Improvements in Vibrating and Rotary Fluid Pressure Engines and Pumps.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 4th Jan., 1893—Accepted, 11th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Vibrating and Rotary Fluid Pressure Engines
and Pumps.
I; GEORGE MARIE CAPELL, of Passenham Rectory, in the County of
Northampton, Clerk in Holy Orders, do hereby declare the nature of this
nvention to be as follows
This invention relates to improvements in vibrating and rotary fluid pressure
engines and pumps.
Experience has shewn that the devices heretofore used for the purpose of closing
the ends of the drum from which the pistons or blades radiate, or the axle ends,
steam-tight against the internal fluid-pressure are inefficient. The first part of my
invention has for its object, therefore, the production of efficient means for so closing
the said parts. In carrying it into effect, the end of one or both axles is coned or
tapered, the major diameter thereof being next to the central portion of the drum,
piston or blade, as the case may be. The smaller diameter of the cone is produced
into a parallel portion of the same or smaller diameter.
A closed box or hollow boss is centrally formed upon or fixed to the side or
cover of the engine or pump casing for the purpose of providing a seating for the
bearing proper.
In cross section, this boss is, as to its interior, circular, but
preferably of two diameters, that next the casing being the larger.
The bearing proper is externally of the same contour as the seating, into which it is
accurately fitted. Internally, the bearing is, of course, turned out to receive the
axle end. The smaller end of the bearing is dumb and a set screw is provided
which enters the boss axially for the purpose of providing for the bearings and the
axle ends being set up to each other as may be required.
The second part of my invention relates to improvements in compounding
vibrating engines, and is applicable to those characterised by the combination of a
central drum, radial pistons, arc-shaped working cylinders and radial abutments
serving as duplex cylinder covers. Accordingly, steam (or whatever fluid is made
use of) at high pressure is admitted to one face only of one piston. (I assume for
the sake of this part of the Specification that there are only two pistons.) It
exhausts from the first expansion cylinder through a port (say) in the abutment, the
valve chest, and a second port (say) in the same abutment into the second expansion
cylinder on to the corresponding face of the second expansion piston, and then
through a port in the drum or in the cover into the opposite end of the said first
expansion cylinder (now doing duty as an additional second expansion cylinder),
where it bears upon the opposite or second expansion face of the first mentioned
piston.
I prefer to use a piston valve so constructed that in one position it uncovers the
first expansion port to the steam chest and the second expansion ports to the exhaust,
and in the other, puts all the said ports in the abutments and drum in com-
munication. The cylinder space on the opposite side of the second piston mentioned
above is inoperative as such. It is kept open to the exhaust to avoid compression
I do not confine myself to the above
or back pressure establishing itself in it.
described combination of two pistons and one slide valve. I may use three pistons
with two ports through the drum in which case the first expansion on one side of
only one piston would be followed by a second expansion on the opposite sides of
5 three pistons. A proper provision in the way above mentioned is made for the
prevention of back pressure.
I may use a single slide valve adapted to admit live steam to the first expansion
lindas and distribute it through ports in the cylinder covers, or in the axle ends,

page_text: which ports lead to the exhaust. The latter may be uncontrolled by the slide or
any other valve. In the case of single acting high pressure vibrating engines
taking steam on the opposite sides of two pistons I put the inoperative cylinders in
constant communication with the exhaust, so avoiding all compression or back
pressure or undue cooling. I may use a single valve and port through the central
drum to connect the two working cylinders.
Dated this 4th day of April 1892.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Vibrating and Rotary Fluid Pressure Engines
and Pumps.
I, GEORGE MARIE CAPELL, of Passenham Rectory, in the County of
Northampton, Clerk in Holy Orders, 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 in improvements in
(a) The jackets of the cylinders of vibrating engines and in means for preventing
back pressure:
(b) Distributing the motor fluid (e.g., steam):
(c) Compounding a vibrating engine; and
(d) The bearings of the axle of a vibrating or rotary pump or engine and taking
up the wear thereof, and is fully explained in this Specification and the accom-
panying drawings which are to be taken as part of the latter and read with it.
Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of a single acting single expansion
(simple) two cylinder vibrating fluid pressure engine controlled by a single
D valve.
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of a double acting double expansion
(compound) two cylinder vibrating fluid pressure engine controlled by a treble
piston valve.
Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a sectional side elevation of a double acting double expansion
(compound) three cylinder vibrating fluid pressure engine controlled by a treble
piston valve.
Fig. 6 is a sectional plan along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, 1 is the steam supply; 2, the valve chest; and 3, the
valve. The latter is of the ordinary D type and receives a reciprocating motion.
through the rod 4 by means of any suitable gear.
5 is the central drum of the engine. It is in one piece with the shaft 6 and may
be solid or hollow. 7, 7a are the working pistons; and 8, 8a, their working
cylinders. 9 is the engine casing, and 10 and 11 are the side covers.
above mentioned parts are similar in construction to those described in my former
Patents Nos. 779 1886 and 14524 1887.
All the
12, 12 are the abutments which separate the working cylinders from each other
and provide their covers, as heretofore.
13 is the supply port, and 13 a, the port between the two cylinders. 14, 14 a are
the exhaust ports from the cylinders 8, 8 a, respectively. They meet in one common
exhaust 15.
The action of the engine is as follows. When live steam flows through the
port 13 into the cylinder 8, it flows also through the port 13 a into the cylinder 8 a.
The top piston 7 is then driven over to the right, and the piston 7a to the left.
This is the position illustrated, the directions in which the pistons and slide valve
are moving being indicated by arrows. At the end of the stroke, the slide valve 3

