IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES TO BE WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER FLUID
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Walker, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY
ENGINES TO BE WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER FLUID."
Sealed the 8th May 1855, and dated the 8th March 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Walker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th
March 1855.
I, THOMAS WALKER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ROTARY ENGINES, TO BE WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER FLUID" to be as follows:-
I form the main axis carrying the piston of a conical in place of a cylin-
drical form at the bearings, and I form the bearings with collars or linings of a
conical figure internally, to correspond with the conical parts of the shaft, by
which arrangement, when by the wear on those parts in the working of the
engine they would become loose, they may be kept fitting closely by simply
sliding the collars or linings along the shaft or axis in the bearings. I also
form those collars or linings capable of turning in the bearings or supports,
and of being held as turned, in order that when one part of them has a
tendency to wear more than another, by occasionally turning them partly round
a fresh surface may be presented, and the wear thereby equalized.
I also in some cases apply the bearings or supports of the piston shaft to
the cylinder ends or lids, by which I am enabled to bore those bearings more
correctly in relation to the cylinder. I also form the sliding abutments for
the steam or other fluid with a recessed side, to serve as a passage for the
steam or other fluid to the piston in the cylinder. I also keep the abutment
pressed up to the cylinder by the action of the steam or other fluid in its

page_text: passage to the piston, a portion of that steam or other fluid being admitted
for that purpose past or through the abutment into the chamber formed in
the cylinder for it to slide in. When the engine is intended to have a
reversing action, I form the abutment recessed on both sides. A tongue
is applied to act as a packing to the edge of the abutment next the piston,
capable of movement upon a centre, by which it is capable of more correctly
following the piston.
.
In some cases I form the packing to the edge of the abutment with a
rounded edge, fitting into a corresponding concavity in the edge of the abut-
ment, by which that packing will vary. its position somewhat to the position of
the piston. A pallet or pallets are applied to act against the sliding abut-
ment, and prevent the steam passing from the abutment chamber to the
escape side of the piston. I also apply a solid ring in a recess in each end
of the piston, forced outwards by the elastic force of vulcanized or prepared
india-rubber as a packing to those parts.
I also form the casing of the engine with a jacket, which in part serves to
conduct the steam or other fluid to the cylinder, and in part to conduct the
steam or other fluid away therefrom, by which.. the heat is retained in the
cylinder. The escape steam is caused to pass through a chamber, the lower
part of which is formed into a well, to receive the water of condensation, as
well as the oil or other lubricating matter. The water thus formed passes
away by a syphon or tap, and the oil or other matters may be drawn off
by a cock or tap.
32
In some cases I divide the piston chamber longitudinally into two compart-
ments, with a piston in each affixed to a common axis or shaft, but with the
pistons so placed on the shaft or axis as to balance each other, whereby. I am
enabled to dispense with the use of a counterbalance weight.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Walker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th September. 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
WALKER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Thomas Walker, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Walker,

page_text: my executors, administrators; and assigns, or such otherstas I, the said Thomas
Walker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY ENGINES,
TO BE WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER FLUID," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Thomas Walker, by an instrument in writing under my
band and seal, 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 Thomas Walker, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say) :-
I form the main axis, carrying the piston of a conical in place of a cylin-
drical form at the bearings, and I form the bearings with collars or linings of a
conical figure internally, to correspond with the conical parts of the shaft, by
which arrangement when by the wear on those parts in the working of the
engine they would become loose, they may be kept fitting closely by simply
sliding the collars or linings along the shaft or axis in the bearings. I also
form those collars or linings capable of turning in the bearings or supports,
and of being held as turned, in order that when one part of them has a
tendency to wear more than another, by occasionally turning them partly round
a fresh surface may be presented, and the wear thereby equalized.
I also in some cases apply the bearings or supports of the piston shaft to
the cylinder ends or lids, by which I am enabled to bore those bearings more
correctly in relation to the cylinder. I also form the sliding abutments for
the steam or other fluid with a recessed side, to serve as a passage for the
steam or other fluid to the piston in the cylinder. I also keep the abutment
pressed up to the cylinder by the action of the steam or other fluid in its
passage to the piston, a portion of that steam or other fluid being admitted
for that purpose past or through the abutment into the chamber formed in
the cylinder for it to slide in. When the engine is intended to have a reversing
action, I form the abutment recessed on both sides. A tongue is applied to
act as a packing to the edge of the abutment next the piston, capable of move-
ment upon a centre, by which it is capable of more correctly following the
piston.

page_text: In some cases I form the packing to the edge of the abutment with a
rounded edge, fitting into a corresponding concavity in the edge of the
abutment, by which that packing will vary its position somewhat to the position
of the piston. A pallet or pallets are applied to act against the sliding
abutment, and prevent the steam passing from the abutment chamber to
the escape side of the piston. I also apply a solid ring in a recess in each
end of the piston, forced outwards by the elastic force of vulcanized or pre-
pared india-rubber as a packing to those parts.
I also form the casing of the engine with a jacket, which in part serves to
conduct the steam or other fluid to the cylinder, and in part to conduct
the steam or other fluid away therefrom, by which the heat is retained in the
cylinder. The escape steam is caused to pass through a chamber, the lower
part of which is formed into a well, to receive the water of condensation, as
well as the oil or other lubricating matter. The water thus formed passes
away by a syphon or tap, and the oil or other matters may be drawn off
by a cock or tap.
In some cases I divide the piston chamber longitudinally into two compart-
ments, with a piston in each affixed to a common axis or shaft, but with the
pistons so placed on the shaft or axis as to balance each other, whereby I am
enabled to dispense with the use of a counterbalance weight.
But that the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of carrying the
same into effect, may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe the Draw-
ing annoyed
an engine constructed according to my improvements; Figures 3 and 4 show
some of the parts separately. a, a, is the bottom or bed plate. b, b, are
standards or supports for the main shaft or axis apart from the support which
it receives from the bearings carried by the cylinder ends, and c is the main
shaft or axis, which, according to one part of my improvements, is formed
conically at the bearing parts c', c¹, where it receives main support, from the
bearings c², formed on the cylinder ends, whilst it also receives support, if
necessary, from the standards b. d, d, are collars or linings to the bearings,
& which are formed internally of a conical figure corresponding to those parts
of the shaft or axis, by which great nicety of adjustment may be obtained
in the wearing of the parts. These collars or linings are pressed closely on
to the conical parts of the shaft by the screw caps c³, c³, which are held from
turning when screwed up by the set screws c', or such holding may be effected

page_text: by other suitable means.
When in use the collars or bearings get worn more
at one part than at the general surface, I turn them partly round so as to
present a fresh surface to the wear, thereby to preserve the correct central
working of the piston in the cylinder. e is the piston affixed to the shaft or
axis d, so as to rotate within the case or cylinder f. g is the sliding abutment
against which the steam acts in driving round the piston e. This abutment,
it will be seen, is capable of sliding within a recess fl in the case f, and it is
pressed up to the piston by the force of the steam or other fluid employed to
drive the engine, there being channels formed in the abutment for the passage
of the steam or other fluid from the cylinder to the outer edge or back of the
abutment, or the steam or other fluid may be caused to pass to the outer edge
or back of the abutment by a separate pipe or channel h. The surface of the
abutment next that by which the steam or other fluid employed as the motive
power is admitted to the cylinder is recessed in part as shown at g¹, to serve
as a passage for steam or other fluid to act on the piston in the cylinder. j is
a pallet acted upon by a spring to keep the edge of the abutment tight, and
prevent admission to the cylinder at the time the piston is passing the dead
centre, or the packing in the cylindrical surface of the piston is passing the
abutment. When the engine is to be capable of a reversing action, I form
these recesses with pallets to act therewith on each side surface of the abut-
ment. is a piece of metal at the edge of and forming part of the abutment
next the piston, with a tongue formed thereon fitting into a groove in the
abutment, and turning upon pin or other centre of motion g', by which
the piece of metal g² is capable of following any want of parallelism in the
opposite surfaces of the piston, without causing a binding between the ends of
the abutment and the ends of the cylinder. i, i, are solid rings in the ends
of the piston, borne outwards by india-rubber or other springs, for the purpose
of keeping those parts tight. These rings are formed so as to fit closely on
their outer cylindrical surface against corresponding surfaces in the recesses
of the piston; f is the passage for the steam or other fluid to the cylinder f,
and f³ is the passage for the steam or other fluid from the cylinder f to the
escape; and these passages, when steam is used as the moving power, serve
as a jacket to keep the cylinder hot. k is a vessel forming a well to receive
the water of condensation (when steam is used as the motive power), as well
as the oil or other lubricating matter from the engine. The water thus formed
passes away by a syphon k', and the oil or other matters may be drawn off
when desired by a cock or tap. Figure 5 shows two separate views of an
abutment formed according to another part of my improvements, with the
packing rounded on its inner edge so as to fit into a corresponding concavity

page_text: in the edge of the abutment, by which it may more readily follow the surface
of the piston.
When employing two compartments for two separate pistons in each engine,
I divide the length of the cylinder into two parts, each of which will then
form a separate compartment, such as that I have described; but the piston
of each compartment will be fixed to a common axis, and I prefer to place the
piston in each compartment so as to balance each other; and thereby render
unnecessary any counterbalance weight, as when only one pišton is used, and
thereby equalize the power in its rotary motion.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, I would have it
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein shown
and described; but what I do claim is, the mode of arranging, combining,
and working parts forming a rotary engine, to be worked by steam or other
Aluid, as herein explained."
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Walker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
WILLIAM BROOKES,
73, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agent.
THOS. WALKER. (L.S.)