the motor, on the contrary, the first named pressure, being opposed to that of supply, reduces the effective head and the velocity of radial flow towards the center. Again, in the propelled machine a great torque is always desirable, this calling for an increased number of disks and smaller distance of separation, while in the propelling machine, for numerous economic reasons, the rotary effort should be the smallest and the speed the greatest practicable. Many other considerations, which will naturally suggest themselves, may affect the design and construction, but the preceding is thought to contain all necessary information in this regard.
The greatest value of this invention will be found in its use for the thermo-dynamic conversion of energy. Reference is now made to Figs. 3 and 4, illustrative of the manner in which it is, or may be, so applied.
As in the previous figures, a runner is provided made up of disks 13 with openings 14 and spokes 15 which, in this case, may be straight. The disks are keyed to and held in position on a shaft 16, mounted to turn freely in suitable bearings, not shown, and are separated by washers 17 conforming in shape with the spokes and firmly united thereto by rivets 18. For the sake of clearness but a few disks, with comparatively wide intervening spaces, are indicated.
The runner is mounted in a casing comprising two end castings 19 with outlets 20 and stuffing boxes 21, and a central ring 22, which is bored out to a circle of a diameter slightly larger than that of the disks, and has flanged extensions 23 and inlets 24 into which finished ports, or nozzles, 25 are inserted. Circular groves 26 and labyrinth packings 27 are provided on the sides of the runner. Supply pipes 28, with valves 29, are connected to the flanged extensions of the central ring one of the valves being, normally, closed.
With the exception of certain particulars, which will be hereinafter elucidated, the mode of operation will be understood from the preceding description. Steam or gas under pressure being allowed to pass through the valve at the side of the solid arrow, the runner is set in rotation in clockwise direction.
In order to bring out a distinctive feature assume, in the first place, that the motive medium is admitted to the disk chamber through a port, that is, a channel which it traverses with nearly uniform velocity. In this case, the machine will operate as a rotary engine, the fluid continuously expanding on its tortuous path to the central outlet. The expansion takes place chiefly along the spiral path, for the spread inward is opposed by the centrifugal force due to the velocity of whirl and by the great resistance to radial exhaust. It is to be observed that the resistance to the passage
