Improvements in Internal Combustion Engines.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Internal Combustion Engines.
JAMES ROOTS Engineer 100 Westminster Bridge Road London do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In those engines of the impulse every revolution cycle such as described in my
Specifications 23786 of 1892 and 23571 of 1893 wherein the combustion takes place
on one side of the piston and air is compressed on the other side, and transferred
to the combustion side, I use a spray nozzle for injecting oil on to a hot surface
for ignition and combustion, the spray of oil being so timed as to prevent preignition.
If a hot tube be employed within which some portion of the oil spray is thrown
to ignite, then the surface of the tube not exposed to explosion, after the with-
drawal of the starting lamp may be kept hot by passing the exhaust products by
the tube, the exhaust valve to be placed as closely as possible to the tube for this
purpose. It can he placed immediately next the hot tube in the two revolution
cycle, but in the one revolution cycle if the exhaust valve is a port uncovered by
the piston at the stroke end the valve must be farther away. The oil may be first
vaporised in a coil or pipe returned on itself in a casing. The coil or doubled pipe
having an orifice to feed a flame to maintain its own heat, the same coil or pipe
supplying the engine with vapor through a mushroom valve or an oscillating plug
worked by the engine. Pressure may be given to the surface of the oil in the tank
by means of an air pump to start the engine. The pipe to vaporise the oil both
for the burner and the engine is kept at a red heat and the vapor at a high
pressure; the issuing stream of vapor by the valve to the cylinder may be employed
to inject air into the cylinder. For engines of impulse every revolution or of
any cycle, as an alternative method of ignition especially for large engines, I attach
a small piston to the working piston which fits into a small cylinder fixed to the
cover, and reciprocates within it. The small piston compresses a very small
portion of the working charge to a sufficiently high pressure to ignite it. The
igniting cylinder may be entirely within the combustion space. It may be
necessary in large engines to fit admission and exhaust valves to this small cylinder,
or a pipe connecting a port in the small igniting cylinder to the main port near the
admission valve to supply the igniting cylinder with the ignition charge. The
ignition piston may instead of being fixed to the working piston be actuated by a
tappet on the working piston at a certain distance from the end of the stroke. If
admission and exhaust valves are fitted these valves may be opened by the main
or engine valves. A port or ports through the small cylinder will convey ignition
to the charge, or it is effected by pressure through porous porcelain or its
equivalent.
D
1000

page_text: Improvements in Internal Combustion Engines.
JAMES ROOTS Engineer 100 Westminster Bridge Road London 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 :-
In internal combustion engines having any compression cycle of operations, as a
method of ignition I attach a small piston to the working piston which fits into a
small cylinder fixed to the cover and reciprocates within it. This small piston
compresses a very small portion of the working charge to a sufficiently high pressure
to ignite it. The igniting cylinder may be entirely within the combustion space if
the stroke be relatively a short one. It is necessary in some engines to fit an
admission valve to this small igniting cylinder or tube, (I prefer to do without the
exhaust valve) or a pipe connecting a port in the small igniting cylinder to the
main port near the admission valve to supply the igniting cylinder with the igniting
charge. The igniting piston may instead of heing fixed to the working piston, be
actuated by a tappet on the working piston at a certain distance from the end
of the stroke. A port or ports through the small igniting cylinder will convey
ignition to the working charge. Ignition may be assisted by placing a small
piece of porcelain, porous or other, in the compression space of the igniting
cylinder.
I have shown my invention for method of igniting by compression, as applied to
an oil engine, although it may be applied to all compression internal combustion
engines.
In the drawings like letters refer to like parts.
Fig. 1 is
applied.
section of an oil engine with the igniting piston and cylinder shown
Fig. 2 is a similar section with the ignition piston and cylinder fitted, in a
modified way.
A is the igniting piston fixed to the true axial centre of the working piston B.
B' is the working cylinder, B 2 is the cover, C is the igniting cylinder or tube, (fixed
in the true axial cylinder line,) within which the piston A reciprocates. The
cylinder or tube C is fixed to the cover of the working cylinder. D is a small
valve by means of which a richer charge is conveyed from the main supply port
or channel, (in an oil engine the vaporising channel near the admission valve)
by the pipe E. F is the main admission valve, F" the vaporiser and air heater.
In a gas engine the pipe E would be conveniently fitted still closer to the admission
valve. G is the port or channel through which the iguiting flame is conveyed to
the working charge, and G' is the port or channel in the piston registering with
the port G when the piston is at the top of its stroke. H is an additional
outlet port from the igniting cylinder that may be made. If it is desired to do
without the additional valve D in some engines in which there is a difficulty in
attaching it, then the pipe I (shown dotted) fixed to the perforated plate I' may be
attached. The pipe I conveys the new charge entering by the valve F to the
bell mouth nozzle H' fitted to convey the charge into the cylinder or tube C.
C' is the compression space partly within the piston A, but not necessarily so.
In Fig. 2 the timing valve J is shown fitted to the port or channel G. The
valve J is operated in any known manner mechanically by the engine. The tubes K
in Fig. 1 are closed at one end, but open at the other to the explosion, they convey
heat to the vaporiser channel when the flame inside the heating casing F 1 is turned
out. Z is the usual exhaust valve operated in any usual manner.
In Fig. 1 in the position shown, the piston begins the return, in, or compressing

