US905371A - Rotary engine. - Google Patents

Description

B'. B.-R0cKWoj0D. Boum ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED 'IAY '1,v 1908. Patented Dec. 1, 1908. l

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'BERNARD BRADFORD 'ROoKWoOn oF L'YfoNs, iowa.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

Application led May 7, 1908. Serial No. 431,459.

To all whom it may` concern:

Be it known that I, BERNARD BRADFORD RooKWooD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lyons, in the county of Clinton and State of Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful Rotary Engine, of which the following is a specification.

-This invention relates to rotary engines and more especially to that type of rotary engine in which the rotor is actuated by reaction.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved general construction of such a device as well as to simplify the manner of constructing the same and with as few parts as possible.

To that end, the invention consists of certain novel' arrangements of parts and combinations of details hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and specifically set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views and', Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rotary engine constructedin accordance with this invention, a portion being broken away. Fig. 2 is a section through the center of such an engine taken at right angles to Fig. 1, and in a vertical plane.

The engine consists substantially `of a Casin@r and a rotor. The casing comprises a cylmdrical portion 10 provided with ends or heads 11. The ends or heads 11 are provided with suitable bearings 12 and 13. The bearings 12 support a shaft 111 whereon is mounted a rotor 15. In the bearings 13 is held a hollow shaft 16 which serves as a l suitable stuifng box 18 is' provided to prevent the escape of steam around the hollow shaft 16. The rotor is of such size as to closely contact with the interior periphery of the part 10 of the casing and is provided with a series of steam passages 19 leading from the steam chamber 17 to the periphery of said rotor. These steam passages are so arranged that the outer end of each is at an acute angle to a tangent plane to the rotor at that point.

Around the inner periphery of the portion 10 of the casing is formed a series of pockets 2O sectoral in-cross section. The center of the arcuate portion of these pockets is preferably in the plane of the inner periphery of the portion 10 and thestraight portion is .at an acute angle vtoa plane passing through that center and tangent to the inner periphery of said part 10. Exhaust pipes 2l preferably .two in number and oppositely disposed are formed in the portion l10 and are branched as at 22 so as to connect with the chambers formed between the rotor and the casing end 11. l

It is to be noted that the pockets 20 are longer than the width of the rotor so that the steam escaping through the passages 19 and into the pockets 20 may escape from these pockets into the spaces between the rotor and the casing end 11, and then through the passages 22 into the exhaust pipe 21.

It is found advisable to make the passages 19 of less number than the pockets 20, and it is further found advisable to make the ratio between the number of passages 19 and the number of pockets 20 a simple one such as 3 to 4, that being the one here shown. By reason of this there will be, in the present instance, but one-third of the passages 19 open to the pockets 20. This produces a considerable economy in the use of the steam. The number of pockets 20 and passages 19 may be varied at will and it will be obvious that the more numerous these passages are the more powerful will the engine be.

In practice it is advisable to provide the hollow shaft 16 with a suitable throttle Valve, and in like manner it is advisable to provide the exhaust pipe 21 with a similar valve. These valves are not here shown as they do not form any part of this invention and may be of any desired form or shape.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and the proportion of the parts of this invention without departing from the principle thereof. It is not therefore, desired to confine the construction to the exact form here shown, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope of the invention.

. What is claimed as new and desired to-be secured by Letters-Patent is z 1. In a rotary engine, an outer casing provided with pockets around the interior periphery, a rotor mounted within and in spaced relation to the end of said casing, and provided with a centrally disposed steam chamber and outlets from the chamber to the periphery, each having its outer end at acute angles to a plane tangent to the pe-- lto a plane tangent to the periphery of the' 15 riphery at the center of the outlet, a steam rotor and center of the outlet, said rotor bepipe communicating with said chamber, and ing of less Width than the sectoral pockets,

an exhaust pipe branched to connect to the spaces between the rotor and the end of the casing.

2. In a rotary engine, an outer casing provided With a series of sectoral pockets around the interior periphery, a rotor mounted Within and in spaced relation to the ends of said casing and provided with a centrally disposed steam chamber and an outlet from the chamber to the periphery, each having its outer end at an acute angle a steam pipe communicating with said chamber and an exhaust pipe branched to connectl to the spaces between the rotor and end of 20 the casing.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

BERNARD BRADFORD ROCKWOOD.

Witnesses:

H. M. LEIMBACH, LOUIS CAVALLIER.

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