IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY MOTIVE POWER ENGINES
Year: 1885

page_text: I RICHARD MORLEY of 29 Clevedon Street, Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, Shipwright do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY MOTIVE POWER ENGINES to be as follows :—
My Invention has for its object certain improvements in rotary motive power
engines, in which steam is employed as the power medium.
A rotary engine constructed with my improvements applied thereto, consists as
follows. In a power chamber, I provide a barrel which contains two, or more
pistons. To the ends of the barrel are fixed plates, discs, or end covers which are
made adjustable and which project above the periphery of the barrel. The pistons
are so constructed as to be capable of sliding outwards and inwards to and from
the centre of the barrel. Grooves, or recesses are formed in the barrel and end
covers to provide supports for the pistons. The power chamber consists of two
partial cylinders of different diameters, one of which merges into the other by
inclined surfaces. The barrel is provided with a shaft which is mounted in suitable
bearings and runs horizontally upon the same axis as that upon which the partial
cylinders are drawn. The radius of the barrel is equal to that of the lesser partial
cylinder of the power chamber. Hence the barrel comes close up to and works
close to this part of the power chamber and the space consequently formed between
the barrel and the larger part of the power chamber forms the working space
through which the pistons sweep. The inclined surfaces before mentioned serve
on the one side to form an easy means of pushing in the pistons, whilst at the
opposite side the pistons are forced out by springs and the inclined surface forms a
suitable means of obtaining a gentle action for the extension of the pistons. Steam
is admitted by a piston, Corliss, slide, or other valve worked by an eccentric on
one side of the engine and forces the pistons to the opposite side where an exhaust
passage is provided. The engine may be arranged to be worked according to any
of the known systems employed in steam engines, such as the expansive, single, or
compound system, or it may be a condensing or non condensing engine.
The working joints of the engine are made steam tight in the following way.
The pistons are pressed up against the inner surface of the power chamber by the
springs before mentioned, which are placed at the rear thereof. Pins, or rods may
be provided to further guide the pistons and hold the springs in position. The
sides of the pistons are made steam tight through the end covers being provided
with means for lateral adjustment, and the joint between the edge or periphery
of the end plates, or covers and the power chamber is formed by providing
circumferential-spring-retained packing.
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page_text: Improvements in Rotary Motive Power Engines.
I RICHARD MORLEY of 29 Clevedon Street Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster Shipwright do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY MOTIVE POWER ENGINES and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
My Invention has for its object certain improvements in rotary motive power
engines, in which steam is employed as the power medium.
A rotary engine constructed with my improvements applied thereto consists as
follows. In a power chamber, I provide a barrel which contains two, or more
pistons. To the ends of the barrel are fixed plates, discs, or end covers which are
made adjustable and which project above the periphery of the barrel. The pistons
are so constructed as to be capable of sliding outwards and inwards to and from
the centre of the barrel. Grooves, or recesses are formed in the barrel and end
covers to provide supports for the pistons. The power chamber consists of two
partial cylinders of different diameters, one of which merges into the other by
inclined surfaces. The barrel is provided with a shaft which is mounted in suitable
bearings and runs horizontally upon the same axis as that upon which the partial
cylinders are drawn. The radius of the barrel is equal to that of the lesser partal
cylinder of the power chamber. Hence the barrel comes close up to and works
close to this part of the power chamber and the space consequently formed between
the barrel and the larger part of the power chamber forms the working space
through which the pistons sweep. The inclined surfaces before mentioned serve
on the one side to form an easy means of pushing in the pistons, whilst at the
opposite side the pistons are forced out by springs and the inclined surface forms a
suitable means of obtaining a gentle action for the extension of the pistons. Steam
is admitted by a piston, Corliss, slide, or other valve worked by an eccentric on
one side of the engine and forces the pistons to the opposite side where an exhaust
passage is provided. The engine may be arranged to be worked according to any
of the known systems employed in steam engines, such as the expansive, single, or
compound system, or it may be a condensing or non condensing engine.
The working joints of the engine are made steam tight in the following way.
The pistons are pressed up against the inner surface of the power chamber by the
springs before mentioned, which are placed at the rear thereof. Pins, or rods may
be provided to further guide the pistons and hold the springs in position. The
sides of the pistons are made steam tight through the end covers being provided
with means for lateral adjustment, and the joint between the edge or periphery
of the end plates, or covers and the power chamber is formed by providing
circumferential-spring-retained packing.
The beforegoing being a general description of my Invention, I will now proceed to
set forth the same more clearly by the aid of the Drawings hereto annexed and
which form part of this specification so that the same may be carried out into
practical effect by persons skilled in the art to which it belongs. The same letters

