Improvements in Internal Combustion Engines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Internal Combustion Engines.
I, EGIDE UHLENHUTH, of 44, Rue du Bellay, Angers, in the Republic of
France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
-:
The engine constructed according to this invention .operates by the reaction of
two simultaneous explosions of a compressed explosive mixture of air and vapour
of hydrocarbon, such as petroleum, benzine, spirit or the like, which explosions
exert their force in opposite directions in chambers formed as hereinafter
described.
The part of the engine which moves under the action of the explosions is com-
posed of two annular discs in juxtaposition and facing each other and capable
of revolving in opposite directions on a central tube or cylinder fixed on the
frame of the engine.
On the faces of each of the said dises which bear against each other are three
chambers formed by cavities in the said discs, one of which chambers serves as
the explosion chamber and the two others as expansion chambers.
When the explosion cavity of one disc comes into coincidence with that of the
other disc, they form between them a chamber of elliptical section. The meet-
ing line of the two discs intersects obliquely the plane of the ellipse. The same
is the case with the expansion cavities when they come into coincidence.
The two discs may be of cast iron and have outwardly extending cylindrical
parts to give sufficient extent of bearing surface on the central tube or cylinder.
The meeting faces of the said discs are formed to true planes and are kept in
contact by means of screwed collars on the said central tube or cylinder having
ball bearings between to give easy running of the discs. To give a tight joint
between the discs I place in a circular groove formed by coincident and concentric
annular recesses near the outer edges of each disc an elastic ring which prevents
leakage after the manner of the piston rings used in steam engines.
In order to ensure the coincidence of the explosion and expansion cavities and
their reciprocal relation during the movement of the discs which must have the
same speed in contrary directions I connect them by spur wheels which gear with
toothed wheels on the discs, which wheels serve as fly wheels and their shafts
can be geared up to convert their opposite rotations into movement in one
direction.
In the central tube or cylinder which serves as the axis of the two discs is a
central vapouriser chamber outward of which are spaces constituting the channels

page_text: in communication with the exhaust. In the said central tube or cylinder are
also spaces containing igniters and spaces constituting the distributing cham-
bers for the explosive mixture, all these spaces having communicating passages
to the periphery of the said tube or cylinder. A wire-gauze cylinder for receiv-
ing the petroleum from the pulverizer is mounted in the axis of the said tube or
cylinder.
The air is compressed by a pump into a receiver communicating with a reser-
voir of petroleum or the like by a curved tube.
One of the aforesaid shafts of the toothed wheels carries a governor for opera-
ting the valve regulating the introduction of the explosive mixture from the
pulverizing chamber through passages at the end into the distributors in the
periphery of the said central tube or cylinder.
The lubrication of the different parts is ensured by lubricators supplying
lubricant to the gear wheels and ball bearings. The discs are also lubricated by
a lubricator provided for the purpose in such a position that centrifugal force
tends to force the lubricant through the parts of the discs which bear on the cen-
tral tube or cylinder..
The cooling of the engine may be effected by means of vanes turning with the
discs and causing a current of air in the casing enclosing the discs and leaving
by the chimney through which the exhaust gases pass. As the discs rotate the
elliptical chambers come into communication with the passages in the central
tube or cylinder leading to the spaces by which the explosive mixture is supplied
and those containing the igniters and the explosions which are thus caused to
occur in the said elliptical chambers cause the discs to rotate in opposite direc-
tions.
To start the engine the compression pump may be worked by hand to compress
the air in the reservoir of petroleum or the like. Then a small quantity of ben-
zine or gasoline is introduced into the pulverizer and this on entering the vapour-
izer is gasefied. The heaters of the igniters fed by the gas from the vapourizer
are lighted. The air which enters the distributor is mixed with a proper pro-
portion of the vapour from the pulverizer in order to form the explosive mixture
which enters the distribution chambers in the central tube or cylinder through
the axial passage. One of the shafts of the toothed wheels is then turned and
the discs are thus rotated.
When the explosion chambers in the said discs pass over the orifices com-
municating with the distribution chambers they become filled with the com-
pressed explosive mixture and then continuing to turn they communicate with
the igniting chambers and the mixture they contain ignites and produces explo-
sions which drive the discs in opposite directions.
The two chambers full of the highly expanded burnt gases brought away by
the movement come into communication with the expansion chambers where
the gases further expand and assist the operation of the engine and the surplus
gases finally escape through the exhaust passages into the atmosphere by way
of the chimney.
Presuming that the engine is arranged for two explosions to occur at each
revolution the foregoing occurs at the first half revolution and when this is accom-
plished the explosion chambers become refilled the contents ignite, the gases act
by expansion and finally escape as before during the second half revolution and
these operations are repeated whilst the engine is in operation.
The engine may however it will be evident be arranged to give only one ex-
plosion for each revolution and the expansion be prolonged by removing one
igniter.
Dated this 5th day of July 1897.

