Improvements in Blowers, Exhausters, Pumps, Steam and other Engines or Motors.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Jan., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 30th Nov., 1888
Improvements in Blowers, Exhausters, Pumps, Steam and other
Engines or Motors.
I, JOSEPH THOMAS HENRY ASBURY of Kingswood Road Moseley in the County
of Worcester, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to blowers, exhausters, pumps, and motive power engines or
motors, of the kind commonly known as "disc engines," which consist essentially
of a disc, which performs a gyratory motion within a cylinder or casing, of the
sectional figure of a double sector, with a bearing space between them, wherein the
sphere, disposed within the middle of the disc, works.
The principal object of my invention is to simplify the construction of the said
machines or engines, whereby the escape of air, gas, steam and water, between the
sphere as aforesaid, and the bearing surface or surfaces, upon which, or within which
it works, is prevented, and the machine or engine balanced; and further, in providing
anti-friction arrangements between certain parts of the said machines or engines, in
order to reduce friction, and prevent loss of power thereby.
The cylinder consists of a fixed annular casing, with a chamber of the section of
two sectors, or the two parts of a circle, respectively comprehended between two
radii, and the included are; and within this chamber, a disc, with a spherical middle
part, performs a gyratory motion, or in other words, it describes a cone in its
motion.
The sphere in the middle of the disc as aforesaid, is solid, and carries two opposite
fixed arms, which are disposed at right angles to the disc, and work within bearings,
made diagonally within bearing discs, or diaphragms, whose outer middle parts are
connected with the inain driving shaft, which extends outwardly from the two opposite
sides of the machine or engine, and work within bearings, carried by arms or
brackets, secured to the main casing or base part. These shafts carry pulleys at
their outer ends, provided with driving bands, or connected with other gear.
The bearing discs, which carry the diagonally disposed arms as aforesaid, work
within an annular chamber, whose casing forms as it were, a horizontally disposed
acket, surrounding the two opposite sides of the sphere.

page_text: The inside junctions of the bearing casing, with the outside of the cylinder
casing, comprehend cone surfaces, against which, the inside presented edges, or
parts of the said bearing dises, take their bearings."
Thus, the sphere, which comes in the middle the disc, is surrounded at two
opposite sides, in juxta position to the shanks of the arms, by the inner presented
edges of the bearing disc, and upon the said edges, the sphere takes its bearing-
These discs are adjustable in opposite directions, by part bearings, which com-
prehend or come upon the underside of the end of one arm, while the other
bearing comes upon the top of the end of the arm on the other side; and
which said adjustable bearing parts, are taken up to their work, by screw stems,
with the screwed parts provided with nuts, which on being rotated, force the faces
of the discs, up to the cone inner surfaces of the bearing casing, which are closed
by glands, by which means, the escape of air, gas, steam, or water, is thereby
prevented and further, the machine or engine becomes balanced, and all com-
pensation for wear provided for.
Instead of employing screws, for bringing my improved extended bearings up to
the spherical surface, and to the arms, I employ springs, which are self adjusting.
The springs may be provided with set screws, for increasing or diminishing their
tension; and further, an adjustment may be effected if necessary, by wedge or such
like expedients.
In the working of the machine, or engine, the disc makes, or performs a gyratory
motion, while the bearing disc working within its casing, performs a rotary motion
and with nearly the whole of the bearing sphere of the disc, comprehended by
adjustable bearing surfaces.
The machines or engines, are provided with the usual ports, and inlets or outlets,
and the usual divisional plate passing transversely through the working disc as afore-
said; and further, in applying my invention to steam or compressed air motors, I fix
cams on the driving shaft, to actuate levers, to work cut off or expansion gear.
On the machine or engine working, the disc as aforesaid, has a tendency to rub
against the divisional plate, thereby producing considerable friction, and loss of power
in the working of the machine.
To remedy this defect I extend the disc on one side, or on both sides of the division
plates, and which extended part or parts is or are provided with anti-friction rollers,
wheels, or their equivalents, which roll against the division plate. These rollers may
be made adjustable, in order to take up wear of the contact parts.
