IMPROVEMENTS IN HEATING AND CONTROLLING GASES FOR MOTORS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Wallace Alexander Bartlett of Washington in the
district of Columbia and United States of America Patent Solicitor for an
Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN HEATING AND CONTROLLING GASES FOR
MOTORS communicated to him from George Edward Haight of Milford in the
County of New Haven and State of Connecticut and William Henry Wood
of the City and County of Hartford in the State of Connecticut and William
Edgar Winsor of the city county and state of New York all in the United
States of America
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Wallace Alexander Bartlett
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th October 1883.
WALLACE ALEXANDER BARTLETT of Washington in the District of Columbia
and United States of America Patent Solicitor IMPROVEMENTS IN "HEATING AND
CONTROLLING GASES FOR MOTORS communicated to me by George Edward
Haight of Milford in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut,
William Henry Wood of the city and county of Hartford in the State of
Connecticut and William Edgar Winsor of the city county and State of New
York all in the United States of America
This invention relates to the method of heating the gas to produce expansion
for use in the class of motors which are driven by the expansion of compressed
gas under high pressure as carbonic acid gas engines and others of that class, and
is especially intended for use in gas engines for torpedo boats; also to details of
construction of the devices used for such engines especially the gas supply therefor.
The object of this invention is to produce a rapid expansion of the gas after it
leaves the flask or holder where it is held in a compressed or liquified state and
before it enters the engine and to prevent refrigeration due to such expansion.
The special features of this invention will be berein after pointed out in the
claims. On the drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the shell of a

page_text: torpedo boat, showing in a general way the arrangement of the parts or
compartments of the boat. Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of cylinder which
contains the expansion coils and chemicals. Figure 3 is a cross section thereof.
Figure 4 is a plan view of the lime chamber, Figure 5 is an end view of the
expansion cylinder showing device for dumping the lime chamber. Figure 6 shows
the cover and Figure 7 its mode mode of attachment enlarged. In Figure 1 A is
a flask or chamber in a torpedo boat adapted to contain carbonic acid nitrous
oxide or similar gases. The pipe which conveys the gas from the reservoir to the
engine passes through compartment B over the top of the expansion cylinder, to
the throttle valve then returns and is passed back and forth in the cylinder b then
out to the engine in compartment D, The reel of cable by which the boat is guided
is in the compartment C, I give this as a convenient and desirable arrangement
of the parts and compartments of the boat referred to but other arrangements
may be made, The cylinder b preferably of copper is somewhat smaller in
diameter than the compartment B of the boat, in which it is placed so as to leave
room above said cylinder or flask for the passage of pipes and wires, In the lower
portion of cylinder 6 the pipe a is coiled or stored having a sufficient number of
turns to bring a considerable amount of surface in contact with any liquid which
may be put in the vessel 6 The cylinder b is partly filled with a mixture of
sulphuric acid and water which can remain for a considerable time in contact with
the pipes without special damage thereto. Other equivalent chemicals may be
used, Above the coiled pipes a there is a lime chamber c This lime chamber is
preferably a trough having journals at each end, which journals pass through the
heads d of the cylinder b. The trough a side view of which is shown in Figure 2
may be a pipe with a section or side removed. The journal e has a gear wheel f
attached thereto which engages with a worm g the shaft h of which leads to the
outside of the boat where it may be turned by a key or crank thus revolving the
chamber or trough c in its bearings.
The open portion of the trough c is covered, preferably by a sheet of rubber c¹
which is strengthened at the edges by wires c. When the trough is filled with
lime, the cover c¹ is cemented thereon to retain the lime in place, The edge c² of
the cover c¹ is connected with the shell of the cylinder by wires or chains i
which may be attached to hooks or rings k inside said reservoir. Thus when the
line chamber is revolved on its axis the cover c¹ being retained by said connections
will be torn off from the trough or chamber and the contents of said chamber
will be dumped. The operation of the device is as follows: The gas reservoir
being charged with gas and the expanding cylinder c being partly filled with
liquid chemicals so as to cover pipe a and the line chamber being filled with lime,
hermetically sealed therein by the cover when it is desired to start the boat, the
rod h is turned thus tearing off the cover of lime chamber c and dumping the
lime into the chemicals at the bottom of the cylinder. By the rapid slaking of
the lime a high degree of heat is at once developed, The gas flows from the flask
to the throttle valve, then through a where it absorbs the heat developed by the
chemicals in contact with the coils of pipe a and is rapidly expanded and all
danger of refrigeration avoided. The gas at once passes to the engines to propel
the boat and then escapes through the exhaust or is condensed by suitable
apparatus. I claim 1 The method herein described of expanding the gas in a
supply pipe which consists in bringing a supply of lime suddenly into contact
with a body of chemicals of the character described, said chemicals being in contact
with the feed pipe leading to the engine as set forth. 2nd The combination of the
expansion chamber the pipes therein and the lime chamber arranged as described
so that the lime chamber may suddenly dump its contents into the expansion
chamber as set forth, 3rd The combination of the flask a pipe leading to the
engine, an expansion cylinder through which said pipe passes and a throttle valve
arranged between the flask or reservoir and the expansion cylinder 4th The com-
bination with the reversible lime chamber of the cover secured thereto, and devices

page_text: substantially as described for tearing off the cover when the chamber is reversed
5th The combination of the cylinder 6 having pipes therein as described the lime
chamber c having a cover, devices for removing said cover and the worm gear and
shaft leading to the exterior of the boat for reversing the lime chamber as
set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Wallace Alexander Bartlett have hereunto set
my hand and seal this twenty fourth day of Sept in the year of our Lord, One
thousand Eight hundred and Eighty three,
WALLACE ALEXANDER. BARTLETT (L.S.)