Improvements in Gas or Petroleum Engines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 14th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 19th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas or Petroleum Engines.
I, MAURICE,ROUZAY, of Chateauneuf-sur-Sarthe (Maine et Loire) in the
Republic of France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in gas or petroleum engines in which the
compression of the explosive fluid is effected in the cylinder and which may be
fixed or portable and provided with one or more cylinders.
The distribution for each cylinder consists of two vertical or horizontal valves
one serving for the escape of the burnt gases and the other as an admission valve.
The valves are actuated by cams. The gas or mixture to be employed may
be varied, such for example as Dowson's gas or mixture of carbonic oxide and
air etc.
The vertical valves are actuated by levers operated by the cams or by bosses.on
cams mounted on a shaft.
This shaft in two cylinder engines is parallel with the driving shaft, and revolves
at half the speed.
In engines having vertical valves the cylinders serve as a frame and are cast with
a water jacket for cooling them.
The cams have four different purposes videlicit 1 to effect the outlet, 2 to effect
the inlet, 3 to effect the compression and 4 to effect the ignition.
When the roller of the lever is in contact with part 2 of the cam the lever is
forced back by a spring and leaves the outlet valve and raises the inlet valve
through the medium of a rod and keeps it open during the inlet and a greater or
lesser part of the period of compression. It is this opening, more or less prolonged,
which effects the expansion.
As the compression lasts only during part of the piston stroke whilst the
expansion takes place during the whole of the stroke, the power of the machine
will vary according to the degree of compression. This limiting to a greater or less
extent of the compression can be effected either by an undulated cam actuating the
levers or by a rod provided with a projection interposed between the rod and the
head of the inlet valve in such a manner as to allow the valve to close more or less
quickly. These various cams or rods can be actuated by hand by means of a lever
or by a governor.
The governor is preferable as it can act on the duration of the period of
compression or it can act by completely closing a gas or carburetted air valve or
by modifying the supply of gas in the explosive mixture or by keeping the outlet
valve open.
I can then regulate the engine by interposing a shaft between the
admission valve and the gas or carburet inlet so as to prevent the engine from
exceeding a certain speed corresponding to the opening of the said valve.
Another means of effecting the expansion in an engine having suction valves,
without actuating this valve by the engine, consists in rendering the spring of the
valve sufficiently hard to prevent it from opening during the whole of the suction
stroke of the piston so that, the cylinder not being completely filled with fresh
mixture, the expansion will be increased. When it is required to clear the burnt
gases of the preceding explosion remaining in the compression chamber I can obtain
this result by connecting to the engine a blower or an air pump and by causing
the inlet valve to open before the exhaust valve closes so that the fresh air will
clear the products of the explosion. The operation of the admission valve by the
engine has the advantage of ensuring its free opening and prevents any depression

page_text: by the suction. The diminution of the compression also facilitates the starting of
the engine. To start the engine I can, in order to avoid necessitating great power
being applied to the fly wheel, diminish the compression by keeping the inlet valve
open by means of the expansion or outlet cams during the compression or by
employing a mixture under pressure suitably introduced beneath the piston and
previously compressed in a chamber when the engine is fully working.
In two cylinder engines having vertical valves, the levers actuated by bosses on
the cams carried by the shaft in descending open the exhaust valves they are
raised by springs when the cut away parts of the cams are in contact with the
rollers and keep open the inlet valves for a longer or shorter time (and consequently
cause the expansion to be varied as already explained) according to the position of
the undulated or step cams.
These cams can be moved along the shaft by a governor or by a lever.
The reversing cams may be made with undulations like the other cams of the
engine. The commutator and the interrupter may be placed in any suitable position
on the engine.
For single cylinder engines a lever is employed provided with two arms, one of
which bears on the exhaust valve while the other, when the lever is moved back by
the spring opens the inlet valve and keeps it open for a longer or shorter time
during the period of compression. This opening can be regulated by a wheel
actuated by hand or by a governor.
