IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH ENGINES ACTUATED BY THE EXPLOSION OR COMBUSTION OF A MIXTURE OF. COMBUSTIBLE GAS OR VAPOUR AND AIR
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Wilden King, of Saint Swithin's Lane, in the
City of London, and Alfred Cliff, of Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH
ENGINES ACTUATED BY THE EXPLOSION OR COMBUSTION OF A MIXTURE OF.
COMBUSTIBLE GAS OR VAPOUR AND AIR."
Sealed the 16th April 1880, and dated the 24th October 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Wilden King and
Alfred Cliff at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th October
1879.
CHARLES WILDEN KING, of Saint Swithin's Lane, in the City of London, and
ALFRED CLIFF, of Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND CONNECTED WITH ENGINES ACTUATED BY THE EXPLOSION OR COMBUSTION
OF A MIXTURE OF COMBUSTIBLE GAS OR VAPOUR AND AIR."
This Invention has for its object the production of an engine capable of working
with great economy, in which the working parts are cool and the mean pressure
upon the piston is greater than has been generally heretofore attainable, thus
making the engine smaller for a given power and capable of being used for much
larger powers than such engines have hitherto been applied to.
In carrying out our Invention we employ as the motive agent the heat resulting
from the explosion or combustion of a mixture of combustible gas or vapor with
air; the gas used may be ordinary coal or oil gas, the unpurified products of the
distillation of coal or oil, or the gases resulting from the partial combustion of coal
in a gas furnace, or any other suitable gas or vapor.
According to one mode of carrying out our Invention, the engine consists
essentially of the following parts, viz:-First, a receiver which contains a displacing
piston or plunger not necessarily close fitting; one end of this receiver is kept cool
by the circulation of water in tubes, and the other end is maintained hot by the
explosion or combustion of charges of combustible fluid and air introduced therein
by a compressing pump; secondly, a compressing pump which draws in a mixed
charge of combustible fluid and air and injects it into the hot end of the receiver;'

page_text: thirdly, an igniting arrangement situate at the hot end of the receiver or in the
passage from the pump; fourthly, the main cylinder in constant communication
with the cool end of the receiver, in which main cylinder the whole contained fluid
of the engine expands and is compressed during the forward and return strokes of
the piston or plunger working therein; fifthly, a cylinder into which a portion if
the contained fluid of the engine is allowed to pass at every stroke, and in which it
expands, afterwards being ejected into the atmosphere. This cylinder may be
formed on the front end of the main cylinder, its area being reduced by means of a
trunk, or the front side of the compressing pump piston may be used, or in small
engines the provision referred to may be entirely dispensed with and the working
fluid which would be ejected in this manner may be allowed to escape by means of
a valve or cock, the aperture of which may be regulated as required. The hot ends
of the receiver and the displacing plunger or piston are prevented from conducting
heat to their cool ends by joints made with a packing of asbestos, mill board, or
other suitable non-conducting material.
The compressing pump is also protected from the action of the hot end of the
receiver by forming the joint between them of similar non-conducting material.
The air or gases in passing from one end of the receiver to the other by the
action of the displacing plunger pass through a regenerator or economiser composed
of thin plates or of wire gauze which may be placed in a cavity in the plunger or
may be disposed around it, lining the sides of the receiver.
The suction valve of the compressing pump is an ordinary conical valve, but
round its seat is an annular space communicating with the gas supply through the
seat of the valve. Into this space holes are drilled so that the valve when it rises
uncovers them and thus the air drawn into the pump is mixed as it enters with gas
issuing from these holes. The gas supply pipe bas a valve controlled by the governor,
which we prefer to be of an exact isochronous kind so that the valve will be either
full open or close shut during the working of the engine.
The igniting arrangement may consist of a plate or disc, preferably cupped to
give strength, made of platinum or other refractory metal; this is so let into the side
of the receiver or passage that it forms part of the containing surface; it is heated
by a blow pipe flame playing against its outside surface to a temperature sufficient
to ignite the internal charge of gas and air exposed to its inside surface. We may
also ignite the charge by injecting a portion of the vapour of bisulphide of carbon
into it. This vapor inflaming at a comparatively low temperature will be readily
fired by the heat of the hot end of the receiver and will communicate its flame to
the charge. We may place in the portion of the receiver or passage where the
gases are fired some sheets of metal or of wire gauze to give an extended surface so
as to absorb some of the heat of the explosion or combustion partly for the purpose
of rendering the explosion or combustion less violent and partly to restore heat to
the fluid during expansion and so to maintain its pressure. It is preferable to
work the displacing plunger by a cam on the engine shaft, the said cam being in
the form of a triangle of three circular arcs working in a square box; the motion
thus produced is more sudden and the plunger will be stationary during part of
the stroke of the piston. A small pump is provided to circulate water through the
tubes in the cool end of the receiver.
A double acting engine may be constructed of duplicating the necessary parts.
The action of the fluid in this engine is nearly similar to the action of the air in
the type of air engine known as Stirling's. Since the heat communicated however is by
an explosion or sudden combustion, this is caused to take place at the commencement
of the stroke of the piston and the expansive curve of the fluid is an adiabatic one,
which will be modified somewhat and made to approximate the isothermal curve of
Stirling's engine by the metal surfaces in the space where the explosion takes place
when such are used.
The fall in pressure at the end of the expansion will take place partly by the
passage of the fluid through the regenerator or economiser and partly by the escape
of the portion of fluid which passes out at this time into the exhausting cylinder...

page_text: The compression curve during the return of the piston will approximate to an
isothermal curve, the fluid during compression being mainly in contact with the
cooling pipes.
The rise in pressure at the commencement of the stroke is partly effected by this
passage of the fluid through the regenerator or economizer in the reverse direction
to its passage during the fall in pressure partly due to the injected mixture and
partly to the combustion of the charge. The passage of the fluid through the
regenerator is effected in the ordinary way by the motion of the displacing piston.
from one end of the receiver to the other; the plunger is never moved quite to the
cool end of the receiver, so as always to leave a cool cushion of air at that end.
The arrangement of engine hereinbefore described is particularly adapted for
large powers. In the case of small engines the refrigerator may be dispensed with.
The engine then consists of the essential parts, viz-First, a receiver containing
a displacing plunger and regenerator; secondly, a cylinder in constant communication
with the cool end of the receiver; thirdly, a suction valve for gas and air at the
hot end of the receiver similar to the suction valve of the compressing pump
hereinbefore described; fourthly, an igniting arrangement of either of the forms
hereinbefore described. The top or front end of the cylinder is open and the piston
directly connected to the crank by a connecting rod. The piston is made of
increased length and in it is a port or ports leading from its side into the space of
the cylinder. When the piston has made, say, about three quarters of its stroke
these ports are brought opposite a port or ports made in the sides of the cylinder
and forming the exhaust passage.
The products of combustion expand behind the piston until the ports of the
piston and the side of the cylinder come opposite to one another; just before this
takes place the plunger displaces the fluid through the regenerator or economizer
to the cool end of the receiver to lower its pressure as much as possible before a
portion escapes through the port into the atmosphere. The port in the piston
passing on closes the exhaust port, and during, say, the next quarter stroke of the
piston a mixture of air and gas is drawn into the hot air of the receiver through
the suction valve; the piston then moves back compressing the fluid and the
mixture of air and gas; when it arrives at or near the end of the back stroke the
plunger transfers the fluid to the hot end of the receiver and explosion or
combustion of the charge previously drawn in through the suction valve takes
place; the engine makes its forward, stroke, the fluid expanding as before.
In both modifications of our engines we prefer to use a mixture of combustible
fluid with air in which the proportion of gas to the air shall be as large as is
consistent with the complete combustion of the charge.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Wilden King and Alfred Cliff in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd April 1880.
CHARLES WILDEN KING, of St. Swithin's Lane, in the City of London, and
"IMPROVEMENTS
ALFRED CLIFF, of Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex.
IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
The said Invention has for its object the production of an engine capable of
working with great economy, in which the working parts are cool, and the mean
pressure upon the piston is greater than has been generally heretofore attainable,
thus making the engine smaller for a given power, and capable of being used for
much larger powers than such engines have been hitherto applied to.
In carrying out our said Invention we employ as the motive agent the heat
resulting from the explosion or combustion of a mixture of combustible gas or
vapor with air or equivalents thereof, as hereinafter explained. The gas used may
be ordinary coal or oil gas, the impurified products of the distillation of coal or oil,
or the gases resulting from the partial combustion of coal in a gas furnace, or
comminuted coal, or any other suitable gas vapour or comminuted material mixed
with air.
According to one mode of carrying out our said Invention, the engine consists
essentially of the following parts, vedelicet:-First, a receiver which contains a
displacing piston or plunger, not necessarily close fitting; one end of the receiver is
kept cool by the circulation of water in tubes, and the other end is maintained hot
by the explosion or combustion of charges of combustible fluid, and air introduced
therein by a compressing pump; secondly, a compressing pump which draws in a
mixed charge of combustible fluid and air, and injects into the hot end of the
receiver; thirdly, an igniting arrangement situated at the hot end of the
receiver, or in the passage from the pump; fourthly, the main cylinder in constant
communication with the cool end of the receiver, in which main cylinder the whole
contained fluid of the engine expands, and is compressed during the forward and
return strokes of the piston or plunger working therein; fifthly, a cylinder into
which a portion of the contained fluid of the engine is allowed to pass at every
stroke, and in which it expands, afterwards being ejected into the atmosphere.
This cylinder may be formed on the front end of the main cylinder, its area being
reduced by means of a trunk, or the front side of the compressing pump piston may
be used, or in small engines the provision referred to may be entirely dispened with,
and the working fluid which would be ejected in this manner may be allowed to
escape by means of a valve or cock, the aperture of which may be regulated as
required. The hot ends of the receiver and the displacing plunger or piston are
prevented from conducting heat to their cool ends by joints made with a packing
of asbetos, mill-board, or other suitable non conducting material. The compressing
pump is also protected from the action of the hot end of the receiver by forming
the joint between them of similar non-conducting material.
The air or gases in passing from one end of the receiver to the other by the
action of the displacing plunger pass through a regenerator or economiser composed
of thin plates or of wire gauze, which may be placed in a cavity in the plunger, or
may be disposed around it, lining the sides of the receiver.
The suction valve of the compressing pump is an ordinary conical valve, but
around its seat is an annular space communicating with the gas supply through
the seat of the valve. Into this space holes are drilled, so that the valve when it
rises uncovers them, and thus the air drawn into the pump is mixed as it enters
with gas issuing from these holes. The gas supply pipe has a valve controlled by
the governor, which we prefer to be of an exact isochronous kind, so that the valve
will be either full open or close shut during the working of the engine.
The igniting arrangement may consist of a plate or disc, preferably cupped to

page_text: give strength, made of platinum or other refractory metal; this is so let into the
side of the receiver or passage that it forins part of the containing surface; it is
heated by a blow pipe flame, playing against its outside surface to a temperature
sufficient to ignite the internal charge of gas and air exposed to its inside surface.
We may also ignite the charge by injecting a portion of the vapour of bisulphidē
of carbon into it. This vapour inflaming at a comparatively low temperature will be
readily fixed by the heat of the hot end of the receiver, and will communicate its
flame to the charge, or we may effect the ignition by means of electricity,
as more fully hereinafter explained. We may place in the portion of the receiver
or passage where the gases are fired some sheets of metal or of wire gauze to give
an extended surface, so as to absorb some of the heat of the explosion or combustion,
partly for the purpose of rendering the explosion or combustion less violent, and
partly to restore heat to the fluid during expansion, and so to maintain its pressure.
