Improvements in Rotary Turbine Engines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 16th Dec., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Turbine Engines.
I REGINALD HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert Haddan and Co., of
18 Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C. London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention, a communication to me from abroad by Joseph
Henry Dow, of Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America, Master Mechanic
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This invention relates to improvements in rotary engines of the turbine variety;
and it consists in certain features of construction and in combinations of parts
hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.
In English Letters Patent No. 2050 of 1890, is shown and described an engine
having one pair of bucket-wheels mounted upon a shaft, these wheels co-operating
with opposing pairs of stationary discs, these wheels having, respectively, series of
buckets arranged in concentric order, these buckets travelling in annular paths
between or radially outside of corresponding series of guide-plates or chutes
projecting from the faces of the stationary discs towards the opposing wheels, the
steam or elastic agent being introduced to these wheels at the inner edges of the
discs and passing thence radially outward across the face of the wheels and
discharging at the periphery into the exhaust-chamber. Such construction was not
adapted to develop the highest efficiency from the very high pressure of steam or
elastic agent occasionally used because the number of compoundings upon a single
disc and wheel of moderate diameter will necessarily be few and a disc and wheel of
large size would have the disadvantage of excessive leakage across the face of the
buckets and too great a difference of circumferential speed as between the inner
and outer series of buckets, and would increase the weight of the engine beyond
the proportionate increase of effectiveness. To overcome these defects I now
increase the number of wheels and opposing discs, the different wheels being mounted
on a shaft in common and the different discs being rigidly held by their connection
with the casing.
A preferable construction is exhibited in the drawings wherein the bucket-wheels
and co-operating guide-plate-discs and chambers are arranged in equal and opposing
series and wherein the elastic agent is first introduced into an initial pressure-
chamber located midway between the central discs, and from such chamber the
agent flows right and left to the inner pair of wheels, the agent entering the wheels
at the inner edges of the discs and thence passing radially outward between a disc
and wheel and discharging at the periphery into exhaust-chambers, the latter
serving also as pressure-chambers for the next wheels, and so on throughout the
series of wheels. A sufficient number of these wheels, preferably arranged in
pairs, are preferably provided to substantially utilize the expansive energy of the
elastic agent, steam, compressed air, gas, or whatever the agent may be,―a greater
or smaller number of these wheels being provided according to the pressure to be
employed. If in combination with this multi-wheel turbine-engine I use the
automatic equalizer of end-pressure hereinafter described, said equalizer is found
to be even more sensitive with my present motor than with the former motor because
a slight end wise disturbance of the shaft will operate differentially on all of the
wheels, whereas the former motor had but two of these wheels to be affected ;
consequently in my multi-wheel turbine-engine or motor the play of the faces of the
buckets towards and from their seats is practically so slight as to be imperceptible;
yet the bucket-faces are always cushioned from rubbing contact with their seats.
While I have shown a new lay-out of vents compounded upon wheels which at
present I prefer, yet I do not wish to limit myself to any precise form of vents,
buckets and guide-plates, or to the number of compoundings on a wheel.
In my

page_text: generates.
The relative areas of vent-passages through guide-plates and buckets
are so proportioned that the highest velocity of flow will be through the inner
edges of the buckets or Vs, to the end that the full kinetic energy of the elastic
agent may expand itself in a forward impelling flow against the apex of the
buckets.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation, mostly in central section.
Fig. 2 is an end elevation, partly in section.
Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, showing my improved layout of guide-
plates and buckets.
Fig. 4 is an elevation showing the inner face of one of the inner guide-plate-
discs, and
Fig. 5, is an elevation in transverse section of the same, showing more especially
flange C³.
A (Fig. 1) represents the central section of the shell or body of the engine, the
same having a supporting base or flange as shown and having an internal flange a
for attaching discs C C, the internal edges of this flange being screw-threaded and
the hubs of these discs being externally screw-threaded for engaging the screw-
threads of the flange. The inner faces of the hubs of these discs are shown
separated to form an annular pressure-chamber L, the latter being in open relation
with the induction-steam-pipe, as shown. Discs C C, on their outer faces, are each
provided (see Figs. 1 and 3) with two or more concentric series of curved guide-
plates or chutes e³, curved substantially like the corresponding members of a
water-turbine, the opposing ends of next adjacent chutes overlapping but being
separated slightly to form vents e³.
AA are the next outer sections of the shell, each section A¹ having an internal
flange a', such flanges being provided, on the outer faces thereof, with chutes or
guide-plates e, vents e and annular paths between the different series of guide-plates,
the same as on the inner discs C C aforesaid. A' A' are similar shell sections, each
having internal flanges as a provided with guide-plates as just described, the
guide-plates of the different discs and internal flanges being all shown presenting
outwardly.
The different sections of the shell are nicely fitted the one to the other and these
together with the heads B B are usually fastened by bolting through and through,
as shown. The hubs B₁ of heads B are shown constructed to form suitable
journal-bearings for shaft D. On this shaft are mounted a series of wheels E,
arranged preferably in opposing pairs and facing inward or towards the adjacent
discs bearing the guide-plates. Each wheel E, on the inner face thereof, is
provided (see Figs. 1 and 3) with two or more concentric series of buckets e, each
series of buckets being made to run in an annular path between the guide-plates or
radially outside of the guide-plates. These buckets are preferably of the V-shaped
variety shown more clearly in Fig. 3. These buckets overlap each other, more or
less, the V or point of one bucket extending more or less between the legs of the
next adjacent bucket, but are located a little nearer the inner leg of the next
bucket so that the inner portion of a port e¹ will be a little smaller than the outer
portion of the same port.
The steam or other agent, from the initial pressure-chamber L, with the preferred
construction shown, flows right and left past the inner edges of discs CC, and
thence passes radially across the faces of the inner pair of wheels E, of course
passing through the vents and ports of guide-plates and buckets and exhausting
at the periphery of these wheels into chambers L' L', these chambers serving as
pressure-chambers for the next outer pairs of wheels E, and so on throughout the

page_text: series. The outer chambers L' connect with the exhaust-pipe M. By means of
the compounding on each wheel aggregated by the different wheels, the kinetic
energy of the steam or other elastic agent is supposed to be substantially utilized,
so that the agent, when it reaches the final exhaust, is substantially at atmospheric
pressure, and of course there will be a larger or smaller number of wheels E and
their corresponding stationary discs, according to the pressure employed, and
inversely according to the compoundings on each wheel.
The pressure balance shown for holding the shaft and wheels endwise, briefly
described, is as follows:-
F is a ring (see Fig. 1) rigidly mounted on the shaft, for instance, between the
hubs of the inner pair of wheels E, this ring being screw-threaded externally for
engaging the internal screw-threads of ring G, whereby the latter may be adjusted
lengthwise the shaft, ring G extending into and dividing the initial pressure-
chamber L between the opposing hubs C¹ C¹ of discs CC. Hubs C¹ are provided
with annular undercut grooves C2, whereby are formed annular rims C³, on the
inner faces of these hubs. (See also Figs. 4 and 5.) Rims C³ have lateral holes C*
arranged preferably in three circumferential series, each series being concentric
with the shaft and the next adjacent holes of the different series registering with
each other radially, as shown more clearly in Fig. 4. The face of each rim C' is
provided with annular grooves et between and radially outside of the different series
of holes C, and radial grooves e are provided extending between the holes, these
radial grooves connecting with the outer grooves e and extending.thence to the
inner edge of the rim, this system of grooving leaving intact a flat surface around
each hole C, but the elastic agent having passed these margins, has thence free
passage through the grooves to the inner edge of the disc. These holes are alike
in size and number on the two rims shown in Fig. 1, and their aggregate capacity
is several times greater than that of the annular spaces i between rims C³
and ring C at the periphery; hence, a small clearance may be had between these
members combined with ample deduction capacity from the primary pressure-
chamber. The elastic agent passing through the inner pair of wheels, is exhausted
into chambers L' L' had between the outer sides of these wheels and the inner sides
of the next adjacent discs, and these chambers serve as pressure-chambers for the
next outer pair of wheels, the fluid passing through these chambers to the inner
edge of the next outer discs and so on throughout the series of wheels and discs,
the outer chambers, in the present instance L', being connected by ducts cored in
the different members A, A', A³, etc., and connecting with the general exhaust-
pipe M. I will here call attention to the fact, first, that if ring G were divided
into two narrow rings, each narrow ring bearing the same relation to the opposing
rim C that ring G bore, the result would of course be the same whether the one
broad ring or the two narrow rings were employed, and this being the case it will
readily be understood, second, that if these two rings instead of being located in the
central or primary pressure-chamber, were under like conditions, located, for
instance, in chambers L' L', or in chambers L, L, or in any two corresponding
chambers throughout the series, the result would be precisely the same as with
the construction shown. It is more convenient and less expensive in manufacturing
the engine to locate the equalizing mechanism shown, if employed, in the central
chamber, because, for instance, but one set of rings F and G are required, in which
case there is but one ring to be adjusted.
A is merely a screw-threaded plug by removing which access is had for
nternal adjustment.
The number of compoundings necessary will, of course, be in proportion to the
pressure employed, and suppose the number of compoundings required were twelve,
n which case, if three compoundings were had on each wheel it would require
our pairs of wheels, whereas if four compoundings were had on each wheel but
hree sets of wheels would be required. These compoundings may be varied
ndefinitely according to circumstances.
As aforesaid, the pressure in the outer chamber is supposed to be reduced

page_text: approximately to atmospheric pressure, and hence, no stuffing-boxes are required
for the engine-shaft, and at the high speed of these engines it seems about
impossible with any present known material to construct practical stuffing-boxes
for this purpose, but were it not for such difficulty with the stuffing-boxes, the
initial pressure might be introduced to the outer chamber and exhaust from the
central chamber, and there might be conditions under which such arrangement
would be advisable or even preferable, for instance, if the engine were operated
inside a reservoir containing compressed air or elastic agent for operating the
engine, or suppose it were desired to operate the engine inside a tube through which
compressed air was conveyed to a mine or tunnel, such compressed air from the
tube being used to drive the engine. In such cases, if the compressed air were
admitted first to the outer chambers of the engine, no stuffing-boxes would be
required for the reason that the pressure outside the engine would be greater than
the pressure inside the engine. If, for any reason, such arrangement of the engine,
as last referred to, were desirable, any skilled mechanic would have no trouble in
so doing, to wit:-the bucket-wheels would be reversed on the shaft so as to
present outwardly and the guide-plate-discs would have to be reversed so as to
present inwardly, and all this would necessitate a change before referred to, to wit,
dividing the pressure regulator and placing it in halves at the induction of two
corresponding chambers on opposite sides of the central chamber.
I would have it understood, however, that the scope of my invention is not
limited to the details of construction or precise combinations of parts or particular
lay-out and construction of buckets and guide-plates disclosed in this application,-
but
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. An elastic fluid turbine engine or motor having an initial pressure-chamber
and one or more additional pressure-chambers, one of said chambers being in open
relation with and serving as an exhaust-chamber for the initial pressure-chamber,
another additional chamber, if employed, being in open relation with and serving
as an exhaust-chamber for the first additional pressure-chamber, and so on, and a
bucket-wheel and co-operating guide-plate-disc for each pressure-chamber, said
wheel and disc facing each other and being provided upon their opposing faces
the one with buckets suitably constructed and arranged and the other with suitably
arranged and constructed guide-plates or chutes adapted to co-operate with the
buckets of the bucket-wheel.
2. In a turbine engine of the variety indicated, the combination, with two equal
and opposing series of bucket-wheels and co-operating guide-plate-dises and
chambers, of suitable pressure-equalizer or equalizers located so as to control the
induction of two corresponding bucket-wheels of the opposing series of bucket-
wheels, substantially as set forth.
3. In a turbine engine, in combination, a casing constructed in transverse sections,
each section having an internal flange, the flange of the central section having
guide-plate-discs attached thereto, the other internal flanges serving as guide-
plate-discs, and corresponding number of bucket-wheels mounted on a shaft in
common, each wheel facing a disc, and the discs and wheels being provided, upon
their opposing faces with co-operating guide-plates and buckets, respectively,
substantially as set forth.
4. In a turbine-engine, in combination, a casing having a series of internal
flanges, a shaft upon which are operatively mounted four or more turbine bucket-
wheels arranged in two equal and opposing series, each wheel carrying upon the one
side thereof and concentric therewith two or more series of buckets, of guide-plate-
discs corresponding in number and position with the bucket-wheels and fixed in
the shell to partition the shell into separate chambers, each guide-plate-disc
carrying upon one side and concentric with such disc two or more series of

page_text: guide-plates, the guide-plate-discs and opposing bucket-wheels being in suitable
working relation with each other, substantially as set forth.
5. The combination, with motor-case, shaft, four or more turbine bucket-wheels
in two equal and opposing series, the buckets of the one series of wheels facing
toward the buckets of the other series of wheels, guide-plate-discs corresponding in
number and position with the bucket-wheels and having outwardly-presenting
guide-plate-discs which co-operate with the respective buckets, of one or more discs
or rings within the central pressure-chamber and adjusted upon the shaft to run
with narrow clearance between two annular face-plates fixed respectively to each
end of the central chamber and in axial coincidence with the shaft, substantially as
set forth.
