Improvements in Reaction Motors.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 12th June, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 11th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 12th Apr., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Reaction Motors.
I, EDMUND HUNT, of 87 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object to obtain improved results with reaction motors
actuated by fluids working with a head or pressure.
My Invention consists principally in constructing the motor wheel so that the
motive fluid acts frictionally on, or moves in it in the direction of the wheel's motion
before operating by reaction.
In a reaction wheel or turbine to be worked with water and made according to one
modification, the water is led into a space at the centre of the wheel and either
directly enters one or more passages formed in the wheel or first passes between
stationary guide blades which deflect it so as to give it an approximately tangential or
circular motion in the direction in which the wheel is to rotate. The wheel is made
with one or more passages of a spiral or voluto form disposed so that the water in
passing through it or them to the periphery moves in the direction of the wheel's
rotation. Each passage has its area gradually contracted as it extends outwards in
such proportion that the increased velocity of the water due to the contraction will
correspond or approximately correspond to the increasing velocity of the parts of the
wheel due to their greater distances from the axis. At the periphery each passage
communicates by a sharp bend with one or more reaction orifices which (as in
ordinary reaction wheels) face backwards relatively to the direction of rotation of
the wheel. The reaction orifices may be of such increased area relatively to the
area at the entrances to them as that the water may leave them with little or no
velocity.
When steam or other elastic fluid is employed as the motive agent, the spiral or
volute passage or passages in the wheel may be gradually contracted as their distance
from the centre increases as described for a water motor. I however prefer that for
an elastic fluid the passage or passages should be formed with uniform or increasing
area as their distance from the centre increases, the expansion of the fluid causing its
velocity to increase. For an elastic fluid the reaction orifices may be made with or
without increase of area or there may be enlargements close to the orifices the orifices
being contracted relatively to such enlargements.
Instead of the motor wheel being made with a spiral or volute passage of one or
more convolutions, it may be made with a considerable part of its interior not divided
into passages and with comparatively short passages only at or near its periphery,
such passages being however shaped so that the motive fluid will pass along them
in the direction of the wheel's rotation to short return passages and reaction orifices
facing the other way.
Instead of the motive fluid entering at the centre of the motor wheel and leaving by
reaction orifices at the periphery, the apparatus may be constructed so that it may
enter a casing enclosing the wheel, and pass at the periphery of the wheel into
passages formed in the wheel to reaction orifices discharging into a central space. Or
the passages in the wheel may be disposed helically, the motive fluid entering at one
end of a cylindrical casing enclosing the wheel and the reaction orifices being in a
space at the other end of the casing. Or the wheel may be made with right-
handed and left-handed helical passages the motive fluid entering at the middle and
discharging at the ends or vice versa.
Dated this Eleventh day of June 1889.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Reaction Motors.
I, EDMUND HUNT, of 87 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Patent Agent, 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, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object to obtain improved results with reaction motors
actuated by fluids working with a head or pressure.
My Invention consists principally in constructing the motor wheel so that the
motive fluid acts frictionally on, or moves it in the direction of the wheel's motion
before operating by reaction.
A reaction wheel or turbine to be worked with water and made according to one
modification is shown in vertical and horizontal section in figures, 1, and 2, on
sheet, 1, of the accompanying explanatory drawings. The water is led into a space
at the centre of the wheel and either directly enters one or more passages formed
in the wheel or first passes between stationary guide blades, A, which deflect it so as
to give it an approximately tangential or circular motion in the direction in which
the wheel is to rotate. The wheel is made with one or more passages, B, of a
spiral or volute form disposed so that the water in passing through it or them to the
periphery moves in the direction of the wheel's rotation. Each passage, B, has its
area gradually contracted as it extends outwards in such proportion that the increased
velocity of the water due to the contraction will correspond or approximately
correspond to the increasing velocity of the parts of the wheel due to their greater
distances from the axis. At the periphery each passage communicates by a short
bend with one or more reaction orifices, C, which (as in ordinary reaction wheels)
face backwards relatively to the direction of rotation of the wheel. The reaction
orifices may be of such area relatively to the area at the entrances to them as that
the water may leave them with little or no velocity. The best results will probably be
obtained when the velocity of the wheel at the periphery is a little less than half the
velocity of the water due to its head or pressure.
When steam or other elastic fluid is employed as the motive agent, the spiral or
volute passage or passages, B, in the wheel may be gradually contracted. as their
distance from the centre increases as described for a water motor. 1 however prefer
that for an elastic fluid the passage or passages should be formed with uniform or
increasing area as their distance from the centre increases, the expansion of the fluid
causing its velocity to increase. For an elastic fluid the reaction orifices may be made
with or without increase of area, or there may be enlargements close to the orifices the
orifices being contracted relatively to such enlargements.
Instead of the motor wheel being made with a spiral or volute passage of one or
more convolutions it may be made as shown in the diagram, figure, 3, sheet, 2, with a
considerable part of its interior not divided into passages and with comparatively
short passages, B, only at or near its periphery, such passages being however shaped
so that the motive fluid will pass along them in the direction of the wheel's rotation to
short return passages and reaction orifices, C, facing the other way.
Instead of the motive fluid entering at the centre of the motor wheel and leaving
by reaction orifices at the periphery, the apparatus may be constructed as shown in
the diagram figure, 4. In this modification the motive fluid enters a casing, D,
enclosing the wheel and passes at the periphery of the wheel into passages, B, formed
in the wheel to reaction orifices, C, discharging into a central opening, G. Or the
passages, B, in the wheel may be disposed helically, as shown in the diagram figure, 5,
the motive fluid entering at one end of a cylindrical casing, E, enclosing the wheel
and the reaction orifices, C, being in a space at the other end of the casing. Or the
wheel may be made as shown in the diagram figure, 6, with right-handed and left-
handed helical passages, B 1, B 2, the motive fluid entering at the middle and
discharging at the ends or vice versa.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The improved construction of reaction motors the essential feature thereof being
the formation in the wheel or motor of a passage or passages through which the
motive fluid moves in the direction of. the rotation of the wheel or motor prior to
issuing from the reaction orifice or orifices in the opposite direction substantially as
hereinbefore described.
Dated this Touth dan of Mauch 1000
EDMUND HUNT.