in Part to Rotary Blowers and Rotary Pumps.
Year: 1886

page_text: "
in Part to Rotary Blowers and Rotary Pumps.
I CHARLES JAMES RUSHER of Valentine Road Kings Heath in the County of
Worcester Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES WORKED BY STEAM OR COMPRESSED AIR OR
WATER WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE IN PART TO ROTARY BLOWERS AND
ROTARY PUMPS to be as follows:-
"
My invention consists principally in constructing and arranging in the manner
herein after described the parts of rotary engines worked by steam compressed air
or water by which construction and arrangement of the parts of the said engines
great economy in construction and efficiency in action are secured. By the modifi-
cation herein after described a rotary engine constructed according to my invention
may be used as a rotary blower or rotary pump.
I will describe my improvements in connection with a rotary steam engine.
I construct an annular chamber preferably circular in cross section. In the said
annular chamber an accurately fitting piston works. The said piston is connected
with a shaft situated in the axis of the annular chamber by means of a disc of
metal fixed on the end of the said shaft. The marginal portion of the said disc
works in and closes steam tight a slot in the inner side of the annular chamber.
In the upper part of the annular chamber a vertically sliding cylindrical valve is
situated. This valve works in a cylindrical case at the top of the annular chamber.
This valve is raised to allow the piston to pass and lowered after the passage of
the piston in the following manner On the flat face of the disc that is the face
beyond which the shaft does not protrude a slot or groove is formed. This slot is
for about three fourths of its length circular and concentric with the axis. The
other part of the said slot has the figure hereinafter referred to In the back plate
of the case of the engine is a vertical groove crossing the case as a diameter. In
this groove a close fitting connecting rod slides. The lower end of this rod is
turned at right angles and engages in the slot or groove in the disc the upper end
of the said connecting rod also turned at right angles engages in a slot in the lower
part of the cylindrical valve. By the action of the groove in the disc and the
connecting rod described the valve is raised when the piston reaches the end of its

page_text: stroke and the piston passes it. The valve is then depressed and the piston
commences another revolution in the annular chamber. That portion of the
groove in the disc which is not concentric with the disc is of such a figure that
when it comes nearly under the valve it raises the connecting rod and with it the
valve and after the passage of the piston suddenly draws down the connecting rod
and closes the valve.
By modifying the shape of the groove in the disc the cut off of the steam may
be effected at any desired part of the piston's revolution and the steam thereby
worked expansively.
By means of a groove passing round the interior of the case in which the valve
slides steam is admitted all round the valve when it has been cut off from the
annular chamber and the valve is thereby balanced or maintained in equilibrium
and excessive friction prevented.
Steam enters the engine at the case of the sliding valve and passing down the
interior of the said valve enters the annular chamber through an opening in the
side of the valve. After having done its work the steam passes from the engine
by an exhaust pipe on the side of the valve case opposite that at which it entered.
The arrangement I have described may be used as a compressed air engine as
well as a steam engine but when it is desired to work the engine by water the
parts described for working the steam expansively are omitted.
The arrangement last described that is without the parts for working steam and
compressed air expansively may be used as a rotary blower or rotary pump by
giving rotation to the shaft and making the steam and exhaust pipes the entrance
and exit pipes respectively of the blower or pump.
D
1000

page_text: in Part to Rotary Blowers and Rotary Pumps.
I CHARLES JAMES RUSHER of Valentine Road, King's Heath in the County of
Worcester, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said 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 consists principally in constructing and arranging in the manner
hereinafter described the parts of rotary engines worked by steam, compressed air
or water, by which construction and arrangement of the parts of the said engines
great economy in construction and efficiency in action are secured. By the modi-
tication herein after described a rotary engine constructed according to my invention
may be used as a rotary blower or rotary pump.
I will describe my improvements in connection with a rotary steam engine.
I construct an annular chamber preferably circular in cross section. In the said
annular chamber an accurately fitting piston works. The said piston is connected
with a shaft situated in the axis of the annular chamber by means of a disc of metal
fixed on the said shaft. The marginal portion of the said disc works in and closes
steam tight a slot in the inner side of the annular chamber. In the upper part of
the annular chamber a vertically sliding hollow cylindrical valve is situated. This
valve works in a cylindrical case at the top of the annular chamber. This valve is
raised to allow the piston to pass and lowered after the passage of the piston in the
following manner. On the flat face of the disc, that is, the face beyond which the
shaft does not protrude, a slot or groove is formed. This slot is for about three
fourths of its length circular and concentric with the axis. The other part of the
said slot has the figure hereinafter referred to. In the back plate of the case of the
engine is a vertical groove crossing the case in the direction of a radius. In this
groove a close fitting connecting rod slides. The lower end of this rod is turned
at right angles and engages in the slot or groove in the disc; the upper end of the
said connecting rod also turned at right angles engages in a slot in the lower part
of the cylindrical valve. By the action of the groove in the disc and the con-
necting rod described the valve is raised when the piston reaches the end of its
stroke and the piston passes it. The valve is then depressed and the piston
commences another revolution in the annular chamber. That portion of the groove
in the disc which is not concentric with. the disc is of such a figure that when it
coines nearly under the valve it raises the connecting rod and with it the valve and
after the passage of the piston suddenly draws down the connecting rod and closes
the valve. Instead of a single groove and connecting rod at one side of the case
of the engine, a groove and rod at each side may be employed.
By modifying the shape of the groove in the disc the cut off of the steam may
be effected at any desired part of the piston's revolution and the steam thereby
worked expansively.

