Improvements in Gas Engines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 8th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 22nd Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas Engines.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM LANCHESTER, of 13, Bedford Row, London W.C.
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in the arrangements and details of gas
engines and part is applicable to positive action gas engines as well as to
automatic.
In carrying one part of my invention into effect which is more particularly
applicable to double cylinder gas engines, I so arrange and connect the two cylinders
that the pressure of compression in those cylinders acts alternately on the automatic
exhaust valve of each cylinder in such manner that one cylinder is caused to
compress its charge while the other is exhausting. When the two pistons are con-
nected to the crank pin or to crank pins which are in or nearly in line with each
other, I connect the two cylinders by a passage controlled by opposing lift valves
and the said lift valves open into their respective cylinders and close with the
compression. The valves are so connected by their valve stems that when one
valve is forced to its seat the other valve is necessarily forced from its seat so that
one valve is closed and one valve is open at any particular instant. The valve
stems or stem pass through a suitable sleeve which divides the passage or chamber
between the cylinders into two parts. The sleeve being arranged to be sufficiently
pressure tight with or without a stuffing gland. Each of the parts into which the
passage or chamber is divided connects with an exhaust valve casing so that
pressure from that part actuates a piston in that casing and opens the exhaust valve.
Each of the two ports or chambers connects to the exhaust valve casing of the
other cylinder.
The automatic exhaust valve is preferably that described in the Specification of
Patent No. 19868 of 1889 already granted to me.
Premising that an engine of this type is fitted with automatic gas and air inlet
valves as well as automatic exhaust valves, the action of the engine is as follows:-
Assuming both pistons to be full out and to have taken in a charge of gas and air
into their respective cylinders, and on the return stroke one of the connected valves
is forced to its seat and the other valve is held open. At first both pistons compress
the charge but the pressure from the cylinder whose connected valve is open finds
its way to the exhaust valve piston of the other cylinder and this pressure opens the
said exhaust valve. The cylinder in which the connected valve is at first closed
therefore discharges its contents into the exhaust pipe; but this at once allows the
pressure in that cylinder to fall and the pressure of compression in the other cylinder
shuts its valve and opens the opposing valve. Although on the exhausting stroke
the exhausting cylinder now connects with the exhaust valve of the cylinder in
which compression is proceeding, the pressure of compression on the top of the
exhaust valve in that cylinder is too considerable to allow the feeble back pressure
of the exhausting stroke to open it. Compression accordingly proceeds in one
cylinder till the end of the stroke is attained, when the compressed mixture in the
explosion or combustion space is ignited in any usual manner and an impulse
is given on the out stroke. The connected valve in that cylinder is held down by
the working pressure, but at the end of the stroke the burned gases preferably
discharge to atmospheric pressure through a port overrun by the piston and the
pressure of compression from the other cylinder opens the exhaust valve of the
cylinder in which the working stroke has just been completed and so that cylinder
in turn exhausts and the other compresses its charge preparatory to ignition.
In

page_text: this manner actuate the exhaust valve of one cylinder by the compression in the
adjoining cylinder.
The
The cylinders may be arranged to oppose each other with cranks at 180° apart
or thereby and suitable connections may be made from cylinder to cylinder.
connected valves may be connected by levers or linkage instead of the direct stem
connection hereinbefore described.
In twin or coupled engines I sometimes couple two engines of the kind described
in Specification No. 19868 of 1889 instead of arranging the action of the exhaust
valves in the manner described above.
t
Another part of my invention relates to a method of governing gas engines which
is especially applicable to engines adopted for electric lighting, and it consists in
opening a valve of regulated discharge area into the cylinder' during the charging"
stroke so that air is admitted into the cylinder to dilute the charge. But 'the air
is admitted by a separate passage so that it does not interfere with the richness of
the mixture in the ignition port through which the inflammable charge is drawn."
