A New or Improved Petroleum or Gas Engine.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Feb., 1898-Accepted, 12th Mar., 1898
A New or Improved Petroleum or Gas Engine.
We, GERMAIN BAPST, Manufacturer, and ARTHUR GRELET, Engineer, both residing
at 5, Rue Scribe, Paris, in the Republic of France, 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 :-
This engine consists of a horizontal cylinder divided into two equal parts which
are rendered entirely independent one from the other by means of a central
partition.
Two cylinders are thus formed, and each receives a piston actuating a central
shaft by means of a lever and a connecting rod. The valve gear consists of
one admission and one exhaust valve for each cylinder. These valves are all enclosed
in a casing and are actuated by a cam driven by the motor shaft.
The carburation of the air is effected by the aid of a suitable valve placed in front
of the admission opening and automatically opened by the piston during the
exhausting period; this valve frees the inlet for the hydrocarbon proceeding from
any suitable reservoir and allows at the same time the entrance of the air required to
vapourise this hydrocarbon in order to form an explosive mixture. Ignition takes
place simultaneously in the two cylinders and the effect of the explosions on the right
and left hand pistons is equalized by the central partition; the pistons move at the
same time away from one another and act on the same shaft provided with two
opposite cranks so as to likewise equalize the effects on this shaft. The engine is
thus balanced at all points and great power can be derived therefrom, with
a reduced volume and weight, while it operates without the addition of a carburator
owing to its connection with a hydrocarbon reservoir or a gas pipe.
In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section, Figure 2
an elevation and Figure 3 a side view of our improved engine. Figures 4 and 5
show the carburation valve.
The cylinder formed integrally with the supports or feet h h¹ is divided into two
parts a and a¹ by the central partition b. The pistons c c¹ connected to the
levers d d fulcrumed at o o' drive by the aid of the connecting rods e e¹ the
double crank shaft f carrying the fly-wheel g. The cycle of operations comprises four
periods. The box n contains the two exhaust valves corresponding respectively
to the two cylinders a a¹. The piece k which connects the rods of these valves
is operated by the cam ; formed integrally with the toothed wheel gearing
with the pinion keyed upon the motor shaft f. The two igniting devices
(electrical or otherwise) are operated by a commutator mounted on the wheel i¹.
The igniting and exhausting periods occur simultaneously for the two cylinders.
The box or casing p which is divided into two parts like the former valve box n
contains the two admission valves m m¹ the latter being automatically opened
during the exhausting period the pipe leading to these valves being connected
by the flange q to that of the elbow containing the carburation valve v, the
central upper part of which is conical. This valve closes the hydrocarbon inlet
and its lower part y is cup shaped; a spring x holds the valve normally closed, the

page_text: said valve being automatically opened during the exhausting period when the
hydrocarbon drops in the cup y while the air likewise exhausted through
the radiating openings t¹ vapourizes the hydrocarbon as soon as it reaches the cup
and thus forms the explosive mixture. A damper a provided with perforations t
allows the entrance of air to be regulated, the tap z regulating the flow of the
hydrocarbon.
When the engine is required to be driven by gas, the tap is connected to a
gas pipe instead of to a reservoir of hydrocarbon, without interfering with the
mechanism.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is -
In petroleum or gas engines, the arrangement of two pistons in a cylinder
centrally divided by a partition and forming thus two engines working simultaneously
with the same valve gear and igniting device upon a shaft provided with two
opposite cranks in order to equalize the effects produced, substantially as herein
described and shown.