Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Starting Gas- Engines.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 24th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 26th Oct., 1888
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Starting Gas-
Engines.
I HENRY NIELD BICKERTON of Richmond Street, Ashton-under-Lyne in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as
follows:-
:―
It is necessary in starting Gas Engines as at present constructed and in order to
get the explosive mixture into the cylinder that the piston should make a few strokes.
This is usually done by giving the fly wheel a few turns by hand.
The object of this invention is the novel application and arrangement of a small
water motor and connecting mechanism as hereinafter described, to this purpose.
This motor propose to work by the pressure of water derived by preference from
the ordinary water supply or mains, or it may be worked from a water cistern or
tank of sufficient elevation to give the required pressure or by an air vessel supplied
with water by the main pumped by the engine itself or by hand as hereinafter
described.
In carrying out my invention 1 fix a water motor to the bed of the engine and the
rain of which motor is formed at its front extremity as a toothed rack for gearing
with a spur wheel mounted on the gas engine shaft. This spur wheel is not keyed
direct to such shaft but is in the form of an annular ring around the boss of the
ratebet wheel or its equivalent keyed upon the driving shaft and which ring carries a
pawl or clutch for engaging with such ratchet wheel in one direction but being free
therefrom in the other direction.
In this manner I am enabled to impart two or more rapidly following strokes to
the fly wheel and thus to keep up the momentum of the same until the engine
is started.
The ram of this motor is of less diameter than the cylinder and is fitted at its back
extremity with a cupped leather of the full diameter of the cylinder so that the
difference in area between the piston and cylinder can be utilised for bringing back
the ram when the slide valve is timed to open the communication with the exhaust.

page_text: And in order to ensure sufficient water being available for working my improved
starter where the main or water supply pipe is small I employ an air vessel of
sufficient capacity and which I place in communication with the main water supply.
From this air vessel I then lead a pipe to the motor of sufficient diameter to give a
rapid supply of water thereto and whereby I am enabled to obviate the difficulty of
having too small a main or supply pipe-and am enabled to utilise existing pipes.
I may also employ this air vessel as a receiver for water under pressure for the
same purpose the water being pumped therein by the engine and which pump can be
disconnected so as to be worked by a hand lever in case of necessity.
In this manner I obtain sufficient power to impart a fow revolutions to the engine
and thus avoid the hand labour hitherto necessary.
Or I employ an annular chamber or casing affixed to the engine bed and com-
municating with the main or other water supply pipelor with the air vessel before
mentioned and in which annular casing a rotary piston is capable of revolving for
nearly a complete revolution. The piston in this case is affixed at the extremity of an
arm branching from a shaft and communicating the power to the engine shaft either
by means of an endless chain or by a toothed wheel similar to the arrangement
hereinbefore described.
In another arrangement and by the use of an actuating lever a friction pulley on
the motor shaft is brought into contact with, say the periphery of the fly wheel. This
lever may also be arranged to turn on the water to the motor at the same time.
According to another modification of the invention I employ an ordinary
Hydraulic ram with a chain, one end of which is fixed to the ram whilst the other
end is wound round a drum on the crank shaft of the gas engine and made secure
thereto in such a way as to release itself as it unwinds and thus at the same time to
give the necessary start to the Engine.
Dated the 22nd day of December 1887.
JOHN G. WILSON,
Agent for Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Starting Gas
Engines.
I HENRY NIELD RICKERTON of Richmond Street, Ashton under Lyne, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
It is necessary in starting Gas Engines as at present constructed and in order to
get the explosive mixture into the cylinder that the piston should make a few
strokes. This is usually done by giving the fly wheel a few turns by hand.
The object of this invention is the novel application and arrangement of a small
water motor and connecting mechanism as hereinafter described, to this purpose.
This motor I propose to work by the pressure of water derived by preference from
the ordinary water supply or maius or it may be worked from a water cistern or tank
of sufficient elevation to give the required pressure or by an air vessel supplied with
water by the main pumped by the Engine itself or by hand as hereinafter described.
In Fig. 1 I illustrated a side view and in Fig. 2 a plan of a gas engine having my
improved starting gearing applied thereto.
