Relating to Rotary Motors, and an arrangement by which Compressed Air can be made to do its Work.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Relating to Rotary Motors, and an arrangement by which Compressed
Air can be made to do its Work over many times.
JAMES HAYDON STONE, Master of Bedminster Workhouse, Flax Bourton, near
Bristol, I do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This is an axle round which any number of rotary fan wheels can be built, and
which become a portion of the true axle itself, and can be used for indefinitely
increasing the power for work on any vehicle, either on railroads, tramways, or
public roads for driving machines in workshops, or manufacturing establish-
ments &c.
The following is an example as to the way the motor axle, and the compressed
air arrangements can be brought to bear in driving on public roads a carriage,
either for pleasure or profit. I select 4. chambers or cylinders of 1. cubic foot
measurement each-3 chambers I charge with a pressure of 1000 lbs. or about
70. atmospheres; the 4th. chamber to be empty. These chambers can be placed in
any position which is the most convenient as seats, or footstools. From each
chamber a pipe will be brought under the seat of carriage, and up to a small plat-
form table in front of driver: at the end of each pipe will be fitted a gauge show-
ing the pressure in each chamber: by a peculiar arrangement of taps, near the
end of pipes, under the gauges, and on the little platform, the compressed air can
be sent at any pressure from one chamber, through the motors, to either of the
other chambers, or to the open air as desired by the driver. The working of these
taps, as also an extra pipe leading from them through a heated chamber to the
motors, I will explain later on.
The motor axle would be made as follows-
The true axle would be a hollow tube of sufficient strength for the purpose:
along the whole of this tube, on the outside would be fixed ridges, one for each
fan, and to which the fan would be firmly attached: the sides and outer rim of
wheel, inside which the fan would revolve and carrying with them the axle, would
be of brass, or some other polished metal, and form a rigid framework round the
moveable axle: along the whole length of axle, both above and below the wheels
would be fixed a metal pipe, with an opening on the under side of the pipe fixed
above, and the upper side of the pipe fixed below, and corresponding with a
similar opening in the outer rim of wheel. Each wheel with the corresponding
section of pipe both above and below would be built separately to the true axle.
Six wheels and pipe sections would be first built up, and then on the ridges on
the outside of axle to which the fans had been fixed, would be fitted ball bearings,
the upper part being a part of framework, and the under part revolving with fans
and axle, thereby causing the least possible amount of friction-then would follow
six more wheels and bearings, and so on until the axle, consisting of five sets of
wheels with bearings between each set was complete.
Now allow me to set down as plainly as I can the advantage of my multiple,

page_text: the tremendous increase of power it gives over the piston and crank action, the
motive power of which is steam, gas from oils, or compressed air as in present use.
I will suppose, merely for comparison, that a carriage for pleasure on the roads,
when ready for starting to be 15 cwt. that with the ordinary piston action by any
of the above motives, the pressure necessary for the level to be 60 lbs., and for
uphill work 3. times or 180 lbs. Of course that pressure could be kept up as long
as the fuel lasted, but the pressure could not be increased, without exhausting the
steam or gas in proportion to the increase power demanded. With compressed air,
even with 3 chambers of 2000 lbs. each, with 60 or 180 lbs. pressure, the chambers
would be exhausted very rapidly, and could not drive the car over very many
miles of road. With my multiple I could drive the carriage on the level by draw-
ing from the chamber 1 lbs. instead of 60, and for uphill work 3 lbs. instead of
180 lbs.
Every one of my wheels will produce the same amount of pressure as that which
leaves the chamber-or in other words, if I turn on a pressure of 5.15 or 60 lbs.
from the chamber, my multiple of 30. wheels on each axle will convert the 5.15.
or 60 into pressures of 300. 900. or 3600 lbs.; and what more is of very consider-
able importance instead of the pressure being at one point only, with the discom-
fort of shocks and jars caused thereby, my multiple will distribute the pressure
equally over the whole length of both axles, both pulling and pushing.
By the peculiar arrangements of the taps, on the pipes, connecting the chambers
and gauges, I can produce or change the following amount of work pressure-
or treble.
The peculiar arrangement of the taps is as follows
There are 7. pipes leading up to small platform-one pipe from each chamber,
on each of which are 2. taps under the gauge. First taps confines the air in its
chamber, the second tap regulates the direction which the air is permitted to go
when in work-2 other pipes-one leading the air from chamber into motors, the
other leading the air, after passing the motors, either to vacuum chamber, or into
the open air, as may be desired. The 7th, or last pipe leads the air from either
chamber as desired to a small chamber near the motors, in which a lamp is kept
burning under a special section of pipe, through which it passes to the motors
at a greatly increased pressure, and out into the open air. That pipe is com-
manded by 2 taps-one on the little platform, the other between the hot chamber
and the motors.
D
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101
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Relating to Rotary Motors, and an arrangement by which Compressed
Air can be made to do its Work over many times.
:
I, JAMES HAYDON STONE, of Bedminster Workhouse, Flax Bourton, near Bristol,
Master of Workhouse, 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 is an axle round which any number of rotary fan wheels can be built, and
which may be the true axle itself, or it may be made independent of and geared

page_text: to the true axle, and can be used for indefinitely increasing the power for work
on any vehicle, either on railroads, tramways, or public roads; for driving
machines in workshops, or manufacturing establishments or the like, or for marine
propulsion; the motive power being steam, compressed air or any elastic fluid
whose force is not exhausted in its first effort, and would be made as follows.
The axle would be either hollow or solid, round, square or of many angles, of
sufficient length and strength for the purpose. Along the whole length of this
axle would be fixed ridges one to each fan, and to which the fans would be firmly
attached. The side plates and outer rim of wheel, inside and between which the
fans would revolve, carrying with them the ridges and axle, would be of highly
polished metal, and form a rigid framework round the moveable parts. Along the
outer rim both above and below, and firmly attached thereto, would be a metal
pipe, with an opening on the underside of pipe fixed above, and the upper side
of pipe, fixed below, and corresponding with a similar opening in the outer rim of
wheel; these pipes could be in sections, the width of the rotary wheels and side
plates. Each wheel with corresponding section of pipe both above and below,
could be fixed separately to the axle. Wheel after wheel could be thus built up,
until the axle with the requisite number of wheels had been completed. The two
pipes mentioned as fixed above and below the outer rim of wheel are not absolutely.
necessary, the arrangements in Figures 7. 8. are equally applicable, and under
certain circumstances, especially with steam, might be preferable.
EXPLANATION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, is a peculiar arrangement of pipes and taps attached to a compressed.
air motor car, and which enables the compressed air to do its work more than once.
Figure 2, is a compressed air rotary motor of twelve wheels-space is the only
limit to the number of rotary wheels which may be used. In this specification
later on; I shall describe the action of Figure 1 on a four wheel motor car, with
thirty rotary wheels to each axle.
Figures 3, 4, are different views, showing more clearly the construction.
Figure 5, shows eight compressed air motors on frame standards.
The standards can be quite distinct and separate from each other, and would be
arranged along the walls of a machine shop, the workmen's benches running the
length of floor in the centre. Or they could be fixed to the walls one above the
other, or in any convenient position, one to each work-bench to any number. Or
they could be placed in any number of machine rooms, merely connecting by a
pipe as at S the last wheel in room 1, to the first wheel in room 2, and so on, and
all work from the compressed air chamber, which might be placed in a shed, in
the cellar, or a mile away, and would be commanded by a clerk in his office in any
part of the building by the arrangements in Figure 1.
Figure 6, is a tap with three open faces and one closed, and could be used in
Figures 1-5.
Figure 7, is a railway locomotive rotary to represent 24 rotary wheels, and is
attached to or surrounds the axle of driving wheel. The high pressure rotary
being placed near the driving wheels and working through a gradually expanding
series of wheels to the centre from R to S. It is the same rotary as mentioned in
Figure 2, but more strongly built, the chief difference being the method of passing
the steam from one rotary to the next.
Figures 8, 9, are two different views of Figure 7, showing more clearly its work-
ing and construction.
Figure 1. There are four compressed air chambers A, B, C, D, which are con-
nected by pipes to four gauges A¹ B¹ C¹ D¹, there are 7 pipes 4 are commanded by
taps 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. The four lower taps 8, 9, 10, 11, confines the air to
the chambers.
The upper four taps 4, 5, 6, 7, guide the air in its movement from one chamber
to the other, or to the open through tap 2. There are two pipes commanded by
taps 1, 3. Tap-1, guides the air to motor at R. Tap 3, guides the air after pass-

page_text: ing motors to any of the chambers as may be desired or into the open through
tap 2.
The seventh or last pipe is commanded by taps 12, 13, and is a most im-
portant pipe; by it the air is conducted from any chamber through tap 12, to the
small chamber L in which a fire or lamp is burning, and through which passes a
special section of pipe kept to the degree of heat required, and forces the heated
air into the motor at R at a greatly increased pressure.
In this pipe between tap 12, and L, at V is a valve fixed, and is opened or closed
by the greatest pressure, either from behind or in front; it regulates and feeds
the heated section with compressed air as desired; there is also a similar valve
between R and tap 1, which is closed by the pressure of heated air through tap 13.
When the seventh pipe is used the air, after passing the motors, is permitted to
pass into the open through tap 2. Never into either of the chambers.
Figure 2. A, is the fan which is fixed through the inner rim H to the ridge E.
B the side plates within which the fans revolve. C the outer rim of wheel to which
the pipes O, N, are fixed by bolts, screws, or any suitable method at W. E the
ridge fitted along the whole length of the axle in one piece, or in sections, as may
be most convenient, a ball or roller bearing fixed in the solid ridge, and runs
freely round under the inner rim of side plate B, G ball or roller bearings which
run freely round the sides of the inner rim of side plates, they are also fixed in
the solid ridge. These bearings not only run freely under and on the sides of the
plates, but they keep the side plates in their proper position against any pressure
from within. H the inner rim of fan wheel, and runs in a small groove cut in the
side plate. O, N, the openings in the pipe fixed above and below, and corresponding
with similar openings in the outer rim, by which the compressed air passes from
one wheel to the next, the movement is shown more clearly in Figures 3 and 4.
The arrangement as shown in Figures 7, 8, are equally applicable, in which case
the pipes above and below would be unnecessary. R is the pipe R in Figure 1,
and passes the compressed air from either of the chambers to the first motor wheel,
S is the pipe S in Figure 1, and passes the air, after it has done its work in motor
into the open if necessary through tap 2.
Figure 5. The rotary wheel is the same as in Figure 2, and as far as the con-
struction agrees lettered the same. U are ball bearings in each standard, in which
the axle revolves. V is a gearing arrangement which connects the motor to the
workman's bench. W, is the compressed air chamber. O is a pipe running along
the top of motors. N, is a pipe running along the bottom of motors.
In the first motor there are two taps at the top. In the remainder there are two
taps at the top and bottom. If the taps numbered from 1 to 15 are opened and
the others closed, the compressed air passes from chamber W at R through the
whole series of motors and escapes into the open at S. If the number of motors
were 200, it would be just the same, with the following tremendous increase of
power. Let us suppose that the extreme limit of pressure necessary to do the work
on any one of the 200 benches be 60 lbs. on the motor.
If I. turn on a pressure
وو
of 65 lbs. on the first motor, that pressure is conveyed through the gearing to
workman's bench No. 1, but that 65 lbs. has not finished its work, it has. simply
taken 1 step forward out of 200. It passes on to motor 2, "followed by a fresh
charge of 65 lbs. from chamber and overcomes the pressure necessary to work
the tools at bench 2, and again passes on to motor 3, and so on from motor to
motor through the whole series, and as long as the chamber is capable of a pressure
of 65 lbs., so long will the 200 motors convey, through the gearing, the power
necessary to work the various tools belonging to each. When the whole series of
motors are filled with a pressure of 65 lbs. the same quantity of compressed air,
and no more will escape at S as entered the first motor at R. After having per:
formed 200 measures of work, or a pressure on the various machine tools of
65 × 200, or in other words, the first 65 lbs. has been converted by this invention
into 13,000 lbs. of work on the various machine tools throughout the shops.
Figure 7, is the motor constructed for a railway locomotive. From R on the right
of drawing to S are 12 motors and on the left are two the first and last of another

page_text: series of 12. From 2 high pressure motors on the right and left, they admit of a
gradual expansion to the centre, and the steam escapes at S.
Or the 2 high
pressure motors may be placed in centre of axle, with a gradual expansion to right
and left driving wheel, the axle of this motor is the axle of the driving wheel.
The steam, at any pressure, would pass from the boiler to the high pressure motors
at R at each side near the driving wheel, and work its way to the centre and escape
at S into a general flue.
.
:
The entire government of this motor is in the working of four taps no other
machinery whatever is necessary except a pawl or similar contrivance for reversing.
These four taps would be on the platform and under the command of the driver.
A tap in connection with the high pressure motor at each side to pass the steam
into the motors, and a tap in connection with each of the flues in the centre to
confine the steam in the motors when necessary, and would be worked as follows.
On the train reaching a certain distance from the station the driver would close
the four taps the taps at R confining the steam to the boilers, the taps at S con-
fining the steam to the motors, converting the various chambers, for the time, into
so many steam boilers. If the driver had miscalculated his distance he would open
the taps at S, immediately the steam in the various chambers would resume its
active condition, rushing from both sides of motor to S and carrying the axle with
it. If the driver over-ran his distance, he would, by using a pawl or similar con-
trivance, reverse the direction of steam at will. The rotary runs in either direction.
Should the stoppage at station be for any considerable time, and the steam in the
chambers have lost its vitality by opening the taps at R and S the train would at
once begin to move forward. This motor's construction is somewhat different.
I will therefore describe the various parts in detail, A the fan, it has the forward
action of a piston and might properly be described as such with a movement
always forward. B the side plates, C the outer rim of wheel, within which and
side plates the motor revolves carrying with it the axle and ridge, it is grooved
into the side plate. D is a bolt which keeps the side plates and outer rim in their
true position against any pressure, however great from within (see a¹, b¹,
Figures 7 and 8). E is the ridge firmly fixed to the axle and in which the ball
or roller bearings are fitted and which strengthens the side plates against any
pressure in the inner part of wheel. F is fixed in ridge and runs round under
the inner rim of side plates. G is also fitted in ridge and runs round on the sides
of the inner parts of side plate. The bolts through plates on the outer rim and
the bearings on the sides of plate on the inner rim would resist any pressure which
could be brought against it from any direction. H is the inner rim of fan and
moves round in a groove in the side plate. N is an opening in the side plate (see
Figure 8) which passes the steam on from one wheel to the nut. It is partly cut
out of the outer rim, and forms a cup at the bottom of which is a small pipe com-
manded by a tap; its object is to drain, when necessary, two wheels of condensed
steam. () is an
opening in the upper part of plate in the next wheel for passing
on the steam. P is the axle, a¹ 6₁ are bolts for binding together the side plates,
there are four or more if necessary to each plate, and they are used alternately
(see Figures 7 and 8). If it should be determined to build the fans and ridges to
the axle in sections, it could be done as in Figures 8, 9. Figures 8, 9 I the inner
rim of fan is here bolted to the ridge. K the ridge being in sections are here
bolted together. L is a plate surrounding the axle, a part of ridge, and for greater
strength if necessary may be bolted to axle as shown at M.
