Improvements in Rotary Engines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Apr., 1899-Accepted, 2nd June, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Engines.
I, ELISHA SEYMOUR, of the Palmer House, Chicago, in the County of Cook, in
the State of Illinois, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in rotary engines.
The object of my invention is to provide a rotary engine of a simple, durable
and efficient construction, that may be cheaply manufactured, that may be
run continuously without getting out of order and with little friction or wear,
and by means of which the expansive power of the steam can be more fully and
economically utilized than in rotary engines heretofore in use, and by means of
which also the quantity of steam admitted to the engine cylinder and the number
of its expansions therein may be properly controlled.
My invention consists, essentially, in the combination with a circular steam
cylinder, case or shell, provided with a circular cam track concentric therewith,
of a rotary piston wheel or drum within said cylinder, case or shell and journaled
eccentric thereto and to said cam track, and provided with one or more, preferably
two, radially or inwardly and outwardly sliding curved piston wings having each
an arm at their outer ends pivotally connected to said rotary piston wheel er
drum to prevent the friction of the piston wings against said case or shell from
binding in their sliding movements as the piston wheel or drum rotates within
the case or shell. My invention further consists in the novel construction of
parts and devices, and in the novel combinations of parts and devices herein
shown and described and specified in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a rotary engine
embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a central vertical section taken on the
line 2-2 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a section "taken on the partly radial and partly
curved line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Figs. 4 and 5 are sections on the lines 4-4 and
5-5, respectively, of Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of parts
hereinafter to be described.
The
In the drawing A represents the cylinder, case or shell, the same having two
heads or end plates B, B1, firmly clamped to the shell A by bolts or rivets a.
C is the shaft extending through the heads B, B' of the cylinder, and D is
the rotary piston wheel or, drum secured to said shaft and rotating with it.
rotary piston wheel or drum D is provided with curved, radially sliding
pistons FF, preferably two in number, the same being mounted in radial
curved slots d in the wheel or drum D. Each of these curved piston
wings F F is furnished with an arm f pivoted at f¹ to the rotary wheel or
drum D, the arms f serving to support and brace the outer end of the curved
piston and to prevent the friction of said piston against the cylinder, case or
shell A from causing the piston F to bind in its radially sliding movements in
and out of the rotary wheel or drum D. The curvature of the pistons F and of
the slots d in which they fit, correspond to the arc formed by the pivoted brace
or arm support f, as a radius, so that the pistons may move in and out freely.
The pistons F are also each provided with a rocking shoe f2 at their outer end
or edge, said shoc having a curved outer face f³ which fits and bears against the
Price 817

page_text: curved inner face of the cylinder case or shell A, and said rocking shoes have
a round or cylindric inner face f* fitting in a similar curved socket f
at the outer end of pistons F, SO that the rocking shoes may fit
and bear properly against the cylinder or case A in every position
of said pistons as the wheel or drum rotates. The radially sliding
curved pistons F are moved outward as the piston wheel or drum 1 rotates by
means of cams bb, one secured to the inner face of the heads or end plates B B
of the cylinder case or shell A, said cases being circular in form and concentric
with the case or shell A, but eccentric to the rotary piston wheel or drum D,
as will be readily understood from Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing. Each of the
pistons F is provided with antifriction rollers f to ride on said cams, said rollers
being on a shaft f7 which passes through a block f forming a part of the
piston. A spring is interposed between the piston F and the part through
which the shaft 7 passes, so that the piston F telescoping on said part f8 may
compensate for any wear or lack of adjustment or accuracy of fit. The wheel or
drum D is provided with packing blocks d supported by springs at the
point where the piston Fhears against said wheel or drum, as will be readily
understood from Fig. 2 of the drawing.
The cams are preferably supported in place by internal hubs or projec-
tions on the heads or end plates B B¹.
The pistons F are each provided with packing blocks fpressed outward by
springs and which bear against the heads or end plates B B of the steam
cylinder.
The head B is provided with an external hub 2 furnished with a stuffing box b
for the shaft C. The cylinder head B is provided on its outer face with a boss b
to receive the valve case H which is secured thereto. His a rotary valve within the
valve case H, the same being secured to the engine shaft Cand rotating therewith.
