Igniting Apparatus for Gas and Oil Motor Engines.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Left. 10th May. 1889-Accepted, 22nd June, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by THE GAS MOTOREN FABRIK DEUTZ, of Deutz on the
Rhine, in the German Empire, Manufacturers.]
Igniting Apparatus for Gas and Oil Motor Engines.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL of No. 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent do, hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to igniting apparatus for gas and oil motor engines wherein
the ignition of the combustible charge is effected by bringing a portion of the same
at the required moment in contact with a body maintained in a state of incandescence.
For this purpose there have heretofore been used metal tubes heated externally, into
the interior of which a portion of the compressed charge was admitted.
Such incandescent tubes, although they effect with certainty the ignition of the
charges, do however not insure the permanently reliable working of the engine. As
these tubes have to withstand an internal pressure of about 12 atmospheres. while in a
state of high red heat, they must he made comparatively thick, while for the ready
conduction through them of the heat from the external source they should he made as
thin as possible. Also, owing to the continual heating, and oxidizing action of the
external flame, the metal of the tubes becomes gradually weakened, so that fractures
of the tubes frequently take place resulting in the interruption of the working of the
engine.
The present invention has mainly for its object to obviate the above defect, of. such
igniting apparatus and it consists in enclosing an incandescent body, in a cavity or
chamber in which, at the required moment, a portion of the compressed charge.is
made to come in contact with all sides of the incandescent body, so that, this is not
subjected to any one-sided pressure, the said body being maintained at the required state
of incandescence by the heat produced by the combustion of the charge, without
requiring any external heating. The said chamber or cavity may either be formed
in the side of the cylinder, or it may be contained entirely within the cylinder, so that
the outer surface is not in contact with the atmosphere but receives additional heat
from the combustion in the cylinder.
The accompanying drawings show by way of example; three different arrangements
for carrying out the invention. In Fig. 1 the incandescent body consists of a metal
tube a which is contained in a cylindrical chamber contained within the cylinder
space, a cross section of the chamber and tube being, shewn at Fig. 1; at Fig. 3 a
similar tube is arranged in a cavity or chamber formed in the end of the cylinder
and at Fig. 2 the incandescent body consists of a flat metal plate a' contained within
a chamber ó which is partly contained within the cylinder space. Fig. 2" shews a
cross section of the chamber and igniting plate.
The chambers 6 and 61 are lined internally with fireclay or other suitable refractory
bad conductor of heat, and the tubes a and plate al are so arranged as to form, on
each side thereof, narrow channels e e¹ in the chamber. These channels are made to
communicate at the required moment with the interior of the cylinder, at which time
a portion of the compressed combustible charge consequently enters them and
becomes ignited by coming into intimate contact with the surface of the incandescent
body.
This igniting apparatus can of course only operate in the described manner when
the incandescent body has been brought to a bright red heat by the heating action of
successive burning charges after the engine has been already at work for a short
time. It is therefore necessary that the motor engine should be provided. with a
supplemental igniting apparatus of any suitable known construction, such as an

page_text: electrical igniter, for working it for a short time until the above stated condition has
been brought about.
In the arrangement at Fig. 1 the igniting apparatus is entirely surrounded by the
combustible charge in the cylinder, at Fig. 2 it is partly surrounded by products of
combustion which always remain in the annular space d d.
The outer casing of the igniting apparatus, when arranged within the cylinder as
at Figs. 1 and 2, becomes highly heated but not red hot, as, in the first place, it is
cooled by the incoming fresh combustible charges, at secondly it imparts a portion of
its heat to the fireclay lining c. This lining also becomes heated by the combustion
taking place in the channels e e¹ thus preventing any cooling of the incandescent
body a or a¹.
By the said combustion in the channels e e¹ the tube e or plate e' are maintained at
a bright red heat, and as the combustible mixture entering the channels e el come in
contact with all sides thereof they offer a considerable surface for effecting ignition,
which consequently takes place with certainty.
