Improvements in Regulating Apparatus for Rotary Motors, Turbines, or other Engines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Nov., 1898-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Regulating Apparatus for Rotary Motors,
Turbines, or other Engines.
We, THOMAS UNDERWOOD GRAY, Physician and Surgeon, of 340, Essex Road, and
FREDERICK BASS, Ophthalmic Surgeon, of 9, Upper Wimpole Street, both in the
County of London, 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 improvements in the method of admitting steam or other
actuating fluid to the operating mechanism of rotary motors turbines or other
engines, and has for its object economy and increased efficiency in the admission of
the actuating fluid.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into
effect we will proceed to describe the same fully with reference to the accompanying
drawings and for convenience of description we give an illustration of the same as
applied to a turbine such as is described in our application No. 26669 of 1897.
Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of an engine constructed according to the
specification above referred to.
Figures 2, 3 and 4 are sectional end views of the engine shown in Figure 1 facing
the discs a², as, and a respectively.
Figures 5 and 6 are sectional views showing the action of the regulating
discs a², as, at.
Figure 7 is a sectional end view of an engine showing an alternate method of
regulating the admission of the actuating fluid.
A is the cylindrical chamber or casing of the turbine. B, B are the openings for
the entry and exit of the actuating fluid to and from the turbine. C is a central
longitudinal shaft passing through the turbine and journalled in suitable bearings
in the ends thereof. D2 is a hollow drum fixed to the shaft C. D and d are a
series of discs arranged in contact and concentrically with one another and with
the drum D2; the discs d being of less diameter than the discs D with which they
are arranged to alternate. F and fare a series of annular projections or rings fixed
to the inner surface or wall of the chamber A and in operative contact with the
discs d and D respectively. E are tubular fluid pressure channels in the discs D,
and e are similar tubular channels in the rings F, set at an angle to and operating in
conjunction with the passages E to drive the motor; the foregoing parts being all
arranged and operating in the manner set forth in the aforesaid previous
specification.
As turbines are more effective if actuated by fluid at high pressure, it is
advisable to be able to admit the actuating fluid at full pressure to a portion of the
steam chanuels rather than at a lower pressure to the whole of them. This may be
done in either of the two following methods one of which is more suitable for
large machines and the other for small ones. The first of these two methods, and
that which is most effective in all large machines is shewn in section in Figure 1 in
which a, a are annular chambers formed in two parts bolted to the cylinder or
case A and carrying the shaft bearings. These chambers are turned flat and true

page_text: inside and out. a¹ a¹ are fixed plates forming the heads of the cylinder or
case A and provided with a ring of tubular apertures communicating with the
operative mechanism.
a², a² are discs placed one at each end of the turbine and one of which is shown
in side elevation in Figure 2, where 8 are slots cut in the disc and of such relative
size and shape that when the disc a² is in position four tubular apertures in an
annular plate al are exposed by each slot 8. This disc a2 is fixed to the annular
chamber and has a stud or screw H projecting on its outer surface or on that side
away from the plate a¹.
a³ a³ are discs placed one at each end of the turbine and one of which is shown
in side elevation in Figure 3; each of these discs has slots s¹ cut therein, each of
which is of such relative size and shape as to be capable of exposing three of the
channels in the plate al when placed in position on a plate u². When the
disc, , is placed in position, a slot K therein receives the stud H of the disc a².
On its outer side this disc u³ has a projecting stud or screw H¹.
u, at are discs placed one at each end of the turbine and one of which is shown
in side elevation in Figure 4 where s² are slots each of such size and shape as to be
capable of exposing two of the channels in the plate a¹.
When the disc at is placed iu position as shown, a slot K¹ therein receives the
stud Hof disc a³.
On each of these discs a¹ there is an annular projection which is toothed and
forms a rack with which the pinion gears. Each of these pinions can be rotated
by means of its spindle and a suitable hand wheel or its equivalent from the outside
of the annular chamber a. When a pinion is rotated it actuates a rack land
rotates a disc a' around its centre till the stud in a disc as reaches the end of
the slot K. Then if the pinion be further rotated, a disc a² is also carried round
in the same direction until the stud H of a fixed disc reaches the end of its
slot K when no further movement in that direction can take place. The relative
positions now assumed by these regulating discs are shown in section in Figure 5.
When the pinion is rotated in the reverse direction the regulating discs will also
be moved in the reverse direction and assume the position shown in Figure 6. The
effect of this is, in the one movement to bring the intervening bridges or solid
pieces between the slots over part or parts of the adjacent slots and cover them to
a greater or less degree according to the degree of rotation of the disc, while in
the reverse movement the slots are opened up and free access to the tubular
chaunels permitted.
On the under surface of each of the regulating discs at Figure 4, i.e. on the
surface towards the turbine, and at the points indicated by dotted lines at one end
of the bridges between the slots, there are rectangular pieces or tonguest projecting
toward the turbine. These rectangular pieces i pass through the slots &¹ and 8, and
bear on the plate a', and their edges bear on the sides of the slots s¹ and 8 in the
discs a, a² as shown in Figures 5 and 6.
When the pinion ¹ has moved the discs the proper distance in the one direction
the bridges as herein before mentioned will present the relationship to each other
shown in section in Figure 6 and if in the opposite direction that shown in
Figure 5. It will be seen in Figure 6 that actuating fluid moving in the direction
of the arrows has free access to all the tubular apertures as shown in the plate a².
While when the pinion has moved the regulating discs to their limits and the
position and relationship of the bridges is as shown in Figure 5, every three of the
tubular channels are occluded and only every fourth channel open to the actuating
fluid. This action occurs at each set of the bridges and according to the rotation
of the pinion one or two or three channels may be occluded, while the fluid is
admitted by three, two or one tubular channel left free. Or when the pinion is at
zero, fluid is admitted by all the channels. At starting therefore when inertia has
to be overcome all the channels are available and when the momentum
obtained, fluid at high pressure can be admitted to just so many tubular channels
once

page_text: as is required, in a fashion similar to what is known as
a locomotive.
"notching up" on
The number of bridges, slots, and regulating discs may be varied according to
requirements.
The second method of regulating the admission of the actuating fluid which is
best adapted to be applied in small machines is indicated in plan in Figure 7.
In this case the annular chamber a differs in shape to that in Figure 1 to meet
the requirements. In this Figure R, R are two stuffing boxes one at either pole of
the annular chamber a, each of these is pierced by a screw rod r carrying within
the chamber a plate P of cres-centric or other convenient shape which may be
moved, by turning the screws by means of the hand wheels, from the position
where none of the tubular apertures in the plate a¹ are occluded, into a position
towards the centre of the chamber where a greater or less number of tubular
apertures in the plate a¹ are occluded, according to their distance from the centre.
There may be more than one pair of plates P if required.
We provide a regulating apparatus at each end of the turbine in order that the
latter may be run in either direction as set forth in the aforesaid specification.
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
1. In a rotary motor or turbine or other engine, means for simultaneously
admitting the actuating fluid to a greater or less number of the fluid pressure
passages as required, for the purpose specified.
2. A regulating apparatus of the kind referred to, constructed arranged and
operating substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 6
or with reference to Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings, for the purpose
specified.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
43, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.