IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES AND PUMPS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Beauchamp Tower, of Grote's Place, Blackheath, in the
County of Kent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES
AND PUMPS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Beauchamp Tower at the
Office of the Cominissioners of Patents on the 2nd October 1879.
BEAUCHAMP TOWER, of Grote's Place, Blackheath, in the County of Kent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES AND PUMPS."
My Invention relates to a construction of rotary engine to be worked by steam
or other fluid under pressure, a like construction being applicable as a pump when
motion from an external motor is imparted to the engine shaft. Within a spherical
casing I fit two semicircular blades, each blade mounted so as to rotato on a central
axis in its own plane at right angles to its straight side or diameter. The two
axes of the blades are directed towards the centre of the spherical casing, and are
inclined to each other at an angle, such as 135°. Each of the semicircular blades
is hinge jointed along its straight side or diameter to a circular central disc, the
axis of the hinge joints in each case coinciding with a diameter of the sphere, and
the axis of the one set of joints being at right angles to the axis of the other set.
The axis of one of the semicircular blades being extended through the spherical
casing to work in external bearings constitutes the shaft of the engine. The axis
of the other semicircular blade may in like manner be extended through the casing
or it may be simply a pin forming a pivot for the rotation of the blade. In the
casing, near the axis of each blade, there are arranged ports governed by
apertures in the face of a boss or disc on the blade, which, in the manner of a rotary
slide covers and uncovers the ports in proper succession. Steam or other working
fluid having its admission to, and emissiom from the casing on each side of the
central disc properly alternated by the rotation of the slide faces over the ports
causes the blades to revolve on their axes, the central disc being caused to revolve
with them whilst its plane undergoes in each revolution a constant change of
obliquity in relation to the planes of the blades. The blades and the central disc
are provided at their edges with suitable packing, so as to work against the internal
surface of the casing without leakage past them, and the hinge joints are also
suitably packed. Two or more engines as above described may be combined so as
to work together, in which case the shaft of each engine may form the axis of one of
the blades of the engine next in order. Engines thus combined may be arranged
to act together as a compound engine, one of them being worked by high pressure
fluid, which expands in another of them.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Beauchamp Tower in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st April
1880.
BEAUCHAMP TOWER, of Grote's Place, Blackheath, in the County of Kent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES AND PUMPS."
My Invention relates to a construction of rotary engine to be worked by steam
or other fluid under pressure, a like construction being applicable as a pump when
motion from an external motor is imparted to the engine shaft. Within a spherical
casing I fit two semicircular blades, each blade mounted so as to rotate on a central
axis in its own plane at right angles to its straight side or diameter. The two
axes of the blades are directed towards the centre of the spherical casing, and are
inclined to each other at an angle such as 135°. Each of the semicircular blades
is hinged jointed along its straight side or diameter to a circular central disc or
diaphragm, the axis of the hinge joints in each case coinciding with a diameter of the
sphere, and the axis of the one set of joints being at right angles to the axis of the
other set or nearly so. The axis of one of the semicircular blades being extended
through the spherical casing to work in external bearings constitutes the shaft of the
engine. The axis of the other semicircular blade may in like manner be extended
through the casing, or it may be simply a pin forming a pivot for the rotation of
the blade. In the casing near the axis of each blade there are arranged ports
governed by faces revolving with the blade, which, in the manner of a rotary
slide, cover and uncover the ports in proper succession. Steam or other working
fluid having its admission to, and emission from the casing on each side of the
central diaphragm properly alternated by the rotation of the slide faces over the
ports causes the blades to revolve on their axes, the diaphragm being caused to
revolve with them whilst its plane librates or undergoes in each revolution a
constant change of obliquity in relation to the planes of the blades. The blades and
the diaphragm are provided at their edges with suitable packing, so as to work
against the internal surface of the casing without leakage past them, and the hinge
joints are also suitably packed.