In Fig. 1 the igniting channels e e' communicate by the openings oo with the
cylinder space, which openings are closed except at the required moments by means
of a piston valve which is depressed for this purpose by a lever actuated by the
cam on the engine shaft or countershaft, and which when freed by the lever is
raised into the position shewn for establishing the communication between the cylinder
and igniting chamber by means of a spring
A portion of the compressed combustible charge then enters the chamber through
the openings o and is ignited by contact with the tube a, as before described, the
resulting flame passing out through the openings o o and igniting the combustible
charge in the cylinder.
In the arrangement at Fig. 3 the cylinder space communicates with the channels e e¹
of the igniting chamber by a circular opening n which is also closed by the piston
valve h except at the moment of firing the charge.
In the arrangement at Fig. 2 the admission of the combustible charge into the
firing chamber is effected by the slide S in the following manner. On the slide cover
is fixed a tubular chamber which, when the slide is in the position shewn, communi-
cates with the igniting channels e el through an opening in the slide and a
corresponding opening in the top of the igniting chamber. While the slide
is in the position closing the communication, the channels e e¹ and tubular extension i
remain filled with products of combustion of the previous charge, so that the
fresh compressed combustible charge cannot, penetrate sufficiently far up the tube i
to come in contact with the igniting plate al but when the slide is moved into the
position establishing a communication with, the products of combustion will be
forced up into the latter, so that a portion of the combustible charge can then
pass into the channels e and become ignited, the flame passing down the tube i
and firing the charge in the cylinder.
Dated this 5th day of October 1888.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
.COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Igniting Apparatus for Gas and Oil Motor Engines.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL of No. 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane
in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agents, 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:
This invention relates to igniting apparatus for gas and oil or petroleum motor
engines wherein the ignition of the combustible charge is effected by bringing a
.portion of the same at the required moment in contact with a body maintained in a

page_text: state of incandescence. For this purpose there have heretofore been used metal tubes
heated externally into the interior of which a portion of the compressed charge was
admitted. Such incandescent tubes, although they effect with certainty the ignition
of the charges, do however not insure the permanently reliable working of the engine.
As these tubes have to withstand an internal pressure of about 12 atmospheres while
in a state of high red heat, they must be made comparatively thick, while for the
ready conduction through them of the heat from the external source they should be
made as thin as possible. Also, owing to the continual heating and oxidising action
of the external flame, the metal of the tube becomes gradually weakened so that
fractures of the tubes frequently take place, resulting in the interruption of the
working of the engine.
The present invention has mainly for its object to obviate the above defect of such
igniting apparatus and it consists in enclosing an incandescent body in a cavity or
chamber in which at the required moment a portion of the compressed charg: is made
tocome in contact with all side of the incandescent body, so that this is not subjected
to any one sided pressure, the said body being maintained at the required state of
incandescence by the heat produced by the combustion of the charge, without requiring
any external heating. The said chamber or cavity may either be formed in the side
of the cylinder, or it may be contained partially or entirely within the cylinder so
that the outer surface is not in contact with the atmosphere but receives additional
heat from the combustion in the cylinder.
The drawings accompanying my Provisional Specification shew by way of example
three different arrangements for carrying out the invention. In Fig. 1 the incan-
descent body consists of a metal tube a which is contained in a cylindrical
chamber contained within the cylinder space, a cross section of the chamber tube
being shewn at Fig. 1"; at Fig. 3 a similar tube is arranged in a cavity or chamber 61
formed in the end of the cylinder and at Fig. 2 the incandescent body consists
of a flat metal plate a' contained within a chamber which is partly contained
within the cylinder space. Fig. 2ª shews a cross section of the chamber and igniting
plate.
The chambers b and ¹ are lined internally with fire clay or other suitable refractory
bad conductor of heat, and the tubes a and plate a¹ are so arranged as to form on
each side thereof narrow channels e el in the chamber. These channels are made to
communicate at the required moment with the interior of the cylinder, at which time
a portion of the compressed combustible charge consequently enters them and becomes
ignited by coming into intimate contact with the surfaces of the incandescent body.
