Year: 1885

page_text: I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention (a communication to me
from abroad by The Economic Motor Company, (Incorporated,) of New York
City, United States of America,) and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive gas engine
for the smaller uses for which motive power is applied and it consists in the
combination with a cylinder having an ignition aperture in one side thereof and
an aperture in the opposite side for receiving gas and air, of a piston which is
prolonged within the cylinder and provided with apertures in the opposite sides
thereof the said prolongation acting as a valve for the admission of the explosive
mixture of gas and air and for the entrance of the ignition flame.
It also consists in the combination with the piston having a prolongation acting
as the valve as above described of a deflector placed within the piston and adapted
to deflect the ignition flame backward towards the closed end of the cylinder and
into the most inflammable portion of the explosive mixture contained in the
piston.
It also consists in providing an auxiliary air port in the cylinder and in the
piston, and in the combination with the cylinder and piston provided with a port
for the admission of the mixture of gas and air and having an auxiliary port for
the admission of air of a double induction tube, one portion being arranged to
receive the mixture of gas and air and the other to receive air only.
It also further consists in the combination with the Bunsen burner employed to
ignite the explosive mixture contained in the cylinder of an auxiliary gas jeb
furnished with a platinum spiral to maintain its ignition or to relight it in case
of its being extinguished and a wire gauze chimney enclosing the auxiliary jet and
the platinum spiral
Reference is to be had to the annexed drawings forming a part of this Specifica
tion in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved engine. Figure 2 is a

page_text: plan view Figure 3 is a central horizontal section Figure 4 is a vertical transverse
section taken on line x in Figures 1 and 3.
Figure 5 is a side elevation showing the relation of the ignition burner to the
ignition aperture. Figure 6 is a vertical transverse section of the ignition burner.
Figure 7 is a front elevation of the air pipe. Figure 8 is a side elevation of a
modified form of the engine. Figure 9 is a transverse section taken on line y, y in
figure 8. Figure 10 is a central horizontal section of an engine adapted to
gasoline gas.
The cylinder A, is mounted on the base B in one end of which are the journals
of the crank shaft C. The cylinder A contains a piston D having a hollow i
cylindrical prolongation D¹ whose length is a little greater than that of the stroke
of the engine. The forward end of the piston D, is connected by a connecting
rod E, of the usual construction with the crank C¹ of the crank shaft C.
In one side of the cylinder at a point in the stroke of the piston at which an
ignition of the combustible contents of the cylinder and piston is desired, is formed
an ignition aperture a, and a similar though somewhat longer aperture a¹, is formed
in the prolongation D' of the piston D. Within the prolongation D' of the
piston D, and opposite the ignition aperture a¹, is secured a deflector b, which is
inclined to the axial line of the cylinder at an angle of about 60 degrees, so that
the flame of the ignition burner entering the ignition apertures a a¹, is deflected
towards the open end of the cylindrical prolongation of the piston D.
Opposite the ignition aperture a, in the side of the cylinder A, is formed a port c
for receiving the mixture of gas and air into the cylinder and in the prolonga-
tion D, of the piston D, is formed a port c¹, which passes the port o, in the
cylinder during the early part of the outward stroke of the piston D, so that as
the piston D moves forward by the momentum of the fly wheel attached to the
crank shaft C, the mixture of air and gas is drawn in through the ports c. c³, until
the port c, is closed by the prolongation D¹ of the piston.
In the same side of the cylinder A, in which the port o, is formed and preferably
below the said port, an auxiliary air port d, is formed in the wall of the cylinder
and a corresponding port d', is formed in the side of the prolongation D¹, of the
piston, so that the said port d is opened and closed in unison with the opening and
closing of the port c Air only is admitted through the ports d, d', to the
cylinder, the object being to dilute the explosive mixture contained in the piston
and cylinder by admission of an extra portion of air and also to ensure the better
mixture of the air and gas drawn into the piston and cylinder through the
ports c c¹.
An air and gas induction tube F, attached to the side of the cylinder is curved
downward, thence underneath the cylinder to a point under the ignition aperture a
where it is provided with an upwardly opening mouth e. The tube F, is divided
by a longitudinal partition f, into two parts g, h; the part h, communicates with
the port c, in the side of the cylinder and is provided with an inclined, apertured
valve seat i, near the port c, opposite which on the side next to the cylinder is
suspended a flap valve j, upon the screw k, the valve being arranged to hang
normally open.
The gas supply pipe & communicates with the part h of the tube F near the
middle of the vertical part of the said tube F. The part g of the tube F,
communicates with the port d, in the cylinder. The gas supply pipe l, extends
through the base B, and is provided with a regulating clock m, for controlling the
supply of gas consumed in the cylinder of the engine.
In the pipe outside of the cock m, is a tee in which is inserted a vertical
pipe n, for supporting the ignition burner o. In the pipe n, between the pipe
and the burner o, is a regulating cock p between which and the burner o there is a
branch pipe q terminating in a burner tuber having supported above it and
concentric with the orifice of the burner, a small platinum spiral 8, the platinum
spiral being attached to a ring t which slips over the burner tube.

page_text: The platinum spiral & and the flame burning from the tube are protected by a
wire gauze chimney u which admits air to the burner, but prevents gusts of wind
from extinguishing the flame. The burner is located relative to the end of the
pipe F, and the burner o, so that should the flame of the burner o become
extinguished it would be relit by the flame of the burner v, and if the engine from
any cause should cease to act and gas should flow from the pipe F it would be
ignited and consumed, thus preventing its escape into the room.
The cylinder head A', is cast integrally with the exhaust valve e¹ and a passage fl
leads from the interior of the cylinder to the port of the exhaust valve. The
exhaust valve in the present case consists of a hollow, cylindrical casing containing
a cylindrical plug g¹ which alternately covers and uncovers the passage fl in the
operation of the engine; but an ordinary poppet valve may be used instead of the
sliding plug valve. Upon the shaft A is secured an eccentric h¹ whose strap ¹
is connected with the exhaust valve plug g¹, by a rod j.
When a poppet valve is employed for the exhaust a cam will be placed on the
shaft to operate the valve.
The cylinder A, is provided with a water jacket for receiving a current of water
for preventing the overheating of the cylinder. The water preferably enters the
stop cock w, at the bottom of the cylinder and is discharged from the pipe u¹ at
the top of the cylinder.
The operation of this improved engine is at follows
By imparting motion to the fly wheel of the engine in direction indicated by
the arrow, the burner o being lit and gas being allowed to flow into the part h of
the tube F, into the column of air contained by the part h, at a point between the
extremities of the air column, the outward movement of the piston D first draws.
in air and then the mixture of gas and air from the part h of the tube F through
the valve seat i, and ports c, c' into the interior of the piston D. At the same
time air enters the interior of the piston through the part g of the tube F through
the ports d, d¹.
The mixture drawn in through the port c is at first weak and then is followed
by a very strong mixture owing to the accumulation in the tube F of gas during
the latter part of the previous forward stroke and during the period of exhausting
the products of combustion from the cylinder. After the strong mixture is drawn
into the cylinder the cylindrical prolongation D¹ of the piston D closes the
ports c, d, when the strong mixture will lie in the vicinity of the ignition
aperture a¹ in the side of the piston D, so that when the ignition aperture a¹
coincides with the ignition aperture a in the cylinder, and the flame of the burner o
is drawn into the cylinder and deflected towards the open end of the cylindrical
prolongation D¹ of the piston by the deflector 6 the flame is carried in to the
richest portion of the explosive mixture contained by the hollow piston. An
explosion then follows and the piston is driven forward to the extreme forward
end of its stroke when the eccentric h¹ will open the exhaust valve and allow the
products of combustion to escape through the exhaust passage f¹ during the entire
return stroke of the piston.
When the port c¹ in the piston coincides with the port o in the cylinder on the
return stroke of the piston, some of the products of combustion escape into the
port c but are prevented from entering the body of the pipe F by the flap valve j
but as the pressure of the gases contained by the cylinder is nearly exhausted by
the time the ports o' d arrive at the ports c, d, very little of the products of
combustion escape in that way.
When the piston arrives at the inner end of its stroke, the exhaust valve closes
and another portion of the mixture of gas and air is drawn in through the port c,
another volume of air is drawn in through the port d, and the operation just
described is repeated.
Engines of the construction thus described may be somewhat modified. The
modified form of engine is shown in Figures 8 and 2.

