Improvements in Rotary Engines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Rotary Engines.
We, THOMAS SHORTLIFF Locomotive Foreman and WILLIAM WILLERTON,
Railway Conductor, both of Blackfoot (Kipp, P. 0.) in the County of Teton
and State of Montana, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved rotary engine.
The invention consists principally of a casing provided with pivoted abutments,
and a revoluble piston in the form of a wheel, and forming with the said casing
an annular working chamber for the motive agent, and piston heads pivoted on
the web of the said wheel, and travelling on the inner wall of the said chamber.
The invention also consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the
same, as will be fully described hereinafter.
The improved rotary engine is provided with a casing, formed on one face with
a hub against which abuts the central portion of a piston made in the form of a
wheel having a solid web, and a rim concentric to the hub, and fitting with its
outer edge into an annular groove formed on the inner face of the casing. The
piston thus forms with the casing an annular working chamber, of which the
outer wall is formed by the rim and the inner wall is formed by the hub.
The piston is secured on a shaft mounted to rotate in the hub of the casing, and
on the said shaft is secured or formed a collar which bears against the hub of the
said piston, to hold the latter against the hub of the said casing. Nuts screw on
the outer end of the shaft which abut against a washer bearing on the outer face
of the casing. The shaft is provided with the usual means for transmitting the
rotary motion of the engine to other machinery.
In the annular working chamber extend a series of piston heads, pivoted near
their outer ends to the web of the piston and provided at their inner ends with
friction rollers travelling on the peripheral surface of the hub of the casing. The
annular working chamber also contains abutments pivoted near their inner ends
on the stationary hub, while their outer ends carry friction rollers travelling on
the inner surface of the rim of the piston.
Three piston heads are employed to two abutments, the said abutments and
piston heads being so arranged that when the piston rotates the piston heads
swing outwardly, while the abutments swing inwardly, to allow the piston heads
to pass the abutments.
Into the annular chamber open diametrically arranged inlet ports formed in
the casing, and connected with steam supply pipes and exhaust ports likewise
open into the chamber and are connected at their outer ends with exhaust pipes.
The inlet ports are located near the rin, while the exhaust ports are located near
he hub, and the said ports are alternately arranged and placed suitable distances
part.
The steam entering the port presses the next piston head with its friction

page_text: roller, in engagement with the hub, while the outer end of the said piston head
rests against the inner face of the rim. In a like manner the steam presses
against the abutment, so as to hold the friction roller thereof in engagement with
the inner face of the rim. The pressure of steam on the piston head imparts a
travelling motion to the piston, so as to rotate the same, and at the same time a
similar impulse is given to the piston by the steam passing through the other
inlet port into the space between the corresponding abutment and piston head.
When the forwardly moving piston head passes the next exhaust port the steam
in the rear of the said piston head can exhaust, it being understood that in the
meanwhile another piston head has passed the preceding inlet port. Thus,
continuous impulses are given to the piston head by the steam pressing at all
times against some of the piston heads, to insure a continuous rotary motion of
the piston. The rotating piston is preferably enclosed in a hood "attached to
the casing.
It is to be understood that when a piston head passes an abutment the latter
yields inwardly against the pressure of the exhaust steam contained between the
next piston head and the said abutment; but as soon as the piston head has
passed such abutment and the corresponding inlet port, then the steam from the
latter will act at once on both the abutment and the piston head, so as to
move them into their proper positions--that is, with their friction rollers against
the hub and the rim respectively.
Dated this 24th day of March 1898
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.
We, THOMAS SHORTLIFF Locomotive Foreman and WILLIAM WILLERTON
(Railway Conductor), both of Blackfoot (Kipp. P. O.) in the County of Teton
and State of Montana, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature
of our invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved rotary engine,
which is simple in construction, very effective in operation, and arranged to
utilize the motive agent to the fullest advantage.
