Improved Rotary Motive Power Engine.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Mar., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 5th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 13th Jan., 1900
[Communicated from abroad by PAUL BLANC, of 23, Rue du Cardinal Lemoine,
Paris, in the Republic of France, Architect.]
Improved Rotary Motive Power Engine.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, 6, Lord Street,
Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and
Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows;-
This invention relates to a rotatory motor specially arranged for working with
gas or petroleum, but which by means of certain modifications is capable of being
driven by steam or other fluid.
This motor is characterized by having a drum bearing two opposite slides or
plates producing the four phases of the movement. The first of the plates receives
on one hand the pressure resulting from the explosion in a first chamber, and on
the other hand drives back into a second chamber the fresh gases previously
aspirated. The second plate drives back on the one hand, the gases resulting from
the aforesaid explosion, and on the other hand aspirates fresh gases to be after-
wards used.
The annexed drawing shows diagrammatically the principal parts of the motor;
My motor is composed essentially of a rotatory drum A, bearing two plates or
slides B C radially opposite to one another and pressed towards the exterior by
springs placed at the bottom of their respective compartments. These plates
press constantly against the internal walls of the box or cylinder D in which the
drum A is enclosed. The width of this box D corresponds to that of the drum A,
and is concentric to the latter and of a larger diameter over the largest part of its
interior circumference, but it is narrowed at both ends of a given diameter, so as
to be tangential at these points (E and F) to the aforesaid drum.
Obviously these arrangements are made to render the contacts of the plates and
the drum in the box or cylinder D absolutely gas tight and to reduce the friction
to the minimum.
Two explosion chambers G-G are placed symmetrically as shewn in the
drawing.
The apparatus is operated as follows:-
The drum A revolves in the direction of the arrow; the pressure of the gases
produced by the explosion which has just taken place in the chamber G, operates
through the passage H upon the right of the plate B and causes the motor to
revolve in the desired direction. This is maintained during rather less than half
a revolution; during this time the left surface of the same plate B drives. back
through the passage I¹ into the chamber G the new gases which have been
aspirated (by means which will be indicated hereafter) and stored in the container K
of the box. When the drum A has turned from that portion of the revolution
during which the motive power operates on the plate B, this latter occupies such

page_text: a position that the opening L in the circumference of the drum A discharges the
container K and the gases which produced the motion, escape by means of this
opening into the interior of the drum, and from thence to the atmosphere through
orifices suitably placed on the bottom of the drum A and in the corresponding
bottom of the box D.
The motion continuing, the plate C passes the tangential point E and continues
its movement through the container K. Thus it drives the burnt gases before it
and allows them to escape as hereinbefore described, and behind it aspirates
through the passage J, the new gases coming from the carburettor or gas producer.
When the plate Č arrives at the other tangential point F, it has consequently
driven out the burnt gases and aspirated fresh gases which have filled the con-
tainer K. At this instant, the plate B returns to the point from whence I
began to describe the operation, and the same actions may be repeated indefinitely
in the same manner. The container K' operates in precisely the same manner as
that described for the container K.
The function of the plate B is, accordingly, solely to produce the motive power
and to drive back the fresh gases into one of the chambers G or G¹, to be used for
the next explosion, and the special function of the plate C is to drive back the
burnt gases and allow them to escape and to aspirate fresh gases.
The explosions are of course produced at the right moment in the cham-
bers GG by means of an electric spark or other convenient ignition.
It is also obvious that the various passages or orifices which have been mentioned
are provided with stop-cocks or valves which are actuated by means of excentrics,
cams or other mechanical means and effect at the requisite moment the opening or
shutting of the said passages or orifices.
These stop cocks or valves are simply indicated in plan in the drawing, their
special arrangement and mechanism not being claimed in any way in the present
application.
Further, I reserve the right of making slight modifications in my motor, by
employing small pumps worked by eccentrics for supplying the explosion
chambers G and G₁ instead of supplying them directly by the plates.
It is also obvious that I have here simply indicated the general arrangements of
the essential actuating parts without going into details of construction.
This motor is specially intended for cycles and motor vehicles.
Dated the 6th day of March 1000
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.
Power Engine.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, 6, Lord Street,
Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and
Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil 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 a rotary motor specially arranged for working with
gas or petroleum, but which by means of certain modifications is capable of being
driven by steam or other fluid.

