IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES AND PUMPS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International Patent
Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ROTARY ENGINES AND PUMPS."-A communication from abroad by Dexter
Davis Hardy of Covington Kentucky. United States of America.
Sealed the 17th May 1867, and dated the 15th March 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th March 1867.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office;" No. 8,
Southampton Buildings; Chancery Lane; in the County of Middlesex, Con-
Sulting Engineer; do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES AND PUMPS," (a communication,) to be as
follows:
This Invention relates to that class of rotary engines and pumps which
hiake use of pistotis arranged to rotate on two separate shafts in connection
with each other in a casing formed by the intersection and junction of cylinders,
in which casing all of the inferior surfaces of the said cylinders are preserved,
except such as are removed by their intersection, so that the whole casing
considered as a unit differs from an oval or an approximation to an ellipse in
fts having inward projections in the line of its minor or conjugate diameter.
The said Invention consists partly in the combination with such a casing of two

page_text: rotating shafts with pistons, having the following peculiarities of arrangement
and form or construction, viz., an arrangement of two or more pistons,
upon each of the two shafts of an engine or pump in such a manner that a
substantial balance of the pistons is obtained as respects their weight and
momentum and the pressure exerted thereupon to force them radially outward
against their casing; and a construction of each of the said pistons with
surfaces of considerable area concentric with the axes of their rotation when
such surfaces are joined by curves of such form as will insure contact of the
surface of one piston with the adjacent surface of the other piston in the
operation of the machine.
To conduce to the better understanding of the other part of this Invention
it should be stated that where this machine is used as a steam engine the force
of the steam is exerted alternately on each of the two rotating shafts employed,
and where used as a pump for forcing water to considerable distances the
resistance on the machine is exerted alternately on each of the shafts of the
pump. The other part of this Invention will now be understood when it is stated
that it consists in a peculiar arrangement of the described pump and engine
for the purposes of forcing water, as (for example) in a steam fire-engine.
The said arrangement is found in directly connecting each of the shafts
of the pump with the correspondingly opposite engine, preferably by con-
tinuing the shaft of the one through the other, and by making such an
angular disposition of the pistons of each on their respective shafts as shall
transmit the stress of the steam on each engine piston through the shatt
thereof directly to the pump piston, rotating on the same axis and doing the
work of forcing water; thus employing in such case toothed wheels on the
shafts of either pump or engine, not for the purpose of transferring the stress
exerted on one of the parallel shafts to the other, but solely for the purpose of
preserving the desired angular relations of the pistons on said shafts. The
pistons are partly bounded by surfaces which are in arcs of circles of different
diameters, each concentric with the axes of their rotation; the surfaces of the
pistons which are found in these ares are united by other surfaces which are
in epicycloidal or other suitable curves. The disposition of the curved
surfaces of the pistons is such that those which are in the outer arcs fit closely
(at intervals during the rotation of the pistons) against the cylindrical surfaces
of the casing; at other intervals the said surfaces of the pistons on one shaf
abut against the surfaces of the inner arcs on the pistons on the other shaft
while the epicycloidal or other suitable curves uniting the inner and outer
arcs abut against the similar surfaces which come together in the rotation o
the two shafts. Either of the openings through the case which are located in

page_text: the line of its minor or conjugate diameter may be used for the inlet aperture,
while the other then serves as an outlet aperture. The shafts with which the
-pistons rotate are connected together by the toothed wheels, which gear into
each other, so that each shaft is driven by the same alternately from the other
shaft. Adjustable teeth or gibs are inserted in the surfaces of the..pistons
formed of epicycloidal or other suitable curves; these teeths or gibs being so
arranged that the pressure of the fluid in the casing, aided when desired by
suitable springs, forces them from one piston into contact with the adjacent
one, thus preventing by a yielding contact of parts such leakage as might
occur consequent upon defective fitting in or workmanship upon the curved
surfaces of the pistons. Means are provided for receiving any endwise
pressure which may be exerted on the pistons by reason of the presence of
water or steam between the heads of the casing and the ends. of, the said
pistons upon the piston shafts; thus the wearing of the said heads and pistous
and friction between the said parts are prevented.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 13th September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent. Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord Que
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Robert Lake, Her special licence that I, the said William Robert
Lake, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, .the
said William Robert Lake, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES AND PUMPS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,

