Improvements in Gas, Oil, or Hydrocarbon Vapour Engines.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas, Oil, or Hydrocarbon Vapour Engines.
I, JOSEPH IBBETT, of Market Square, St. Neots, in the County of Huntingdon,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to motor engines which are actuated by the pressure
resulting from the explosion of a mixture of air with any inflammable gas, or with a
vapour produced by the volatilization of a liquid hydrocarbon or the like. It consists
in an improved construction and arrangement of parts whereby liquid hydro-carbon
may be volatilized and vapour therefrom or ordinary gas mixed with the air in the
most perfect manner, the cylinder is cooled, and the heat produced at each explosion
is prevented from communicating with the working parts of the cylinder and piston.
In addition where electricity is utilized to ignite the mixture in the cylinder, I
employ a contact breaker of such a construction that two or more sparks are secured
in each cycle, and these being distributed over the area of the cylinder, a much more
perfect ignition is secured.
Many different arrangements of parts may be made subject to my invention, but
in a simple form of engine, I arrange the parts as follows:-The engine is of the
inverted cylinder type, and the valves employed to govern the admission of air and
gas, and the emission of the exhanst products of combustion may be operated in
any convenient manner. Surrounding the upper half of the cylinder is a helical
coil of pipe, and this is arranged to be in close contact with the exterior of the
cylinder, and is preferably brazed thereto. The lower end of this coil is open to
the atmosphere, and the upper end communicates with the interior of the cylinder
through the air and gas admission valve. The gas or hydrocarbon vapour is admitted
at any suitable point in this coil so as to be mixed in the most intimate manner with
the air entering, before passing into the upper end of the cylinder.
The crank and its shaft together with the connecting rod is enclosed in an air-tight
case, and the reciprocation of the piston acts as a pump and draws in air through
a helical coil of tube which surrounds the lower half of the exterior of the cylinder,
and forces it out through a valve in the casing which surrounds the crank and shaft.
The current of air which is by this means caused to pass through the coil serves
the purpose of cooling the cylinder, or the air thus drawn in may be forced into the
upper coil for mixing with the hydro-carbon. The lower end of the casing
which surrounds the crank shaft is used as a receptacle for oil, and arrangements
may be made to connect this with the different parts of the engine in such manner
as to ensure perfect lubrication.
The lower end of the piston is formed in the ordinary manner, but it has an
elongated portion at its upper end which has an internal and external metallic shell,
these two being divided by a layer or layers of some material which is a non-
conductor of heat, or which conducts it but imperfectly. The interior of the inner
hell of the elongated part is open to the interior of the casing which surrounds the
crank shaft through an opening in the under-side of the piston by this arrangement,
he cooling of the niston is secured

page_text: Where electric ignition is employed, I apply a contact maker and breaker in the
upper end of the interior of the cylinder in such manner that each contact secures
two or more different sparks, these being in contact with the mixture of gas or
hydro-carbon vapour and air at different points so as to secure the most perfect
and instantaneous ignition and combustion.
Dated this 27th day of March 1896.
WILLIAM J. MUNDEN,
106 Priory Park Road, Kilburn, London, N.W., Agent for the Applicant.
1, JOSEPH. IBBETT, of Market Square, St. Neots,, in the, County of Huntingdon,
Mechanical, 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:-
This invention relates to motor engines which are actuated by the pressure
resulting from the, explosion of a mixture of air with any inflammable gas, or with
a vapour produced by the volatilization of a liquid hydro-carbon or the like. It
consists of an improved construction and arrangement of parts whereby liquid hydro-
carbon may be volatilized and 'the vapour therefrom or ordinary gas mixed with the"
air in the most perfect manner, the cylinder be cooled, and the heat produced at
each explosion be prevented from communicating with the working parts of the
cylinder and piston. In addition, where electricity is utilized to ignite the mixture
in the cylinder, I'employ a contact breaker of such a construction that two or more
sparks are secured in each cycle, and these being distributed over the area of the
cylinder a much more perfect ignition is secured.