In one method of carrying this part of my invention into effect I arrange a port
to open into the compression space away from or separate from the usual gas and
air admission port, and I control this port by a lift valve opening inwards and kept
to its seat by a spring of regulated tension. The seat is comparatively small in
area but the valve is expanded within to a considerable diameter to nearly fill a
cylindrical space, opening by the said port to the compression space. So long as the
engine rotates at its normal speed the suction reduces the pressure within to a
certain. point, but if the speed increase the pressure falls and so the air valve
is lifted from its seat. Immediately this occurs the air entering presses upon the
enlarged part and lifts the valve to its limit.' Excess of speed thus at once dilutes
the charge to a predetermined degree and the power of the explosion is reduced
without causing any missed ignitions.
is
Another part of my invention relates to the means of quieting the noise caused
by the air suction, and this is performed by drawing the air supply from a closed
chamber contaiuing a liquid such as water or oil. The air may be taken to the
engine by a pipe opening into the upper part of this chamber clear of the oil, but
the air is admitted from the atmosphere to the chamber by a pipe or preferably a
number of pipes pointing downwards to the liquid and terminating close to the liquid
or slightly under its surface. The sound' wave is thus broken up and the energy
expended in agitating the liquid instead of causing noise. The air chamber is
placed preferably under or within the engine bed and so connected that the waste
oil from the engine drains into it to supply the oil, when oil is used. The air
chamber is provided with an aperture and tap to take off the oil and maintain it at
a nearly constant level. The air pipe from the chamber to the engine may be
placed within another pipe so directed that the air current strikes the liquid before
entering t the said pipe, and so reduces sound.
Dated this 7th day of December 1891.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.'
Improvements in Gas Engines.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM LANCHESTER, of 13 Bedford Row, London W.C.
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:-
My invention relates to improvements in the arrangements and details of gas
engines and part is applicable to positive action 'gas engines as well as to
4
5

page_text: Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings, which illustrates the application
of my invention :-
11
Figure 1 is a transverse section showing a double cylinder arranged with my new
valve action.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section showing my governing valve when controlled
by pendulum governor.
Figure 3 is a section of a piston fitted with my air governing valve.
Figure
4 shows in section my valve as applied to Figure 3 on a larger scale.
Figure 5 is a section of another form of my air governing valve.
In carrying one part of my invention into effect which is more particularly
applicable to double cylinder gas engines, as illustrated in section at Figure 1, I so
arrange and connect the two cylinders A and B that the pressure of compression in
those cylinders acts alternately on the automatic exhaust valve of each cylinder in
such manner that one cylinder is caused to compress its charge while the other is
exhausting. When the two pistons are connected to the crank pin or to crank pins
which are in or nearly in line with each other, I connect the two cylinders A and B
by a passage controlled by opposing lift valves A3, B2 and the said lift valves open
into their respective cylinders A and B and close with the compression. The
valves are so connected by their valve stems that when one valve as A' is forced to
its seat the other valve as B2 is necessarily forced from its seat so that one valve A³
is closed and one valve B2 is open at any particular instant. The valve stems or
stem pass through a suitable sleeve c which divides the passage or chamber between
the cylinders into two parts as A³, B'. The sleeve c being arranged to be
sufficiently pressure tight with or without a stuffing gland. Each of the ports into
which the passage or chamber is divided connects with an exhaust valve casing
as A¹, B' by the pipes a and b, so that pressure from each port actuates a piston in
that casing and opens the exhaust valve. Each of the two ports or chambers A', B³,
connects to the exhaust valve casing of the other cylinder, that is the chamber A³
connects by the pipe a to the exhaust chamber B₁ while B³ connects by the pipe b
to the exhaust chamber A¹
The automatic exhaust valves A¹, B¹ are preferably those described in the
Specification of Patent No. 19868 of 1889 already granted to me.