page_text: By means of a groove passing round the interior of the case in which the valve
slides, steam is admitted all round the valve when it has been cut off from the
annular chamber and the valve is thereby balanced or maintained in equilibrium
and excessive friction prevented.
Steam enters the engine at the case of the sliding valve and passing down the
interior of the said valve enters the annular chamber through an opening in the
side of the valve. After having done its work the steam passes from the engine by
an exhaust pipe on the side of the valve case opposite that at which it entered.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing the
manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation partly in vertical section, with one half of
the annular chamber and case removed, and Figure 2. in vertical cross section a
rotary steam engine the parts of which are constructed and combined according to
my invention; Figure 3 represents in side elevation and Figure 4 in vertical
cross section a portion of a rotary steam engine of the same construction as that
represented in Figures 1 and 2 excepting that some of the working details
are modified in the manner hereinafter pointed out; Figure 5 represents an
arrangement of parts for reversing the direction of the engine's motion.
a is the annular chamber into which the steam is delivered the said chamber
having a circular figure in cross section (see the section Figure 2). The said
annular chamber a together with the casing in which the working parts of the
engine are contained consist of two halves marked respectively a², a³, the external
abutting edges of which are bolted together by screw bolts and nuts, the said bolts
being passed through eyes in the said abutting edges (see Figure 1); b is the
piston working and fitting accurately in the annular steam chamber a. The said
piston has the same circular figure as the annular chamber a as seen in the
separate view of the said piston Figure 1. The said circular piston b is carried by
the metal disc d and the latter is fixed to the horizontal shaft c in the axis of the
casing a². The marginal portion of the said disc d works in and closes the slot e
in the inner side of the annular chamber a (see the lower part of Figure 2); fis
the hollow cylindrical valve capable of a vertical sliding motion in the cylindrical
case g at the top of the annular chamber a. By means of the valve f when in its
lowered position the annular chamber a is divided into two parts, that part which
is receiving steam for propelling the piston b being separated from that part from
which the exhaust steam is being expelled as represented in the Drawing.
The valve fis raised to allow the piston b to pass it and is lowered after the
passage of the piston b either in the way represented in Figures 3 and 4 or in that
represented in Figures 1 and 2. The arrangement represented in Figures 3 and 4
is the simpler form and I will first describe that arrangement. In the flat face of
the disc d carrying the piston 6 a slot or groove h is formed (see Figure 3). The
greater part of the said slot or groove his circular and concentric with the shaft c
but the "rise" part of the said groove has the form represented for the purpose
hereinafter described. In one side of the casing a² of the engine is a vertical
crossing the said case in the direction of a radius. In the said
groove
groove a close fitting connecting rod k slides; the lower end of the rod k is turned
at right angles and carries an anti-friction roller which works in the slot or
groove h in the disc d as represented in Figures 3 and 4. The upper end of the
said connecting rod k is also turned at right angles as shown at the said turned
end or part at k² engaging with the lower part of the hollow cylindrical valve f.
By the action of the groove h in the disc d and the connecting rod the said
valve f when the piston b has reached the end of its stroke is raised by the working
of the said rod in the "rise" part h³ of the groove and the piston b is permitted to
pass the said valve. After the piston 6 has passed the valve f the part 2 of the
groove suddenly draws down the connecting rod k and closes the valve f, the
said valve remaining in its lowered position during the time that the piston bis
making nearly a complete revolution in the steam chamber a...

