Improvements in Motive Power Engines, Pumps, Meters, and the like.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 3rd Mar., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Motive Power Engines, Pumps, Meters, and
the like.
1; THOMAS HARDING residing at No. 7 Ford Avenue, Cottage Grove, in the
City of San Jose, in the County of Santa Clara, in the State of California,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
By the word engine as used in this Specification I intend a mechanical con- i
trivance, employing the word in its broad sense. My improvement therefore is not }
to be confined to those devices which are termed specifically rotary engines, in".
which a rotary motion of the piston is produced by the direct pressure of steam.
I wish it to be .understood that my improvements, hereinafter set forth, may be
availed of in the construction and use of not only rotary engines specifically but
also of water motors, in which the rotary motion of the piston is produced by,
hydraulic pressure; of pumps in which the rotary movement of the piston produces
a flow of water; and of water meters in which the flow of water produces an ;
indicating or measuring movement of the piston.
1.It is the object of my invention to much simplify this species of mechanical
contrivance, and to make it accurate and economical in use.
According to my invention the piston or rotary part is provided with two or,
more. radially movable slides which are acted upon by the inner face of the part
which constitutes the cylinder and which are connected together in such manner
that they alternately control each other in their movements.
With such objects in view my invention consists in the parts and combinations.
thereof hereinafter particularly set forth and claimed.
In order to make my invention more clearly understood I have shown in the.
accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practical effect, without i
however limiting the improvement, in its useful applications, to the particular
construction which, for the sake of illustration, I have delineated.
In said drawings:-
--
Fig. 1 is a front or face view, partly in section, of a rotary engine embodying.
my improvements, one of the sides of the casing or cylinder being removed to give
a full view of the interior and of the piston therein.
Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line II-II of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a side or edge view of the piston removed from the cylinder. ;
Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 illustrate by side and edge views the links for connecting the
sliding piston plates.
Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate by an edge and a face view one of the said plates.
Referring to the drawings 1 indicates a casing or part which is stationary and
serves the purpose of the cylinder of the engine. It is preferably provided with:
one or more base portions, flanges, or feet 2 by which it may be attached to a
foundation or other stationary support. It is provided with a peripheral flange 3,
through which enter into the interior of the cylinder the steam or water admission
ports 4, 4, and the exhaust ports 5, 5. A live steam pipe 6, and an exhaust steam
pipe 7 are connected with these ports in any suitable manner, a convenient
arrangement for which I have shown in Fig. 1.
I
T

page_text: The casing 1 is provided on one side of its head, or on both sides if neither of its
heads is formed integral with the casing, with bolt holes 8 into which enter bolts 9
by which the head, or heads, 10 is or are secured in place. In the construction
shown the casing is made with both of its heads 10 separable. On each side of the
casing is formed a rabbet or recess 11 bounded by a shoulder, which recess is of a
diameter nearly as large as the interior dimension of the casing, which is concentric
with the center of rotation of the piston hereinafter described, and which is of a
greater diameter and surrounds the interior working opening of the casing or
cylinder.
The boundary or working surface of the cylinder is indicated at 12. In its
general shape it is oblong, being formed of two circular or substantially circular
portions which are so situated relative to each other as that their boundaries
intersect at the points 13, Fig. 1. The positions of the centers of the two cylinder
portions are indicated at c, c in Fig. 1, and the center of rotation at r. I find the
proportion between the distance apart of the points c and r to the distance between
the points c and the working face of the cylinder, as shown in said Fig. 1 to be suitable
for practical purposes. The desired result in determining said proportion is that
two or more sliding piston plates when mutually controlled as hereinafter described
shall follow without much variation the contour of the interior or working face of
the cylinder.
The main body of the rotary part or piston is indicated at 12ª. Its particular
shape is not of importance. I prefer to make it round and concentric with the
center of rotation r. For the sake of lightness, and in order to save metal, the
piston is preferably made hollow, or partly hollow, bounded by a flange 13ª which
is of a width equal to the depth of the cavity of the cylinder 1. At two or more
points in its periphery, preferably at four points as illustrated, the flange 13" is
provided with or formed with guide ways 14 in which fit radially sliding piston
plates 15 of a width equal to that of the flange 13 and to the depth of the cavity
of the cylinder.
These piston plates 15 are connected with each other so as mutually to control
each other by means of links 16* arranged so as to form a parallelogram as seen in
Fig. 1. The links (Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7) run obliquely from one plate to the neighbouring
plate which is at an angle to the first plate, and are connected with said plates by
means of pins 16, formed preferably on two of the links and engaging sleeves 18
formed on the other two links, and said sleeves fit in bearings 17 in the piston
plates.
As
The foregoing being the construction and arrangement of the parts it will be
seen that as the live steam enters the port or ports 4 it will act upon the piston
plate or plates 15 in advance of the said opening or openings and cause a rotation
of said plates together with the piston 12, around the center of rotation r.
this takes place the plates 15 which are opposite to or which are approaching the
points 13 will be forced inward by the contour or wall 12 of the cylinder and caused
to so act upon the links which are pivoted to them as to force the other plate or
plates 15, which are at or near the major axis of the oblong cylinder cavity,
outward into contact with or nearly into contact with the walls of the ends 'of
said cavity.
In as much as the contours of the two portions of the cavity may not be of
exactly the correct shape or have exactly the proper relation to each other, I prefer
to provide the plates 15 with spring-actuated plunger plates 19 which are provided
with cavities 20 in which fit spiral springs 21. These springs rest upon the bottom
of recesses 22 in the plates 15 and tend to constantly press said plunger plates
outward into steam tight contact with the walls of the cylinder. As the piston
revolves there will be a slight inward and outward play of these plunger plates, in
which movement they will be guided by the walls of the said recesses.
At the points 13 on the minor axis of the oblong cavity of the cylinder I prefer
to fit into the walls of the latter in suitably formed recesses, bronze or other suitable

page_text: metal pieces 26 which are adapted to be adjusted outwards by suitable packings so
that a steam tight joint will always be maintained on the minor axis of the cylinder
where there will be considerable wear.
25 indicates bolts which pass through the head plate 10 of the piston and are
adapted to engage with screw-threaded holes 24 in the body of the latter or in the
opposite head plate. The head plates 10 fit closely against the sides of the piston
plates 15 and rotate in the recesses 11 already described, which are formed in the
sides or ends of the cylinder casing. 27 is a shaft concentric with the center of
rotation upon which shaft are mounted the rotary piston and the two piston
heads 10. The heads 10° are preferably provided with central bosses or bearings 28
for the shaft.
When the device is used as a rotary engine specifically, power may be derived
from a suitable wheel or pulley mounted upon the central shaft. When the device
is employed as a pump rotary movement may be imparted to the piston by means of
a belt or other power device connected with the said pulley and running from any.
suitable prime motor or engine.
The enclosing side or end plates of the casing are provided with suitable stuffing
boxes 31 through which the ends of the central shaft pass out by steam tight joints.
It will be observed that the live steam ports are so situated that steam is admitted
simultaneously at both sides of the piston head, in both portions of the cylinder
cavity, so as to effect a complete balance of pressure upon the piston. These ports
may be readily so arranged that there will be no dead center upon which the piston
can stop.
In engines of large diameter it will be preferable or necessary to fit the interior
walls of the cylinder cavity with pieces 30 substantially in the shape of lunes,
which will modify the contour of the cylinder cavity from that of a true circle, or
portion of a circle, and enable the radially movable plates 15 to travel more closely
to the interior walls or surfaces with which they form a steam tight joint, thus
requiring less movement of the plunger plates in the piston plates.
32 are bosses on the backs of the outer of the links 16, adapted to bear on the
inner face of the plate 10, whereby all four links are kept in place.
While the live steam and exhaust pipes 6 and 7 may be connected permanently
with the ports 4 and 5 respectively, and the engine run always in the same direction,
unless live steam be turned into the pipe 7 and pipe 6 used as an exhaust, I prefer
the arrangement shown in the drawings which enables the functions of the ports 4
and 5 to be intercharged and the direction of rotation to be readily reversed. To
this end the steam ports are provided with a steam chest 33, one at each side of the
engine, into which the live steam pipe 6. delivers, and in said chests are fitted slide
valves 34 adapted to place, at the will of the engineer, either the ports 4 or the
ports 5 in communication with the chests so as to receive steam. These valves are
mounted on rods 35 which pass through stuffing boxes in the heads of the chests 33
and are pivotally connected with links 36. The latter are joined to opposite. arms
of a lever 37 by the oscillation of which the valves 34 will be oppositely reciprocated
to wholly or partly shut off steam, or to admit steam at both sides of the engine
either to the back or to the front faces of the piston plates, giving either a forward
or backward rotation to the engine as may be desired.
