Year: 1888

page_text: 1, ALEXANDER MORTON of 241 West George Street, Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, Engineer, 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:-
This Invention relates to improvements in that class of steam and other motive
power engines known as re-action engines and the improvements consist in so
nstructing and arranging such an engine that the first series of orifices or nozzles
delivers high pressure steam or other elastic acting fluid into a space containing the
acting fluid at a lower pressure and which space communicates by larger orifices or
nozzles with another space containing the acting fluid at a still lower pressure and so
on through any desired number of spaces each series of nozzles or orifices reacting in
the same direction. The spaces which are by preference annular are so proportioned
in area that the issuing jets cause an induced lateral action in them of the contained
fluid until it is finally discharged expanded into the atmosphere or into a space
wherein vacuum is maintained by any well known arrangement of condenser.
On the accompanying drawings figure 1 sheet 1 is in part an end elevation and in
part a transverse section, and figure 2 is a longitudinal section of a reaction engine as
constructed in accordance with my said Invention, figures 3 and 4 sheet 2 being
similar views of a modified arrangement.
Referring to sheet 1 the engine is composed of a number of rings or cylinders A,
which increase successively in diameter and area from the innermost ring A¹ to the
outermost A' of the series. The cylinders or rings are arranged concentrically with
each other and are secured in that position between two end discs B, which are bolted
together one of them being cast upon a central boss or nave D, keyed upon a horizontal
shaft E, which is supported in bearings in vertical standards F, secured to the bed plate
of the engine, or the boss may be cast in halves a section being on each disc. The
discs B, and cylinders or rings A are enclosed within a stationary airtight casing G,
which is also bolted to the bed plate and has stuffing glands at each side through

page_text: which the shaft E passes. Around the said shaft, apertures are formed in the end
discs B so as to give a free annular passage on each side of the boss or nave D, the
inlet passage for the steam or other expansive fluid and which as seen at H figure 1 is
formed on the exterior of the casing G communicating with the interior cylinders or
rings A, through the said passages x whilst the outer casing G into which the steam
or other fluid finally passes from the cylinders has a branch I, which may be
connected with an ejector or other condenser so as to maintain a vacuum or partial
vacuum within the casing G or the said branch I, may open to the atmosphere where
condensation is deficient or impossible of attainment.
Around the peripheries of each of the cylinders or rings A¹ to A' inclusive,
apertures y are made longitudinally and to each of these apertures there is fitted
nozzle J, so arranged as to direct the steam or other acting fluid in a tangential
direction as indicated by the arrows 1, 2, 3 figure 1 sheet 1. The apertures y and the
nozzles J of each cylinder increase in area successively and between the backs of the
nozzles of each cylinder and the inner side or surface of the next larger cylinder, free
spaces, indicated by the arrows 4 figure 1, are left. These spaces also increase in
area successively and are for the purpose of causing an "induced or "lateral action"
current of the contained fluid as it diminishes in pressure in each succeeding cylinder.
The steam or other acting fluid entering by the branch H passes first through the
annulus x into the interior space of the smallest cylinder A¹ thence through its
apertures y and nozzles J into the annular space between the cylinders A¹ and A²
where it expands into steam or acting fluid of a lower pressure. From the said
annular space the steam passes through the apertures y and nozzles J of the cylinder A²
into the annular space between that cylinder and the cylinder A³ where it is again
expanded to a lower pressure and so on throughout the series until it is finally
discharged through the apertures y and nozzles J. of the last cylinder into the vacuous
or other space of the fixed outer air tight casing G.
As illustrated the apertures y and nozzles J. of each cylinder are equal in number
and increase in area successively but in lieu of that arrangement they may be each of
the same area but increased in number in the cylinders successively and in every case
the combined areas of the nozzles of the cylinder A² must be greater than the
combined areas of the nozzles of the cylinder A¹, those of the cylinder A³ greater than
of the cylinder A2 and so on successively and whilst the acting fluid decreases in
pressure in each succeeding cylinder the spaces beyond the nozzles J indicated by the
arrows 4 must be so proportioned as to give the best indication or lateral action on
the contained fluid.
Instead of employing a series of concentric cylinders or rings as hereinbefore
described a series of discs may be used as illustrated by figures 3 and 4 sheet 2 of the
drawings. These discs A¹ to A8 are mounted and bolted upon a hollow cylinder K,
having a boss or nave D keyed upon the central horizontal shaft E, which is supported
in bearings F formed or bolted on the fixed casing G of the engine the said hollow
cylinder with its discs being enclosed within the stationary air tight casing Gas
before set forth. In this case each disc has a recess or channel w from the wall of
which radial slots y extend through the disc and to the said slots the nozzles J are
connected on the plain or flat sides of the discs an induced or lateral action current
space 4 being left between the back of each nozzle of one disc and the wall of the
channel w of the next disc the nozzles being directed tangentially in the induction
spaces as hereinbefore described.
As shown on the drawings two sets of discs are arranged on the hollow cylinder K
namely one set on each side of the central web or partition M and when this arrange-
ment is adopted the discs on one side of the web have their nozzles all pointing in one
direction whilst those on the opposite side have their nozzles pointing in the opposite
direction thus constituting a double or reversing engine one set of discs acting whilst
the other merely revolves with the acting set. When so disposed the outer air tight
casing G has two inlet passages H, for the steam or other acting fluid formed upon it
these passages being furnished with a slide or other distributing valve which cuts off
either branch as desired.

page_text: The course of the steam to the disc A, through the interior of the hollow cylinder K,
is indicated by the full and dotted arrows on figure 4. The steam after re-acting in
the several discs of the series passes into the vacuous or other air tight casing G and
the said casing being common to both series of dises it may have only one outlet
passage I.
In both modifications of the improved engine shewn on the drawings the acting
fluid first enters the innermost cylinder or disc A¹ and is discharged from the outer-
most cylinder or disc into the fixed casing G, but the acting fluid may also travel in
the contrary direction in which case the nozzles J, instead of being on the outer are
arranged on the inner surface of each cylinder or disc and increase in combined area
in each cylinder or disc as they approach the centre, further in some cases although
it is not the preferred arrangement the induction or lateral action spaces at the backs
of the nozzles may be dispensed with the outer surfaces of the nozzies being then in
contact with the interior surface of the next larger or smaller cylinder or with that of
the next succeeding disc of the series the engine then working by expansion and
reaction only. To prevent radiation of heat as between the revolving interior part of
the engine and the fixed outer casing G, the revolving part may be enclosed within
an air tight casing rotating with them.
It will be observed that in the engine constructed in accordance with either modi-
fication of my Invention no fixed guides to deflect the acting fluid or in any way to
act by impulse as a turbine are used the Invention principally consisting in so arrang-
ing a series of reaction engines one within or alongside of another that the combined
area of the nozzles shall increase as the acting fluid expands from one cylinder or
disc into another and under one arrangement so that there shall be induced or lateral
action in the spaces in which each expansion takes place.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of two more reaction engines within or alongside of each
other the engines having each a series of nozzles, each series of nozzles in the direction
of the passage of the acting fluid being of increased combined area, substantially as
described with reference to sheets 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination of two or more re-action engines within or alongside of each
other, each engine having a series of nozzles with lateral action spaces between their
outer sides and the adjacent surface of the next engine, and each series of nozzles in
the direction of the passage of the acting fluid being of increased combined area,
substantially as described with reference to the drawings annexed.
Dated this Twentysecond day of June 1888.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
Agents.