Many different arrangements of parts may be made subject to my invention, and
the helical passages may be formed by coils of pipe surrounding the cylinder, but I
preferably form these, passages by cutting a helical groove or grooves in the exterior
surface of the cylinder and covering the same with a metallic or other casing, as
shewn in the accompanying drawings in which:-
Fig. 1 is an elevation of an engine according to my invention, of the inverted
cylinder type.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section of same taken at right angles to Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the upper end of a cylinder shewing an electrical
lighting device.
A designates the cylinder in the bore of which the piston B is free to reciprocate.
The engine is single acting and the lower part of the piston has a pin c to which the
upper end of the connecting rod C is attached in the usual manner, the lower end
of the connecting rod being connected to the crank pin of the crank by means of
brasses of the ordinary description. The crank shaft 1) is free to rotate in bearings d
formed in the base E upon which the engine stands, and this base is so shaped as to
form an air-tight casing F for the crank and connecting rod.
The upper portion (about half) of the exterior of the cylinder is channelled so as
to form a helical groove a the lower end of which is open to the air preferably through
a perforated, rose. a', the air which is drawn in through this passing along the whole
length of the helical channel a until it reaches, the upper end a³, which is connected
by a pipe with a space above the air and gas valve a. When this valve is moved
from its seat the air and gas or vapour is free to enter the cylinder through the
passage a. The lower portion of the cylinder has a helical channel a' formed in its

page_text: exterior surface similar to a, its upper end being open to the atmosphere through a
rose and valve as and its lower end communicating with the interior of the casing F
through a pipe a. The reciprocation of the piston converts this into a pump which
draws in air through as, sucks it along the whole length of the helical channel a'
and into the interior of the casing F through the pipe a³; it is ejected from the
casing by the down-stroke of the piston, through a valve f.
The whole of the two helical channels a and a' are covered in by a metallic or
other casing G (shewn partly broken away in Fig. 1) which fits closely the exterior
of the cylinder A.
The lower end of the piston B is formed in the ordinary manner, but its upper part
consists of an outer shell 6 which is slightly less in diameter than the cylinder, so as
not to touch it, and an inner shell 6', both being metallic and separated from each
other by a layer or layers b2 of some material which is a non-conductor of heat, or
which conducts it but imperfectly. The inner shell is hollow and its interior is
open to the interior of the casing F by means of an opening ³.
The length of the upper or non-conducting portion of the piston is preferably
equal to or greater than the length of the stroke of the reciprocating piston. By these
proportions it is rendered certain that the exterior surface of the lower or guide part
of the piston, which fits the bore of the cylinder, never reaches or comes into contact
with the interior surface of the upper part of the cylinder, which is directly exposed
to the explosive action.
A cock or other suitable device H opens to any convenient part of the upper helical
coil a, and through this cock either gas, inflammable vapour, or oil can be admitted
to join the air entering the cylinder; in the case of oil, the heat of the cylinder is
depended upon to convert it into vapour.
The charge of air and gas, or the like may be ignited by any ordinary and available
means, but in some cases I employ the device shewn in Fig. 3. Suspended from the
upper end of the cylinder so as to swing freely, and insulated therefrom at p is a
donble armed terminal P which is connected to one of the poles of an electric
generator. The walls of the cylinder, the piston and a contact maker p² are
connected to the other terminal of the same generator. Consequently when the
piston B in its ascent brings the part p' into contact with either of the arms p² or p
of the terminal P. a current is set up, and when this is broken, a sparking takes
place which is sufficient to ignite the explosive mixture in its vicinity. The point p
is lower than p and consequently the first spark is caused by this break of contact.
The contact maker p' is of such a shape that it pushes the arm p² on one side, thus
bringing the point p³ into contact with the part pl and on this contact being broken
a second sparking occurs. By arranging a number of points on the terminal Pat
different heights as shewn in dotted lines the terminal can be caused to swing more
than once and a succession of sparks secured.
An exhaust valve J is shewn operated by means of a rod K which is caused to slide
by means of a cam L. A pinion l inside the casing upon the crank shaft is half the
size of a wheel with which it gears, and these wheels rotate the cam L and its
spindle. Any convenient method however of operating the exhaust and air and gas
valves may be adopted.
