IMPROVEMENTS IN OIL GAS ENGINES WHEREBY THE SAID ENGINE PRODUCES ITS OWN GAS FROM OIL WASTE
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Friedrich Wilhelm Rachholz at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th August 1883.
FRIEDRICH WILHELM RACHHOLZ of the City of Dresden in the Kingdom of
Saxony and German Empire. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OIL GAS ENGINES WHEREBY
THE SAID ENGINE PRODUCES ITS OWN GAS FROM OIL WASTE."
This Invention relates to improvements in oil gas Engines whereby the said
engine produces its own gas from oil waste. The object of my said invention is
to construct a gas engine or motor which shall generate the gas consumed by the
said Engine or motor and automatically prevent or exclude all danger of explosion
The preparation of the charge is carried out by forcing or pressing atmospheric
air through hydro-carbons or mixtures of the same such as Petroleum, Rock-oil,
Naphta, Kerosol, Rhigol, Gasoline Canadol, Benzine, Ligroine, Petroline, Petroleum
ether, Spirits of Petroleum etc the volatile products of which when mixed with
air form explosive mixtures or when mixed with less air form inflammable
gases.
All hydro carbons which can be employed for this purpose and their mixtures
are known under the general denomination of oil gases. The automatic avoidance
of all danger of explosions occuring is effected by arranging or locating the oil.
receptacles in a warm water bath.
The method of preparing the explosive mixture is as follows.
:
A suitable air pump which is driven by the motor or engine, forces the
atmospheric air sucked in through a valve, through a pipe or tube into the bottom-
of the gas oil or hydro-carbon receptacle or reservoir, ascends through the oil or
hydro-carbon and is thereby saturated with volatile oil gas products.
This mixture is explosive and escapes through the said tube or pipe into the
receptacle or receiver for the gas mixture
A second oil gas or hydro carbon reservoir is employed for producing inflammable
gas.
Gas mixture passes through the tube or pipe into the lower part of said oil or
hydro-carbon receptacle absorbs a further quantity of the volatile products or
properties of the gas oil or hydro-carbon and pass off at the upper part of the said
receptacle

page_text: As is well known hydro-carbons, absorb heat or caloric when the same are
converted into gas form, so that the temperature of the same is reduced but as the
volatilization ceases when the temperature is lowered to a certain degree it is
necessary to provide warmth from the exterior which can be effected by arranging
a heating lamp beneath the oil receptacle or by employing the products of 5
combustion which escape through a suitable tubo or pipe-In order however, to
automatically prevent all possibility of overheating the explosive oil gas, I employ
the chief part of my said invention which consists in heating the oil indirect by
means of a water bath instead of by direct heat.
The reservoirs or receptacles are arranged in a water bath which is heated by a 1
lamp or by means of the products of combustion escaping by the aforesaid tube or
pipe which enter the bath and are led along the walls of the vessel to the bottom
of the anme, are led back again and escape through a suitable opening.
In order that the production of the air and gas mixture may depend on the
consumption the reservoir for the mixture is provided with a moveable dome or 1
hood which rises by greater production than consumption and sinks when the
consumption is greater than the production
The said bath serves as closure to the reservoir. A safety arrangement_is
further arranged to exclude the entrance of more atmospheric air as soon as the
moveable hood or dome to the reservoir has risen to a dangerous height. At tho
height above the cover to the hood or dome to which the same can rise without
danger, a suitable weight is arranged.
If the bood or dome rises higher, the weight of the same is supplemented by a
second weight and the same sets a smaller weight, which acts as counter weight to
the larger weight, in operation.-The arm of a two armed lever is lowered, another
arm is raised so that the extreme end of the latter enters the air suction port of
the valve, prevents the ball, coue & of the same returning to its seat and
consequently prevents the valve being closed
In this manner the air sucked in by the downstroke of the pistion can escapo
through the open valve so that the entrance of the same into the aforesaid tube or
pipe, the oil receptacle, and reservoir is prevented
If only a single action pump is employed the supply of mixture will be subjected
to continuous variations and in order to prevent this a double action pump of
known construction or two pumps is or are employed in which the pressure and
suction operate alternately.
The mixture is employed as follows.
When the machine occupies a position at the bottom of the cylinder the flywheel
is given a turn forwards so that the piston is raised in the cylinder and sucks
explosive gas mixture through the inlet valve and the tubes or pipes out of the
reservoir and after the closing of the inlet valve at about one third of the charge
of the cylinder and after the igniting valve has been suddenly opened for a monient,
also sucks in the flame, burning.in front of the said valve which said flame is fed
from the inflammable gas mixture escaping through suitable pipes or tubes from
the receptacle.
The explosion arising from the ignition of the gas mixture sucked into the
cylinder causes an expansion of the said gas mixture so that the piston is driven
forward to its highest point at which time the outlet valve opens
The momentum of the shaft and fly wheel which are thus set in rotation return
the piston which drives out the products of combustion through the outlet valve
and suitable pipes or tubes
As soon as the outlet valvo is closed and the inlet valve simultaneously opened
the piston again rises, sucks first explosive gas mixture in, and then, when the
inlet valve is closed and the igniting valve momentarily opened, the igniting flame
alsu
This operation is continuously repeated.
The opening of the valves is effected through a suitable cam, the opening of the
igniting valve through another suitably arranged cain by means of a lever and

page_text: connecting rods whilst the closing of the valves is effected by weights attached to
the levers.
If greater motive power is required other cylinders and fittings are employed
which, in order to prevent the dead point corresponding, are arranged to operate
alternately. In order to provide for the increased consumption of gas by a
corresponding production of the same, step drums are arranged so that the
production of air and mixture is multiplied by laying the straps over the strap
drums and transmitting power to the air pump.
In order to avoid wear and tear on the valves at times when not all the working
cylinders are in operation, devices are arranged for releasing such said valves
When the levers which are located in suitable guides are raised so high that
their projections or noses are removed from contact with the said cams and pins or
springs or their equivalents are arranged so that the levers are prevented from
descending; the the aforesaid weights are held by the connecting rods and levers
and the closing of the valves by the same prevented.
All the pistons are so constructed that they can be packed without dismounting
the same by simply tightening up a screw which presses a disc or plate onto the
packing in the cylinder as well as in the cylinder of the pump.