AN IMPROVED SPHERICAL ROTARY ENGINE
Year: 1885

page_text: We, JOHN CORRY, of Rosenheim, Croydon, in the County of Surrey, Shipowner,
and JOHN FRANCIS SLEAT, of 12 Albert Street, St Georges Road, Peckham, in the
County of Surrey, Mechanician, do hereby declare the nature of our said invention
for "AN IMPROVED SPHERICAL ROTARY ENGINE," to be as follows :-
Our invention relates to that class of motor known as rotary engines, in which
continuous rotative movement is produced by the direct pressure of steam or any
other gas or fluid without the intervention of a crank, and it is designed to effect
these objects in a simple and efficacious manner.
Our device consists of a containing "cylinder" divided by an oblique joint into
two parts, and of which the interior is hollowed out in the form of a sphere,
constituting a "cylinder" with a continuous shaft issuing at either side through an
ordinary steam tight gland. The form of this shaft within the spherical "cylinder,"
is modified into two cones, united by a disc, corresponding in diameter to that of
the sphere, and whose plane is in the axis of the shaft and which is hereinafter
called the shaft-disc.
This shaft-disc passes through another disc transversely to itself, and which is in
a plane transversely oblique to the axis of the shaft and recessed into the joint
before referred to, by which the spherical cylinder is divided into two parts.
The aforesaid conical terminations of the shafts within the spherical cylinder,
are so set out, that they form rolling contact with the two faces of the aforesaid
oblique disc, but they are not necessarily steam tight.
The shaft disc passes, at its point of intersection with the oblique disc, through
a cylindrical packing piece, which allows of the relative movement of the discs one
to another.
The aforesaid oblique disc is caused to revolve with the shaft in a suitable recess,
made on the face of the oblique joint of the spherical cylinder before mentioned.
Upon each side of the oblique disc, apertures or ports in the walls of the spherical
cylinder are provided for the admission of steam, and similarly an exhaust port is
provided on each side of the said oblique disc, for the exit of the steam or other
gas or fluid, when the working stroke has been accomplished. These inlets and
outlets are placed respectively a little distance on either side of the joint, where
the coned termination of the shaft is in rolling contact with the surface of the
oblique disc, and which thereby forms an abuttment against which the driving
force reacts.

page_text: When the steam thus admitted through the inlet ports, operates upon the shaft-
disc to rotate the shaft in the spherical cylinder, the said shaft-disc presents for a
time a larger surface to the action of the steam, by virtue of its movement
relatively to the obliquely revolving disc, and after a considerable portion of the
revolution has been accomplished, the said shaft disc uncovers the exit port, and
thus allows the steam, that has produced the rotary motion, to escape.
The rotary action is thus constantly produced by the continuous action of the
steam upon the faces of the shaft-disc, until it is allowed to escape by the exit
port. The steam and exit ports are carried up to a valve face, which is con-
veniently circular, and upon which is fitted a circular valve, provided with a
pocket and steam apertures, the live steam being admitted into this valve chamber
above the valve, and finally the exhaust exit being taken from the centre of the
valve seat under the valve.
The action of this valve is that of a reversing and stop valve, the circular shaft-
disc itself performing the action of a valve, to permit the proper admission and
escape of the steam to produce rotary motion. By the movement of the circular
reversing valve upon the port faces, as hereinbefore described, the engine can be
immediately reversed, and at an intermediate position between backward and
forward rotation, the said valve acts as a stop valve, all ports being closed by it.
If the engine is designed to run one way, this reversing valve may be dispensed
with, and steam admitted direct into the ports.
Suitable packing strips are employed upon the circumferences of the revolving
surfaces, on the joints of the revolving oblique disc, and in other suitable positions,
to render the engine steam tight in its action.
Suitable ports for the admission of live steam may be also introduced upon the
surface of the oblique disc where required, in order to more perfectly balance the
pressure upon the steam.
Suitable lubricating devices are employed to lubricate all working surfaces.
Duplicate or more shaft discs may be employed, cutting the oblique disc
transversely in more planes than one, thus multiplying the number of surfaces
upon which the steam successively acts, to produce the rotation of the longitudinal
shaft.
The engine may be compounded by the use of a second cylinder on the same
shaft, the steam passing from the first to the second cylinder.
The aforesaid arrangement may be modified by making the dividing oblique disc
a fixture in the cylinder, and in such case the before described transverse shaft-disc
is divided into two parts, making steam tight joints upon the faces of the said
oblique disc, as they rotate with the shaft. To allow of the proper movement of
these divided semi-discs relatively to the shaft, they pass through slots, provided
for the purpose in the coned ends of the shafts within the spherical cylinder, and
which may be at any suitable angle to one another.
The two parts of the shaft are still united by a small sphere at the points of the
inner cones.
All rubbing surfaces are provided with packing strips of a suitable kind to
prevent the leakage of steam.
The general arrangement of ports and valve.remain in this modification as before
described.

