Improved Construction of Rotary Engine.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improved Construction of Rotary Engine.
We, FREDERIC O'CONNOR PRINCE, of The Silvertown Ironworks Limited, Silver-
town, London, E.; Civil Engineer, and CHARLES EDWIN MONKHOUSE, of 3, Danes
Inn, London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
"
Within a suitable casing is arranged a drum carried on a cross axle to revolve,
on the periphery of the drum is a cross projection to act as a piston, the periphery
of the latter, bears close against the inside of casing. The drum has side flanges,
the peripheries of which also bear against the inside of casing. Connected to the
casing is a chest to carry a roller arranged to be revolved on central spindle. The
periphery of this roller bears upon the periphery of drum between the side flanges.
A notch is made in roller to allow the piston to pass. The spindle of drum and
roller are so geared together as to revolve at the same speed. The roller is so
set that the notch comes round at the proper time to allow the piston to pass. On
the outside of casing preferably on side of the roller chest is arranged another
chest to carry a rotary valve. To this latter chest is connected the steam supply.
From the valve chest a port communicates with inside of casing near to side of
roller. The latter is to block the steam so that it may act direct upon the face
of piston. The spindle of rotary valve is geared to spindle of roller so
revolve at the same speed..
.
as to
The valve is so set that the steam comes in when the piston has passed the
The exhaust
port. On the opposite side of: roller is the exhaust opening.
takes place when the piston comes round to this opening, at the time the steam
supply is cut off. If it is desired to make the engine capable of being reversed
a second steam valve and a second exhaust would be necessary these would be on
the other sides of the roller chest to the other valve and exhaust.
Improved Construction of Rotary Engine.
We, FREDERIC O'CONNOR PRINCE, of The Silvertown Ironworks, Limited, Silver-
town, London, E., Civil Engineer, and CHARLES EDWIN MONKHOUSE, of 3, Danes
Inn, London, Gentleman, 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:-
The object of this invention is to produce an effectively acting and cheaply

page_text: manufactured rotary engine, wherein not only are the moving parts few in number
but also the parts composing the engine, are of simple and practicable con-
struction or design, and when so made can be easily fitted together.
With this object in view we provide a casing, within which a drum is carried
upon a shaft passing through the casing, and the shaft is supported and is free
to revolve, in bearings in the end covers of the casing. The drum is of smaller
diameter than the interior of the cylindrical casing within which it is located,
and the said drum is provided with a peripheral projection which forms a revolving
piston. An abutment is provided composed of a cylinder, fitted within the walls
of the casing, and partially entering the annular space formed between the drum
and the casing and a portion of the periphery of the cylindrical abutment is
removed so that the rotation imparted to the cylinder allows of the passage of
the piston, and the closing of the annular space at other times. Upon one side
of the abutment cylinder is a steam supply port to the annular space, governed
by a rotary valve, to govern the steam supply, and upon the other side of the
abutment cylinder there is an exhaust port from the annular space.
Such being the characteristic features of our invention we will further describe
same with reference to the accompanying drawings, whereon we have shown an
example of our improved construction.
Fig. 1 is a transverse vertical section. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation.
Referring more particularly to Fig. 1 of the drawings the casing A is formed
with a main cylindrical chamber to contain the revolving drum B, the latter being
formed with end flanges B¹ which fit the interior of the cylindrical chamber,
while the body of the said drum B, is of less diameter than the said chamber, and
there is thus formed the annular space mentioned. The drum B is fixed con-
centrically upon the shaft C, which passes through bearings formed in or fixed to
end covers A (Fig. 2) of the case A.
Fixed to or formed upon one part of the periphery of the drum B, we provide
the projection D, which extends the whole length of the drum between the end
flanges B thereof, and in a direction parallel with the axis of revolution of the
said drum, the projection D forming and being hereafter referred to as the piston,
its office being to divide the annular space before referred to, the outer surface of
the piston closely fitting against the interior periphery of the cylindrical chamber
of the casing.
The abutment cylinder E, is fitted to revolve in a chamber formed in the walls
of the casing A, the cylinder E being mounted upon a spindle E', which passes
through the end walls A', of the casing and a portion of the periphery of the
cylinder is cut away as shewn at E2, so that the piston D may pass the abut-
ment E, while at other times the abutment cylinder E enters and closes the
annular space within which the piston travels. F, is the steam exhaust passage
upon one side of the cylindrical abutment E, and G is the steam supply port
located upon the other side thereof.
The steam supply port G, is controlled by the valve H, carried by a shaft H',
within a cylinder H2, formed in the casing A, and H³, is the steam supply pipe
to the cylinder H2, the valve admitting and cutting off supply steam by its
rotary movement.
It will now be understood that after the piston D, which revolves in the
direction of the arrow Fig. 1 has passed the abutment cylinder E, the rotary
movement given to the latter closes the annular space in the rear of the piston
and the piston D, having passed the supply port G, the valve H admits steam
at the back of the piston and again cuts off the supply before the piston arrives
at the exhaust port F, and the movements are repeated.
In the operation of the engine it is necessary that the spindle E', of the abut-
ment cylinder E, and the shaft H, of the valve H, should receive proper rotary
motion relatively to the main shaft C.
This motion is communicated from the shaft C to the spindle E', by gear
wheels mounted upon the shaft C and the spindle E', exteriorly of the casing A,

page_text: and such gear wheels are indicated at Fig. 1, by dotted lines marked J and J',
and in Fig. 2 in side elevation so proportioned that the drum B, and the cylindrical
abutment E, revolve at the same speed, the spindle E', and the valve shaft H',
being similarly geared together by equal gear wheels K, K¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
An improved rotary engine, composed of a casing having a main cylindrical
chamber, a revolving drum mounted upon a shaft concentrically within the
chamber, but of less diameter than the said chamber but having side flanges of
same diameter and a projection or piston upon the periphery of the drum between,
the flanges to fit the space between the periphery of the drum and the interior
of the chamber, in combination with an abutment cylinder fitted in a chamber in
the walls of the casing, entering and normally closing the annular space, a portion
of the periphery of the cylinder being cut away to allow of the passing of the
piston, a steam exhaust port from the annular space upon one side of the abut-
ment cylinder, a steam supply port to the annular space upon the other side of
the abutment cylinder, a valve to control the supply of steam through the supply
port and means for communicating the required rotary motion from the main shaft
to the abutment cylinder and valve substantially as described and illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th day of July 1900.
FREDERIC PRINCE,
Agent for Applicants.