Improvements in Rotary Engines and Pumps and other like Rotary Apparatus.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 20th Jan., 1890-Accepted, 22nd Feb., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Engines and Pumps and other like Rotary
Apparatus.
We CEMER THOMAS COLEBROOK of 15 Union Square, Islington in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, and JOHN GAMGEE of 6 Lingfield Road, Wimbledon in the
County of Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
--
This invention relates to rotary engines and pumps and other like rotary apparatus,
such for example as exhausters and blowers, and it has special reference to that class
of rotary apparatus in which there are one or more sliding plates working in a drum
or centre-piece provided with grooves or recesses, and with end shafts passing through
the cylinder covers, the drum or centre-piece rotating freely within an outer cylinder
or casing either excentrically to the bore of the said cylinder with the periphery of
the drum or centre piece in contact with the inner surface of the cylinder at some
particular point, or concentrically with a cylinder or casing provided or formed with
an abutment of segmental form for the drum or centre-piece to rotate against; the
cylinder in either case is formed with suitable inlet and outlet passages.
It is desirable in rotary apparatus of this description that when the drum or centre-
piece is caused to revolve in the cylinder the sliding plate or plates shall make
accurate and close contact with the inner surface of the cylinder at all parts of the
revolution, so as to prevent leakage, be noiseless in working, and have the smallest
amount of friction on the slides.
Many devices have been employed for attaining the desired object, such as pro-
jections on or recesses in the end covers of the cylinder, thus forming guiding
channels to receive the ends or part of the ends of the slide or slides; in other
cases there have been distance pieces passing through the drum and connecting the
slides on the opposite sides of the drum together, the cylinder having to be bored
to a sort of elliptical shape, so that the distance from the opposite sides of the
cylinder passing through the axis of the drum should at all parts of the revolution
be approximately of the same length; in others again a taper pin or guide bar
has been arranged excentrically to and inside the drum and concentric with the inner
surface of the cylinder, so that the slides revolve between this central taper guide bar
and the inner surface of the cylinder, the taper bar being adjustable to make up for
the wear and tear of the slides.
The
These and other arrangements have been employed with more or less success.
recesses in which the slides work, although very accurately fitted at first, become slack
and cause considerable friction by the liability the slides then have to lock them-
selves in their respective recesses, and the leakage past them is then generally very
great.
The main object of the present invention is to remedy these and other defects in
such rotary apparatus and to make such improvements therein as that the principle of
action upon which they are based shall be more perfectly and more practically
attained and with much greater advantage than heretofore.
In carrying out our invention we construct the engine, pump, or other like
apparatus with an outer casing or cylinder, preferably of a plain circular section,
and with an inlet and outlet, and end covers in any usual or suitable manner.
Transversely and within the body of the drum or centre-piece and in connection
with the recess or recesses for the slide or slides we form a cylinder or cylinders, the
number varying with the number of slides to be used and the purpose for which the
apparatus is to be employed.
Within these cylinders (which are not necessarily circular in section) we fit a

page_text: piston or pistons which may have the usual spring packing rings if desired; the
outer end of each piston is slotted or grooved to a convenient depth to receive
the slide which is fitted thereto, but not so tightly as to prevent the slide moving
with perfect freedom longitudinally to avoid undue wear on the end covers or ends of
the main cylinder.
The slides are preferably attached to the piston or pistons by a pin or key or other
suitable contrivance so as to prevent the possibility of either the piston or the slide
moving towards the inner face of the cylinder without one another.
We arrange for the steam, air, water (or other fluid as the case may be) to be
admitted into the cylinder or cylinders within the drum or centre-piece and at the
back of each piston, either from the main cylinder direct where the pressure is
greatest or by a separate pipe or passage from the main steam pipe or other pipe
where the pressure is greatest in any suitable manner in order to keep the slides to
their work by the increased pressure within the cylinder or cylinders over and above
the mean pressure in the main cylinder.
Except when the apparatus has to be made to run in either direction, backwards or
forwards as in a launch engine, the slide or slides are preferably made thinner than
the recess or recesses in which they work, so as only to let one side of the slide
touch the recess, the other side being quite clear; the slide or slides are kept in
this position by the slotted or grooved ends of the piston or pistons to which they
are connected.
Especial advantages are gained by these improved arrangements; there is a reduced
amount of friction; the slides are better supported and balanced by the slotted ends
of the pistons; they have perfect freedom to move longitudinally, and (except when
they have to run in either direction) they work against only one face of their
recesses; the usual wear on the end covers or ends of the cylinder is much
lessened.
As the slides can be caused to travel almost the whole of their depth out of
their recesses while, with the ordinary arrangements, they can seldom be made to
work more than half their depth out of the recesses, the power or work of the engine
or apparatus is greatly increased.
