A ROTARY MOTOR APPLICABLE AS A LIQUID METER OR PUMP
Year: 1885

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, JOHN FIELDING of The Atlas Works in the city and county of Gloucester,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for " A ROTARY MOTOR
APPLICABLE AS A LIQUID METER OR PUMP," and in what manner the same is to, be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
-
When two revolving shafts whose axes are inclined to one another at a con-
siderable angle such as 150°, are connected together by a universal joint consisting"
of a gimbal ring, jointed at two opposite points to two arms projecting from the
one shaft, and at two points 90° from the former to two arms projecting from the'
other shaft, each of those points of the gimbal ring, besides' revolving around:
the point of intersection of the two axes, has a librating movement relatively to
an imaginary central plane bisecting the angle at the intersection of the axes, and
therefore moves from the one side of such a plane, across it, and to the other side
during the one half of each revolution and back during the other half revolution.
If then a boss, in the form of a piston projected from the ring at one of the joints-
in the direction opposite to the arm, which there connects the ring to the one shaft,
and if this piston entered a cylindrical cavity carried on the other shaft, the librating
movement above referred to would cause a to and fro reciprocation of the piston' in
the cylinder. As this movement is not in a straight line, but in the arc of a circle
struck from the point where the axes of the shafts intersect, the cylinder has to be
made as if its axis were bent to this curvature, so that it is really a portion of a'
hent tube, the piston having a corresponding form. Now, if by means of a suitable
slide or valve, fluid under pressure were admitted to the cylinder during the one half
of each revolution of the shafts and were emitted during the other half revolution,
the pressure of this fluid would cause the shafts to revolve; and, conversely, if the
shafts where caused to revolve by extraneous power, fluid would be drawn into the
cylinder during half of each revolution and would be expelled during the other
half revolution.
t
My invention relates to the construction of apparatus, which, acting in the
manner set forth above, may be employed as a Motor when it is supplied with fluid.
under pressure, or as a meter of liquid passed through it, or as a pump when it is
driven by extraneous power. In order to make the apparatus effective during both*
halves of each revolution I arrange two such cylinders and pistons as I have
referred to, diametrically opposite to one another on one side of the ring, so that:
:

page_text: while the one cylinder is discharging, the other is receiving fluid; and, in order to
provide against the dead centre at each change of direction of movement, I preferably
duplicate the arrangement by providing another pair of the cylinders and pistons
at the extremities of a diameter at right angles to that which joins the former
pair, and on the other side of the ring.
For governing the admission and emission of fluid, I provide passages in revolving
bosses, carried on the shafts, presenting facings against which bear stationary slides
so that as ports in these facings pass, in their revolution, corresponding ports in the
slides, the fluid flows to and from each of the several cylinders alternately in the
succession of their rotation.
The accompanying drawings represent the construction and arrangement of a
rotary motor of the kind described, which may be worked by steam or other fluid
under pressure. Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section and fig 2 is a plan, figs. 3 and 4
are respectively side and front views of the gimbal ring; fig. 5 is a front view of
the stationary slide and the facing on which it bears, and fig. 6 is a section through
the slide and the passages to and from it. A and B are the two shafts mounted in
long bearings at an angle to one another and having bosses a b fixed on them.
The shaft B serves as a pivot, and does not communicate motion to other
machinery. C is the gimbal ring which is jointed by pins e to two arms projecting
from the boss a and to two arms projecting from the boss b. The centres of the
joints c are in one plane, but the ring C, as shewn in fig. 3, has recesses on each
side to allow play for the moving parts, and, for convenience of construction, is
made in four pieces bolted together. From the ring C on each side of it project
the two pistons D each of which enters a cavity E which, as explained above, has
the form of a portion of a bent tube, but which, for the sake of brevity, I will
hereinafter term a cylinder, as it plays the part of the cylinder of an ordinary
engine. These cylinders are formed, two of them in the body of the boss a and
two in the body of b.
:
Each cylinder has a passage e opening as a port in the facing against which bears
the slide F which is prevented from revolving by a key f. Within the body of
the slide there is an annular chamber divided into two compartments, the one
opening by a port G and the other by the longer port H to the facing. The slides F
form bearings in which the shafts A and B revolve, and these slides are held within
bosses of the fixed framing which are connected together by two semi-annular
passages K and L, the passage K opening into the G compartment of each slide
and the passage L into the H compartment. The passage K receives at k, supply
of steam or other working fluid and the passage L has an outlet for discharge.
As the two shafts revolve along with their cylinders E and with the gimbal ring C
and its pistons D, the port e of each cylinder as it passes the port G of the stationary
slide admits fluid to the cylinder, and as it passes the port H of the slide, it allows
fluid to issue from the cylinder. The slide F being in each case fixed in such a
position that its ports G and H communicate with e during those parts of a
revolution which correspond respectively with the outward and inward movements
of the pistons D relatively to their cylinders E, the supply of steam or fluid under
pressure causes the shafts to revolve, or, if the shafts be caused to revolve by
extraneous power, fluid is drawn in at k and expelled at . When steam or other
elastic fluid is employed to work the motor, I make the inlet ports G as shewn in
figs. 5 and 6 considerably shorter than the outlet ports H so that a comparatively
small charge of elastic fluid may be admitted to each cylinder in which it can act
by expansion. When water or other liquid under pressure is employed, or when
the apparatus is used as a meter or pump for liquid, the inlet ports Ġ are necessarily
extended so as to be open to e during the whole outstroke in each case.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what
I claim is
The construction of rotary motor, applicable as a liquid meter or pump, wherein

page_text: and the gimbal ring of the joint carries pistons working in cavities on the shafts
having the form of bent tubes, these cavities having passages for admission and
emission of fluid governed by stationary slides, substantially as herein described.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant,
28, Southampton Buildings,
London, W.C.