The valve H has two parallel disks h h, preferably formed integral with each
other and united by the central or hub portion of the valve and by studs h¹ so as
to leave an annular space or channel for the steam between the two plates of
the valve. The inner valve disk is provided with two ports h³, the ports
corresponding in number to the pistons F on the rotary piston wheel or drum D.
H2 is a packing ring having V-shaped projections fitting in V-shaped
grooves and interposed between the case H and valve H. Flat springs he
press the packing ring against the valve. The valve case or shell H is provided
with an inlet port for the steam. G is a rotary expansion or cut off ring
mounted to turn on the shaft C and interposed between the valve H¹ and the
cylinder head or end plate B. It is provided with a port or opening for the
passage of steam through it into the cylinder or case A through the port in
the head B. The adjustable expansion or cut off ring G is provided with
V-shaped packing projections g₁ which fit in corresponding V-shaped grooves
in the outer face of the end plate B, and it is also provided with V grooves to
receive the packing projections or rings 8 on the valve H¹. The expansion
or cut off ring G is turned or adjusted on the shaft C by means of the gear teeth g³
thereon, which mesh with a gear 3 on the shaft *.
is a stop secured to the face of the head or end plate B, and which fits in
the port or opening g of the expansion or cut off ring G, so that by turning the
expansion ring on its axis this stop will serve to vary or adjust the operative
length of the segmental port and thus vary the quantity of steam admitted
to the cylinder at each stroke and also the time of its admission; as the shorter
the segmental slot or port g in the expansion ring, the quicker will the port h³
in the rotating cut off valve H' be in passing. By turning the rotatable or
expansion ring G in the direction to lengthen the operative length of its slot
or port g the longer will the port in the valve H¹ be in passing the segmental
slot or port g, and the greater will be the quantity of steam admitted to the
cylinder A and the less will be the number of expansions of the steam therein.
When the load upon the engine is light, by simply turning the expansion ring

page_text: in the direction to shorten the operative length of the port or slot g the quicker
will the port h³ be in passing and the greater will be the relative proportion of
time during each revolution of the valve H when the live steam is cut off from
the engine cylinder, and the greater will consequently be the number of ex-
pansions of the steam in the engine cylinder.
The rocking shoe f is furnished with packing strips ; which are forced out-
ward against the cylinder heads B B by springs.
The piston wheel 1 is provided with a segmental packing ring pressed out
by springs against the heads B B. And the cylinder or shell A has a pack-
ing bar pressed out by flat springs a to prevent steam escaping from the
pressure side to the exhaust side at the point where the piston wheel D is tangent
to the cylinder A. a is the exhaust port.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim, is;
-
1st. The combination with a circular steam cylinder, case or shell provided
with a circular cam track concentric therewith, of a rotary piston wheel or drum
within said cylinder, case or shell and journaled eccentric thereto and to said
cam track and provided with a sliding curved piston wing, said piston wing
riding against the inner periphery of said case or shell, substantially as specified.
2nd. The combination with a circular steam cylinder, case or shell provided
with a circular cam track concentric therewith, of a rotary piston wheel or drum
within said cylinder, case or shell and journaled eccentric thereto and to said
cam track and provided with a sliding curved piston wing having a brace or arm
at the outer end thereof pivotally connected to said wheel or drum, said piston
wing riding against the inner periphery of said case or shell, substantially
as specified.
3rd. The combination with a circular steam cylinder, case or shell provided
with a circular cam track concentric therewith, of a rotary piston wheel or drum
within said cylinder, case or shell and journaled eccentric thereto and to said
cam track and provided with a sliding curved piston wing, said piston or wing
having a rocking shoe at its outer end to form a bearing against said cylinder,
case or shell, said piston wing riding against the inner periphery of said case or
shell, substantially as specified.
4th. The combination with a circular steam cylinder, case or shell provided
with a circular cam track concentric therewith, of a rotary piston wheel or
drum within said cylinder, case or shell and journaled eccentric thereto and to
said cam track and provided with a sliding curved piston wing having a brace
or arm at the outer end thereof pivotally connected to said wheel or drum, said
piston or wing having a rocking shoe at its outer end to form a bearing against
said cylinder, case or shell, said piston wing riding against the inner periphery
of said case or shell, substantially as specified.
