Improvements in Rotary Steam Engines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd June, 1897-Accepted; 30th Oct., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Steam Engines.
I, Louis M. HAKANSSON, of Mason City, in the County of Cerro Gordo, and
State of Iowa, United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in steam engines,
and especially to a rotary, impact engine, in which is a rotary disk having a
series of steam pockets or steam chambers disposed on opposite sides of the disk
aud into which steam is allowed to enter in order to rotate the disk in the direction
desired.
A further part of the invention resides in the peculiar construction of a rotary
impact engine, in which provision is made for running the disk which contains
the steam pockets or chambers either in a forward or a reverse direction, by
having the said pockets or steam chambers arranged in concentric circles and
extending in opposite directions, whereby steam may be admitted from either
side in the pockets which are arranged to drive the disk in the direction desired.
A further part of the invention resides in the peculiar construction of the
valve regulating mechanism whereby steam is admitted simultaneously on opposite
sides of the disk.
To these ends, and to such others as the invention may pertain, the same con-
sists further in the novel construction, combination and adaptation of parts, as
will be hereinafter more fully described, and then specifically defined in the
appended claims.
The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with
the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this Specification and in
which similar letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views,
in which:
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved rotary impact engine having one of
the sides of the casing about the rotary disk removed, showing the arrangement
of the steam chambers or pockets, with parts in section.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one side of the casing which encloses the ports
which have been removed.
Fig. 3 is the casing removed from Fig. 2, showing the inside.
Fig. 4 is a vertical, central, sectional view through the valve regulating
mechanism, on line 44 of Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line 5-5. of Fig. 2.
Fig. 6 is a detail view of the valve cylinder removed.
Fig. 7 is a vertical section through the rotary disk showing steam pockets.
Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, A, designates
Mounted in the
the base portion upon which the cylinder casing is secured.
side plates B and C of the casing, is the shaft I), to which is keyed or otherwise
secured a disk E which has formed on opposite sides in concentric series, steam
pockets.or chambers e, (Figs. 1, 5 & 7) each alternate series of pockets opening in

page_text: opposite direction from the intermediate series, whereby it will be possible to
reverse the movement of the disk when: desired.
In the drawings are shown four concentric series of these pockets, but more
may be employed if desired. Each of these pockets has a tapering or inclined
entrance leading into the same and it will be noted that the pockets on the
opposite side of the disk in the same-series, open in opposite directions, whereby
3 will hereinafter appear, two currents of steam may be by one movement of
the valve allowed to strike against pocketston each side of the disk, which will
cause the disk to move in the same direction and also cause the disk to make a
reverse motion when the valve is turned, so as to allow steam to pass through
registering ducts and to enter sleam chambers whicli open in an opposite direction.
In each wall of the casing in which, the disk is journaled, are the steam ports 1,
(Fig. 2) the upper of which leads into a duct F (Figs. 3 & 4) which duct leads
to the cylindrical valve chamber G and the lower of the said ports, leads into a
duct communicating with the said valve chamber, the two ducts being separated
by a partition Fa as will be seen. These ducts, and ports are thus arranged for
the purpose of allowing steam to enter therein, which will cause the disk to
revolve in a forward or reverse direction. Both side plates, enclosing the disk
are similarly arranged with ducts and ports, which communicate with the valve
chamber, one on each side, in the manner described.
The valve chamber is cylindrical in shape, having the two ports on diametrically
opposite sides, which open therein. The valve by which steam is allowed to enter
one port on each side in order to drive the engine in one direction, consists of a
hollow cylinder K, (Fig. 6) which has at its lower end an extended portion K'
which passes through an aperture in the bottom portion of the said valve chamber,
and on diametrically opposite sides of the said valve cylinder are the ports L, L,
one arranged near the lower end of the valve cylinder, and the other above, and
at the upper end of the said cylinder, is a collar K which has a series of teeth
on its under edge, and these teeth are adapted to engage with the teeth G³, formed
about a shoulder on the interior of the valve chamber, and are provided to hold:
the valve from rotation: Mounted on the lower end of the said extension K'
is a handle K whereby the valve may be operated. Suitable packing is inter-
posed between the bearing members at the lower end of the valve chamber, and
a spring may be utilized to hold the valve cylinder firmly seated, if desired.
It will be noted, that when the steam is allowed to enter through the pipe N
into the hollow cylinder, if the cylinder valve is turned so that the lower port in
the cylinder is caused to register with the port G3 leading into steam duct
beneath the partition F dividing the two ducts on one side, the upper port in the
said cylinder will register with the upper port Ga leading to the duct above the
partition on the opposite sides of the disk, which will cause the engine to rotate 4
in the direction indicated by the arrows, or in a forward direction, while if the
said cylinder is turned a one-half revolution, steam will be allowed to enter
through the ducts above and below the partitioned ducts respectively, in a reverse
manner, which will cause the disk to rotate in the opposite direction, as will be
readily understood.
Each of the said plates on opposite sides of the disk are recessed out at Q
(Fig. 5) which allows an exit for the exhaust steam which is allowed to enter into
the said recessed portion which leads to an exhaust pipe R diametrically opposite
the steam port through which steam is allowed to enter the cylinder.
If preferred, the engine may be covered with sheet iron over the nuts holding 5
the plates together, and the bottom of the casing may be cast together with one
of the cylinder plates.
It is obvious that the construction which I have shown and described may be
modified within certain limits without departing from the spirit of the invention,
as for instance the number of pockets in the disk may be varied, and ducts or 5
ports may be placed at any points upon the faces of the side plates, the same
being arranged as desired and exit ducts or ports may be employed. It is also

page_text: evident that more than one disk can be used by properly arranging the pockets.
The collar upon the valve may be used either with or without teeth, as desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In a rotary, impact engine, the combination with the disk as described, of
the plates having ports therein; combined with a 'hollow cylinder valve, which
has ports on opposite sides, but in different planes, which are adapted to register
with ducts on opposite sides of the disk, whereby as the said valve is turned so
that the ports will register in the said ducts, the disk may be made to revolve in
opposite directions, and an exhaust pipe communicating with the pockets, sub-
stantially as described.
2. In a rotary engine, the combination with the casing carrying the disk
having steam pockets and ducts leading thereto, of a hollow, cylindrical, vertically
movable and rotary valve, with ports on opposite sides and in different planes,
the said cylindrical valve having a rim at its upper end toothed on its under
edge, and designed to engage with the serrated shoulder on the inner wall of the
partitioned valve chamber, substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 93 day of June 1807
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.