IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
THOMAS MILLER WILLIAMSON, Gentleman JAMES MALAM, Gentleman and
CHARLES WILDEN KING, Engineer, all of Southport in the county of Lancaster
do hereby declare the nature of their invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS MOTOR
ENGINES to be as follows:—
Our invention has for its object certain improvements in the construction of Gas
Motor Engines whereby the cylinders and pistons can be worked at a much higher
temperature than that usually employed a greater economy being thus obtained.
In practice it is found that in Gas Motor Engines the high temperature due to
the combustion of the combustible charge causes very rapid wear of the interior
of the cylinder and pistons.
In order to obviate this difficulty to some extent at present water jackets are
used which cause considerable loss of energy owing to the rapid conduction of heat
from the cylinder to the water contained in the jacket.
In our invention our object is to prevent this loss of heat and at the same time
to prevent undue wear of the cylinder and pistons.
In one arrangement we propose to construct our cylinders of toughened glass or
to line them with toughened glass of a quality which can be worked and machined
in nearly the same manner as cast iron.
The glass we prefer to use in carrying out our invention is that made from
granulite, it is capable of bearing a temperature of upwards of 1800° Fahrenheit
without in any way losing its temper or cracking.
The liner may be secured to the iron casing of the cylinder by means of a flange
or other well known device or we may line the cylinder by casting a thin coating
of glass in the interior and thus covering the working parts.
We may also use a water jacket in combination with the glass liner.
We may construct our pistons of toughened glass or make the bodies of the
piston of iron and use glass rings or we may use in combination with the glass
liner iron steel or phosphor bronze rings in our piston.
We also propose to use toughened glass in the firing slide and faces and in other
valves and their seatings which are exposed to an excessive temperature.
We do not limit ourselves in any way to the use of granulite in the manufacture
of the glass we use in carrying out this invention but we may use glass made from
other materials which produce glass similar to that made from granulite.

page_text: In another part of our invention we construct the working piston in the form
of a ram which has no sliding contact with the interior of the cylinder.
This ram has a clearance of from to of an inch between it and the cylinder
and passes through a stuffing box which is water jacketted.
The ram is packed with cup leathers which are kept in contact with it by
hydraulic pressure which expands the leather against the interior of the stuffing
box and the interior of the ram.
Instead of leather we may use a soft metallic substance or a thin ring of
toughened glass which is expanded by hydraulic pressure in the same manner as
the leather.
We may make the ram of toughened glass as well as part or the whole of the
stuffing box. In order to keep up the hydraulic pressure in the gland box we
prefer to use a small force pump either in combination with or without an
accumulator arrangement to ensure uniformity of pressure.
In one arrangement we may draw our combustible charge of air and gas through
the casing which surrounds the cylinder thereby cooling down the cylinder and at
the same time utilizing the heat.
We may use the toughened glass in our bearings generally.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
THOMAS MILLER WILLIAMSON, Gentleman JAMES MALAM, Gentleman and
CHARLES WILDEN KING Engineer, all of Southport in the county of Lancaster
do hereby declare the nature of their invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS
MOTOR ENGINES and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of Gas Motor
Engines whereby the cylinders and pistons can be worked at a higher temperature
than that usually employed, with a consequent gain in efficiency.
In one modification of our invention we employ a liner of toughened glass made
preferably from granulite.
This liner is fixed in the cylinder as shewn in Figs 1 and 2 in the accompanying
drawing.
In Fig 1 the cylinder casing B is of cast iron while the liner A is made of
toughened glass and fits tightly into the cylinder which is bored at each end to
receive it.
We may use the glass liner in combination with a water jacket or we may
dispense with the water and either draw or force air through the jacket for the
purpose of keeping the temperature constant.
In Fig 2 the cylinder casing B is also made of cast iron and the liner A. of
toughened glass.
The liner in this modification is fitted differently to Fig 1 being bolted at one
end by a flange C while it fits into the cylinder at the other end with a tapered
joint D.
In this case we may also use either water or air as a cooling medium similarly to
Fig 1.
In Fig 3 we show the cylinder A and jacket casing B cast together while a
coating of toughened glass is afterwards cast in and bored to receive the piston the
glass coating is held in its place by means of indentations or projections left on the
iron casting so that the glass when in a molten state will solidify in the indentations
or around the projections and thus cause the coating to adhere firmly to the cast
iron We may also in this case use water or air as the cooling medium.
Fig 4 represents the form of piston we propose to use in conjunction with
cylinders represented by Figs 2 and 3.
We may construct the body of the piston A of the toughened glass and have the
rings B, B, B, B, of cast iron, steel phosphor-bronze or other suitable material or
we may construct the body of the piston A of cast iron and make the rings B, B, B, B,
of toughened glass.
In some cases we may construct the liner of cylinder of cast iron and the piston
entirely of toughened glass.
We also propose to face the firing slide and faces with toughened glass as well as
other valves and their seatings exposed to excessive heat.
In another part of our invention we propose to work Gas Engines at a high
cylinder temperature in the following manner. Fig 5 shows the longitudinal
section of a gas engine cylinder and piston.
The cylinder A is of cast iron and is unbored except at B. The piston C is of
the ram form turned all over and is a good fit in the bored part B. D is constructed
of thin sheet metal or leather in the form of an hydraulic cup leather and is
expanded by hydraulic pressure in the chamber F thus keeping the rings D D
closely in contact with the ram piston and making the joint,

page_text: The pressure and circulation may be kept up by means of a small pump on the
engine or by a head of water.
We may use a gland of another form tighened from the outside and water
jacketed where the ram passes through the cylinder We may construct the ram
piston of toughened glass and the expanding rings also.
In another modification of the gland and ram piston we use the pressure in the
cylinder to compress the ring D and make the joint.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :—
1st The application to Gas Motor Engine cylinders and pistons and rings, of
toughened granulite or similar description of glass substantially as and for the
purposes herein before described.
2nd The application of toughened glass liners to cylinders of gas engines
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
3rd Covering or partially covering pistons of Gas Motor Engines with toughened
granulite or similar description of glass.
4th The combination of a toughened glass cylinder or liner with a cast iron
piston.
5th The combination of a cast iron cylinder with a toughened glass piston.
6th The combination of a metallic or toughened glass ram piston with the
method of packing by means of a thin metallic, toughened glass, or other suitable
ring or rings having the pressure applied to the outside thereof.
In witness thereof I the said Charles Wilden King on behalf of the said
Thomas Miller Williamson James Malam and myself have to this our
specification set my hand & seal.
Dated this third day of December 1884.