IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES
Year: 1884

page_text: I SAMUEL CLAYTON of Paradise Street, Bradford, in the county of York,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
GAS MOTOR ENGINES" to be as follows:-
.
This invention relates to improvements in that class of gas engines in which a
uniform mixture of gas and air is forced into the working cylinder at each
revolution if required by a pump the mixture being compressed-and ignited in the
said cylinder and the expansion of the heated gas and air forcing the piston on its
outward stroke.
In carrying out my improvements I cause the piston when nearing the end of
its stroke to pass over a port or chamber cast or formed in the cylinder through
which the residue of the products of combustion escapes. The crank pin on which
works the pump piston is set one quarter in advance of the working crank
supposing the pump piston to be at its further instroke the piston of the working
cylinder will just have closed the exhaust port or chamber in the working cylinder
by its return stroke. The pump piston in its upward stroke draws in a uniform
charge of mixed gas and air at the same time that the working piston in its
downward stroke compresses the charge in the working cylinder. Owing to the
relative positions of the cranks, when the working piston is at the farthest point of
its inward stroke and just commencing its outward stroke through the ignition of
the compressed charge of gas and air, the pump piston will have performed about
one half of its outward stroke and by the time the working piston opens the
exhaust port, the pump piston will have completed its outward stroke and returned
some distance, thereby slightly compressing the charge in the pump. On the
working piston uncovering the exhaust port, the said slightly compressed charge of
gas and air in the pump is forced into the working cylinder past a check valve
driving out the previous products of combustion (during the stroke of the working
piston) past the exhaust port and back again to close it. Similar operations are
performed for each new charge from the pump and compression by the working
piston ensuring an explosion at each revolution if required. When the pump does
not require gas, air alone is drawn into and forced out of the pump.
To ensure a proper mixture of gas and air in the pump I employ an L shaped or
bell crank lever worked by a cam or excentric on the crank shaft by means of a
mall lever and rod. One end of the L shaped or bell crank lever is in connection
with the air valve and connected to the governor is a light rod connected to the
as valve spindle.

page_text: On this rod is fixed a small piece of a thin steel plate resembling a knife and on
the other end of the L shaped lever and opposite to the knife is fixed a piece of
steel having a V shaped slot.
.
On the cam or excentric on the crank shaft lifting the L shaped or bell crank
lever the air valve is raised and the gas valve is at the same time forced open by
the V slotted or grooved piece of steel being brought against the herein before
described knife edge on the light rod. In connection with the governor we provide
a bent piece of steel or a catch protruding past and just clear of the piece of steel
having the V shaped groove or slot and when the engine exceeds the normal speed
the governors lift the light rod and the knife edged piece of steel out of the
V shaped groove or slot whereby the gas valve is allowed to remain closed; at the
same time the bent piece of steel or catch (which protrudes past the piece of steel
having the V shaped groove) on the L shaped or bell crank lever raising the air
valve to its full height, takes hold of the said grooved piece of steel behind the
grooves thereby holding the air valve open and allowing the air drawn into the
pump to escape thereby removing all back pressure from the pump until the engine
has again attained its normal speed when the governors allowing the light rod to
fall, the bent piece of steel or catch will be disengaged the air valve will be allowed
to fall to its seat and the knife edged piece of steel will be brought in front of the
V shaped grooves so that on the cam lifting the L shaped or bell crank lever the
air and gas valve is opened. The pump piston travelling outward at the same
time as the air and gas valve is opened draws into the pump a uniformly diluted
mixture of air and gas which is subsequently forced into the working cylinder and
there compressed and fired thereby forcing forward the working piston. On the
light rod is placed a ball or weight which can be removed when the engine is
required to work slowly,

page_text: I SAMUEL CLAYTON of Paradise Street Bradford in the County of York,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my 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 that class of engines in which an
uniform mixture of gas and air is forced into the working cylinder at each stroke,
if required by means of a pump the mixture of gas and air being compressed and
ignited in the said working cylinder and the expansion of the heated gas and air
forcibly moving the piston on its outward stroke.
In carrying out my invention I cause the piston when nearing the end of its
stroke to pass over and leave open a port or outlet cast or formed in the side of the
cylinder and through which outlet the residue of the products of combustion
escapes. The crank pin upon which works the piston rod of the pump is set one
fourth of a revolution in advance of the working crank, so that when the ram or
plunger of the pump is at the end of its in-stroke the piston of the working
cylinder will just have closed the exhaust port or outlet of the working cylinder
by its return stroke. The pump ram in its upward stroke draws in an uniformly
mixed charge of gas and air at the same time that the working piston in its
downward stroke compresses the charge in the working cylinder. Owing to the
relative positions of the cranks when the working piston is at the farthest point of
its stroke and just about to commence its outward stroke in consequence of the.
ignition of the compressed charge of mixed gas and air, the pump ram will have
performed about one half of its outward stroke and by the time the working
piston has passed over and left open the exhaust port or outlet of the cylinder the
pump ram will have completed its inward stroke and returned some distance,
thereby slightly compressing the charge in the pump. On the working piston
uncovering the exhaust port the said slightly compressed charge of gas and air in
the pump is forced into the working cylinder, past a check valve, driving out the
previous products of combustion (during the stroke of the working piston) past
the exhaust port and back again to close it. Similar operations are performed for
each new charge from the pump, and compression by the working piston ensures
an explosion at each revolution if required.
When the pump does not require gas, air alone is drawn into and forced out of
the pump into the working cylinder. To ensure a proper mixture of gas and air
in the pump I employ an L shaped or bell crank lever worked by a cam or
eccentric on the crank shaft by means of a small lever and rod. The end of one leg
of the shaped or bell crank lever is in connection with the air valve, and
connected to the governor is a slight rod actuating the gas-valve spindle. On this
rod is fixed and projects from it at a right angle a steel plate with a sharp edge
resembling the cutting end of a joiner's chisel and on the opposite end of the
L shaped lever from that which actuates the air valve is fixed another thin steel
plate also at right angles to the lever having a V shaped groove into which fits the
sharp edge of the steel plate fixed to the governor rod hereinbefore mentioned.
When the cam or eccentric on the crank shaft lifts the L shaped lever the air
valve is raised and the gas valve at the same time is forced open by the grooved
steel plate being brought against the sharp edge of the opposite steel plate.
Immediately under the sharp edged steel plate and attached to the governor rod is
steel catch which projects slightly beyond the grooved plate attached to the
L shaped lever, and when the engine exceeds its normal speed the governors lift

page_text: the governor rod and thereby the sharp edge of the steel plate is lifted out of the
groove, the steel catch takes hold of the grooved steel plate whereby the gas valve
is allowed to remain closed and the air valve is raised to its full height allowing
the air drawn into the pump to escape thereby removing all back pressure from
the pump until the engine bas again attained its normal speed, when, the governors
allowing the governor rod to fall, the catch will be disengaged and the air valve
will be allowed to fall into its seat also the sharp edged steel plate will resume its
position opposite the grooved steel plate and fall into the groove so that when the
cam on the crank shaft lifts the L shaped lever both air and gas valves are opened
simultaneously. At the same time that the pump ram is travelling outwards a
mixture of gas and air uniformly diluted is drawn into the pump, and from thence
forced into the working cylinder where it is compressed and exploded, thereby
forcing the working piston outwards. A stud is provided upon the top of the
governor rod upon which stud is placed a ball or weight which by its effect upon
the governor rod regulates the speed of the engine and when such weight is
removed the engine is caused to work more slowly.
In order to enable my invention to be more clearly understood I will proceed to
describe the same by reference to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1
represents a side elevation of the improved gas motor engine. Figure 2 an
elevation on a larger scale of the pump and governor motion. Figure 3 is a
sectional elevation of the working cylinder and pump Figure 4 is a sectional
plan of the working cylinder and pump and Figures 5 and 6 are enlarged
elevations of details of the governor motion. Figure 7 represents a transverse
section of the crank shaft showing the cams and levers for working the gas and
air valves.
In figure 1 A is the working cylinder and B the pump C is the crank shaft D are
the governors, E is the governor rod connected to the governor spindle by means of
the short lever F-G is the L shaped lever which actuates at opposite ends the
air valve at H and the gas valve J and which lever receives motion from a
cam T upon the crank shaft C such motion being communicated to the valve
rod S by means of the two short levers U. The sharp edged steel plate attached to
the shaped lever G is shown at K, and the grooved steel plate into the groove of
which the sharp edged plate K fits is shown at L and the catch at M which holds
together the lever G and the governor rod E when the speed of the engine is
excessive At the same time the valve rod S is lifted up until the end of the
lever U ceases to be acted upon by the revolving cam T and thereby the action of
the lever G is caused to cease until the governors by revolving more slowly
have allowed the governor rod E to fall into its former position.
The ram of the pump is shown at N, which pump forces the mixture of gas and
air pass the check valve P into the working cylinder A where it is exploded and
after the explosion the products of combustion are allowed to escape by the
exhaust port or outlet R.
In figures 2 and 5 the engine is supposed to be working at its ordinary speed
The sharp edged steel plate K is opposite to and fits into the groove in the steel
plate L and the catch M. is disengaged whereby at every stroke of the engine both
gas and air in a mixed state are admitted into the pump B and thence forced into
the working cylinder A.
In figure 6 the engine is supposed to be working at an excessive speed and to
have lifted the sharp edged plate K out of the grooved plate L and the catch M
has taken hold of the grooved plate L whereby the lever G is held close to the
governor rod E-the air valve H is held open and the gas valve J is closed and
remains so until the speed of the engine shall have diminished when the governors
fall allowing the governor rod E to fall at the same time; the catch M. is
disengaged from the steel plate L as shown in figure 5 and both the gas valve J
and the air valve H are opened and resume their work at every stroke of the
engine.

page_text: 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 which
I claim is
1. The shaped lever actuating the gas and air valves of a gas engine such
lever receiving its motion from a cam or eccentric placed upon the crank shaft of
the engine as hereinbefore described.
2. The combination of the sharp edged steel plate upon the L shaped valve
lever, the grooved steel plate upon the governor rod, and the catch upon the valve
lever, for holding open the air valve and regulating the speed of the engine
substantially in the manner and for the purpose described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
3. The apparatus for holding open the air valve when the speed of the engine is
excessive to allow the escape of air from the pump without causing back pressure
as hereinbefore described.
•
4. The improved gas engine hereinbefore described and represented in the
accompanying drawing.