Improvements in Steam-engines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Boen may,
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam-engines.
I, JACOB WEST, of Bolivar, in the county of Westmoreland, and State of
Pennsylvania, one of the United States of America, Mechanical Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to an improvement in steam-engines.
My invention consists of a cone-shaped cylinder in which is fitted a conical spirally-
grooved piston arranged in such a manner that by means of one, two, or more
feed-pipes the steam is admitted into the cylinder at the larger end and comes in
contact with the grooves of the piston, causing it to revolve at a very high rate of
speed, and escapes at the smaller end.
I have shown my preferred form of construction in the accompanying drawings,
wherein like letters of reference are used to designate similar parts in the several
views, and in which―
Figure 1 is a side elevation:
Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same.
Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section on the line x-x of Figure 2.
A indicates the outer cylinder, the major part of which is conical. The outer
surface of the head A' thereof is circular, and has a flange, A³, and a steam
connecting branch or feed-opening, a. To the flange A² a head, B, is bolted. The
feed-opening a communicates with an internal circular steam-passage, a¹, which has
one or more ports, a", opening therefrom into the interior of said outer cylinder or
casing.
The smaller end of the cylinder A has an egress-port, a³, to which a suitable pipe
may be attached to convey the exhaust-steam away from the cylinder. The inner
chamber of said cylinder is of regular conical form, and a conical piston, C, is fitted
therein, having shaft-extensions c and c¹ from each end thereof, upon which a power-
transmitting pulley, C¹, is keyed. The two shaft extensions have bearing in the ends
of the outer cylinder, being surrounded by suitable packings or having stuffing-
boxes.
The conical piston C is constructed with a series of spiral grooves, c², which
provide flanges or wings against which steam impinges. The large end of the piston
has a plain surface, C2, which affords a stable base for the grooves, and at the same
time does not deteriorate from the desired action of the piston, as said surface is in
rear of the ingress port or ports a². The piston is shorter than the interior chamber
of the cylinder A, thereby leaving a space between the end of the said piston and the
inner surface of the end wall of the cylinder, thus providing a chamber under the
egress-port a³. The said piston snugly fits within the cylinder, having only sufficient
space to allow it to have unretarded movement. The steam entering the ingress port
or ports flows into the spiral grooves of the piston and against the projections formed
by said grooves. This force revolves said piston and the transmitting-pulley. The
steam follows the grooves or exerts its pressure on the piston until the whole length

page_text: of the said piston is traversed thereby, or until it reaches the end space between the
reduced part thereof and of the cylinder and escapes. By this means a continuous
revolution is sustained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The combination, substantially as described, of the cylinder or casing having a
conical chamber, lateral ingress and egress ports communicating, respectively, with
the larger and smaller ends of said chamber, a head to close the larger end of said
chamber, and a conical piston provided with spiral grooves terminating near the
larger end of the piston.
2. The combination, substantially as described, of a cylinder or casing provided
with a conical chamber, an eduction-port opening laterally from the smaller end of
the chamber, a circular steam-passage surrounding the larger end of the chamber and
communicating therewith through one or more radial openings, an ingress-port
opening into said circular chamber, a removable head to close the larger end of the
chamber, and a conical spirally-grooved piston mounted in the chamber with its shaft
journaled in the heads of the cylinder and provided at its larger end beyond the
ingress-ports with a peripheral plain surface.
Dated this 28th day of May 1889
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
76, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
76, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.