The inlet and outlet passages of the machines or engines, as aforesaid, are
preferably made larger at top and bottom, to allow additional
extension.
movement on
The anti-friction roller or rollers may be fixed on the disc, inside the cone cylinder,
provided with suitable recesses to receive the rollers, on the top and bottom of its
movement; and further, in some cases, I propose to place the rollers on the top edge
of the disc only, thus reducing the number of recesses in cylinder, from two
to one.
Loose or sliding doors are provided, for gaining access to the rollers, for lubrication
and adjustment.

page_text: Improvements in Blowers, Exhausters, Pumps, Steam and other
Engines or Motors.
I JOSEPH THOMAS HENRY ASBURY of Kingswood Road Moseley in the County
of Worcester Mechanical 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 blowers exhausters, pumps, and motive power engines or
motors, of the kind commonly known as "disc engines" which consist essentially of a
disc, which performs a gyratory motion within a cylinder or casing, of the sectional
figure of a double sector, with a bearing space between them wherein the sphere
disposed within the middle of the disc, works.
The principal object of my invention is to simplify the construction of the said
machines or engines and to prevent the escape of air, gas, steam or water, between
the sphere as aforesaid and the bearing surface or surfaces upon which, or within
which it works, is prevented, and the machine or engine balanced; and further, in
providing anti friction arrangements between certain parts of the said machines or
engines, in order to reduce friction, and prevent loss of power thereby.
The cylinder consists of a fixed annular casing, with a chamber of the section of
two sectors, or the two parts of a circle, respectively comprehended between two radii,
and the included are; and within this chamber, a disc with a spherical middle part,
performs a gyratory motion, or in other words, it describes a cone in its motion.
The sphere in the middle of the disc as aforesaid, is solid, and carries two opposite
fixed arms, which are disposed at right angles to the disc, and work within bearings,
made diagonally within bearing dises, or diaphragms, whose outer middle parts are
connected with the main driving shaft, which extends outwardly from the two opposite
sides of the machine or engine, and works within bearings, carried by arms or brackets,
secured to the main casing or base part. These shafts carry pulleys at their outer
ends, provided with driving bands, or connected with other gear.
The bearing discs, which carry the diagonally disposed arms as aforesaid, work
within an annular chamber, whose casing forms as it were, a horizontally disposed
jacket, surrounding the two opposite sides of the sphere.
The inside junctions of the bearing casing, with the outside of the cylinder casing,
comprehend cone surfaces, against which, the inside presented edges, or parts of the
said bearing discs, take their bearings.
Thus, the sphere, which comes in the middle of the disc, is surrounded at two
opposite sides, in juxta-position to the shanks of the arms, by the inner presented
edges of the bearing disc, and upon the said edges, the sphere takes its bearing. These
discs are adjustable in opposite directions, by part bearings, which comprehend, or
come upon the underside of the end of one arm, while the other bearing comes upon
the top of the end of the arm on the other side; and which said adjustable bearing
parts, are taken up to their work, by screw stems, with the screwed parts provided
with nuts, which on being rotated, force the faces of the discs up to the cone inner
surfaces of the bearing casing, which are closed by glands, by which
means, the escape
of air, gas, steam, or water is thereby prevented; and further, the machine or engine
becomes balanced, and all compensation for wear provided for.
Instead of employing screws, for bringing my improved extended bearings up to
the spherical surface, and to the arms, I employ springs, which are self-adjusting.

page_text: The springs may be provided with set screws, for increasing or diminishing their
tension and further, an adjustment may be effected if necessary by wedge or
such like expedients.
In the working of the machine or engine, the disc makes or performs a gyratory
motion, while the bearing disc working within its casing, performs a rotary motion,
and with nearly the whole of the bearing sphere of the disc, comprehended by
adjustable bearing surfaces.
The machines or engines, are provided with the usual ports, and inlets or outlets,
and the usual divisional plate passing transversely through the working disc as
aforesaid; and further, in applying my invention to steam, or compressed air motors,
I fix cams on the driving shaft, to actuate levers, to work cut off or expansion gear.
On the machine or engine working, the disc as aforesaid, has a tendency to rub
against the divisional plate, thereby producing considerable friction, and loss of power
in the working of the said engine.
To remedy this said frictional contact, which is a disadvantage, I extend the disc on
one side, or on both sides of the division plates; and which extended part or parts, is
or are provided with anti-friction rollers, wheels or their equivalents, which roll
against the division plate. These rollers may be made adjustable, in order to take up
wear of the contact parts.
