Improvements in Tubes and Apparatus for Igniting Gas, Petroleum, and Vapour Engines by Intermolecular Combustion.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 18th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 21st Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tubes and Apparatus for Igniting Gas, Petroleum,
and Vapour Engines by Intermolecular Combustion.
I, ANTHONY HARRIS, Engineer Vulcan Works Middlesbro in the County of
York, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to an improved device by which the ignition of the
explosive mixture used in gas, petroleum, and vapour engines is rendered more
certain and efficient, and the life of the igniting tube, or compartment, is prolonged
and the formation of prot-oxide, or other nonconducting substance on the igniting
surface, is obviated.
For these purposes I preferably fit, at a convenient position on the igniting tube,
a chamber, in the form of a shell of a cock, into which the igniting tube is fixed, in
such manner that the shell extends beyond the tube; inside this shell I provide a
hollow plug, open ended at the large end, but solid and provided with a nut and
washer, and also a square by which it may be turned at the smaller end.
Perforations are provided in the shell communicating to the tube, above and
below, and also through the plug. The large end of the shell is closed with a
blank end, screwed or otherwise fixed to it.
At a convenient position in the shell outside the tube, preferably at the larger
end, I form apertures at the top and bottom and corresponding apertures in the
plug, by which, a through opening can be effected by turning the plug, and closed
by the reverse action at will, by the means of the square.
Beneath the lower aperture in the shell, I provide a gas jet, or its equivalent, for
the purpose required.
Through the blank end of the shell I fit a hollow metal socket, to the end of
which is secured a close ended platinum tube, in such a position that it will be
heated by the gas jet through the aperture in the bottom of the shell, and the
products of combustion escape through the top aperture. Outside the blank end of
shell a perforation is provided in the socket through its side.
To the outside end of the socket I connect a tube, and through this tube I force,
a mixture of air and gas, or air and vapour of benzoline, or other hydro-carbon or
hydrogen which impinge upon the inner walls of the platinum tube, and after it has
been heated by the gas jet, cause it to become incandescent and remain so by inter-
molecular combustion, the residuum, escaping by the perforation in the socket,
outside the shell.
The engine may now be started and the heat striking through from the interior
of the tube ignites the explosive charge.
At the top end of igniting tube I provide a screw plug so that in engines
where the point of explosion is regulated, by the compression of the products of
explosion in the ignition tube, the height attained by the explosive mixture, may be
adjusted.
In some cases I prefer to dispense with the ignition tube altogether and place the
platinum tube in a chamber communicating with the explosive charge, through an
aperture regulated by slide or valve, and provided with suitable closeable apertures,
through which the platinum tube can be heated by the gas or other jet provided
for this purpose, to bring it to the temperature required for the inter-molecular
combustion to be set up.
In some cases I prefer to supply the interior of the platinum tube with spongy
platinum, to retain and augment the heat induced by the inter-molecular com-

page_text: A separate igniting device as described above can be fitted as a self starting
appliance for starting the engine after admitting and compressing the charge by
hand.
ANTHONY HARRIS.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tubes and Apparatus for Igniting Gas, Petroleum,
and Vapour Engines by Intermolecular Combustion.
I, ANTHONY HARRIS, of Vulcan Works, Middlesbrough in the County of York
in the Kingdom of England, 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 :-
This invention relates to an improved device by which the ignition of the
explosive mixture used in gas, petroleum and vapour engines is rendered more
certain and efficient, and the life of the igniting tube, or compartment, is prolonged
and the formation of prot-oxide or other non-conducting substance on the igniting
surface is obviated.
The invention is best described by aid of the accompanying drawing, setting
forth a longitudinal section of my apparatus.
In this
A, is the igniting tube. I fit at a convenient position on this igniting tube a
chamber B, in the form of a shell of a cock into which the igniting tube is fixed,
in such manner that the shell extends beyond the tube; inside this shell I provide
a hollow plug C, open-ended at the large end, but solid and provided with
a nut D and washer E, and also a square F by which it may be turned at the
smaller end.
Perforations G are provided in the shell communicating with the tube A above
and below, and also through the plug C; the large end of the shell B is closed with
a blank end H, screwed or otherwise fixed to it.
At a convenient position in the shell outside the tube, preferably at the larger
end, I form apertures at the top and bottom, and corresponding apertures in the
plug, by which a through opening can be effected by turning the plug and closed by
the reverse action by the means of the square F.
Beneath the lower aperture I in the shell, I provide a gas jet J, or its equivalent,
for the purpose required.
Through the blank end of the shell I fit a hollow metal socket K, to the end of
which is secured a close-ended platinum tube L, in such a position that it will be
heated by the gas jet J through the aperture I in the bottom of the shell, and
the products of combustion escape through the top aperture. Outside the blank
end of shell, a perforation N is provided in the socket through its side.
To the outside end of the socket I connect a tube, preferably of platinum, M, and
through this tube I force a mixture of air and gas, or air and vapour of benzoline
or other hydro-carbon or hydrogen which impinges upon the inner walls of the
platinum tube, and, after it has been heated by the gas jet, cause it to become
incandescent and remain so, by intermolecular combustion, the residuum escaping by
the perforation in the socket outside the shell.
The engine may now be started, and the heat, striking through from the interior
of the tube L, ignites the explosive charge.
At the top end of igniting tube A, I provide a screw plug P, so that, in
engines where the point of explosion is regulated by the compression of the products
of explosion in the ignition tube, the height attained by the explosive mixture may
be adjusted.
In some cases, I prefer to dispense with the ignition tube altogether and place
the platinum tube in a chamber communicating with the explosive charge, through

page_text: an aperture regulated by slide or valve, and provided with suitable closeable
apertures, through which the platinum tube can be heated by the gas or other jet
provided for this purpose to bring it to the temperature required for the inter-
molecular combustion to be set up.
In some cases, I prefer to supply the interior of the platinum tube with spongy
platinum to retain and augment the heat induced by the intermolecular combustion
inside the tube.
A separate igniting device, as described above, can be fitted as a self-starting
appliance for starting the engine after admitting and compressing the charge
by hand.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In combination with an igniting tube of a gas, petroleum or vapour engine
the combination of a chamber having an internal chamber containing a platinum or
equivalent igniting device with means whereby the internal chamber can be turned
to close the ignition tube and expose the platinum ignition device to heat, and be
again turned to open the ignition tube and close the apertures used for heating the
igniting device.
2. The combination of a platinum fuel-containing tube with a surrounding
chamber communicating with the explosive charge by regulated apertures and
provided with closeable devices through which the platinum tube can be heated by
external means.
3. The application of a separate igniting device such as above described for
starting the engine after admitting and compressing the charge by hand.
4. The improved arrangement of tubes and apparatus for igniting gas, petroleum
or vapour engines by intermolecular combustion, substantially as described and
illustrated.
1 ... £ November 1809
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, and London, Patent Agents.