The invention consists principally of a casing provided with pivoted abutments,
and a revoluble piston in the form of a wheel, and forming with the said casing
an annular working chamber for the motive agent, and piston heads pivoted on
the web of the said wheel, and travelling on the inner wall of the said chamber.
The invention also consists of certain parts and details and combinations of
the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the
claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts
in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of the improvement, on the line 1-1 of
Figure 2:
Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same, on the line 2-2 of Figure 1:
Figure 3 is a face view of the revoluble piston and piston heads; and

page_text: Figure 4 is a plan view of one of the abutments.
The improved rotary engine illustrated in the drawings is provided with a
casing A, formed on one face with a hub A' against which abuts the central
portion of a piston B, made in the form of a wheel having a solid web, and a rim B¹
concentric to the hub A¹, and fitting with its outer edge into an annular groove A²
formed on the inner face of the casing A. By the arrangement described, the
piston B forms with the casing A an annular working chamber C, of which the
outer wall is formed by the rim B¹ and the inner wall is formed by the hub A¹.
The piston B is secured on a shaft I mounted to rotate in the hub A' of the
casing, and on the said shaft is secured or formed a collar D engaging the
hub B of the said piston B, to hold the latter against the hub A. Nuts D²
screw on the outer end of the shaft D, to abut against a washer E bearing on the
outer face of the casing A. The shaft D is provided with the usual means for
transmitting the rotary motion of the engine to other machinery.
In the working chamber C extend a series of piston heads F, pivoted near
their outer ends at F to the web of the piston 3, the inner ends of the said
piston heads being provided with friction rollers F travelling on the peripheral
surface of the hub A. Abutments G also extend in the annular working chamber C
and are pivoted near their inner ends at G¹ on the stationary hub A, and are
provided with heel ends adapted to abut against the periphery of the hub while
their outer ends carry friction rollers G2 travelling on the inner surface of the
rim B₁ of the piston B.
As shown in Figure 2, three piston heads F are employed to two abutments G,
the said abutments and piston heads being so arranged that when the piston
rotates the piston heads F swing outwardly, while the abutments G swing inwardly
to allow the piston heads to pass the abutments.
Into the annular chamber C open diametrically arranged inlet ports a, a¹
formed in the casing A, and connected with steam supply pipes H, and exhaust
ports b, likewise open into the chamber C and are connected at their outer
ends with exhaust pipes I. The inlet ports a, a¹ are located near the rim 1',
while the exhaust ports b, bare located near the hub A', and the said ports are
alternately arranged and placed at suitable distances apart, as is plainly indicated
in Figure 2.
Now by reference to the said figure, it will be seen that the steam entering the
port a presses the next piston head F with its friction roller, F2, in engagement
with the hub A', while the outer end of the said piston head rests against
the inner face of the rim 13. In a like manner the steam presses against the
abutment G, so as to hold the friction roller G2 thereof in engagement with the
inner face of the rim B¹. Now the pressure of steam on the piston head F
imparts a travelling motion to the piston B, so as to rotate the same in the
direction of the arrow c¹, and at the same time a similar impulse is given to the
piston B by the steam passing through the port a¹ into the space between the
corresponding abutment G and piston head F. When the forwardly moving.
piston head F passes the next exhaust port b or b¹, the steam in the rear of the
said piston head can exhaust, it being understood that in the meanwhile another
piston head has passed the preceding inlet port. Thus, continuous impulses are
given to the piston B by the steam pressing at all times against some of the piston
heads, to insure a continuous rotary motion of the piston. The rotating piston B
is preferably enclosed in a suitable hood J, attached to the casing A, as indicated
in Figure 1.
