Improvements in Gas and Oil Motor Engines.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas and Oil Motor Engines.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM LANCHESTER, of Cobley Hill, Near Alvechurch, in the
County of Worcester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction and detail of gas and
oil motor engines, and vapouriser for use in connection therewith. Part of this
invention relates more particularly to improved arrangements in connection with
the valve and governor gear whereby noise and wear and tear are minimised and
starting is rendered easy. Another part of this invention has for its object to
provide an improved system of lubrication in which the supply of lubricant to the
bearing surfaces is regulated and controlled automatically.
Another portion has for its object to so construct the vaporiser that ordinary
burning oil may be efficiently and economically employed.
In one mode of carrying the first portion of this invention into effect as applied
to an Otto cycle gas or oil motor I arrange on one extremity of the crank shaft
two sliding blocks carried by pins whose centres are arranged at equal distances
one on each side of the axis of the shaft; the said sliding blocks are arranged to
work in two slots at right angles to one another in a frame carrying the valve
operating cams, which thus have a two to one motion imparted to them, the frame
itself being carried and supported in ball bearings. In one mode of arranging a
governor in accordance with this portion of my invention I attach to the extremity
of the vapour valve operating lever a weight by means of a pin, about which it
balances, and I arrange a stop on this weight so that its extreme position relatively
to the lever in one direction is limited, and a spring is arranged by which the stop
is normally maintained in contact with the said lever and a hit and miss blade is
securely attached to the weight, and operates on a catch plate affixed to the vapour
valve when the speed of the motor falls short of a predetermined amount.
the speed becomes excessive the rotary motion of the lever is not fully shared by
the weight and the blade fails to engage the catch plate, a cut out resulting. The
motion of the operating lever is preferably impressed on it in two stages separated
by a slight pause the first stage performing the governing and the second either
operates the vapour valve or is idle as the case may be.
When
In order to facilitate the starting of motors in accordance with this invention in
cne arrangement, the main valve or its lever is held up by a catch acting on a field
knife edge for a portion of the-compression stroke, the said catch being released
by the vapour lever on its return, and I so arrange that when the speed of the motor
is sufficient to overcome the compression the said catch fails to engage with the
knife edge in the manner well known in connection with governing contrivances.
In order to regulate the time of ignition at starting I arrange to operate the
igniting trigger or valve by means of a light shaft driven by screw gear.
A certain amount of longitudinal displacement is given to the shaft at starting
which by reason of the screw form of the teeth causes a corresponding alteration in
the time of ignition.
t

page_text: In one mode of carrying the second portion of this invention into effect one or
more oil reservoirs are arranged containing a number of wells whose upper edges
are above the surface of the oil in the reservoir, and a cotton trimmer is arranged
to feed oil into each well in such quantity as may be necessary. Capilliary tubes
are arranged by which the lubricant is drawn from the aforesaid wells and a
sufficient number of wells and tubes are provided to distribute the oil to the main
bearings and to the cylinder and wherever else required. In order to cause the
oil to pass from the wells along the supply tubes the crank chamber of the motor
is enclosed in an air tight casing and an outlet valve is provided so that when the
motor is at work the air within the crank chamber is on the average considerably
below atmospheric pressure, and suitable grooves being arranged in the main
bearings and inside of the cylinder a suction takes place which draws the oil from
the oil wells as fast as the trimmers feed it in. Where it is necessary to lubricate
a bearing or slide not in communication with the crank chamber a vacuum tube
is arranged communicating from the crank chamber to the bearing and thence an
oil suction tube to one of the wells in the lubricator.
In one mode of constructing a vaporiser in accordance with this present inven-
tion I arrange an oil reservoir communicating with a wick chamber above it by
means of a number of holes or slots through which the wick may pass, the wick
chamber is traversed by a number of horizontal tubes through which heated air
or gases are passed either from the exhaust or from the cylinder cooling jacket,
and the wick whose extremities dip into the oil below, is either passed over or
entwined around the heated tubes in such a manner as to allow a current of air to
be drawn through between suitable inlet and outlet ports and thereby become
saturated with oil vapour.
The air supply may be initially heated before passing into the wick chamber in
order to better vaporise the oil with which it is brought into contact.
In some cases I prefer to arrange the vapour supply to the cylinder as entirely
iudependent of the main air inlet and may provide a special valve for this purpose.
In starting a small quantity of benzoline or other volatile oil or spirit may be
introduced into the wick chamber or the tubular passages may be initially treated
by an independent lamp or an electric current.
1000
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.
Improvements in Gas and Oil Motor Engines.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM LANCHESTER, of Cobley Hill, Near Alvechurch, in the
County of Worcester, Engineer, 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 relates to improvements in the construction and detail of gas and
oil motor engines and vapourizer for use in connection therewith. Part of this
invention relates more particularly to improved arrangements in connection with
the valve and governor gear whereby noise and wear and tear are minimised and
starting is rendered easy. Another part of this invention has for its object to
provide an improved system of lubrication in which the supply of lubricant to the
bearing surfaces is regulated and controlled automatically.

page_text: Another portion has for its object to so construct the vapourizer that ordinary
burning oil may be efficiently and economically employed.
The modes of carrying my invention into effect are illustrated in the
accompanying drawings in which-
Figures 1 and 2 are sections through the improved gear.
Figures 3 and 4 are respectively elevation and part perspective view of the
improved governing arrangement.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of the improved igniting gear.
Figures 6 and 7 are two sections illustrating the application of my improved
arrangement of lubrication.
Figure 8 is a cross section through my improved vapourizer.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, in carrying the first portion of this
invention into effect as applied to an Otto cycle gas or oil motor I arrange on one
extremity of the crank shaft A two sliding blocks B D carried by pins CC whose
centres are arranged at equal distances one on each side of the axis Y Z of the
shaft A; the said sliding blocks are arranged to work in two slots D D¹ at right
angles to one another in a frame E carrying the valve operating cams, which ride
upon the small shaft F. On the rotation of the crank shaft A the shaft F has thus
a two to one motion imparted to it, the frame E itself being carried and supported
in ball bearings G.
Referring to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings in arranging a governor in
accordance with this portion of my invention I attach to the extremity H of the
vapour valve operating bell crank lever I, a weight J by means of a pin K about
which it balances, and I arrange a stop L on this weight so that its extreme
position relatively to the lever I in one direction is limited by the second stop M
formed on the lever and a spring N is arranged by which the stop L is normally
maintained in contact with a stop M on the lever and a hit and miss blade O is
securely attached to the weight (preferably by the cottar P as shown), and operates
on the catch plate Q affixed to the vapour valve R when the speed of the motor falls
short of a predetermined amount. When the speed becomes excessive the rotary
motion of the lever I is not fully shared by the weight J and the blade O fails to
engage the catch plate Q, a cut out resulting. The motion of the operating lever I
is obtained from the cam S on the two to one shaft T, acting upon the tail piece U,
and this motion is impressed on it in two stages separated by a slight pause, the
first stage from a to b on the cam S performing the governing and the second stage
from 6 to c either operates the vapour valve or is idle as the case may be.
The catch plate Q and the hit and miss blade O are formed at their extremities
as shown in the perspective view on Figure 4 so that the governing edges are
formed on the tongue d and groove e while the work of opening the valve is
performed by the portions f and g so that the governing edges retain their form
longer than in the cases where they do the work of opening the valve as well.
In order to facilitate the starting of motors in accordance with this invention in
one arrangement the main valve or its lever is held up by a catch acting on a
fixed knife edge for a portion of the compression stroke the said catch being
released by the vapour lever on its return, and I so arrange that when the speed
of the motor is sufficient to overcome the compression the said catch fails to engage
with the knife edge in the manner well known in connection with governing
contrivances.
Referring to Figure 5 of the drawings, in order to regulate the time of ignition
at starting I arrange to operate the igniting trigger or valve rod k by means of a
light shaft driven by the two to one or even screw gear wheels i j. A certain
amount of longitudinal displacement is given to the shaft h at starting by operat-
ing the screw nut fixed to the bearing bracket m which by reason of the screw
form of the teeth in the gear wheels i and j causes a corresponding alteration in
their relative positions and therefore in the time of ignition.
Referring to Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings in carrying the second portion of
this invention into effect one or more oil reservoirs such as n Figure 6 are arranged

page_text: containing a number of wells o whose upper edges are above the surface of the oil
in the reservoir, and a cotton' trimmer is arranged to feed oil into each well in
such quantity as may be necessary. Capilliary tubes q are arranged by which
the lubricant is drawn from the aforesaid wells o and a sufficient number of wells
and tubes are provided to distribute the oil to the main hearings and to the cylinder
and wherever else required. In order to cause the oil to pass from the wells along
the supply tubes r the crank chamber of the motor is enclosed in an air tight casing
and an outlet valve is provided so that when the motor is at work the air within
the crank chamber is on the average considerably below atmospheric pressure, and
suitable grooves u being arranged in the main bearings and inside of the cylinder
a suction takes place which draws the oil from the oil wells as fast as the trimmers
feed it in the tube r, being led from small spaces o above each capilliary tube q
as shown in Figures 6. I also arrange within the wells a tube to keep the
trimmers p in place and this tube I call the screen tube t. Where it is necessary
to lubricate a bearing or slide not in communication with the crank chamber a
vacuum tube is arranged communicating from the crank chamber to the bearing
and thence an oil suction tube to one of the wells in the lubricator.
Referring to Figure 8 of the drawings, in constructing a vapourizer in accordance
with this present invention I arrange an oil reservoir communicating with a
wick chamber w above it by means of a number of holes or slots a' through which
the wick a may pass, the wick chamber w is traversed by a number of horizontal
tubes y through which heated air or gases are passed either from the exhaust or
from the cylinder enoling jacket, and the wick a whose extremities dip into the
oil below, is either passed over as shown in the drawings or entwined around the
heated tubes y in such a manner as to allow a current of air to be drawn through
between suitable inlet and outlet ports be and thereby become saturated with oil
vapour.
The air supply may be initially heated before passing into the wick chamber
in order to better vaporize the oil with which it is brought into contact.
In some cases I prefer to arrange the vapour supply to the cylinder as entirely
independent of the main air inlet and may provide a special valve for this purpose.
In starting a small quantity of benzoline or other volatile oil or spirit may be
introduced into the wick chamber or the tubular passages may be initially heated
by an independent lamp or an electric current.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. In valve gear for gas and oil engines the provision of a disc with two slots
at right angles having blocks sliding in these slots and pins upon which the blocks
pivot attached to the crank shaft on either side of its axis, as a means for giving
the necessary two to one motion to the engine cams.
2. In valve gear for gas and oil engines the provision of a balanced lever weight
carrying the usual hit and miss governing blade, on the end of the vapour or gas
valve lever, as a means for governing substantially as described.
3. In valve gear for gas and oil engines the provision of a lateral adjustment
on a light shaft carrying the cam working the igniting trigger or lever and driven
by helical gear from the engine as a means for altering the time of ignition
substantially as described.
4. In lubricating arrangements for gas and oil engines, in combination oil wells
fed by wicks or trimmers from reservoirs, capilliary tubes dipping into the oil
wells, feeding tubes leading from the capilliary tubes in which a vacuum is
maintained by the use of the front portion of the engine piston as a pump; all as
a means of lubrication substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
5. In vapourizers for oil engines, in combination a wick chamber with cross
tubes through which hot air or exhaust gases are passed, wick trimmers passed
round the tubes and through perforations into an oil reservoir underneath, and

page_text: means for drawing air through the wick chamber, substantially as and for the
purpose herein before described.
in
6. Improvements in gas and oil motor engines, substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore described and as illustrated respectively
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the accompanying drawings.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.