Liquids as a Source of Motive Power.
Year: 1885

page_text: Liquids as a Source of Motive Power.
We RALPH HARRISON, of 2 Borough Road East, Sunderland, in the county, of
Durham, Drysalter and WILLIAM OLIVER, of 51 Harrogate Street, Sunderland
aforesaid, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to driving machinery and the propulsion of wheeled
vebicles on railways, tramways, and common roads by the use of gas made on the
machine or vehicle.
:
In carrying out our invention we employ a mixture of crude or refined petroleum
spirit and heavy mineral oils in suitable proportions or of mineral or coal spirit or
of methylated spirits of wine or ether mixed or unmixed with heavy mineral oil;.
the said mixture is heated in a closed vessel or boiler and the gases thereby
produced are passed under pressure into a cylinder or cylinders so as to drive a
piston or pistons suitably connected to the machine or vehicle to be driven-The
gases exhausted from the cylinder or cylinders may either alone or mixed with air
be utilized for heating the boiler or for lighting the vehicle or the exhausted gases
may be condensed and be returned to the boiler to be again used.

page_text: Improvements in tizing anu applying the
Liquids as a Source of Motive Power.
We RALPH HARRISON, of 2 Borough Road East, Sunderland, in the county of
Durham, Drysalter and WILLIAM OLIVER of 51 Harrogate Street, Sunderland
aforesaid, 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 driving machinery and the propulsion of wheeled
vehicles on railways, tramways, and common roads by the use of gas made on the
machine or vehicle.
.
:
In carrying out our invention we employ a mixture of crude or refined petroleum
spirit and heavy mineral oils in suitable proportions or of mineral or coal spirit or
of methylated spirits of wine or ether mixed or unmixed with heavy mineral oil;
the said mixture is heated in a closed vessel or boiler and the gases thereby
produced are passed under pressure into a cylinder or cylinders so as to drive a
piston or pistons suitably connected to the machine or vehicle to be driven-The
gases exhausted from the cylinder or cylinders may either alone or mixed with air.
be utilized for heating the, boiler or for lighting the vehicle or the exhausted gases
may be condensed and be returned to the boiler to be again used.
In order to enable our invention to be fully understood we will describe the
same by reference to the accompanying drawing which represents a vertical
sectional elevation of an apparatus for utilizing and applying the vapour of volatile
liquids as a source of motive power according to our invention.
u, represents the closed vessel or boiler in which the volatile liquid or liquids is
or are heated and converted into gas, the liquid being contained within the boiler u,
mixed or unmixed with a suitable heavy mineral or hydrocarbon oil heated by
means of a furnace c, at the lower part of the boiler a.
The gas thus produced passes away under pressure through a suitable regulating
valve d, to the slide valve of a cylinder e, containing a piston, the said cylinder
being of similar construction to an ordinary steam cylinder.
The gas is then caused by means of the said slide valve (which is worked by an
excentrio al, on the crank shaft h in the usual manner) to impart a reciprocating
motion to the said piston which by means of the usual piston rod and connecting
rod, causes the crank g, to revolve the crank shaft h, and fly wheel i.-The
motive power thus produced can be utilised either for driving machinery or for the
propulsion of vehicles as herein before described.
The gas after being utilized in the cylinder e, in the manner described is
exhausted in the usual way through a pipe j, which (as shewn in the drawing) is
carried behind the apparatus for a short distance where it is enlarged so as to
allow the air pipe k, of a blast fan l, to enter the said pipe j, the two pipes j and k,
being arranged one within the other as shewn. The blast fan 1, is driven by
means of a belt, from a pulley h¹, on the crank shaft h, and serves to force a blast
of air through the air pipe k

page_text: The pipes and k, are shewn broken off in the drawing but in practice they are
continued to a suitable length in order that the air forced through the pipe k,
together with the action of the atmosphere on the outside of the pipe ; shall
effectually condense the gas in the latter.
The liquid formed by the gas so condensed falls into a tank m, whence it is
drawn by a suitable force pump n, and forced again into the closed vessel or
boiler a, a suitable valve n', being used to regulate its admission. The air pipe k,
is then carried on to the furnace c, for the purpose hereinafter described. We do
not bind ourselves to this method of condensing the gas; as any other suitable
condenser can be used as will be obvious.
When the gas is used as fuel it is exhausted into a pipe p, in the form of a ring
which encircles the furnace c, and is provided with suitable nozzles p¹, which
project into the furnace o; within the pipe p, is arranged another pipe q, similar to
the said pipe p, and also provided with nozzles q', within the nozzles p¹, as shewn.
The end of the air pipe k, after it leaves the condensing pipe j, is coiled round
the inside of the furnace c, and its other end is passed through the side of the
furnace where it is joined to the pipe q, a suitable valve 7, being fixed to the
pipe k, to regulate the blast of air to the pipe q; by this arrangement the gas
exhausted from the cylinder or cylinders being cut off from the condensing pipe j,
and admitted into the ring pipe p; is forced into the furnace c, by the air blast
from the pipe, through the pipe q, and nozzles q¹, and p¹, as shewn, into the
interior of the furnace c, in the form of gas or vapour and being then lighted
will heat the volatile liquids contained in the vessel or boiler a.
A flue 8, is provided extending upwards from the top of the furnace c, for the
purpose of transmitting heat to the volatile liquid or liquids contained in the vessel
or boiler the said flue leading outside the said vessel or boiler to the chimney t, as
shewn. A suitable safety valve u, and thermometer v, are arranged at the top of
the vessel or boiler a.
When using our improved apparatus for driving a vehicle instead of condensing
the exhaust gas the same can be taken from the condenser and used for lighting
the said vehicle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
1. The method of driving machinery and propelling vehicles by the use of
volatile liquids (such as those herein described) vaporized in a closed vessel or
boiler, the gases thereby produced being passed under pressure into a cylinder or
cylinders so as to drive a piston or pistons connected with the machine or vehicle
to be driven substantially as herein before described.
2. In apparatus for utilizing the vapour of volatile liquids as a source of motive
power the use of the exhaust gas for the purpose of heating the boiler of the
apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The improved apparatus for producing motive power herein before described
and represented in the accompanying drawing.