5th. The combination with a circular steam cylinder, case or shell provided
with a circular cam track concentric therewith, of a rotary piston wheel or drum
within said cylinder, case or shell and journaled eccentric thereto and to said
cam track and provided with a sliding curved piston, and friction rollers on said
piston riding on said cam, said piston riding at its outer end against the circular
inner periphery of said case or shell, substantially as specified.
6th. The combination with a circular steam cylinder, case or shell provided
with circular cams concentric therewith, of a rotary piston wheel or drum within
said cylinder, case or shell and journaled eccentric thereto and to said cams and
provided with sliding curved pistons having each a brace or arm at the outer end
thereof pivotally connected to said wheel or drum, and friction rollers on said
pistons riding on said cams, said pistons riding at their outer ends against the
inner circular periphery of said case or shell, substantially as specified.
7th. In a rotary engine, the combination with the steam cylinder having a.

page_text: circular inner periphery, of a rotary piston wheel or drum journaled eccentric to
said cylinder, radially sliding.pistons thereon, a circular cam concentric with
said steam cylinder for operating said sliding pistons, and rocking shoes at the
end of said pistons, substantially as specified.
- 8th. In a rotary engine, the combination with a steam cylinder having a
circular inner periphery, of a rotary piston wheel or drum journaled eccentric
to said cylinder, radially sliding pistons thereon, a circular cam concentric with
said steam cylinder for operating the same, and hinged arms or braces connected
to the outer ends of said sliding pistons to prevent the same from binding in
sliding in and out, substantially as specified.
9th. In a rotary engine, the combination with the steam cylinder having a
circular inner periphery, of a rotary piston wheel or drum journaled eccentric
to said cylinder, sliding plates thereon, and circular cams concentric with. said
steam cylinder and secured to the heads of the engine cylinder on opposite sides
of said rotary wheel or drum for operating said radially sliding pistons, substan-
tially as specified.
10th. In a rotary engine, the combination with the steam cylinder having
heads B B provided with cams, of a rotary piston wheel or drum, sliding
pistons thereon. operated by said cams, a valve case, a rotary valve secured to
the engine shaft provided with ports, and an adjustable rotary expansion or cut
off ring between said rotary valve and engine cylinder head provided with a
segmental slot or port, and a stop on the engine cylinder head, substantially as.
specified.
11th. The combination of steam cylinder A provided with a circular inner
periphery and having heads B B₁, rotary piston wheel or drum. D, having
shaft C journaled in said heads B B¹, eccentric to said steam cylinder, curved
pistons F riding against the circular inner periphery of said steam cylinder
and furnished with brace or supporting arms. pivoted to said wheel or drum,
substantially as specified.
12th. The combination with a steam cylinder A provided with a circular
inner periphery and having heads B B, rotary piston wheel or drum D, having
shaft C journaled in said heads B B¹ eccentric to said steam cylinder, curved
pistons F riding against the circular inner periphery of said steam cylinder
and furnished with brace or supporting arms pivoted to said wheel or drum, and
cams concentric with said steam cylinder for operating said radially sliding
pistons, substantially as specified.
13th. In a rotary engine, the combination with the engine cylinder head B,
of engine shaft C, a rotary valve H and expansion or cut off ring G, said rotary
valve and its expansion or cut off rings being provided with V-shaped packing
grooves and projections, substantially as specified.
14th. The combination of the steam cylinder having an inner circular
periphery with the rotary piston wheel or drum journaled eccentric to said
cylinder and provided with sliding pistons provided with spring supported pack-
ing plates or bars, and cams concentric with said steam cylinder for operating
said radially sliding pistons, substantially as specified.
Signed at Chicago, Illinois. U.S.A.. this 27th day of February 3D 1900
In the presence of:
H. M. MUNDAY, (Law Clerk)
ELISHA SEYMOUR.
906, Marquette Building, Chicago, Illinois,
D. BARSTOW, (Stenographer)
906, Marquette Building, Chicago, Illinois,
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C..