It is understood that when a piston head F passes an abutment G, the latter
ields inwardly against the pressure of the exhaust steam contained between the
next piston head and the said abutment: but as soon as the piston head F has
passed such abutment and the corresponding inlet port, then the steam from the
atter will act at once on both the abutment and the piston head, so as to move them
nto their proper positions-that is, with their friction rollers F2 and G2 against
he hub A and the rim B' respectively.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is: -
1. A rotary engine comprising a casing formed with a hub and having pivoted
abutments, a revoluble piston in the form of a wheel having a rim concentric to the
hub of the casing and forming with the said hub an annular working chamber,
the said abutments being pivoted near their inner ends and each having a heel
at said end adapted to rest against the inner wall or hub, the outer ends of said
abutments being adapted to travel on the inner surface of the said rim, and
piston heads pivoted near their outer ends on the web of the said wheel, the
inner ends of the said piston heads being adapted to travel on the peripheral
surface of the hub, substantially as described.
2. A rotary engine comprising a casing formed on one face with a hub, the
said casing having inlet and exhaust ports alternately arranged, a piston mounted
to turn and having its central portion engaging the said hub of the casing, the
piston having a solid web and a rim concentric to the said hub of the casing and
having its outer edge fitted to turn in an annular groove formed on the inner face of the
casing, thereby forming with the casing an annular working chamber, the said
piston being provided with piston heads pivoted near their outer ends to the web
of the said piston and mounted to swing in the said chamber, the inner ends of
the said piston heads being provided with friction rollers adapted to travel on the
peripheral surface of the hub of the casing, and abutments pivoted near their inner
ends to the hub of said casing at opposite points and normally extending tan-
gentially therefrom, the said abutments being provided at their outer ends with
friction rollers arranged to travel on the inner surface of the rim of the piston,
the said abutments and piston heads being so arranged that when the piston
rotates the piston heads swing outwardly while the abutments swing inwardly
to allow the piston heads to pass the abutments, substantially as set forth.
3. A rotary engine comprising a casing, and a piston mounted to turn and
forming with the said casing an annular working chamber and pivoted abutments
and pivoted piston heads within the working chamber and adapted to pass one
another, the said abutments being pivoted near their inner ends to the inner fixed
wall of said working chamber and provided with friction rollers at their outer
ends adapted to rest against the inner surface of the rim of the piston, and the
said piston heads being pivoted near their outer ends on the movable piston and
having their inner ends provided with friction rollers adapted to engage the
inner fixed wall of the said working chamber, the said casing being provided with
inlet ports opening into the said annular chamber forward of said abutments
and outlet ports leading from said annular chamber and located at the rear of
said abutments, the inlet ports being located near the outer wall of the annular
chamber and the outer ports near the inner wall thereof, the said ports being
alternately arranged substantially as shown and described.
4. A rotary engine comprising a casing, a piston mounted to turn and forming
with the said casing an annular working chamber, abutments pivoted near their
inner ends to the inner fixed wall of the chamber at opposite points and adapted
to engage with their outer ends the inner surface of the rim of the piston, piston
heads pivoted near their outer ends to the movable piston and having their inner
ends adapted to engage the inner fixed wall of the working chamber, the said
casing being provided with oppositely arranged inlet ports opening into the said
annular working chamber at a point forward of said abutments, the casing being
also provided with oppositely arranged outlet ports opening into the annular
chamber at the rear of the abutments, the said pivoted abutments and pivoted
piston heads being adapted to pass one another by pressure of the motive agent,
substantially as set forth.
5. A rotary engine comprising a casing, a revoluble piston forming with the
said casing an annular working chamber, two oppositely arranged abutments
pivoted near their inner ends to the casing and resting with their inner ends

page_text: against the inner wall of the chamber, the said abutments carrying friction
rollers at their outer ends adapted to rest against the rim of the piston, the said
abutments normally extending tangentially from the inner wall of the annular
working chamber and in opposite directions, piston heads pivoted near their
outer ends on the web of the piston and adapted to rest with their outer ends
against the rim of the piston and their inner ends on the inner wall of the chamber,
the piston heads being three in number, the said casing being provided with dia-
metrically arranged inlet ports opening into the annular working chamber for-
ward of the said abutments, and outlet ports opening into said chamber at the rear
of said abutments, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 19th day of December 1898.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.