Two or more engines, as above described, may be combined so as to work together,
in which case the shaft of the first engine forns the axis of one of the blades of the
engine, next in order, and so on successively. Engines thus combined may be
arranged to act together as a compound engine, one of them being worked by high
pressure fluid, which expands in another of them.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figs. 1 and 2 are sections of an engine according to my Invention taken on
planes at right angles to one another; Fig. 3 is a side view, and Fig. 4 a front
view. S is the spherical casing turned or bored true inside, and conveniently made
in halves with flanges for bolting them together; c is the shaft of the engine
passing through a bearing and stuffing box, and having its axis coincident with a
radius of the sphere; d is a pivot having its axis also radial to the sphere, but
inclined at about 135° to the axis of c. The disc or diaphragm b is fitted to
revolve and librate within the casing, and to it are hinged with packed joints
the two semicircular blades a and c, the axes of their joints being in the central
plane of the diaphragm b, and at right angles to each other, or nearly so.
Each of
the blades a and c is thickened at the middle so as to take nearly the shape of a
sector of the sphere. The blade c is bored out along its middle line and keyed on
the shaft e. The other blade a is bored out along its middle line, and fitted to

page_text: Lurn on the pivot d. Through the casing are apertures or ports h and k; one set of
these h communicate with an intlet passage H, and the other set / communicates
with an outlet passage K. Spring packings fare fitted into recesses, hollowed in
the surfaces of the diaphragm b, and of the blades a and c, so that as they revolve
within the casing there may be no leakage of fluid between their surfaces and the
interior surface of the casing. Packings for this purpose may obviously be
arranged in various ways, but by employing packing strips disposed as shewn
relatively to the inlet and outlet ports h and k, the alternate and successive
opening and closing of these ports are effected by the passage over them of the
packed faces of the blades acting like rotating slides. Instead of this arrangement or
in addition thereto, the alternate and successive opening and closing of the ports
might be effected by valves or slides worked externally to the casing. The ports and
the slides, or valves may obviously be arranged or combined with valves for expansion,
and valves for reversal by inverting the supply and discharge. The diaphragm b
and the two blades a and c divide the interior of the casing into four spaces, each
of which is alternately enlarged and contracted in each revolution of the blades and
diaphragm by the librating movement of the diaphragm resulting from its jointed
connection to the blades. The working fluid acts successively in these spaces,
pressing on the blades and diaphragm so as to enlarge the space between them
during half of a revolution, while at the same time fluid is free to escape from the
spaces that are then undergoing contraction. This successive alternating action in
the four spaces produces continuous rotation of of the shaft e, like as the pistons of
two double acting cylinders give rotation to a shaft having cranks at right angles
to each other, to which the two pistons are respectively connected.
If the passages H and K be employed respectively for supply and discharge of
water or other fluid, and if the shafte be driven by extraneous power, the engine
becomes a rotary pump drawing or forcing the fluid.
Instead of the stationary pivot d a shaft may be employed, having the blade a
keyed thereon, and that shaft extended through a bearing and stuffing box may be
one of the shafts of another similar spherical engine or pump which would thus bo
coupled to and work in conjunction with the engine or pump described. Engines
thus coupled might obviously be worked as compound engines, or pumps might thus
be coupled to act by stage or successive pumping for the compression of air or other
elastic fluid.
By making the ports h and k open into the casing only at one side of the
diaphragm into two of the internal spaces, such as those between the diaphragın
and the blade c, and leaving the other two spaces open, the apparatus might be
worked as an engine or pump having one double acting cylinder, or the two spaces
on one side of the diaphragm might operate as an engine while the two spaces on the
other side are employed for pumping. It is however preferred to utilise the four
spaces within the casing, as above described, so as to avoid in an engine the
conditions corresponding to dead centres which would present themselves twice in
each revolution if the action were confined to only two of the spaces, and in a pump
to obtain greater uniformity of action.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I claim,-
First. The construction of rotary engine or pump wherein the interior of a spherical
casing is divided into spaces, having their capacity successively and alternately
varied by the revolution of blades around axes radial to the sphere, and inclined to
one another in combination with a central librating diaphragm, to which the blades
are jointed, substantially as herein described.
Second. In an engine or pump of the kind referred to in the preceding claim,
arranging the ports in relation to the revolving blades in such a manner that the
faces of the blades act as rotating slides alternating and governing the admission
of fluid to the internal spaces of the casing and its emission from them, substantially
as herein described.

page_text: Third. Coupling two engines or pumps of the kind above referred to by fixing
one blade of each on a shaft common to both, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Beauchamp Tower, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty fourth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
BEAUCHAMP TOWER (L.S.)