IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND Dng
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Jones and Alexander Cunningham Shirreff,
both of the City of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND
Dng"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Jones and Alexander
Cunningham Shirreff at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 22nd March 1856.
We, JonN JONES and ALEXANDER CUNNINGHAM SHIRREFF, both of the City
of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION AND APPLICATION OF ROTATORY MOTIVE POWER ENGINES AND PUMPS,
to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of rotatory motive
power engines, capable of being worked by steam or other fluid pressure, and
to the application of the same to cranes and other lifting, lowering, and trans-
porting apparatus.
These engines consists in each case of a fixed external steam cylinder or
working chamber, disposed with its axis in a horizontal direction, and having
two end corners with central stuffing boxes, through which the rotating power

page_text: shaft passes to the machinery to be driven. This cylinder is truly bored out,
and has within it a smaller hollow cylinder or rotating drum truly turned
externally, and disposed with its axis eccentrically as regards the axis of the
fixed external cylinder, or so that it shall bear close up against one side of the
fixed cylinder's bore, as the bottom side, for example: The diameter of this
internal cylinder is preferred to be about four-fifths of that of the bore of the
external cylinder, and it has in it or attached to it three radial slidial pistons
or working diaphragms. These pistons all radiate from the centre of the
rotating cylinder, being inserted into radial slots in the cylinder, and packed
both at the sides and outer end with adjustable metallic packing. The hollow
of the internal cylinder, which is preferred to be of a diameter equal to about
two-fifths of the outer cylinder's bore, contains a longitudinally disposed roller
of a diameter equal to about one-fifth of that of the outer cylinder's bore. This
roller forms the bearing surface for the inner ends of the set of pistons, the
three pistons being continually in contact with the roller at their inner ends
and with the outer cylinder's bore at their outer ends.
The sides of the pistons bearing against the end covers of the external
cylinder are packed by-means-of a circular plate set up by spiral springs and
set screws, aided by the admission of steam between the plates. and the end
covers. The steam-admission and exhausit thoroughfares are on opposite sides
of the external cylinder, each being expanded out into a wide port at the
actual opening into the bore of the cylinder; as the steam enters by one of
these passages it acts against the pistons consecutively as they pass round, the
dead or re-acting surface being obtained by the contact of the rotating internal
cylinder with the side of the fixed outer cylinder. As the pistons pass.round
they carry with them the internal cylinder working radially into and out of the
slots in that cylinder, and the used steam is discharged by the port on the
opposite side. The internal cylinder has solid, ends,, forming the, rotating
journals through the stuffing boxes in the fixed cylinder covers, and these solid
ends being prolonged from the motive power or driving shaft. The engine is
reversed simply by reversing the offices of the two thoroughfares, the steam way
being turned into the exhaust, and vice versa. Instead of being themselves the
source of motive power, these engines may be employed as pumps, or forcing
and exhausting apparatus, and it is intended to employ them, amongst other
uses, as air-pumps, boiler feed-pumps, and as fire engines; as motive power
engines they are especially intended to be employed for working foundry and
other cranes. Each crane in this arrangement is to have a separate rotatory
engine attached to or carried upon its framing, the power shaft being connected

