
wear in gradually cutting off the passage of steam in passages 20 and 21, the outer
openings of the passages 2 and 21, in this instance as well as in the construction in
Figure 1 are preferably arranged with a series of different sized openings as shown
in Figures 3 and 4, the outer openings of passages 20 gradually diminishing in size
from the central one to the side passages and the passages 21 having large openings 28
and small openings 29 above them. In the modification in Figure 5, an engine with
a single valve 30, is shown, the valve 30 being similar to valve 11 excepting that it is

page_text: formed with the tapering surface 31 at its end extending downwards to the outer open
ends of passages 20. By means of this construction a vibrating compound supply
and discharge valve is provided formed with a curved surface 32 on one side in the
shape of the arc of an ellipse or a parabola which serves as a proper bearing surface for
the cam action of the piston, and by having the tapering surface 31, at its end being
adapted to permit the engine to act reversely.
While this invention has been described as adapted to be used as a rotary
engine driven by steam, it is to be understood that it may be driven by hot air,
compressed air, water or any other medium suitable for the purpose. Simplicity
of parts and smoothness of action are the main results obtained by this invention.
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
claim is:
1. In a rotary engine constructed with a cylinder and piston, a valve chamber
communicating with the cylinder and with a supply pipe, an oscillating abutment
valve located within the valve chamber and adapted to rest on a cushion of steam
therein and having supply ports communicating with the valve chamber and the
cylinder and discharge ports communicating with the cylinder and a discharge pipe,
substantially as shown and described.
2. A rotary engine constructed with a cylinder and piston, valve chambers
communicating with the cylinder and alternate supply pipes, an oscillating abutment
valve located within each of the valve chambers said abutment valve having alternate
supply ports communicating with each of the valve chambers and the cylinder, and
alternate discharge ports communicating with the cylinder and alternate discharge
pipes, substantially as shown and described.
3. A rotary engine constructed with a cylinder and piston having a rib bearing
against the interior surface of the cylinder, a valve chamber communicating with the
interior of the cylinder, an oscillating abutment valve located in the valve chamber
and having a hollow hinge communicating with the discharge pipe and through the
valve with the cylinder, and supply ports, cominunicating with the cylinder and the
valve chamber, and a supply pipe communicating with the valve chamber, substantially
as shown and described.
convex
4. In a rotary engine, a piston constructed from a cylinder placed upon a shaft
located within an outer cylinder or casing, with one portion of its surface enlarged
longitudinally and carrying an expansive rib bearing against the interior wall of
the outer casing, forming with said cylinder and the enlargement a
longitudinal surface and to the opposite side of said rib a concave longitudinal
surface in combination with an oscillating abutment valve located within a chamber
communicating with the cylinder in the wall of the outer casing, substantially as
shown and described.
5. A rotary engine constructed with a cylinder and piston having a rib bearing
against the interior surface of the cylinder, an inclosed valve chamber opening
into the cylinder with a supply pipe, an oscillating abutment valve located within
the valve chamber and having an upper curved surface exposed to the interior
of the cylinder and forming a part of the interior surface of the cylinder, said
abutment valve having supply and discharge ports communicating respectively with
the valve chamber and cylinder and the cylinder and a discharge pipe, substantially as
shown and described.
6. A rotary engine constructed with a cylinder and piston with a rib bearing
against the interior surface of the cylinder, a valve chamber communicating with the
interior of the cylinder, an oscillating abutment valve located in the valve chamber
and having supply ports in the face of the valve which is movable over the wall of
the valve chamber, the supply ports communicating with the interior of the cylinder,
and the valve chamber having a supply pipe, and discharge ports communicating with
the interior of the cylinder and a discharge pipe, the openings of the supply ports
being in a different plane in the valve from that of the openings of the discharge ports,

page_text: whereby the supply is cut off automatically before the discharge by the action of the
cam piston, substantially as shown and described.
7. A rotary engine constructed with a cylinder and piston, a valve chamber
communicating with the interior of the cylinder and an oscillating abutinent valve,
located in the valve chamber and having supply ports communicating with the interior
of the cylinder, and with the valve chamber having a supply pipe, and discharge ports
communicating with the interior of the cylinder and a discharge pipe, the openings of
the discharge ports being in a different plane or height relative to the base of the
cylinder from the openings of the supply ports whereby the supply is automatically
cut off before the discharge by the cam piston moving the valve back in its chamber,
substantially as shown and described.
8. In a rotary engine, à piston constructed upon a shaft with a longitudinal
enlargement carrying an expansive rib bearing against the interior wall of the outer
casing or cylinder, said piston having to one side of said enlargement a longitudinal
concave surface extending below, and which is less than the radial distance from the
shaft of the cylinrdical or convex portion of said piston, in combination with an
oscillating abutment valve having supply and discharge ports and located within a
chamber communicating with the cylinder in the wall of the outer casing, whereby an
effective admission of steam is admitted and cut off before the finish of the stroke,
substantially as shown and described.
Dated this Twenty sixth day of August 1889.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.