IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN CONNECTION WITH MOTIVE POWER ENGINES ACTUATED BY THE COMBUSTION OF A MIXTURE OF GAS OR VAPOUR AND ATMOSPHERIC AIR
Year: 1885

page_text: I ERNEST RICHARD ROYSTON Hanham Abbotts Leyland Road Lee, Kent Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN
CONNECTION WITH MOTIVE POWER ENGINES ACTUATED BY THE COMBUSTION OF A
MIXTURE OF GAS OR VAPOUR AND ATMOSPHERIC AIR to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to that class of engines in which motive power
is obtained from the combustion and subsequent expansion of a mixture of
inflammable gas or vapour and atmospheric air in, or in connection with a closed
cylinder or cylinders of the engine.
The gas or vapour which is employed may be any of the suitable gases that are,
or can be obtained from coal, or other carbonaceous materials and carbonaceous
liquids, such as petroleum, or other like or equivalent liquids.
For the sake of simplicity I will set forth and described an engine having a
single cylinder and working piston which is connected to a crank of a crank shaft.
by means of a connecting rod, and in connection with which, there are embodied
certain improvements according to this, my Invention. The cylinder of the engine
is so constructed that in working there exist in it different temperatures at either
end, namely, one end is maintained at a high temperature whereas the other end is
comparatively cool. The temperature of the cool end of the cylinder is maintained
by a suitable jacket, through which water flows, or it may be cooled by air passing
over or around it. In this portion a tight fitting piston works, the temperature of
this part of the cylinder being kept at such a height that will protect the working
parts from becoming damaged from ovor heating. The hot portion of the cylinder
is separated into two parts, one of which, namely that next the cool end is formed
of external and internal cylinders, between which there is preferably packed a
material through which heat passes slowly, or in other words what is termed a
non-conductor of heat and one which will not become injuriously charred or
burned by the great heat resulting from the combustion of the gas. For this
purpose asbestos in any suitable and convenient form may with good effect be
employed, or combinations of asbestos with other suitable material non combustible
at the temperature of combustion. The hot portion of the cylinder is preferably
bolted to the cool end of the cylinder and is separated therefrom as much as
possible by non-conducting material, such as asbestos board, to prevent conduction
of heat to the metal of the cool end. To the working piston there is connected a
displacer which, when the piston is at the inner end of its stroke fills, or nearly
fills the capacity of the portion of the hot end of the cylinder above set forth,

page_text: This displacer is provided for purposes hereinafter described. Between the
displacer and the piston end is placed asbestos board, or other suitable material, to
prevent as much conduction of heat as possible to the cool piston, and the hot end
of the displacer is constructed of, or with non-conducting material so as to absorb
and conduct as little heat as possible. The displacer may be lined with asbestos or
other equivalent non-conducting material. Beyond this hot portion just described
there is a chamber which may be termed the combustion chamber which is lined
with hard refractory material such as fire clay or plumbago, this is placed within
the outer cylinder above mentioned. Taking it that there are products of com-
bustion at a high temperature and pressure within this chamber and the piston is
at the inner end of its stroke, then the refractory material with which it is lined
prevents escape of such heat and the remaining portion of the hot end being filled
or nearly filled with the displacer, as above set forth, prevents any great amount
of radiation or conduction of heat to the outside atmosphere or to the cool end of
the cylinder, or piston. Thus by these means the varying pressures throughout
this outward stroke of the piston if produced by an indicator in the form of a
diagram would show the portion indicating the part of the stroke during which the
gases were expanding a curve approximating that produced by adiabatic expansion,
whereas a diagram taken from a gas motor engine in which the combustion takes
place directly within a cooled cylinder indicates a curve from which can be shown
that fifty per cent of the heat of combustion has escaped into the metal and cooling
medium. Thus an engine constructed according to this invention as above set
forth would consume only half the quantity of fuel that would be used in a cool
cylinder engine per unit of indicated power.
