IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE TO GAS ENGINES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmund Grace Wastfield of Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster Engineer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE
TO GAS ENGINES
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edmund Grace Wastfield
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st March 1883.
EDMUND GRACE WASTFIELD of Liverpool in the county of Lancaster Engineer,
IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE TO GAS ENGINES
The main objects are to construct cheap efficient and economical gas engines and
the invention consists
First. In constructing the cylinder in which the combustible gases are burned
with a passage extending nearly its whole length; the said passage opening on
the outside to inlet and exhaust ports and on the inside to the cylinder; a water
way or chamber being provided opposite to the inlet port.
Second. In governing and regulating the inlet of gas to the cylinder by means
of a valve closed by a spring or weight and opened by a novelly arranged' trip
piece operated by the governor.
Third. In beating the air on its passage to the cylinder to be mixed with
combustible gas by causing such air to travel in an annular space surrounding the
exhaust pipe
Fourth In constructing the valve for igniting the charge of gases in the cylinder
with two passages therethrough from back to front communicating with each other
by cross passages and at the proper times with the gas supply, the igniting flame,
and the cylinder.
Fifth. In constructing valves for igniting the charge and for admitting the air
and gas into the cylinder of reduced area by means of depressions or recesses on
the working face.
Sixth. In constructing the valve box with a perforated pipe through which
combustible gas enters the said valve box above the air supply way

page_text: Seventb. In constructing the piston with a secondary or internal piston free to
slide therein and provided with inlet and exhaust valves.
Eighth. In causing the exhaust products from the engine to pass through a jet
or ejector and utilizing the inductive force produced for drawing air through a
space between the cylinder and a jacket.
Ninth. In constructing a lubricator for gas and other engines with upper and
lower chambers connected by a passage and closed by means of differential valves
on a stem extending through the said passage. The lower end of the stem forms a
conical valve which fits into one of two passages leading from the lower chamber
to the cylinder.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edmund Grace Wastfield in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st September 1883.
EDMUND GRACE WASTFIELD of Liverpool in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE TO GAS ENGINES
"
The main objects are to provide cheap efficient and economical engines receiving
motion by means of the ignition of a combustible mixture of gas and air, and the
invention relates to various improvements some of which are more specially
applicable for use in horizontal and others in vertical engines. The general
construction of the engine as regards arrangement of the cylinders, pistons, con-
necting rods, crank shafts, bed plates and governors may be of any usual or
suitable kind My improvements are shown in detached portions, adaptable to
engines already constructed or to form part of new engines. I also show a
vertical and horizontal engine of the types I prefer each embodying some of my
improvements.
Fig 1 is a longitudinal section illustrative of the first part of my invention
where I construct the cylinder in which the combustible gases are burned with a
passage extending nearly the whole length thereof opening on the outside to inlet
and exhaust ports and on the inside to the cylinder; a water way or chamber
being provided opposite to the inlet port.
b
a is the cylinder, 6 passage extending nearly the whole length thereof, o inlet
port d exhaust port, e port opening to the interior of the cylinder, f water way or
chamber formed in the cylinder opposite the inlet port c. Any suitable exhaust,
inlet and ignition valves are connected at c and d though I prefer to use the
ignition valve hereinafter described and illustrated for that purpose. It will be
obvious that the length and position of the passage, ports and water way may be
altered to suit various engines. A modification of such arrangement is shown in
fig 13 hereafter described.
Fig 2 is a side elevation of one modification of my improved apparatus under
the second part of my invention which consists essentially in regulating the inlet
of gas to the cylinder by means of a valve closed by a spring or weight and
opened by a trip piece arranged in novel manner and operated from the governer.
g part of cylinder, ignition valve, h' rod operated from the crank shaft and
giving to and fro motion to the said valve, i valve box,j valve controlling passage
of gas from reservoir or pipes to the cylinder, k valve box. The above parts are
of any usual or suitable construction. The valve is caused by means of the
spring to close the passage leading to the cylinder, m are links suspended from
the rod h¹ and attached at their lower ends to the rod j¹ of the valve j. n trip
piece attached to a shaft o carried in bearings on the side of the cylinder g. The
said trip piece acts against a serrated adjustable block or abutment piece p carried
by the links m and receives motion by means of a governer acting on the said
shaft o or directly on the said trip piece.