It is preferable to work the displacing plunger by a cam on the engine shaft, the
said cam being in the form of a triangle of three circular arcs working in a square
box; the motion thus produced is more sudden, and the plunger will be stationary
during part of the stroke of the piston. A small pump is provided to circulate
water through the tubes in the cool end of the receiver. A double acting engine
may be constructed by duplicating the necessary parts. The action of the fluid in
this engine is nearly similar to the action of the air in the type of air engine known
as Sterling's. Since the heat communicated, however, is by an explosion or sudden
combustion, this is caused to take place at the commencement of the stroke of the
piston, and the expansive curve of the fluid is an adiabatic one, which will be soine-
what modified, and made to approximate the isothermal curve of Sterling's engine
by the metal surfaces in the space where the explosion takes place when such are
used. The fall in pressure at the end of the expansion will take place partly by
the passage of the fluid through the regenerator or economiser, and partly by the
escape of the portion of fluid, which passes out at the time into the exhausting
cylinder. The compression curve during the return of the piston will approximate
to an isothermal curve, the fluid during compression being mainly in contact with
the cooling pipes. The rise pressure at the commencement of the stroke is partly
effected by this passage of the fluid through the regenerator or economiser in the
reverse direction to its passage during the fall in pressure, partly due to the
injected mixture, and partly to the combustion of the charge. The passage of
the fluid through the regenerator is affected by the motion of the displacing piston
from one end of the receiver to the other; the plunger is never moved quite to the
cool end of the receiver, so as always to leave a cool cushion of air at that end.
The arrangement of engine herein before described is particularly adapted for
large powers; in the case of small engines the refrigerator may be dispensed with.
The engine then consists of the following essential parts, videlicet :-First, a receiver
containing a displacing plunger and regenerator; secondly, a cylinder in constant
communication with the cool end of the receiver; thirdly, a suction valve for gas
and air at the hot end of the receiver, similar to the suction valve of the compressing
pump herein before described; fourthly, an igniting arrangement of either of the
forms hereinbefore described. The top or front end of the cylinder is open, and the
piston directly connected to the crank by a connecting rod. The piston is made
of increased length, and in it is a port or ports leading from its side into the space
of the cylinder. When the piston is made, say, about three quarters of its stroke,
these ports are brought opposite a port or ports made in the sides of the cylinder,
and forming the exhaust passage. The products of combustion expand behind the
piston until the ports of the piston and the side of the cylinder come opposite to one
another; just before this takes place the plunger displaces the fluid through the
regenerator or economiser to the cool end of the receiver to lower its pressure as much
as possible before a portion escapes through the port into the atmosphere. The port
in the piston passing on closes the exhaust port, and during, say, the next quarter
stroke of the piston, a mixture of air and gas is drawn into the hot end of the
receiver through the suction valve; the piston then moves back compressing the

page_text: fluid, and the mixture of air and gas when it arrives at or near the end of the back
stroke, the plunger transfers the fluid to the hot end of the receiver and explosion
or combustion of the charge previously drawn in through the suction valve takes
place; the engine then makes its forward stroke, the fluid expanding as before.
In both modifications of our engines we prefer to use a mixture of combustible
fluid with air, in which the proportion of gas to the air shall be as large as is
consistent with the complete combustion of the charge.
And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood we shall now pro-
ceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the
several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures. Figure 1 of the accompanying
Drawings represents a longitudinal section of an engine constructed according to
our said Invention; Figure 2 is a corresponding plan of the same partly in section,
and Figure 3 is a detail hereinafter referred to; Figures 4 and 5 are vertical sections
illustrating respectively two other modifications.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, A is the receiver containing a displacing plunger
B; the end a of this receiver is kept hot by the explosion or combustion of charges
of air and gas, and the other end a¹ is kept cool by the circulation of water in the
tubes b, b. The charges of mixed air and gas are introduced into the hot end a of
the receiver A by a compressing pump C. An igniting device, bereinafter described,
is fixed in the passage from the pump to the hot end of the receiver at D. E is the
main cylinder in constant communication with the cool end of the receiver by the
passage c. The whole contained fluid of the engine expands by. the forward motion
of the piston F, and is compressed during its return stroke. The front end of the
main cylinder E is used for the expansion of a portion of the fluid at each stroke
before this portion is ejected into the atmosphere; the area of the front end of the
piston is therefore diminished by the trunk G, the remaining annular area (into
which the fluid is conducted in the manner hereinafter described) being a little
'greater than the area of the compressing pump piston. A packing of asbestos mill-
board d, d, is used between the hot ends of the displacing plunger B and the receiver
A and their cool ends, in order to prevent the conduction of heat; there is also
a similar packing d, d, at the joint between the compressing pump and the
receiver A.
The air and gases, in passing from one end of the receiver to the other by the
action of the displacing plunger, pass through a regenerator or economiser H, in this
case made of thin sheet iron in strips bent into a spiral similar to a closely wound
spiral spring of a clock, but any arrangement giving extended surface will answer
the same purpose. The regenerator or economiser is shewn placed in a cavity in
the plunger, but it may be disposed around it and not move with it, as in this case.
The suction valve of the compressing pump is shewn at K. We use an ordinary
conical valve and seat, but around the seat is an annular passage e, e, into this
passage, and through the seat of the valve holes f, f, are drilled around its circum-
ference, so that the valve, when it rises from the seat, uncovers them, and the air
drawn in from the atmosphere is mixed as it enters with gas issuing through these
holes from the annular passage e. The gas is supplied by the pipe g, which contains
a valve h controlled by the spindle i worked by the governor; the latter, which is
of any ordinary type, preferably an isochronous one, is not shown, in order to avoid
confusion. The interior of the hot end a of the receiver, as well as the passage from
the compressing pump to it, may be lined with fireclay or other refractory material
in large engines, or when found necessary. The igniting device at D consists of a
cupped disc of platinum k, forming part of the containing surface of the passage to
the hot end of the receiver, in which passage is placed a rib 1 to deflect the mixture
upon the platinum disc; this disc of platinum is heated by a blow pipe flame playing
on its exterior surface to a temperature sufficient to ignite the mixture inside. The
blow pipe is shown at m; gas is supplied to it by the pipe n, and air from any
ordinary blower or fan by the pipe o.
The mixture may otherwise be ignited by two platinum wires passing through a

page_text: fire-clay plug, and between the interior terminals of which an electric spark passes
from a battery and induction coil, or other suitable electrical arrangement. A means:
of effecting this is shewn at Figure 4. Like arrangements have been previously
applied to the ignition of the charge in gas engines.
It may also be convenient sometimes to keep the mixture constantly alight within
the receiver; an arrangement for this is shewn at Figure 5. h¹, h', are a number of
wire gauze discs fitted in the passage and maintained rigid by a plate k', k', of,
copper or iron pierced full of small holes. The pump delivers the mixture under
these discs, and the flame, not being able to strike back through them, keeps alight
by the residual gas contained in the space o¹, o', in the intervals between the.
strokes of the pump. In order to start the engine the electrical ignitor, shown at p¹,
is used, and after it has been working some time the fire clay plug in which the
wires are will become sufficiently hot to continue the ignition should the flame.
burning at the wire gauze surface h¹, 2, become extinguished. At starting the.
engine the compressing pump may be disconnected and worked by hand, or in large.
engines a separate pump may be fitted, or in some cases a burner inside the receiver.
may be lighted in order to heat the hot ends of the receiver and the regenerator,.
which will facilitate the starting. An arrangement shewn at Q, Figures 4 and 5, is
useful for regulating the quantity of gas mixed with the air; g is the gas supply,
q¹ is a cone in the screw. By the act of turning this screw by the aid of the
milled wheel I the cone q¹ will be caused to advance or recede in the cylindrical hole
s', and the supply of gas can thus be exactly regulated as required. A pump L,
Figure 1, is provided, which in this engine circulates water through the cooling.
pipes b, b, the bed plate of the engine being used as a tank or receiver, as shewn
at 2.