I will now describe the manner of, and apparatus for effecting the introduction
of the air and the fuel into the cylinder. I introduce the fuel into that portion of
the hot cylinder which is lined with the refractory material, namely the combustion
chamber and this chamber I prefer to heat up to a certain temperature sufficient to
effect the ignition of the combustible mixture in the cylinder before the engine is
desired to commence work and thereby do away with the necessity of a separate
ignition apparatus. This I do by injecting a flame of gas or hydro carbon oil
mixed with air. Whatever the fuel employed, I first introduce the necessary air
to support combustion of the fuel. This may be effected in the following convenient
way. The cool cylinder and piston in front is so formed to serve as an air pump,
drawing in air during its inward stroke and expelling such air during its outward
stroke. The air is drawn through an inlet valve which is mounted upon the piston
rod and. which is opened and shut by the movement of the piston rod. The air
when drawn in is expelled by a suitable valve, such as a flap valve, through a duct
to the combustion end of the cylinder, at which end there is provided a suitable
non-return valve. Thus during the outstroke of the engine the air which has been
drawn into the cylinder is compressed at a low pressure into the duct, which serves
as an air reservoir. At the end of the outstroke of the piston some of the products
of combustion at terminal pressure exhaust themselves through an exhaust valve,
hereafter described, which is situated in the hot end of the cylinder but near the
cool end. When the terminal pressure has thus been reduced below that in the
air reservoir the air enters the combustion chamber and sweeps out the remaining
products of combustion, thus ensuring a renewal of air for each stroke of the
engine. The exhaust valve is then closed and the piston compresses the air within
the cylinder upon the inward stroke. When the piston has reached or nearly
reached its inward limit of stroke the fuel is forced into the air within the com-
bustion chamber by a pump which has a delivery valve which is so placed in close
proximity to the point of exit of the fuel that little or no fuel will escape into the
cylinder when the pressure in the cylinder is reduced, and by this means and by
the before mentioned manner of introducing the air first and then the fuel, all
liability to explosion or consumption of fuel taking place at the wrong moment is
obviated. I prefer to introduce the fuel in a prolonged enforcement during any
desirable portion of the stroke. For instance the commencement of enforcement

page_text: of the fuel may take place a little in advance of the commencement of the out-
stroke of the piston and be prolonged to say a third or fourth of such stroke, from
which point the gases expand until substantially the end of the stroke when they
are released as above stated. When it is required to use the vapour of petroleum
or other equivalent hydro carbon oil I inject or enforce such oil into the com-
bustion chamber and upon the refractory lining thereof which being hot vapourizes
the oil and the vapour mixes with the air and burns. The oil is enforced by
means of a plunger pump worked preferably from a counter shaft which lies
parallel with the centre line of the engine. The pump is provided with feed and
delivery plunger valves having conical ends. All three plungers are operated by
cams upon the counter shaft arranged to operate at the correct moment, the
delivery valve being placed in close proximity to the delivery orifice. This orifice
is formed of a number of holes so arranged as to divide the oil up into a number
of small radiating streams, the holes being of such size and the apparatus so
arranged that the oil will be delivered onto the hot lining of the combustion chamber
at a velocity which will tend to break up or pulverize the oil and bring it into
such a condition that it will readily be converted into vapour or gas. I aid this
desideratum by heating the oil under pressure before passing it into the cylinder.
The pressure may be obtained in any suitable manner, a convenient means being
by keeping the oil for supply in a receptacle, such as a cylinder; under pressure
obtained by a dead weight or spring. By keeping the oil under pressure in such
a manner no vapour of the oil can be generated, or given off until it is within the
cylinder. When gas is employed as the fuel it is enforced substantially by similar
or equivalent pumps and valves and apparatus as that set forth with reference
to the oil fuel. In this case as the fuel is an elastic fluid the varying interactions
due to the varying pressure that will exist within the cylinders and the pumps
must be equalized as much as possible. I effect this by providing means whereby
a substantially unchecked and continuous flow is obtained by means of a chamber
or cylinder of differential diameters in which works a loose piston of differential
diameters and which is in connection. with the gas pump and the interior of the
cylinder, or preferably by means of a cam or cams so shaped as to operate the
pumps in the necessary manner above referred to, or by other suitable means
which will effect the desired result.
When necessary I employ a mechanical means of mixing the gas or vapour with
the air within the combustion chamber of the cylinder. This may be effected by
means of a rotating device within the chamber and operated by any suitable
means, such as from the counter shaft by band or spur gearing.
To aid in keeping the piston cool and to prevent dirt or grit from coming in
contact with the working surfaces of the piston and cool end of the cylinder,
I provide an annular or equivalent opening in the cylinder which is so positioned
that it comes just behind the piston when it is at the outer end of its outward
stroke. A current of air is allowed to flow through this opening or aperture at
the termination of each outward stroke. The air is led through a pipe which is
in communication with the main air pipe or duct and a non return valve is fitted
near the point of entrance in the cylinder.
The exhaust valve is of the mushroom type opening inwards in the cylinder
and placed near the point where the hot and cool ends of the cylinder join or
come together. The seat of this valve as well as of the fuel pumps are preferably
provided with jackets through which water is caused to circulate to avoid over-
heating of the parts.