page_text: puts the ports 13 and 14 in communication, whereupon the steam exhausts from the
cylinder 8 a through the port 13 a into the cylinder 8, and from there through the
ports 13 and 14 to the main exhaust 15.
It is to be noted that as the engine under description is a single acting one, each
of its cylinders has one end inoperative in the sense that steam is not admitted
to it, but that both these inoperative ends are always open through the ports 14
and 14 a to the main exhaust, for the purpose of admitting exhaust steam freely
into them so as to keep up the temperature in the cylinders, and also to prevent
back pressure.
"Up to the present time, great difficulty has always been met with in maintaining
a steam-tight joint between the ends of the central drum and the glands of the shaft
stuffing boxes. The present invention provides for the maintenance of such truly
steam tight joint and also for taking up the wear and tear of the bearings,
In carrying this part
of the engine shaft in an exceedingly simple way.
of the invention into effect, a cone 16, 16 a is interposed between the central
The smaller end of each cone is of the same
drum and each arm of the shaft 6.
diameter as that of the adjoining shaft while the larger end is nearly of the same
diameter as the drum. The bearings of both cones are in the respective covers 10, 11,
as shewn in Fig. 2 and are provided in the following way. 17 is a hollow boss
occupying a central position upon the cover 11, and 18 is its lining. 19 is a lining
in the opposite cover 10. Both linings are turned out to a proper working fit for
the respective shaft arm and cone, and are fitted tightly in the respective covers.
As the linings become worn, they are set up towards the drum by screwing up
the gland 20 of the stuffing box on the one side, and the set screw 21 on the other.
Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, 13 is the supply port to the high pressure side of the
piston g; and a and 13 a, the supply ports to the low pressure piston h and the low
pressure side of the piston g. The cylinder 8 is alternately a high and a low
one.
pressure The supply is led and
pressure one, and the cylinder 8 a always a low
extended over the cylinder 8 so as to form a jacket b for it. c is the jacket of the
cylinder 8 a, and always keeps the inoperative end of that cylinder open to the
exhaust for the same reason as has been explained with reference to the inoperative
I do not confine myself to
ends of the cylinders illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.
the use of any particular type of valve but may use any which may be applicable.
The valve illustrated is of the piston type, and consists of three piston d, e, f all
fast on the valve rod 4. The two pistons d and receive pressure at the same
time through the ports 21, 21, both of which are in communication with the steam
supply. It is to be noted that the before mentioned construction provides for the
valves on the rod 4 being balanced.
The action of the engine is as follows. When the piston valve d places the
supply in communication with the port 13, as indicated by the dotted lines in
Fig. 3, live steam flows through. the port 13 into the cylinder 8, and drives the
At the end of the stroke, the valve pistons d, e
piston g over to the right hand.
put the ports 13 and a into communication with each other. The steam then
exhausts from the cylinder 8 through the said ports into the cylinder 8 a and thence
This latter is then
through the port 13 a to the low pressure side of the piston g.
driven over to the left, and to the right. The exhaust from the low pressure
cylinders is through the ports 13 a, a, the valve chest 2 and the annular port i
formed in the sides thereof, to the main exhaust 15. The remaining parts of
the figures bear the same reference letters as the corresponding parts in Figs. 1
and 2.
Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, the construction is on the same lines as that illustrated
in Figs. 3 and 4 and described therewith. There are, however, two low pressure
pistons h. The operation of the engine is as follows. When the piston valve d
uncovers the port 13 to the supply 1, live steam flows to the high pressure
side of the piston g and drives it over to the right. At the end of the stroke,
the ports 13 and a are placed in communication. The steam exhausts from the
cylinder 8 through the said ports into the nearest cylinder 8 a, and thence

page_text: through the ports 13 a into the next cylinder 8 a and to the low pressure side
of the piston g. This latter is then driven over to the left, and the piston h to the
right. The other portions of the engine are counterparts of those in Figs. 3 and 4,
which are, respectively, marked with the same references.
The same
My improvements in the bearings of the axle are shown in all the foregoing
figures. They are fully described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2.
references are repeated in Figs. 3 to 6. This part of my invention is equally
applicable to the axles of rotary engines and pumps.
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 in a single acting vibrating fluid pressure engine, of the
inoperative end of a single acting cylinder, the exhaust, and a port keeping the said
inoperative end always open to the exhaust, as set forth.
2. The means hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying
drawings for both jacketting the low pressure working cylinders with the exhaust
steam and for at the same time preventing back pressure.
3. The combination in a single acting vibrating fluid pressure engine, of high and
low pressure cylinders, their respective supply ports, and a single valve adapted to
control the distribution of the steam, as set forth.
4. The combination in a compound vibrating fluid pressure engine, of one double
acting cylinder and piston alternately high and low pressure, two single acting low
pressure cylinders and pistons, and ports adapted to supply the exhaust from the
high pressure cylinder to the three low pressure cylinders, as set forth.
5. The combination with the shaft of a vibrating engine or with that of a rotary
engine or pump, of cones, conical bearings, and devices for setting the latter up to
the cones as they are worn away, as set forth.
Dated this 4th day of January 1802
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,.
22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, W.C..
Agents for the Applicant.