IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND OTHER POWER ENGINES, AND IN THE APPLICATION THEREOF TO MOTIVE PURPOSES; ALSO IN THE METHOD OF AND MACHINERY FOR ARRESTING OR CHECKING THE PROGRESS OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND OTHER CARRIAGES
Year: 1850

page_text: COOPERS SPECIFIC
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
COOPER, of Rumsey, in the County of Hants, Grocer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eleventh day of January, One thousand eight hundred and
fifty, in the thirteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Cooper, my exors, adñiors,
and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said Alfred Cooper, my exors, adññiors, and assigns, or such others as I,'
the said Alfred Cooper, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make; use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in the Islands of
Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and also in all Her said Majesty's
Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
AND OTHER POWER ENGINES, AND IN THE APPLICATION THEREOF TO MOTIVE PURPOSES;
ALSO IN THE METHOD OF AND MACHINERY FOR ARRESTING OR CHECKING THE PROGRESS
OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND OTHER CARRIAGES;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso that I, the said Alfred Cooper, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to
be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said Alfred
Cooper, hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascertained in and
by the present Specification thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say :-
Firstly, my Invention consists of certain improvements in the class of engines
commonly known by the name of rotary engines.
Figure 1 of the annexed Drawings is a transverse section of so much of a
rotary engine as is necessary to exhibit the first of these improvements.
A is a shaft or axle, on which are placed two cylinders C and C³, concentric to
one another, but with an annular space D between them, the cylinder C' being
stationary, and secured to the basement B, and the other, C³, being free to
revolve along with the axle A, when acted upon in manner herein-after
explained. E', E, E, E, are four steam-tight abutments, which are attached
to the inside of the cylinder C', and divide the annular space D into four com-
partments. These abutments are curved on both their faces, as shewn.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, are hinged leaves, which, when out of action or in a
quiescent state, rest in recesses made for them in the sides of the inner
cylinder C³, and when thrown up are of a shape to fit exactly the annular
space D. To lessen the friction of the leaves in rising and falling recesses are
made in the ends of the fixed cylinder C', in which recesses the leaves travel as
they rise and fall. Of these leaves those which are distinguished by the odd
numbers 1, 3, 5, 7, are employed in producing a forward action of the engine,
and those distinguished by the even numbers 2, 4, 6, and 8, are appropriated
to the reversing of the action. M, M, are induction pipes, one to each com-
partment, by which steam is admitted into the annular space D; and N, N,
eduction pipes by which it is discharged therefrom. G', G³, are small steam
chambers cut out in the end of the cylinder C², two or more to each division,
one for tho forward and the other for the reversing movement of the engine,
which are divided vertically by steam-tight partitions from one another; and
cach steam chamber has a steam pipe, H' or H', leading into it from the out-
side (distinct from the larger induction pipes M, M). To the under side. of
each of the leaves there is attached a piston rod K, working in a small cylinder J.
This cylinder is open at the bottom end, and has an orifice a in the side near
to the top, through which steam may at certain times be admitted above the
piston, and to which orifice it is conveyed by a curved pipe 6 from one or other
of the steam chambers G', G³.
A view of the parts G', G, H, H', J, K, a, and b, on an enlarged scale, is
given in Figure 2, for the sake of exhibiting the same more distinctly. I, L,

page_text: are friction rollers attached to the faces of each abutment in order to lessen
the force of contact between them and the leaves. The operation of the engine
is as follows:-Supposing a forward motion is desired to be given to the
engine in the direction of the arrows, then steam is admitted into the chamber
G', under the leaf No. 1, whence it passes into the small cylinder J, forces up
the piston in that cylinder, and thereby throws up the leaf No. 1 right across
the annular space D, while simultaneously therewith a portion of steam passes
off through the curved pipe 6 into the top of the cylinder of the leaf No. 8, and
serves to keep that leaf down; steam is then admitted through the main
induction pipe M behind the raised leaf No. 1, which drives that leaf forward,
and with it the inner cylinder C² and shaft A, till it reaches past the first dis-
charge pipe N, when the steam escapes through that pipe from behind the leaf
No. 1, and the leaf is brought up against the abutment E³, and thrown back
thereby into the recess which it originally occupied; and so the operation
goes on through the whole series of chambers. When again it is required to
reverse the engine the induction pipes M, M, are made to serve the purpose
of the eduction pipes, and vice versâ; and the leaves Nos. 2, 4, 6, and 8, are
raised successively by means of their respective cylinders and pistons, while
those marked No. 1, 3, 5, and 7, are kept down in the same way as in the
other case.
The gearing by which the different valves are opened and shut as
required is, to avoid confusion, not shewn in the Drawings, but is of the sort
commonly used in steam engines, and can readily be supplied by any compe-
tent workman. The number of compartments into which the annular space is
divided, and also the number of leaves, may be varied at pleasure, and I do not
confine myself to any particular number. Should it be desired to work the
engine expansively, it will be proper, in order that the pressure on the axle
may be equalized, that the compartments which are at the top and bottom
(say compartments 9 and 10) should be made always to encrease or decrease
in power simultaneously, and the others to decrease and increase in the same
ratio.
Figure 3 shows a modification of the engine, in which the means employed
to keep down the leaves not required to be brought into use are different from
those before described. On the steam (for the forward movement) being admitted
into the chamber II', behind the leaf No. 1, and raising the piston in the
J cylinder attached to that leaf, the air above that piston passes by the curved
pipe 6 into the top of J cylinder of the leaf No. 2, and pressing on the piston
of that cylinder keeps the leaf (No. 2) down, and so on throughout the series
of divisions.
Another modification is shewn in Figure 4. Here P is a channel which

