Improvements in and relating to Gyratory Engines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 9th June, 1891-Accepted, 11th July, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Gyratory Engines.
I, EDWARD CRAWFORD JOHNSON; a citizen of the United States of America,
residing at Keokuk, in the County of Lee, in the State of Iowa, one of the United
States of America, Mechanical 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 :-
The engine is specially intended as a steam engine, but may be driven by com-
pressed air or gas, and is of that class which by a gyratory or oscillating movement
of the piston produces a rotary movement of the shaft.
Figure 1 is a plan view, partly broken away, of the duplex form of engine.
Figure 2 is a vertical central section of same.
Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, partly broken away, and parts omitted
showing modified gear connections to shaft."
Figures 4 and 5 are details of guide way and rocker.
Figure 6 end view of Figures 1 and 2 with cover removed.
Figure 7 a detail elevation and partial section of shaft, eccentrics, and gears.
Figure 8 is a face view of a cylinder with piston ring in section, and in another
position indicated in dotted lines.
Figure 9 a broken face view.
Figure 10 a side view of a single piston.
Figure 11 is a central section of a compound engine of three cylinders, and
Figure 12 a compound engine of two cylinders (in section) involving the same
general construction as the duplex engine, but with pistons increasing in area, as
the steam expands.
I denotes the base of the engine, 2 indicates a central partition, which serves as
a resistance piece for the pistons. (See Figures 1, 2, 3.) The main parts of the
engine are preferably of cast iron. The piece 2 is in effect a disk, and has a ring
or flange 4 projecting at one side, and a similar flange 4 at the other side. Rings
or flanges 6 and 6x surround these first mentioned rings at a little distance, having
chambers or cylinders 5 and 5* between. These chambers would be annular, but
for the partition 7 (Fig. 8) which divides them in a radial line. Hubs a and a
projecting from opposite sides of disk 2 form, interior annular chanıbers.
A steam inlet port 8 allows the entry of steam (or compressed air) to one side of
the partition 7, and port 9 permits the escape of the steam after passing round the
engine.
Chamber 5 contains a piston 10, which is nearly a complete ring projecting from
disk 11. The break 12 in piston 10 is a little wider than the thickness of the
partition 7, and the partition extends across said break. The piston 10 is as wide
as the rings 4 and 6, so that the edge of the piston 10 lies against the disk 2 when
the disk 11 lies against the edges of rings 4 and 6, and overlaps the same.
The piston ring 10 is of such diameter that its inner concave face lies against
the convex surface of ring 4 while its outer convex face lies against the inner
concave face of ring 6, when the piston is in its annular chamber 5. The piston is
guided so that it is eccentric to the rings 4 and 6 at all times.
Disk 11 has a projection 15 extending from its face opposite the break in ring 10.
This projection enters a recess 16 in the cylinder head or cover 17, and slides
between guides 18 in said recess.
The piston 10%, is a duplicate of piston 10, and the parts at the left of partition 2
are duplicates of those at the right, (for the duplex engine) Figs. 1 and 2. For
a compound engine the parts at one side of said partition may be of greater
capacity than those at the other side and one chamber will exhaust into the other.

page_text: Parts at the left are designated by the same number as those at the right, with a
reference letter added. The disk 11 has a round hole at the centre, concentric with
ring 10. Anti-friction rolls 21 may be placed in this opening, and bear on the
inside of the opening and on the outside of an eccentric collar 22, which collar 22
is secured to sleeve 24 on the main shaft. (If the anti-friction rolls be omitted,
the collar 22 will fill the opening in the disk 11).
Sleeve 24 (Figures 1 and 11) pass through hub a, a, and is bored through for
the passage of shaft 25, which shaft is concentric with rings 4 and 6.
A cover 17 extends over the entire end of the casing, except the central part.
This cover 17 has the guide way 16 for the guide 15. The way 16 contains two
rockers 18, between which the projection 15 may slide, the rockers swinging in
their seats to permit the sliding as well as the swinging movement of the piston.