The fuel is regulated by a suitable governor which is driven in any suitable
manner.

page_text: provements in and in Connection with Motive Power Engines
Actuated by the Combustion of a Mixture of Gas or Vapour
and Atmospheric Air.
I ERNEST RICHARD ROYSTON of Hanham Abbots, Leyland Road, Lee, Kent,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said 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 has reference to that class of engines in which motive power t
is obtained from the combustion and subsequent expansion of a mixture of
inflammable gas or vapour and atmospheric air in, or in connection with a closed
cylinder, or cylinders of the engine and an effective and useful stroke is obtained
for each revolution of the crank.
The gas, or vapour which is employed may be of any of the suitable gases that ]
are, or can be obtained from coal, or other carbonaceous materials and carbonaceous
liquids, such as petroleum, or other like, or equivalent liquids.
For the sake of simplicity I will set forth and describe an engine having a
single cylinder and working piston which is connected to a crank of a crank shaft
by means of a connecting rod and in, and in connection with which there are 1
embodied certain improvements according to this my Invention.
In order that my Invention may be clearly understood I have hereunto annexed
three sheets of Drawings illustrative thereof which form a part of this Specification,
the Drawings and description together being sufficient to enable any person skilled
in the art to which it belongs to put the same into practice. The Drawings 2
are marked with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in
the following description, like letters and figures being used to denote like or
corresponding parts throughout the views.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.

page_text: Figure 13 is a plan in section of another arrangement of gas enforcing apparatus
according to my invention.
Figure 14 is an elevation partly in section of Figure 13.
The cylinder A of the engine is so constructed that in working there exist in it
different temperatures at either end, namely one end B is maintained at a high
temperature whereas the other end B₁ is comparatively cool. The temperature of
the cool end of the cylinder is maintained by a suitable jacket through which
water flows, or it may be cooled by air passing over, or around it. In this portion
a tight fitting piston C works the temperature of this part of the cylinder being
kept at such a height that will protect the working parts from becoming damaged
from over heating. The hot portion B of the cylinder is separated into two parts
one of which, namely that next the cool end is formed of external and internal
cylinders b as shown between which there is preferably packed a material through
which beat passes slowly, or in other words what is termed a non conductor of
heat and one which will not become injuriously charred, or burned by the great
heat resulting from the combustion of the gas. For this purpose asbestos in any
suitable and convenient form may with good effect be employed, or combinations
of asbestos with other suitable material non combustible at the temperature of
combustion. The hot portion of the cylinder is preferably bolted to the cool end
of the cylinder and is separated therefrom as much as possible by non conducting
material, such as asbestos board, to prevent conduction of heat to the metal of the
cool end. To the working piston O there is connected a displacer C₁ which when the
piston is at the inner end of the stroke fills or nearly fills the capacity of the portion
of the hot end of the cylinder above set forth. This displacer is provided for purposes
hereinafter described. Between the displacer and the piston end is placed asbestos
board, or other suitable material to prevent as much conduction of heat as possible
to the cool piston, and the hot end of the displacer is constructed of, or with non
conducting material so as to absorb and conduct as little heat as possible. The
displacer may be lined with asbestos, or other equivalent non conducting material.
Beyond this hot portion C¹ just described there is a chamber B which may be
termed the combustion chamber which is lined with metal and having a hard
refractory material such as fire clay, or plumbago placed between the cylinder and
the metal lining above mentioned. Taking it that there are products of combustion
at a high temperature and pressure within this chamber and the piston is at the
inner end of its stroke, then the refractory material with which it is lined prevents
escape of such heat and the remaining portion of the hot end being filled, or nearly
filled with the displacer as above set forth prevents any great amount of radiation,
or conduction of heat to the outside atmosphere, or to the cool end of the cylinder
or piston. Thus by these means the varying pressures throughout this outward
stroke of the piston if recorded by an indicator in the form of a diagram would
show the portion indicating the part of the stroke during which the gases were
expanding a curve approximating that produced by adiabatic expansion, whereas
a diagram taken from a gas motor engine in which the combustion takes place
directly within a cooled cylinder indicates a curve from which can be shown that
fifty per cent of the heat of combustion has escaped into the metal and cooling
medium. Thus an engine constructed according to this Invention as above set
forth would consume only a certain portion of the quantity of fuel that would be
used in a cool cylinder engine per unit of indicated power.
