Improvements in Internal Combustion Engines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 26th Nov., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Internal Combustion Engines.
I, WILLIAM PECK, F.R.A.S., F.R.S.E., Astronomer to the City of Edinburgh,
City Observatory, Calton Hill, Edinburgh, 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 has for its object to provide an internal combustion engine com-
prising two, three or more cylinders and pistons and a crank shaft so arranged
that the cranks and connecting rods are perfectly balanced. I will describe
my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings of which Figure 1
represents in longitudinal vertical section an internal combustion engine with
two cylinders and pistons arranged according to my invention, Figure 2 an end
elevation and Figure 3 a plan of the same. Figure 4 is a diagram of an engine.
comprising three cylinders and Figure 5 is a similar diagram illustrating a four
cylinder engine arranged according to my invention.
Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3 the two cylinders A and A¹ are arranged end
to end and connected together by a combustion chamber B communicating with
both cylinders. C is a crank shaft arranged transversely between the adjacent
ends of the cylinders A A¹ and mounted in suitable bearings D on the base
plate E. F F¹ are the pistons in the cylinders A A¹ and G G¹ are cranks on
the shaft to which the pistons F F1 are respectively connected by connecting
rods H H there being two cranks and connecting rods for each piston the said
cranks and connecting rods being arranged on opposite sides of the cylinders so
as to be perfectly balanced. I is the inlet passage for the explosive mixture
to the combustion chamber B the said passage being provided with an admission
valve i. K is the passage for the exhaust products from the explosions in the
cylinders the said exhaust passage being provided with a valve L which is opened
at the required periods by a cam or tappet M on a shaft M³ rotated by means of
a worm and worm wheel or other suitable gear N from the crank shaft. C, the
said cam M acting on a lever N¹ to raise the valve L at the required periods. The
cylinders are surrounded with water jackets a as usual to keep the said cylinders
cool.
O indicates a device for effecting the explosions in the combustion chamber
which device may be of the ordinary description. At each explosion of the mix-
ture the pistons F F¹ are simultaneously forced outwards in opposite directions
and act conjointly through their connecting rods and cranks to rotate the shaft C
which carries fly wheels P P the impetus of which will effect the inward strokes
of the pistons. In starting the engine the shaft C is rotated by band to cause
the pistons F F to make their outward stroke and draw a charge of explosive
mixture through the valved passage I into the cylinders A A¹ and then to make
their inward stroke to compress the charge thus admitted. The compressed
charge is then exploded by the igniting device the force of which explosion
will drive the pistons outwards and the impetus thus given to the crank shaft
will cause the pistons to make their inward stroke thereby expelling the products.

page_text: from the explosive mixture through the exhaust passage K the valve L being
opened by the cam or tappet M to allow the said products to escape at the time the
pistons commence their said inward stroke. The pistons are then by the impetus
imparted to the crank shaft C caused to move outward to draw in a first charge
of the explosive mixture and then to move inwards to compress the said charge
which compressed charge is then ignited as before and the cycle of operations
herein before described are repeated, the engine continues to work until the supply
of explosive mixture is shut off. When three cylinders as shewn in Figure 4. or
four cylinders as shewn in Figure 5 are employed, the crank shaft c is arranged
centrally between the adjacent ends of the said cylinders, that is to say, the
cylinders radiate from the axis of the said crank shaft and the pistons are con-
nected to corresponding cranks on the shaft C the said pistons being all simul-
taneously driven outwards by the explosions to impart rotation to the crank shaft,
the cycle of operations taking place in the order described with reference to
Figures 1, 2 & 3. The cylinders may be arranged on different planes, instead of
being all on the same plane as illustrated in the drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An internal combustion engine having at each side of, or around, the crank
shaft two or more cylinders having their pistons connected to cranks on the said
shaft and with means for admitting an explosive mixture to both or all of the
cylinders and igniting it, the explosion thereof acting simultaneously on both or
all the pistons to rotate a crank shaft common to both or all of the said pistons,
substantially as herein before described.
2. An internal combustion engine having at each side of, or around, the crank
shaft, two, or more, cylinders, having their pistons connected by cranks to the
said shaft and with a combustion chamber common to, and communicating with,
both, or all, of the cylinders, and means for admitting an explosive mixture to
the said chamber and igniting it therein and for exhausting the spent gases from
both, or all, of the said cylinders, all simultaneously, substantially as herein-
before described.
3. The arrangement of internal combustion engines, with two, or more,
cylinders, substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawing.
Dated this 25th day of Oct 12000
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.