IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTIVE POWER ENGINES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Catherine Joubert, of Rue de Moscow, and
Leon André Bordier, of Rue de la Ferme des Mathurins, both in Paris,
in the Empire of France, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTIVE
POWER ENGINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Catherine Joubert
& Leon André Bordier at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 1st February 1856.
I, CHARLES CATHERINE JOUBERT, of Rue de Moscow, & I, LEON ANDRE
BORDIER, of Rue de la Ferme des Mathurins, both in Paris, in the Empire of
France, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MOTIVE POWER ENGINES, to be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in motive power engines, relates to an
arrangement of mechanism between the piston or surface on which the steam
or other moving agent acts, & the shaft or prime mover. In the application of
steam, as a moving agent, I construct the steam cylinder, divided in its length
into two steam chambers, in each of which is a leaf or piston, fixed to a central
boss, in the manner of a rotary steam engine; each compartment has a fixed
diaphragm, forming an abutment for the steam, the leaves or pistons forming
a partial but nearly an entire revolution, as limited by the abutments. The
steam is admitted by suitable valves on the one side of one piston to force it

page_text: round, and at the proper period it is adimitted to the other piston to force the
whole round in the opposite direction, & so on, producing an alternating
circular motion. The shaft is firmly fixed to the boss of piston leaves, & parti-
cipates in the motion described; it projects beyond the steam chamber a length
equal to twice the throw of the crank to be driven, & has a strong square
thread screw cut thereon, & fitted with a suitable nut, which traverses the
length of the screw; back & forth, at each alternation of the piston leaves.
This nut is fitted, & slides in suitable guides, & has the connecting rod
attached to it, communicating with the crank on the main shaft or prime
mover, which receives rotary motion from the traverse of the nut on the screw.
Instead of making the nut moveable, it may be fixed, & the screw on the
piston rod allowed to traverse through it; in this case, the cylinder or steam
chamber is mounted like the piston of an ordinary engine, within a second
cylinder, but with a screw cut on an extension of the rod that does not enter
the second cylinder, but works in the nut, as before; the connecting rod
is jointed to a swivel fitted to the end of screwed piston rod & moves in
suitable guides to maintain the parallelism of its motion. In this case, the
cylinder or inner steam chamber & piston rod, while traversing to and fro in
the outer cylinder, will perform at the same time more or less of a revolution
according to the thread of the screw & the, nut in which, it works; steam
may or may not be used in the outer cylinder to act upon the inner chamber
as a reciprocating piston. A modification of the same kind of apparatus or
mechanism may be introduced between the motive agent, whether water, wind,
manual, or other power, .& the driving purpose to which such power is
applied, modified & arranged as may be required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Catherine Joubert & Leon André Bordier in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st August 1856..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,. we,..CHARLES
CATHERINE JOUBERT, of Rue de Moscow, and LEON ANDRE BORDIER, of. Rue..
de la Ferme des Mathurins, in Paris,.in the Empire of France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her.. most .Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her -Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of February, in the year of. our Lord One
thousand eight hundred.and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Charles Catherine Joubert and Leon André Bordier, Her special; licence that.

page_text: we, the said Charles Catherine Joubert aud Leon André Bordier, executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Charles Catherine
Joubert and Leon André Bordier, our 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 MOTIVE POWER ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Charles Catherine Joubert and Leon André Bordier,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our 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 we, the said Charles Catherine Joubert.and Leon
André Bordier, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
Our Invention which we designate by the name of polydyname, consists in
the application of a screw to a driving shaft for transmitting motion, so as to
multiply the power of action. Various means may be used for attaining this
result; ours, as illustrated in the annexed Drawings, consists of a multiplex
thread screw forming the extension of a shaft, upon which a piston paddle is
keyed; this is intended to work into a cylinder, having two openings for
admitting, and one opening for emitting steam, and which is also provided
with a fixed inside partition. When steam is let through such an arrange-
ment it presses against the fixed partition, acting at the same time upon the
paddle or piston paddle connected with the shaft, which is thus carried into a
circular motion. Upon the piston reaching the opposite side of the fixed
partition the steam goes off; after having exerted its action, another current of
steam is let in through the other side of the partition, which drives the piston
back to its former position, the latter being thus imparted continuously, an
alternate circular motion. And, therefore, in consequence of the screw being
in connection with the cylinder shaft, it is likewise carried into a similar
alternate circular motion, by which a nut or female screw is actuated, being
connected to a rod end, the opposite end of which is secured to a crank
serving to start a driving wheel into a continuous rotation.
The screw may also be set into motion by means of a piston, such as is

page_text: used in common engines. For this end its rod is connected with the screw
by means of a lever arm and two gear wheels. This arrangement is chiefly
intended to transform, almost without expense, the old system of engines into
the improved engines called "polydynames.
The polydyname is, therefore, chiefly intended for application to all steam
engines, & to other motive power engines, for the purpose of multiplying
the power of the engine it is applied to. Every one is aware of the powerful
energy of the screw made use of for cutting out and stamping medals and
coins, we need not give particulars about it. This being once admitted, it will
be easily understood that great and numerous advantages can be derived from
its application to locomotive and marine engines, to land machines, and all
motive contrivances actually in use, such as water, lift, and force machines,
mills, and even vehicles moved by animal power, for this Invention relates to
the application of the screw, considered as a motive power, set into motion by
a lever arm or any other suitable power.
In the annexed Drawing which illustrate our improved system, or mode of
application of the screw. A is a steam cylinder containing the fixed partition
A², the end of which is provided with packings that press against the muffle
B, carrying a paddle or moveable piston C, the periphery of which, stuffed
with packings pressed upon by springs, fills & hermetically eloses the space
between the two ends of the cylinder A and the generating lines on its
internal periphery. The muffle B is mounted upon the shaft D, which goes
across the stuffing boxes E, having at one end the crank G, which connects
it with the screw J, the journals of which rest upon the bearings I. The
nut or female screw K, being actuated by the multiplex thread screw J,
is imparted by it an alternate to and fro motion between the slide bars H, and
has two journals supported in the fork of the connecting rod L, the opposite
end of which is fitted to the crank M, keyed upon the extreme end of the
driving shaft that carries the fly-wheel N. From what has been said it may
be easily understood how the various parts work in this new combination.
Supposing a current of steam let through the opening O, when the piston C
is in the position represented on the Drawing, it is evident that steam by its
expansiveness will act upon the piston C and the partition A¹; the latter being
stationary, the piston will of course be driven so far as the position A, shown
in dotted lines (Fig. 2). Before the piston C gets to this position the pro-
gress of the steam is turned off by the distribution box, and let through the
opening O, thereby the piston is driven back to its former position, shown in
dotted lines at B, and so forth. The crank G then vibrates and transmits the
same vibrating motion to the screw J, but as the latter is supported by its

page_text: journals, the nut or female screw K is compelled to effect between the slide
bars the to and fro motion of common engines, so that the connecting rod L
and the crank M transmit circular motion to the driving shaft carrying the
fly-wheel N. Here, as may be seen, it is the nut or female screw that is
moveable, and that actuates the connecting rod, but it is easily understood
that we might obtain a contrary result, by rendering the female screw
stationary and the screw moveable.
The various arrangements of the steam engine called polydyname, may be
varied and modified in their relative forms according to the requirements of
the work they are applied to; and, to give an only instance, we shall say, that
in all cases the diameter of the cylinder may be increased, for this motive, that
steam being then acting upon a larger lever arm, will conduce to better
results.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in which
the same is, or may be carried into effect, we desire it to be distinctly under-
stood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details herein described,
as such may be varied or modified without departing from the principle of
action thereof; likewise, we do not confine ourselves to the strict forms or
shapes of the apparatus herein described, but what we claim as novel, and
therefore being secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent, is,
The application of our polydyname to steam engines, in order to increase
their power, or save fuel, and also to water or other machines for the purpose
of increasing their action substantially as herein specified.
In witness whereof, we, the said Charles Catherine Joubert and Leon
André Bordier, have hereunto set our hand and seal, this Twenty-
fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and fifty civ
C. C. JOUBERT. (L.S.)
L. A. BORDIER. (L.S.)