page_text: stroke. The charge is compressed into the tube or cylinder C by the piston B
through the return ports H, H', and G, and in the working cylinder B', until the
top of the piston A closes the port G, the charge in C is then rapidly compressed
to a high pressure sufficient to ignite it, and at the stroke end position indicated by
dotted lines the ignited charge passes by the ports G aud G' to the working charge
aud ignites it.
Although the igniting cylinder or tube is shown applied to a vertical oil engine,
it can be applied to any kind of compression internal combustion engine.
It will be seen that until the port G in the igniting cylinder C is closed upon the
upstroke of the piston A, no compression can take place in the cylinder or tube C,
and up to the time of closing of the port G, the pressure is equal in both the
igniting and working cylinders, and that therefore even if the valve D were not
fitted a certain quantity of the working charge in the working cylin ler is com-
pressed into the igniting cylinder C. By about the time the flame reaches the
working charge the dead point has been reached and both pistons have just
started on the down or out stroke, the ports G and G fully register at the
dead point.
In Fig. 2 the piston A commences the compression of the igniting charge in C
immediately the port H is closed, and after ignition in the compression space C',
the timing valve J (which may be of usual construction, which is operated in any
usual or known manner by mechanism from the crank shaft determines the time at
which the igniting flame shall be communicated from the space where it is
confined by the channel G to the working charge. By altering this time tempo-
rarily by hand, thus firing too soon and stopping the engine, the engine may be
stopped and reversed, the cam or other mechanism may then be released to its
normal position and fire at its normal time. To do this it is necessary to use the
gear described for reversing in my Specification No. 22181 and dated Nov. 20th
1893.
It is not essential that the piston A shall be hollowed out at the top as shown,
nor that it shall be fixed in the manner shown riz. screwed to a concentric boss cast
upon the piston. Though less convenient, the piston A might be stationary and
fixed to the cover while the cylinder C might be attached to the piston B.
Heat may be applied to the outside of the tube or cylinder C at starting.
I am aware that attempts have been made to fire internal combustion engines by
means of a small high compressing pistou, and that firing by compression per se is
I disclaim that part of my Provisional which is omitted.
not new.
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. In internal combustion engines igniting the working charge by means of a
relatively small piston fixed to or operated by the working piston, which small
piston reciprocates in a cylinder compresses a portion of the working charge,
(enriched or not by a supply of charge through a separate admission valve)
sufficiently to ignite it, and uncovers a port in the ignition cylinder immediately after
to convey ignition to the working charge.
2. In internal combustion engines an igniting piston and cylinder surrounded by
or heated by the combustion of the working charge, into which cylinder is
compressed by the working piston a portion of the working charge through a port
or ports, the port or ports are then covered by the igniting piston, its continued
movement compresses the charge in the igniting cylinder until it is ignited,
immediately following which a port is uncovered by the further movement of the
said piston to convey ignition to the working charge.
3. In an internal combustion engine having an igniting piston and cylinder a port
such as G covered and uncovered by the piston for the purpose described.
4. In an internal combustion engine with an igniting piston and cylinder a port
such as G for the purpose described.

page_text: 5. In an internal combustion engine the combination of the ports G and G 1 in
the ignition cylinder and piston for the purposes described.
6. In an internal combustion engine an igniting piston and cylinder, the piston
of which reciprocates in its cylinder by means of the working piston, covers a port
to enclose and compress the igniting charge, which charge after ignition is admitted
to fire the working charge by a timing valve.
7. In an internal combustion engine with an igniting piston and cylinder such as
described in Claims 1 and 2 an admission valve fitted to the ignition cylinder to
add to the charge supplied from the working cylinder.
8. In combination with an igniting cylinder and piston in an internal combustion
engine a port such as H¹ with a tube such as I for the purposes described.
9. In combination with an igniting cylinder and piston in an internal combustion
engine, a timing valve, such as J for the purposes and used in the manner substan-
tially as described and shown.
10. In an internal combustion engine an igniting piston of the kind described,
reciprocating in its cylinder which has open communication with the working
cylinder for a part of its stroke, closing communication by the piston covering a port
compressing the already compressed charge to ignition, and then reopening the
communication substantially as described.
11. In an internal combustion engine, operating an igniting piston and
cylinder by means of the working piston, ignition being effected in the igniting
cylinder by compression assisted by heat derived from the combustion of previous
working charges and communicating that ignition to the working charge.
12. In an internal combustion engine the improvements for effecting ignition
substantially as described and shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
נומ
JAMES ROOTS.