Figures 1, 2. When the motor is used for driving by compressed air a car on
the public roads, the chambers A, B, C, D, will be placed in the seats of carriage,
and the pipes will be brought up from under the seats to a small platform table of
box shape in front of driver, in which the gauges and taps will be fitted, and when
not in use can be securely locked. The condition of the roads, we will suppose,
requires an initial pressure of 2 los., which on two axles of thirty motors each will
mean a pressure for driving of 120 lbs. In the various changes, I shall mention

page_text: only those taps which are open during that operation, the others must be con-
sidered to be closed.
First change. Taps open 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 11.
The air at once rushes from A
through taps 8, 7, 1, through the motors from R to S and taps 3, 4, 11, into 1),
"which we will suppose to be empty, the other three chambers having a pressure
of 100, atmospheres or about 1500 lbs. to the square inch, the four chambers have
a cubic foot measurement. each " that arrangement is continued until gauge D
shows a pressure of "say" 10 lbs. As the pressure in D increased, so also was
the initial pressure from A: The gauge A¹ always showing at least 2 lbs. " the
pressure necessary for driving” more than D¹. Inasmuch as D¹ now shows a
pressure of 10 lbs., there must be at least a pressure of 12 lbs. in the motors.
Second change. Open tap 2 sufficient to admit of an escape of 2 lbs. the axle at
once begins to "if I may use the word" unwind itself of a pressure of 2 lbs. from
every fan throughout the axle, and will continue to do so until the pressure in
motors is reduced to something near 2 lbs. the pressure necessary for driving.
Third change. Open taps 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11. The 10 lbs. which is in D at once
begins to work its way through taps 11, 4, 5, 6, 7, 1 through motors, and into the
open air through tap 2. That arrangement is continued as long as the pressure
in D is sufficient. Those three changes follow each other in order as above
described until chamber A is empty. It can now be seen that the compressed air
which was in A, by the above manipulations has been made to do its work over
twice, or nearly so. If to the above we add the extra work by passing the air in
the third change through tap 12 and the hot chamber L it will have performed
far more than twice the measure of work. In operating with chamber B I have
now two empty chambers which admits of my passing the air through the motors
three times thus, from B through motor to A from A through motors to D from D
through heated chamber and motors to the open at tap 2, and consequently gain-
ing three times the measure of work. The axle can be worked from S to R as
readily as from R to S except when the seventh pipe is used when it must always
be worked from R to S.
"
I have now only one full chamber and three empty. The same manipulations
take place with an additional change, and the last chamber is made to do its work
over four times. In the last change the air as stated above is always made to go
through the heated chamber and out into the open at 2. In a machine shop the
chambers can be placed in any unused corner and of far.greater dimensions and
more numerous. On a carriage the greatest portion of the axle's power is required
to overcome the weight of chambers and the like, but in a workshop as in Figure 5,
the pressure exerted by the motors would not be lessened if the chambers weighed
100 tons. Although for the purpose of illustration I have described four chambers
only, any number of chambers may be used with one pipe and two taps to each.
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:-
1. The construction of an elongated axle with ridges as described in
Figures 2, 7.
2. The method as described of fixing bearings in ridges to run freely under the
inner rim, and on the sides of the side plates.
3. The method of passing compressed air, or other elastic fluids from rotary to
rotary as described in Figures 2, 7.
4. The construction and fixing of fans to the ridges as described in the above
specification.
5. The method of draining when necessary the chambers in which the rotary
revolves as described in Figure 7.
6. The method of fixing the outer rim to the side plates as described above.
7. The arrangement for using compressed air as a motive power in machine
shops and the like as described in Figure 5:

page_text: 8. The method of utilizing and controlling compressed air by pipes and taps
as described in Figure 1.
9. That this axle may be the true axle itself, or it may be an independent axle
and geared to the axle of any vehicle, or to the axle governing any kind of
machinery, either for speed or power.
Dated this 6th day of December 1897.
JAMES HAYDON STONE,
Master, Bedminster Workhouse, Flax Bourton,
near Bristol.