page_text: leads from the annular space of each compartment to the J cylinder of the next
adjoining leaf, which cylinder is in this case placed in an oblique position as
shewn. Immediately on the cylinder revolving past the abutment E, steam
flows in through the pipe P, presses up the piston in the J cylinder, and thereby
throws up the leaf No. 1, which acts as before described. But this is an
arrangement which is applicable to such engines only as do not require to be
worked at any time in a reverse direction.
A third modification as regards the mode of raising the leaves is exhibited
in Figure 5. To the under side of each leaf (say No. 1) there is attached a
lever W, the short arm w of which is just under the end of the lever * of the
third order, and for this last lever there is a catch y which projects into the
annular space. As the inner cylinder C² revolves, the catch y, coming against
the abutment E, is pressed down by it, and in going down it works the lever a,
which depressing the short arm w of the lever W, raises its long arm, and with
it the leaf No. 1. But this arrangement, like the last before described, is also
applicable to such engines as do not reverse.
A fourth modification of the means employed for raising and depressing the
leaves is represented in Figure 6. J', J, are two small cylinders, the former
of which is of larger capacity than the latter, and both are fitted with pistons.
To the top of the piston rod of the cylinder J' there is attached a tappet K,
which, on passing under the abutment, is pressed. down by it, and thereby
depresses the piston of J', which in descending drives the air from under it
through the pipe f, under the piston of J, lifting that piston up, and with it
the leaf No. 1.
Second, my Invention consists of certain improvements in the mode or modes
of applying steam or other elemental power to the driving wheels of locomotive
engine carriages (whether used on railways or common roads), and to marine
paddle-wheels. As such machines are now commonly worked, the power is
applied to cranks on the axles or shafts of the wheels, which is attended
with these disadvantages: first, that the power is applied where the le-
verage is comparatively inconsiderable, that is to say, assuming each wheel
to consist of a series of levers of the same length as the diameter of
the wheel, and of which the ground in the one case and the water in the other
is the fulcrum, the power is applied to the middle instead of the long end of
each lever; and second, that there are points in every revolution of cach crank
where the power is either exerted in a direction opposite to the line of motion,
or wasted in efforts to make the wheel revolve merely without rolling or
advancing. Now, in order to obviates these disadvantages, I apply the power
to the upper part of the periphery (or as nearly so as may be) of the wheel, and

page_text: in such manner that the whole power (minus the friction of the machinery) is
continuously exerted at one point to cause the wheels to rotate-that is, both
to revolve and advance.
Figures 7 and 8 of the Drawings annexed exemplify the mode in which I
propose to carry this part of my Invention into effect in the case of railway
locomotives. A, A, are the driving wheels; B, B, two steam cylinders, which
are placed in an inclined position, and connected by their piston rods and
connecting rods to a double crank shaft C, mounted transversely on a line
considerably above the tops of the driving wheels; D, D, are two cog-wheels
affixed to the ends of the crank shaft, which take respectively into pinions E, E,
on the axles of another pair of toothed wheels F, F, which last gear into
circles of cogs G, G, affixed to the faces of the driving wheels, and so impart
to them the desired motion. The steam cylinders are on the oscillating prin-
ciple, in order that the piston rods may work clear of the axles or shafts of
the wheels F, F, and pinions E, E. The bearings of the different shafts or
axles, as also the boiler, valves, slides, and other parts immediately connected
with the engines, are omitted in the Drawings as unnecessary to the under-
standing of the improved system of action adopted. The steam cylinders are
represented as in an inclined position; but I do not confine myself to placing
the same in any particular position, as they might also (with suitable modifica-
tions) be applied to the same purpose in horizontal and other positions.
Instead, also, of employing the particular kind of toothed gearing before
described, other equivalent descriptions of toothed gearing may be used. Again,
instead of using toothed gearing of any sort, the power may be transmitted from
the steam cylinders to the wheels by means of plain rollers and bands acting by
the force, of frictional contact alone. The point of application ought, from the
reasons before given, to be as near as may be to the top of the wheels, but
it may be shifted to any lower point with a proportionate diminution of
advantage.
The mode of adapting the preceding system to marine paddle-wheels
would differ in no material respect from that employed in the case of railway
locomotives.
Thirdly, my Invention consists of the improved railway break represented in
Figure 9. R, R³, R, are three levers connected to one another, which have
their respective fulcra at r³, r³, and 7. The lever R' on being raised presses
down the near end of the lever R2, which, in its turn, raises the near end of
the lever R, and presses the far end down upon a padded cross bar T, which
acts on the top of the wheels.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, I declare that the improvements which I
claim as comprehended in the said Invention are as follows:-
First, I claim the rotary engine and the several modifications thereof herein-
before described, in the peculiar arrangements and combinations of parts. of
which the same respectively consists, that is to say, in so far as regards rising
and falling leaves of the construction represented and described, and the means
by which these leaves are in each case raised or depressed, and the recesses in
which they move in rising and falling.
Second, I claim the application of the motive force employed in land and
marine locomotive engines to the driving or propelling wheels continuously
at any point of the circle or circles described by such wheels, such point being
above the centre, that is to say, the application of the motive force at a
tangent to the circle, and in such manner that the entire force (minus the
friction of the machinery) shall be continuously exerted to produce a progres-
sive rotary motion of the said wheels, as herein-before exemplified and
described.
And, third, I claim the improved railway break represented in Figure 9, and
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Cooper, have hereunto set my
hand and seal; this Eleventh day of July, in the year of our Lord One