Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Nov., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 12th Jan., 1900-Accepted, 3rd Mar., 1900
I, CHARLES HAVELOCK TAYLOR, of No. 57, Clandeboye Avenue, in Westmount,
in the District of. Montreal, and Province of Quebec, Dominion of Canada
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide a rotary engine that will utilize the
fluid employed to the fullest extent of its power of thrust and expansion, and
the action whereof will be uniformly balanced.
To these ends, the invention may be said broadly, to consist of a series of
spiral chambers operatively connected to the part to be driven and located
within a cylinder, said series of chambers being of increasing capacity from the
fluid intake port of the cylinder to the exhaust port thereof, while means are
provided to cause the fluid during its expansion, to pass successively through
said spiral chambers, and, in doing so, act upon the forward spiral wall of each
thereof and cause same to impart motion to the part to be driven.
The extent of expansion to which it may be necessary to subject the fluid,
in order to maintain uniform velocity with a varying resistance, being deter-
mined by an automatically operated governor of novel construction.
The preferred embodiment of my invention may be said to consist in mounting
a shaft with a portion thereof extending through a cylinder, and securing
thereto a spiral vane extending continuously from end to end of the portion of
said shaft within said cylinder.
The surface of this shaft is of concavo-conoidal form, with the apex towards
the intake port of the cylinder, and the cylinder conforms to the periphery of
said spiral vane which is of uniform pitch and width throughout.
The continuous spiral chamber formed by this vane, the shaft, and the interior
of the cylinder, is divided radially and axially of the shaft into a series of spiral
chambers by a series of resistance heads in the form of tapered diaphragms,
carried yieldingly upon the periphery of a disc or hub rotatably mounted upon
an axis located at a point concentric of the arc of the concavity of the conoidal
shaft surface.
This hub and the resistance heads carried thereby are located within a box
secured to the cylinder, the resistance heads projecting through an opening in
the side of said cylinder and fitting into the spaces between the convolutions
of the vane, while the interior of the box is cut off from the interior of the
cylinder by steam packing and the close fitting of the parts, the taper of the
resistance heads corresponding to one another and to the pitch of the vane.
My improved governor consists of a valve chamber communicating at points
intermediate of its ends with the interior of the cylinder at a number of
different points in the length of said cylinder by a number of independent steam
ducts, while one end of said valve chamber is connected to the steam supply
and the other end to the steam intake port of the cylinder.
The valve is normally free of the ducts and the passage to the intake port

page_text: and is preferably of hollow cylindrical form to allow the steam to pass thore-
through to either said steam intake port only, or to said port and one or more
of the ducts, according as the resistance to the engine increases. The valve is
operated by a stem which extends therefrom to the exterior of the valve casing
where it is operatively connected to governor balls actuated, as usual, from any
preferred driven part of the engine.
-
For full comprehension, however, of my invention, reference must be had to
the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which like
symbols indicate the same parts, and wherein,
Figure 1 is a side elevation and part vertical sectional view of the internal
parts of my improved rotary engine, the casing being partly in section to
expose said parts;
Figure 2 an end elevation partly in section of my improved engine, the
sectional view being taken on line 2, 2, Figure 1;
Figure 3 a side elevation of the internal parts of left hand portion of my
improved' engine, looking at Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a view of the interior of the left hand portion of the engine,
looking at Figure 2.
Figure 5 a view of the right hand portion similar to part of Figure 4;
Figures 6 and 7 horizontal sectional views of the governor taken on lines 6, 6,
and 7, 7, respectively, Figure 1;
Figure 8 a vertical sectional view taken on line 8, 8, Figure 1;
Figure 9 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the main feed taken on
line 9, 9, Figure 1;
Figure 10 is a detail plan of one end of the shaft illustrating my improved
adjustable key; and
Figure 11 is a detail longitudinal sectional view thereof taken on line 11, 11,
Figure 10.
My improved engine preferably comprises two cylinder casings 11, 11 closed
at their opposite ends by circular cylinder heads 12, 12 bolted thereto, and
connected together at their adjacent ends by a central connecting portion, having
a T-channel 10 formed therein at the upper side thereof. This central portion
is preferably made in two longitudinal sections 13 and 13", and is bored longi-
tudinally thereof and concentrically of the cylinders as at 14, to accomodate
and form a bearing for the central portion of a horizontal shaft 16 which
passes therethrough and through the cylinders and the cylinder heads which
latter are formed concentrically thereof with journal bearings 17, for the ends
of said shaft.
These cylinder casings are divided vertically in an axial plane, the adjoining
upper edges being radially flanged and bolted together as at 18, while the lower
portions thereof are downwardly extended and inclined away from one another
to form wings 22, the edges whereof are flanged as at 20, and the opening
between these wings being continued for a short distance into the central
connection portion, as at 15, and communicates through a pipe 21, with the
steam supply T-channel
A conoidal hub 25 having a concave peripheral surface is mounted rigidly
upon the shaft 16, within each cylinder with their truncated apices towards
one another, said hubs extending from the central connecting portion, to a
circular shoulder 27, formed upon the interior of each cylinder head and.
concentrically of the shaft.
Upon the surface of these respective hubs are formed right and left hand
spiral vanes, 28, of uniform pitch and width, throughout, and extending the full
length of said hubs; while the interior of the cylinder casings are convexly
conoidal in form to conform to and fit closely the periphery of said vanes. The
outer portion of each cylinder casing is increased in diameter, as at 30, to
extend the space between the largest and second to largest convolution of the
rane, and connect said space with the space, established by the shoulder 27,

page_text: between the outer end of the hub and the interior of the cylinder head, while
a centripetally extended plate 31, is secured between the halves within a space
formed by a recess 32 in each half, and is adapted to closely fit the periphery
of the outermost convolution of the vane.
The hubs are keyed to the shaft and the keys rendered adjustable to take up
wear in the following manner, reference being had to Figures 1, 3, 8, 10 and 11.
The outer end of each hub is slotted radially for a short distance on the
opposite sides of the shaft, as at 33, and the shaft is longitudinally slotted, as
at 84. The slot 34 adjacent to the end of the shaft extends inwardly to a point
inside of the slot in the hub; and keys 35, equal in width to the distance between
the outer ends of the slots 34 and the inner sides of the slots 33, extend through
said slots 34 and into the said slots 33.
The end of the shaft 16, is provided with a longitudinal screw-threaded
boring 36 which intersects the slot 34 and receives a screw bolt 38 having its
outer end formed with a squared head and its inner end bearing
upon the key. (See particularly Figure 11). It is obvious that if either
the slots 33 should wear large or the keys narrow, such wear can
be readily taken up by the screw bolt 38, which upon being screwed into the
end of the shaft, will force the left hand key into its slot 33 and through the
shaft draw the right hand key into its slot 33.
A pair of approximately semi-circular boxes are each formed preferably of
two concave-convex parts 40 and 41 formed concentrically of the exterior thereof
with axially projecting sleeves 42 and 43 respectively. The curved portion of
the peripheries of the parts of each box are bolted together and the plane
portions thereof are provided with flanges through which they are bolted to the
flanges 20 of the cylinder casings. The sleeve 42 has its outer end closed and
perforated to allow one end of a spindle 55, to be presently described, to pass
therethrough, while the outer end of sleeve 43 is open and the interior thereof
screw-threaded for a short distance.
Within each of these boxes is located a disc 45 having one side cut away
to form a hub, 46, and flat bearing portion 46 and its other side bevelled
as at 47 to allow the edge thereof to rest upon a correspondingly bevelled circular
shoulder 48 formed partially on the interior of the part 41 of each box, and
partially on the interior of the adjoining wing 22.
.
These discs are formed concentrically thereof with oppositely extending
sleeves 50 and 51 adapted to take into and bear respectively in the sleeves 42
and 48, the sleeve 50 being shorter than its enclosing sleeve 42, while the
interior of the sleeve 43 is cored out from its inner end to within a short
distance of the screw-threaded outer end thereof, to accommodate a series of
rings 52 of L-shape in cross section. The vertical portion of these rings take
into a series of circular grooves 53 cut in the exterior surface of the sleeve 51,
and the horizontal portions thereof enclose said sleeve 51.
A spindle 55 before mentioned, extends through each disc 45 and the sleeves 50
and 51, and has its outer end screw-threaded as at 56, to take into the screw-
threaded end of the sleeve 43. The portion of the spindle immediately adjacent
to the screw-threaded portion is diminished in circumference and not screw-
threaded, and a loose washer 58 is located between it and the adjacent end of
the sleeve 51 and the outermost ring 52. The main length of the spindle is
turned down to (as just mentioned) take through the disc 45 and sleeves 50
and 51, while its end projects through the perforation in the closed end of
sleeve 42, and is screw-threaded to receive a jam-nut, 59, between which and
the outer face of such closed end of the sleeve, a steam packing may be located
if desired although none is shown.
The series of rings, 52, serve as an effective steam packing for that end
of the sleeve and the wear thereto is taken up and their close contact with one
another effected, by screwing the enlarged end of the spindle into its seat, the
jam-nut 59 serving to retain the parts in position.

page_text: Each of these discs 45 carries a series of resistance heads each consisting of
a diaphragm 62 having its side edges tapered to conform to the pitch of the
vane 28 and completely fill the space between any two convolutions thereof,
while one face is flat and rests upon the bearing portion 46 and the other face
bevelled to correspond to a bevelled curved shoulder 63 formed upon the interior
of the line of juncture of the cylinder with the wing 22 adjacent thereto.
This construction of the diaphragms imparts to each thereof the form of a
wedge the faces whereof are adapted to establish a steam tight joint between
said diaphragm 62 and said shoulder 63, and the flat bearing surface 46", and
between the latter and the shoulder 48, while the edges are adapted to establish
a steam tight joint between the front and side edges thereof, respectively, and
the hub and the adjacent convolutions of the vane.
In order to take up the wear between these parts and at the same time
provide means to connect the resistance heads to the hub portions 46 of the
discs, I construct each with a heel 65 off-set therefrom to provide a shoulder 66
the forward face whereof will bear upon the shoulder 63 and thus diminish
the thrust upon the before mentioned steam tight faces.
A plug 67 is formed in one with each of said heels 65 and the free enda
thereof take into a series of radial sockets 68 formed in the periphery of said
hub, while a series of coiled springs 69 encircle said plugs and bear between
said heels 65 and the face of the hub.
The resistance heads are kept from swaying by a series of pins 70, carried
rigidly by the bearing surface 46* and located so as to project between said
heads, which are diminished to accommodate them, and in order to maintain a
steam tight connection between the heads the adjacent edges thereof are notched
to accommodate a series of preferably oval packing plugs 71; while said heads
are prevented from radial displacement into the steam spaces at the outer ends
of the cylinders, by the centripetally extending portions 31, within said
cylinders.
It is obvious that the resistance heads separate the continuous spiral chamber
formed by said vane, the interior of the cylinder and the hub, into a series of
spiral sub-chambers, each enclosed by two complete adjoining convolutions of
the vane, two adjoining resistance heads, the adjoining portion of the interior
of the casing, and the adjoining portion of the hub.
When the steam, or other power containing medium, is admitted to the first
sub chamber, it will naturally act in its expansion upon all the confining walls
thereof and as the wall of greatest resistance is the face of the larger convolu-
tion, greater power will be exerted upon it than upon any of the other walls
and consequently this wall may be considered the piston face of the chamber.
The excess of pressure upon the piston face of this first chamber will, owing
to its spiral formation, cause the hub and with it the shaft to rotate, (in the
direction indicated in Figure 3) and in each complete revolution cause each
resistance head to move (through intermeshing with the same) forward along
the vane and the convex face of the hub, from the position of the first inter-
meshing head to the position of the head next to it in the line of progression 4
and so on, thus causing the body of steam in the first chamber to pass into
the second chamber and in a like manner be conducted from chamber to chamber
until it reaches the exhaust port. In so doing it will have travelled consecu-
tively through the chambers from that of the minimum expansion area to that of
the maximum expansion area.
Simultaneously with this action, each revolution of the spiral vane will cut
a fresh body of steam into the first chamber, which will follow the preceding
body and thus maintain a uniformly balanced action.
In order to vary the power to compensate varying resistance to the engine,
and maintain a constantly uniform velocity, I provide an automatically actuated
governor adapted to control the supply of steam and direct same to expansion
chambers of different area in the engine.
5

page_text: This governor consists of a casing 72, formed with a vertical cylindrical valve
chamber 73, in the interior thereof, and a horizontal passage 74, communi-
cating with the upper end of said valve chamber.
The main portion of this casing is of a spherical form and has a series of
preferably four horizontally arranged circular channels 75, 76, 77 and 78,
respectively formed therein intermediate of the valve chamber and the exterior
of the casing.
A tray 78, is supported by bracket arms 79, a short distance beneath said
valve chamber and forms a circular passage 80 leading therefrom to the steam
exit port of the casing which is in turn connected to the vertical arm of the
T-steam channel of the engine.
The channel 75 is connected on its inside by a series of centripetal passages 81
to the interior of the valve chamber 73, and on its outside by a pair of radial
and downwardly inclined pipes 83 communicating with a pair of spiral slots 8+
in the respective cylinder casings of the engine, said slots corresponding in
pitch to that of the vanes and located preferably to communicate with the
second sub-chamber of each engine.
The channel 76 is connected similarly to the channel 75, to the valve chamber
by a series of centripetal passages 85, and through radial pipes 87 to a pair
of spiral slots 88, similar to the slots 84 but communicating with the third
sub-chamber of each cylinder casing.
The channels 77 and 78 are also similarly connected to the valve chamber 73
and to the cylinder casings, through pipes 86 and 86" and spiral slots 89 and 89*
to the fourth and fifth sub-chambers of the cylinders of the engine.
The valve 90 is of hollow cylindrical form and has a hub 91 connected thereto
by radial arms 92. This hub is connected to the lower end of the valve stem 93
which extends upwardly through a perforation carrying a stuffing box 94, in
the top of the casing, and the upper end of the stem is formed at its upper end
with a series of parallel grooves constituting a rack 95. The portion of the
stem adjacent to said racks is guided in a rotatable bracket 96 in the upper
portion of which a pair of gear-toothed segments 97, are pivotted and adapted
to intermesh with said racks. A pair of rods 98 are rigidly connected at their
inner ends to said segments 97 and at their outer ends to a pair of governor
balls 99, while the stem is operatively connected as usual to any preferred
driven part of the engine by a belt and pulley 100 rigidly mounted upon the
lower end of a sleeve 101 formed integrally with said rotatable bracket.
The operation of this governor is as follows:-
The steam will normally pass into the casing and through the valve chamber
and valve, and all the channels, and passages thereof, the casing, and the
T-channel to the engine, the cylinders of which it will supply at several
different points, as just described.
If the resistance to be overcome by the engine should happen to be light, the
velocity thereof will naturally, as in all engines, be too high, and consequently
the governor balls will, during action, by centrifugal force, raise the outer ends
of the rods 98 and, through the segments and racks, lower the valve and cut
off the supply of steam admitted through channel 78 and slots 89* to the
cylinders. If the velocity still continues to be too high, the steam supplied
through the channel 77 will be cut off and, continuing to be excessive, the
supply through channels 75 and 76, or if necessary the complete supply cut
off as shown in full lines in Figure 1.
