AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF ROTARY STEAM ENGINE
Year: 1867

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 "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF ROTARY STEAM ENGINE."
A communication from abroad by William Owen of the City of Toronto.
Sealed the 8th May 1868, and dated the 25th November 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 25th November 1867.
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 "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF ROTARY
STEAM ENGINE," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel construction of rotary engine which admits
of being driven in opposite directions at the will of the attendant.
The engine consists of a cylinder, through the end plates of which passes a
driving shaft carrying a cam or block mounted concentric with the cylinder;
this block is made to work steam-tight against the end plates. It is formed
with recesses in its periphery to receive hinged pistons which fit closely in their
respective recesses except when forced out by the impelling power of the steam.
In one portion of the cylinder metallic packing with tapering ends is provided
which forms a steam stop between the inner periphery of the cylinder and the
periphery of the block or cam, and it serves to press down the pistons (as they

page_text: are brought round by the rotation of the block) into their respective recesses.
Two sets of pistons are provided, one set to act in one and the other in the
opposite direction. Each set may consist of two or more pistons. At opposite
sides of the cylinder is an opening for the admission of steam from the boiler,
and these openings act either as induction or eduction ports or passages
according to the direction of rotation required. The ports are supplied with
steam from a steam chest which has a division therein, or two discharge ports
which open through the cylinder end into the circuit described by ports or
passages made in and through the rotating block to lead the steam to the
back of the pistons, one port being for supplying steam to one set of pistons,
and the other to the other set of pistons.
In some cases it may be desirable to fix the cam or block shaft and to
drive the cylinder and take the motion therefrom.
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 25th May 1868.
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-fifth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first 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, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter 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
Invention for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF ROTARY STEAM ENGINE,"
heing a communication to me from William Owen, of the City of
Toronto, Canada, 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 bands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in

page_text: 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.
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 ascertained 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):
This Invention relates to a novel construction of rotary engine which admits
of being driven in opposite directions at the will of the attendant.
The engine consists of a cylinder, through the end plates of which passes a
driving shaft carrying a cam or block mounted concentric with the cylinder;
this block is made to work steam-tight against the end plates. It is formed
with recesses in its periphery to receive hinged pistons which fit closely in
their respective recesses except when forced out by the impelling power of
the steam. In one position of the cylinder metallic packing with tapering
ends is provided which forms a steam stop between the inner periphery of the
cylinder and the periphery of the block or cam, and it serves to press down
the pistons (as they are brought round by the rotation of the block) into their
respective recesses. Two sets of pistons are provided, one set to act in one
and the other in the opposite direction. Each set may consist of two or more
pistons. At opposite sides of the cylinder are ports or openings for the
admission of steam from the boiler; these ports are opened or closed
according to the direction of rotation required for the engine; from each of
these ports the steam passes to one of two annular steam chests made in th
ends of the rotating cam or block; these steam chests are divided into two
equal parts, from each of which a passage leads off to the back of a piston.
The steam therefore is caused to act on the back of the pistons, and thereby
impart the required propelling power to the engine.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 shews the improved engine in
vertical section transversely of its axis, and Fig. 2 shows the rotating piston
block detached from the cylinder or case.
A, A, is the case fitted with suitable end plates and cast with exhaust
ports a, a, at its periphery; the interior of this case, it will be seen, is con-
centric for rather more than one-third of its internal periphery with the
axle B which works in stuffing boxes in the end plates, and it then contracts
to a smaller concentric diameter. The piston block C is fitted to their smaller
concentric portion, and to prevent the passage of steam between these surfaces
metallic or other packing may be provided. The piston block is keyed to the

page_text: axle B and it is recessed at its periphery to receive the hinged pistons D
and D* which are made capable of lying snugly therein when not in action,
and forming a steam space d behind them. E shews one of the annular steam
chests formed in the opposite ends of the block and divided by stops e, c.
From the divisions of the steam chest lead off passages f, f, in communication
with the spaces d, d, behind their respective pistons; b, b*, Figs. 1 and 2 are
the steam supply ports leading directly to their respective steam chambers.
It will now be understood that if steam is admitted through one of these
ports, say b, Fig. 1, to its steam chest the steam until cut off will continue to
pass out at the back of the raised piston D driving it forward until it is closed
by coming in contact with the contracted diameter of the cylinder or case.
Before, however, this occurs the steam will discharge into the other division
of the steam chest, and as soon as the other piston D is free to rise it will
receive the propelling power of the steam at its back, and thus the continued
rotation of the piston block will be kept up. To reverse the engine it is
only necessary to cut off the steam and admit it at the other port 6* when
the steam will act upon the pistons D* which are hung in the block in
the opposite direction to the pistons D, and the consequence will be the
rotation of the block in the opposite direction and the exhaustion of the
steam by the opposite exhaust pipe.
In some cases it may be desirable to fix the case or block shaft and to
drive the cylinder and take the motion therefrom.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "An Improved Con-
struction of Rotary Steam Engine," as communicated to me from abroad,
and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect I wish it to be
understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim, the
improved construction of reversible rotary engine above described.
In witness whereof I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-fifth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.B.)