Improvements in Gas and other Hydrocarbon Engines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 4th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 27th Feb., 1897
?'
Improvements in Gas and other Hydrocarbon Engines.
1, WILLIAM EDMUND SIMPSON, of Albert Works, Mansfield, in the County of
Nottingham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to gas and other hydrocarbon engines working upon the
"Otto" or "Beau de Rochas" cycle,, and comprises improvements whereby the
speed of such engines may be more efficiently and economically controlled;
the products of combustion.more completely discharged during the exhaust stroke;
and the cooling of the cylinder effected by means of the exhaust gases instead of
by a water jacket as in gas and like engines of ordinary construction.
In carrying my invention into effect, when constructing a gas engine, I dispense
with the usual compression space and, leave between the piston and the cylinder end
or cover only such clearance as is necessary for safe working. At one end of the
cylinder are arranged a gas and air valve operated by" the suction of the piston
during the charging; an exhaust valve worked by. a cam upon the usual cam shaft
of the engine; and a compression..chamber separated from.the.cylinder itself, by a
valve which is operated by means of. trip. gear. to.be.hereinafter described.
The action, of the engine is as follows:-
The exhaust valve being. closed, and the compression chamber .open to. the
cylinder, the piston,.moves outward drawing. in. a.charge of gas and air at or near
atmospheric pressure,..and then moves inward compressing the charge into.:the
compression chamber. The piston then again, moves outward and (the compression
chamber still being open to the cylinder) the charge expands again into the cylinder
until a part of the outstroke is accomplished,.when the compression space or chamber
is cut off from the cylinder and that portion of the charge which has re-entered.the
cylinder,is ignited the expansion of the .burning gases completes the outstroke,
and the exhaust valve being then opened, the piston moves inward and discharges
the products of combustion. The, exhaust valve is, then closed, the compression
chamber.is, opened to the cylinder. and .as,the piston, moves outward the gases
which were retained in the compression, space expand again..to atmospheric
pressure, after, which the piston continuing its..outward, stroke: draws in a fresh
quantity of gas and air approximately equal to that which was consumed in the
previous explosion or working stroke, and the.cycle of operations is repeated.
The valve separating the compression chamber from the cylinder is preferably.
a cylindrical or plug valve oscillating upon its axis. This, valve is normally kept
closed by a spring and is operated by means of a cam upon the.cam shaft and a rod
or lever
The connection between the valve and its operating rod or lever
consists of a trip or trigger device so arranged that while the engine is working at
its normal speed, the valve is opened. and allowed to close at the pre-determined
points; when, however, the speed of the engine exceeds the normal, a lever
controlled by the governor is brought into the path of the aforesaid trip or trigger,
and the valve is released and closed by its spring earlier than usual in the working
stroke, thus allowing less of the gases to escape into the cylinder and reducing the
power of the impulse.

page_text: In order to utilize the products of combustion for cooling the cylinder instead of
the usual water jacket, the cylinder is provided with external ribs and surrounded
by a casing of sheet metal or other suitable material. This casing is provided at
the front end with air inlets, and at the back end with an orifice through the centre
of which projects a jet or nozzle communicating with the exhaust valve. The orifice
and the jet are so shaped that the exhaust gases issuing from the jet induce a
current of air which enters through the air inlets and passes over the aforesaid
external ribs and out through the orifice at the back end, thus effectually cocling
the cylinder.
The ignition of the charge is preferably effected by means of an electric sparking
arrangement controlled by a cam and switch or other device.
Dated this 4th day of March 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Gas and other Hydrocarbon Engines.
I, WILLIAM EDMUND SIMPSON, of Albert Works, Mansfield, in the County of
Nottingham, 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 chiefly to gas and other hydrocarbon engines working upon
the "Otto" or "Beau de Rochas "cycle, and comprises improvements whereby the
products of combustion can be more completely discharged during the exhaust
stroke, the speed more efficiently and economically controlled and the cooling of
the cylinder effected by means of an air current induced by the exhaust gases,
instead of a water jacket as in engines of ordinary construction.