I will now describe the manner of and apparatus for effecting the introduction
of the air and fuel into the cylinder. I introduce the fuel into that portion of
the hot cylinder which is lined with the refractory material, namely the combustion
chamber and this chamber I prefer to heat up to a certain temperature sufficient
to effect the ignition of the combustible mixture in the cylinder before the engine
is desired to commence work, and thereby do away with the necessity of a separate
ignition apparatus. This I do by injecting a flame of gas, or hydro carbon oil
mixed with air through the aperture which is shown filled by the plug a in the

page_text: Drawing. The injector may be of any known suitable kind and need not therefore
be shown. Whatever the fuel employed, I first introduce the necessary air to.
support combustion of the fuel, and thereby obviate all premature and false
firing of the gas, or vapour. This may be effected in the following convenient
way. The cool cylinder B¹ and the piston C in front is so formed to serve
as an air pump, drawing in air during its inward stroke and expelling such air
during its outward stroke. The air is drawn through an inlet valve D which
is mounted upon the piston rod and which is opened and shut by the movement
of the piston rod. The air when drawn in is expelled through a suitable valve
such as a flap valve E through a duct F, or equivalent chamber to the com-
bustion end of the cylinder at which end there is provided a suitable non return
valve G. Thus during the outstroke of the engine, the air which has been
drawn into the cylinder is compressed at a low pressure into the duct, say, a
few pounds above atmospheric pressure, which serves as a low pressure air
reservoir whereby a very small expenditure of power is occasioned. At the end of
the outstroke of the piston some of the products of combustion at terminal pressure
exhaust themselves through an exhaust valve H hereafter described which is
situated in the hot end of the cylinder but near the cool end. When the terminal
pressure has thus been reduced below that in the air roservoir, the air. enters the
combustion chamber and sweeps out the remaining products of combustion, thus
ensuring a renewal of air for each stroke of the engine. The exhaust valve is then
closed and the piston compresses the air within the cylinder upon the inward
stroke. When the piston has reached, or nearly reached its inward limit of stroke,
the fuel is forced into the air within the combustion chamber by a pump I which
has a delivery valve e which is so placed in close proximity to the point of exit of
the fuel that little, or no fuel will escape into the cylinder when the pressure in
the cylinder is reduced and by this means and by the before mentioned manner
of introducing the air first and then the fuel all liability to explosion, or con-
sumption of fuel taking place at the wrong moment is obviated. I prefer to
introduce the fuel in a prolonged enforcement during any desirable portion of the
stroke. For instance the commencement of enforcement of the fuel may take
place a little in advance of the commencement of the outstroke of the piston and
be prolonged to say a third, or fourth of such stroke from which point the gases
expand until substantially the end of the stroke when they are released as above
stated. When it is required to use the vapour of hydro carbon spirit, or petroleum,
or other equivalent hydro carbon oil I inject, or enforce such oil, or spirit into the
combustion chamber and upon the lining thereof which being hot vapourises the
spirit, or oil and the vapour mixes with the air and burns. The spirit, or oil is
led by a pipe f and is enforced by means of a plunger c of the pump I shown in
Figures 5 to 9 worked preferably from a countershaft J which lies parallel with
the centre line of the engine. The pump I is provided with feed and delivery
plunger valves & and e having conical, or equivalent ends. All three plungers
have positive motion and are mechanically operated such as by the cams c¹ d¹
and e upon the counter shaft arranged to operate at the correct moment, the
delivery valve being placed in close proximity to the delivery orifice e'. This
orifice is formed of a number of holes so arranged as to divide the spirit, or oil up
into a number of small radiating streams, the holes being of such size and the
apparatus so arranged that the oil will be delivered onto the hot lining of the
combustion chamber at a velocity which will tend to break up, or pulverize the oil
and bring it into such a condition that will readily be converted into vapour, or
gas. I aid this desideratum by heating the spirit, or oil under pressure before
passing it into the cylinder The pressure may be obtained in any suitable manner,
a convenient means being by keeping the spirit, or oil for supply in a receptacle
such as a cylinder under a pressure obtained by a dead-weight, or spring acting
upon a piston to work in such cylinder as will be understood. By keeping the
spirit, or oil under pressure in. such a manner no vapour of the spirit, or oil can be

page_text: generated or given off until it is within the cylinder. When gas is employed as
the fuel it is enforced substantially by similar, or equivalent pumps and valves and
apparatus as that set forth with reference to the oil fuel. This arrangement is
shown at Figures 10 to 14. In this case as the fuel is an elastic fluid the varying
alterations due to the varying pressure that will exist within the cylinders and the
pump must be equalized as much as possible. I effect this by providing means
whereby a substantially unchecked and continuous flow is obtained by means of a
cylinder K of differential diameters in which works a loose piston L of differential
diameters see Figures 13 and 14 and which is in connection with the gas pump I
and the interior of the cylinder by a pipe i. Or preferably I effect this object by
means of a cam c¹ shown at Figures 10 and 12ª which is so shaped as to operate
the pump in the necessary manner above referred to. In the Figures 10 to 12ª the
plunger is provided with a cup leather and any gas that may escape past this
leather is led from the annular groove g in the plunger through the hole and pipe gl
to the gas supply pipe or other suitable part. By this means waste and objectionable
smell of gas is obviated. This means of preventing waste and smell may be applied
to any other portions of gas engines that may be desirable. The suction, or feed
valve d and the delivery valve é are arranged and worked by cams d¹ el substan-
tially as set forth with reference to the oil, or spirit pump apparatus I. The
delivery valve e is a double seated one and prolonged as shown so as to position it
in close proximity to the interior of the cylinder of the engine for the purposes
above specified. The plunger c is worked by the can c¹ through the bell crank
lever and the return action is effected by a spring h'.