On the other hand, when the resistance to the engine increases and the velocity
consequently slackens, under a diminished supply, the supply will be increased
in a manner the reverse of that just described by which the supply is reduced,
thus providing means that will (within, of course, the capacity of the engine)
compensate any variance of resistance to this type of engine.
The increased power attendant upon an increased supply of steam, is utilized

page_text: by causing said power to be, as is obvious, exerted upon an increased piston
area, and vice versa.
For instance, if the steam be admitted only through circular passage 80, it
will act directly only upon the area of the first convolution of the spiral piston,
and during the rotation of the piston by expansion upon the remainder of the
piston area; while if admitted through channel 75 it will act simultaneously
directly upon the piston area of the first and second sub-chambers, the area
of the piston face of the second sub-chamber, as is obvious, exceeds the area of
the piston face of the first chamber. If admitted through channel 76 it will
act simultaneously directly upon the piston area of the first, second and third
sub-chambers, and, as is also obvious the area of the piston face of this chamber
exceeds the area of the piston face of said second sub-chamber, and if admitted
through channel 77 to the fourth sub-chamber, it will be caused to act simul-
taneously upon piston faces of even greater area, thus (by equalizing the steam
supply to the resistance) maintaining a constant pressure throughout all the
sub-chambers to which the steam is directly supplied.
It is obvious that, under certain conditions, one hub and its vane and atten-
dant parts, can be utilized without departing from the spirit of my invention;
but I have discovered the power of back thrust in that case, to be excessive
and detrimental to the utility and endurance of the engine, and I therefore
employ two, and adapt them, by reversing the spiral of their vanes, to each
compensate the undesirable thrust power of the other.
Furthermore the resistance heads can be mounted otherwise than as shown,
and the construction of the engine itself changed to a considerable extent
without departing from the spirit of my invention provided the main feature
be retained, of constructing a rotary engine to include a series of spiral chambers
of progressively increasing area from the motive fluid intake port to the exhaust
port.
Dad 42: 1942
Vasamban 1800
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
mprove
I, CHARLES HAVELOCK TAYLOR, of No. 57, Clandeboye Avenue, Westmount,
Province of Quebec, Canada, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of my invention is to provide a rotary engine that will utilize the
fluid employed to the fullest extent of its power of thrust and expansion, and
the action whereof will be uniformly balanced.
To these ends, the invention may be said broadly, to consist of a series of
spiral chambers operatively connected to the part to be driven and located
within a cylinder, said series of chambers being of increasing capacity from the
fluid intake port of the cylinder to the exhaust port thereof, while means are
provided to cause the fluid during its expansion, to pass successively through
said spiral chambers, and, in doing so, act upon the forward spiral wall of each
thereof and cause same to impart motion to the part to be driven.
The extent of expansion to which it may be necessary to subject the fluid,
in order to maintain uniform velocity with a varying resistance, being deter-
mined by an automatically operated governor of novel construction.
The preferred embodiment of my invention may be said to consist in mounting

page_text: a shaft with a portion thereof extending through a cylinder, and securing
thereto a spiral vane extending continuously from end to end of the portion of
said shaft within said cylinder.
The surface of this shaft is of concavo-conoidal form, with the apex towards
the intake port of the cylinder, and the cylinder conforms to the periphery of
said spiral vane which is of uniform pitch and width throughout.
The continuous spiral chamber formed by this vane, the shaft, and the interior
of the cylinder, is divided radially and axially of the shaft into a series of spiral
chambers by a series of resistance heads in the form of tapered diaphragmns,
carried yieldingly upon the periphery of a disc or hub rotatably mounted upon
an axis located at a point concentric of the arc of the concavity of the conoidal
shaft surface.
This hub and the resistance heads carried thereby are located within a box
secured to the cylinder, the resistance heads projecting through an opening in
the side of said cylinder and fitting into the spaces between the convolutions
of the vane, while the interior of the box is cut off from the interior of the
cylinder by steam packing and the close fitting of the parts, the taper of the
resistance heads corresponding to one another and to the pitch of the vane.
My improved governor consists of a valve chamber communicating at points
intermediate of its ends with the interior of the cylinder at a number of
different points in the length of said cylinder by a number of independent steam
ducts, while one end of said valve chamber is connected to the steam supply
and the other end to the steam intake port of the cylinder.
The valve is normally free of the ducts and the passage to the intake port
and is preferably of hollow cylindrical form to allow the steam to pass there-
through to either said steam intake port only, or to said port and one or more
of the ducts, according as the resistance to the engine increases. The valve is
operated by a stem which extends therefrom to the exterior of the valve casing
where it is operatively connected to governor balls actuated, as usual, from any
preferred driven part of the engine.
For full comprehension, however, of my invention, reference must be had to
the drawings left with the Provisional Specification and forming a part of this
specification in which like symbols indicate the same parts, and wherein,
Figure 1 is a side elevation and part vertical sectional view of the internal
parts of my improved rotary engine, the casing being partly in section to
expose said parts:
Figure 2 an end elevation partly in section of my improved engine, the
sectional view being taken on line 2, 2, Figure 1;
Figure 3 a side elevation of the internal parts of left hand portion of my
improved engine, looking at Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a view of the interior of the left hand portion of the engine,
looking at Figure 2.
Figure 5 a view of the right hand portion similar to part of Figure 4;
Figures 6 and 7 horizontal sectional views of the governor taken on lines 6, 6,
and 7, 7, respectively, Figure 1;
Figure 8 a vertical sectional view taken on line 8, 8, Figure 1;
Figure 9 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the main feed taken on
line 9, 9, Figure 1;
Figure 10 is a detail plan of one end of the shaft illustrating my improved
adjustable key; and
Figure 11 is a detail longitudinal sectional view thereof taken on line 11, 11,
Figure 10.
My improved engine preferably comprises two cylinder casings 11, 11 closed
at their opposite ends by circular cylinder heads 12. 12 bolted thereto, and
connected together at their adjacent ends by a central connecting portion, having
a T-channel 10 formed therein at the upper side thereof. This central portion
is preferably made in two longitudinal sections 13 and 13", and is bored longi-

page_text: tudinally thereof and concentrically of the cylinders as at 14, to accommodate
and form a bearing for the central portion of a horizontal shaft 16 which
passes therethrough and through the cylinders and the cylinder heads which
latter are formed concentrically thereof with journal bearings 17, for the ends
of said shaft.
These cylinder casings are divided vertically in an axial plane, the adjoining
upper edges being radially flanged and bolted together as at 18, while the lower
portions thereof are downwardly extended and inclined away from one another
to form wings 22, the edges whereof are flanged as at 20, and the opening
between these wings being continued for a short distance into the central
connection portion, as at 15, and communicates through a pipe 21, with the
steam supply T-channel
A conoidal hub 25 having a concave peripheral surface is mounted rigidly
upon the shaft 16, within each cylinder with their truncated apices towards
one another, said hubs extending from the central connecting portion, to a
circular shoulder 27, formed upon the interior of each cylinder head and
concentrically of the shaft.
Upon the surface of these respective hubs are formed right and left hand
spiral vanes 28, of uniform pitch and width, throughout, and extending the full
length of said hubs; while the interior of the cylinder casings are convexly
conoidal in form to conform to and fit closely the periphery of said vanes. The
outer portion of each cylinder casing is increased in diameter, as at 30, to
extend the space between the largest and second to largest convolution of the
vane, and connect said space with the space, established by the shoulder 27,
between the outer end of the hub and the interior of the cylinder head, while
a centripetally extended plate 31, is secured between the halves within a space
formed by a recess 32 in each half, and is adapted to closely fit the periphery
of the outermost convolution of the vane.
The hubs are keyed to the shaft and the keys rendered adjustable to take up
wear in the following manner, reference being had to Figures 1, 3, 8, 10 and 11.
The outer end of each hub is slotted radially for a short distance on the
opposite sides of the shaft, as at 33, and the shaft is longitudinally slotted, as
at 84. The slot 34 adjacent to the end of the shaft extends inwardly to a point
inside of the slot in the hub; and keys 35, equal in width to the distance between
the outer ends of the slots 34 and the inner sides of the slots 33, extend through
said slots 34 and into the said slots 33.
The end of the shaft 16, is provided with a longitudinal screw-threaded
boring 36 which intersects the slot 34 and receives a screw bolt 38 having its
outer end formed with a squared head and its inner end bearing
upon the key. (See particularly Figure 11). It is obvious that if either
the slots 33 should wear large or the keys narrow, such wear can
be readily taken up by the screw bolt 38, which upon being screwed into the
end of the shaft, will force the left hand key into its slot 33 and through the
shaft draw the right hand key into its slot 33.
A pair of approximately semi-circular boxes are each formed preferably of
two concave-convex parts 40 and 41 formed concentrically of the exterior thereof
with axially projecting sleeves 42 and 43 respectively. The curved portion of
the peripheries of the parts of each box are bolted together and the plane
portions thereof are provided with flanges through which they are bolted to the
flanges 20 of the cylinder casings. The sleeve 42 has its outer end closed and
perforated to allow one end of a spindle 55, to be presently described, to pass
therethrough, while the outer end of sleeve 43 is open and the interior thereof
screw-threaded for a short distance.
Within each of these boxes is located a disc 45 having one side cut away
to form a hub, 46, and flat bearing portion 46 and its other side bevelled
as at 47 to allow the edge thereof to rest upon a correspondingly bevelled circular
shoulder 48 formed partially on the interior of the part 41 of each. box, and
partially on the interior of the adjoining wing 22

page_text: These discs are formed concentrically thereof with oppositely extending
sleeves 50 and 51 adapted to take into and bear respectively in the sleeves 42
and 43, the sleeve 50 being shorter than its enclosing sleeve 42, while the
interior of the sleeve 43 is cored out from its inner end to within a short
distance of the screw-threaded outer end thereof, to accommodate a series of
rings 52 of L-shape in cross section. The vertical portion of these rings take
into a series of circular grooves 53 cut in the exterior surface of the sleeve 51,
and the horizontal portions thereof enclose said sleeve 51.
