Year: 1885

page_text: I JOHN MAGEE of 56 Great Hamilton Street Glasgow in the County of Lanark
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to gas engines and consists mainly of improvements in
details of construction of various parts which are to a large extent individually
applicable to ordinary forms of gas engines but which as embodied in an organised
assemblage or combination of parts form an improved gas motor engine.
The invention comprises improved arrangements for effecting the starting of gas
engines by mechanical means instead of by hand, for governing the speed of gas
engines, for admitting and igniting the combustible charge, for exhausting the spent
charge and admitting air by the exhaust valve, and other improvements hereinafter
set forth.
For starting gas engines I utilise the power of a spring or springs which is or
are wound up either by a handle or by neaus of the fly wheel. On either side of
the fly wheel I pivot a forked bracket carrying a spindle which lies across the fly
wheel and has fitted at each end a wheel or roller either of which may be brought
into frictional gear with the edge of the fly wheel by oscillating the pivotted
bracket. To one of the rollers is attached one end of a helical or volute spring
which surrounds the spindle and whose other end is fixed to the spindle. This
roller is fitted loosely on the shaft but is connected to it by a ratchet and pawl
which permits of its turning only in the direction in which it winds up the spring.
The spring is wound by turning the pivotted bracket so that the roller is in
frictional contact with the fly wheel and the energy stored up in the spring is
afterwards utilised to rotate the spindle and start the fly wheel by contact with
the roller at the opposite end of the spindle. The unwinding of the spring before
its power is required may be prevented by a pawl and ratchet connected to the
bracket or by similar means.
As means for governing the speed of gas engines I suspend from a collar on the
spindle of the rotating valve or other vertical rotating shaft a weight or pendulum
attached to a bell crank or other lever. By the rotation of the shaft the weight
or pendulum flies outwards like the ball of an ordinary centrifugal governor and
the upper end of the bell crank is drawn inwards. In the path of rotation of the
bell crank is a roller or cam upon the spindle of a gas supply valve and this spindle
is raised by the bell crank arm striking the can at each revolution of the valve

page_text: spindle if the speed is at the normal or below the normal point. When the speed
of the engine is above the normal point the weight or pendulum flies outwards to
a greater extent and the bell crank arm is drawn in out of the path of the gas
valve cam, or the pendulum may act upon a sliding cam which will act upon the
valve spindle. A second cam or roller inay be fitted in the path of the bell crank
arm to be acted on at its inward position such roller being attached to the spindle
of an air supply valve or of the exhaust valve of the engine and being at such a
position that a supply of air may be admitted during the outstroke of the piston
while the supply of gas is cut off.
As a further means of governing the speed of the engine I fit a fan or plate or
similar device in the open end of the cylinder so that the air drawn in and driven
out by the reciprocation of the piston acts upon and rotates such fan at a higher
or lower velocity according to the speed of the piston. The fan spindle is connected
to the gas supply valve in a manner similar to the weight or pendulum on the
rotating valve spindle or in such wise that it raises the valve to admit gas when
the speed of the engine is abnormally slow and shuts off the gas supply when the
speed is abnormally high.
For supplying the combustible mixture to the cylinder I employ a rotatory conical
valve similar to that described and illustrated in the Specification of my former
Patent No 9544 dated 28th June 1884. I provide an ignition cavity in the side of
the valve and in the advanced edge of such cavity I bore a small opening through
which a supply of the combustible mixture under compression is admitted from the
cylinder by the orifice opening to the cylinder port immediately before the ignition
cavity itself is opened to that port. The charge of compressed mixture is fired
within the ignition cavity by means of a flame at this time burning in the cavity
and is exploded to fire the charge within the cylinder at the moment when the
edge of the ignition cavity opens to the cylinder port; while, owing to the orifice
being extremely small and the gas burning in the ignition cavity before the
admission of the compressed charge being at atmospheric pressure only, the flame
will not travel back through the orifice to the cylinder or ignite the charge before
the proper time.
The rotatory conical valve is kept on its seat at the time of the explosion by the
end of a lever whose opposite end bears on a movable plug in the cylinder in
the manner described in my previous Specification already referred to, but by the
present improvements I form this plug of such a size that it may be utilised as
means for giving access to the exhaust valve. The exhaust valve is placed
diametrically opposite this plug and is fitted to open inwards within the cylinder
its guiding spindle passing outwards into the exhaust pipe.
I make the sole plate or bearers of the gas engine hollow and connect it to a
water vessel and through the sole and the vessel I maintain a circulation of water
to keep the cylinder cool.

