Improvements in Gas and similar Engines.
Year: 1894

page_text: the French Republic, Engineer.]
Improvements in Gas and similar Engines.
1, WILLIAM EDWIN HEYS of 70 Market Street, Manchester in the County of
Lancaster, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to gas and similar engines of the "Otto" cycle type,
which may be single, double, or quadruple acting and in which the explosions are
varied by the governor.
For the purpose of carrying this invention into effect the cylinder end is furnished
with two valves acting in opposite directions, one of which tends to open upon a
reduction of pressure within the cylinder, whilst the other tends to close. This
latter valve is also operated by a cam or other suitable device from the governor.
A chamber of any suitable capacity is situated between the two valves. The first
valve, which tends to open upon the reduction of pressure within the cylinder, has
an enlarged stem open to the air and is normally maintained upon its seat by a
weak spring. The second valve in opening allows the air and gas to pass, the air
passing around the valve and between it and its seat, and the gas entering through
holes formed in the seating.
Upon the commencement of the aspiration stroke both valves are opened, the
first by the reduction of pressure in the cylinder, and the second by the action of
the cam.
The piston continues to move forward and the explosive mixture enters
the cylinder. The point at which the second valve cuts off the supply is regulated
by the governor. The first valve remains open under the influence of the diminishing
pressure in the cylinder.
In a double acting engine valves are placed at each end of the cylinder, and, in
order to avoid the passage of gas from one side of the piston to the other, the
piston is divided or is provided with an annular cavity, which, if desired, may be in
communication with the air through a hollow piston rod.
If desired, the invention may be applied to multiple engines. A convenient way
of achieving this is to employ three differential cylinders the pistons of which are
connected together. The two outer pistons have equal areas but the middle one
has an area equal to double that of either of the outer ones. At a given moment
during the working each of the pistons is at a different part of the cycle.
Dated this 11th day of December A.D. 1894.
WILLIAM E. HEYS.

page_text: Improvements in Gas and similar Engines.
I, WILLIAM EDWIN HEYS of 70 Market Street Manchester in the County of
Lancaster, Patent Agent, 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 gas and similar engines of the "Otto "cycle type which
may be single double or quadruple acting and in which the explosions are varied
by the governor.
For the purpose of carrying this invention into effect the cylinder end is furnished
with two valves acting in opposite directions, one of which tends to open upon a
reduction of pressure within the cylinder, while the other tends to close. This
latter valve is also operated by a cam or other suitable device from the governor.
A chamber of any suitable capacity is situated between the two valves. The first
valve which tends to open upon the reduction of pressure within the cylinder has
an enlarged stem open to the air and is normally maintained upon its seat by a
weak spring. The second valve in opening allows the air and gas to pass, the air
passing around the valve and between it and its seat and the gas entering through
holes formed in the scating.
cam.
Upon the commencement of the aspiration stroke both valves are opened, the first
by the reduction of pressure in the cylinder, and the second by the action of the
The piston continues to move forward and the explosive mixture enters the
cylinder. The point at which the second valve cuts off the supply is regulated by
the governor.
The first valve remains open under the influence of the diminishing
pressure in the cylinder.
In a double acting engine valves are placed at each end of the cylinder, and, in
order to avoid the passage of gas from one side of the piston to the other, the piston
is divided or is provided with an annular cavity, which, if desired, may be in
communication with the air through a hollow piston rod.
If desired the invention may be applied to multiple engines. A convenient way
of achieving this is to employ three differential cylinders the pistons of which are
connected together. The two outer pistons have equal areas but the middle one
has an area equal to double that of either of the outer ones. At a given moment
during the working each of the pistons is at a different part of the cycle.
In order that my invention may be more readily understood I have appended a
sheet of drawings to which reference is made hereinafter.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a cylinder of a double acting gas engine to
which these improvements are applied.
At each end of the cylinder are arranged two admission valves A and B in
conjunction with chambers C of any suitable capacity. The seats of these valves
are arranged in such a manner that a diminution of pressure within the cylinder
will open the valves A and tend, on the contrary, to apply the valves B to their
seatings. The rods of the valve A are considerably enlarged at their ends and
pass through the chambers C and the engine casing so as to be exposed to the
atmosphere. They are also provided with weak springs i which in the absence of
any other force tend to maintain the valves in their closed positions. The valves B
in opening allow a mixture of air and gas to pass, the mixing being preferably
effected by allowing the gas to enter through holes formed in the valve seatings,
although, if desired separate gas inlets may be employed. The valves B are
governed by the engine governor and may be left open during the whole of the
aspiration stroke or closed at any desired point. This regulation is effected from
the governor by means of the links 1, 1, 1, and the stepped or helicoidal cams or

