Rotary Engines.
Year: 1889

page_text: being date of first Foreign Application (in 16th May, 1889
United States of America),
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 14th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 14th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 18th Jan., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Rotary Engines.
I, WILLIAM MORRIS GRISCOM of 1 Cornelius Strasse, Berlin, W., Germany
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:-
My invention consists of certain improvements in that class of engines in which a
cylinder pivoted eccentrically in respect to an annular track is provided with a piston
and piston-rod, the latter carrying at its outer end anti-friction rollers adapted to said
annular track, the object of my invention being to provide such an engine with valve
mechanism of a more acceptable character than bas heretofore been employed in
connection with engines of this class. This object I attain in the manner hereinafter
set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 represents in longitudinal section an engine constructed in accordance
with my invention ; and Fig. 2 is a transverse section on a smaller scale, on the
line 1. 2. Fig. 1.
A represents the fixed frame of the engine, forming part of which is an annular
track or guide, which, in the present instance is duplex-that is to say, it comprises
an inner part B, formed in one piece with the fixed frame, and an outer part B¹ in the
form of a ring bolted or otherwise securely fastened to a flange on the inner part B.
To a bearing a on the fixed frame eccentrically disposed with reference to the axis of
the annular track of guide, is adapted a hollow shaft or trunnion D which is secured
to or forms part of the cylinder F of the engine, the latter having at one side a steam-
chest F of ordinary construction, and the cover of this steam-chest having a trunnion D'
adapted to a bearing a¹ in the fixed frame A¹ which is mounted adjacent to the fixed
frame A. The piston 6 of the cylinder has a rod b. which passes through a stuffing-
box at each end of the cylinder, so that the same area of piston is exposed on each
side to the pressure of steam hence the engine will be balanced and both impulses
imparted to the piston will be alike. One end of the piston-rod is provided with a
head d, carrying the spindle e of a pair of anti-friction rollers f one of which is adapted
to the portion B of the annular track or guide & the other to the corresponding
portion B' of the same. As the annular track or guide is fixed and the cylinder F is
eccentrically pivoted in respect thereto, it follows that the reciprocating movement of
the piston bits rod, & the antifriction rollers carried thereby will cause a rotating
movement of the cylinder F, the piston being at one end of its stroke when the rollers
are traversing that part of the annular track which is at the greatest distance from
the axis of the cylinder & at the opposite end of the stroke when the rollers are
traversing that portion of the track at the least distance from said axis. During
one stroke the rollers bear upon the outer face of the annular track, and during the
other stroke the rollers bear upon the inner face of the track, there being a
very slight play of the rollers between the two faces, so as to prevent them from
bearing upon the faces simultaneously at any point.
Engines of this character as heretofore constructed have generally been provided
with valves in the hollow shafts or trunnions but such valves are objectionable on

page_text: '
account of their comparative inaccessibility and the difficulty of compensating for wear
of the parts and preventing leakage. I therefore in my improved engino use an ordinary
form of slide-valve G in connection with inlet and exhaust ports, such as are used in
stationary engines of the ordinary type, and I operate the slide-valve by a supple-
mentary annular track H H' in all substantial respects similar to the annular track B B',
with which engage the rollers on the piston rod of the engine, the valve rod G¹ having
similar rollers the spindle e' of which is carried by a head d' on the valve rod, the
latter passing through stuffing-boxes at the opposite ends of the valve chest, so that as
the cylinder rotates the valve G will, owing to the eccentric character of the track or
guide H H¹, be caused to move to and fro over the valve seat, so as to provide for the
inlet and exhaust of steam at the opposite ends of the cylinder in the usual manner.
The valve-controlling track or guide H H³, however is not secured in a fixed position
on the fixed frame A¹ of the engine, but is free to turn thereon to the extent of a
half revolution, so as to effect such a movement of the valve G as will reverse the
engine. This movement may be effected by means of a lever applied directly to
the annular track or guide, although in order to avoid the extended movement
of the reversing-lever, which would be required in this case, it is preferable to form
on the hub of the ring H an annular or segmental rack m for engagement with a
sliding rack n connected to the reversing lever, as shown in Fig. 2, for instance
a reciprocating movement of this rack to the proper extont effecting the turning of
the ring E, so as to cause a reversal in position of the valve G.
P
The trunnion D¹ of the cylinder is hollow, so as to provide for the admission of
steam to the valve chest F from a supply pipe J, which passes through a stuffing
box J¹ at the outer end of the trunnion D₁, & is held in position by a clamp bracket
on the fixed portion A¹ of the frame. The trunnion D of the cylinder is likewise
hollow and communicates with the exhaust passage of the cylinder, the outer end of
said trunnion having a stuffing box K1 for the reception of the end of the end of the
exhaust pipe K, which may be held in position by a clamp-bracket secured to the
fixed portion A of the frame, or in any other convenient way.
Although I have described and shown a duplex annular track or guide for the
rollers of the piston rod and valve-rod, and though I prefer to use this construction
in all cases, yet the essential features of my invention, may as will be evident, be
embodied in an engine in which but a single annular track or guide & a single roller
on the piston-rod or valve-rod are employed.
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 combination of the annular track or guide, a cylinder hung eccentrically in
respect thereto & having a piston & piston-rod, with rollers engaging said annular
track or guide, a slide valvo for controlling tho flow of the motive fluid to & from the
cylinder, & a supplementary eccentric track or guide for effecting the operation of
the slide-valve as the cylinder rotates substantially as specified.
2. The combination of the cylinder, its opposite hollow trunnions, valve-chest &
slide-valve, the fixed frame of the engine having bearings for said trunnions, the
eccentric tracks or guides for controlling the outer ends of the piston-rod & valve-
rod, a steam inlet pipo communicating with the steam chest of the engine through one
hollow trunnion, and an exhaust pipe communicating with the exhaust-passage of the
engine through the other hollow trunnion substantially as specified.
3. The combination of the cylinder, its valve-chest and slide-valve, the eccentric
track or guide controlling the piston rod of the cylinder, & an eccentric track or guide
controlling the valve rod, said valve controlling track or guide being movable to
effect the shifting of the valve & the reversal of the engine substantially as
specified
W. H. MUNNS,
Agent for Applicant.
E