IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN ENGINES OR MACHINES USED FOR OBTAINING MECHANICAL POWER, AND FOR RAISING AND IMPELLING FLUIDS
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
DANIEL BISHOPP, late of Edgbaston, in the County of Warwick, but
now of Paddington, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Second day of October, in the ninth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
George Daniel Bishopp, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said George Daniel Bishopp, my executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said George Daniel Bishopp, my
executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her Majesty's
Colonies and Plantations abroad, and in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey,
Alderney, Sark, and Man, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN ENGINES
OR MACHINES USED FOR OBTAINING MECHANICAL POWER, AND FOR RAISING AND
IMPELLING FLUIDS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging
me, the said George Daniel Bishopp, by an instrument in writing under my liand
and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of iny said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same be
inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months

page_text: next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
George Daniel Bishopp, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):-
My improvements apply to that peculiar class of steam engines commonly
called "Disc Engines," and consist, firstly, in a mode of constructing metallic
packings for the cores and disc of the engine described in the Specification
of a Patent granted to Henry Davies, of Stoke Prior, in the County of
Worcester, Engineer, and dated at Westminster, the Fifteenth day of March
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven, which Specification was duly
inrolled in the Rolls Chapel Office of the High Court of Chancery on or
about the Fifteenth day of September in the same year; and also in another
Patent granted to the said Henry Davies, dated at Westminster, the Fourteenth
day of June, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight, the Specification
of which was duly inrolled in the Rolls Chapel Office, in the said Court of
Chancery, on or about the Fourteenth day of December in the same year; and
also in another Patent granted to the said Henry Davies, dated the Fifteenth
day of July, One thousand eight hundred and forty-four, the Specification of
which was duly inrolled on or about the Fifteenth day of January, One
thousand eight hundred and forty-five, in the Petty Bag Office of the said
Court of Chancery, to all of which Specifications I now refer for a more par-
ticular explanation of the construction and mode of working such disc engines
than it will be necessary for me to give in this my Specification of improve-
ments upon and additions to the said class of engines.
Secondly, my improvements consist in novel modes of adjusting the
bearings and connections of certain of the working parts of such engines;
and, thirdly, in an improved method of constructing the spherical revolving
centre, to which the working piston or disc of such engine is affixed.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a horizontal view of the entire
engine, as seen from above; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken vertically
through the engine near its centre, shewing the working parts within and their
appendages; Fig. 3 represents the interior of the chamber or cylinder, with
the vibrating disc or piston and the packed cones; Fig. 4 exhibits the face of
one of the cones with its packings.

page_text: The general construction of a disc engine being well understood and par-
ticularly explained in the Specifications above referred to, I proceed to point
out the means which I employ for packing and rendering steam-tight the
vibrating disc at the points of contact as it rolls over the faces of the cones.
A, A, is the circular part of a steam-tight box or chamber, which is generally
denominated the cylinder of the engine; B, B, are frustrums of cones
affixed opposite to each other, their bases being parallel, and with their flanges
forming the ends of the cylinder; C is the central ball, which carries the
diagonal shaft D; this ball works in sockets formed in the centres of the.cones,
and the dise E is affixed to it, extending round the equatorial part of the ball
at right angles to the axis of the shaft D. The induction steam is admitted
into the cylinder at one of the apertures a, a, according to the position of the
slide valves b, b, when by the elastic force of the steam bearing against the
face of the disc, the opposite part of the disc will be pressed against the cone,
and thereby cause the disc to vibrate in the way fully explained by the Specifi-
cations above referred to. Now, in order to render the points of contact
between the surfaces of the disc and the cones steam tight, I introduce
elastic metallic packings, consisting of loose ribs c, c, c. These ribs are
formed of bars or slips of brass or iron inserted into radial grooves, cut
in the faces of the cones. One of the slips is shewn detached at Figure 5,
which exhibits its side view or sectional figure, and Fig. 6 represents
a portion of the face of one of the cones with one of the slips c
inserted; and in another part of the same Figure a groove dis
cut for the reception of another slip of like form. Fig. 7 is a section taken
vertically through a portion of the cones at the part where one of the slips is
inserted into its radial groove. It will be here seen that the slip of metal c
does not bear upon the bottom of the groove d, but is supported by a powerful
spring e, placed within a recess in the bottom of the groove. The slips so
inserted in the grooves are each prevented from being forced out of its groove
by a screw f, and all the slips are secured at their extremities by a ring g,
which is let into the edge of the periphery of the cone, and embraces all the
slips by passing through notches or slots cut in their ends. As the disc E,
during the evolutions of the engine, moves over the surface of the cone, its face
comes in contact successively with the outer edges of the slips, and these each
having an elastic bearing from the resistance of the spring below, become
pressed against the face of the disc with a force sufficient to render their lines
of contact perfectly steam-tight. Fig. 8 is a section of a portion of a cone,
shewing a modification of the manner of holding a slip in its grove, which is
effected by a lateral screw h, acting in a recess cut in the side of the slip.

page_text: In this modificationa hempen packing may be inserted ati, between two slips
placed one upon the other, with the spring e below forcing them outwards.
Fig. 9 is another modification of the metallic packing, which is formed by two
slips having inclined surfaces in contact bearing upon each other, which con-
struction will of course, when pressed, expand or slide outward laterally so as
to prevent the passage of steam down the sides of the grooves. Fig. 10 is a
top or face view of both the two last-mentioned Figures. Fig. 11 represents
one of the slips inserted into an inclined groove which, on being pressed, would
tighten itself against the sides of the groove.
...The second head of my improvements, the novel modes of adjusting the
bearings and connections of certain of the working parts of a disc engine, are
represented in Fig. 2 of the Drawings before mentioned. The first of these
which I am about to describe is a means of preventing any strain of the
machinery, caused by an irregular bearing of the vibrating disc upon the faces
of the cones, which would arise from an inaccuracy in the situation or position
of the end of the diagonal shaft inserted into the socket of the crank. My
improved means of adjusting the end of the diagonal shaft D, in the socket of
the crank F, is shewn in the detached sectional Figure 12. The end of the
shaft D (broken off in this Figure) is to be inserted in the socket of the crank
shewn in section at F, F. Within the socket of the crank I place a box k, l,
which fits therein rather loosely, and this box I hold in the socket by two
centres or set screws 1, 1. In the box k I place the brass bush m, m, which is
capable of sliding therein. The centres or ends of the screws 1, 1, pass into
elongated recesses n, n, cut in the sides of the bush, which admits of the bush
being shifted longitudinally so as to accomodate itself tothe end of the diagonal
shaft, in the event of either of them wearing away by use.
A hollow screw
P, P, inserted into the end of the box k, being turned, causes the brass bush m
to slide forward upon the end of the shaft D, for the purpose of tightening it
up. Another screw q, passing through the hollow screw p, on being advanced,
prevents the bush binding upon the shaft. The connection of the diagonal
shaft D to the crank F being thus made, any little vibratory action of the shaft
will be relieved by the box m playing upon the centres l, l, and thereby prevent
any strain of the machinery. I sometimes effect the same object by making
the external figure of the box & spherical, and the interior of the socket of the
crank F of a corresponding curved figure; the centres 1, 1, may in that case
be dispensed with. The main shaft G of the engine (shewn in Figures 1
and 2), to the end of which the crank F is affixed, may, in consequence of wear,
occasionally require adjusting in its bearings; this I effect by the means repre-
sented in the sectional Figures 13 and 14. Fig. 13 represents a transverse

page_text: section of the frame of the engine take through one of the plummer blocks
H, H; and Fig. 14 is a longitudinal section taken through the frame, and
through the middle of both the plummer blocks. The brasses for the journals
of the shaft are shown at r, r, having a set screw s,s, introduced under each of
the lower ones, by turning which set screw the brasses may be raised orlowered
to effect the horizontal adjustment of the shaft, and any desired lateral adjust-
ment may be attained by first loosening the screws, and then moving vertically
the wedge-formed keys t, t, which act against the ends of horizontal drivers
u, u, and thereby cause the brasses to be moved a short distance to the right
or left, according as the wedges are raised or depressed. In order to guide the
vibrating disc E accurately, and cause its slit or opening to move parallel to
the partition or steam stop K, a semicircular guide bar L, L, is firmly affixed
to the diagonal shaft D, and extended over the cylinder, as shewn in Figures
1 and 2. At the upper part of this guide bar a pin M is inserted, pointing in
the direction of the centre of the ball C, and plane of the steam stop K. At
the upper part of the cylindera groove N is formed, in which the pin M works,
and as this groove N is exactly opposite the parallel to the plane of the steam
stop K, when the disc vibrates, it will by the pin M be constantly guided in
its correct positions. A modification of this contrivance is shewn at Figures
16, 17, and 18. In this instance the semicircular bar L does not carry a guide
pin M, but has a transverse semicircular bar P, which bars are connected
The ends of this transverse bar Pare
together at their apices by a joint ».
attached by joints to the outside of the cylinder, the centres of which joints
w, w, stand exactly opposite to each other, coincident with the centre of the
ball, and they quadrate with the partition or steam stop K within.
Under the third head of my improvements I propose to make the central
ball C of a disc engine in two pieces, connecting them together, and to the
disc E, in the manner shewn in the following Figures:-Figures 19 and 20
represent the face and side views of one half of a ball, which is to be affixed
to the disc E, shewn in section at Fig. 21, by screws ., . A corresponding
half of the ball represented at Figures 22 and 23 may then be attached to the
former by means of steady pins, and a key y inserted through the shaft, or by
a nut screwed on to the shaft. The disc may under this modification be made
of wrought iron, and it may be packed on the edges of the slits or openings by
spring slips, as represented at Figures 24 and 25 of a similar construction to
those first described. This will afford the means of allowing the steam in the
engine to work expansively.
Lastly, I desire it to be understood that I do not intend to claim as of my

page_text: A. H. LYNCH.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Second day of April, in
the year above mentioned, the aforesaid George Daniel Bishopp came before
our Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the same Second day of April, in the year above written.