Our invention further consists in constructing rotary engines and pumps and other
like rotary apparatus in duplex, triplex, or multiple form, that is to say we arrange
two or more cylinders or casings each fitted with an inner drum or centre-piece and
its slide or slides. The drums or centre-pieces are mounted on the same shaft and
are concentric with each other; the cylinders or casings in which the drums rotate
are on the contrary excentric with each other as well as with the shaft; their
respective excentricities in the case of two cylinders or casings are on opposite sides
of the shaft. The result of this arrangement is that as the parts at which in their
rotation the respective drums perform their active work are at different points in
relation to the shaft, the motion of the shaft and drums is balanced and easy.
The cylinders may be placed sufficiently far apart to permit of a driving wheel or
wheels being mounted between them on the shaft of the drums.
DateL: 001
1000
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Engines and Pumps and other like Rotary
Apparatus.
We CEMER THOMAS COLEBROOK of 15 Union Square, Islington in the County
of Middlesex Engineer and JOHN GAMGEE of 6 Lingfield Road, Wimbledon in the
County of Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to rotary engines and pumps and other like rotary apparatus

page_text: such for example as exhausters and blowers, and it has special reference to that
class of rotary apparatus in which there are one or more sliding plates working in
a drum or centre-piece provided with grooves or recesses, and with end shafts
passing through the cylinder covers, the drum or centre piece rotating freely within
an outer cylinder or casing either excentrically to the bore of the said cylinder with
the periphery of the drum or centre piece in contact with the inner surface of the
cylinder at some particular point, or concentrically with a cylinder or casing provided
or formed with an abutment of segmental form for the drum or centre piece to
rotate against, the cylinder in either case is formed with suitable inlet and outlet
passages.
It is desirable in rotary apparatus of this description that when the drum or
centre-piece is caused to revolve in the cylinder the sliding plate or plates shall
make accurate and close contact with the inner surface of the cylinder at all parts
of the revolution, so as to prevent leakage, be noiseless in working, and have the
smallest amount of friction on the slides.
Many devices have been employed for attaining the desired object, such as projec-
tions on or recesses in the end covers of the cylinder, thus forming guiding
channels to receive the ends or part of the ends of the slide or slides; in other
cases there have been distance pieces passing through the drum and connecting the
slides on the opposite sides of the drum together, the cylinder having to be bored to
a sort of elliptical shape, so that the distance from the opposite sides of the cylinder
passing through the axis of the drum should at all parts of the revolution be
approximately of the same length, in others again a taper pin or guide bar has been
arranged excentrically to and inside the drum and concentric with the inner surface
of the cylinder, so that the slides revolve between this central taper guide bar and
the inner surface of the cylinder, the taper bar being adjustable to make up for the
wear and tear of the slides.
These and other arrangements have been employed with more or less success. The
recesses in which the slides work although very accurately fitted at first, become
slack and cause considerable friction by the liability the slides then have to lock
themselves in their respective recesses, and the leakage past them is then generally
very great.
The main object of the present invention is to remedy these and other defects in
such rotary apparatus and to make such improvements therein as that the principle
of action upon which they are based shall be more perfectly and more practically
attained and with much greater advantage than heretofore.
In carrying out our invention we construct the engine, pump or other like apparatus
with an outer casing or cylinder preferably of a plain circular section and with an
inlet and outlet, and end covers in any usual or suitable manner.
Transversely and within the body of the drum or centre-piece and in connection
with the recess or recesses for the slide or slides we form a cylinder or cylinders, the
number varying with the number of slides to be used and the purpose for which the
apparatus is to be employed.
Within these cylinders (which are not necessarily circular in section) we fit a
piston or pistons which may have the usual spring packing rings if desired; the
outer end of each piston is slotted or grooved to a convenient depth to receive the
slide which is fitted thereto, but not so tightly as to prevent the slide moving with
perfect freedom longitudinally to avoid undue wear on the end covers or ends of the
main cylinder.
The slides are preferably attached to the piston or pistons by a pin or key or other
suitable contrivance so as to prevent the possibility of either the piston or the slide
moving towards the inner face of the cylinder without one another.
We arrange for the steam, air, water (or other fluid as the case may be) to be
admitted into the cylinder or cylinders within the drum or centre-piece and at the
back of each piston either from the main cylinder direct where the pressure is greatest
or by a separate pipe or passage from the main steam pipe, or other pipe where the
pressure is greatest, in any suitable manner in order to keep the slides to their work,

page_text: by the increased pressure within the cylinder or cylinders over and above the mean
pressure in the main cylinder.
