Improvements in Apparatus for Compressing the Gas Mixture in Petroleum Motors.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd June, 1898-Accepted, 6th Aug., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Compressing the Gas Mixture in
Petroleum Motors.
I, HENRIK AUGUST BERTHEAU, of Malarvarfvet, Stockholm, in the Kingdom of
Sweden, 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: -
In gas or oil motors, having a two-stroke cycle (a period of expansion when
the piston passes in the one direction and compression during its passage in the
other direction) there is commonly arranged a fly wheel on the shaft of rotation,
which during the working period of the motor takes up energy, in order to employ
this energy for the compression of the gas-mixture during the period of com-
pression.
If it is not desired to obtain a rotary motion of the motor, but only a to and
fro motion as in pumps for example the bearings for the fly wheel and the supply
of power by means of crank and crank pin are unnecessarily expensive. Moreover
it is not possible without a very expensive transmission between the fly wheel
and the motor to obtain a small number of revolutions of the former.
All the said inconveniences are obviated by means of the device which forms the
object of the present invention, according to which the compression in the motor
cylinder is effected by means of a weighted lever, which co-operates with the
cylinder piston in such a manner that the former is lifted during the period of
expansion but in consequence of its own weight falls as soon as the piston has
turned.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 show the present device used in a petroleum engine, working
on a two stroke cycle and
Figures 5 and 6 show a modified arrangement.
The motor works in the known manner by means of air compression before the
piston. The explosion cylinder a is at the one end provided with an inlet channel b
for the gas mixture and at the middle with an outlet channel c for the combustion
gases. As soon as an explosion has taken place behind the piston, the same is
driven forwards until it has opened the outlet opening c. The combustion gases
then escape partly in consequence of their own pressure, the said gases being
partly driven out by the air drawn in in front of the piston e through the valve h
and then compressed, which air is forced in through the valve f, on its way taking
with it through the opening g a well proportioned quantity of petroleum. At the
backward motion of the piston the fresh gas mixture is compressed, until the same
is ignited by the heated pipe k, after which the same operation is repeated.
The above mentioned arrangement consists of a lever s pivoted at its one end d, and
at its free end provided with a weight and at i by means of a pin connected with
the link n. This link is rotatable around a pin l journalled in the solid support.
When the piston is passing to left during the period of expansion the weight is
lifted to its highest position A. As soon as the outlet channel c is opened, the piston
loses its power, the pressure on the lower end of the levers ceases and the weight
falls back into its lowermost position, so that the fresh gas mixture which enters
the cylinder is compressed until the same explodes and the motor commences
a new working period.

page_text: As soon the edger of the air channel is shut off by the piston during its passage
to left, there is formed in front of the same
deadening the blow, when the weight is to be retained in its uppermost position.
an elastic air-cushion, for
To this end the lever arm s may also be made in two parts Figure 4 namely one
part t movable around the pin g supporting the weight p and one part s secured to
the link n and to the piston rod o by means of bolts, which part at its one end serves
as support for spiral spring v connecting both parts s and t of the lever with each
other. As soon as the piston has reached the end of its stroke and the air cushion
commences to operate, the movement of the arm s ceases, but the arm t with the
weight continues its motion around the bolt q, thereby stretching the spring v
until the same has got sufficient power to pull the arm backwards.
the arm t strikes against the shoulder z, it takes with it the lever s whereby this
As soon as
latter pulls the piston rod and the piston to the right, so that the gas mixture in
the cylinder is compressed.
In Figures 5 and 6 a modified arrangement is illustrated.
In this case the piston rod does not directly actuate the lever but is connected
with the same at by means of a joint lever consisting of two arms a¹, b', the
one arm of which is connected with the lever s, somewhat above its fulcrum,
while the other arm b¹ is secured to the shaft c which is actuated by the piston
rod through the link and the arm e' projecting from the shaft.
In the compression stroke of the motor, the piston rod o moves to the right
(Figure 6) the points f¹ and c¹ draw near to one another and the lever s passes over
to left. At the next stroke the levers swings back and occupies a vertical position,
in which the working stroke is completed. In the following compression stroke,
the weight however does not swing to left, but to right, in consequence of the
momentum and as may be understood from the drawing and the above description
the jointed lever permits the swinging of the weight as well in the one as in the
other direction.
In the last described arrangement the weight thus effects the desired compression
not only by its weight but also in consequence of its living power. The lever
might thus be exchanged for an oscillating fly wheel or other similar arrangement.
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 explosion-motors an arrangement for compressing the explosive gas
mixture during the period of compression, consisting of a lever (s) provided with a
weight, which is combined with the motor piston (e) in such a manner that the
weight (p) is lifted in the working stroke of the motor, in order that when the
same in consequence of its own gravity, falls back to its original position, to carry
the piston (c) backwards so that the gas mixture in front of the same is compressed.
2. A modified arrangement consisting in securing the weight (p) to the one end
of an arm or lever (s) oscillating around its other end, which by means of a jointed
lever (a, b) is connected with the motor piston (c) in such a manner that by the
return-motion of this latter the weight (/) passes over to the one and then to the
other side alternately, in order that the weight for the production of an energetical
compression may act not only by its gravity but also in consequence of its
momentum.
Dated this 99–1 1
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant