Improvements in Internal Combustion Engines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 9th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 6th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 5th May, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Internal Combustion Engines.
JOHN CHARLES RAYMOND OKES, The Limes, Brondesbury Park,
London N.W., Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object in view in this invention is to produce an internal combustion engine
capable of resisting the sudden shocks usual in engines in which an inflammable
mixture is fired, more especially with regard to engines of large size. For this I
employ that class of engine in which two pistons work in an elongated cylinder,
the charge being fired between the two pistons and I utilize the outward ends of
the cylinders as air compressors. The pistons on the inward stroke towards the
centre of the cylinder thus draw in a charge of air at each end and on their
outward strokes compress the charge into one or more chambers where it is retained
until the exhaust valve is opened or is commencing to open.
The charge of compressed air is then admitted into the cylinder by suitable
mechanism and scours out the products of combustion, leaving the centre space
between the pistons filled with air only. The gaseous charge which may be of
gas or gas and air is then forced in and mingles with the air already in the cylinder,
and on the return strokes of the pistons is compressed and subsequently fired in
the usual manner either by a heated tube or electricity or otherwise. The outward
strokes of the two pistons then commence and an impulse may thus be obtained on
all three cranks at every revolution of the shaft.
The piston rods from the cylinder pass through glands in the covers. The
crank shaft has preferably three cranks in it, the centre one being in the opposite
direction or nearly so to the other two.
The connecting rod attached to the centre piston rod has the usual guide and
couples directly on to the crank the other two being united by a cross-head having
side rods and guide blocks attached, one passing on each side of the cylinder and
coupling to the side cranks by two connecting rods. The charge of gas or gas
and air may be obtained by means of a pump driven by some.convenient method
from the engine, and the charges of gas and air and gas, together with the air
remaining in the cylinder may be governed and regulated.
It will be seen that the central connecting rod will be forcing the crank in one
direction whilst the other two will be pulling their cranks in the opposite direction
thus relieving the crankshaft of being subjected to undue strains and an easy
motion obtained.
Dated this 8th day of May 1893.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Internal Combustion Engines.
1, JOHN CHARLES RAYMOND OKES, of The Limes, Brondesbury Park,
London, N.W., 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 :-
The object in view in this invention is to produce an internal combustion engine
[P1

page_text: capable of resisting the sudden shocks usual in engines in which an inflammable
mixture is fired, more especially with regard to engines of large size. For this I
employ that class of engine in which two pistons work in an elongated cylinder,
the charge being fired between the two pistons, and I utilize the outward ends of
the cylinders as air compressors. The pistons on the inward stroke towards the
centre of the cylinder thus draw in a charge of air at each end and on their
outward strokes compress the charge into one or more chambers where it is retained
until the exhaust valve is opened or is commencing to open. The charge of com-
pressed air is then admitted into the cylinder by suitable mechanism and scours
out the products of combustion, leaving the centre space between the pistons filled
with air only. The gaseous charge which may be of gas or gas and air is then
forced in and mingles with the air already in the cylinder, and on the return stroke
of the pistons is compressed and subsequently fired in the usual manner either by a
heated tube or electricity or otherwise. The outward strokes of the two pistons
then commence and an impulse may thus be obtained on all three cranks at every
revolution of the shaft. The piston rods from the cylinder pass through glands in
The crank-shaft has preferably three cranks in it, the centre one
being in the opposite direction, or nearly so, to the other two; the connecting rod
attached to the centre piston rod has the usual guide and couples directly on to
the crank, the other two being united by a crosshead having side rods and guide
blocks attached, one passing on each side of the cylinder and coupling to the side
cranks by two connecting rods.
the covers.
The charge of gas or gas and air may be obtained by means of a pump driven by
some convenient method from the engine, and the charge of gas, or air and gas,
together with the air remaining in the cylinder, may be governed and regulated.
It will be seen that the central connecting rod will be forcing the crank in one
direction whilst the other two will be pulling their cranks in the opposite direction,
thus relieving the crank shaft of being subjected to undue strains and an easy
motion obtained.
In order to enable my invention to be clearly understood I will now proceed to
describe same by the aid of the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which :-
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an engine constructed according to my invention.
Fig. 2 a plan view of same.
Fig. 3 a longitudinal section through the cylinder and air chamber.
Fig. 4 a transverse section through the cylinder, air chamber, and exhaust and
gas admission ports.
Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a longitudinal section and end elevation of the
arrangement for controlling the supply and exhaust from the governor, drawn to
an enlarged scale.
In these drawings A is the cylinder, in which two pistons B, B', reciprocate,
their rods C, C1, passing through the opposite ends of the cylinder, and both being
connected to the same crank-shaft D, the piston rod C being connected thereto
directly by the usual connecting rod (not shown in the drawing), while the piston
rod C is attached by a crosshead E to two side rods F, passing on either side of
the cylinder and terminating in guide blocks G, working on suitable guides H, and
each connected by a connecting rod to one of the side cranks of the crank-shaft D.
Towards each end of the cylinder A are ports I, I', communicating with an air
compression chamber J provided with a suitable air inlet valve K. These
ports I, I, are controlled by the pistons B, B¹, respectively.
The exhaust port and valve L is situated in the centre of the length of the
cylinder, and is controlled in any suitable manner, the arrangement shown in the
drawing consisting in the employment of a shaft M driven by gearing from
the crank shaft D, and carrying a cam N, which actuates the crank lever O
carrying roller O', and so controls the exhaust valve L. The shaft M also carries
a second cam P, which through the lever R carrying roller R', controls a bye-pass
valve Q for the gas or gas and air supply, in the same way as cam N controls the
exhaust.

page_text: Any suitable pump S may be employed for forcing the gas, or non-explosive
mixture of gas and air, into the cylinder, and be actuated at the proper time from
the engine by any suitable means, such as by an eccentric T mounted on the crank
shaft D.
The operation of the engine is as follows:-In the position shown in the
drawings the pistons B, B', have just completed their outward strokes, and the
ports I, I, are open to the air chamber J, while the exhaust valve L is open, or
just about to open. The compressed air contained in chamber J therefore passes.
into cylinder A, and drives out the products of combustion of the previous
explosion through the exhaust valve L. The pistons B, B', then begin their
inward movement, whereby the ports I, I', are closed, and the charge of. air
between the two pistons consequently completes the scouring of the cylinder. At
any suitable point in the inward stroke of the pistons the exhaust valve L is closed
by the action of cam N, and the pump S is actuated and forces a charge of gas, or
gas and air, into the space between the pistons B, B', in cylinder A, which mingles
with the air contained therein. The explosive mixture contained in such space
will be compressed by the pistons B, B¹, until the completion of the inward stroke.
As soon as the requisite amount of gas has entered the cylinder, the pump S ceases.
to operate.
It will be seen that the opposite ends also of the cylinder A communicate with
the air compression chamber J, as shown at a¹ a', so that during the inward stroke
of the pistons air, which enters chamber J through valve K, will pass from
chamber J into the ends of such cylinder, behind the pistons.
As soon as the inward stroke is completed the explosive mixture between the
pistons B, B1, is exploded by any suitable known means, thus driving the pistons
outwards in opposite directions and consequently actuating the crank shaft D,
while at same time the air contained in the cylinder behind the pistons B, B¹,
respectively, will be compressed and pass into chamber J, the valve K of which
will close automatically as soon as the outward movement of the pistons begins.
The operation described is then repeated, and it will thus be seen that. a
double impulse (one from each piston) is given to the crank shaft at each
revolution.
A convenient arrangement for controlling the duration of the time for which the
exhaust valve L, and also the bye-pass valve Q (which when necessary allows any
portion of the charge to pass back into the pump instead of entering the cylinder),
remain open, automatically by the action of the governor, is shown in the drawings,
and consists in shifting the rollers O¹ and R¹ respectively, along the cams N and P
which actuate same, such cams being made conical, so that according to the position
of the rollers thereon, the levers O and R carrying such rollers, will remain raised
for a longer or shorter period, and the valves L and Q controlled by such levers
will be correspondingly operated. The shifting of the rollers O¹ and R¹ is effected
by mounting each of same on a spindle o and r, respectively, carried by the levers ✪
and R, so that same can slide thereon.
Each of such rollers is embraced by a fork U, both carried on a horizontal
sliding spindle V, which by a crank lever W is connected with the sleeve X of
governor Y, so that as such sleeve rises or falls the spindle V will be caused to
move horizontally, and through the forks U carry the rollers O' and R' to a
different position in relation to the cams N and P which actuate same.
Figs. 5 and 6 show the details of the arrangement for shifting roller O' for this
purpose, on a larger scale, and the same arrangement is also employed for shifting
the roller R¹.
It will be readily understood that the gas supply pump S may be dispensed with
and one or both ends of the main cylinder be used to charge the cylinder with gas
and air as well as air. One end may be used for air and the other end may be used
for gas and air, the valve arrangement being so timed as to avoid loss of gas at the
exhaust port. By this method also an explosive mixture is forced between the two
pistons and ignited after being compressed.

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 what
I claim is
1. An engine having a cylinder fitted with two pistons to which an impulse can
be given at each revolution, and the rods of which pass out at opposite ends of the
cylinder, such pistons acting on one side as air compressors or air and gas charging
pumps for the purpose of passing first a scouring charge of air through the working
space of the cylinder and then charging the said cylinder gas or gas and air mixed,
and on the other side as motor pistons, for the purpose of actuating a three-throw
crank shaft in such a manner that one piston thrusts while the other pulls upon
the crank shaft, all substantially as specified.
2. An engine having a cylinder fitted with two pistons to which an impulse can
be given at each revolution, and the rods of which pass out at opposite ends of the
cylinder, such pistons acting on one side as air compressors for the purpose of
passing a scouring charge of air through the working parts of the cylinder and
leaving the space between the pistons filled with air, and on the other side as motor
pistons, in combination with a force pump for supplying gas, or a mixture of gas
and air in any desired proportions, into the space between the two pistons, for the
purpose of actuating a three-throw crank shaft in such a manner that one piston
thrusts while the other pulls upon the crank shaft, all substantially as specified.
3. In an engine constructed as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings; the employment of a governor for regulating the charge
of air left remaining between the pistons, or the charge of gas, or gas and air,
admitted between such pistons by the auxiliary pump, or both, substantially as
specified.
4. In an internal combustion engine the combination of a cylinder with two
pistons working in opposite directions therein, piston rods, a crosshead, side rods,
guides, connecting rods, a three-throw crank-shaft, a gas- or gas and air-pump, and
a governor, the whole arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
Dated this 30th day of November 1893.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.