In order that the said invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the same by aid of the accompanying drawings,
wherein
Figure 1 is a side elevation of one construction of vertical gas engine embodying
my improvements.
Figure 2 is a vertical central section of the said engine certain of the parts being
left in elevation.
Figure 3 a horizontal section on the line x-x of Figure 2.
Figures 4 and 5 are respectively a transverse section, and an elevation to a
larger scale, showing a specially constructed exhaust valve hereinafter referred to.
Figure 6 is an indicator diagram illustrating the variations of pressure during
different strokes or stages in the cycle.
Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10 show diagrammatically the relative positions of pistons and
the aforesaid valve at certain periods.
Figures 11, 12, 13 and 14 shew corresponding positions of a trip-gear for regulating
the speed also hereinafter referred to.
Similar letters indicate corresponding parts in all the drawings.
A is the cylinder of the engine and B is the piston thereof, the usual compression
or cartridge space at the end of the cylinder being dispensed with, and the
clearance between the piston and the cylinder cover A' being sufficient only for
safe working.
A is a gas and air valve which is arrauged at the upper end of the cylinder in
communication with an inlet passage A* for a mixture of air and gas, and is acted
upon by a spring which permits it to open in the suction or charging stroke of the

page_text: a
piston. A is the specially constructed exhaust valve above referred to, which
serves also as a distributing valve. This valve is of taper or plug form. It is
worked by a cam C¹ upon the usual cam-shaft C of the engine and is controlled
by means of trip gear hereinafter described, and by a valve rod D carrying
roller D' engaging in a groove C of the cam C'. A is a compression chamber
which receives the compressed charge from the cylinder. This chamber is
separated from the cylinder itself by the valve A'. The valve rod has a forked
E is
extremity provided with a pair of guides D one on each side of the shaft C.
the crank shaft from which the cam shaft C is driven at half the speed of the said
crank shaft by the spur wheel C3 and pinion C.
The trip gear C for operating the valve A³ consists of a plate or quadrant C
secured to a neck A at the end of the valve and having a slot C7 in which works
a stud C on the valve rod. The stud C8 is capable of sliding in the slot C7 but is
normally kept at the bottom Cof said slot by means of a trip or trigger C
engaging in a notch C" in the said plate.
The neck A of the valve is formed at one side with a flat surface A against
which a presser F is normally forced by a spring F, and tends to maintain the
plug in the position shewn in Figures 9 and 13.
The trip or trigger Co is provided with an arm C adapted to come in contact
with the governor lever G and throw the said trip or trigger out of engagement
with the notch C when the said valve As is being closed by the downward
movement of the rod E under the action of the cam C, and the trip or trigger
being thus disengaged from the rod, the valve A is closed by the pressure of the
spring presser Fearlier than it would be by the action of the said cam C. Thus
by connecting the governor lever G by the rod G with any ordinary form of
governor (not shewn) the, said governor lever G is moved over by increased speed
of the engine, so as to bring one or other of a set of steps G³ on the end of the
said governor lever in the path of the trip or trigger, and thus effect a more or
less early cut off of the compressed mixture flowing into the cylinder from the
chamber A.
A is the exhaust port or passage of the valve A, and A is another port or
passage therein, through which communication between the chamber A and the
cylinder takes place. A is a spring which is compressed between the valve and
a plate A and serves to keep the former on its seat.