The engine operates as follows:-
The cylinder being empty and the piston at its highest position with the air and
gas valve as just opened, the down stroke of the piston draws in air through the
rose a', the helical channel a, the pipe a³ and the passage aº. As this air passes.
the cock or other device H it takes up and mixes with gas or hydro-carbon vapour
until the whole forms an explosive compound. The air andg as valve then closes and
the upstroke of the piston compresses the charge above it which is ignited by any
convenient means as soon as the piston commences to descend. During this down-
stroke the work is done, and when this is completed the exhaust valve J opens and
the next upstroke of the piston expels the products of combustion from the cylinder,
thus completing one, and leaving the engine ready for a second similar cycle."
Every down-stroke forces out a quantity of air from the casing F-through-the-

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valve, and every up-stroke of the piston closes the valve f and draws in a fresh
supply of air through the rose and valve as, helical passage a', and pipe a. The two
currents of air passing around and in contact with the exterior of the cylinder serve
to keep it cool, the metallic walls of the cylinder parting with its heat to the air and
warming it.
In some cases the casing F is connected to the rose a' by means of a pipe X as
shewn in chain-dotted lines; in such cases the air passes successively through the
helical channel a', the casing F, the pipe X, and helical channel a to the cylinder.
An engine according to my invention may be constructed with the crank shaft
-above the cylinder; or the engine may be made of the horizontal type or be inclined
at any angle.
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 :-
1. In a gas, petroleum, or the like engine the use of a helical or other shaped
passage surrounding the cylinder, through which the air is drawn, and in which it is
mixed with gas, vapour, spray, or liquid, before entering the cylinder, substantially
as shewn and described.
2. In a gas, petroleum or the like engine, the crank of which is enclosed in a
casing, the use of a helical or other passage surrounding the cylinder through which
air is drawn and sucked into and forced out of the crank casing by the reciprocations
of the piston, substantially as shewn and described.
3. In a gas, petroleum, or the like engine, the combination of the cylinder A, the
crank casing F, the crank and crank shaft D, the connecting rod C, the piston B,.
the air and gas valve a' and the exhaust valve J, both operated by any convenient
mechanism, and the helical or other passage a, substantially as shewn and described.
4. In a gas, petroleum, or the like engine, the combination of the cylinder A, the
crank casing F, the crank and crank shaft D, the connecting rod C, the piston B,
the air and gas valve as and the exhaust valve J, both operated by any convenient
mechanism, the helical or other passage a' communicating with the casing F, and the
valve f, substantially as shewn and described.
5. In a gas, petroleum, or the like engine, the combination of the cylinder A, the
crank casing F, the crank and crank shaft D, the connecting rod C, the piston B, the
air and gas valve and the exhaust valve J, both operated by any convenient
mechanism, the helical or other passage a, the helical or other passage a
communicating with the casing F, and the valve f, substantially as shewn and
.described.
6. In a gas, petroleum, or the like engine, the combination of the cylinder A,
the crank casing F, the crank and crank shaft D, the connecting rod C, the piston B,
the air and gas valve a³ and the exhaust valve J, both operated by any convenient
mechanism, the helical or other passage a, the helical or other passage a communicating
with the casing F, and the pipe or passage X, substantially as shewn and described.
7. For use in a gas, petroleum, or the like engine, a piston having that end which
receives the force of the explosion, formed of an outer and an inner shell, with a
layer or layers of material which is a non-conductor, or but an imperfect conductor
of heat interposed between the two, and the interior of which is open to the interior
of the casing which surrounds the crank shaft, substantially as shewn and described.
8. For use in a gas, petroleum, or the like engine a piston having that end which
receives the force of the explosion, of less diameter than the interior of the cylinder,.
and of a length which is equal to or greater than the length of the stroke of the
engine; and which is formed of an outer and an inner hollow shell with a layer or
layers of material which is a non-conductor, or but an imperfect conductor of heat
interposed between the two, the interior being open to the interior of the casing which
surrounds the crank shaft, substantially as shewn and described.
9. For use in a gas, petroleum, or the like engine, the electric igniting device
substantially as shewn and described with reference to Fig. 3.

page_text: 10. A gas, petroleum, or the like engine constructed and operating substantially
as shewn and described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 24th day of December 1896.
WILLIAM J. MUNDEN,
106 Priory Park Road, Kilburn, N.W., Agent for the Applicant..