The displacing plunger is worked by a triangular cam M, shewn in further detail
at Figure 3. This cam is a well known mechanism, and has the advantage of allowing.
a rest or pause at each end of the stroke of the displacer during the compression:
and expansion in the cylinder, it also works the pump L, and is connected to both
by the end p and the levers q and r. A double acting engine may be constructed;
by duplicating the necessary parts.
.
The action of the engine will be understood from the following explanation:-Let
it be assumed that the end a of the receiver is at a high temperature and the end a¹
cool, the regenerator H having its end nearest to the hot end of the receiver at a
temperature corresponding to that hot end, while the end nearest to a¹ is cool, the.
temperature of the intermediate parts graduating from one temperature to the other.
Also let it be assumed that there is a certain quantity of air confined in the
receiver A and cylinder E, the piston F being at the end of the cylinder E, nearest :
to the crank, while the plunger B is at the upper or hot end of the receiver, the· ·|
main body of air being therefore displaced to the cool end of the receiver and at a
certain given pressure. The piston F moves in and compresses the air in the,
receiver A and cylinder E, when it arrives at the end of its stroke, it has compressed
it to a certain pressure rather greater than at the commencement of this in-stroke ;:
the plunger B then moves down and displaces the air, causing it to pass through.
the regenerator and to occupy the hot end of the receiver in its passage through
the regenerator. The air will be heated from the temperature of the cool end a¹ to
that of the hot end a, and its pressure will be considerably increased under theso
circumstances. With this considerably increased pressure behind it the piston makes.
its outward stroke and gives the fly wheel a sufficient velocity to carry it back,
again and perform the compression as before, the plunger having before compression
commences moved to the hot end of the receiver and displaced the air to the cool.
end, thus reducing its pressure. And since the pressure during the outward stroke
is considerably in excess of that during the inward stroke, because of the air being.
during the outward stroke at the hot end, and during the inward stroke at the cool.
end of the receiver, there will be a surplus of power capable of doing work.
If however these operations were continued and no extraneous means were used
for maintaining an elevated temperature at the hot end of the receiver, the.

page_text: temperatures of the ends of the receiver and the regenerator would after a few
strokes be equalized, and the engine no longer be capable of working. In order to
prevent this in the actual engine, the compressing pump C at each strokes injects
a charge of combustible fluid and air which is inflamed, and maintains the
temperature of the hot end, while the cooling pipes b1, 61, having water circulated
in them, keep down the temperature of the cool end of the receiver, and thus the
engine will do continous work.
In practise, it is necessary to provide for the exit of the used gases in order to
prevent the risk of explosion. For this purpose the valve N is employed, the same
communicating with the front end of the piston F, the area of which is reduced by
the trunk G. This valve by opening the passages to the passage t, allows a certain
portion of the used gases from the receiver A to pass to the front of the piston, and
then the opening being cut off by the motion of the valve N (moved by a cam or
eccentric), these gases expand during the motion of the piston F from the crank,
and are finally expelled by the forward motion of the piston F (at which time the
valve N comes into the position shewn on the Drawing) through the passage vand
exhaust pipe w. This provision may be dispensed with in small engines by the
use of a small cock or valve with regulated exit, through which the used gases may
gradually escape during the whole time of working of the engine, or if convenient,
the front side of the compressing pump piston may be used instead of the front end
of the main piston. It is evident that in our Invention the combustible may be
ordinary coal or oil gas, the impurified products of the distillation of coal or oil, or
the gases resulting from the partial combustion of coal in a gas furnace, or
comminuted coal, or anything which in mixture with air will give a combustible or
explosive compound.
In carrying out our Invention, it may sometimes for small powers be rot con-
venient to employ the cooling agency of water. When cooling water or fluid is
not used, the pressure in the receiver and cylinder must at the end of the outward
stroke of the piston be allowed to fall to that of the atmosphere. This may be
effected in the engine, first described and illustrated by Figures 1, 2, and 3, by
dispensing with the trunk and the use of the front end of the piston, and also the
passages, and by making the valve N so that it allows the passage t to communicate
with the passage v, and thus with the exhaust pipe wat the end of the forward
stroke of the piston, or the piston itself may make this communication by an
annular port round the cylinder which it controls.
