604 
IMPROVED ENGINE FOR 
that they are used in pref erence to turf. 
Eight men are required for the management 
of the machine and the two ploughs, or at 
the rate of nearly one man per acre ; but 
it must be understood that this number 
of men will only be required for the first 
heavy process, and has no relation to any 
subsequent operations in the cultivation of 
bogs, nor to the application of the inven- 
tion to the culture of hard lands. 
After passing a sufficient time on the 
Moss to witness the exhibition of the 
ploughs, and the various other functions 
and properties of the machine, the party 
expressed to Mr. Heathcoat the extreme 
pleasure they had received, and their earn- 
est hope that he would extend the sphere of 
his exertions by applying the invention to 
the culture of stiff clay soils ; and more 
especially, to carry into effect those im- 
portant operations of sub-soil ploughing 
and improved drainage recently introduced 
to the agricultural world by Mr. Smith, of 
Deanston. To effect these processes great 
power is essential ; and it was evident that 
Mr. Heathcoat’ s invention vras equally 
well adapted to them, and would be attend- 
ed with results no less important than 
those which will arise from its application 
to the reclamation and culture of bogs.” — 
London Journal. 
TO JOHN ERICSSON, OF THE NEW- 
ROAD, IN THE COUNTY OF MID- 
DLESEX, ENGINEER, FOR HIS 
IMPROVED ENGINE FOR COM- 
MUNICATING POWER FOR ME- 
CHANICAL PURPOSES. . 
Sealed 24th July, 1830. 
This invention is a steam wheel or rotary 
steam-engine ; it consists of a tight circular 
box or chamber, within which another hol- 
low circular box is intended to revolve. 
The outer box or chamber is made station- 
ary, by being mounted upon a frame or 
standard. The inner box, called a fly drum, 
is fixed upon a revolving axle which extends 
through the former, its ends bearing upon 
anti-friction rollers. Three radial wings or 
partitions, as steam stops, are introduced 
within the rotary drum ; but they are in- 
dependent of it, being affixed to, and made 
stationary with, the outer box, 
Plate 5, fig. 11, represents a sectional 
elevation taken through the machine in the 
direction of its axis ; a, a, is the box or 
outer chamber, into which steam is admitted 
by the pipe b. The box or chamber a, is 
made stationary, being fixed upon a base 
with end frame and standard. Through this 
chamber a shaft or axle e, is passed, bearing 
upon anti-friction rollers at its ends ; and 
COMMUNICATING POWER. 
to this shaft c, the inner box, called the fly 
drum d, d, is attached by flanges. Three 
radial partitions or wings e, e, e, shown in 
fig. 12, are fixed upon a boss or collar f, 
and made stationary, by the collar being 
attached to the outer box, and the axle 
passing through it. The fly drum encloses 
these wings, but is enabled to revolve freely 
round them. 
Steam being introduced into the external 
box a, it passes through slots or openings 
into the fly drum, and from thence escapes 
by an aperture near the axle into the exit 
chamber and eduction pipe g, g. 
It is intended that the steam, when in 
the inner box, shall press against the sta- 
tionary partitions or wings e, e, c, and also 
against inclined planes on the sides of the 
openings or induction apertures, by the 
force and resistance against v/hich the fly 
drum is intended to be made to revolve, and, 
by the rotation of its shaft or axle, to com- 
municate a power capable of driving other 
machinery. 
The Patentee observes, “ It will be seen 
that the wdngs e, e, must have notches or 
spaces cut in them, to allow the channels to 
pass by them in the course of the revolution 
of the fly drum. With reference to these 
channels, it is absolutely necessary to ob- 
serve, that they must be so constructed, 
that the length of the channel shall always 
exceed its depth, in such proportion that the 
channel itself shall always move at a greater 
speed than the steam acting against its 
bottom ; for when the length is to the depth 
as two for one, the motion of the acting 
steam toward the bottom of the channel, 
will only be one-half as rapid as the motion 
of the channel itself.” 
It is unnecessary for us further to recite 
the Patentee’s details and comments upon 
this invention, as it must be perfectly ob- 
vious in what way he proposes to obtain a 
moving power. We cannot, however, help 
remarking, tliat any means of packing the 
edges of the working parts (which consti- 
tutes the most difficult feature in all rotary 
steam-engines) is not once mentioned in 
this specification ; and, upon the whole, the 
scheme is of so crude a character, that even 
its practicability (not to say any thing of 
its usefulness) appears extremely equivocal. 
— Inrolled in the Petty Bag Office^ Janu- 
ary, 1831. — Ibidem. 
DR. CHURCH’S STEAM-COACH. 
We have much pleasure in stating that 
Dr. Church has at length completely and 
satisfactorily accomplished the construction 
of a steam- carriage, in every way suited to 
run on ordinary roads. 