In stationary engines having horizontal valves the said valves are operated by
levers actuated by cams on a shaft parallel with the driving shaft and revolving at
half its speed.
The exhaust valves and the inlet valves are actuated by the undulated or
step cams.
These cams can be slid along the shaft by means of a lever or by a governor and
keep the valves open during the compression for a longer or shorter time so as to
cause the quantity and the tension to be varied of the mixture compressed beneath
the piston and consequently to modify the expansion.
A screw is employed provided with a head and screwing into the shaft which
screw by stretching a spring in the interior of the said shaft serves to modify the
sensibility of the governor and consequently the speed and power of the engine.
An interrupter with a strip closes the current inductor and a commutator of the
induced current is employed. Between the source of the induced or inducting
electricity of the engine I can interpose a hand commutator in such a manner as to
allow of stopping the engine by opening the circuit without interfering with the
regulation of the mixture and consequently, the cylinders remaining charged with
explosive mixture, I can again start the machine by simply closing the circuit.
The reversing of the engine when required can be effected by sliding the cams
and the interrupter by means of a suitable lever so as to act on the exhaust lever,
the cams and the interrupter on the strip, the said cams and the interrupter being.
suitably keyed.
The expansion cams for reversing the engine are similar to those for effecting
the forward movement.
My system of distribution by vertical and horizontal valves admits of arranging
the introduction of the carburet in different manners according to the power of the
engine to be constructed and the power to be transmitted.
For petroleum engines I employ a carburetter made with a cylinder enclosing
the carburet in its interior as well as a shaft provided with discs of wire gauze.
At each rotation the meshes of these discs are moistened with liquid which cleanses
the current of air drawn in by the engine.
The said air after entering the carburetter leaves and passes to the suction
valves through a tube. In front of the inlet cock is a suction chamber having a
capacity at least equal to the volume described by the piston during the time the
admission valve is kept open for diminishing the compression. Also in front of the
air cock is a suction chamber of suitable capacity. The object of these suction

page_text: chambers is to prevent the loss of the part of the explosive mixture forced back by
the piston.
For gas engines the carburetter and its suction chamber are dispensed with.
The carburetter may be provided with a coil or with a central straight tube for
the passage of the carburet.
The oil forced back through a pump by the engine or descending by gravity (if
the arrangement is vertical) strikes, in the form of fine drops, the side of the pipe
heated by the exhaust from the engine, thence passes to the suction valves mixed
with air drawn in, the whole being heated by the exhaust gases.
When a carburetter having a coil is employed the oil traverses the interior of
the coil heated by the exhaust and is volatilized upon leaving.
The advantages of my new arrangements allow of obtaining
(1) a very low centre of gravity
(2) a rapid starting
(3) the reversing of the engine either by changing the direction of rotation of
the engine by means of cams suitably keyed as herein before described or by always
preserving the same direction of rotation of the engine and reversing the operation
of a helix. For reversing the engine I make use of a lever for causing a cap to
approach a bevel wheel connected to the shaft of the helix of a pinion movable on
a shaft fixed to the cap and to place the latter in contact with another bevel wheel
formed integral with the driving chain wheel. The helix will turn in a contrary
direction to the latter bevel wheel. On the other hand by disengaging the
wheels by means of the lever, clutches or catches come in contact and operate
the shaft of the helix in the same direction as the bevel wheel. I would remark
that in this system for changing the direction of the engine the gearings do not
work in the forward movement and consequently are dispensed with.
Dated the 16th day of February 1891.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas or Petroleum Engines.
I, MAURICE ROUZAY, of Chateauneuf-sur-Sarthe (Maine et Loire) in the
Republic of France 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 improvements in gas or petroleum engines in which the
compression of the explosive fluid is effected in the cylinder and which may be
fixed or portable and provided with one or more cylinders.
The distribution for each cylinder consists of two vertical or horizontal valves
one serving for the escape of the burnt gases and the other as an admission
valve. The valves are actuated by cams; and the gas or mixture to be employed
may be varied, for example, I may use Dowson's gas or a mixture of carbonic
oxide and air etc.
I advantageously employ an electric igniting device.
The driving shaft may be provided with a single crank for two connecting rods
or two cranks with an intermediate bracket.
The pistons may be jointed to the connecting rod by means of a pin or pivot
with or without adjustable bearings to compensate for wear, or I may employ a
spherical joint.
.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe how
it can be carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawing, in
which :-
Figure 1 is an elevation of a single cylinder engine and

page_text: Figures 2 and 3 are elevations partly in section and
Figure 4 is a plan of a two cylinder engine embodying my improvements.
Figures 5 and 6 are respectively a vertical section and an elevation of a two
cylinder engine illustrating a modification.
Figure 7 is an elevation partly in section.
Figure 8 is a vertical 'section and
Figure 9 a plan of a two cylinder engine illustrating another modification.
Figures 10 and 11 are sections of two forms of carburetters which I employ.
In Figures 2, 3 and 4 the valves are shewn arranged vertically and are actuated
by levers
operated by the cams, while in Figures 5 and 6 the valves,
also arranged vertically, are actuated by levers c, c' operated by enlargements d, di
on cams e, e¹ mounted on a shaft f.
a,
In Figures 7, 8 and 9 the valves are shewn arranged horizontally and worked
by levers g, g', ', y actuated by cams driven by the shaft h which is parallel with
the driving shaft and revolves at half the speed.
In engines having vertical valves as in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the cylinders serve
as a frame and are cast with a water jacket for cooling them. I have in these
figures shewn the application of my improvements to marine engines.
For
stationary engines the base plate is drawn in Figures 7, 8 and 9. The cams bb₁,
fixed on the distribution shaft i revolving at half the speed of the engine, have
four different purposes effected by the four parts marked 1, 2, 3, 4, in Figures 1
and 2, that is to say, part 1 effects the exhaust; part 2 the admission; part 3 the
compression; and part 4 the ignition.
When the roller of the lever a is in contact with part 2 of the cam the lever is
forced back by a spring.j and leaves the exhaust valve k and raises the admission
valve through the medium of a rod m connected to the lever a and keeps it open
during the admission and a part of the period of compression. It is this opening
more or less prolonged, which determines the expansion:
As the compression lasts only during part of the piston stroke whilst the
expansion takes place during the whole of the stroke, the power of the engine will
vary according to the degree of compression. This limiting to a greater or less
extent of the compression can be effected either by an undulated cam actuating
the levers or by a rod provided with a projection interposed between the rod m
and the head of the admission valve in such a manner as to allow the valve to
close more or less quickly. These various cams or rods can be actuated by hand
by means of a lever n Figure 3 or by a governor, Figures 7, 8 and: 9.
can
The governor is preferable, as it can act before the period of compression or it
can act by completely closing a gas or carburetted air valve or by modifying the
supply of gas in the explosive mixture or by keeping the outlet valve open.
however regulate the speed of the engine by interposing a shaft between the
admission valves and the gas or carburet inlet so as to prevent the engine from
exceeding a certain speed corresponding to the opening of the said valve.
Another means of effecting the expansion in an engine having suction valves,
without actuating these valves by the engine, consists in rendering the springs of
the valves sufficiently hard to prevent them from opening during the whole of the
suction stroke of the piston so that, the cylinder not being completely filled with
fresh mixture, the expansion will be increased. When it is required to drive out
the burnt gases of the preceding. explosion remaining in the compression chamber
F can obtain this result by connecting to the engine a blower or an air pump and
by causing the inlet valve to open before the exhaust valve closes so that the fresh
air will drive out the products of the explosion. The operation of the admission
valve by the engine has the advantage of ensuring its free opening and allowing
the gases to enter immediately. The diminution of the compression also facilitates
the starting of the engine.
To start the engine I can, in order to avoid necessitating great power being
applied to the fly wheel, diminish the compression by keeping the inlet valve open
by means of the expansion or outlet cams during the compression or by employing

page_text: a mixture under pressure suitably introduced beneath the piston and previously
compressed in a chamber when the engine is fully working.
