A NEW ROTARY ENGINE
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
JAMIESON CORDES, of Newport, in the County of Monmouth, and EDWARD
LOCKE, of the same place, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing dateat West-
minster, the Eighteenth day of July, in the fourth year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said James
Jameison Cordes and Edward Locke, Her especial licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that we, the said James Jamieson Cordes and Edward
Locke, our exors, adññiors, and assigns, or such others as we, the said James
Jamieson Cordes and Edward Locke, our exors, adiñors, or assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during
the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon-
Tweed, and also in all Her said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad,
our Invention of "A NEW ROTARY ENGINE;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso that we, the said James Jamieson Cordes and Edward
Locke, or one of us, shall cause a particular description of the nature of our
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled
in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
James Jamieson Cordes and Edward Locke, do hereby declare that the nature
of our said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is
described and ascertained in manner following, and by the aid of the two
Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed (that is to say)
Our New Rotary Engine consists principally of a revolving wheel, and of an
exhausted cylindrical box or chamber, which encloses thatwheelwithin it,and
mayconform to the circumference thereof as nearlyas it can dowithout touch-
ing that circumference. And the said revolving wheel of our New Rotary
Engine is put in motion, or impelled with a continuous circular motion, by a
direct action of a current of steamentering into the said chamber, in the direc-
tionof atangenttothecircumference of thewheel, andimpingingagainstsuitable
vanes affixed to that circumference, the said steam afterwardspassing out from
the said box or chamber through a suitable eduction passage into a condensing
apparatus, wherein the steam is condensed, so as that the interior of the said
box or chamber will be kept exhausted, in order that the wheel may revolve in
an exhausted space, and also in order that the current of steam may enter
into the chamber and impinge on the said vaues with all the force and velocity
due to steam rushing into an exhausted space, the power exerted by our New
Rotary Engine being communicatedfromtheaxle of the said revolving wheel to
give motion (by intervention of wheelwork and such other means of com-
municating motion as may be suitable and requisite) to any millwork or ma-
chinery which is intended to be impelled by the engine.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Note, the same or similar letters of reference are used to denote the same
parts, wherever they appear, in all the different Figures. Figure 1, Sheet 1, is
a vertical section, Figure 2 a horizontal plan, and Figure 3 an elevation of
the revolving wheel of our New Rotary engine. The parts marked A, B, C,
and D, constitute the revolving wheel, which is somewhat similar to an over_
shot water wheel or bucket wheel. A is the main axle of the said wheel; B is
the centre piece to which the inner ends of all the spokes C are fastened, and
they radiate outwards, and are fastened at their outer ends to the rim D, which
is composed of acylindrical hoop and two flat circularrims projectingoutwards
therefrom, and forming sides to the rim D, and across which rim the several
vanes are fixed in the space between the said two sides thereof. The direction
of the planes of the several vanes may be radial or maybe somewhat inclined
to a radial line, as is shewn by the dotted lines in Figure 1, which dotted lines
represent the said vanes. The axle A, centre piece B, and spokes C, may be

page_text: made of wrought iron, and the rim D, with its vanes, of copper. E, E, is the
cast-iron box or chamber wherein the wheel is enclosed; the box E is sup-
ported on two standards F, G, so as to be immoveable, and the wheel revolves
within the box E without touching at any part, except at the axle A, each end
of which comes out from the box E, through suitable stuffing boxes. His an
induction steam pipe, furnished with a throttle valve I, and conveying steam
from any suitable boiler or apparatus, which steam is directed through an aper-
ture H', to impinge upon the vanes of the wheels in the direction of a tangent
to the rim D thereof, and J is an exhausting passage joining to the circum-
ference of the box E, and leading the steam out therefrom in a line (or nearly
in a line) with the direction of the induction pipe H, and the exhausting pipe
J.joins by a suitable curve to the top of the condenser K, which is immersed
in the cold water of the cistern M. That cistern is supported on the brick-
work N, N, and on which brickwork the standards F, G, are also erected,
and are fastened down by bolts to the foundation plate 0, 0, upon which the
whole engine rests.
In Figure 2 (which is a plan of the lower part of the engine, taken in the
horizontal line P, Q, in Figure 1) K is the condenser; M the cold water cis-
tern; R, an aperture for the cold water pipen to come upwards through the
bottom of the cistern M; S is the hot water cistern or hot well, which is par-
titioned off within the cold water cistern M. The boiler is fed by means of the
hot water pump T, with hot water, which is drawn from the hot well S.
U, V, W, are the three seatings of pumps barrels combined together, (in the
manner of a three-barrelled force pump with solid pistons, in order to act by
turns in succession as a continual air pump for exhausting and keeping the
condenser K exhausted. The upper part of one of those pump barrels W,
is joined (as will be hereafter explained) with the cold water suction pipe n.
which comes upwards through the aperture R, Figure 2, before mentioned, in
order that the said upper part of the barrel W may serve for a cold water
pump, whilst the lower part of that barrel is performing its part as one of the
three barrels of the continual air pump. X is a common communication from
the lower part of the condenser to the entrance valves or foot valves of the
three pump barrels U, V, W. The three discharge valves belonging to those
three barrels are marked u, v, w, in Figure 2; they lead out from the lower
part of each barrel into the hot well S, and open into the same. Y is the
waste or overflow pipe for conveying the surplus hot water away from the hot
well S.
In Figure 5, which is an edge view of the revolving wheel, the vanes thereof
are shewn, and also a section of the box E, wherein the wheel is enclosed.

page_text: Figure 4 is a perspective view of the exhausting passage J, more distinctly
shewing its shape at the part where it joins to the circumference of the
box E, E.
Figure 5, Sheet II., is a section of the box E, with its cover opened, or
rather removed a little way from the box. a is the circumference of the box;
b the circular concave disk or side of the box, which is cast in the same pieco
with the circumference a, and a neck or boss, c, projects out at the centre of
the disk b, to form a central neek, through the aperture of which the axle A
of the wheel is to pass, with suitable packing to make a tight stuffing box,
the whole box, videlicit, itscircumference a, concave side b, centre boss c, and
flange E, being one entire casting. is the removable convex disk or cover,
forming one side of the box; it is cast separately, with a similar neck or cen-
tral boss and aperture e, to those already mentioned, and a corresponding
flange E, and with acircular groove fall round its outer edge, just within the
flange, to receive and shut over the edge of the circumference a of the box.
The cover being accurately fitted to the box, it is fastened in its place by
nuts and screw bolts passing through both the flanges, as shewn at b, d,
Figure 6, which is a lateral elevation of the engine, wherein the box E is
seen edgeways with its cover d. A, A, Figure 6, is the axle of the revolving
wheel passing out through the said central apertures or bosses of the box, and
of its cover.
The mode whereby the bearings in which the axle A works
are kept cool is as follows:-The brass bearings (one of which is shewn sepa-
rately), and which bearings fit into the necks or bosses c, e, are turned smaller
at the middle part of their outer surfaces, so as to leave a narrow space all
round them at that part when they are lodged in their places within the bosses
c, e, and to each of those spaces small water pipes, g and h, are connected, one
of them (7) being provided to bring up cold water from the cistern M, and
the other (h) to convey it away down again into the condenser K. The pipe g
is furnished with a stopcock, to shut off the water when the engine stops, or
else that cock (or another such cock, in addition) may be in the pipe h. The
lower ends of the two pipes y dip into the cold water in the cistern M, and
the lower ends of the two pipes join to the condenser K. The effect of
this arrangement is, that owing to the exhaustion within the condenser K, a
current of cold water is urged up each of the pipes g, and through the afore-
said spaces around the brasses of the bearings, and thence down the pipes /,
into the condenser, those currents of cold water keeping the bearings and the
axle A always cool at those parts. y, y, are stuffing boxes within the bosses c
and e, to retain suitable packings around the axle A, and prevent entrance of
any external air into the box E. Z is a wheel of any suitable kind fastened