This igniting apparatus can of course only operate in the described manner when the
incandescent body has been brought to a bright red heat by the heating action of the
successive burning charges after the engine has been already at work for a short
time, it is therefore necessary that the notor engine should be provided with a supple-
mental igniting apparatus of any suitable known construction such as an electrical
igniter, for working it for a short time until the above stated condition has been
brought about. In the arrangement at Fig. 1 the igniting apparatus is entirely
surrounded by the combustible charge in the cylinder; at Fig. 2 it is partly
surrounded by products of combustion which always remain in the annular
space d d.
The outer casing of the igniting apparatus, when arranged within the cylinder as
at Figs. 1 and 2, becomes highly heated but not red hot, as, in the first place, it is
cooled by the incoming fresh combustible charges, and secondly, it imparts a portion
of its heat to the fireclay lining e. This lining also becomes heated by the combustion
taking place in the channels e e¹ thus preventing any cooling of the incandescent
body a or a¹.
By the said combustion in the channels e e¹ the tube a or plate a¹ are maintained
at a bright red heat, and as the combustible mixture entering the channels e e¹ come
in contact with all sides thereof, they offer a considerable surface for effecting ignition,
which consequently takes place with great certainty,
In Fig. 1 the igniting channels ee¹ communicate by the openings o o with the

page_text: cylinder space, which openings are closed-except at the required-inoment by means
of a piston valve,g, which is depressed for this purpose hy à lever actuated by the
cam on the engine shaft or countershaft, and which; when freed by the lever, is raised
into the position shewn for establishing the communication between the cylinder and
igniting chamber by means of a spring 1.
A portion of the compressed combustible charge then enters the chamber through
the openings o and is ignited by contact with the tube as before described, the
resulting flame passing out through the openings oro and igniting the combustible
charge in the cylinder.
In the arrangement at Fig. 3 the cylinder space communicates with the channels e el
of the igniting chamber by a circular opening n, which is also closed by the piston
valve except at the moment of firing the charge.
In the arrangement at Fig. 2 the admission of the combustible charge into the firing
chamber is effected by the slides in the following manner.
While
On the slide cover is fixed a tubular chamber f, which, when the slide is in the
position shewn, communicates with the igniting channels e e¹ through an opening in
the slide and a corresponding opening in the top of the igniting chamber.
the slide is in the position closing this communication, the channels e e¹ and tubular
extension i reinain filled with products of combustion of the previous charge, so that
the fresh compressed combustible charge cannot penetrate sufficiently far up the
tube i to come in contact with the igniting plate al, but when the slide is moved into
the position establishing a communication with f, the products of combustion will be
forced up into the latter; so that a portion of the combustible charge can then pass
into the channels e e¹ and become ignited, the flame passing down the tube i and firing
the charge in the cylinder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. An igniting apparatus for gas and oil motor engines consisting of a metallic
casing lined internally with fireclay or other suitable refractory bad conductor
of heat, within which is either an incandescent metal tube a or an incandescent metal
plate a', so arranged that narrow channels e el are formed both inside and outside the
tube a or on both sides of the plate a¹ into which channels a portion of the combustible
charge of the cylinder enters so as to become ignited by intimate contact with the
incandescent body, the heat of such combustion serving to maintain the tube or plate
in the incandescent state, while, owing to the pressure on both sides of the tube or
plate being in equilibrio, it is not subjected to strain, substantially as herein described
with reference to the drawings.
2. Arranging igniting apparatus such as is referred to in the preceding claim partly
or wholly within the cylinder space of the engine substantially as described with
reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings so that the incandescent body within the
igniting chamber is not only heated by the combustion of the charge in the channels e e¹
but also by the combustion of the charge in the cylinder itself.
3. Arranging the igniting tube.a or plate a referred to in the first claim within a
chamber or cavity formed in the side or end of the cylinder, substantially as described
with reference to Fig. 3, of the drawing.
Dated this 10th day of May 1889
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.