Premising that an engine of this type is fitted with automatic gas and air inlet
valves as well as automatic exhaust valves, the action of the engine is as follows:-
Assuming both pistons in the cylinders A and B to be full out and to have
taken in a charge of gas and air into their respective cylinders, and on the return
stroke one of the connected valves A³, B2, is forced to its seat, say the valve A',
and the other valve B is thus held open. At first both pistons compress the
charge but the pressure from the cylinder B whose connected valve B³ is open
finds its way to the exhaust valve piston d of the other cylinder A by way of the
pipe b, and this pressure opens the said exhaust valve A'. The cylinder A in
which the connected valve A' is at first closed therefore discharges its contents
into the exhaust pipe; but this at once allows the pressure in that cylinder A to
fall and the pressure of compression in the other cylinder B shuts its valve B' and
opens the opposing valve A. Although on the exhausting stroke the exhausting
cylinder A now connects with the exhaust valve of the cylinder B in which com-
pression is proceeding, the pressure of compression on the top of the valve B² in
that cylinder is too considerable to allow the feeble back pressure of the exhausting
stroke in A to open it. Compression accordingly proceeds in one cylinder B till
the end of the stroke is attained, when the compressed mixture in the explosion or
combustion space is ignited in any usual manner and an impulse is given on the out
stroke. The connected valve in that cylinder B is held down by the working
pressure in B, but at the end of the stroke the burned gases preferably discharge
to atmospheric pressure through a port overrun by the piston and the pressure of
compression from the other cylinder A opens the exhaust valve B of the cylinder B
in which the working stroke has just been completed and so that cylinder in turn

page_text: exhausts and the other A compresses its charge preparatory to ignition. In this
manner I actuate the exhaust valve A¹ of one cylinder A by the compression in the
adjoining cylinder B and the exhaust valve B of the other cylinder B by the
compression in the cylinder A.
The cylinders may be arranged to oppose each other with cranks at 180° apart
or thereby and suitable connections may be made from cylinder to cylinder. The
connected valves may be connected by levers or linkage instead of the direct stem
connection hereinbefore described.
In twin or coupled engines I sometimes couple two engines of the kind described
in Specification No. 19868 of 1889 instead of arranging the action of the exhaust
valves in the manner described above.
Another part of my invention relates to a method of governing gas engines which
is especially applicable to engines adopted for clectric lighting, and it consists in
opening a valve of regulated area into the cylinder during the charging stroke so
that air is admitted into the cylinder to dilute the charge. But the air is admitted
by a separate passage so that it does not interfere with the richness of the mixture
in the ignition port through which the inflammable charge is drawn.
In one method of carrying this part of my invention into effect as illustrated at
Figure 5 I arrange a port K to open into the compression space away from or
separate from the usual gas and air admission port, and I control this port K by a
lift valve G opening inwards and kept to its seat H by a spring 1 of regulated
tension. The seat H is comparatively small in area but the valve is expanded
within as shown in Figure 5 to a considerable diameter to nearly fill a cylindrical
space or port K opening by the said port to the compression space. So long as the
engine rotates at its normal speed the suction reduces the pressure within to a
certain point, but if the speed increase, the pressure falls and so the air valve G is
lifted from its seat. Immediately this occurs the air entering presses upon the
enlarged part and lifts the valve G to its limit. Excess of speed thus at once
dilutes the charge to a predetermined degree and the power of the explosion is
reduced without causing any missed ignitions.
Figures 2, 3 and 4 illustrate modifications of this mode of governing by admitting
air by a separate valve to dilute the charge.
ני
In Figure 2, the valve C₁ is the air governing valve and it admits air to the
cylinder C when the engine runs too fast, but the valve C'is operated by a “hit and
miss operated governor which in the drawing is a pendulum governor D' actuated
by the lever D. The knife edge of the pendulum governor engages the notch in
the valve stem when the speed is excessive and so opens the valve and admits air.
L and M show respectively the usual feed valve and the exhaust port.
In Figures 3 and 4 the valve E' is carried in the piston and operates by its
momentum at the end of the exhausting stroke. If the engine speed becomes
excessive the valve E is thrown open when the piston E terminates its stroke in
the direction of the arrow, and it remains open when the piston E moves in the
opposite direction to take in its charge. Flat springs F, FI Figure 4 are preferred,
which springs are nearly straight when the valve E' is closed. The resistance is
thus greatest when the valve is closed and diminishes when it opens to admit air.
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 double cylinder gas or oil engines obtaining the alternate action of the
exhaust valves by operating each exhaust valve by compression in the other
cylinder, substantially as and for the purposes herein before described.
2. In double cylinder gas or oil engines, the arrangement of double chamber
as A³, B³ with connected valves as A3, B2 respectively operating exhaust valves B', A¹
by compression in the cylinders A and B substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated at Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 3. Governing a gas or like engine by a valve as G Figure 5 operated by suction
and admitting air to the cylinder to reduce the charge substantially as herein before
described.
4. Governing a gas or like engine by admitting air to the cylinder by a separate
valve when speed is excessive, substantially as herein before described with reference
to Figures 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 7th day of September 1892.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.