page_text: This motor is characterized by having a drum bearing two opposite slides or
plates producing the four phases of the movement. The first of the plates receives
on one side the pressure resulting from the explosion in a first chamber, and on
the other side drives back into a second chamber the fresh gases previously
aspirated. The second plate drives back on the one side, the gases resulting from
the aforesaid explosion, and on the other side aspirates fresh gases to be after-
wards used.
In the accompanying drawings-
Figure 1 shews diagrammatically the principal parts of the motor supposed to
be at dead point.
Figures 2, 3 and 4 are similar views in different stages of the movement.
My motor is composed essentially of a rotatory drum A, bearing two plates or
slides B C diametrically opposite to one another and pressed towards the exterior
by springs placed at the bottom of their respective compartments. These plates
press constantly against the internal walls of the box or cylinder D in which the
drum A is enclosed. The width of this box D corresponds to that of the drum A,
and is concentric to the latter and of a larger diameter over the largest part of its
interior circumference, but it is narrowed at both ends of a given diameter, so as
to be tangential at these points (E and F) to the aforesaid drum.
Obviously these arrangements are made to render the contacts of the plates
and the drum in the box or cylinder D absolutely gas tight and to reduce the
friction to the minimum.
Two explosion chambers G-G₁ are placed symmetrically as shewn in the
drawing.
The apparatus is operated as follows:-
The drum A revolves in the direction of the arrow: The pressure of the gases
produced by the explosion which has just taken place in the chamber G, (see
Figure 2) operates through the passage H upon the right of the plate 13 and
causes the motor to revolve in the desired direction. This is maintained during
rather less than half a revolution: during this time the left surface of the same
plate B drives back through the passage I into the chamber G¹ the new gases
which have been aspirated (by means which will be indicated hereafter) and
stored in the container K of the box. When the drum A has turned from that
portion of the revolution during which the motive power operates on the plate B,
this latter occupies the position shewn in Figure 3. The opening L in the circum-
ference of the drum A (Figure 3) communicates with the container K and the
gases which produced the motion, escape by means of this opening into the interior
of the drum, and from thence to the atmosphere through orifices suitably placed
on the bottom of the drum A and in the corresponding bottom of the box D.
The motion continuing, the plate C passes the tangential point E and continues
its movement through the container K. Thus it drives the burnt gases before it
(see Figure 4) and allows them to escape as herein before described, and behind it
aspirates through the passage J, the new gases coming from the carburettor or
gas producer. When the plate C arrives at the other tangential point F, it has
consequently driven out the burnt gases and aspirated fresh gases which have
filled the container K. At this instant, the plate B returns to the point from
whence I began to describe the operation, and the same actions may be repeated
indefinitely in the same manner. This cycle explained with regard to the con-
tainer K takes place in exactly the same manner in the case of the other
container K¹. In the first half-revolution the plate B is affected behind by the
action of the explosion in the chamber G₁ through the passage H¹, and in front
drives back through the passage I the fresh gases into the chamber G. In the
second half-revolution the plates C drives before it through the opening L the
burnt gases, and behind aspirates fresh gases through the passage J.
The function of the plate B is, accordingly, solely to produce the motive power
and to drive back the fresh gases into one of the chambers G or G¹, to be used

page_text: for the next explosion, and the special function of the plate C is to drive back
the burnt gases and allow them to escape and to aspirate fresh gases.
The explosions are of course produced at the right moment in the cham-
bers G-G by means of an electric spark or other convenient ignition.
It is also obvious that the various passages or orifices which have been men-
tioned are provided with stop-cocks or valves which are actuated by means of
excentrics, cams or other mechanical means and effect at the requisite moment
the opening or shutting of the said passages or orifices.
These stop-cocks or valves are simply indicated diagrammatically in the draw-
ing, their special arrangement and mechanism not being claimed in any way in
the present application.
Further, I reserve the right of making slight modifications in my motor, by
employing small pumps worked by eccentrics for supplying the explosion cham-
bers G and G instead of supplying them directly by the plates.
It is also obvious that I have here simply indicated the general arrangements of
the essential actuating parts without going into details of construction.
This motor is specially intended for cycles and motor vehicles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:
1. Improved rotary motive power engine, characterised by having a drum.
revolving in a fixed cylinder, said drum being provided with two opposite piston
plates, one of which, the motive plate, receives on one side the pressure resulting
from the explosion taking place in a first chamber while on the other side it drives
back the fresh gases into a second chamber, the special function of the other plate
being to drive the burnt gases before it into the exhaust and aspirate behind it
the fresh gases which will afterwards be utilized for producing a fresh explosion,
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
2. In a rotary engine the arrangement and construction of parts substantially
as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 5th of Dombor 1900
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham.