IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES AND PUMPS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Bruce, of Shotley Bridge, in the County of
Durham, Engineer, and John Robb, of No. 89, Exmouth Street; Stepney, in
the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
ROTARY ENGINES AND PUMPS."
"
Sealed the 6th November 1877, and dated the 18th May 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Bruce and John
Robb at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th May 1877.
THOMAS BRUCE, of Shotley Bridge, in the County of Durham, Engineer, and
JOHN ROBB, of No. 89, Exmouth Street, Stepney, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES AND PUMPS."
The objects of the Invention are simplicity in construction, as well as facility and
efficiency in use.
In carrying our improvements into effect the piston is formed by a close fitting
but moveable and jointed plate, one part of which slides through a close-fitting
opening provided for it, whilst the opposite part or edge is connected to or forms
part of a cylinder carried by a crank pin, carried so as to rotate in a cylindrical
chamber, of diameter, in relation to the cylinder on the crank pin, that will admit
of that cylinder in its rotation keeping close contact with the interior of the chamber
in which it rotates.
When the apparatus is in use as a rotary engine to be worked by steam or other
fluid, a valve is employed to control the admission of such steam or other fluid,
and the action of such steam or other fluid on the abutment, piston, or plate, is
to cause the rotation of the crank pin, and consequently of the plate and axis
carrying it.
In using the apparatus as a pump, motion will be given to the crank axis through
the jointed plate and a stem connected to one part of it, or by motion to the crank
shaft.
Spring or other elastic packing may be employed to secure the close fitting of the
parts.

page_text: Figure 1 shows an external side view; Figure 2, an end view; Figure 3, a
sectional side view; Figure 4, a transverse section; and Figures 5 and 6, horizontal
sections looking in opposite directions of an arrangement of rotary engine, according
to our Invention, to be used as a pump.
In each of these Figures the same letters are employed to indicate corresponding.
parts.
a, a, indicates the case; b and bare the two parts forming the piston. These
parts are jointed together by a close-fitting socket joint at 3, and the part 6¹ is
capable of sliding in the close-fitting opening or mouth a¹ to the chamber a², and
the ends or side edges of it are guided in its movement by sliding in grooves a³.
The part 6, at its edge opposite to that by which it is connected to the part b¹, is
formed into a cylinder to embrace a pin d projecting from the disc plate d¹ as a
crank pin. The disc plate is connected to or forms part of the shaft or axis d³,
and this axis a passes through the closely-packed support a. In order to work
this pump, rotary motion is given to the shaft or axis in any suitable way, when,
by the rotation of the disc plate d', the pin d will be carried round in the cylindrical
portion of the case a, carrying with it the cylinder 68, thereby giving a rocking
motion to the part 6 of the piston, whilst, by the outer surface of the cylinder b³
being kept in contact with the interior surface of the chamber a³, fluid may be
constantly drawn in.at one side of the piston b, 61, and forced out from the other
side thereof.
Figures 7 and 8 show by side section and transverse section a slight modification
of the above, in which the part b is formed separately from the cylinder b³, and the
part b has horns on its opposite sides to pass into concentric grooves as in the

page_text: plates d', d³, one of which is immediately connected to the shaft d², as in the
previous Figures, and the other is connected to the disc plate 3 by means of
the crank pin d, so that both disc plates d¹, d³, will be caused to rotate together,
whilst the upper edge of the part b is kept in contact with the cylinder 63. Elastic
packing may be employed as indicated, if desired.
Figure 9 shows by side sectional view, and Figure 10 by transverse sectional
view, another modification of the apparatus, in which motion is given to the parts
from the cylinder of a steam or other engine acting through the piston e by the
rod e¹ of that piston being immediately connected to the part b. f is the valve
chamber containing the valve for regulating the passage of steam to and from the
cylinder g containing the piston e; is the valve rod connected to the lever arm i,
one end of which is supported to turn on the stud carried by the fixed standard i³,
whilst the other end is by pin joint 3 connected to one end of the excentric rod j,
which is capable, as shown, of being actuated by the excentric 1 affixed on the shaft
or axis (1².
Figure 11 shows an external side view; Figure 12, a sectional side view; and
Figure 13, a transverse sectional view of an arrangement of the Invention adapted
for use as a rotary engine to be worked by steam or other fluid. In this case the
same letters are employed to indicate corresponding parts as used in relation to the
previous Figures, and it will be seen that we have combined three sets of the parts to
act in succession, so as thereby more fully to equalize the action of the power obtained.
The relative times of the action of the parts belonging to the two other sets is indicated
by dotted lines in the sectional view, Figure 12. The number of successive series
of parts may however be varied, as well as the order of their action, and in some
cases only one series, with a fly wheel, may be used. The steam or other fluid
employed is in each case, and in the order desired, conducted by a suitable pipe k
from the source of supply through a passage controlled by the oscillating valve m
affixed to the shaft or axis n, and this shaft or axis n has in the arrangement shown
the required oscillatory or vibratory motion given to it, so as to actuate the valve
or valves m affixed thereon, by means of the excentric o affixed on the shaft or
axis d², such eccentric being connected by the excentric rod p to one end of the
arm g, affixed on the axis n.
Having thus described our Invention, and means which we adopt in carrying the
same into effect, we would have it understood that we do not confine ourselves to
the precise arrangements of parts as shown and described, as the same may be
varied without departing from the peculiar character of the Invention, but what
we do claim is, the improvements in rotary engines and pumps, whereby the piston
is formed of a moveable and jointed plate, and with parts connected thereto is
arranged and operated substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Robb, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES,
62, Chancery Lane,
London.
JOHN ROBB. (L.S.)