IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY AIR AND GAS MOTOR ENGINES
Year: 1885

page_text: I JOHN HENRY RICHARDSON DINSMORE of 302 Prescot Road, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY AIR AND GAS MOTOR ENGINES to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to that type of air and gas motor engines, in which the
charges of air and gas are compressed before igniting such charges in the working
cylinder.
An engine with my improvements applied thereto consists as follows: I employ
chambers, or cylinders, preferably of equal diameter, in which two pistons revolve,
which are mounted upon a barrel, or barrels and work concentrically within the
cylinders. The cylinders are preferably arranged side by side and divided longi-
tudinally so that each half forms a semi double cylinder. These two halves may
be either cast, or otherwise connected together. At opposite ends of the cylinders
are provided loose covers which are arranged to support the shaft of the engine by
suitable bearings formed in, or upon them. One of the above cylinders is employed
as a working cylinder and the other as a pump and compressor which delivers the
compressed combustible mixture to the working cylinder.
The piston barrels are cast together or otherwise suitably connected and are of
hollow formation, thus providing an annular space, or passage between the shell, or
barrel and a central tube which are connected together. Through the central tube
there runs the main shaft which is suitably secured to the piston barrel tube.
Upon the end of the piston barrel are formed projecting webs, or fins; which are
so arranged to cause a current of air to pass through the annular piston space and
also over fins which are provided upon the exterior of the cylinders the air being
directed thereon by means of directing rims on the covers. The pistons are placed
upon the shell, or barrel and work concentrically in the cylinder. The pistons
thus work in annular spaces which are enclosed at each end by the metal of the
cylinders. Internal circumferential projections are formed upon the cylinders
which fit into corresponding peripherical recesses which are formed in the piston
barrels and on each side of these grooves there are provided peripherical packing
rings fitting in grooves provided for them. By these means escape of gases from
the cylinders is provided against. The pistons are formed with sloping sides
widening from their apexes towards the piston barrel. At the apex of each there
is provided a packing piece kept up to the internal surface of the cylinders by

page_text: suitable springs. Reciprocating division pieces are positioned on one side of the
cylinders for the purpose of dividing the pressure from the exhaust side of the
piston; these pieces or slides being kept up to their seats by suitable means such
as springs. On each side of the division slide of the working cylinder are placed
the exhaust and delivery passages. The exhaust is an opening leading to the
atmosphere. The delivery passage for the charges of gas and air connect the
compression side of the pump cylinder with the working side of the working
cylinder. In this passage there is provided a non return valve: there is also
provided a port in the division slide of the air and gas pump so arranged that as
the pump piston revolves it actuates the slide and allows the new charge to pass
from the pump into the working cylinder. The charge is admitted into the working
cylinder for about one quarter of the travel, or cycle of the piston when it is fired.
This is effected by means of a heated small tube which is connected with the
interior of the cylinder at successive points, in its circumference. By this means
the mixture of gas and air when the piston has passed the first point, or
opening is admitted into the tube and as the other end of the tube opens into the
cylinder upon the opposite side of the piston, which is open to the exhaust it passes
through the tube. In so doing it is ignited by the heat of the tube and so fires
back into the charge and so ignites it and an effective stroke is obtained. The
necessary heat of the tube is sustained by being placed within the flame of a
Bunsen, or other burner. Air and gas are drawn into the pump cylinder through
suitable valves and ducts such as an ordinary metallic flap valve. A throttle valve
is placed in the air and gas duct just described, which is connected by suitable
means to a governor which works upon the shaft. By these means the regulation
of the combustible mixture is effected; more, or less mixture being admitted to the
pump according to the speed at which the engine is running.
D
It will be seen that this engine receives a fresh impulse each revolution and that
useful work is maintained during three fourths of such revolution.

page_text: I, JOHN HENRY RICHARDSON .DINSMORE, of 302 Prescot Road, Liverpool, in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My Invention relates to that type of air and gas motor engines in which the
charges of air and gas are compressed before igniting such charges in the working
cylinder.
An engine with my improvements applied thereto consists as follows. I employ
chambers, or cylinders, preferably of equal diameter in which two barrel pistons
revolve, which are formed upon central tubes, or bosses and shafts which work
concentrically within the cylinders. The cylinders are arranged side by side, or in
other suitable manner. These two cylinders are connected together. At opposite
ends of the cylinders are provided loose covers which are arranged to support the
shaft of the engine by suitable bearings formed in, or upon them. One of the above
cylinders is employed as a working cylinder and the other as a pump and compressor
which delivers the compressed combustible mixture to the working cylinder.
The piston barrels are of .hollow formation, thus providing a space, between the
shell, or barrel and a central tube or boss to which they are connected Through
the central tubes there run the shafts which are suitably secured to the piston
barrel tubes. Upon the end of one of the piston barrel shafts there are formed
projecting webs or fins, which are arranged to cause a current of air to pass over
fins which are provided upon the exterior of the cylinders, the air being directed
thereon by means of directing rims on the covers. The pistons are placed upon
the shafts which work concentrically in the cylinders. The pistons thus work in
spaces which are enclosed at each end by the metal of the cylinders. The piston
barrels on each side are provided with peripherical packing rings fitting in grooves
provided for them. By these means escape of gases from the cylinders is provided
against. To each of the pistons there is provided a packing piece kept up to the
internal surface of the cylinders by suitable springs. Reciprocating division pieces
are positioned on one side of the cylinders for the purpose of dividing the pressure
from the exhaust side of the piston; these pieces, or slides being kept up to their seats
by suitable means such as spring levers. On each side of the division slide of the
working cylinder are placed the exhaust and delivery passages. The exhaust is an
opening leading to the atmosphere. The delivery passage for the charges of gas
and air connect the compression side of the pump cylinder with the working side
of the working cylinder. In this passage there is provided a non return valve.
There is also provided a port and valve so arranged that as the pump piston revolves,
it actuates the valve and allows the new charge to pass from the pump into the
working cylinder. The charge may be admitted into the working cylinder for
about one quarter of the travel, or cycle of the piston, when it is fired. This is
effected by means of a. heated small tube which is connected with the interior of
the cylinder at successive points in its circumference. By this means the mixture
of gas and air when the piston has passed the point, or opening is admitted into
the tube. In so doing it is ignited by the heat of the tube and so fires back into