page_text: As the construction of this engine is similar in most points to that just described
it will be unnecessary to again describe the same parts that I have already
referred to.
In this engine the tube F is not divided longitudinally and it is provided with
no flap valve. The port d, of the oylinder communicates directly with the external
air and does not enter into any tube as in the other case. The ignition burner o
is a simple Bunsen burner and is provided with no auxiliary burner for relighting
it, as it is found that in this engine the ignition flame is never extinguished by the
explosions in the cylinder.
The operation of the engine shown in Figures 8 and 9 is similar to that shown in
the other figures. Gas being admitted to the tube F by the regulating cock m,
and to the burner o by the regulating cock p the burner o being lit, the fly wheel is
turned in the direction of the arrow, drawing in the explosive mixture from the
tube F, air through the port d, and finally the ignition flame through the ignition
apertures a, a¹ when explosion follows, driving the piston forward to the outer end
of the stroke. The exhaust valve e¹ is operated in the same manner as in the other
case.
The form of engine shown in Figure 10 differs from those shown in the other
figures only in dispensing with the deflector B and in having a cylindrical
projection D, on the cylinder head which extends forward nearly to the ignition
aperture a, leaving an annular space in which the cylindrical shell of the piston
may move. The cylindrical projection D* reduces the capacity of the cylinder so
that the explosion of gas from gasoline is rendered effective.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1st The combination with the power cylinder having in one side thereof an
ignition port and in the opposite side thereof two ports, one for the admission of
air and gas and the other for the admission of air only, of a piston fitted to the
cylinder and having a hollow cylindrical prolongation longer than the stroke of the
engine and which is provided with an ignition aperture in one side thereof capable
of coinciding at one point in the stroke with the ignition aperture of the cylinder,
and having two ports in the opposite side thereof capable of coinciding with the
two ports in the cylinder during the early part of the outward stroke of the piston
substantially as herein specified.
2nd The combination in a gas engine of a cylinder having ignition and air and
gas inlet ports and the piston provided with a cylindrical prolongation having
formed in it ports corresponding with the ports in the cylinder and a deflector
placed within the ignition aperture of the piston and arranged to deflect the
ignition flame towards the open end of the cylindrical prolongation, substantially
as herein specified.
3rd The combination in a gas engine of a cylinder A, having the ignition port a,
gas and air inlet port c, air inlet port d, and the piston provided with a cylindrical
prolongation D¹ and provided with an ignition aperture a', and ports c¹, d¹, a
tube F, communicating with the port c, and opening underneath and in the
vicinity of the ignition burner, substantially as and for the purpose herein
specified.
.
4th The combination with the air and gas induction pipe F, of a valve seat i, and
a normally open valve j, and a gas supply pipe 7, entering the induction tube F,
outside of the valvej as herein specified.
5th The combination in a gas engine of a cylinder A, having in one side thereof
an ignition port a, and in the opposite side ports c, d, for the admission of gas and
air, a tube F, divided longitudinally by a partition f, forming a passage q, for the
admission of air through the port d, and a passage h, for the admission of air and
for the continuous reception of gas, substantially as herein described.

page_text: 6th The combination with the igniting burner o, of an auxiliary burner having a
tip r, a platinum spiral & concentric with the tip and a protecting chimney u
of wire gauze for relighting the burner o when extinguished and for lighting the
gas issuing from the mouth of the induction pipe F as herein specified.
7th The combination of the cylinder A provided with the central cylindrical
projection D³ and having ports c. d and the ignition aperture a, and the piston D¹
provided with the cylindrical prolongation as described and having ports a¹, c³, ď³,
substantially as specified.
8th The method of operating a gas-engine, which consists in forming in the air
supply passage thereof a rich mixture of air and gas during the latter portion of
the outward stroke and the entire inward stroke of the piston, drawing the said
rich mixture into the cylinder during the early part of the outward stroke of the
piston, afterwards drawing in a comparatively weak mixture, the flow of gag into
the air pipe being continuous; the strength of the mixture being varied by an
intermittent air supply, finally igniting the charge by drawing into the cylinder a
flame at the point of the piston stroke at which an ignition is desired.
9th The method of operating a gas engine which consists in admitting gas to a
column of air in the air supply pipe at a point between the ends of the air column,
then drawing into the cylinder from the air supply pipe first a weak mixture and
then a strong mixture of gas and air, then igniting the explosive mixture in the
strongest part thereof, and finally allowing the products of combustion to escape
through the exhaust valve as herein specified.