page_text: on one end of the axle A, for the purpose of communicating motion to the
machinery that the engine is required to drive.
On to the other end of the axle A, a small pinion is fixed to turn the spur
wheel i, which is fastended on one end of the triple crank, which works the
solid pistons of the three pump barrels U, V, W, by suitable crank rods and
guides, in the usual manner of working a three-barrelled forcing pump of that
kind, which has its barrels open at top, and solid pistons. On the end of
the axis of the triple crank a crank is fixed to work the hot water pump T.
The triple crank may also have fastened upon it the mitre wheel k, to turn the
governor, as shewn in Figures Gand S, wherem, m, m, shew the lever regulating
rods and cranked lever for connecting that governor with the throttle valve I,
in the usual manner of steam engines. n, n, is the cold water pipe passing up-
wards through the aperture R in the bottom of the cold water cistern M, and
having a suction valve p, in the pipe n, which joins by a branch q, above that
valve, to the upper part of the pump barrel W, which barrel has a cover on its
top with a stuffing box in the centre for the pump rod to work through, and
also discharge valves a, a, in that cover opening upwards, in order that the
down stroke of the solid piston in that pump barrel W may cause the cold
water to rise up through the suction valve p, and fill the upper part of that
barrel W, and then that the succeeding up stroke of the same solid piston may
cause the suction valve p to close, and may then lift up the water contained in
the upper part of the barrel W above its piston into the cold water cistern
M, through the said valves x, x. The pump barrel W thus being made to
serve the purpose of a cold water pump, and at the same time to act as one of
the three barrels of the continual air pump. Note. The other two barrels Uand
V thereof are open at top, and all three are immersed beneath the cold water
in the cistern M. In Figure S only one of the three pump rods which are
worked by the triple crank is shewn. Figure S also shews the framework
marked r, with its horizontal connecting bars, wherein the triple crank and
governor are supported. L, Figures 1 and 6, is the injection pipe and
regulating cock for admitting a continual jet of cold water into the con-
denser K, in order to cool and condense the steam therein, whenever the engine
is at work, as is usual in condensing steam engines. But note, instead of so
admitting an injection, the condenser K may be constructed so as to cool
and condense the steam within the condenser by application of external cold,
according to the mode well known for that purpose and practised in some steam
engines. The mode of working this engine as follows:-
The steam to work it is conveyed through the pipe H to the throttle valve I,
from an ordinary steam boiler, or in some cases H may be part of the eduction

page_text: pipe of an ordinary condensing steam engine, which eduction pipe conveys the
waste steam away from the cylinder of that engine to its condenser. Or in
other cases H may be part of the eduction pipe of a common high pressure
engine, which usually blows away its waste steam through that eduction pipe
into the open air, but in either of the two latter cases the pipe H will conduct
such waste steam into our new engine in order to work the same. By the
throttle valve I, the steam is admitted through the induction pipe H1, and it
issues therefrom with force and rapidity into the space within the box E, so as
to impinge directly upon the vanes at the circumference of the revolving wheel
in order to turn that wheel round; but at first it will only be turned slowly,
because of the air wherewith the box E is at first filled, but the entrance of
the steam therein drives out part of that air through the condenser K, and
through the discharge valves u, v, and w, of the air pumps, or else through what
is termed a blow valve, if the condenser K is provided with such a valve, as is
often the case in ordinary condensing steam engines, and by degrees as the
motion of the wheel sets the air pumps to work, they soon draw out all the
remaining air, and the injection cock being opened to admit a constant stream
of cold water into the condenser K (or otherwise by the external application
of cold water), the steam which goes down into the condenser is condensed, and
the box E becomes exhausted and is kept so by the continual cooling of the cold
water, and by the action of the air pumps, and then the steam issuing with
great force and velocity from the aperture H¹ into the exhausted space within
the box E, impinges violently against those vanes of the revolving wheel which
are opposite to that aperture, the steam acting in the direct line from that ori-
fice H' to the line of of the eduction pipe J, that line being nearly a tangent
to the rim of the wheel, so as to turn the same round with great rapidity and
force; the sides and circumference of the rim of the wheel being adapted to
that portion of the interior of the box E which is between the entrance passage
H' and eduction pipe J, so that the wheel is caused to work as nearly in vacuo
as is required for the purpose of rendering its motion very free and unresisted,
except by the work that the engine is appointed to perform, the degree of
exhaustion which is kept up within the box E (indicating the most favorable
working condition of the engine).
Having now described our New Rotary Engine, we, the said James Jamieson
Cordes and Edward Locke, do hereby declare that the new Invention whereof
the exclusive use is granted to us by the said Letters Patent, consists in the
New Rotary Engine herein-before described, the distinguishing character of
which is that a revolving wheel is enclosed within an exhausted box or case,
and impelled and turned rapidly round by a continual current of steamentering

page_text: with force and velocity into the exhausted space wherein the wheel is situated
and impinging against suitable vanes at the circumference of such wheel in the
direction of a tangent to that circumference; the said box being connected
by an eduction pipe with a condeuser, which is kept cool by means of cold
water, so as to exhaust the steam from the box at that part of the circumfer-
ence of the said box where the steam ceases to act against the vanes, and that
condenser having an air pump capable of continual action in order to keep up
the exhaustion within the condenser.
In witness whereof,, the said James Jamieson Cordes and Edward
Locke, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourteenth day of
January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
forty-one.
JAMES J. (L.S.) CORDES.
EDWARD (L.S.) LOCKE.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fourteenth day of January,
in the year of our Lord 1841, the aforesaid James Jamieson Cordes and
Edward Locke came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and
acknowledged the Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein
contained and specified, in form above written. And also the Specification
aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made for that
purpose.
Inrolled the Eighteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One