IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM WHEELS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, JOHN THOMAS HOWSON of 8 Owlerton Bridge Sheffield in the County of York
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM WHEELS and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and 'ascertained in and by the following
statement that is to say :-
My invention of improvements in Steem Wheels has for its object to increase the
power of such wheels by so constructing them that they offer less resisting surface
to catch the air or steam and thus impede their velocity when revolving at high
speeds, being improvements upon the steem wheels described by me in Specifica-
tion No 24960 and in order that my invention may be fully understood, I annex a
sheet of drawings to illustrate same, in which the same letters of reference indicate
the same parts in any of the figures in which they may occur.
Fig. 1. is a part section elevation, and
Fig. 2. is a cross section of a steem wheel made according to my invention.
Fig. 3, is a modification of same shown only in section.
Fig. 4, is the section of another plan.
Fig. 5. is an elevation of the complete apparatus.
In carrying out my invention on the plan illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, I make
the wheel with a heavy rim A, having any desired number of pockets B, formed in
its periphery, and partly shown in Fig. 1.--Consistant with the required strength
I cut away as much as possible of the metal from the centre part of the wheel,
preferably by making the holes C, so that the bulk of the weight shall be in the
rim but as a wheel of this configuration would offer much resisting surface to, and
would churn up the air or steam inside the case, and thus impede its action I close
up each side of the wheel by means of thin discs D, D, of plate iron, or other
suitable material, let into annular recesses E, E, and secured by means of
screws F, F, or equivalent devices.
The wheel is thus in outward appearance a solid smooth disc, with pockets in its
periphery, and it is secured upon its shaft or axle, being finished up perfectly true,
and carefully balanced.
The casing is made in two parts as shown in Fig. 5, so that the wheel can be
readily examined or removed.

page_text: It is provided with bearings to receive the axle of the wheel, and has an
entrance G and an exit H for the steam.
The entrance, is placed above, and in such a position that the steam shall
strike into the pockets with the greatest effect, and so as to produce the best
result.
The power may be transmitted from the wheel by any suitable means, and the
supply of steam may be regulated by a governor driven from the axle in the
usual way.
Instead of a thin disc on each side of a central web, as shown in Fig. 2, the
wheel may be constructed with a side web I and one disc D, as in Fig. 3, or as
shown in Fig. 4, in which the wheel is made in halves with outside webs and
bosses, the two halves being bolted together, and thus dispensing with the plate
discs D altogether.
Although I have shown the discs D as being of less diameter than the wheel, so
as not to interfere with the pockets, in some cases I cast the pockets without sides,
and close them by discs of the full diameter of the wheel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1st The construction of steam wheels in the manner hereinbefore described and
as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 of the annexed sheet of drawings.
2nd Constructing steam wheels with a hollow body, closed in so that the
exterior represents a solid disc, for the purpose specified, and substantially as
herein before described and illustrated.