IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTATORY ENGINES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Webb, of Mayfield Terrace,. Dalston,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN ROTATORY ENGINES."
Sealed the 15th July 1858, and dated the 17th May 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Webb at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 17th May 1858.
I, JOSEPH WEBB, of Mayfield Terrace, Dalston, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTATORY ENGINES" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of a fixed cylinder with end covers, through
which a hollow axis passes, and through this axis the steam or fluid
from the boiler or source of supply flows to the interior of the cylinder.
On the axis is fixed a piston touching the interior of the cylinder at two
points. There are two or more abutments or slides passing from the
exterior to the interior of the cylinder, their inner ends being in contact
with the pistou I one of the end covers of the cylinder there
are openings for the fluid to pass out of the cylinder. There are
passages through the piston communicating with the hollow axis,

page_text: through which the fluid flows and presses against and moves the
piston round with its axis. The back of the piston towards the vacuum,
or least pressure side, is a convex curve, offering a larger extent of
surface than thic front of the piston, through which the fluid flows and
presses.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Webb in the Great Seal Patent Office, on
the 17th November 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOSEPH WEBB, of Mayfield Terrace, Dalston, in the County of Middle-
sex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth
year of fer reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Joseph Webb, Her special licence that I, the
said Joseph Webb, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Joseph Webb, 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 ROTATORY ENGINES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph Webb, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and scal, should particularly 2
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 Joseph Webb, do hereby 3
leclare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
s to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
y the following statement thereof (that is to say):

page_text: This Invention consists of a fixed cylinder with end cover, through
which a hollow axis passes, and through this axis the steain or fluid
from the boiler or source of supply flows to the interior of the cylinder.
On the axis is fixed a piston touching the interior of the cylinder at two
points. There are two or more abutinents or slides passing from the
exterior to the interior of the cylinder, their ends being in contact with
the piston. In one of the end covers of the cylinders there are openings
for the fluid to pass out of the cylinder. There are passages through
the piston communicating with the hollow axis, through which the
fluid flows and presses against and moves the piston round with its
axis. The back of the piston towards the vacuum, or least pressure
side, is a convex curve, offering a larger extent of surface than the
front of the piston, through which the fluid flows or passes.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed
to describe the means of verforming the same.
Figure 1, is a section taken transversely through the engine and
axis, and Figure 2, shows a section taken through the axis and engine
longitudinally of the axis, and Figure 8, is an external view. In these
figures the same letters are used to indicate similar parts; a, is the
steam or fluid pipe into the box b, from which it flows by the passages
cc, by the passages d, through the piston, which enlarge as they
proceed outwards from the centre. The piston touches the cylinder h,
at two places at all times, as shown. The cylinder h, is made with
three recesses for butresses e, e, which move on axes so as at one time
to lie within their recesses, and form a continuation of the interior of
the curve of the cylinder b, and at other times they become butresses
to the fluid, the pressure of the fluid pressing one edge of them against
the piston, as is shown. The butresses have weights a, which tend at
all times to place the butresses into a position to resist the pressure of
the fluid, and thus to force the piston round within the cylinder.
f, f, are the outlets by which the fluid flows from the exterior of the
cylinder b; and g, g, are the slots to work the valves ƒ', f'.

page_text: Having thus.described the nature of my said Invention, and man-
ner in which the same is performed, I would have it understood that I
do not confine myself to the details as shown and described, as the same
may be varied without departing from tlie peculiar character of my
Invention, which consists of: employing passages issuing from a hollow
axis' or shaft, and bending-round such shaft or axis, and enclosing the
same in a cylinder, as shown and described; the arrangement shown,
however, by the drawings, and described above, I believe to be the best
for carrying my Invention into practice..
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Webb, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
Witness,
B. GOBEY,
4, Old Square,
Lincoln's Inn.
JOSEPH WEBB. (L.S.)