When necessary I employ a mechanical means of mixing the gas, or vapour with
the air within the combustion chamber of the cylinder. This may be effected by
means of a rotating device within the chamber and operated by any suitable means,
such as from the countershaft by band or spur gearing.
The exhaust valve H is of the mushroom type opening inwards in the cylinder
and placed near the point where the hot and cool ends of the cylinder join, or
come together. The scat of this valve as well as of the fuel pumps are preferably
provided with jackets through which water is caused to circulate to avoid over
heating of the parts.
The fuel is regulated by a suitable governor N such as that shown it being
driven off the countershaft J. The governor vibrating rod k is provided with a
suitable piston valve at its end and opens, or closes the spirit, oil, or gas induction
port more, or less as will be understood.
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. An air and gas, or vapour engine arranged and constructed substantially as
and for the purposes set forth wherein a single piston and cylinder serve as a power
engine and air pump, the combustible fluid, or liquid being supplied by a separate
pumping device, the whole operating as described.
2. In an air and gas engine the combination of a cylinder A consisting of a hot
portion B and a cool portion B' their ends being connected by a duct F a piston C
having a trunk, or displacer C¹ and a gas, spirit, or oil pump I operating, arranged
and constructed substantially as set forth.
3. In air and gas, or vapour engines in which the air, or air and combustible
fluid is supplied and burned in a single cylinder, serving as a pump and a motive
power cylinder and operating as described a reservoir such as the duct F, or an
equivalent chamber constructed and arranged to receive the air and combustible
fluid and to serve as a low pressure reservoir substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
4. The combination with a spirit, oil, or gas pump for the purposes described of
a suction and delivery valve having positive mechanical motions and operations
substantially as set forth.

page_text: 5. A delivery valve of a spirit, oil, or gas pump of an air and gas engine
combined and positioned in proximity to the interior of the cylinder for the
purposes described substantially as set forth.
6. In a gas engine effecting a regular and continued enforcement of combustible
fluid such as gas, or vapour by means and apparatus substantially as set forth.
7. The combination of a differential cylinder such as K and pump such as I
operating, constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
8. The gas pump I consisting of the plunger c suction valve d and delivery
valve e combined, constructed and operating substantially as and for the purposes
set forth with reference to Figures 10. 11. 12. and 12ª of the Drawings.
9. Effecting the saving of gas, or vapour escaping from pumps and other working
parts of gas and air engines by connecting such parts with the gas, or vapour
supply by a pipe or its equivalent substantially as set forth.
10. The spirit, or oil pump I arranged constructed and operating substantially
as set forth with reference to Figures 5 to 9 of the Drawings.
11. In connection with an engine in which the gas, or vapour, resulting from
spirit, or oil such as described is employed as the combustible fluid, heating such
spirit, or oil under pressure prior to the injection of such spirit, or oil into the
cylinder of the engine substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
12. In connection with an engine in which the gas, or vapour resulting from
the spirit, or oil such as described is employed as the combustible fluid, the means
substantially set forth for maintaining such spirit, or oil under pressure which
means consist essentially of a cylinder and piston upon which a weight, or spring
exerts the necessary pressure.
.13. The cylinder A consisting of the cool portion B¹ hot portion B and com-
bustion chamber B2 combined with the piston C and its trunk, or displacer C
constructed and operating substantially as set forth with reference to Figures 1 to 4
of the Drawings.
14. In air, or gas engines a cylinder having a hot portion (such as B or B³) in
combination with a gas pump (such as I) the air being introduced into such
cylinder prior to the gas in each effective stroke substantially as described.
Dated this 9th day of August 1886.