Except when the apparatus has to be made to run in either direction backwards or
forwards as in a launch engine the slide or slides are preferably made thinner than
the recess or recesses in which they work so as only to let one side of the slide touch
the recess, the other side being quite clear; the slide or slides are kept in this
position by the slotted or grooved ends of the piston or pistons to which they are
connected.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section on the line 1-1 of Figure 2 and Figure 2 is a
transverse section of a rotary engine constructed according to our invention as herein-
before described. a is the outer casing or cylinder which is shown as of plain circular
dd are the end covers.
section b and c are respectively the inlet and outlet of same.
are
e is the drum or centre-piece fixed on the shaft f. gg are cylinders formed in the
drum e and h, h are pistons fitted in these cylinders; each piston is slotted or grooved
to receive the slide which is attached thereto by pins or keys which while prevent-
ing the slide moving inwards or outwards without its pistons h, h allow the slide a
little play longitudinally so as to avoid undue wear on the end covers d, d.
the recesses in the drum e in which the slides work. The steam (or other fluid) is
admitted to the cylinders g, g through a longitudinal channel m in the shaft fand
drum e, this channel being in communication by a pipe n with the main steam pipe p;
the cylinders g,g are thus supplied with steam at the greatest pressure. The slides k, k
are shown as made thinner than the recesses g, 9 in which they work, so that only
one side of each slide will touch the recess, the other side being quite clear; the
slides are kept in this position by the slotted ends of the pistons h, h. When,
however, the engine has to run in either direction the pistons should fit the
recesses 9, 9 on both sides.
In some cases we employ springs to force out the pistons and slides in combination
with or instead of the vapor or fluid pressure; Figures 3 and 4 are views corre-
sponding respectively with Figures 1 and 2 and showing springs, fitted in the
cylinders g g so as to assist in forcing out the pistons h, and the slides k, k.
Especial advantages are gained by these improved arrangements; there is a
reduced amount of friction; the slides k, k are better supported and balanced. by
the slotted ends of the pistons h, h; they have perfect freedom to move longitudinally,
and (except when they have to run in either direction) they work against only one
face of their recesses 9, 7; the usual wear on the end covers or ends of the
cylinder is much lessened. As the slides can be caused to travel almost the whole
of their depth out of their recesses, while with the ordinary arrangements they
can seldom be made to work more than half their depth out of the recesses the
power or work of the engine or apparatus is greatly increased.
Our invention further consists in constructing rotary engines and pumps and
other like rotary apparatus in duplex, triplex or multiplex form, that is to say we
arrange two or more cylinders or casings each fitted with an inner drum or
centre-piece and its slide or slides. The drums or centre-pieces are mounted on the
same shaft and are concentric with each other; the cylinders or casings in which the
drums rotate are on the contrary excentric with each other as well as with the shaft ;
their respective excentricities in the case of two cylinders or casings are on opposite
sides of the shaft. The result of this arrangement is that as the parts at which in their
rotation the respective drums perform their active work are at different points in
relation to the shaft the motion of the shaft and drums is balanced and easy.
The cylinders may be placed sufficiently far apart to permit of a driving wheel or
wheels being mounted between them on the shaft of the drums.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section showing two apparatus constructed as shown in
Figures 1 and 2 arranged on the same shaft so as to form a duplex engine,
the two apparatus being sufficiently far apart to allow of a driving wheels being
mounted between them on their shaft. It will be seen that while the two drums e, e
are concentric with each other and with the shaft the two cylinders or casings a, a
are not only excentric with the shaft but excentric with each other, their respective

page_text: excentricities being on opposite sides of the shaft, whereby the effect and advantage
above explained are obtained.
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 in
respect of rotary engines and pumps and other like rotary apparatus is :-
:-
1. The fitting of the slides to pistons which work in cylinders in the drum or centre-
piece and are forced out by fluid pressure or by springs, or by fluid pressure and
springs combined, so as to keep the slides up to the inner surface of the main cylinder
or casing, substantially as set forth.
2. The employment behind pistons to which the slides are attached, of fluid pressure
which is of greater pressure than the mean pressure in the main cylinder or casing,
whereby the slides are kept up to the inner surface of the main cylinder or casing,
substantially as set forth.
3. The fitting of the slides to the pistons in such manner that the former have a
slight longitudinal play, as and for the purpose set forth.
4. The arranging or forming of the slides in such manner that they work against
only one side of the recesses in which they are fitted, as and for the purpose set forth.
5. The construction of rotary engines, pumps or other like rotary apparatus in
duplex, triplex or multiplex form, in manner and for the purpose set forth."
Dated this 20th dox of Jas
1000
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.