IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Nov., 1887
Specification Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1887
I HUGH WILLIAMS of The Mount Stockport in the County of Chester Civil
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS
MOTOR ENGINES, 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 improvements in the construction and operation of gas
motor engines whereby an impulse for every revolution of the crank may be obtained
within the power cylinder in a simpler manner and by simpler means than heretofore.
The invention consists mainly in a novel construction and combined arrangements
of the parts of a gas motor engine whereby I am enabled to introduce to the power
cylinder a new charge of explosive mixture of gas and air at the instant when the
power piston has almost reached the limit of its outward or effective stroke and at
the moment when the products of the combustion of the previous explosive charge are
by the inrush of the new explosive charge as above mentioned being driven out
through the exhaust ports in the power cylinder which ports are automatically
uncovered by the traverse of the power piston and simultaneously with the foregoing
operations drawing into a charging cylinder on the outstroke of the piston therein
the said cylinder and piston being respectively combined as one with the power
cylinder and power piston a charge of mixed gas and air and on the instroke of the
charging piston expelling said charge and compressing it into a reservoir ready for
introduction to the power cylinder and subsequent compression and explosion.
The chief feature of novelty in the structural arrangements consists as hereinafter
fully set forth in the arrangement of the cylinders and in combining and operating
the pistons of the power cylinder and charging cylinder respectively as one piston
whereby I am enabled to carry out in my improved gas motor engine the above
described cycle of operations.
For the purposes of my Invention I construct an engine which consists of a
cylinder bored to two diameters and fitted with two pistons of corresponding diameters
the cylinder of the larger diameter being that in which the charge of mixed gas and
air is drawn in and the smaller cylinder being the power cylinder in which the said
charge is compressed and ignited to actuate the piston.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into

page_text: effect I will describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings reference being had to the
figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section of a gas motor engine constructed
according to my Invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation partly in section. Fig. 3 a plan
taken on the line A B Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a plan taken on the line C D, Fig. 1.
b
a designates the frame or main casting of the engine 6 the flywheel & the crankshaft
d the larger cylinder e the smaller cylinder and e the exhaust ports therefor f the
connecting rod pivoted to a hollow trunk f¹ which trunk is formed with or connects
the two pistons g g of which the piston g is fitted to the larger cylinder d and the
piston g to the smaller cylinder e. In the casting a is a passage h through which
gas from the pipe i and air from the inlet passage can be drawn through a passage
k¹
in the slide valve k into the cylinder 9 when the said slide valve is in the position
shown in the Drawings. The slide valve k is operated by a connecting rod / from an
eccentric on the crankshaft c and when in the reverse position to that above indicated
the solid part of the slide valve closes the mouth of the gas pipe i and the air passagej
and the passage k¹ places the passage h leading from the cylinder g into communication
with a passage m¹ leading to a reservoir m formed partly round the jacket of the
smaller or power cylinder This reservoir m when open is in communication by a
passagen with the end of the power cylinder e the communication between the
reservoir m and the passage n being controlled by a mushroom valve o. The passage n
is connected to a pipe p closed at its extremity and kept constantly at a red heat by
the flame of a burners for the purpose of igniting the explosive charge when under
pressure as hereinafter explained; but a slide with an ignition pocket or any other suitable
arrangement for exploding the charge may be employed without departing from the
nature of my Invention. The usual arrangements for jacketing the power cylinder
and for storing the gas and governing the supply of the same to the engine would
obviously be employed.
e.
The operation of the engine constructed according to my Invention substantially as
above described is as follows:-
To start the engine the flywheel 6 is turned by hand so as to draw a mixed charge
of gas from the pipe i and air from the passage through the passages and ½ into
the larger cylinder d on the outward stroke of its piston g. As the flywheel is further
turned the position of the slide valve k is reversed so as to close the gas pipe i and the
air passage and by means of the passage k¹ to place the passage hinto communication
with the reservoir m and thereby as the piston 9 moves inward the mixed charge is
driven from the cylinder d and compressed into the reservoir m wherein it is held
between the valves o and k until the pistons 9 g₁ have again nearly reached the
respective limits of their outward stroke. At that moment the pressure on the
contents of the power cylinder e will be reduced sufficiently to allow the mixture of
gas and air under pressure in the reservoir m to raise the valve o and rush into the
power cylinder e. Following this the pistons return on their inward stroke the
power piston gl compressing the mixed charge into the combustion chamber i.e.
the space at the end of the cylinder e into which the said piston does not travel:-
and closing the valve o while the charging piston 9 compresses into the reservoir m
the mixed charge drawn into the cylinder d on the previous outstroke to replace the
charge introduced from the reservoir m into the power cylinder e as before described.
The instant the pistons reach the respective limits of their inward stroke the charge
within the combustion chamber is exploded by the ignition of that portion of the
charge which is compressed into the heated pipe p the result of the explosion being
to propel the power piston g¹ forward on its outward stroke and by means of the
connecting rod f to drive the crankshaft c at the same time the piston g moving
outwardly draws into the cylinder d through the passage h a fresh charge of mixed
gas and air. When the pistons have completed or nearly completed the outward
stroke the tension on the products of combustion or deleterious gases resulting from
the explosion in the power cylinder e will by the outward movement of the piston g
have been reduced sufficiently to permit the new charge under tension to raise the
valve o and to rush from the reservoir m into the cylinder e thereby sweeping out

page_text: before it the products or other deleterious gas through the exhaust ports e¹ which are
at that moment uncovered by the traverse of the piston g¹ to the extremity of its
outward stroke. At the next instroke the two pistons act as before described the
piston g¹ compressing the charge into the combustion chamber of the power cylinder
prior to its explosion while the piston g compresses the new charge into the reservoir m.
From the foregoing description of the operation of the engine it will be readily
apparent that there is always a fresh charge of mixed gas and air under tension
within the reservoir at the moment when the compressed charge within the power
cylinder is exploded so that as soon as the power piston reaches the end of its outward
or effective stroke the fresh charge is ready to rush in expel and replace the products
of combustion resulting from such explosion.
Although a vertical engine only is shown and described it is obvious that my
Invention is applicable to gas engines of other types.
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. In a gas motor engine the combination with a charging cylinder and a power
cylinder and suitable passages ports and valves in connection therewith, of a charging
piston and a power piston each fitted to the diameter of its respective cylinder and
combined and operating as a single piston substantially as and for the purposes herein
described and as illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
2. The combination of a charging cylinder and its piston made in one piece or
combined and operating as one piece with the piston of a power cylinder, a passage
for the admission and discharge of mixed gas and air to and from the charging
cylinder, a suitable valve for alternately placing said passage in communication with
the gas and air inlets and with a reservoir for the storage of the charge compressed
into it by the action of the charging piston, a valve for controlling the admission of
said charge to the power cylinder, means for igniting the saine when compressed by
the action of the power piston and exhaust ports for the discharge of the waste
products of combustion all substantially as herein set forth for the purposes specified.
3. The construction and combined arrangements of parts embodying my
improvements in gas motor engines substantially as and for the purposes herein
described and as shown.
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