Improvements in Explosion Engines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Oct., 1893
Comp ete Specification Left, 23rd July, 1894-Accepted, 20th Oct., 1894
Improvements in Explosion Engines.
I THEODORE RYLAND of Number Twenty-six Herbert Place in the County of
the City of Dublin Esquire Barrister-at-Law do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to explosion engines and is an extension of the principle
involved in my Application numbered 20413-1892 relating to explosion engines.
I now propose to place in the jacket of the explosion cylinder or chamber a fluid
capable of being converted into steam or vapour but different from and other than
petroleum or volatile hydrocarbon liquid and that fluid, water for instance will do,
is by the heat of the explosions to be converted into steam and such steam is to
be used in working another cylinder or other cylinders as condensing or non con-
densing cylinders as may be most convenient. Ordinary coal gas is to be used if
available, for the ignitions but where coal gas is not available the vapour of a
hydro carbon may be obtained by heating a small quantity at first with a lamp
or other external means of heating as electricity and afterwards with the heat derived
from the explosions.
Dated this 23rd day of October 1893.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Explosion Engines.
I THEODORE RYLAND of Number Twenty-six Herbert Place in the County of
the City of Dublin Esquire Barrister-at-Law 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 is an extension of the principle involved in my Patent No. 20413
A.D. 1892. The principal improvements are three in number 1st that water not
liquid hydrocarbon is placed in the jacket of the ignition or explosion cylinder.
2nd the addition of a chamber which can be used for vapourizing light petroleum
or as a receptacle for coal gas where it is available or for spraying heavy petroleum.
3rd an improved mode, of regulating the supply of gas vapour or spray to the
compressor.
The working of this further invention may be most simply described by reference
to the annexed plates in which I give drawings of the material parts of a horizontal
non-reversing engine in which a heavy petroleum may be used for explosions.
To avoid confusion I describe the several parts of the new engine without
referring back to the Specification of the original invention upon which this is an
improvement.
In Fig. 1 I give a section of the ignition cylinder W with its jacket and of
a chamber X in communication with the jacket and of a chamber V inclosed in X.
In Fig. 8. 1 give a drawing of the compressor Y and in Fig. 7. of an ordinary
steam cylinder Z.

page_text: piston thickness of one inch and a half, and a clearance or chamber at each end
one inch and three quarters in length, thus having a total internal length of
thirteen inches. The explosive mixture is admitted at each end alternately by
pipes (a. a.) Fig. 2. through valves one of which is shown in vertical section in
Fig. 5. After the explosion the residue passes through similar valves and thence
by the pipes (b. b.) Fig. 2. in a course hereinafter mentioned. End views of W
are given in Figs. 4, 5, showing how the valves are worked by cams on a cambearer
kept in motion by the main shaft. The valves must be kept closed by springs. In
Fig. 2, which is a horizontal section of W and in Fig. 3, which is a vertical cross
section of W is shown the jacket in which are placed two annular chambers one at
each end connected together by pipes. The exhaust gases from pipes (b. b.) pass
into a common pipe lying horizontally at the side of W, not shown in Figs. 3. 4. 5.
and thence by a pipe (c) into one of the annular chambers and thence into the other
annular chamber through the ten connecting pipes shown in section in Fig. 3. and
thence to the chimney by pipe (d). The heat of the explosions is transmitted by
the walls of W and the annular chambers and ten connecting pipes in the jacket to
the water which fills the jacket and rises to a level of about one third of the height
of chamber X where steam accumulates and passes from thence by the pipe (e)
Fig. 12, to cylinder Z and works it as an ordinary steam cylinder.
This, shown in Fig. 1, is a circular vessel communicating freely with the jacket
of W. The water in it should be maintained at a level just below the bottom of
chamber V. In the drawing I have left room (m) Fig. 1. for the insertion of the
feed apparatus.
CHAMBER V.
This is shown in Figs. 1. 6. It also is circular but does not communicate with X
in which it is placed. The space (n) is for the feed apparatus. To adapt V for
spraying petroleum I place an inner bottom of finely perforated plate or wire
gauze (ƒ) Fig. 6. and I admit atmospheric air below this plate by the pipe (g.)
Fig. 6. place in V some heavy petroleum having a flashing point not less than
200° (F.) rising to about an inch above the plate.
The working of this chamber V is as follows: When the air above the plate (f)
is drawn out, as it is by the compressor Y as hereinafter explained, fresh air comes
n through the pipe (9) and passing through the perforations of the plate carries
with it the petroleum in bubbles which burst and form spray. The spray is rather
coarse while the petroleum is cold and requires a good spark to explode it, but when
the petroleum in V is warmed by the heat of X the bubbles expand and the spray
becomes very fine and on coming into W which is very hot is easily exploded.
Care must be taken to use petroleum which will not crack or decompose under the
influence of the heat of the steam in X. The perforated plate is not required when
coal gas is used but does not interfere with it; the coal gas should be admitted
(unmixed with air) through the pipe (g). When a very volatile petroleum is used
it will vapourize in V under the heat of X; the pipe (9) is then to be disused. The
spray is drawn off through the pipe (j) Figs. 1. 9. 12. but then contains too much
petroleum for explosive purposes and requires a further admixture of air.
This is effected by valves in the compressor Y which is next described.
COMPRESSOR Y.
This is a cylinder closed at both ends having a stroke of 8 inches and a diameter
of two inches and eight tenths. I have drawn it with a jacket to enable it to be
heated before starting by allowing the water in the starting boiler to circulate 50
through it. In Fig. 8. I have given Y in elevation and in Fig. 9. in borizontal
section. At each end of the cylinder there is a valve arrangement shown on a