page_text: bosses K m. These latter operate cranked rods n n which engage with the stems
of the valves B in such a manner as to allow a limited independent movement.
The point at which the valves B cut off is varied by the governor moving the
rotary cams K along their shaft, or if desired, the friction bowls o o' on the cranked
rods n n may be moved by means of the parallelogram a ẞ & y, Figure 2, operated
from the governor shaft a.
8
The operation of the engine is as follows, reference being made only to one end
of the cylinder. At the commencement of the aspiration stroke the valves are
opened, the valve B under the action of the cam K, and the valve A by the
reduction of pressure. The piston moves forward and the mixture of gas and air
enters into the cylinder. All this takes place as in an ordinary four cycle engine
if the valve B remains open during the whole of the aspiration stroke, but if it be
closed earlier under the action of the governor the supply of air and gas will be
cut off. In this case the pressure in the cylinder and the chamber C will decrease
and this decrease keeps the valve B applied to its seat and leaves the valve A open
owing to its enlarged stem. The valve A will not close on the back part of the
stroke until the pressure in the cylinder and the chamber is about equal to that of
the atmosphere.
The advantage of this arrangement is that variable charges are obtained by
the action of a single valve without altering the composition of the gaseous
mixture.
Although a double acting engine has been described and is illustrated herewith,
it will be obvious that my improvements are equally applicable to a single acting
cylinder in which case one end only would be provided with the two valves.
In order to avoid in a double acting engine the passage of the gases from one
side of the piston to the other, the piston is double or is formed with a cavity
around its circumference which cavity communicates with the outer air, preferably
through a hollow piston rod, s.
To form a quadruple acting motor three different cylinders are employed the
three pistons of which are connected together. The two outer pistons have surfaces
equal to one another, and the middle one has a surface equal to the sum of the two
outer ones. There are thus the equivalents of four piston faces working together
each being at a different part of the cycle. In this case a single valve B serves
for two faces of the piston with a common single chamber.
For the purpose of effecting the starting of the double acting cylinder the ends
are connected together by a pipe T in which is a three way tap r connected to a
hand pump p capable of aspirating and compressing an explosive mixture which is
fed to both sides of the piston which is at rest in the middle of its stroke. By
proper ignition the motor is briskly started, the piston being subjected to two
vigorous successive explosions. To stop the engine the gas is cut off and com-
pression within the cylinder is stopped by opening communication between the two
ends through the pipe T, or by lifting up the admission valves A and B.
the momentum of the fly wheel is nearly exhausted compression is again suddenly
set up in front of the piston which thus always stops at the middle of its stroke and
permits re-starting without touching the fly wheel.
When
For the purpose of lubricating, a pump Figure 3, is employed, having an inlet a
and an outlet the piston p being operated from any suitable part d of the engine a.
When the engine and pump are at rest the piston is forced by means of a spring on
to the oil outlet where it forms a valve and closes it.
The valve
The apparatus for controlling the escape valve is shewn in Figure 4.
rod a is provided with a stirrup b within which rests the governing lever controlled
by the spring coil R. M is the operating cam.
The lever is furnished with a
fork which embraces the valve rod and presses against the coiled spring r.
The
cam acts upon the lever / to open the valve. By this arrangement when the motor
is running light and the adinission has been suppressed, the burnt gases are
automatically re-aspired.

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. In a gas engine, the valves A and B, constructed arranged and operated
substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
2. A gas engine constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described
and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
3. A multiple gas engine constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Dated this 10th day of
LA D 100
WILLIAM E. HEYS.