The casing 1 is formed with exhaust cavities 38 with which the, pipe 7 com-
municates and which are caused to receive exhaust steam from either the ports 4 or
the ports 5 according to the positions of the slide valves.
When the machine is used as a high speed motor the supply of steam to the
pipe 6 is governed in a very simple and effective manner..
39 is a slide valve in a bearing 40 running transversely of the pipe 6 at a point
above where it branches to the two steam chests. This valve has a port 41 which
may be caused to more or less fully register with the pipe opening by moving the
valve 39. Such movement is automatically effected by links 42 connected with a
rotary collar 43 on the exterior of the bearing 40, which collar bears against a
sliding collar or sleeve 44 connected through a slot in the bearing 40, by a bolt 45,

page_text: with the valve. A spring 46 tends to force the valve 39 to its full port position,
and the tension of the spring, on which in a measure will depend the speed of
the engine, may be regulated by a screw 47 mounted in the end of the bearing 40
and adapted to be screwed in against the outer end of the spring. The links 42
connect with weights 48 adapted to slide radially to the axis of the bearing 40 in
suitable guide-ways in a combined governor-casing and belt-pulley 49. The said
bearing 40 being parallel with the shaft 27 the pulley 49 is belted directly to a
2 driving pulley 50 on said shaft. When the speed of the engine is too great the
weights 48 will be forced further outwards overcoming the tension of the spring 46
and causing the links 42 to draw on the valve 39 and diminish the steam passage
through the latter, thus forming a very simple high speed governor especially
adapted for a rotary engine.
The bearings 51 for the shaft 27 are formed with screw-threaded shanks 52
which may be screwed up or down, to bring the bearings to the desired height, in
female screw-threaded stands 54 bolted at 55 to a base plate 56, to which latter are
secured the flanges 2 of the engine casing. When adjusted the shanks 52 are
clamped by jam nuts 57.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In a rotary engine, comprising a motor, pump or meter, the combination with
the cylinder or casing, of a rotary piston head mounted therein and provided with
two or more radially movable piston plates, and links extending obliquely from one
plate to the next and directly connecting with each other the two contiguous plates-
which are situated at an angle to each other, whereby their movements are mutually
controlled, substantially as set forth.
2. In a rotary engine the combination of a cylinder or casing having a cavity
formed of two portions each of which is substantially circular and which portions
intersect each other as set forth, a rotary piston head therein, radially movable
piston plates mounted in said head, and a pivoted or hinged connection between
said plates whereby they mutually control each other in their movement by their
contact with the interior walls of said cavity, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with a casing having an oblong cavity, of a rotary head
therein provided with radially movable slides, and a link or links connecting said
slides, and provided with pins 16 and sleeves 18, substantially as set forth.
4. In a rotary engine the combination of a casing having an oblong cavity, a
rotary head therein provided with four oppositely situated radially movable plates,
and four links arranged in the form of a parallelogram connecting said plates for
mutually controlling their movements, substantially as set forth.
5. In a rotary engine the combination of a cylinder or casing having an oblong
cavity as described, a rotary piston head mounted therein, radially movable piston
plates mounted in said head, spring-actuated plungers carried by the latter, and
oblique links connecting directly with each other the neighbouring plates which
are at an angle to each other for mutually controlling their movements, substantially
as set forth.
6. In a rotary engine the hereindescribed casing having a cavity consisting of
two substantially circular portions intersecting each other as described, the walls of
said cavity being lined at the four quarters contiguous to the points of intersection
by the lunes 30, substantially as set forth.
7. The combination with the engine casing having the ports 4 and 5, and the
rotary piston provided with the piston plates connected by links, of the slide valves
connected with each other and adapted to co-operate with said ports and with the
exhaust passages for reversing the engine.
8. The combination with the engine, of the slide valve 39, the sliding weights 48
having means.for operating said valve, the pulley casing 49 in which said weights
are adapted to slide, and the pulley 50, as set forth,

page_text: 9. The combination with the engine shaft having the piston mounted thereon,
and the engine casing, of the shaft bearings 51 having the screw shanks 52, and
the screw-threaded stands 54, as described.
Dated this 29th day of January 1804
T. HARDING,
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, Agent.