page_text: Improvements in Internal Combustion Engines.
I, EGIDE UHLENHUTH, of 44, Rue du Bellay, Angers, in the Republic of
France, Engineer, 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:-
The engine constructed according to this invention operates by the reaction
of an explosion of a compressed explosive mixture of air and vapour of hydro-
carbon such as petroleum, benzine spirit or the like which explosion exerts its
force in opposite directions in chambers formed as hereinafter described.
I will describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figs. 1 and 2 are vertical sections of this improved motor taken respectively
on the lines 2-2 3-3 of Fig. 2 and 1-1 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a development of a portion of the surface of the fixed central tube or
cylinder, and
Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are sections of the said tube or cylinder and one of the
discs revolvable thereon, taken respectively on the lines 4-4, 5-5, 6-6
and 77 of Fig. 3.
The part of the engine which moves under the action of the explosions is com-
posed of two annular discs A in juxtaposition and facing each other and capable
of revolving in opposite directions, on a central tube or cylinder B fixed on the
frame or casing C of the engine.
In each of the faces of the said discs which bear against each other are three
chambers formed by cavities D D¹ D² or D* D*, D*, in the said discs one of which
chambers D or D* serves as the explosion chamber and the two others D¹ D³
or D* D* as expansion chambers.
2
When the explosion cavity D of the disc A comes into coincidence with the
explosion cavity D* of the disc A¹ they form between them a chamber of ellipti-
cal section as shewn in dotted lines in Figure 1. The meeting line of the
two discs A A¹ intersects obliquely the plane of the ellipse. The same is the
case with the expansion cavities D1 D2 or D*1 D*, when they come into coinci-
dence with the half chamber D or D* respectively.
The two discs may be of cast iron and have outwardly extending cylindrical
parts or bosses a a¹ to give sufficient extent of bearing surface on the central
tube or cylinder B. The meeting faces of the said discs are formed to true
planes, and are kept in contact with, or at a slight distance from each other by
means of screwed collars E on the said central tube B. having ball bearings
between to give easy running of the discs. To give a tight joint between the
discs I place in a circular groove F, formed by coincident and concentric annular
recesses near the outer edges of the discs, an elastic ring of metal G or of asbestos
which prevents leakage, after the manner of the piston rings used in steam
engines.
In order to ensure the coincidence of the explosion and expansion cavities,
and their reciprocal relation during the movement of the discs, which must have
the same speed in. contrary directions, I connect them by spur wheels H H¹
(Figures 1 and 2) which gear with toothed wheels I secured on the bosses a a¹
of the discs A A¹ respectively which wheels serve as fly wheels, and their shafts J
can be geared up to convert their opposite rotations into movement in one
direction.
In the tube or cylinder B which serves as the axis of the two discs A A¹, is
a central vaporizer chamber K outward of which are spaces constituting. the

page_text: channels L in communication with the exhaust. In the said central tube or
cylinder are also spaces containing the two igniters M and spaces N constituting
the distributing chambers for the explosive mixture; all these spaces having
passages i, h h and 9 respectively communicating with the periphery of the
said tube or cylinder, and O is a wire-gauze cylinder for receiving the petroleum
from the pulverizer or spraying device P.
The air is compressed by a pump Q into a receiver R communicating with
a reservoir S of petroleum or the like by a curved tube T.
One of the shafts J carries a governor U for operating the rod V of the valve f
regulating the introduction of the explosive mixture from the pulverizing cham-
ber through passages at the end into the distributors N.
The lubrication of the different parts is ensured by lubricators X and X¹
supplying lubricant to the gear wheels and ball bearings respectively. The
discs A A¹ turning on the tube or cylinder B are also lubricated by lubri-
cators which convey lubricant to the bearing surfaces of the bosses a, a¹ from
which by centrifugal force it is afterwards carried between the adjacent faces of
the two discs A A¹.
The cooling of the engine may be effected by means of vanes Z turning with
the discs A and causing a current of air in the casing C enclosing the discs the
said air leaving by the chimney cl through which the exhaust gases pass.
As the discs rotate, the elliptical chambers come into communication with
the passages 9 and h in the central tube or cylinder B leading respectively to
the spaces N by which the explosive mixture is supplied and to the spaces M
containing the igniters, and the explosions which are thus caused to occur in the
said elliptical chambers cause the discs to rotate in opposite directions.
To start the engine the compression pump may be worked by hand to compress
the air in the receiver R. Then a small quantity of benzine or gasoline is intro-
duced into the pulverizer P and this on entering the vapourizer K is gasefied.
The heaters of the igniters M fed by the gas from the vapourizer are lighted.
The air, which by opening the cock c, is admitted into the distributor is mixed
with a proper proportion of the vapour from the pulverizer in order to form the
explosive mixture which enters the distribution chambers N through the pas-
sages g. One of the shafts J is then turned by means of a ratchet lever or other
suitable device and the discs A A¹ are thus rotated.
When the explosion chambers D D* pass over the orifices g communicating
with the distribution chambers N they become filled with the compressed explo-
sive mixture, and then, continuing to turn, they meet, as shewn in dotted lines
in Fig. 1, at the part of their rotation, at which through the passages h, they
communicate with one of the igniting chambers M and the mixture they contain
ignites and produces an explosion which drives the discs in opposite directions
as indicated by the arrows.
The two chambers D D* full of the highly expanded burnt gases brought
away by the movement, come successively into communication with the expansion
chambers D* D*, and D1 D2 respectively (as shewn in Figs. 3, 6 and 7) where
the gases further expand and thereby assist the operation of the engine and the
surplus gases finally escape through the exhaust passages i i, communicating
as shewn in Fig. 7 with L, into the atmosphere by way of the pipe c² and
chimney c¹.
Presuming that the engine is arranged for two explosions to occur at each
revolution the foregoing occurs at the first half revolution and where this is
accomplished the explosion chambers D D* become refilled at the second set of
chambers N, the contents ignite at the second igniter M and the gases act by
expansion and finally escape at i as before, during the second half revolution,
and these operations are repeated whilst the engine is in operation.
"
The operation of the engine may be controlled by adjusting the cock band
valve e which regulate the supply of petroleum or the like and air to the pul-
verizer P.

page_text: The engine may however, it will be evident, be arranged to give only one
explosion for each revolution and the expansion be prolonged by removing one
igniter.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven--
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In a double-acting internal combustion engine, discs arranged to turn in
opposite directions and having at their plane adjacent faces explosion and ex-
pansion chambers each of substantially semi-elliptical form and means for dis-
tributing the motive agent substantially as herein before described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting an internal combus-
tion engine substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated this 31st day of March 1898
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.