Improvements in Rotary Engines and the like.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 25th May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 20th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Mar., 1895
Improvements in Rotary Engines and the like.
A communication by ARTHUR DONGÉ, of 4, Rue de l'Admiral Courbet, Paris, in
the Republic of France.
I WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in
the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved kind of rotary engine in which an interior
disc, forming the piston, travels in a cylinder of greater diameter. It has for its
object to furnish a rotary engine capable of working in a regular and economical
manner by reason of the arrangements employed for ensuring freedom of movement
of the revolving disc, as well as tightness of the joints, and perfect lubrication of
all the inovable parts of the apparatus.
This machine, although more particularly designed to be employed as a
motor, actuated by any suitable fluid, may also be utilized as a pump or meter
if desired.
The machine consists essentially of a cylinder, in which a movable disc of smaller
diameter forming the piston is arranged, and capable of revolving freely on the pin
of a crank attached to the end of a driving shaft, placed in the axis of the cylinder,
the radius of this crank being arranged, in such a way, that the above named disc
exactly comes in contact with and during its movement travels on the internal
circular periphery of the cylinder. Finally a movable partition in a plane passing
through the axis of the cylinder, is constantly pressed by means of a spring
against the edge of the disc, in such a way as to divide the cylinder into
two parts, the inlet opening for the motive fluid being placed at one side of this
partition, and the discharge opening at the other side of the said partition.
The result of this arrangement is, that during the movement of the machine, the
disc, pressed by centrifugal force against the periphery of the cylinder, travels
without friction on this circular wall, revolving on the crank pin of the driving
shaft in an opposite direction to the direction of its displacement in the cylinder;
so that if the radius of the cylinder be taken as R and the radius of the disc as r,
the periphery of this disc only describes an angular course equal to 2 π (R − r).
This slowness of rotation of the disc on itself, has for its object to reduce, to
a great extent, the loss of work due to the friction of the disc against the
edge of the movable partition, and to the friction of its lateral faces on the
ends of the cylinder, so that the machine may revolve at a high speed without
inconvenience.
The means employed for the practical realisation of the invention, when the
machine is to be employed as a motor will now be described.
In order to produce the distribution of steam in the machine, there is preferably
employed a revolving distributor, which avoids any deleterious space, and the
circular or alternating movement of which is produced by the motor shaft.
In order to ensure great freedom of movement to the revolving disc, and to
render it independent of the bending of the crank which supports it, a piece or

page_text: socket of stamped metal is interposed between this disc and the crank pin
and this piece possesses a certain amount of elasticity, or more simply, a bush
of spherical form is arranged on this pin, and on this the disc may revolve
freely.
In order to avoid escapes of steam in the apparatus, a little movable roller
is interposed between the disc and the movable partition hereinbefore mentioned.
This little roller is engaged in the edge of this partition, and has a circular
groove fitting on the periphery of the disc. On each side of the disc there are
arranged circular segments kept pressed by springs against the ends of the
cylinder. No escape of steam is to be feared at the periphery of the disc, by
reason of the centrifugal force, which presses it strongly against the cylinder
during its rotary movement.
Finally, in order to ensure the automatic lubrication of the frictional parts of
the machine, passages are formed in the motor shaft and in the crank and pin,
which passages serve for introducing and distributing oil into all the parts.
In case a double expansion machine is employed, the crank pin of the driving
shaft bears two discs travelling in two cylinders of different dimensions; the stean
passes first into the smaller cylinder, and from thence, in order to expand, into the
second and larger cylinder. It may also be remarked that the discs, being of
different diameters, revolve in a manner independent one of the other, bearing on
the peripheries of their respective cylinders, but, as they are guided in their move-
ments by a common crank pin, the distribution commences and finishes in the same
way for each of them.
.
In this arrangement, care is taken to arrange, in the movable partitions of the
cylinders, recesses serving to facilitate the admission of the steam, and, in order to
reduce the bending of the long crank pin serving for supporting the two discs,
another crank is arranged at the end of its pin, the axis of rotation of which second
crank forms a prolongation of the motor shaft. It is, of course, understood that
the apparatus is provided with the same other parts as the preceding one, in order
to ensure its regular movement, and with suitable lubricating and cleansing
passages.
Dated this 24th day of May 1894.
A communication by ARTHUR DONGÉ, of 4, Rue de l'Admiral Courbet, Paris, in
the Republic of France.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and 323 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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 an improved kind of rotary engine called epicycloidal
in which an interior disc, forming the piston, travels in a cylinder of greater
diameter. It has for its object to furnish a rotary engine capable of working in a
regular and economical manner by reason of the arrangements employed for
ensuring freedom of movement of the revolving disc, as well as tightness of the
joints, and perfect lubrication of all the movable parts of the apparatus.

