A NEW OR IMPROVED ROTARY MOTIVE-POWER ENGINE
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Roberton, younger, of Lawhope, Holytown, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, for an Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED
ROTARY MOTIVE-POWER ENGINE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Roberton (younger) at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st August 1880.
JOHN ROBERTON, younger, of Lawhope, Holytown, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain. "A NEW OR IMPROVED ROTARY MOTIVE-POWER ENGINE."
This said Invention has reference to the new or improved general construction
or combination of the parts of a rotary motive-power engine and its action,
specially suitable for being worked by the pressure or force of steam, or of a head
or pressure of water, or it might be by other pressure fluids; which engine will be
more simple in construction and action, and less expensive in first cost and in the
subsequent maintainance of its working parts, than other rotary engines heretofore
in use have been.
And the nature and novelty of the Invention or construction of this rotary
engine and its action consist as follows:-Under one construction and arrangement
the main case or fixed stationary body and cylinder is of a circular form made in
two halves, jointed up the centre facewise by truly turned flanges jointed tight by
screw bolts all round the outer circumference at right angles to the longitudinal
motive-power transmitting revolving shaft, which works out through long
fluid-tight stuffing-box bearings in the outer central part of each half of the case.
The hollow cylinder for the pressure acting in is made in the form of a close
annular recess, circular in cross section, sunk half into each part of the case from the
said central faced flange joint, and truly concentric to the central revolving shaft, so
that a nearly ordinary construction of circular piston with a broad packing ring,
and mounted or secured by an arm to a rather large disc ficed eye or central boss
secured on the centre of the said shaft.
The steam (or other pressure motive fluid employed) is admitted to a casing
fitted or formed over a face plate on the top or other side of the cylinder case,
the face plate having three ports in it ranged transversely, the central port leading
Price 1

page_text: outwards to an exhaust branch, and the two outside ports leading radially down
the outside of the case on opposite sides, and opening in near the stuffing box to
separate corresponding chambers at, and ports in, opposite sides of the eye or boss
and arm of the revolving piston, close to which they open into the cylinder. A
simple single exhaust D chambered slide works over these ports, having its spindle
working out through a stuffing box in one end of the casing worked by a simple
hand lever at starting or stopping the engine, so as to drive it in either direction,
the steam entering by one or other of these ports behind the piston and escaping
by the other in front of the piston, out through the internal chamber of the valve
and central port, to drive it round in either direction according as the slide valve is
set, and which really acts on the principle of a three-way cock, which opens the
inlet fluid to either of two ducts and chambers while opening the others to an
exit channel. The cylinder is divided into semicircular chambers by thin abutting
transverse radial slides or plates working in grooves for them with fluid-tight
ground faces, and into close end covered chambers outside, like sluice valves,
actuated by a rod or rods carried out through stuffing boxes in these covers,
connected to cross heads or kneed guide slide rods, at the one or both sides of the
cylinder, by anti-friction rollers on the rods working within elliptical grooved
eccentric cams, which would open the slide in advance of the piston before this
riches it, and closes it again soon after the piston passes it, on opposite sides of
the cylinders as the piston comes round; and both slides might be shut for a short
time while the piston was passing through the central part of each half of the
cylinder between these abutting slides, the advanced space before the piston
being always open to the exhaust, as before stated, while the steam is always
admitted into the space behind the piston and the slide closed behind it, so as to
keep up a constant pressure on the piston and a corresponding continuous rotary
motion of the revolving shaft. The pressure of the steam or acting fluid would always
keep the slides pressure fluid tight against their working faces, and the inner end
against the revolving boss of the piston; the sides of this boss would be formed with
packing grooves or rims, on which metallic packing rings or other equivalent in
the inside eye of the cylinder could be pressed tight by springs and pinching
screws from the outside round and beyond the stuffing-box bearing of the rotary
shaft, which would be coupled as usual by gearing on belt or band pulleys for
motive-power purposes, while the case of the cylinder would be secured by
strong bracket flanges or stool carrying blocks to a proper fixed foundation.
This engine is susceptible of considerable modification to suit various cir-
cumstances; for the larger sizes, two pistons might be mounted diametrically
opposite each other on the shaft, in which case the cylinder would be fitted with
three, or it might be four, abutting division slides to ensure one of these being
always closed between the pistons and separate the steam and exhaust chambered
off parts while acting.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Roberton (younger) in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th February 1881.
JOHN ROBERTON, younger, of Lawhope, Holytown, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain. "A NEW OR IMPROVED ROTARY MOTIVE-POWER ENGINE."
My said Invention has reference to a new or improved construction or combination
of the parts of a rotary motive-power engine, specially adapted for being worked
by the pressure or force of steam, or of a head or pressure of water, or by other
pressure fluids. The improved engine is more simple in construction and in action,
and less expensive in first cost and in the subsequent maintenance of its working
parts, than rotary engines heretofore in use have been.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner in which the same is
performed may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended, for that purpose,
a Sheet of explanatory Drawings representing a modification of my improved
rotary engine. The same reference letters are used in these Drawings to mark the
same parts in the different views.
Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings are respectively a longitudinal and a transverse
vertical section (taken as at the lines 1 - - 1 and 2-2 on each other) of a modifi-
cation of my improved construction of rotary engine as designed to be operated
by steam pressure, and Figure 3 is partly a plan and partly a horizontal section of
the same, while Figures 4 and 5 are a side and front view, both partly in section,
showing the piston on the revolving shaft of the engine.
Referring to these Drawings the improved rotary engine comprises a main casing
or fixed stationary body and cylinder A, A', of a circular or annular form, made in
two halves, jointed up the centre face-wise at a with an annular feather and groove
at a¹, and is fixed by truly turned flanges held tight by screw bolts b all round the
outer circumference at right angles to the longitudinal motive-power transmitting
revolving shaft B, which works out through fluid-tight stuffing box bearings A² in
the outer central part of each half of the case A, A¹. The hollow cylinder A'
formed by the casing A, and in which the piston travels continuously in either
direction, is made in the form of a close annular recess, circular in cross section,
sunk half into each part of the case A from the central faced flange joint a, and
truly concentric to the central revolving shaft B. A circular piston C with a broad
spring packing ring c or other packing is fitted in the cylinder, and is mounted or
secured by a forked arm D and bolt d to a rather large disc, eye, or central boss D¹
secured at the centre on the shaft B.
The steam (or other pressure motive fluid employed) is admitted through a casing
or valve chest E fitted or formed over a flanged face plate E¹ on the top or outer
side of the cylinder case A, the face plate E¹ having three ports e, e¹, and e² in it
ranged transversely, the central port e leading outwards to an exhaust branch E²,
shown dotted in Figure 2; and the two.outside ports e¹ and e² leading radially
down the outside of the case A on opposite sides, and opening in near the stuffing
boxes A² to separate corresponding chambers at, and ports e", e, in, opposite sides
of the eye or boss D', and passing to opposite sides of the arm D of the revolving
piston C, close to which they open into the cylinder A'. A simple exhaust
D-chambered slide valve F works over the inlet and exhaust ports e, e¹, e², having
its spindle working out through a stuffing box Es in one end of the steam
casing E, worked by a simple hand lever at starting or stopping the engine, for
the purpose of driving it in either direction. The valve Fin the position shown
is set so that steam enters the ports e¹, e³, behind the piston C and escapes by the
other ports e¹, e², in front of the piston out through the internal chamber of the
valve and central port e, and drives the piston C round in the direction shown by

page_text: the dart; but by a simple movement or travel of the slide valve F the opposite
port e² is opened to the steam chest E and the port e¹ to the exhaust outlet, and
the steam is thereby admitted to the opposite side of the piston C and the engine
is reversed. The valve F thus acts on the principle of a three-way cock, which
opens the inlet fluid to either of the two ducts e¹, e, and to the chamber A¹ on either
side of the piston while opening the other to the exit channel e. The cylinder A¹
is divided into semi-circular chambers by two thin abutting transverse radial slides
or plates G, G¹, working in grooves g made for them in the case A with fluid-tight
ground faces, and corresponding in shape to the cross section of the cylinder A'.
These abutting plates G, G¹, pass into close end covered chambers A3 outside
formed or fitted to the casing A like sluice valves, when they move out to allow
the travelling piston to pass, and they are actuated by rods G2 carried out through
stuffing boxes g' in these covers connected to cross-heads H, to which guide rods H'
on each side of the cylinder case A. are attached. These guide rods H¹ extend and
are attached, by preference, to the crossheads H of the slide rods C2, and slide in
guide grooves H in the sides of the case A with bolted covers H³ to retain them,
the central part being enlarged and formed with a slot at H' to clear the revolving
shaft B. These guide rods H carry anti-friction rollers on them to work within
elliptical grooved eccentric cams I fixed on the revolving shaft B, and which open
each slide G, G¹, in advance of the piston C and close it again after the piston C
passes it at the opposite sides of the cylinder A' as the piston comes round.
Both slides G, G³, may be shut for a short time while the piston is passing through
the central part of each half of the cylinder between these abutting slides G, G',
but in every case the one slide is closed after the passage of the piston C, while the
other opens and before the piston has passed the latter. The advanced space
before the piston in the cylinder is always open to the exhaust, while the steam is
always admitted into the space behind the piston C, and the slide G or G' closed
behind it so as to keep up a constant pressure on the piston, and a corresponding
continuous rotary motion of the revolving shaft B. The pressure of the steam or
acting fluid always keep the slides G, G¹, fluid-tight against their working faces
in the grooves g, and the inner end of each fits close and tight against the
revolving boss D₁ of the piston. The sides of this boss D¹ are formed with annular
packing rims e² which partially enter in corresponding grooves in the cylinder case
in which metallic packing rings or other packing c³ are pressed tight either by
springs or by pinching screws c* from the outside round and beyond the stuffing
box bearing A2 of the rotary shaft B, which may be coupled as usual by gearing
on belt or band pulleys for motive power purposes. The case A of the cylinder is
secured by strong bracket flanges or carrying blocks A to a fixed foundation.
This engine is susceptible of considerable modification to suit various cir-
cumstances. For the larger sizes two pistons might be mounted diametrically
opposite each other on the shaft, in which case the cylinder would be fitted with
three, or it might be four, abutting division slides to ensure one of these being
always closed between the pistons and separate the steam and exhaust chambers.
The sliding abutments or slides G, G', may also be fitted and arranged in either
case to move in the longitudinal direction instead of transversely, as shown, with
their guide rods passing out through either or both sides of the cylinder case A.
The slides when so arranged can be operated by means of a barrel cam or cams,
or circumferential cam grooves formed ou a boss fitted on one or each end of the
revolving shaft B outside the case A.
The slide valve F may also be arranged and worked to cut off the steam at any
part of the stroke or revolution so as to work the steam expansively, and instead
of making the cylinder A¹ circular in cross section it may be made elliptical, the
advantage being obtained with either form that a tight spring piston ring or
packing can be fitted on the piston.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention and the manner in which
the same is performed, I desire it to be understood that I do not restrict myself
to the precise details herein described or delineated, but what I believe to be novel

page_text: and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The general arrangement, construction, and combination of the parts of a
rotary motive power engine in which the piston C fixed to the revolving shaft B
travels continuously in either direction in an annular chamber or cylinder A',
circular or elliptical in cross section, arranged so that the pressure steam or fluid
is admitted behind and exhausts in front of the piston or pistons through ports
regulated by a valve F or cock, and fitted with abutting slides actuated by cams
or eccentrics to open in front of and close behind the piston, substantially as herein
described and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The construction and arrangement of the parts of a rotary motive-power
engine having a fixed round or elliptical annular cylinder, with one, two, or more
correspondingly shaped revolving pistons working therein, substantially as herein
described in reference to the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Roberton, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twelfth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER, C.E.,
Of W. R. M. Thomson & Co.,
Patent Agents,
Glasgow.
JOHN ROBERTON. (L.S.)