page_text: larger scale in Fig. 11. The pipes (k) enter Y at its ends, the piston draws iu
atmospheric air through the valve (h). This valve (h) should offer some resistance
to the admission of air, (about one pound to the square inch) by being weighted or
worked by a spring. On the return stroke the contents of Y are compressed until
they are allowed to pass through the valve (i) Fig 11. and from thence to W to be
exploded. On the side of Y there is a valve chest seven inches and three quarters
in its inner length with an inner breadth of two inches and a half. In the centre of
the valve face there is a port (1) Figs. 9. 10. one inch and a half in the transverse
direction and one eighth of an inch in the longitudinal direction as shown in section
in Figs. 9. 10. The valve consists of two blocks each being one inch and five
eighths in length. They may be about two inches in the transverse direction so as
to cover the port when over it. A rod passes through the two blocks with threads
eighteen turns to the inch to adjust the distance between them. The play of the
valve is three inches. The eccentric is so placed that the blocks are equally distant
from the centre of the valve face when the piston is at three fourths of its stroke.
If the blocks are screwed together until they touch they will cover the port during
the entire stroke but if they are slightly separated the port will be open during a
short part of the stroke of the piston and at a time when the piston has passed the
opening of the port so that compressed air cannot escape back through the port.
With the above dimensions if the blocks be opened by a complete turn of the rod
the interval between them will be one ninth of an inch and the port will be open
while the piston draws in about three cubic inches and a third of spray. Owing to
the valve (h) Fig. 11. being weighted the piston will not suck in air as long as it can
freely draw in spray. Each additional complete turn of the rod will admit one
cubic inch and a half of spray. The length of the valve chest will admit of an
which
opening of the blocks sufficient to admit fully twenty cubic inches of spray.
will be found to be more than enough for complete ignition in W and for lubricating
the various parts. The compressed mixture would at once pass out from Y by the
valve (i) Fig. 11. and thence to W but that the ports of W are kept closed until the
CONNECTIONS.
When the piston of the compressor Y has gone through two thirds of its stroke
the port of W is to open and when the piston of Y finishes its stroke the piston of W
is to have gone through one fourth of its stroke and then an explosion is to take
place. The exhaust valve of W should close the instant before the port valve at
the same end opens and should continue closed until the piston of W has gone
through three fourths of its stroke when it should open. The port valve should
close immediately before an explosion. The crank of "Z should be at right angles
with that of W.
The platinum points for ignition may be inserted in the walls of the admission
valve chests of W so as to flash when pure inflammable mixture is in contact with
them without any admixture of combusted gases.
To generate heat for starting; a boiler with a lamp may be used, placed at any
convenient part so that it can be cut off from the jacket of W as soon as the water
has boiled. A convenient boiler may be made with a number of vertical tubes
arranged in a cylinder with an inner cylinder as a principal flue, thus giving an
annular horizontal section so that the heat may pass freely up through the inner
cylinder and also through the vertical tubes. The bottom of the boiler or cylinder
containing water should be connected with the lower part of the jacket of W and
the upper part of the boiler with the part of chamber X below the water level in it
so that the heated water may circulate.
In Fig. 12. is a general plan of the engine. The main shaft has but one crank
viz. that for the piston of W and instead of cranks for Y and Z I substitute
pins (o. p.) one on the driving wheel the other on a disc at the end of the
shaft.

page_text: 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. Retaining, in the manner hereinbefore described, in the jacket of an explosion
cylinder and in a chamber formed by an enlargement of the jacket, the water
used for preventing the cylinder from becoming too hot, until that water
converted into steam.
2. Using the steam so generated for working an ordinary steam cylinder.
3. The employment of the chamber called V so that the same engine may be
worked with gas or petroleum vapour generated solely by heat or petroleum
first divided into minute spray and then introduced into the heated explosion
cylinder.
4. The extension of the principle involved in my Patent No. 20413 A.D. 1892
Nov. 11th to the particular method of construction described in this Specification
and illustrated in the plates annexed.
Dated this 21st day of July 1894.