page_text: This machine, although more particularly designed to be employed as a
motor, actuated by any suitable fluid, may also be utilised as a pump or meter if
desired.
The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying
drawing, in which,
Figure 1 is a transverse section showing the working of the machine ;
Figure 2 is a section showing the arrangement of the mounting of the disc on
the crank of the driving shaft:
Figure 3 is a section of a inodification of this arrangement;
Figure 4 is a detail view showing the lateral mounting of the disc;
Figure 5 is a section showing the arrangement of the joint interposed between
the periphery of the disc and the longitudinal partition of the cylinder;
Figure 6 is a detail view showing the arrangement for lubricating the axle of
the disc;
Figure 7 is a transverse section of a machine with double expansion ;
Figure 8 is a longitudinal section of same.
The machine consists essentially of a cylinder B in which a movable disc A of
smaller diameter forming the piston is arranged, and capable of revolving freely
on the pin a of a crank attached to the end of a driving shaft E placed in the axis
of the cylinder B, the radius of this crank being arranged in such a way that the
disc A exactly comes in contact with and during its movement travels on the
internal circular periphery of the cylinder B. Finally, a movable partition C in a
plane passing through the axis of the cylinder is constantly pressed by means of a
spring against the edge of the disc, in such a way as to divide the cylinder into
two parts, the inlet opening D for the motive fluid being placed at one side of this
partition, and the discharge opening D' at the other side of the said partition.
b
The result of this arrangement is, that during the movement of the machine, the
disc A pressed by centrifugal force against the periphery of the cylinder B, travels
without friction on this circular wall, revolving on the crank pin a of the driving
shaft in an opposite direction to the direction of its displacement in the cylinder;
so that if the radius of the cylinder be taken as R and the radius of the disc as ",
the periphery of this disc only describes an angular course equal to 2 (R).
This slowness of rotation of the disc on itself, has for its object to reduce, to a great
extent, the loss of work due to the friction of the disc against the edge of the
movable partition, and to the friction of its lateral faces on the ends of the cylinder,
so that the machine may revolve at a high speed without inconvenience.
The means employed for the practical realisation of the invention, when the
machine is to be employed as a motor will now be described.
In order to produce the distribution of steam in the machine, there is preferably
employed a revolving distributor d which avoids any deleterious space, and the
circular or alternating movement of which is produced by the motor shaft E by
any suitable means.
In order to ensure great freedom of movement to the revolving disc A and to
render it independent of the bending of the crank which supports it, a piece or
socket e, Figure 2, of stamped metal is interposed between this disc and the crank
pin a and this piece possesses a certain amount of elasticity, or more simply as
shown in Figure 3, a bush g of spherical form is arranged on this pin a and on this
the disc may revolve freely.
In order to avoid escapes of steam in the apparatus, a little movable roller i,
Figure 5, is interposed between the disc A and the movable partition Cherein-
before mentioned. This little roller is engaged in the edge of this partition, and
has a circular groove fitting on the periphery of the disc. On each side of the
disc A there are arranged circular segments (Figure 4) kept pressed by springs f
against the ends of the cylinder. No escape of steam is to be feared at the
periphery of the disc, by reason of the centrifugal force, which presses it strongly
against the cylinder during its rotary movement.

page_text: Finally, in order to ensure the automatic lubrication of the frictional parts of the
machine, passages 1 (Figure 6) are formed in the motor shaft E and in the crank
and pin a, which passages serve for introducing and distributing oil into all the
parts.
In case a double expansion machine, such as shown in Figures 7 and 8, is
employed, the crank pin a of the driving shaft bears two discs A & A travelling
in two cylinders B and B of different dimensions; the steam passes first into the
smaller cylinder B and from thence, in order to expand, into the second and larger
cylinder B'. It may also, be remarked that the discs A and A' being of different
diameters, revolve in a manner independent one of the other, bearing on the
peripheries of their respective cylinders, but, as they are guided in their movements
by a common crank pin a, the distribution commences and finishes in the same way
for each of them.
In this arrangement, care is taken to arrange, in the movable partitions C and C¹
of the cylinders, Figure 7, recesses serving to facilitate the admission of the steam,
and in order to reduce the bending of the long crank pin a serving for supporting
the two discs, another crank, see Figure 8, is arranged at the end of its pin, the
axis of rotation of which second crank forms a prolongation of the motor shaft E.
It is, of course, understood that the apparatus is provided with the same other
parts as the preceding one, in order to ensure its regular movement, and more
particularly with flexible sockets e mounted on the pin a with indented rollers i i
freely mounted at the end of the movable partitions C C and with internal
lubricating passages 1. It may also be seen in the drawing that the shaft E
carrying the flywheel V is, held in a long lubricating bearing a closed by a stuffing
box P with a view to preventing any escape of steam.
It is understood that the invention is not limited to the arrangements and action
herein before described for its practical realisation; thus the partition C, Figure 1,
instead of being subjected to the action of a spring may be operated mechanically
by means of parts operated by the motor shaft and acting in such a way that the
roller constantly bears on the periphery of the revolving disc.
It is also evident that when the apparatus is intended to be utilised as a water
meter for instance, it suffices to add thereto an ordinary registering device operated
by the shaft E; whilst when it is to be employed as a pump, the shaft E receives
movement from a suitable motor and thus produces the rotation of the disc A in
the cylinder B and consequently the suction and expulsion of any liquid which it is
desired to pump up.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A rotary, so called epicycloidal, engine consisting of a cylinder in the interior
of which a disc of smaller diameter travels freely, forming a piston, the said disc
being mounted eccentrically within the cylinder on the pin of a crank arranged on
the end of a shaft passing through the centre of the cylinder; the radius of this
crank being so calculated that the disc is exactly in contact with, and travels during
its displacement on, the internal periphery of the aforesaid cylinder substantially as
hereinbefore described.
b
2. In a rotary engine, the combination with a movable partition separating the
inlet opening from the discharge opening for the motive fluid, of a roller freely
held in this partition and having an annular groove resting on the periphery of the
moving disc substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. In a rotary engine, the combination with the axle of a revolving disc of an
elastic socket such as e or a spherical bush such as g with a view of ensuring the
freedom of movement of this disc on its axis substantially as hereinbefore
described.
4. In a rotary engine the combination with a single crank of two or more discs

page_text: travelling thereon in cylinders of suitable dimensions and arranged with the object
of permitting a double or multiple expansion of the motive fluid substantially as
herein before described and shown on the accompanying drawing.
DL 101 d. of Who 100
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.