Fig 3 is a side elevation of a modification of gas inlet regulation apparatus; the
same letters denote parts like those described under fig 2: Instead of the trip
piece acting by a push motion as illustrated in figs 2 and 3 it may be furnished
with a catch and act by pulling. When the engine is working at its normal speed
the trip piece acts on the abutment or block and causes the valve j to be opened a
certain length of time for the admission of gas to the cylinder.
If the engine

page_text: travels too quick, the trip piece is so moved by the governer as not to act on the
abutment or block, the valve j is not opened and gas does not pass to the
cylinder.
Fig 4 illustrates the third part of my invention. Heating air on its passage to
the cylinder by causing it to travel in an annular space surrounding the exhaust
pipe, q is the exhaust pipe, r is the annular space between the exhaust pipe and
the jacket r, the air to be mixed with the combustible gas is drawn through the
space and becomes heated at the same time that it absorbs heat from and cools
the exhaust and waste gases.
Figs 5 and 6 are views illustrative of the fourth and fifth parts of my invention
which consist in constructing the valve for igniting the charge of gases in the
cylinder, with two passages therethrough from back to front communicating with
each other by cross passages and at the proper times with the gas supply, the
igniting flame; and the cylinder, and in constructing the said valves, and valves
for admitting air and gas into the cylinder, with depressions or recesses on the
working face, h is the valve constructed with two passages t therethrough from
back to front, w. cross passages from 8 to tv depressions or recesses on the
working face.
Figs 7 and 8 show a modification of valve in which the passage t is carried
circuitously through the valve instead of straight through as shown in figs 5
and 6
The sixth part of my invention is more especially applicable to vertical engines
and consists in constructing the valve box with a perforated pipe through which
combustible gas enters the said valve box above the air supply way. Fig 9
illustrates this part of my invention, wis the valve box, x is the perforated pipe
through which the combustible gas enters the said valve box above the air supply
way y. z valve.
The perforated pipe may though not so advantageously be within the valve or
may form part thereof or of the valve box as hereinafter shown in fig 12.
The seventh part of my invention consists in constructing the piston with a
secondary or internal piston free to slide therein and provided with inlet and
exhaust valves. Fig 1'illustrates this part of my invention. 1 is the piston made
hollow or in the form of a trunk and fitted with a secondary or internal piston 2
free to slide within the said trunk, 3 inlet valve 4 exhaust valve. The action is
as follows: In the position shown the piston is at the end of its stroke and is
about to move outwards and draw a charge of gas and air into the cylinder; on
the return stroke the mixture of gas and air is compressed and the secondary
piston 2 is forced inwards. When the explosion takes place both pistons are forced
forward together and some of the products of explosion find their way through the
loaded valvė 4 and cause the secondary piston to return to the position shown and
expel the remainder of the products on the opening of the exhaust valve, Air is
drawn in past the valve 3 if the pressure between the two pistons falls below that
of the atmosphere.
The eighth part of my invention consists in causing the exhaust products from
the engine to pass through a jet or ejector and in utilizing the inductive force
thus produced for drawing air through a space between the cylinder and a jacket,
Fig 10 illustrates this part of my invention 5 is a nozzle connected to the
exhaust port of the engine by means of a pipe 6, 7 chamber surrounding the
nozzle 5 and extending forward into the escape pipe 8, 9 opening from the chamber 7
to the space 10 between the jacket 11 and cylinder 12. Air is drawn through the
space 10 into the chamber 7 and ejected through the escape pipe 8 by the action
of the waste gases or exhaust products from the engine flowing through the
nozzle 5.