An example of this modification is illustrated in Figure 5. The piston F controls
the annular exhaust t¹ so that at the end of the stroke communication is made with
the atmosphere, the plunger containing the regenerator being then at the hot end
of the receiver.
. Figure 4 illustrates a further modification in which the compressing pump is
also dispensed with. In this Figure, A is the receiver as before, containing the
plunger B and a regenerator H of wire gauze. At the hot end of the receiver is the
suction valve K, similar to that in the compressing pump of the engine hereinbefore
described. With reference to. Figures 1, 2, and 3, an electric igniter is shewn at D,
and a catch P is provided for producing the spark at the instant the explosion is
required. This catch P connects the wires so that no spark is produced during the
instroke of the piston, but at the commencement of the outer stroke it is lifted off,
the spark passing between the inside terminals of the wires X and Z, and the
explosion takes place.
The engine operates in the following manner:-The piston is made of increased
length, and round its side is a series of small ports f¹, f1, when the piston has
made, say, about three quarters of its forward stroke these ports f¹,f', come
opposite an annular exhaust port g¹, g', in the cylinder E. While these ports are
opposite one another the pressure will be reduced to that of the atmosphere, after
the port f¹ has passed g', and during the remaining one quarter of the stroke the
piston, still moving, will produce a partial vacuum in the cylinder E and receiver A,
and a portion of air and gas mixed will be drawn into the bot end of the receiver A

page_text: through the suction valve K, the piston then moves back and compresses the whole
charges of the receiver and cylinder during the latter three quarters of its return
stroke. When it arrives at the bottom of the cylinder, the lever or catch P is lifted
from the wires X and Z, and the spark passes, causing an explosion which forces
the piston through the return forward stroke. The plunger B displaces the contents
of the receiver to the cool end before or at the time that the parts f¹, f', in the
piston F and the annular exhaust port g¹ are brought opposite each other, thus
cooling the contents of the receiver as much as possible before exhausting and
displacing them back again to the hot end, as the piston arrives at the bottom of
the stroke thereby aiding the explosion in increasing the pressure for the forward
working stroke.
In all modifications of our Invention there is thus a regenerator or extended
surface of metal, or other suitable substance, between the place where the explosion
takes place and the working cylinder and piston, the latter therefore is not exposed
to the high temperature resulting from combustion, and we are enabled to use as
strong a mixture of gas and air, or one containing as large a proportion of gas to
the quantity of air as will ensure complete combustion. We therefore use a
proportion of about 6 volumes of air to one of ordinary coal gas, and for other
combustibles a larger or smaller quantity of air according to their constitution.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the hereinbefore in
part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. A motive power engine consisting of a main working cylinder, a receiver
separate therefrom, with displacer and regenerator, and a compressing pump,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Second. A motive power engine, driven by internal combustion of gaseous fuel
or its equivalent in a separate vessel from the working cylinder, as herein set
forth, in which, between the working cylinder and the place where combustion
occurs, there is at all times free communication from one to the other for the
pressure whilst a large surface regenerator is interposed so that the cylinder cannot
be unduly heated by the combustion, substantially as bereinbefore described.
Third. Exploding or burning a mixture of gas, or combustible, and air at the
end of a receiver provided with a regenerator, and being a separate vessel from
the working cylinder, in which receiver works a displacing piston or plunger the
gas, or combustible, and air entering together and being already mixed before their
introduction, or during their introduction into the receiver, substantially as herein-
before described.
Fourth. Using a displacing piston or plunger and regenerator to increase the
pressure during the forward stroke and diminish it during the backward stroke in
engines driven by internal combustion of gaseous fuel or its equivalent, as herein
set forth, when there is at all times free communication for pressure between the
receiver in which these work and the working cylinder, such receiver being a
separate vessel from the working cylinder, substantially as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Cliff, on behalf of the said Charles
Wilden King and myself, have to this our Specification set my hand and seal,
this Twenty third day of April, One thousand eight hundred and eighty.