page_text: the charge and so ignites it and an effective stroke is obtained.
The necessary beat
of the tube is sustained by being placed within the flame of a Bunsen, or other
burner. Air and gas are drawn into the pump cylinder through suitable valves
and ducts such as an ordinary metallic flap valve. A throttle valve may be placed
in the air and gas duct, just described and connected by suitable means to a
governor which works upon the shaft. By these means the regulation of the com-
bustible mixture is effected more, or less mixture being admitted to the pump
according to the speed at which the engine is running.
It will be seen that this engine receives a fresh impulse each revolution and that
useful work is maintained during three fourths of such revolution.
That this Invention may be more clearly understood I have hereunto attached a
sheet of Drawings, illustrative thereof making a part of this Specification so that
any skilled person in the art to which the Invention belongs may put the same
into practice.
Reference to the Drawings.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an engine according to my Invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a cross section through X X Figure 1.
In the engine illustrated in the Drawings is the motor cylinder and B is the
gas and air pump arranged side by side. A¹ and B¹ respectively designate the
pistons of the motor and pump cylinders. Each of the pistons A¹ and B¹ are
provided with packing strips i and springs ¹ which serve to keep the strips I up
to the face of the cylinders and so make tight joint to prevent the escape of fluid
between the cylinder faces and the strips. The joint at the ends of the pistons for
the same object is effected by springs g which are split springs and when placed in
position tend. to spring outwards and thus by the bevelled edge with which they
are provided as shown they adjust themselves and bear against the ends F of the
cylinders. As shown in the Drawings, the cylinders are made in halves and bolted
together. The ends F also serve as bearings for the shafts C. On these shafts are
mounted the pistons A¹ B¹³, discs D and fly wheels E. The fly wheels and discs
are provided with pins e e and d d which are coupled together with coupling rods
of any known suitable construction so as to effect the synchronous operation of the
two pistons. These pins are set at an angle of 90° to each other. a are the cooling
fins, or webs over which air is caused to pass, the movement of the air being
effected by the fan a¹ which is mounted on the shaft C. The fan and fins are
encased in the covering a³. f and f¹ are slides provided to hold the separating
pieces F1 and F in position as shown and to keep them up to the surface of the
pistons A and B¹. As through the combined action of the two pistons, the distance
between their surfaces at the points of contact of the pieces F1 and F varies, there
must be provided a means of compensating this variation. This I effect by the
jointed bar, or toggle device f which bears in the sides f and f¹ and its jointed
and opposite end is provided with a roller. This roller works on the under surface
of the adjustable device f³ which is so formed that as the slides ff and f¹
reciprocate, it provides for the varying distance between the pistons as above
named. L is the chimney of the ignition apparatus and 7 is a tube in the chimney,
which is heated by a gas flame. is a small port positioned as shown (see
Figures 1 and 3). This ignition apparatus is governed by the travel of the piston
as will be understood, that is to say, as the piston moves forward, a charge of
combustible fluid being in the cylinder, the piston exposes the interior of the
cylinder to the port which communicates with the interior of the pipe l.
A portion of the charge will thus ascend the hot tube and so is ignited, it then
returns and fires the charge within the cylinder. The engine runs in the direction
of the arrows and the charge of combustible fluid is drawn through the valvo J
and is forced by the piston through the non return-valve h into the chamber H
and is then admitted at the proper moment by the valve G into the chamber, H¹
which communicates with the cylinder A. The valve G is operated by an
eccentric G¹ shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. The exhaust passage K of the
i

page_text: cylinder A is provided with a non return valve K¹ as shown. The slides ƒ and ƒ'
and the separating pieces F1 F are provided at the ends with suitable spring
retained metallic packing pieces and the slides fand f' are further provided with
adjustable metallic packing pieces f* at the upper surfaces.
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:
First. In a rotary gas engine a cylinder serving as a pump and a cylinder
serving as a motor cylinder, the interior of said pump cylinder communicating with
the interior of said motor cylinder substantially as set forth.
Second. In rotary gas engines in which two cylinders are employed coupling the
shafts and pistons thereof substantially as set forth.
Third. In combination with the motor and pump cylinders of a rotary gas
engine a chamber such as H a valve such as G and a chamber such as H₁ sub-
stantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Fourth. In combination with the motor cylinder of a rotary gas engine a com-
bustion chamber such as H and a valve such as G, or its equivalent substantially
as set forth.
Fifth. A compensating mechanism such as the devices ƒ ƒ ƒ ƒ³ operating
substantially as and for the purposes set forth, or any mere modification thereof.
Sixth. In combination with a piston of a rotary engine, a packing g constructed
and arranged substantially as set forth and operating as described.
Seventh. The combination of a fan a¹ webs a arranged and operating sub-
stantially as set forth.
Eighth. The combination with the pistons in a rotary engine arranged as herein
set forth of pieces F1 and F and connected together by a slide operating sub-
stantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Ninth. The engine arranged constructed and operating substantially as set forth
with reference to the Drawings hereto annexed.