A spindle 55 before mentioned, extends through each disc 45 and the sleeves 50
and 51, and has its outer end screw-threaded as at 56, to take into the screw-
threaded end of the sleeve 43. The portion of the spindle immediately adjacent
to the screw-threaded portion is diminished in circumference and not screw-
threaded, and a loose washer 58 is located between it and the adjacent end of
the sleeve 51 and the outermost ring 52. The main length of the spindle is
turned down to (as just mentioned) take through the disc 45 and sleeves 50
and 51, while its end projects through the perforation in the closed end of
sleeve 42, and is screw-threaded to receive a jam-nut 59, between which and
the outer face of such closed end of the sleeve, a steam packing may be located
if desired although none is shown.
The series of rings 52, serve as an effective steam packing for that end
of the sleeve and the wear thereto is taken up and their close contact with one
another effected, by screwing the enlarged end of the spindle into its seat, the
jam-nut 59 serving to retain the parts in position.
Each of these discs 45 carries a series of resistance heads each consisting of
a diaphragm 62 having its side edges tapered to conform to the pitch of the
vane 28 and completely fill the space between any two convolutions thereof,
while one face is flat and rests upon the bearing portion 46* and the other face
bevelled to correspond to a bevelled curved shoulder 63 formed upon the interior
of the line of juncture of the cylinder with the wing 22 adjacent thereto. .
This construction of the diaphragms imparts to each thereof the form of a
wedge the faces whereof are adapted to establish a steam tight joint between
said diaphragm 62 and said shoulder 63, and the flat bearing surface 46, and
between the latter and the shoulder 48, while the edges are adapted to establish
a steam tight joint between the front and side edges thereof, respectively, and
the hub and the adjacent convolutions of the vane.
In order to take up the wear between these parts and at the same time
provide means to connect the resistance heads to the hub portions 46 of the
discs, I construct each with a heel 65 off-set therefrom to provide a shoulder 66
the forward face whereof will bear upon the shoulder 63 and thus diminish
the thrust upon the before mentioned steam tight faces.
A plug 67 is formed in one with each of said heels 65 and the free ends
thereof take into a series of radial sockets 68 formed in the periphery of said
huh, while a series of coiled springs 69 encircle said plugs and bear between
said heels 65 and the face of the hub.
The resistance heads are kept from swaying by a series of pins 70, carried
rigidly by the bearing surface 46 and located so as to project between said
heads, which are diminished to accommodate them, and in order to maintain a
Ateam tight connection between the heads the adjacent edges thereof are notched
to accommodate a series of preferably oval packing plugs 71; while said heads
are prevented from radial displacement into the steam spaces at the outer ends
of the cylinders, by the centripetally extending portions 31, within said
cylinders.
It is obvious that the resistance heads separate the continuous spiral chamber
formed by said vane, the interior of the cylinder and the hub, into a series of
spiral sub-chambers, each enclosed by two complete adjoining convolutions of
the vane, two adjoining resistance heads, the adjoining portion of the interior
of the casing, and the adjoining portion of the hub.

page_text: When the steam, or other power containing medium, is admitted to the first
sub chamber, it will naturally act in its expansion upon all the confining walls
thereof and as the wall of greatest resistance is the face of the larger convolu-
tion, greater power. will be exerted upon it than upon any of the other walls
and consequently this wall may be considered the piston face of the chamber.
The excess of pressure upon the piston face of this first chamber will, owing
to its spiral formation, cause the hub and with it the shaft to rotate, (in the
direction indicated in Figure 3) and in each complete revolution cause each
resistance head to move (through intermeshing with the same) forward along
the vane and the convex face of the hub, from the position of the first inter-
meshing head to the position of the head next to it in the line of progression
and so on, thus causing the body of steam in the first chamber to pass into
the second chamber and in a like manner be conducted from chamber to chamber
until it reaches the exhaust port. In so doing it will have travelled consecu-
tively through the chambers from that of the minimum expansion area to that of
the, imaximum expansion area.
Simultaneously with this action, each revolution of the spiral vane will cut
a fresh body of steam into the first chamber, which will follow the preceding
body and thus maintain a uniformly balanced action.
In order to vary the power to compensate varying resistance to the engine,
and maintain a constantly uniform velocity, I provide an automatically actuated
governor adapted to control the supply of steam and direct same to expansion
chambers of different area in the engine.
This governor consists of a casing 72, formed with a vertical cylindrical valve
chamber 73, in the interior thereof, and a horizontal passage 74, communi-
cating with the upper end of said valve chamber.
The main portion of this casing is of a spherical form and has a series of
preferably four horizontally arranged circular channels 75, 76, 77 and 78,
respectively formed therein intermediate of the valve chamber and the exterior
of the casing.
A tray 78, is supported by bracket arms 79, a short distance beneath said
valve chamber and forms a circular passage 80 leading therefrom to the steam
exit port of the casing which is to turn connected to the vertical arm of the
T-steam channel of the engine.
The channel 75 is connected on its inside by a series of centripetal passages 81
to the interior of the valve chamber 73, and on its outside by a pair of radial
and downwardly inclined pipes 83 communicating with a pair of spiral slots 84
in the respective cylinder casings of the engine, said slots corresponding in
pitch to that of the vanes and located preferably to communicate with the
second sub-chamber of each engine.
The channel 76 is connected similarly to the channel 75, to the valve chamber
by a series of centripetal passages 85, and through radial pipes 87 to a pair
of spiral slots 88, similar to the slots 84 but communicating with the third
sub-chamber of each cylinder casing.
The channels 77 and 78 are also similarly connected to the valve chamber 73
and to the cylinder casings, through pipes 86 and 86" and spiral slots 89 and 89°
to the fourth and fifth sub-chambers of the cylinders of the engine.
The valve 90 is of hollow cylindrical form and has a hub 91 connected thereto
by radial arms 92. This hub is connected to the lower end of the valve stem 93
which extends upwardly through a perforation carrying a stuffing box 94, in
the top of the casing, and the upper end of the stem is formed at its upper end
with a series of parallel grooves constituting a rack 95. The portion of the
stem adjacent to said racks is guided in a rotatable bracket 96 in the upper
portion of which a pair of gear-toothed segments 97, are pivoted and adapted
to intermesh with said racks. A pair of rods 98 are rigidly connected at their
inner ends to said segments .97 and at their outer ends to a pair of governor
balle 99, while the stem is operatively connected as usual to any preferred

page_text: driven part of the engine by a belt and pulley 100 rigidly mounted upon the
lower end of a sleeve 101 formed integrally with said rotatable bracket.
The operation of this governor is as follows:-
The steam will normally pass into the casing and through the valve chamber
and valve, and all the channels, and passages thereof, the casing, and the
T-channel to the engine, the cylinders of which it will supply at several
different points, as just described.
If the resistance to be overcome by the engine should happen to be light, the
velocity thereof will naturally, as in all engines, be too high, and consequently
the governor balls will, during action, by centrifugal force, raise the outer ends
of the rods 98, and, through the segments and racks, lower the valve and out
off the supply of steam admitted through channel 78 and slots 89 to the
cylinders. If the velocity still continues to be too high, the steam supplied
through the channel 77 will be cut off and, continuing to be excessive, the
supply through channels 75 and 76, or if necessary the complete supply cut
off as shown in full lines in Figure 1.
On the other hand, when the resistance to the engine increases and the velocity
consequently slackens, under a diminished supply, the supply will be increased
in a manner the reverse of that just described by which the supply is reduced,
thus providing means that will (within, of course, the capacity of the engine)
compensate any variance of resistance to this type of engine.
The increased power attendant upon an increased supply of steam, is utilized
by causing said power to be, as is obvious, exerted upon an increased piston
area, and vice versa.
For instance, if the steam be admitted only through circular passage 80, it
will act directly only upon the area of the first convolution of the spiral piston,
and during the rotation of the piston by expansion upon the remainder of the
piston area; while if admitted through channel 75 it will act simultaneously
directly upon the piston area of the first and second sub-chambers, the area
of the piston face of the second sub-chamber, as is obvious, exceeds the area of
the piston face of the first chamber. If admitted through channel 76 it will
act simultaneously directly upon the piston area of the first, second and third
sub-chambers, and, as is also obvious the area of the piston face of this chamber
exceeds the area of the piston face of said second sub-chamber, and if admitted
through channel 77 to the fourth sub-chamber, it will be caused to act simul-
taneously upon piston faces of even greater area, thus (by equalizing the steam
supply to the resistance) maintaining a constant pressure throughout all the
sub-chambers to which the steam is directly supplied.
It is obvious that, under certain conditions, one hub and its vane and atten-
dant parts, can be utilized without departing from the spirit of my invention;
but I have discovered the power of back thrust in that case, to be excessive
and detrimental to the utility and endurance of the engine, and I therefore
employ two, and adapt them, by reversing the spiral of their vanes, to each
compensate the undesirable thrust power of the other.
Furthermore the resistance heads can be mounted otherwise than as shown,
and the construction of the engine itself changed to a considerable extent
without departing from the spirit of my invention provided the main feature
he retained, of constructing a rotary engine to include a series of spiral chambers
of progressively increasing area from the motive fluid intake port to the exhaust
port.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In a rotary engine, the combination with a cylinder, and a part to be
driven, of means for forming a series of spiral, chambers within said cylinder,
means for operatively connecting said chambers to the part to be driven; said

page_text: spiral chambers being of progressively increasing capacity from the fluid intake
port of said cylinder to the exhaust port thereof; and means for causing said
Huid to pass successively through said chambers for the purpose set forth.
2. In a rotary engine, the combination with a cylinder and a part to be
driven, of means for forming a series of spiral chambers within said cylinder;
means for operatively connecting said chambers to the part to be driven; zaid
spiral chambers being of increasing capacity from one end thereof to the other;
means for supplying an expansible fluid direct to several of said chambers,
means for automatically decreasing or increasing the number of said supplies,
and means for causing said fluid to pass successively through all of said chambers,
for the purpose set forth.