The inlet and outlet passages, of the machines or engines, as aforesaid, are preferably
made larger at top and bottom, to allow additional movement on extension.
The anti-friction roller or rollers, may be fixed on the disc, inside the cone cylinder
provided with suitable recesses to receive the rollers, on the top and bottom of its
movement; and further, in some cases, I propose to place the rollers on the top edge
of the disc only, thus reducing the number of recesses in cylinder, from two to one.
Loose or sliding doors are provided, for gaining access to the rollers, for lubrication
and adjustment.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, represents in vertical section, a disc
engine, provided with improvements, made according to my invention. It will be
understood that the disc which supplies the place of the piston of an ordinary engine,
has within its middle, a ball or sphere, with arms on its two opposite sides at right
angles to the disc, and which arms take within bearings carried by a bearing box, to
which the propelling shaft of the engine is rigidly connected.
Figure 2 represents a part horizontal and part vertical section of the said engine,
taken at right angles, to that of figure 1. This view shows the ports, both inlet and
outlet, the fixed divisional plate, which comes between the disc, and an elevation of
the said disc, which is kept from coming in direct contact with the said plate, by an
anti-friction roller.
Figure 3 represents a horizontal section upon the dotted lines A. B. figure 1 while
figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 represents some of the parts of the engine.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.
a is an annular and fixed casing or cylinder with a chamber a², of the cross section
of two sectors comprehended between two radii, and the included are; and within this
chamber, a disc b, with a spherical centre c at its middle, performs a gyratory motion,
about two opposite and outwardly directed arms c², disposed at right angles to the
disc. These arms are embraced by, and take within half bearings d², disposed within
a box bearing block d, which revolves within opposite recesses or open ended bearing
box chambers a³, comprehended by annular walls a', which are screwed externally,
and upon which, screwed caps or adjusting glands g take.
The inner presented faces of the box bearing blocks d fit accurately within and
upon the coned surfaces of the inside of the bearing block chamber, and the sphere at
the middle of the disc, while the outer end of the said block carries the main pro-
pelling shafts e, e, which extend outwardly from the two opposite sides of the engine,
and work and are supported within bearings or plummer blocks 2, mounted upon
upwardly directed brackets f, formed with the fixed annular and main casing as
aforesaid.
The main driving shafts, carry pulleys, or are connected with other gear, for

page_text: communicating motion thus imparted to the shaft, from the disc upon which the
pressure of steam has been brought to bear.
The said box bearings have counter-borings, seats and arm passages d³, d², d³, as
best seen in the enlarged views figures 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9; and disposed within the hole
or boring d³ are the arm bearings d², which are pressed home up to the underside of
the said arm, by coiled springs h, whose outer ends take their abutments upon a filling
in piece d', enclosing the open end of the said hole or boring.
Thus it will be seen that in consequence of the springs h exerting a constant
pressure upon the lower half of the bearings d², the arms are thereby thrust diagonally
inwards, which tend to bring the coned and hemispherical faces d², do, and also the
dise up to their hearings, of which the hemispherical and coned bearings are
marked a³, c.
The adjustable caps or glands g, on being rotated, give the primary adjustment to
the bearing parts, by the inner face thereof coming upon the outer part of the box
bearing at the hilt of the shaft, thereby preventing the escape of steam, air, water, or
other fluids or liquids contained within, or to be drawn by the said engine.
The inside of the chamber of the engine is subdivided by a divisional plate or
partition i, directed in the direction of the diameter of the engine to the division
between the ports, which are marked j, k, of which is the inlet. and the outlet.
This said disc is prevented from coming into direct contact with the divisional surface
by an anti-friction roller working in bearings and adjusted by a coned axis carried
within the middle of an extended part of the disc, in such a manner as represented,
so that the said disc shall roll upon the division as aforesaid. This roller may be
mounted upon the side of the disc, which will thus prevent the disc from being gapped
or cut away. Instead of rollers, spheres may be substituted.
Access to the rollers is gained for lubrication or otherwise by a door m.
The lower and movable bearings d² are prevented from rotating or twisting by the
ends of pins working within them, as seen in figure 1.
