IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY STEAM ENGINES."—A
communication from abroad by Matthias Wharton Baldwin, of Phila
Sealed the 24th October 1866, and dated the 22nd May 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis Petition, on
the 22nd May 1866.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY STEAK
ENGINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in details for preventing the escape
of steam past the piston of rotary engines. The cylinder is bored true on the
inside as usual, and fitted with heads between which are the steam ports
leading into the cylinder from a reversing valve of any suitable construction
for the induction and eduction of steam. Between the ports au adjustable

page_text: packing piece is placed extending the length of the cylinder between the
heads. Mounted excentrically in the cylinder heads is a shaft, the periphery
of which touches the cylinder at the part where the packing piece is inserted,
so as to prevent the passage of steam at that point. To prevent steam from
leaking at the journals of the cylinder heads packing rings are let into a
recess in the shaft and heads. These rings are kept in contact with the outer
shoulder of the recess in the journal of the shaft by the presence of steam
acting within the cylinder. The excentric shaft is fitted with a slider or piston
of the length of the cylinder, and fitted steam-tight though sufficiently loose to
work freely back and forth in its place. The ends of this piston are provided
with moveable packing pieces. At its outer edge it carries a hinged vibrating
segment of the length of the cylinder, and of sufficient width to cover both the
inlet and outlet ports. The hinged joint on which the segment moves enables
it throughout its revolution to adjust itself to the bore of the cylinder. The
shaft is recessed to admit of the segment sinking within its periphery in
passing the cylinder packing. The piston and its end packing pieces are
driven out and kept in contact with the cylinder and heads by means of steam
admitted to a cavity behind the piston, and to the packing through ports
provided for the purpose, the steam being taken directly from the boiler and
independent of that used in the cylinder. The operation is as follows:-The
reverse valve being properly set the steam will enter by the induction port
and press against the piston and force it round with its shaft until the segment
valve closes the induction and uncovers the eduction port, the exhaust steam
will then pass to the reverso valve and escape, the motion being continued by
the momentum of a fly wheel (or otherwise); a fresh supply of steam is in
like manner admitted, and a new impulse is given to the piston. In cases
where it is not desirable to use fly wheels the cylinder may be divided by a
disc in the centre of its length, and a piston slider used on each side of the
disc or partition, the same working at opposite points so as to have one in full
force while the other is passing the ports.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 22nd November 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County 3
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her beirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special licence that I, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY STEAM ENGINES," being a
communication to me from abroad by Matthias Wharton Baldwin, of
Philadelphia, in the United States of America, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under ny, or their, or one of their hands.
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months.
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
:
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to improvements in details for preventing the escape
of steam past the piston of rotary engines.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 shows the improved engine in
transverse vertical section; and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same.
A is a cylinder bored true and fitted with heads b, b, between which are the
steam ports o, o, leading into the cylinder from a reversing valve B, of any
suitable construction for the induction and eduction of steam. Between these
ports a packing piece n is placed and let into the body, extending the length
of the cylinder between the heads; its outer edge is made flush with the bore,
and it can be pressed outward by means of the set screws c, c, or by steam.
conducted to the back of the packing. C is a shaft of smaller diameter than
the cylinder and mounted excentrically within it, its axis being parallel to that
of the cylinder. The periphery of this shaft touches the cylinder at the part
where the packing piece n is inserted, and so closely as to prevent the passage

page_text: of steam at that part between the shaft and the cylinder. The shaft C is
supported in the journal bearings in the heads b, b, in which it revolves. To
prevent steam from leaking at the journals there are packing rings u, u, let
into recesses in the shaft and heads b, b. These rings are turned slightly
larger in diameter than the recesses in the heads and are sprung in, thereby
forming a steam-tight joint at the outer diameter, and they are kept in contact
with the outer shoulder of the recesses in the journal of the shaft C by the
presence of steam acting within the cylinder. Set into a slot in the shaft C
is a slider or piston g of the interior length of the cylinder, and fitted steam-
tight, though sufficiently loose to work freely back and forth in its place.
The ends of this piston are provided with moveable packing pieces s, s, and
at its outer edge it carries a hinged vibrating segment m of the interior length
of the cylinder, and of sufficient width to cover both the steam ports o and o¹.
The binged joint l, on which the segment moves, enables it throughout its
revolution to adjust itself to the bore of the cylinder. The shaft is recessed
to admit of the segment sinking within its periphery in passing the point n.
The slider or piston and the packing pieces 8, 8, are driven out and kept in
contact with the cylinder and heads by means of steam admitted to a cavity p
behind the slider g, and to the packing 8, 8, through the ports t, t, provided
for the purpose, the steam being taken directly from the boiler and independent
of that used in the cylinder.
Having thus described the construction of the improved rotary engine I
will proceed to explain the operation. The reverse valve B being properly
set (which may be either for the right or left) the steam will enter the
cylinder by one or other of the ports o, o', and press against the slider piston g,
thereby forcing it around, say, in the direction of the arrows, until the segment
valve m closes the induction port o, and uncovers the eduction port o¹; the
exhaust steam will then pass to the reverse valve and escape, and the motion
being continued by the momentum of a fly wheel (or otherwise) the piston is
again carried past the induction port o, when it receives a new impulse, and
thus the motion is continued. In cases where it is not desirable to use fly
wheels the cylinder may be divided by a disc in the centre of its length, and a
piston or slider used on each side of the disc or partition, the same working at
opposite points, so as to have one in full force while the other is passing the
ports.
It will be observed that by changing the reverse valve B the engine
will run in the opposite direction to that indicated by the arrows.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in
Rotary Steam Engines," and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters

page_text: Patent I claim, constructing the slider or piston 9 with the segment valve m,
and the packing pieces 8, 8, as described, the same being kept in contact with
the cylinder and heads by the use of steam taken directly from the boiler
independent of that used in the cylinder; also the rings u, u, forming a
steam packing, substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-second day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.B.)