Av IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF ROTARY ENGINE, APPLICABLE FOR PUMPING AND MEASURING FLUIDS OR FOR THE PRODUCTION OF MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Beale, of East Greenwich, in the County
of Kent, Engineer, for the Invention of "Av IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION
OF ROTARY ENGINE, APPLICABLE FOR PUMPING AND MEASURING FLUIDS OR FOR
THE PRODUCTION OF MOTIVE POWER."
Sealed the 5th January 1858, and dated the 31st July 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Beale at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on tl.e
31st July 1857.
I, JOHN BEALE, of East Greenwich, in the County of Kent, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED CON.
STRUCTION OF ROTARY ENGINE, APPLICABLE FOR PUMPING AND MEASURING FLUIDS OR
FOR THE PRODUCTION OF MOTIVE POWER," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved arrangement of rotary engine,
whereby greater efficiency of action is obtained than heretofore, and that by
the use of a single slide or piston. The interior of the cylinder, or at least
that part of its surface against which the piston bears, is made truly
cylindrical, and the rotary axle is set as heretofore excentric thereto. A fixed
stop may be fitted to the cylinder, or in place thereof the axle may itself bear
against the periphery of the cylinder; and form the division between the inlet
and escaping steam. The axle is slotted to allow the slide or piston to move

page_text: therein freely and, in order to keep one of its ends always in contact with the
cylinder, annular recesses are formed in the cylinder ends, and lateral
projections from the piston work therein.
The usual arrangements of packing must of course be provided to keep the
parts steam or water-tight during the action of the engine. When steam, for
example, is let into the cylinder at the back of the slide or piston, the piston
will be caused to move around the axis of the shaft through which it slides,
and with its ends describe the figure of the recess in the cylinder ends,
by which means a very large proportion of the piston surface is presented to
the action of the steam. As the rotary motion is continued the ends of the
slide or piston will bear alternately against the periphery of the cylinder.
From the above explanation it will be understood that the engine will be
applicable for measuring, exhausting, or compressing gaseous fluids, and also
for raising or forcing water, as well as for motive power purposes, a suitable
arrangement of supply and cut off valves being provided for these various
uses.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Beale in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th January 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BEALE, of East Greenwich, in the County of Kent, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Beale, Her special license that I, the said John
Beale, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Beale, my 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 "AN
IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF ROTARY ENGINE, APPLICABLE FOR PUMPING AND
MEASURING FLUIDS OR FOR THE PRODUCTION OF MOTIVE POWER," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Beale, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain

page_text: 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 I, the said John Beale, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Iuvention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
:-
According to my Invention I use a single slide or piston, which is mounted
in an axle suitably slotted to receive it and allow of its moving freely. The
interior of the cylinder, or at least that part of its surface against which the
piston bears, is made truly cylindrical, and the rotary axle which carries the
slide or piston is set as heretofore excentric thereto. A fixed stop may be
fitted to the cylinder, or in place thereof the axle may itself bear against the
periphery of the cylinder, and form the division between the passages for the
inlet and escaping steam. In order to keep one end of the piston always in
contact with the cylinder, I form recesses in the cylinder ends, and lateral
projections on the piston to work therein.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 shews in end view my improved
rotary engine, one of the end plates being removed to shew its internal
construction; a, a, is the cylinder turned out to a true cylindrical form, and
fitted with a filling piece b, against which the axle c that carries the piston or
slide & bears, forming therewith a steam-tight joint. The piston or slide d,
which is shewn detached in edge and plan views at Figures 2 and 3, plays
freely through a slot or way cut in the axle c, and it is provided at its opposite
ends with guide pieces c*, which project into guides made in the end plates
for their reception. The edges of these guide pieces are suitably packed, to
permit of their bearing closely against the opposite edges of the recesses e
in which they run. The inlet and outlet steam ways are set at opposite sides
of the filling piece b, and the admission and discharge of the steam to
and from the cylinder or case is regulated in the usual manner.
Fig. 1 shews the sliding piston at right angles to a vertical line drawn
through the centre of the cylinder, at which time two points of contact
are established between the slide and the cylinder, but as the axle continues
to revolve, one point only of contact will be maintained, the slide being
too short to extend across the cylinder, except when in the position shewn.
It will be understood by reference to the Drawing that one end only of
the slide required to act as a piston at one time, and that the opposite ends

page_text: are alternately brought into action, the one ceasing to act at the moment the
other, by reason of the excentric position of the rotating axle c with respect to
the recesses e in the end plates, is brought into a position for efficient action.
Thus the ends of the slide are caused alternately to work against the circum-
ference of the cylinder during at least one half revolution of the axle.
If motion be given to the engine either from external force applied to turn
the axle, or from pressure exerted on the piston, as each end of the slide
alternately ceases to act as a piston it will recede from the cylinder, and the
grooves or recesses in the end plates must be so shaped as to admit of
this recession.
If, however, that part of the cylinder from which the slide recedes were
made of the shape traced out by the slide, see Fig. 6, it would follow that the
recesses in the end plates and projections on the slide might be dispensed with,
the ends of the slide still acting alternately as a piston against a curve of single
radius; but I prefer the arrangement first shewn and described.
In Figures 4 and 5, which shew the engine slightly modified, the piston is
represented in different positions from that shewn at Fig. 1, in order to render
its action the more clear. In Fig. 4, (which shews it in transverse section)
the axle revolves against a packing piece fitted between it and the cylinder, as
in Fig. 1. In Fig. 5.the diameter of the axle is increased, in order that it
may abut against and revolve in contact with the cylinder.
The parts requiring metallic packing may be packed as shewn in Fig. 1, or
in any other suitable manner. The engine may be packed endways by
adjustable end. plates, capable of entering steam-tight into the cylinder, and
furnished with studs which pass through the main end plates, with keeper nuts
outside. Steam at the plus pressure is let into the space between the double
end plates, by forming a communication with the interior of the cylinder,
or with the steam supply pipe, and thus the adjustable end plates are
prevented from being forced back.
In Fig. 1a reversing slide is shewn, but this being well understood will not
require explanation. When a more equable action is required than can be
obtained from one engine, two of these engines, having their sliding pistons
working at right angles to one another, may be employed, as indicated at
Fig. 1, the sliding piston of the second engine being shewn by dotted lines.
Expansive action may be obtained by employing two engines of unequal
size, and allowing steam to expand from the smaller to the larger engine, or a
separate expansion slide may be used to cut off the steam at any desired
point, both of which arrangements will be well understood by engineers.
When the improved construction of engine is intended to be applied for

page_text: measuring, exhausting, or compressing gaseous fluids, or for raising or forcing
water, in which applications no reversing motion is required, the reversing
slide may be dispensed with, as in Fig. 4.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "An Improved Con-
struction of Rotary Engine, applicable for Pumping and Measuring Fluids and
for the Production of Motive Power," and explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect; I wish it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent, I claim the use of a slide, the opposite ends of which
alternately act as a piston in the manner shewn and described, and work
against a curve of a single radius.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Beale, have hereunto set my.
hand and seal, the Twenty-ninth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
5
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
JOHN BEALE. (1.s.)