page_text: An improved Spherical Rotary Engine.
We, JOHN CORRY, of Rosenheim, Croydon, in the County of Surrey, Ship
owner, and JOHN FRANCIS SLEAT, of 12 Albert Street, St Georges Road, Peckham,
in the County of Surrey, Mechanician, 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:-
Our invention relates to that class of motor, known as rotary engines, in which
continuous rotative movement is produced by the direct pressure of steam or any
other gas or fluid, without the intervention of a crank, and it is designed to effect
these objects in a simple and efficacious manner.
In order that our invention may be the better understood, we now proceed to
describe the same in relation to the drawings hereunto annexed, reference being
had to the letters and figures marked thereon.
Like letters refer to like parts in the different figures.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation through our spherical engine, with
the steam chest and valve removed.
Figure 2 is a transverse section through the same, with the valve and steam
chest in position.
Figure 3 is a plan of the steam chest ports.
Figure 4 is a plan from underneath the circular valve.
Figure 5 (sheet 2) is a longitudinal section through our engine, with a modified
form of disc, the other parts remaining the same as in the other figures.
Figure 6 (sheet 2) is a half plan of steam chest ports.
Our device consists of a containing cylinder A, divided by an oblique joint B
into two parts, and of which the interior is hollowed out in the form of a sphere
or part of a sphere, constituting a "cylinder," with a continuous shaft C issuing at
either side through an ordinary steam tight gland C¹. The form of this shaft,
within the spherical cylinder, is modified into two cones D, united by a disc D¹
corresponding in diameter to that of the sphere, and whose plane is in the axis of
the shaft, and which is hereinafter called the "shaft disc."
This shaft disc D₁ passes through another disc E transversely to itself, and which
is in a plane transversely oblique to the axis of the shaft C, and is recessed into
the joint B before referred to, by which the spherical cylinder is divided into two
parts.
The aforesaid conical terminations D of the shaft C within the spherical cylinder,
are so set out that they form rolling contact with the two faces of the aforesaid
oblique disc E, but they are not necessarily steam tight. The shaft disc D¹ passes
(in our device as shown on sheet 1) at its point of intersection of the oblique
disc E, through a cylindrical packing piece E¹, which allows of the relative move-
ment of the discs one to another. The contact faces of the said shaft disc D¹ and
of the aforesaid cylindrical contact piece E¹, are made steam tight by the intro-
duction of packing strips e, set up by springs or other pressure as desired.
Similarly the contact faces of the shaft disc D¹ and of the cones D, with the
spherical cylinder A, are made steam tight by the use of packing strips d, set up
by springs or other pressure as desired.

