IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES AND PUMPS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Sunday Greenaway of Bermondsey in the
Borough of Southwark Mechanic and Alfred Kitt of Lupus Street Pimlico
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer for an Invention of “IMPROVEMENTS
IN ROTARY ENGINES AND PUMPS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Sunday Greenaway
and Alfred Kitt at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th
October 1882.
"
THOMAS SUNDAY GREENAWAY of Bermondsey in the Borough of Southwark
Mechanic, and ALFRED KITT of Lupus Street, Pimlico in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES AND PUMPS "
This invention relates to that class of rotary engines and pumps in which blades
or slides are projected radially from an inner cylinder placed eccentrically of a main
cylinder.
The object of the invention is to simplify the construction and increase the
efficiency of such rotary engines and pumps, rendering them the more applicable
for the exhaustion or compression of gases air, or liquids.
•
In carrying out our invention the inain cylinder is bored perfectly true and the
second cylinder which is of smaller diameter and may be solid or otherwise and in
one with the axle is mounted excentrically therein. The axle passes through
stuffing boxes and glands secured to the outer cylinder ends which are faced
internally.
The blades or slides of which there are four, or other equal number, are of the
same length as the inner cylinder, and of a depth equal to about one third the
diameter of the same.
The slides work in deep radial grooves formed in the smaller cylinder and are
made to fit accurately and are provided at their outer or rubbing edge with packing
pieces or nose slips which are kept in working position by flat sterl springs.
The slides are arranged in pairs, the two slides forming the pair being on
opposite sides of the cylinder.

page_text: To keep each pair of slides, the proper distance apart, and up to the inner face of
the main cylinder, two or more pins working in holes accurately bored and fitted
through the axle are employed and against the opposite ends of which the inner
edge of each slide of the pair rests.
The main cylinder is provided with the usual inlet and outlet openings.
.. By forming the blades or slides with the pins as above described they can, by
removing one cover of the main cylinder be readily withdrawn for repairs. Also
any reasonable number of slides with the corresponding pins working through the
axle may be employed without weakening the axle to any great extent, thus
increasing the efficiency of the apparatus especially when used as a pump; as by
the multiplication of the blades or slides a continuous flow can be maintained
without any material oscillation or variation of pressure on inlet or outlet.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Sunday Greenaway and Alfred Kitt in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 26th April 1883.
THOMAS SUNDAY GREENAWAY of Bermondsey in the Borough of Southwark
Mechanic and ALFRED KITT of Lupus Street, Pimlico in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer
IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES AND PUMPS"
"
This Invention relates to that class of Rotary Engines and Pumps in which
blades or slides are projected radially from an Inner Cylinder placed excentrically
of a main cylinder.
The object of the invention is to simplify the construction and increase the
efficiency of such Rotary Engines and Pumps, rendering them the more applicable
for the exhaustion or Compression of Gases, Air or Liquids.
In carrying out our invention, the main cylinder, which may be circular or oval
shaped, is bored perfectly true, and the inner cylinder or axle as it may be termed
which is of smaller diameter and may be solid or otherwise is mounted excentri-
cally therein. The ends of the outer cylinder are faced internally and are provided
with stuffing boxes and glands through which the ends of the axle pass.
The blades or slides, of which there may be four, or other equal number, are of
the same length as the Inner Cylinder, and of a depth equal to about one third
the diameter of the same.
The slides work in deep radial grooves formed in the smaller cylinder or axle,
and are made to fit accurately, and are provided at their outer or rubbing edge
with packing pieces or nose slips, which are kept in working position by flat steel
springs.
The slides are arranged in pairs, the two slides forming the pair being on opposite
sides of the cylinder.
To keep each pair of slides the proper distance apart, and up to the inner face
of the main cylinder, two or more pins working in holes bored through the axle, are
employed, and against the opposite ends of these pins the inner edge of each slide
of the pair rests.
By forming the blades or slides with the pins as above described, they can, by
removing one cover of the main cylinder, be readily withdrawn for repairs. Also
any reasonable number of slides, with the corresponding pius working through the
axle, may be employed without weakening the axle to any great extent, thus
increasing the efficiency of the apparatus, especially when used as a pump, as by the
multiplication of the blades or slides, a continuous flow can be maintained, without
any material oscillation or variation of pressure on inlet or outlet.
The main cylinder is provided with the usual inlet and outlet openings.
In the accompanying drawings we have shewn two forins of our improved
rutary engine or pump, that shewn on Sheet I having a circular main cylinder, and
that on Sheet II an oval main cylinder.
A is
The same letters of reference will apply to corresponding parts in both sheet.
In Sheet I Fig: 1 is a transverse section of a rotary engine or pump constructed
according to our invention and Fig: 2 is a longitudinal section of the same.
the main cylinder, and B the inner cylinder or axle set excentrically therein. This
cylinder or axle we prefer to make solid but it may be formed in any other
convenient manner, and suitably secured t the axle. Care blades which work in
deep radial grooves formed in the cylinder or axle B. The blades are arranged to
work in pairs, and each pair is maintained at the proper distance apart by two
pacing pins D. E are packing pieces or nose slips, which are kept up to the interior
of the main cylinder A by flat springs, or in any other convenient manner.

page_text: It will be seen by the longitudinal section, that when two sets of blades are
used, the pins of one set will be at right angles to the other, and that they can
without any difficulty be arranged to clear one another.
In Sheet II we have shewn the main cylinder slightly oval and provided with a
modified form of blade. Fig: 3 being a cross section and Fig: 4 a longitudinal
section of a rotary engine or pump so constructed.
The blades C are formed with central projecting portions C* which enter corre-
sponding recesses formed at the bottom of their grooves. The object of these
portions C is to steady the blades when they are projected to their farthest extent
from their respective grooves, as in the position shown in the upper part of Figures 3
and 4. The steadying effect of these projecting portions will be readily understood
on referring to Fig: 4 in which the dotted line a represents the top of the cylinder
or axle B. For the same purpose we may make the pins D to enter holes made
in the edge of the blades as shown.
The cylinder or axle B will be arranged on the smaller diameter of the oval main
cylinder.
In the drawing which may be taken to represent a full sized engine or pump
the greater diameter which in the present case is the horizontal diameter is about
three eighths of inch longer than the smaller or vertical diameter.
By the use of an oval main cylinder, it will be seem that the area of the fluid
space, and also of the blade surface, increases more rapidly than is the case with a
circular cylinder and therefore the efficiency of the engine or pump will be
proportionately increased..
It will be evident that the number of blades may, if desired, be increased by any
even number, as the spacing pins may be easily arranged to clear one another
without weakening the axle to any serious extent, but four blades will answer well
for most purposes and is the number wo prefer to use.
Having now described the nature of our invention for "Improvements in rotary
Engines and pumps" and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect we
claim.
First: In a rotary engine or pump in which an even number of blades or slides
are projected radially from an inner cylinder placed excentrically of a main cylinder,
the combination of the blades or slides such as C with distance or spacing pins
such as D substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Second. In a rotary engine or pump the application and use in the manner
herein described and shown with reference to the drawings of four blades or slides C
with four spacing pins D working together through the centre of an axle B placed
excentrically in a cylinder A.
In witness whereof we the said Thomas Sunday Greenaway and Alfred Kitt
have hereunto set our hands and seals the twenty fifth day of April in the