page_text: to the crane gearing, instead either of the existing manual gearing or the
reciprocating steam engines frequently employed for the purpose; and although
this particular arrangement of rotatory engine is preferred for the purpose of
working cranes, or lifting, lowering, or transporting apparatus, yet this Inven-
tion comprehends the application of other classes of rotatory engine for this
especial purpose, as the direct action of a rotatory engine shaft is particularly
well suited for working hoisting gearing, whilst the compactness of the engine
renders it most convenient and easy of fixture in its place.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Jones and Alexander Cunningham Shirreff in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 22nd September 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN JONES
and ALEXANDER CUNNINGHAM SHIRREFF, both of the City of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto 'us, the said
John Jones and Alexander Cunningham Shirreff, Her special license that we, the
said John Jones and Alexander Cunningham Shirreff, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Jones and Alexander
Cunningham Shirreff, our executors, administrators, or 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 THE
CONSTRUCTION AND APPLICATION OF ROTATORY POWER ENGINES AND PUMPS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said John 'Jones and Alexander
Cunningham Shirreff, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals,
or under the hand and seal of one of us, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Jones and Alexander Cunning-
ham Shirreff, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what.
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement in writing, reference being had
to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon;
that is to say-
Our said Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of rotatory.
motive power engines capable of being worked by steam or other fluid pressure,
and to the application of the same to cranes, and other lifting, lowering, and
transporting apparatus. These engines consist in each case of a fixed external
steam cylinder or working chamber, disposed with its axis in a horizontal
direction, and having two end covers with central stuffing boxes, through
which the rotating power shaft passes to the machinery to be driven. This
cylinder is truly bored out, and has within it a smaller hollow cylinder or
rotating drum truly turned externally, and disposed with its axis eccentrically
placed as regards the axis of the fixed external cylinder, or so that it shall
bear close up against one side of the fixed cylinder's bore, as the bottom side,
for example. The diameter of this internal cylinder is preferred to be about
four-fifths of that of the bore of the external cylinder, and it has in it or
attached to it three radial sliding pistons or working diaphragms. These
pistons all radiate from the centre of the rotating cylinder, being inserted into
radial slots in the cylinder, and packed both at the sides and outer end with
adjustable metallic packing. The hollow of the internal cylinder, which is
preferred to be of a diameter equal to about two-fifths of the outer cylinder's
bore, contains a longitudinally disposed roller of a diameter equal to about
one-fifth of that of the outer cylinder's bore. This roller forms the bearing
surface for the inner ends of the set of pistons, the three pistons being con-
tinually, in contact with the roller at their inner ends, and with the outer
cylinder's bore at their outer ends. The sides of the pistons bearing against
the end covers of the external cylinder are packed by means of a circular plate
set up by spiral springs and set screws, aided by the admission of steam
between the plates and the end covers. The steam-admission and exhaust
thoroughfares are on opposite sides of the external cylinder, each being
expanded out into a wide port at the actual opening into the bore of the
cylinder. As the steam enters by one of these passages it acts against the
pistons consecutively as they pass round, the dead or re-acting surface being
obtained by the contact of the rotating internal cylinder with the side of the
fixed outer cylinder. As the pistons pass round they carry with them the.

page_text: internal cylinder working radially into and out of the slots in that cylinder, and
the used steam is discharged by the port on the opposite side. The internal
cylinder has solid ends forming the rotating journals passing through the stuffing
boxes in the fixed.cylinder covers, and these solid ends being prolonged from the
motive power or driving shaft. The engine is reversed simply by reversing the
offices of the two thoroughfares, the steam way being turned into the exhaust,:
and vice versa. Instead of being themselves the source of motive power, these.
engines may be employed as pumps, or forcing and exhausting apparatus, and.
it is intended to employ them, amongst other uses, as air-pumps, boiler feed-.
pumps, and as fire engines. As motive power engines, they are especially
intended to be employed for working foundry and other cranes. Each crane
in this arrangement is to have a separate rotatory engine attached to or carried
upon its framing, the power shaft being connected to the crane gearing,
instead either of the existing manual gearing or the reciprocating steam.
engines frequently employed for the purpose. And although this particular
arrangement of rotatory engine is preferred for the purpose of working cranes,.
or lifting, lowering, and transporting apparatus, yet this Invention comprehends.
the application of other classes of rotatory engine for this especial purpose, as
the direct action of a rotatory engine shaft is particularly well suited for.
working hoisting gearing, whilst the compactness of the engine renders it most
convenient and easy of fixture in its place.
And in order that our said Invention may be properly understood, we have
hereunto appended, and shall now proceed to describe, a Sheet of explanatory
Drawings, shewing a mode of working out our said Invention in practice.
Figure 1, on the Sheet of Drawings, is a side elevation, and Figure 2 is an,
end elevation, of a rotatory engine as constructed according to our Invention;.
Figures 3 and 4 are longitudinal and transverse vertical sections through the
centre of the engine; Figure 5 is an end elevation of a winch or lifting and
lowering apparatus, showing a mode in which rotatory engines may be made to
work this class of apparatus. In the rotatory engine represented in Figures 1
to 4, the steam acts in a cylinder or cylindrical chamber A, disposed horizontally,
and cast with flanges by which it is bolted down to a cast-iron base plate B.
The steam enters by a passage C, formed so as to enter the cylindrical chamber
at one side thereof, whilst a similar passage D on the other side serves for the
egress of the steam. These two passages C, D), pass to a face in the valve casing
E, and a valve F serves to alter the direction of the current of steam, so as to
reverse the engine. Inside the cylinder A, and working in contact with the upper
side of the cylinder, is a smaller cylinder G, by preference of about four-fifths of.

