Improvements in Rotary Engines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Improvements in Rotary Engines.
A communication from WILHELM FRICKE, of 1, Sodenstrasse, Hannover, in the
Empire of Germany, Contractor.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 objects of the present invention are
1. A rotary piston whose abutment surface or blade is provided with a swinging
spring-controlled arm.
2. A double seat valve the lift of which can be regulated by means of a
spindle.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a section transverse to the axis of rotation of a single-chambered
rotary steam engine with apparatus for regulating the steam-admission.
Figure 2 is a view of the same, the piston and its attachments being in elevation
and the cylinder in section on the axial line of the engine, D being a gland with a
bearing screwed against the casing or cylinder G.
Figure 3 is a section through the valve V and its shell B the hand-wheel H
(Fig. 1) being taken off.
The improved steam-engine is provided with an arrangement for regulating the
steam-admission, by which arrangement the expansive power of the steam can be
more or less made use of. Piston K is capable of revolving steam-tight within a
cylinder G and has a blade d at the outer part of which an arm N can swing
round a pivot z; spring F tends to force the free end of the arm N outwards.
The outer edge of arm N is formed in accordance with the turned inner surface
of G so as to slide along it when revolving. At the upper part of G a double seat
valve V is arranged within its steam-tight shell B. Its spindles is elongated below
the valve so that arm N as it passes onwards must lift the spindle as well as the
valve, and steam will be admitted. The length of time during which steam is
admitted depends upon the time during which the arm N acts upon the spindle s.
For the purpose of varying the time or extent of the steam-admission, the
spindles which is screw-threaded at s¹ may be turned by means of hand-wheel H
within the screwed boss g of valve V which is prevented from turning round by
projection a. Spring presses the valve V against its seat as soon as arm N has
passed.
Stuffing-box b within valve V provides for the steam-tight fitting of the spindle s
in boss g so that the screw s¹ of spindles can be easily turned in the boss g of the
valve.
By means of this arrangement the spindles is lifted or lowered by turning the
hand-wheel H to the left or right, the action thereon of arm N abbreviated or
prolonged, and consequently the degree of expansion a higher or a lower one, or
the admission of steam increased or decreased.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is ;-
1. In a variable expansion rotary steam engine the employment of an arm such
as N pivotted at or near the blade of the piston K and pressed outwards by a
spring substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.

page_text: 2. In a variable expansion rotary steam engine the combination with a spring
controlled arm such as N rotating with the piston of a double seat valve such
as V having a spindle such as s s¹ which can be rotated by means of a hand-wheel H
or equivalent in such a manner that the length of time the arm N will be in
contact with the spindles and consequently the steam admission or the degree
of expansion may be regulated substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete variable
expansion rotary steam engine substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of August 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.