In carrying out my invention I fix a water motor cylinder a to the bed of the
engine and the ram of which motor is formed at its front extremity as a toothed
rack c for gearing with a spur wheel mounted on the gas engine shaft. This spur
wheel is not keyed direct to such shaft but is mounted in the form of an annular
ring around the boss of the ratchet wheel g or its equivalent keyed upon the driving
shaft e, and which ring d carries a pawl or clutch for engaging with such ratchet
wheel in one direction but being free therefrom in the other direction.
In this manner 1 am enabled to impart two or more rapidly following strokes to
the fly wheel and thus to keep up the momentum of the same until the engine is
started.
The ram of this motor of less diameter than the cylinder a and is fitted at
its back extremity with a cupped leather j of the full diameter of the Cylinder so that
the difference in area between the piston and cylinder can be utilized for bringing
back the ram, when the slide valve k is timed to open the communication with the
exhaust.
And in order to ensure sufficient water being available for working my improved
starter where the main or water supply pipe is small I employ an air vessel of
sufficient capacity and which I place in communication with the main water supply
through the pipe m. From this air vessel I then lead a pipe o to the motor of
sufficient diameter to give a rapid supply of water thereto and whereby I am enabled
to obviate the difficulty of having too small a main or supply pipe-and am enabled
to utilize existing main or supply pipes.
I may also employ this air vessel as a Receiver for water under pressure for the
same purpose, the water being pumped thereinto by the engine, and which pump can
be disconnected so as to be worked by a hand lever in case of necessity. And I
sometimes (where the pressure in the mains is insufficient) charge the receiver with or
partially with pressure from the exploded gases in the gas engine cylinder by opening a
temporary communication through the connecting pipe o..
In this manner I obtain a sufficient power to impart a few revolutions to the Engine
and thus avoid the hand labour hitherto necessary.

page_text: Or I employ an annular chamber or casing as illustrated by side sectional view Fig. 3
and end sectional view Fig. 4 and shown as applied to gas engine upon a smaller scale
by side view Fig. 5 and end view Fig. 6.
This casing communicating with the main or other water supply pipe or with the air
vessel before nientioned and in which annular casing a rotary piston r is capable of
revolving for nearly a complete revolution.
The piston in this case is affixed at the extremity of or forms an arm branching
from a shaft s and communicating the power to the engine shaft t by means of a
chain wheel (as seen in Figs. 5 and 6) endless chain and by a toothed ratchet
wheel w similar to the arrangement hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1
and 2.
In another arrangement and by the use of an actuating lever, a friction pulley on
the motor shaft is brought into contact with, say the periphery of the fly wheel.
This lever may also be arranged to turn on the water to the motor at the same time.
According to another modification of the invention I employ an ordinary
Hydraulic ram as seen in side view Fig. 7 and end view Fig. 8 with a chain A, one
end of which is fixed to the ram cylinder B whilst the other end after passing round
the pulleys E and F, is wound round a drum C on the crank shaft D of the gas engine
fitted with the same ratchet arrangement as hereinbefore described or otherwise
secured thereto in such a way as to release itself as it unwinds and thus at the same
time to give the necessary start to the Engine.
I have thus described and illustrated several practical applications of a water motor
to the purpose of starting a gas engine I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do
not confine myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated on the
accompanying drawings as the same may be considerably varied without departing
from my invention.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1st. In starting a gas engine the employment of a water motor substantially as and
for the purpose hereinbefore described.
2nd. The novel application of and arrangement of water motor and connecting
mechanism for starting a gas engine substantially as herein before described.
3rd. The employment of an air vessel or receiver supplied with water from the
main or pumped by the engine and working in conjunction with a water motor for
starting a gas engine substantially as heroinbefore described and illustrated on the
accompanying drawings..
4th. The improved ratchet and pawl arrangements and combinations of mechanism
for connecting an hydraulic motor with the driving shaft of a gas engine substan-
tially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying
drawings.
5th. The employment of an annular chamber fitted with a rotary piston and con-
nected with the gas engine substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described
and illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
6th. The employment of an hydraulic ram and connecting mechanism for starting
a gas engine substantially as herein before described and illustrated on the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of September 1888.
JOHN G. WILSON,
Patent Office, 55, Market Street, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.