page_text: the diameter of the cylinder A. This cylinder forms the revolving piece, and is
in one piece with the shaft H, the two ends of which pass out through stuffing
boxes in the end covers I of the cylinder A, and are supported in external
bearings J. The rotating piece G is hollow to the extent of about half its
diameter, and is formed with three slots parallel to its axis, and directed
radially towards its centres; in these slots are placed three pistons K, which
are fitted with spring pressed plates or loose pieces, so as to work steam-tight
into and out of the slots and against the internal surface of the cylinder A.
A roller L is placed in the central hollow of the rotating piece G, and lies
between the inner ends of the pistons K. The ends or edges of the pistons K,
which bear upon the roller L, and against the side of the cylinder A, are
curved so as to fit accurately between the said roller and the side of the
cylinder, notwithstanding that they may at certain periods lie obliquely to the
radius of the cylinder. The pistons are in transverse section portions of circles
fitting the space between the circle of the roller L and that of the cylinder A,
and must necessarily fit across any of their diameters. The rotating piece G
is, as already stated, in contact with the top of the cylinder A, steam-tight,
contact being maintained along this line by loose pieces M, which are adjusted
by means of wedges N. The piece G is thus eccentric to the cylinder A, and
a space of crescent form in transverse section is left between the two. The
steam acts upon the area of the pistons exposed in this crescent-shaped
space, and as each piston comes round to the narrow part of the crescent the
side of the cylinder forces it into its slot, 'until at M it is wholly withdrawn
within the piece G. This inward movement of each piston as it comes round
constantly maintains the roller L in a position concentric with the cylinder A;
and as the pistons again pass the point M they are forced outwards by the
roller L. The ends or shoulders of the piece G and the ends of the pistons K
are kept steam-tight by means of a plate or lining piece O inside one of the
cylinder end covers I. This plate is pressed against the rotating piece and
pistons by means of springs in the end cover, which springs can be adjusted
by means of screws P tapped through the cover. This adjustable plate may
be applied at both ends of the cylinder, but this is not always necessary, as if
the end furthest from the adjustable plate is slack the pressing in of the plate
will force the piece G over to the other end, and so make it tight..
The Drawings represent the apparatus as constructed to serve as a steam
engine, but, as already mentioned, it may be adapted to act as a pump, or as a
motive power machine, worked by other fluids besides steam, the valve and
other details, if necessary, being of course modified to suit the particular

page_text: purpose to which the. apparatus. may be applied. In Figure 5 is shown the
application of our improved rotatory engine to a winch, which is taken as an
example of lifting and lowering apparatus. Any letters in Figure 5. that are
the same as any letters in Figures 1 to 4 indicate the same parts in all five
Figures; the cylinder A, of which one of the end covers I is seen, is bolted by
flanges to the framing Q of the winch. The steam enters by the pipe R, and
passes off by the pipe S, the engine being in this instance of the high pressure
class, although it may be made as a condensing engine, if desired. The shaft
H of the engine has upon it a pinion in gear with a spur wheel T upon a
shaft U below, and the motion may be communicated from this shaft to the
winch barrel in any convenient manner, the gearing being contrived, if desired,
to give two or more speeds, to suit various loads, as is customary in ordinary
winches. The shaft U may be made to work a small feed-pump V, by means
of an eccentric, the rod W of which is jointed to a lever on a short spindle
passing through the framing Q, and fitted externally with a gab lever X,
capable of being put into gear with a lever Y, jointed to the pump rod.
Our improved rotatory engine may be applied in a similar manner to cranes
and various kinds of lifting and lowering apparatus, and the Invention also
comprehends the application of a rotatory engine of any suitable kind to a
crane, winch, or other raising or lowering machine; in other words, the
Invention comprehends the combination in a single independent machine of a
crane, winch, or other raising or lowering apparatus, and a rotatory engine of
any suitable kind for working such crane, winch, or other raising or lowering
apparatus.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, we may observe, in conclusion, that we do not confine or restrict
ourselves to the precise details or arrangements which we have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of our Invention; but what
we consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First, the application and use of rotatory motive power engines or pumps
wherein a hollow cylinder forming part of or fast upon the main shaft revolves
eccentrically within a cylindrical chamber, and is formed with slots in which
pistons move in and out, such pistons being kept constantly against the sides
of the cylindrical chamber by means of a central roller, the various parts being
shaped and arranged substantially as herein-before described.

page_text: Second, the combination in.a single independent machine of a crane, winch,
or other raising and lowering, apparatus, and a rotatory engine of any suitable
kind, as herein-before described.
.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Cunningham Shirreff, on
behalf of the said John Jones and myself, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Nineteenth day of September, One thousand eight hundred
Land fifty-six.
ALEXANDER C. SHIRREFF. (L.S.)
ALEXANDER C. SHIRREFF. (L.S.)