page_text: In our device as shown on sheet 1, the aforesaid oblique disc E is caused to
revolve with the shaft C, in the recess B¹ made on the face of the oblique joint B,
of the spherical cylinder before mentioned. The contact faces of this oblique disc
with the joint, are made steam or gas tight by packing strips b, set up by spiral
springs behind them or otherwise.
Upon each side of the oblique disc E apertures or ports F, in the walls of the
spherical cylinder, are provided for the admission of steam, and similarly an
exhaust port F¹ is provided on each side of the oblique disc E, for the exit of the
steam, or other gas or fluid, when the working stroke has been accomplished.
These inlets and outlets F and F are placed respectively a little distance on either
side of the joint, where the coned terminations of the shaft D is in rolling contact
with the surface of the oblique disc E, and which thereby forms an abutment
against which the driving force of the steam reacts.
When the steam, thus admitted through the inlet ports, operates upon the shaft
disc D₁ to rotate the shaft in the spherical cylinder, the said shaft disc presents for
a time a larger surface for the action of the steam, by virtue of its movement
relatively to the obliquely revolving disc; and, after a considerable portion of the
revolution has been accomplished, the said shaft disc D¹ uncovers the exit port F¹,
and thus allows the steam that has produced the rotary motion to escape.
The rotary action is thus constantly produced by the continuous action of the
steam upon the face of the shaft disc D¹, until it is allowed to escape by the
exit port.
The steam and exit ports F F¹ are carried up to a valve face G, which is
conveniently circular, and upon which is fitted a circular valve H, provided with a
pocket Hand steam apertures h, the live steam being admitted into this valve
chamber above the valve, and the exhaust, issuing from either side under the
aforesaid pocket of the valve, passes out through the centre of the valve seat, by
the aperture funder the valve.
The action of this valve is that of a reversing and stop valve, the circular shaft
disc D¹ itself performing the action of a valve, to permit the proper admission and
escape of the steam, to produce rotary motion. This valve may be readily
balanced against the superincumbent steam pressure by well known methods. By
the movement of the circular valve H upon the port faces, the engine can be
immediately reversed, and at an intermediate position between backward and
forward rotation, the said valve acts as a stop valve, all ports being closed by it.
We provide means for readily carrying this reversing action into effect by
carrying the spindle K of the valve H through a stuffing box K¹ of the steam
chest L, and attached to the said spindle K is a band lever k, by which it can be
operated, or by any other improved device.
If the engine is designed to run one way only, this reversing valve may be
dispensed with, and steam admitted direct into the ports.
Suitable packing strips, as has been herein before specified, are employed upon
the revolving surfaces, or in any required positions, to render the engine steam tight
in its action. A suitable port or ports for the admission of live steam, may be also
introduced upon the surface of the oblique disc E, when the latter revolves, as and
where required, in order to more perfectly balance the pressure of the steam upon
the said disc, and thus reduce friction.
Suitable lubricating devices are employed to lubricate all working surfaces.
Duplicate or more shaft discs D₁ may be employed, cutting the oblique disc E
transversely in more planes than one, thus multiplying the number of surfaces
upon which the steam successively acts, to produce the rotation of the longitudinal
shaft.
The aforesaid arrangements may be modified, as shown at sheet 2, by making
the dividing oblique disc E a fixture in the cylinder, and in such case the before
described transverse shaft disc D¹ is divided into two parts, making. steam tight
joints by suitable packing strips & upon the face of the said oblique dise and sphere
as they rotate with the shaft.

page_text: To allow the proper movement of these divided semi discs D¹ relatively to the
shaft C, they pass through slots, provided for the purpose, in the coned ends D of
the shafts, within the spherical cylinder, and which may be at any suitable angle
to one another. The two parts of the shaft C are still united by a small sphere P
at the points of the inner cones D, and the surface of this sphere, which rotates
with the shafts C, is made steam tight in the aperture in the fixed oblique disc E,
by means of packing strips p set up in any convenient way. The general arrange-
ment of ports and valve remain the same in this modification as in that before
described.
The engine may be compounded by the use of a second cylinder on the same
shaft, the steam passing from the first to the second cylinder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
1st The construction of a spherical rotary engine, in which a shaft disc, axial
with the shaft, intersects and causes to revolve with it another disc, obliquely
transverse to the axis of the shaft, and with an approximately rolling contact
thereon, and revolving in a recessed joint dividing the cylinder into two parts, the
entrance and exit of the steam being effected by suitable ports and valve, sub-
stantially as described.
2nd The modified construction of such a rotary spherical engine, with the
aforesaid oblique disc fitted as a fixture in the said cylinder joints, the aforesaid
shaft disc in such case being divided into two semi discs, at any convenient angle
to each other and capable of a sliding movement in grooves in the shaft cones, the
ports and valve arrangement remaining the same as in the first claimed device,
substantially as described.