Improvements in the Details of Gas and Vapour Engines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 4th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 31st Dec., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Details of Gas and Vapour Engines.
We, JOHN RICHARDSON, of the firm of Robey and Company, and WILLIAM
NORRIS, of 29, Altham Terrace, both of Lincoln, in the County of Lincoln,
Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
Our invention relates to the detail arrangements of gas engines or inflammable
vapour engines and comprises improvements in the starting and oiling gear.
In our improved starting gear we compress air, the exhaust gases, or other elastic
fluid into a reservoir, in the base of the engine, preferably of welded steel through-
out, and we admit this compressed air or other gaseous fluid into the engine cylinder
at every forward stroke; so arranging the valves that the proper admission and
exhaust occurs to allow of this clastic fluid impulse at every forward stroke until:
the engine is started and working at a sufficient speed to withstand the compression.
In carrying this part of our invention into effect by one modification applied to an
Otto cycle engine having a valve shaft rotated at half the number of revolutions of
the engine, we arrange to compress air or other gaseous fluid into a reservoir at
a sufficiently high pressure which pressure may be produced by a suitable pump or
by the explosion. In any case the said pressure is produced while the engine is at
work and stored up in the reservoir by suitable valve arrangements to be utilized
to start the engine into motion when required. In order to start the engine
effectively and certainly, we alter the valve actions so that exhausting takes place
on every back stroke and admission of the gases under pressure from the
reservoir occurs on every forward stroke. So soon as the engine has, attained a
sufficient speed the reservoir connection is put out of gear and the ordinary two to
one action, with explosions succeeding compression, proceeds.
In starting we make arrangements which move the air inlet roller out of line with
its cam simultaneously with the movement of the exhaust roller into gear with a
double cam which opens the exhaust valve at every back stroke. The same move-
ment puts the reservoir pressure supply valve into gear with a double cam opening
at every forward stroke. When the reservoir stop valve is opened, the engine
piston, being set a little on its forward stroke, the gases under pressure at once flow
into the cylinder and the engine starts and rapidly attains its speed as its piston is
propelled on every forward stroke. Suitable hand and other levers and connecting
links are provided to act on this gear and readily start the engine, and then throw
the starting gear out of action and the ordinary valve gear into or out of action as
required.
By our invention as hereinbefore described we readily start an engine of any
dimensions from rest without the necessity of hand labour.
Another part of our invention relates to our improvements in oiling gear, and here
our object is to obtain a more uniform supply of oil than is commonly provided for
by the oiling arrangements ordinarily in use.
In an oiler constructed in accordance with our invention we arrange a rotating
shaft carrying cranked arms having at their ends a depending wire or wires. One
depending wire or wires dips into the main oil reservoir in the lower part of the oil
vessel and in rotating wipes off the oil it carries into a smaller upper reservoir, and
other wires carry oil from the small or upper reservoir to a recess leading to a pipe
or pipes for supplying the engine cylinder and other parts with oil.
The wires lifting from the main reservoir are so proportioned that an excess of
oil is always raised to the upper reservoir whatever the level in the lower
reservoir; the upper reservoir is thus always kept overflowing and the wires feeding

page_text: from it always take a constant charge of oil and deliver it to the required parts of
the engine.
Dated this 2nd day of January 1892.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Details of Gas and Vapour Engines.
We, JOHN RICHARDSON, of the firm of Robey and Company, and WILLIAM
NORRIS, of 29 Altham Terrace, both of Lincoln, in the County of Lincoln,
Engineers, 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 :-
Our invention relates to the detail arrangements of gas engines or inflammable
vapour engines and comprises improvements in the starting and oiling gear.
Referring to the two accompanying sheets of drawings-
Figure 1 illustrates in sectional elevation our new starting gear.
Figure 2 is a plan of the end of the engine and corresponds to Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of our lubricator of which Figure 4 is a plan.
Figure 5 is also a section and Figure 6 a plan of a modification of Figure 3.
Figures 7 and 8 are respectively section and plan of another modification of the
lubricator.
In our improved starting gear (Figures 1 and 2) we compress air, the exhaust
gases, or other elastic fluid into a reservoir A, in the base of the engine, preferably
of welded steel throughout, and we admit this compressed air or other gaseous fluid
from the reservoir by the pipe B into the engine cylinder at every forward stroke ;
so arranging the valves that the proper admission and exhaust occurs to allow of
this elastic fluid impulse at every forward stroke until the engine is started and
working at a sufficient speed to withstand the compression. In carrying this part
of our invention into effect by one modification applied to an Otto cycle engine
having a valve shaft N rotated at half the number of revolutions of the engine, we
arrange to compress air or other gaseous fluid into a reservoir at a sufficiently
high pressure, which pressure may be produced by a suitable pump or by the
explosion. We prefer to produce the pressure by the explosion in the engine
cylinder and for this purpose we slack back the screw d acting on a spring
above the valve D.. The valve is then raised at every explosion and by the
explosion pressure, and a portion of the burned gases are forced into the reservoir A
to produce a pressure depending on the spring forcing down the valve D. That
is the pressure in the reservoir A will alternately be less than the explosion
pressure by the resistance of the valve D and its passages.
In any case whether air or exhaust gases he used the said pressure is produced
while the engine is at work and stored up in the reservoir by suitable valve
arrangements to be utilized to start the engine into motion when required.
In order to start the engine effectively and certainly we alter the valve actions
so that exhausting takes place on every back stroke and admission of the gases
under pressure from the reservoir occurs on every forward stroke.
So soon as the engine has attained a sufficient speed the reservoir connection is
put out of gear and the ordinary two to one action, with explosions succeeding com-
pression, proceeds. In starting we make arrangements which move the air inlet
roller out of line with its cam simultaneously with the movement of the exhaust
roller into gear with a double cam which opens the exhaust valve at every back
stroke. The same movement puts the reservoir pressure supply into gear with a
double cam opening at every forward stroke. In Figure 1, K is the reservoir