page_text: I, JOHN MAGEE of 56 Great Hamilton Street Glasgow in the County of Lanark,
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 gas engines and consists mainly of improvements in
details of construction of various parts which are to a large extent individually
applicable to ordinary forms of gas engines but which as embodied in an organised
assemblage or combination of parts form an improved gas motor engine.
The invention comprises improved arrangements for effecting the starting of gas
engines by mechanical means instead of by hand, for governing the speed of gas
engines, for admitting and igniting the combustible charge, for exhausting the,
spent charge and admitting air by the exhaust valve and other improvements
hereinafter set forth.
The several improvements are illustrated as embodied in a gas engine in the
annexed drawings in which figure 1 is a transverse vertical section figure 2, a
longitudinal vertical section and figure 3 a plan of the engine, figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,
9 and 10 being detached views of the governing apparatus and valves. The engine
is of the horizontal type and comprises as usual a cylinder A, which is overhung
from a sole plate or bearer B, also supporting the crank shaft C. In a horizontal
engine as shown the bearer or sole plate B, is made hollow and it is connected with
the usual water jacket a, of the cylinder A, by a passage b, while communication
is established between it and the outlet a¹, from the cylinder jacket through a
separate water tank X placed directly over the engine, and the water in the tank
and bearer is circulated through the cylinder jacket to keep the cylinder cool, the
bearer thus serving as a reservoir and permitting of the employment of a much
smaller water tank than is customary. The cylinder is provided with an adjustable
piston or end piece A¹ fitted in the manner described in the specification of my
Patent No 9544 of 1884 and the conical gas supply valve D, and the operating
gear for driving it from the crank shaft are similar to the corresponding parts
described in that specification.
For starting the engine I utilize the power of a spring or springs which is or are
wound up either by a handle or by means of the fly-wheel. On either side but
preferably as shown on the inner side of the fly-wheel E, I pivot a bracket F
carrying a spindle f which lies across the face of the fly-wheel and has fitted at
each end a friction wheel or roller G and G, either of which rollers may be brought
into frictional gear with the edge of the fly-wheel or a ring e formed on it, by
oscillating the pivotted bracket F. Each roller G, Gis fitted loosely on the shaft f,
but is connected to it by a ratchet and pawl (not shown on the drawing) and when
the roller G, is brought into contact with the fly-wheel, the spindle fis thereby
rotated and through gearing H, H', winds up or coils a spring I, one end of which
is attached to the wheel H¹ which is loose upon a stud while the other is fixed
to the sole plate of the engine. The energy stored up in the spring is afterwards

page_text: utilized to rotate the spindle fand start the fly-wheel by contact with the roller G³,
at the opposite end of the spindle said roller G¹ being brought into frictional
contact with the fly-wheel for that purpose. The unwinding of the spring before
its power is required may be prevented by a pawl and ratchet connected to the
bracket or by similar means. A square end is formed on the spindle fin order that
the spring may be wound by a hand lever or it may be wound by a ratchet pawl
and handle should it accidentally become uncoiled.
As means for governing the speed of the engine I suspend from a collar on the
spindle of the rotating valve D, or other vertical rotating shaft a weighted lever
or pendulum k as shown in figures 3 and 4. By the rotation of the shaft ; the
weight or pendulum k, flies outwards like the ball of an ordinary centrifugal
governor and the upper end of the lever arm k¹ at its upper end is drawn inwards.
In the path of rotation of the arm k¹ is an adjustable roller or cam l, upon a rod L,
to which is connected the spindle m of a gas supply valve M, and the spindle mis
raised by the arm k¹ striking the cam 1, at each revolution of the valve spindle if
the speed is at the normal or below the normal point. When the speed of the
engine is above the normal point the weight or pendulum k, flies outwards to a
greater extent and the lever arm is drawn in out of the path of the gas valve
cam; or the pendulum may act upon a sliding cam which will act upon the valve
spindle as shown at figure 10. A second cam or roller may be fitted in the path of
the lever arm to be acted on at its inward position such roller being attached to
the spindle of an air supply valve or of the exhaust valve of the engine and being
at such a position that a supply of air may be admitted during the outstroke of
the piston while the supply of gas is cut off.
As a further means of governing the speed of the engine and applicable in lieu
of the governor above described I fit a fan or plate N, or similar device in the open
end of the cylinder A, as shown in fig. 5, so that the air drawn in and driven out
by the reciprocation of the piston acts upon and rotates the fan, when such is used,
at a higher or lower velocity according to the speed of the piston, or oscillates the
plate N to a greater or less extent. The fan spindle or the upper end of the plate
which is jointed at N¹ is connected to the gas supply valve M by a rod n and
spindle m which is raised to admit gas when a roller on the rod n is struck by an
arm on the rotating valve spindle the valve being raised to admit gas when the
speed of the engine is abnormally slow and remaining closed to shut off the gas
supply when the speed is abnormally high. Instead of acting on the plate N by
means of the air drawn into and expelled from the cylinder mouth by the movement
of the piston it may be struck by the cross head or other moving part.
In the conical rotating valve D, which supplies the combustible mixture to the
cylinder I form an ignition cavity d, and in the advanced edge of such cavity, as
shown in figures 6 and 7, I bore a small opening d¹ through which a supply of the
combustible mixture under compression is admitted from the cylinder by the orifice
opening to the cylinder port immediately before the ignition cavity d is itself
opened to that port. The charge of compressed mixture is fired within the ignition
cavity d, and is exploded, to fire the charge within the cylinder, by means of a
flame at this time burning in the cavity, at the moment when the edge of the
ignition cavity opens to the cylinder port, while owing to the orifice being
extremely small and the gas burning in the ignition cavity before the admission
of the compressed charge being at atmospheric pressure only, the flame will not
travel back through the orifice to the cylinder or ignite the charge before the
proper time. The same object may be attained by carrying a bridge piece d' across
the cavity d, and boring an orifice therein as shown in figure 8, or by inclining the
cavity d relatively with the port opening into the cylinder as shown in fig. 9.
The rotary conical valve D, is kept on its seat at the time of the explosion, by
the end of lever O, whose opposite end bears on a movable plug P, in the cylinder
in the manner described in my previous Specification already referred to, but by the
present improvements I form this plug of such a size that it may be utilized as
means for giving access to the exhaust valve Q The exhaust valve Q is placed

page_text: diametrically opposite this plug in the bottom of the cylinder and is fitted to open
inwards within the cylinder its guiding spindle R, passing outwards into the
exhaust pipe S, and being operated to raise the valve Q, by a lever T, operated by a
wyper U, on the shaft which drives the conical supply valve D, as seen particularly
in fig. 1.
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. A gas engine embodying singly or in combination the elements of improvement
herein described with reference to the drawings.
2. In a horizontal gas engine the combination of a hollow sole plate or bearer
adapted to serve as a reservoir for the circulating water used in cooling the cylinder
and a tank placed directly over the engine substantially as described with reference
to the annexed drawings.
3. The arrangement of apparatus constituting the starting gear for gas engines
substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
4. A governor for gas engines consisting of a weighted lever or pendulum adapted
to act on a valve for admitting gas or air to the engine substantially as herein
described with reference to figures 3 and 4 of the annexed drawings.
5. The governing apparatus for gas engines herein described with reference to
figure 5, of the annexed drawings.
6. The improved rotating valve D, formed with an ignition cavity having at its
forward edge an orifice or its equivalent for admitting a portion of the compressed
charge from the cylinder to the ignition cavity immediately before said cavity opens
to the cylinder port substantially as described with reference to figures 6, 7, 8, 9
and 10 of the annexed drawings.
7. The arrangement in the cylinder of a horizontal gas engine of the exhaust
valve Q, opening inwards in combination with the plug P, giving access to said
valve and with the several operating parts substantially as described with reference
to the drawings annexed.
8. The combination of parts constituting the improved gas engine herein described
with reference to the drawings annexed.
Dated thin TL
T 1000