IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DISC ENGINE
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Noel Clayton Smith, of Churton Street, Pimlico, in
the County of Middlesex, Clerk, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE DISC ENGINE."
Scaled the 4th August 1857, and dated the 13th February 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Noel Clayton 'Smith at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th February 1857.
I, NOEL CLAYTON SMITH, of Churton Street, Pimlico, in the County of
Middlesex, Clerk, do hereby déclare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DISC ENGINE," to be as follows:-
. The disc engine, as is well understood, consists of a disc which performs a
peculiar motion on a ball or sphere which forms its centre, the disc being.
enclosed within a suitable cylinder or chamber, the conical, ends of which are,
annular; the openings in the centre of these ends support the ball and disc_in
position, and are suitably packed to render the junctions steam-tight; these
points of contact are subject to great wear, and are difficult to keep steam-
tight; to remedy which is the object of my Invention. ;
As regards the disc and cylinder, I construct those parts much in the
ordinary, way, but with reference to the central-support of the disc, I construct
it with a centre consisting of a hollow spherical form, which is supported
on a stationary sphere or ball fitted inside the hollow spherical centre of the

page_text: disc, this central ball therefore becomes the central bearing surface of the disc;
suitable packings are placed between the ends of the steam chamber or
cylinder and the exterior of the hollow spherical centre of the disc, but which
are not subject to any pressure of support, or other than is necessary to render
it steam-tight. The central supporting ball is supported on an axis or armis
projecting at right angles to the plane of the steam chamber; these arms are
supported by bridge pieces stretched across the centre of the annular opening
in the cylinder ends to which they are fixed; these bridges (one on either
side) therefore form the central support for the disc & its hollow spherical
centre. The hollow centre of the disc has a large opening directly through
at right angles to the disc, forming an opening on either side for the passage
of the supporting arms of the fixed spherical centre. The arm of the disc
which communicates with the crank arm of the shaft receiving the motion is
connected with the hollow centre of the disc, and in order to afford room for
the bridges, these disc arms are forked at their junction with its centre. The
hollow centre is made in parts, to permit the introduction of the central
supporting ball. In order to compensate for the wear between the hollow
spherical centre and the stationary ball, I form the latter in two or more parts,
supported and connected by an internal right and left or other arrangement
of screws, having an axis concentric with and passing through the axis or
supporting arms of the central ball, by which axis the screws may be readily
actuated, so as to expand the supporting sphere or ball when required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Noel Clayton Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th August, 1857.
•
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, NOEL
CLAYTON SMITH, of Churton Street, - Pimlico,, in the County of Middlesex;
Clerk, send greeting.
4
..25
WHEREAS -Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters..
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord,30
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her,
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,.
the said Noel Clayton Smith, Her special licence that I; the said Noél
Clayton Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such. others.as..
I, the said Noel Clayton Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns,, 35
should at any time agree with; and no others, from time to time and at all,

page_text: times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, .uise,: exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DISC ENGINE," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Noel Clayton Smith, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly' describe and, ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in. the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Noel Clayton Smith, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed; to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and
to the letters and figures respectively marked thereon (that is to say) :-
The disc engine, as is well understood, consists of a disc or flat circular
plate which performs a peculiar motion on a ball or, sphere which forms its
centre, the disc being enclosed within a suitable cylinder. or chamber, having
annular ends of a conical form. The openings in the centre of these ends
support the ball and disc position, and are suitably packed to render the
junctions steam-tight. These points of contact being the fulcrum on which
the disc is sustained and moves, are subject to great friction and wear, and
difficult to keep steam-tight, the object of my Invention is to remove the
friction from such points, and to supply other bearing surfaces suitable for
the purpose.
As regards the disc and cylinder, I construct those parts much..in "the
ordinary way, but with reference to the central support of the disc, I furnish
it with a centre consisting of a hollow spherical form, which is supported on
a stationary sphere or ball fitted inside the hollow spherical centre of the disc.
this central ball therefore becomes the central bearing surface of the disc;
suitable packings are placed between the ends of the steam chamber or
cylinder and the exterior of the hollow spherical centre of the disc, but,which
are not subject to any pressure of support, or other than is necessary to render
it steam-tight. The central supporting ball. is sustained on an axis or.arms
projecting at right angles to the plane of the steam chamber; these arms are
supported by bridge pieces stretched. across the central openings in the
cylinder ends to which they are fixed; these bridges (one on either side)
therefore form the central support for the disc and its hollow spherical centre.
The hollow centre of the disc. has a large opening on either side, forming a

page_text: passage directly through at right angles to the disc, to permit the passage of
the supporting arms of the fixed spherical centre. The arm of the disc which
communicates with the arm or 'crank of the shaft receiving the motion is con-
nected with the hollow centre of the disc, and in order to afford room for the
bridges, this disc arm is forked at the junction with the hollow centre; the
hollow centre is made in parts, to permit the introduction of the central
supporting ball. In order to compensate for the wear between the hollow
spherical centre and the stationary ball, I form the latter in two or more parts;
supported and connected by an internal right and left or other arangement of
screws, having an axis concentric with and passing through the axis or
supporting arms of the central ball, by which axis the screws may be readily
actuated, so as to expand the supporting sphere or ball when required.
:
By this means the disc and its hollow centre are supported on a universal
fulcrum, having all the freedom of motion to oscillate in any direction as in
ordinary, at the same time without 'subjecting the parts required to be
steam-tight to any friction other than is necessary to prevent the escape of
steam. I also further modify the central support, whereby I am enabled to
remove friction of support from the: parts required to be steam-tight, by
mounting the disc on a universal joint other than a ball, being, in fact, a kind
of gimbal, which permits all 'the necessary motion of oscillation of the disc. I
at the same time retain the spherical hollow centre of the disc on which it
moves steam-tight, and within which the gimbal or universal joint or support
is placed.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
.
Figure 1 represents a transverse vertical section of the steam chamber of a
disc engine constructed according to my Invention; Figure 2, an end view of
the same; and Figure 3, a side view of the disc; while Figures 4 and 5
represent parts detached. a, a, is the circumference, and b, b, the ends of the
steam chamber; c, the main shaft, and d; the crank arin, receiving the, motion
from the disc arm e, all the same as in the ordinary disc engine; ff, is; the
disc, having a spherically formed centre g, g, as usual, fitted in the central
openings of b, and suitably packed, as seen at 61, 61, to keep it steam-tight.
I form this spherical centre hollow, and fit within it a ball or sphere formed in
two parts h, h, on which the hollow sphere of the disc has the same, freedom
of motion as in ordinary, but is held rigidly in a concentric position by such
ball h, h: The ball h, h¹, is fitted on a shaft i, having near the middle of its
length a right-hand screw and a left-hand.screw, on which corresponding
screws or threads formed in the ball h, h', fit. The shaft i, i, is fitted into

page_text: and carried at each end by bridge pieces k, k, fixed to b, b, which sustain the
shaft i and central ball firmly in position. The shaft i is fitted into bearings
in the bridges k, k, in which it is free to rotate. 1, 1, are openings in the sides
of the sphere, which permit the passage of shaft i, and afford freedom for the
motion produced by the disc around it. It is not absolutely essential that tho
ball h should be in two parts and mounted on screws, as represented, as such
fitting has nothing whatever to do with the action of the engine, but is so
constructed to compensate for the wear on the spheres h and g by expanding
or separating the two parts and h. For this purpose an extension is formed
at m, on the parts h and h', which fit on the round part of i. The parts m, m,
are formed hexagonal, on which wrenches are placed and held to prevent thie
parts and turning, while the shaft i at the same time is caused to partially
rotate by means of another wrench applied thereto at n. This motion being
given to the shaft in the proper direction, causes the parts h and h¹ to
separate by reason of the right and left screws ¹ and ", and so makes up for
any wear that may take place between g, g, and h, h. These screws should
be fitted tightly together to prevent any tendency to révolve otherwise than
for the purpose described.
"
Figures 4 and 5 represent the parts h and 'h' separately, Figure 4 being an
end view, and Figure 5 a section, as seen in Figure 1.
a
The disc arm e, through which the power is transmitted, may be formed of
piece with part of the sphere g, or suitably fixed thereto; this arm é is forked
near the junction with g, as seen, to embrace the bridge k, and permit the
necessary motion. In Figure 1, I have represented a double arm e with the
bow o usually adopted in disc engines hitherto, but which I have dispensed
with in the other Figures representing modifications of my Invention, as
I consider such additional parts unnecessary when the disc is supported
according to my Invention, but to one of which, however, such additional parts
are equally applicable. The sphere g, g, should be in two parts, united some-
what near the plane of the disc, one of which parts may be of a piece with the
disc, or both parts of it may be made separate and united to the disc.
Figure 6 represents a transverse vertical section of the steam chamber and
disc constructed and mounted according to my Invention, in which the central
support of the disc consists of a universal joint or gimbal; Figure 7 is a
5 similar section of the engine, but taken horizontally and at right angles 'to
Figure 6, and showing the separating diaphragm y, while Figure 8 represents a
plan of the disc, showing also the gimbal. All the parts a, b, c, d, e, f; and g;
are the same as before described, as also the bridges of support k, k. In this
case the shaft i may be fixed in its bearings in k, k.. The shaft, the cross

page_text: section of which is seen in Figure 8, supports the joint pin p of a short cross
lever 7, 9, also seen in Figure 8, partly in section, which lever oscillates freely
on p. The lever or arm q, q, is furnished with pivots 2, 7, at either end,
received into sockets or bearings on the interior of the sphere g, and on which
the sphere and disc is free to oscillate in the opposite direction to that of the
motion on p, and thus a universal motion is established, while at the same
time sustaining the disc f and sphere 9 firmly in its concentrix position. The
one half of the sphere g is furnished with an internal flange, by which the
other half g', connected with the arm e, is united by bolting to a similar
internal flange formed, thereon; it also affords facility for receiving the
pivots r, r, in their bearings.. Thus the disc f and sphere g. g; have freedom
of motion in every direction on the centre of the engine, and are thus
sustained firmly in position during their action without subjecting the packing
and parts b, b, to excessive friction or wear other than is necessary to render
them steam-tight.
Figure 9 represents a vertical section of a disc engine constructed according
to my Invention, and Figure 10 a similar section. taken at right angles to
Figure 9. Figure 11 is a side view of the disc. This engine is a modification
of the arrangement last herein-before described, with the gimbal or universal
support somewhat differently arranged, and having the support of the bridge k
formed on one side only. In this arrangement it will be observed that the
end of the steam chamber has merely a small opening in the centre;. fitted
to a small central balls; this central balls is composed of three parts t, t,.
and . The parts t, t, constitute the fixed part which sustains the centre of
motion of the disc f, while u is the boss of a short lever which oscillates on
pin p, and having the pivots r, r, at each end, all as before described with
reference to Figures 6 and 7. The parts t, t, are bolted at the one end to sho
bridge, and fixed to each other at the opposite end, while they are also firmly
held in position by the central opening in 6", closely fitted' thereto and made
steam-tight at that point. The boss or centre of the lever u completes the
small spheres, between the contact of which with part 6" a packing should be
introduced, to permit the necessary freedom of motion on its pin p, and be at
the same time steam-tight. The pivots r, r, on the ends are fitted in bearings
or sockets w, w, (see Figure 10 and 11,) as before, and secured therein by
caps, or it may be by the bolting of the hemisphere g to the disc f. In 3
Figure 9 and 10, the hemisphere g is formed in one piece with the arm e;
unlike the foregoing hemisphere it has no opening towards the armi, it may,
however, be of advantage to form an opening therein for the convenience of
fixing the parts together, and also för lubricating the bearings. The. boss of

page_text: lever u has an extension in the form of a quadrant piece v, which is situated in
the plane of the separating diaphragm y; this piece v passes to and fro
through a slot in 6", by reason of the motion of the disce f; in Figure 10 this
piece is represented as projected out through b", but when the disc is at the
opposite point of its oscillation, it is withdrawn with the steam chamber, and
forms a continuation of the separating diaphragm y towards and up to the
small centre ball s.
It will be readily understood that the disc oscillates in the one direction on
the pivots r, r, and in the opposite direction or at right angles thereto on the
pin p, by reason of the lever t, u, moving thereon, and thus has a universal
freedom of motion, as required for the motion of the disc engine. The other
parts of these Figures will not require further description. Figures 12 and 13
are parts t, t, u and r represented detached.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I desire it to be understood that what I claim as my
Invention to be secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is, constructing and mounting the disc and sphere or central part of
disc in disc engines with and on a bearing of support other than the exterior
of such sphere or centre, in order to lessen the friction on the surface of such
sphere or disc centre, all as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, Noel Clayton Smith, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
W. CLARK, Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane, London.
NOEL C. SMITH. (L.S.)