page_text: pressure supply valve roller which when slid back engages with the double cam
which cam is carried by the shaft N.
The roller K operates the lever L which opens the pressure supply valve D by
seated spindle E. The spindle seat prevents leakage past the spindle when the
engine is exploding its charges in the usual manner.
When the reservoir stop valve C is opened, the engine piston being set a little on
its forward stroke, the gases under pressure at once flow into the cylinder and the
engine starts and rapidly attains its speed as its piston is propelled on every forward
stroke. That is, the valve D is opened at every forward stroke by the cam I,
lever L and spindle E and so the pressure from the reservoir is admitted to the
cylinder to start the engine. When the engine is started the screw d is screwed
down to press home the valve D to prevent it rising by the explosion pressure and
it is not permitted to rise till it is desired to charge the reservoir.
Suitable hand and other levers and connecting links are provided to act on this
gear and rapidly start the engine and then throw the starting gear out of action
and the ordinary valve gear into or out of action as required.
As shown in the drawings a handle is provided at the end of the lever L to enable
the valve D to be opened by hand for starting and the roller K is then slipped into
gear with the cam I.
The lever M operates the exhaust valve and for starting the roller Fit is moved
into position to engage the double cain G so as to exhaust at every back stroke.
The air valve roller is pushed out of gear with its cam for starting. These
rollers may be arranged to be shifted separately by hand or simultaneously by
lever connections as hereinbefore described. The cam H is the ordinary exhaust
cam.
By our invention as hereinbefore described we readily start an engine of any
dimensions from rest without the necessity of hand labour.
Another part of our invention relates to our improvements in oiling gear and
here our object is to obtain a more uniform supply of oil than is commonly provided
for by the oiling arrangements ordinarily in use.
In an oiler constructed in accordance with our invention (Figures 3 and 4) we
arrange a rotating shaft carrying cranked arms P, Q having at their ends a
depending wire R, S or wires. One depending wire R or wires dips into the main oil
reservoir U in the lower part of the oil vessel, and in rotating wipes off the oil it
carries by way of the fixed wire V into a smaller upper reservoir T, and another
wire S carries oil from the small or upper reservoir T to a recess a leading to a
pipe or pipes for supplying the engine cylinder and other parts with oil.
The wire R or wires lifting from the main reservoir U are so proportioned that
an excess of oil is always raised to the upper reservoir T whatever the level in the
> lower reservoir; the upper reservoir T is thus always kept from overflowing and
the wires feeding from it always take a constant charge of oil and deliver it to the
required parts of the engine.
In the arrangement shown at Figures 5 and 6 double wires S, S are used to raise
oil from the upper reservoir T and as shown in the plan, Figure 6, these wires wipe
5 off on two wires W, X, leading to different oiling pipes to supply two different
parts of the engine.
In Figures 7 and 8 a little measuring vessel e swings on the end of the revolving
crank arm and carries a measure of oil to the chamber g where it is discharged
to oil the engine. This measuring vessel is always filled so long as oil is contained
0 in U so that a constant volume is carried.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
clain is-
1. A starting device for gas and like Otto cycle engines in which a pressure
5 charged reservoir is arranged to supply the cylinder with fluid under pressure at

page_text: every forward stroke to start the engine, substantially as and for the purposes
hereinbefore described.
2. The starting gear for gas and like engines hereinbefore described with
reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
3. In an oiler for gas or like engines, an additional reservoir kept overflowing
with oil by a wire or other means so as to permit another wire or wires to carry
a uniform charge to the oil pipe, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described with reference to Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
4. The oiling gear as herein before described and illustrated at Figures 3, 4, 5,
and 6 of the drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1892.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicants.