AN IMPROVED TURBINE
Year: 1885

page_text: I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
TURBINE," a communication to me from abroad by Adolph Joseph Schlaadt
Engineer, Henry Schlaadt, Engineer and George Sudden Barton, Engineer, all of
Dunedin, New Zealand, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to rotary motors designed to be propelled by water or
other fluid. The invention consists in a wheel having spiral threads or grooves in
the periphery inclined in reverse directions at opposite sides of a plane intersecting
the axis of the wheel transversely; said wheel being arranged to rotate within a
closely fitting cylinder, and the operating fluid being conducted to and around the
wheel by an eccentric scroll or convolute passage formed in said cylinder and
having free escape at the ends from the spiral grooves of the wheel, the whole
constituting a freely running motor, the wheel of which will run in equilibrio or
nearly so. And the invention further consists in certain constructions and com-
bination of the parts of said motor substantially as hereinafter described. A motor
constructed in accordance with this invention will run at a high rate of speed, is
cheap, simple of construction and durable and will develop a large amount of
power for a limited supply of water or operating fluid.
The body of the case may be made of cast iron and mainly of cylindrical form
and has secured to it or otherwise, heads forming bearings, at either end of said
body for the wheel shaft. Said caso body is bored out cylindrically for the wheel
to fit in it and is also constructed with an intermediate or central inlet nozzle at
its top, that may be made with a flange for connection with a stop valve and supply
pipe, and is furthermore constructed with a convolute passage, which is eccentric
to the wheel cylinder, so as to gradually diminish in area.
It forms an extension of the inlet within the wheel cylinder and encompasses
the wheel periphery or nearly so, intermediately of its length. The ends of the
cylindrical portion are left open and communicate with side or end passages,
enclosed within the heads of the case, and in free communication below with an
outlet, the exterior of which below the base of the case may be made cylindrical to
admit of the turning of the case.
The wheel is of cylindrical form, rotates casily but closely within the cylindrical
portion of the case, and is constructed to present reverse spiral grooves or threads

page_text: in or on its periphery, on opposite sides of a central plane, intersecting the wheel
transversely. This reverse spirally grooved wheel, it is preferred to construct of
two hollow cylindrical wheel sections or separate wheels, fitted back to back and
one of which has the spiral groove running to the right and the other its spiral
grooves running to the left.
The spindle or shaft of the motor extends through both bearings in the heads of
the case and may be provided with collars fitting close to the bearings and also
with a collar at the middle, between which and a nut on the shaft, the wheel or
wheel sections are secured, the two sections formning when combined, a single right
and left hand spirally grooved wheel.
Upon letting on the water at the inlet, it will pass by the tapering convolute to
the passage around the wheel and pressing laterally in opposite directions on the
walls of the reverse spiral grooves, will communicate a rapid rotary motion to said
wheel, and its shaft causing the wheel to run in equilibrio or nearly so and free
from all one sided thrust or pressure, the spent water escaping from the wheel
through the open ends of the cylindrical portion of the case, and out by the end
passages to the escape or waste aperture. The heads of the case require no pucking
to make a close joint, inasmuch as they are not exposed to any excessivo pressure.
A pulley may be fitted on either end of the shaft for communicating power from
the motor, and the whole motor be turned on its base into any desired position,
according to the direction it is required to transmit the power.
Instead of the wheel being of cylindrical contour, it may be of tapering con-
struction to provide for wear and tear.
Any sufficient and desired head or pressure of the water may be used to drive
the wheel and the reverse spiral grooves or threads in or on its periphery may be
of any desired pitch size and shape in their transverse section.
A. M. CLARK
By A. M. & Wm Clark,
53, Chancery Lane.

page_text: threads, and grooves around its periphery, inclined in reverse directions at opposite
sides of a plane intersecting the axis of the wheel transversely; said wheel being
arranged to rotate within a closely fitting cylinder; and the operating fluid being
conducted to, and around the wheel by an eccentric scroll, or convolute passage
formed in said cylinder, and having free escape at the ends from the spiral grooves
of the wheel, the whole constituting a freely running motor, the wheel of which
will run in equilibrio, or nearly so. And the Invention further consists in certain
constructions, and combination of the parts of said motor, substantially as herein-
after described. A motor, constructed in accordance with this Invention, will run
at a high rate of speed, is cheap, simple of construction, and durable, and will
develop a large amount of power for a limited supply of water, or operating fluid.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all
the figures.
Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section of the motor case, with its
reversely spiral or screw wheel, shown by full lines, in its place.
Figure 2 is a central vertical transverse section of the same, and Figure 3 is a
central longitudinal section of the wheel as fitted on its shaft, which is shown in
full lines.
A. indicates the body of the case, which may be made of cast-iron, and mainly
of cylindrical form, and has heads A¹ A' bolted or otherwise secured to it, and
forming bearings 88 for the wheel shaft. Said case body A which is bored out
cylindrically at 6 for the wheel to fit in it, and is also constructed with an inter-
mediate, or central inlet c that may be made with a flange for connection with a
stop valve, and supply pipe and is furthermore constructed with a tapering
convolute passage d leading from the inlet c around the cylindrical portion b of
the case and encompasses the periphery of the wheel, or nearly so, at the middle of
its length. This passage is open on its inner side to the periphery of the wheel,
and its outer wall is struck eccentrically to the wheel axis, so that the passage
tapers, or gradually diminishes in area from the inlet c until it runs out at the
inner face of the cylindrical part b. The case A is of greater length than
the wheel B, and the cylinder b, in which it rotates, so as to form side or end
passages, e e enclosed by the heads A¹ of the case, and the ends of the cylindrical
case portion b, are left open, aud communicate therewith, said passsge e being in
free communication below with an outlet f, the exterior of which, below the base
of the case, may be made cylindrical to admit of the turning of the case.
B, B, is the wheel of cylindrical form fitted to rotate easily, but closely within
the cylindrical portion of the case, and constructed to present reverse spiral
grooves or threads h, in, or on its periphery at opposite sides of a central plane
intersecting the wheel transversely. This reverse spirally grooved wheel, which
may be made of brass or any other suitable metal, or material, it is preferred to
construct of two hollow cylindrical wheel sections, or separate wheels, fitted back
to back, and one of which has right handed, and the other left banded spiral
grooves.
C, is the spindle, or shaft of the motor, that may be made of steel, and of sufficient
length to extend through both bearings 88 in the heads A¹ of the case. Said
spindle is, or may be provided with collars,i i arranged to fit close to, or cover the
inner ends of the bearings 88, also with a collar k, between which, and a nut l,
the hub, or hubs of the wheel, or wheel sections B, are secured; the two sections
fitting together back to back, and forming, when combined, a single right and
left-hand spirally grooved wheel.
Water admitted at the inlet c, will pass by the tapering convolute passage d,
around the wheel B, B, and, pressing laterally in opposite directions on the walls
of the reverse spiral grooves, will communicate a rapid rotary motion to said
wheel, and its shaft, causing the wheel to run in equilibrio, or nearly so, and free
from all one sided thrust, or pressure, the speut water escaping from the wheel
through the open ends of the cylindrical portion b, and out by the passages e e, to

page_text: the escape, or waste aperture f. The heads A' A', of the case, require no packing
to make a close joint, inasmuch as they are not exposed to any excessive pressure.
A pulley may be fitted on either end of the shaft C, beyond the heads A¹ A', for
cominunicating power from the motor, and the whole motor may be turned on its
base into any desired position, according to the direction it is required to transmit
the power.
Instead of the wheel B, B, being of cylindrical contour, it may be of tapering
-construction, to provide for wear and tear, the part 6 of the case being correspondingly
tapered.
Any sufficient and desired head, or pressure of the water may be used to drive
the wheel, and the reverse spiral grooves, or threads, in or on its periphery, may bo
of any desired pitch, size, and shape, in their transverse section.
Having now particularly described, and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a water, or other fluid, rotary motor, the combination of a wheel, provided
with spiral threads, or grooves, on, or in its periphery, inclined in reverse directions,
at opposite sides of a plane, intersecting the axis of the wheel transversely, a case,
adapted to encompass the peripheral portion of the wheel, and a convolute passage,
or duct, for conducting the fluid to, and around the grooved portion of the wheel,
substantially as specified.
2. The combination of the wheel, B, B, having reverse spiral grooves h h, in its
periphery, the shaft C, and the case A, constructed with a chamber, or portion b
having open ends, for the wheel B, to rotate within an inlet c, a convolute passage d
around the intermediate portion of the wheel, and an outlet f, essentially as shown
and described.
3. The reverse spirally grooved wheel of the motor, constructed of two separate
wheels, or wheel-sections, fitted back to back, and secured on the same spindle, or
shaft, substantially as specified.
4. The combination of the shaft C, having collars ii, k, and screw-nut l, the
heads A A', of the case constructed to form bearings 8 8, for the shaft, and
the reverse spirally grooved wheels, or wheel sections B B, essentially as shown,
and described.