page_text: and figures of reference are used to denote the same, or corresponding parts
throughout the Drawings and correspond with those used in the following
explanation.
DASTREA
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Figure 3 is a front elevation and
Figure 4 is a plan of Figure 3.
In reference to the Drawings A designates the power chamber which is provided
with the barrel B and which contains the two pistons O C. To the ends of the
barrel B are fixed discs D D which are made adjustable therewith by means of set
screws such as d. Slots and grooves b are formed in the barrel B and end discs DD
which serve as supports and guides for the pistons C.-The power chamber A
consists of two partial cylinders a and a¹ of different diameters which merge into
one another by means of inclined surfaces as will be seen. The portion a² is
attached to the body of the chamber A by any suitable means. The barrel B is
provided with the shaft E to which it is keyed, or otherwise suitably attached.
The shaft E is mounted in bearings F formed in connection with the end covers G
which also serve to enclose the whole interior of the engine. These covers G are
provided with internal provisions g which are arranged to butt against similar
provisions upon the discs D which together with the portion a³ keep the barrel in
its correct position laterally.
The radius of the barrel B is equal to that of the lesser partial cylinder a².
Hence the barrel B comes close up to and works close to this part of the power
chamber and the space consequently formed between the barrel and the larger
part of the power chamber A forms the space through which the pistons sweep.
The inclined surfaces before mentioned serve on the one side to form an easy means
of pushing in the pistons C, whilst at the opposite side the pistons C are forced out
by springs e which surround the rods e¹ and so form a suitable means of obtaining
a gentle action for the extension of the piston. Guide pins, or rods e² are also
provided to guide the pistons C.
The working joints of the engine are made steam tight in the following way
The pistons C are pressed up against the inner surface of the power chamber A by
the springs e. The end discs DD of the piston barrel are made steam tight with
the chamber A by means of the circumferential spring packing rings f which are
fitted in the edge, or periphery of the discs D D.
To prevent escape of steam from the interior of the power chamber, I provide
suitable packing, or stuffingh such as that shown, or suitable stuffing boxes may be
applied to the bearings F.
The engine shown in the Drawings is a reversable engine the reversing gear
consisting of the plug cock valves H and I the spindles of which are inter connected
by the levers. The valves H serve as exhaust valves according to the
direction in which the engines are travelling and are so arranged that when one
communicates with the chamber A the other will be closed to it. h¹ are the
passages leading to the valve H. The steam escapes through either one, or the
other of these passages h¹ through a slot in the valve H and away through
the pipe j. It will be seen that the valves H in themselves are of ordinary
construction. Steam is admitted to the engine through the valve I and a secondary
internal cut off valve K and travels thence through either one, or other of the
ports kk, accordingly as the valve I is set, to the chamber A and there acts upon
the pistons C and so rotates the barrel B.
The valve I is provided with two openings as will be seen and which are
arranged to correspond with the ports k k of the valve I and the steam entrance Z.
The cut off valve K. is a reciprocating valve and is worked from the shaft E by
an eccentric and rod L and a lever L which is arranged to give it the required

page_text: travel and to cut off the steam at such a point of the stroke of the engine as may
be desired. The valve K is provided with three ports arranged as shown so as
to cut off the steam whether the valve be set to run the engine in either direction.
Amongst other advantages. the following are some which attend the use of
engines constructed with my improvements applied thereto.
By constructing engines of the rotary type with packing of a peripherical kind
to the ends of the piston barrels, such as herein set forth a smaller extent of
friction is created in comparison with that mostly found in rotary engines and
consequently a more freely running engine is obtained and an easy and accessible
means of adjusting the barrel and discs is provided.
Although I have particularly set forth and illustrated a reversible engine with
my improvements applied thereto it will be readily seen how the same may be
constructed as a non-reversible engine, namely the exhaust valves would be
dispensed with as also would be the reversing valve I and one of the induction
ports and one of the exhaust ports h³.
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:
First. Constructing rotary engines of the type herein described with piston
barrels having a peripherical packing substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
Second. The combination in a rotary engine of a barrel (such as B) and end
discs having packing in their peripheries (such as f) substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
Third. In a rotary engine the combination of a power chamber consisting of two
portions such as a a¹ and a barrel having ends substantially such as described
and operating substantially as set forth.
Forth. Arranging the induction and exhaust passages and valves of a rotary
engine substantially as set forth.
Fifth. The combination of the valves I and H and passages h' and k arranged
and operating substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Sixth. The combination of the valve I and cut off valve K arranged and
operating substantially as set forth.
Seventh. The combination in a rotary engine of the type herein described of a
power chamber such as A and end covers such as G arranged and constructed
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Eighth. The construction and arrangement of the rotary engine as set forth and
shown with reference to the Drawings.
Dated this tanth day of Man 1006