The ninth part of my invention consists in a lubricator for gas and other engines
formed or constructed with upper and lower chambers connected by a passage and
closed by means of differential valves on a stem extending through the said

page_text: passage; the lower end of the stein forming a conical valve nitting into one of two
passages leading from the chamber to the cylinder
Fig 11 is a sectional view of a lubricator constructed under the above ninth
part of my invention, 13 upper chamber, 14 lower chamber, 15 passage connecting
the two chambers 16 stem extending through the said passage and formed or
made with valves 17. 18 one in the upper and one in the lower chamber,
19 extension of stem to form a conical valve capable of closing the passage 20
leading to the cylinder, 21 passage from the chamber 13 also leading to the
cylinder, 22 cover to upper chamber containing the oil or fluid lubricant. The
action of the lubricator is as follows:-At each explosion or increase of pressure
in the cylinder to which the lubricator is attached the said pressure enters the
lower chamber through the passage 21 and raises the stem 19 by acting on the
valve 18. Oil then flows past the valve 17 into the passage 15 around the spindle 16
and any oil in the lower chamber is blown through the annular space between the
valve 19 and passage 20 leading to the cylinder; as the pressure decreases the
valves and spindle return to their seats and the oil in the passage 15 trickles down
into the lower chamber
Fig 12 is a view of a vertical, and fig 13 of a horizontal engine showing the
application thereto of various parts of my invention.
In fig 12, 22 cylinder, 23 jacket, 24 piston, 25 connecting rod, 26 crank-shaft
27 valve gear, 28 inlet passage for mixed gas and air, 29 exhaust passage,
30 exhaust valve, 31 gas inlet and ignition valve. The gas is admitted through
perforations 32 in the pipe or way 33 in the valve box 34 beneath the air supply 35
as described under the sixth part of my invention.
In fig 13 a view of a horizontal engine fitted with my improvements a modi-
fication of the port or passage b setforth under the first part is shown.
In both the above views fig 12 and 13 parts referred to under the several heads
are indicated by the same letters of reference.
It will be obvious that the gas and air inlet valves may be set so as to cause an
explosion on every out stroke or on every second out stroke, that the engines may
be provided with reversing gear that the charge may be compressed in the end
of the cylinder into which it is drawn or may be compressed in separate reservoirs
or that cylinders of two diameters may be used for that purpose, and that the gas
and air may be ignited without compression. Excentrics cams or other suitable
means may be used to give motion to the valves in any usual or convenient
manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention in such manner that others will be enabled to carry my improvements
into effect I claim :-
First. Cylinders of gas engines with a passage disposed substantially as setforth
opening to inlet and exhaust ports and provided with a waterway.
Second. Governing the inlet of gas to the cylinders of gas engines by means of
a valve and trip piece actuated and operating substantially as herein setforth.
Third. Heating air to be mixed with combustible gas by means of waste products
of combustion substantially as setforth.
Fourth. Ignition valves with passages arranged substantially in the manner and
for the purpose setforth.
Fifth. Valves for gas engines with cavities or recesses in their working faces
for the purposes setforth
Sixth. The combination of a valve box, valve, perforated pipe or its equivalent
and air way arranged substantially as setforth.
Seventh. The duplex piston provided with inlet and exhaust valves substantially.
as setforth.
Eighth. Employing exhaust products to draw air through a space between the
cylinder and a jacket substantially as setforth.
Ninth. Lubricators consisting of an upper and lower chamber differential valves

page_text: and passages arranged and combined substantially as herein setforth for the
purpose specified.
Tenth. The improvements substantially as herein before setforth employed
severally or conjointly in vertical and horizontal gas engines for the purposes
Betforth.
In Witness Whereof I the said Edmond Grace Wastfield have hereunto set
my hand and seal this thirtieth day of August in the year of Our Lord, one
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
JAMES JOHNSON
Patent Office
4 Clayton Sq
Lpool
Witness.
E G. WASTFIELD (L.S.)