The operation of the first piston 10 is as follows:-Steam being admitted to the
port 8, at one side of partition 7, passes round in chamber 5, inside and outside the
piston ring 10, swinging said piston across the chamber 5, and moving the cover 11
with said piston ring. The guide 17 slides in its way, and swings therein. Thus
the whole piston swings from side to side in the fashion of a pendulum, said
pendulous movement being from a rising and falling pivot, which pivot coincides
with partition 7. The inner edge of disk 11, bearing on eccentric 22, (or on rolls
which bear on the eccentric) causes the eccentric to revolve, and the sleeve 24 with
it, and the bearing of the piston rings against the walls 4 and 6, serves to cut off
steam at the proper time.
The left hand side of the engine is practically a duplication of the parts
described, but the ring 10 and eccentric 22x project to the greatest extent at the
opposite side of the shaft from the major projections of the corresponding first
parts. Thus the pistons balance each other. The steam from chamber 5 exhausts
by passage 39 (dotted lines Figure 1) to inlet passage 9 of the second cylinder.
The main shaft 25 passes through sleeve 24 and is concentric with rings 4
and 4, &c. of the cylinder. The eccentrics 23 and 23 compensate for the eccentric
relation of the pistons with the cylinder or casing. Sleeves 30, 30x surround shaft 25,
and extend outside the casing, through stuffing boxes 31, 31 and one of these sleeves
carries the driving pulley . The shaft 25 serves merely to keep the parts in line.
The hubs a a¹ are preferably shorter than the rings 4, 4x to leave room for the
extension of disk 11 and anti-friction rolls 21.
A toothed gear 33 is keyed to shaft. 30, inside casing 17. This gear receives its
movement from the internal toothed ring 35, which is secured to the piston disk 11
(see Figure 6).
The gear 35 has an internal diameter equal to the diameter of gear 33 plus the
stroke of the piston. The number of teeth of gear 35 exceeds that of gear 33.
One impulse of the piston presses the teeth of gear 35 against the teeth of
gear 33 and moves gear 33 a short distance. The movement of the gear 33
will be inversely as the difference in the number of the teeth. The gears 33, 35*,
engage at opposite sides, but move in the same direction as gears 33 and 35.
The steam is allowed to enter between the casing 17 and disk 11, to balance said
disk. Any excess of pressure should be on the outside of disk 11, when hub a will
take the thrust.
The ends of sleeves 30, 30 are closed by caps 40, 40*,
of steam through the joint around shaft 25.
which prevent the escape
As the pistons are loose in the cylinders, they must be held in place until steam
is admitted. A ring 41 surrounds sleeve 30, inside the stuffing box. An elastic
packing 42 lies next to the ring 41 and ring 19 lies inside the stuffing box
(Figure 1). Screw cap 31 engages a boss on the cover 17, and when turned up
applies pressure through sleeve or ring 41 and pinion 33, to the piston disk, and
eccentric 22. A similar mechanism is at the opposite side of the cylinder.
Oil apertures 46 leads through the central partitiou 2 to the bearing of shaft.
In Figure 3 the toothed gear is not used. The shaft 25 passes through the
cylinders and pistons. The eccentrics 230 are placed to project on opposite sides

page_text: of the shaft and secured thereto. The sleeves 240 surround said eccentrics and
anti-friction rolls are interposed between the sleeves and the hubs 11 of the pistons.
In such case the gyratory movement of the pistons produces a rotation of the
shaft.
In Figure 7 the eccentrics 22 and gears 23 are secured directly to shaft 25,
instead of the sleeves thereon.
In Figure 6 the guide 15 is shown as secured to a ring 15" which is attached
to the piston disk.
The cap or cover 17 is bolted to a flange, as 36, on the cylinder, and far enough
outside ring 6 to permit the gyratory movement of piston ring 11.
It will be seen from the above description that the gyratory movement of the
piston may be converted into a rotary movement of the shaft by any one of a
number of devices, and that the eccentric on the shaft may be used for this purpose,
or may be used merely to support the pistons in balanced position opposite each
other.
The compound engine shown in part in section in Figure 12 is practically the
engine of Figure 3, with the left hand cylinder and piston made with deeper rings,
(left hand cover omitted in Figures 1 and 2). The transmitting gear is that of
Figure 3, and the eccentrics are attached directly to the shaft. The numerals used
in the description heretofore are applied to corresponding parts, with the addition
of letter C at the right hand cylinder, and V at the left hand.
In Figure 11 the compound engine is made with three cylinders. The con-
struction of the first two cylinders is like that of Figure 12. The left hand cover 17
of the second cylinder is made with rings or flanges 4 and 6 into which the
broken ring 10% of piston disk 11 extends, as in the other cases.
The inner face of the cover has a guide way for the projection 15º of the piston
disk 11%.
The eccentrics 51, 52 and 53 are mounted on shaft 25 in such relation that the
three pistons will receive steam successively, and will practically balance cach
other on the shaft. The inlet and exhaust steam ports are arranged so that the
exhaust from the first piston enters the inlet port of the second, and so on.
series may be extended to a larger number of cylinders and pistons than three, if
found desirable.
The
In Figure 13 the recess 16 in cover 17 is shown, as containing rests 18, in which
the rockers 81 may turn, as the guide 15 reciprocates and rocks between them.
The rests 18 may be set up by wedges as the parts wear. Except for the wear, a
pin might be used as a guide 15, sliding in a straight guide way.
round
In Figures 14 and 15 a single piston engine is shown, the piston engaging a
vertical shaft 25°. The base 1 has a platform 2º, provided with upwardly extended
rings 4, 6, and a connecting partition forming a divided annular chamber 5º.
divided piston ring 10 rests in this chamber, and the disk 11ª overlaps these rings
The
as has been described.
The internal gear 35° is concentric to the piston this being eccentric to the
cylinder. The pinion 33, having a less number of teeth than the internal toothed.
ring, is engaged by said ring in the gyration of the piston, and caused to rotate.
Shaft 25 is attached to said pinion 33°, but not to the piston. Shaft 25° has
a bearing 71 supported by spider 91 attached to the cover.
The cover 17 is cut away at the centre. A ring 72 fits this cut away portion,
one edge of said ring resting on the piston cover 11, and the other being held by
a flanged ring 74, which is attached to the cover 17 by suitable bolts. The space
75 above ring 72 may be filled with suitable packing.
The ring 72 shuts off steam from above the central part of piston disk 11. The
steam should be allowed to pass around or through the outer edge of disk 11°, and
by the steam bearing on the upper side of said disk outside the ring 72, the
piston is balanced.
The piston may be guided as has been described, or a pin 92 above the
reak in the ring in said piston may extend into a socket in pivoted link 93, the

page_text: pivot 94 of said link being in the casing. The slightly curved movement of
pin 92 in an are about pin 94 will not interfere with the required movement of
the piston.
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. The general arrangement of the cylinder with divided annular chamber and
the broken eccentric ring piston, with overhanging disk, arranged eccentrically in
the chamber, and the connections from the disk to transfer the gyratory movement
of the disk into rotary movement of the shaft.
2. Also the general arrangement of the cylinder and piston with the enclosing
casing or cover and the guide attached to the piston and guided in a recess in said
cover.
3. Also the arrangement of the pistons of the compound or duplex engine with
relation to the shaft or support in such manner as to balance each other, and the
gears and anti-friction rolls between the pistons and the shaft or support.
4. Also the cylinder and piston and the inclosing casing having a central opening,
and a ring surrounding the opening and inclosing a surface area of the piston disk,
to balance the pressure thereon to a greater or less extent.
5. Also the special arrangement of the cylinder gyratory piston and internally
geared ring connected thereto, and the differential gear engaging the same and
connected to the driving shaft.
6. Also the general arrangement of the cylinders, pistons, and casing of the
compound engine wherein the casing is made to serve as a cover to one piston and
the base to another, and the steam passages and connections, substantially as
described.
7. Also the general features of novelty embraced in the gyratory piston engine
having the described relation to the cylinder and casing.
Dated this 9th day of June 1891.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.