page_text: 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 I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings
forming a part of this Specification :—
This Invention relates to that class of rotary engines and pumps in which
use is made of pistons arranged to rotate on two separate shafts in connection
with each other in a casing formed by the intersection and junction of parallel
cylinders, in which casing all the interior surfaces of the said cylinders are
preserved, except such as are removed by their intersection, so that the whole
casing considered as a unit is unlike an oval or an approximation to an ellipse
in having inward projections in the line of its minor or conjugate diameter.
The said Invention consists partly in the combination with such a casing of
two rotating shafts with pistons therein, having the following peculiarities of
arrangement and form or construction, viz., an arrangement of two or more
pistons upon each of the two shafts of an engine or pump in such a manner
that a substantial balance of the pistons is obtained as respects their weight
and momentum, and the pressure exerted thereupon to force them radially
outward against their casing. And a construction of each of the said
pistons with surfaces of considerable area concentric with the axes of their
rotation, when such surfaces are joined by curves of such form as will insure
contact of the surface of one piston with the surfaces of the other piston which
may be adjacent thereunto in the operation of the machine.
To conduce to the better understanding of the other part of the nature of
this Invention it should be stated, that where this machine is used as a steam
engine the force of the steam is exerted alternately on each of the two rotating
shafts employed, and where used as a pump for forcing water to considerable
distances the resistance on the machine is exerted alternately on each of the
shafts of the pump. The other part of this Invention will now be understood
when it is stated that it consists in a peculiar. arrangement of the described
pump and engine for the purposes, of forcing water as, for example, in a steam
fire engine. The said arrangement is found in directly connecting each of the
shafts of the pump with, the, corresponding opposite, shafts of the engine pre-
ferably by continuing the shaft of the one, through the other, and by making
such an angular disposition of the pistons of each on their respective shafts as

page_text: shall transmit the stress of the steam on each engine piston through the shaft
thereof directly to the pump piston rotating on the same axis and doing the
work of forcing water; thus employing in such case toothed wheels on the
shafts of either pump or engine, not for the purpose of transferring the stress
exerted on one of the parallel shafts to the other, but solely for the purpose of
preserving the desired angular relations of the pistons on said shafts;
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved engine, or pump taken in a
plane at right angles to the piston shafts; Figure 2 is a horizontal section of
the same taken in the plane of the axes of the shafts and showing the pistons,
shafts, and other parts, the scale in this Figure being one-half that in Figures 1
and 3; Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, exhibiting a variation in the
form of the pistons, but retaining the characteristics thereof, which are peculiar
to this Invention.
In Figures 1 and 3 the pistons are shown as partly bounded by surfaces
which are in arcs of circles of different diameters, each concentric with the
axes of their rotation, the outer arcs being marked a, a', and the inner arcs b, b¹.
The surfaces of the pistons, which are formed in these arcs, are united by other
surfaces, which are in epicycloidal or other suitable curves marked c. The
disposition of the curved surfaces of the pistons is such that those, which are
in the arcs. a, a', fit closely at intervals during the rotation of the pistons
against the cylindrical surfaces of the casing A. At other intervals the said
surfaces of the pistons on one shaft abut against the surfaces in the arcs b
and b¹ on the pistous on the other shaft, while the epicycloidal or other suitable
curves uniting the piston surfaces which are in the arcs of circles abut
against the similar surfaces which come together in the rotation of the two
shafts, in a manner which will be clearly understood by reference to the
Drawings. The openings through the case which are located in the line of its
minor or conjugate diameter are marked E and F, and either of them may be
used for the inlet aperture, while the other serves as an outlet aperture. The
arrows showing the direction of the fluid currents through the machine and
the direction of rotation of the pistous give E as the inlet and F as the outlet
apertures, whether the machine is used as a steam engine or as a pump. The
shafts with which the pistons rotate are marked C and C¹, and they are con-
nected together by the toothed wheels K and K', which gear into each other,
so that each shaft is driven by the same alternately from the other shaft. The
form given to the curved surfaces, shown in Figure 3, which connect the
surfaces of the pistons concentric with their axes of rotation is perhaps better

page_text: adapted for the employment of the machine as a pump or as a water engine
than as a steam engine. In the pistons, as shown in Figure 1, adjustable
teeth or gibs G are inserted in the surfaces formed of epicycloidal or other
suitable curves, these teeth or gibs being so arranged that the pressure of the
fluid in the casing, aided wben desired by suitable springs, forces them from
one position into contact with the adjacent one, thus preventing by a yielding
contact of parts such leakage as might occur from defective workmanship
between the curved surfaces c. Where the surfaces of the pistons in the
arcs a, a¹, come against the casing when the machine is used as a steam engine,
leakage is prevented by the presence of a film of water caused by the pressure
and condensation of the steam. Means are provided, as shown in the Drawings,
to receive any endwise pressure which may be exerted on the pistons by reason
of the presence of water or steam between the heads of the casing and the
ends of the pistons upon the piston shafts, and thus wear of the said heads
and pistons and friction between said parts are prevented.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)
'Witness,
GEORGE HASELTINE.