page_text: By modifying the shape of the groove h in the disc d the cut off of the steam
may be effected at any desired part of the piston's revolution and the steam
thereby worked expansively.
Instead of using a single connecting rod for connecting the disc d with the
hollow cylindrical valve f two connecting rods as shown in Figures 1 and 2 may
be used the said connecting rods being marked k, k. In this case two grooves of
the shape shown at h, he Figure 1 are made in opposite sides of the disc d for the
anti friction rollers on the bottom ends of the connecting rods to engage with, the
upper ends of the two rods. being connected to the sliding valve f in the manner
before described with respect to Figures 3 and 4. Or instead of the grooves h, h³,
cam like projections may be made on the faces of the disc d for the rollers at the
bottoms of the connecting rods k, k to work upon as represented in Figures 1 and 2,
where the cam like projections are marked h, h².
Steam enters the engine at the passage m in the side of the case g in which the
valve f works and passing down the interior of the said valve fenters the annular
chamber a through the opening p in the side of the valve as best seen in Figures 1
and 3. The exhaust steam passes from the chamber a (after the piston b has
passed the valve fand the latter has descended to the position represented in the
drawing) by the passage q in the valve case g in the arrangement Figures 3 and 4
and in the arrangement Figures 1 and 2 by the openings p³, p³ in the valve and
the exhaust pipe q³ in the side of the valve case g. The valve f in the arrange-
ment Figures 1 and 2 is divided vertically as seen in Figure 1 for separating the
steam inlet passage from the exhaust passage in the said valve, the steam from the
passage m entering the steam part of the divided valve by the annular groove
which opens into the said steam part of the valve.
It will be seen by an examination of Figures 1 and 3 that the sliding valve f
when in its lowered position descends below the inner circumference of the wall of
the chamber a. By this arrangement the said sliding valve f.may ascend and
descend through a range equal to the depth of the passage f in the said sliding
valve without opening a communication between the steam and exhaust sides of
the annular chamber a. Hence by raising and lowering the said valve f through
the range of the opening f' the said valve may be made to cut off steam at any
required part of the stroke without affecting its function as a valve for separating
the steam side from the exhaust side of the said chamber a the said valve being
raised to bring its bottom on a level with the bottom of the chamber a when the
piston b has made about half a stroke by the action of the rises h³ on the cam like
projections upon the connecting rods k, k. About one half of the disc d is of
greater diameter than the other half the part of larger diameter occupying the
slot e when the valve f is raised through the range of the opening f³.
In the valve case is an annular groove into which steam enters from the
steam passage m. By thus admitting steam all round the valve f the latter is
balanced during the rising of the valve and excessive friction thereby prevented.
In order to secure the descent of the valve f after the piston 6 has passed it
steam is admitted above the top of the said valve f through the ball valve ras
represented in Figure 1.
i
The parts, in the case of the engine are filled with lubricating oil which
preserves the tightness of the joint at e between the disc d and the two opposed
parts of the casing.
r
For the purpose of reversing the direction of the engine's motion the exhaust
passages used with the divided cylindrical valve f are arranged in the manner
represented in Figure 5. In this arrangement two passages q and q* are made at
opposite points in the valve case g so that either passage may be used as the
exhaust passage by turning the valve f by means of the rod and hand wheel s
through a semi rotation. Steam from the passage m (shown in Figure 2) can also
enter one half of the divided valve f by the groove 7. When the parts are in the
position represented in Figure 5 steam is being admitted into the annular chamber a
through the passage m and annular groove in the valve case and through the

page_text: opening p in the valve and the exhaust steam is being removed through the
openings p and p³ in the valve and through the passage q in the valve case. By
turning the valve f through a semi rotation by the hand wheel 8 the opening p³
in the valve is brought opposite the exhaust passage q and the other exhaust
passage q² is closed. The positions of the two openings p and p' are at the same
time reversed, steam entering the chamber a through the opening p2 and the
exhaust steam leaving the chamber a by the openings p and p³ and passage q.
The direction of the engine's motion is thereby reversed.
The arrangements I have described and illustrated may be used as a compressed
air engine as well as a steam engine but when it is desired to work the engine by
water the parts described for working the steam expansively are omitted.
The arrangement last described that is, without the parts for working steam and
compressed air expansively may be used as a rotary blower or rotary pump by
giving rotation to the shaft and making the steam and exhaust pipes the entrance
and exit pipes respectively of the blower or pump.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim
as my invention;
First In a rotary engine worked by steam or compressed air or water, the
combination of a piston circular in cross section attached to the main shaft by
means of a disc with a ring like chamber in which the said piston works substan-
tially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly-In a rotary engine worked by steam or compressed air, the com-
bination of a hollow cylindrical valve, the bottom of which descends below the
inner circumference of the wall of the ring like chamber for the purpose herein
before described, with the said ring like chamber, circular piston and connecting
disc; and working the said valve by means of a connecting rod or rods operated
from a cam like groove or grooves or from a cam like projection or projections in
or on one or both faces of the connecting disc carrying the circular piston substan-
tially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Thirdly In a rotary engine worked by steam or compressed air, the annular
steam or compressed air groove or chamber Z in the valve case so arranged as to
hold the valve in equilibrium while the said valve is being raised as herein before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Fourthly Making the steam compressed air or water tight casing and chamber
which contain the whole of the moving parts in two pieces substantially as herein
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Fifthly The construction and combination of the parts herein before described
and illustrated in Figure 5 of the accompanying Drawing for reversing the direction
of the engine's motion.
Lastly The adaptation of the construction and arrangement or combination of
parts herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing to
rotary blowers and rotary pumps by giving rotatory motion to the shaft carrying
the piston.