The action of the engine is as follows:-
The exhaust port A' being closed, and the compression space A' open to the
cylinder by the port A, the piston B moves outwards drawing in a charge of gas
and air at or near atmospheric pressure through the valve A2, as shewn in
Figure 7-(the trip gear being in the position shewn in Figure 11). The piston
then moves inwards compressing the said charge into the compression space A
(see Figures 8 and 12) to a pressure higher than that which is usually obtained
in gas engines prior to the explosion occurring. The line a Figure 6 shews the
progress of the compression. The piston again moves outwards and (the com-
pression space being still open to the cylinder) the charge expands again into
the cylinder (see line b, Figure 6) until the pressure has fallen approximately to
that to which compression is usually carried. The chamber A is then cut off
from the cylinder (see Figures 9 and 13) and that portion of the charge which has
re-entered the cylinder is ignited by an electric igniter in a recess A of the valve,
and the expansion of the burning gases completes the outstroke. The lines c and d
Figure 6 shew the variations in pressure during the working stroke. The exhaust
port A being then opened, the piston moving inwards discharges the burnt gases
(see Figures 10 and 14; also line e Figure 6). The exhaust port is next closed
and the compression space is opened to the cylinder (Figure 6), and as the pistou
moves outwards the portion of the explosive mixture which was retained in the
compression space expands again (see line g, Figure 6), to atmospheric pressure,
after which the piston continuing its outward stroke (as in Figure 7) draws in a
fresh quantity of gas and air approximately equal to that which was consumed

page_text: during the previous explosion or working stroke, and the cycle of operations is
continued.
Thus the exhaust products are almost entirely expelled from the cylinder during
the exhaust stroke, and variable impulse given as required for different loads. The
time at which the ignition takes place may be varied for mixtures of different
proportions of gas and air.
The electric igniter shewn in the drawings consists of platinum or other points J
connected to a battery or induction coil (not shown) and to a circuit closing
device comprising a fixed contact K and a movable contact K' carried by a spring.
The ignition is timed by means of a projection Cx upon the cam C' which presses
the contact K2 against the contact K and completes the circuit so as to pass a
spark between the point J and ignite the mixture in the cylinder.
In order to obtain an initial impulse for starting the engine, means may be
provided whereby, when the engine is stopped, the passage A in the valve is closed
at the end of the compression stroke so as to retain the whole of the charge in the
compression space, and in some cases in order to better retain the said charge for a
lengthened period, an additional valve, (preferably of the screw down type), may
be provided at the entrance to the compression space A'.
Instead of the usual water jacket, the cylinder A is provided with gills or ribs L
and surrounded by a casing M of sheet metal, or other suitable material. The
said casing is provided at its lower end with air inlets M' and at the top with an
orifice M² through the centre of which' projects a jet or nozzle P serving for the
discharge of the exhaust gases. The orifice M2 and the jet or nozzle P are so
shaped that the said gases issuing from the jet induce a current of air which enters
through the inlets M', passes over the gills or ribs L, and out through the
orifice M2, thus cooling the cylinder.
Although the invention is described above as applied to a gas engine, it may
obviously be adapted to petroleum or other liquid hydrocarbon engines. It is
found, however, that with gases or vapours of certain kinds of hydrocarbon the
efficiency is reduced somewhat by excessive compression, and when employing
such hydrocarbons I prefer, instead of taking in the explosive mixture through the
suction valve A2 as above described, to take in only air (preferably heated) and to
add the hydrocarbon immediately before ignition, and in such cases I may provide
any suitable arrangement whereby the supply of hydrocarbon is controlled by the
valve A2 or by other means, so as to maintain the requisite proportions of air and
hydrocarbon.
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. A gas or other hydrocarbon engine arranged to compress the charge into a
compression chamber and to use a portion thereof during the working stroke for
the explosion, the remainder being allowed to expand into the cylinder during the
suction stroke to form a portion of the succeeding charge, substantially as and for
the purposes described.
2. In a gas or other hydrocarbon engine the combination with the working
cylinder and the compression chamber of a valve constructed and arranged to
operate substantially as described with reference to the drawings and for the
purposes specified.
3. The combination with the valve controlling the communication between the
working cylinder and the compression chamber of a suction valve constructed and
arranged to operate substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
4. In a gas or other hydrocarbon engine the means for causing the valve cou-
trolling the communication between the working cylinder and the compression
chamber to close sooner or later in order to regulate the speed, substantially as
berein before described.
5. In a gas or other hydro-carbon engine, the employment of the exhaust gases

page_text: to induce a current of air around the cylinder for the purpose of cooling the latter,
substantially as herein before described.
6. A gas or other hydrocarbon engine constructed substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
7. A gas or other hydrocarbon engine, the cycle of which comprises the various.
operations substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
Dated this 4th day of January 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.