3. In a rotary engine, a cylinder, a spiral piston located within said cylinder
and increasing in diameter from one end to the other; said cylinder closely
fitting the periphery of said piston; an exhaust port from said cylinder at the
end of greatest diameter; means for supplying steam to said cylinder at points
of different diameter along said spiral piston; and means for automatically
decreasing or increasing the number of points to which steam is supplied, for
the purpose set forth.
4. In a rotary engine, a cylinder; a shaft extending through said cylinder
a spiral vane formed integrally with and entwined about said shaft from end
to end of the portion thereof within said cylinder; said cylinder corresponding
in form to and fitting closely the periphery of said vane; supply and exhaust
ports to and from said cylinder and located respectively at the opposite ends
thereof; the spiral space formed by said vane the surface of said shaft and the
inside face of said cylinder increasing in capacity from the supply and to the
exhaust end thereof; a series of diaphragms adapted to intermesh with said
vane and completely bisect the spaces between the convolutions thereof; means
for carrying said diaphragm and means for causing same to travel axially of
said shaft during the revolution thereof, for the purpose set forth.
5. In a rotary engine, a cylinder; a concavo-conoidal shaft extending through
said cylinder; a spiral vane formed integrally with and entwined about said
shaft from end to end of the portion thereof within said cylinder; said cylinder
corresponding in form to and fitting closely the periphery of said vane; supply
and exhaust ports to and from said cylinder and located respectively at the
ends of minimum and maximum diameter thereof; a circular box extending
laterally in an axial plane from said cylinder; a hub mounted rotatably within
said box; a series of diaphragms adapted to completely bisect the spaces between
the convolutions of said vane; and means for yieldingly connecting said diaphragm
radially to the periphery of said hub, and means for packing the line of juncture
of said box and cylinder and the points at which said diaphragms intersect said
line of juncture, for the purpose set forth.
6. In a rotary engine, a cylinder; a concavo-conoidal shaft extending through
said cylinder: a spiral vane formed integrally with and entwined about said
shaft from end to end of the portion thereof within said cylinder; said cylinder
corresponding in form to and fitting closely the periphery of said vane; supply
and exhaust ports to and from said cylinder and located respectively at the
ends of minimum and maximum diameter thereof; a circular box extending
laterally in an axial plane from said cylinder; a hub mounted rotatably within
said box and having a series of radial borings formed in the periphery thereof;
a series of tapered wedge-shaped resistance heads 62 each formed with a plug 67
adapted to take into said borings, said resistance heads being adapted to com-
pletely bisect the space between the pair of convolutions adjacent thereto of
the vane a series of coiled springs adapted to take over said plugs and bear
between said resistance heads and the hub; and means for packing the line of
juncture of said box and cylinder and the points at which said diaphragms
intersect said line of juncture, for the purpose sot forth.
7. In a rotary engine, a cylinder; a concavo-conoidal shaft extending through

page_text: said cylinder; a spiral vane formed integrally with and entwined about said
shaft from end to end of the portion thereof within said cylinder; said cylinder
corresponding in form to and fitting closely the periphery of said vane; supply
and exhaust ports to and from said cylinder and located respectively at the
ends of minimum and maximum diameter thereof; a circular box extending
laterally in an axial plane from said cylinder; a pair of sleeves formed in one
with and extending axially in opposite directions from the exterior of said box;
a hub mounted rotatably within said box and having a series of radial borings
formed in the periphery thereof; a series of tapered wedge-shaped resistance
heads 62 each formed with a plug 67 adapted to take into said borings, said
resistance heads being adapted to completely bisect the space between the pair
of convolutions adjacent thereto of the vane; a series of coiled springs adapted
to take over said plugs and bear between said resistance heads and the hub;
a series of packing pins located in registering grooves in the adjoining edges
of said resistance heads; a pair of pius located respectively in contact with
each side edge of each head; said hub being formed with oppositely extending
sleeves; adapted to take into said before mentioned sleeves; a spindle passing
through said sleeves and enlarged and screw-threaded at one end to take into
the screw-threaded interior of one end of the outer sleeves; the exterior of the
adjacent inner sleeve being circumferentially grooved; and a series of packing
rings L-shaped in cross section encircling said sleeve and taking into the grooves
thereof, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
8. An automatic cut off device comprising a casing 72 formed with a cylindrical
valve chamber 73; a steam supply to the upper end of said valve chamber; a
series of channels 75, 76, 77 and 78, communicating with the cylinder of the
engine and each communicating independently with the valve chamber 73, at
a different point along the length thereof; a tray 78" supported a short distance
beneath the lower end of said valve chamber; a valve 90 of hollow cylindrical
form slidable within and longitudinally of said valve chamber and means under
control of a moving part of the engine for sliding said valve to cut off the
steam supply to said channels as the speed of said moving part becomes
excessive.
9. A governor for automatically actuating a cut off device consisting of a
slidable stem 93; formed at its upper end with a rack 95; a rotatable bracket 96;
a pair of toothed segments 97, pivotted to said bracket and intermeshing with
said rack 95; a pair of rods 98 connected rigidly at their inner ends to said
racks and carrying governor balls 99 at their outer ends, and a pulley 100
mounted rigidly upon said bracket 96, as described and shown.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.