Figure 10 represents another form of my invention in which the adjustment of the
bearings of the double arms is effected, by screws, instead of springs whilst the
primary and lateral adjustment of the bearing parts is effected by screw caps or glands
as aforesaid, taking upon the enclosing chambers of the box bearings or recesses.
a is an annular or fixed casing, a² its chamber and b its disc, upon which the
pressure of steam is brought to bear, and c is the middle of the said disc consisting
of a sphere, with diagonally directed double arms e², supported and working within
bearings d², carried by box bearings d, whose inner coned, and hemispherical concaved
inner ends as aforesaid are presonted and brought up to like coned and spherical
bearings or surfaces, a, c, by the end caps or glands g, taking upon the outside
screw parts of the chambers a³ a. e, e are the driving shafts, whose inner ends are
the bearing boxes, whilst the lower half bearings d2 are adjusted or forced up to the
arms by screws h, and there locked by a jamb nut.
Thus, to adjust the bearings consequent upon wear, turn the caps or glands g, when
the bearing boxes inner ends are brought up to their bearings; and further, to
adjust the position of the arms, turn the screws h, when a greater or less inclination
will be given to the arins, so as to adjust the surfaces to each other.
The other parts of the engine are marked with corresponding letters of reference as
in figures 1, 2 and 3.
Figure 11 shows another means of adjusting the diagonally directed arins, so as to
bring them into their proper relative positions with respect to the efficient working of
the disc.
a, a² is an annular fixed casing, 6 the disc, c the spherical middle part, and c² the
arms, with its outwardly directed coned ends working within screw bearings d², fitted
within box bearings d, carried at the inner ends of the shafts e, which are supported
by brackets f.
The adjustment of the bearing surfaces is made by the screwing up of the caps
or glands g, upon the chamber or recess, wherein the box bearing d rotates, whilst
the screw bearings d² are affixed in position by lock nuts.

page_text: In figure 12, the arm bearings d², which are fitted within the box bearings d, carried
at the inner ends of the shafts e, are brought up to the said arms, or the arms
adjusted by a wedge block h, through the middle of which, is a screw pin h²,
supported and turning within the bearing block framing; so that on the said
screw being rotated, the wedge block is traversed, and the bearings wherein the
arms of the sphere work, adjusted.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts as in the preceding
figures.
The springs as represented in figure 1, are particularly advantageous in pumps,
whereby breakage is prevented, on foreign matters getting between the disc, and
the coned surfaces of the casing.
The counter-borings marked d³, may be made rectangular in cross section, so
as to prevent the twisting or turning of the bearings working within them.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
First. Adjusting the bearings, or the inner presented surfaces of the bearing
boxes or other parts, carried at the inner ends of the driving shafts, or bearings
connected with the driving shafts, by a cap or gland g, forced home by a screw,
cotter or their equivalents, substantially as described and set forth in figures 1, 2, 3,
10, 11 and 12.
Secondly. Carrying at the inner ends of the shafts, bearing boxes d, which rotate
within recesses or chambers a³, at, made or connected with the casing of the engine,
blower, pump, exhauster or other motor, substantially as described and set forth in the
several figures.
Thirdly Carrying and adjusting the arms c² of the disc b, by bearings d³, fitted
and working within the box bearings d, and pressed automatically into position by
springs h, thereby making the said bearings self adjusting, substantially as described
and set forth in figure 1.
Fourthly. Adjusting the bearings of the double arms of the discs of motors, as
herein described, by a screw h, substantially as set forth in figure 11.
Fifthly Adjusting the arm carrying bearings of motors of the kind as herein
described, by a wedge block h, or a wedge block operated by the rotation of a screw,
substantially as set forth in figure 12.
Sixthly. Carrying and adjusting the arms of the discs of motors as herein described,
by a screw bearing d2, which takes within the box bearing d, and is there affixed in
position, by lock nuts, substantially as set forth in figure 11.
Seventhly. Providing and mounting the spheres of the discs of disc engines and
motors as described, with and upon double arms, as set forth in figures 1, 2, 3, 4,
10, 11 and 12.
Eighthly. Disposing between the disc of a disc engine or motor, and its division
plate, an anti-friction roller or rollers, brought up to its bearing surface by a coned
axis, or other means, as set forth in figure 2.
Lastly. The improvements in the construction and arrangement of the parts of
disc engines, blowers, exhausters, pumps and other motors as herein described and set
forth in figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 11 and 12.