IMPROVED MEANS FOR CON- VERTING A RECIPROCATING INTO A ROTARY MOTION
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Draughtsman, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS FOR CON-
VERTING A RECIPROCATING INTO A ROTARY MOTION."-A communication
from abroad by Robert McCollom Fryer, of Nashville, in the
State of Tennessee, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 22nd March 1872.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS FOR CON-
VERTING A RECIPROCATING INTO A ROTARY MOTION," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to produce a simple and practical
combination of connections, whereby a reciprocating motion may be

page_text: converted into continuous rotary motion. This is accomplished by the
use of a double working beam or cross, one end or arm of which is
connected with the crank of a driving shaft, the opposite arm with a
reciprocating cross head, and the two remaining arms with separate
reciprocating pistons, by which means a reciprocating motion, or a
vibrating one, or both a vibrating and reciprocating force or motion, is
applied to the crank shaft.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 20th September 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there.
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVED MEANS FOR CONVERTING A RECIPROCATING INTO A ROTARY
MOTION," being a communication to me from abroad by Robert McCollom
Fryer, of Nashville, in the State of Tennessee, United States of America,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say) :-
The object of this Invention is to produce a simple and practical
combination of connections to convert reciprocating motion into con-
tinuous rotary motion. This is accomplished by the use of a double
working beam or cross, one end or arm of which is connected with a
crank, the opposite arm with a reciprocating cross head, and the two
remaining arms with separate reciprocating pistons, by which means a
reciprocating motion or a vibrating one, or both a vibrating and recipro-
cating force or motion, is applied to the crank.
Having thus specified the object and nature of the Invention, its
description will be proceeded with in reference to the accompanying
Drawing, which represents a sectional elevation of a double cylinder
engine, in part with the improved connection applied to it.
A, A¹, are two engine cylinders arranged side by side, and provided
with reciprocating pistons B, B¹, having rods C, C¹; D is a cross or beam
of four arms E, F, G, and H; I, I', are vertical guides for and between
which a cross head or sliding block J reciprocates; K is a crank to
which E, one of the cross arms, is connected. The opposite arm F is
connected with the cross head J. The piston rod C is connected with
the cross arm G by means of a link L, and the piston rod C¹ with the
arm H by a link L'; M, N, O, and P, are the ports or openings, into
the cylinders A, A'.
The operation is as follows:-When force is applied to either of the
pistons separately, the arm of the cross in connection therewith has a
tendency to revolve the whole cross, but as this is prevented at the top
by means of the cross head J, which acts as a fulcrum, the bottom or
opposite arm is forced to the right or left, as the case may be, while at
the same it is forced in an opposite direction to the force applied to
said piston.
When equal force is applied in the same direction to both pistons,
the whole cross acts as an ordinary connecting rod in connection with

page_text: a crank and reciprocating motion, inasmuch as it has no vibrating force
or action.
Now by referring to the Drawing it will be observed that the crank K
is situated at the lower part of the cross, and is placed at the upper
extremity of its travel, and the pistons B, B¹, are at the upper end of
their stroke.
Steam being first admitted through the opening M, the piston B is
driven downward, and the crank K is moved in the direction of the arrow,
and when said crank has travelled about forty-five degrees of a circle
steam is admitted through the opening N, which produces down-
ward force upon piston B³, that until then has moved but a short
distance. Both pistons now act together in forcing the crank around
to about one hundred and thirty-five degrees from the starting point,
when the pressure is relieved or partially relieved from piston B,
which at this time moves slow, and the piston B' is left. to carry the
crank around to one hundred and eighty degrees from the starting point,
when steam is admitted through opening O, the pressure from piston B¹
being very soon after relieved. This forces the piston B upward, moving
the crank K in the direction of the arrow, and when said crank arrives
at about two hundred and twenty-five degrees from the starting point,
steam is admitted through the opening P, which produces an up-
ward force of the piston B¹, that until then has moved slowly, and
thus both pistons are brought into action and carry the crank to
about three hundred and fifteen degrees from the starting point, when
the pressure is relieved or partially relieved from the piston B, and the
piston B¹ carries the crank up to the point from which the operation
began.
It may be readily seen that the above combination will produce
rotary motion with the steam supply adjustment herein. named, though
in practice it may prove advantageous to vary this adjustment.
It may also be observed that the positions of the crank K and cross
head J may be reversed or be changed, so that all the present vertical
parts may be placed horizontally, and that a substitute may be employed
for the above-described cross.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of " Improved
Means for Converting a Reciprocating into a Rotary Motion," as com-
municated to me by my foreign correspondent, and explained the

page_text: manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that
under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim, a cross or its
equivalent situated between the connections of two reciprocating
pistons, and a crank and a reciprocating cross head or suitable guide,
the several parts being combined substantially as and for the purpose
above set forth.
commettons ΟΙ DWO reciprocating
istons, and a crank and a reciprocating cross head or suitable guide,
he several parts being combined substantially as and for the purpose
bove set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twentieth day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twentieth day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two