6. The combination, with motor-case, shaft, four or more turbine bucket-wheels,
a like number of guide-plate-discs, each bucket-wheel and each guide-plate-disc
carrying upon its working face and concentric therewith two or more series,
respectively, of buckets and guide-plates in such working relation with each other
that the impelling agent shall flow alternately through guide-plates, vents and
bucket-ports in a radial direction from within toward the circumference, of one
or more discs or rings located within the central pressure-chamber and adjusted
upon the shaft to run with narrow clearance between annular face-plates fixed
respectively to each end-wall of such central chamber, substantially as set
forth.
7. The combination of the shaft, two series of bucket-wheels having the buckets
of the one series facing the buckets of the other series and guide-plates co-operating
with the buckets, and the case having, in axial line with each other, a central
pressure-chamber, two exhaust-chambers and one or more pairs of intermediate
chambers symmetrically located right and left of the central-chamber, all arranged
and operating substantially as set forth.
8. The combination, with a shaft, two series of bucket-wheels, each wheel having
two or more series of buckets concentric therewith, all the buckets of the one series
of wheels facing towards the buckets of the other series of wheels, guide-plates in
working relation with the buckets, a case in which are arranged in axial line with
each other a central pressure-chamber, two exhaust-chambers and one or more
pairs of intermediate chambers symmetrically located right and left of the central
chamber, of discs or rings adjusted upon the shaft and running respectively in any
two symmetrically related intermediate chambers, each disc running with narrow
clearance from the face of an annular fixed face-plate attached to the eduction
end-wall of the chamber, substantially as set forth.
9. In combination, a shaft, four or more bucket-wheels mounted thereon in
opposite pairs, a corresponding number of guide-plate-discs so arranged that the
guide-plates thereof co-operate with the opposing buckets, and a case composed of
short sections, the central section containing the initial pressure-chamber and each
added section of the shell on cither side of the central chamber bearing a disc or
internal flange whereby is added another chamber of the casing, the outer
chambers being connected with an exhaust in common, heads secured to the end of
the case, the hubs of these heads carrying journal-boxes for the shaft, substantially
as set forth.
10. The combination of a case constructed in transverse sections enclosing a
corresponding number of chambers, a bed-plate integral or rigid with the central
section, the end chambers being connected by passage-ways with an exhaust
located in the bed-plate, of the shaft, four or more bucket-wheels on the shaft in
two equal and opposing series and corresponding and co-operating stationary guide-
plates, substantially as set forth.
11. In a turbine engine of the variety indicated, in combination, a bucket-wheel
and an opposing stationary guide-plate-disc, such disc bearing one or more series of
curved guide-plates arranged in concentric order with the engine-shaft, the ends of
the next adjacent guide-plates of a series overlapping each other and separated by
suitable vents, the buckets being of the V-shaped variety shown, the V or apex of

page_text: a bucket extending more or less between the legs of the next adjacent bucket, but
being separated by angular ports between next adjacent buckets of a series of
buckets, the inner branch of such ports being less in cross section than the outer
branch of the same port, the aggregate discharging capacity of the ports of a series
being less than the aggregate discharging capacity of the vents of a series of guide-
plates, substantially as set forth.
12. In a turbine engine, of the variety indicated, the combination, with
engine-case and shaft, of bucket-wheels mounted on the shaft in opposing series so
as to balance the end-thrust of the shaft, of stationary guide-plate-discs arranged
in series corresponding with the bucket-wheels, substantially as set forth.
13. In an elastic fluid compound turbine engine of the variety indicated, the
combination, with motor-case and shaft and four or more turbine bucket-wheels on
the shaft and arranged in two equal and opposing series, the one series having
buckets upon the right hand face of each wheel, and the other series having
buckets upon the left hand face of each wheel; of guide-plate-discs corresponding
in number and position with the bucket-wheels, and fixed in the motor-case to
partition the case into separate chambers, the guide-plates upon each guide-plate-
disc being in working relation with the buckets of the adjacent bucket-wheel,
substantially as set forth.
14. An elastic fluid turbine-engine or motor substantially as herein shown and
described.
Dated this 05th do
CA1 1000
R. HADDAN,
Herbert Haddan & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London,
R. HADDAN,
Herbert Haddan & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London,