In Figures 5 and 6 the levers c c¹ in descending open the exhaust valves k, k¹
and are raised by springs o, when the cut away parts p, p₁ of the cams are in
contact with the rollers q, q' and keep open the inlet valves, for a longer or
shorter time (and consequently cause the expansion to be varied as already explained
by reference to Figures 2, 3 and 4) according to the position of the undulated or
step cams e, et.
These cams can be moved along the shaft by a regulator or by a lever r.
The reversing cams s, may be made with undulations like the other cams of
the engine. The commutator and the interrupter may be placed in the positions
shewn in Figures 7, and 9, or they may be placed in any other suitable position
on the engine.
For single cylinder engines as shewn in Figure 1, a lever t is employed provided
with two arms, one of which bears on the exhaust valve k, while the other, when
the lever is moved back by the spring opens the inlet valve and keeps it open
for a longer or shorter time during the period of compression. This opening can
be regulated by a wheel f₁ actuated by hand or by a governor.
In stationary engines having horizontal valves k, k¹, l, as shewn in Figures 7,
8 and 9 the said valves are operated by levers g, g', g, actuated by cams on a
shaft h parallel with the driving shaft and revolving at half its speed.
The exhaust valves k, k¹ and the inlet valves 1, are actuated by the undulated
or step cams.
These cams can be slid along the shaft h by means of a lever or by a
regulator and keep the valves 1, open during the compression for a longer or
shorter time so as to cause the quantity and the tension to be varied of the
mixture compressed beneath the piston and consequently to modify the expansion.
A screw is employed provided with a head w and screwing into the shaft h
which screw,
by stretching a spring (shewn in dotted lines at Figure 7) in the
interior of the said shaft serves to modify the sensitiveness of the governor and
consequently the speed and power of the engine. An interrupter y with a strip z
closes the current inductor; and a commutator a² of the induced current is
employed. Between the source of the induced or inducting electricity and the
engine I can interpose a hand commutator 2 in such a manner as to allow of
stopping the engine by breaking the circuit without interfering with the regulation
of the mixture and consequently, the cylinders remaining charged with explosive
mixture, I can again start the machine by simply closing the circuit.
The reversing of the engine when required can be effected by sliding the cams
and the interrupter by means of the lever so as to act on the exhaust levers g, j,
the cams, and the interrupter y on the strip, the said cams and the inter-
rupter being suitably keyed.
The expansion cams for reversing the engine are not shewn in the drawing;
they are similar to those for effecting the forward movement.
In Figures 7, 8 and 9 I have shewn the exhaust pipe of the burnt gases at ď
and the feed pipe of the explosive mixture at e³.
My system of distribution by vertical and horizontal valves admits of arranging
the introduction of the carburet in different ways according to the power of the
engine to be constructed and the power to be transmitted.
For petroleum engines I employ a carburetter such as is illustrated in Figure 4
made with a cylinder enclosing the carburet as well as a shaft provided with
discs of wire gauze. At each rotation the meshes of these discs are moistened
with liquid which cleanses the current of air drawn in by the engine.
The said air after entering the carburetter at g* leaves at h³ and passes to the
suction valves through the pipe . In front of the inlet cock 9 is a suction
chamber having a capacity at least equal to the volume described by the piston
during the time the admission valve is kept open for diminishing the compression.
Also in front of the air inlet-cock is a suction chamber of suitable capacity.

page_text: The object of these suction chambers is to prevent the loss of the part of the
explosive mixture forced back by the piston.
For gas engines the carburetter and its suction chamber are dispensed with;
only the chamber k is required.
The carburetter may be provided with a central straight tube as shewn in
Figure 10 or with a coil as shewn in Figure 11 for the passage of the carburet.
In Figure 10 the oil forced through a pump by the engine or descending by
gravity (if the arrangement is vertical) strikes, in the form of fine drops, the side
of the pipe heated by the exhaust from the engine, thence passes to the
suction valves mixed with the air drawn in at m² the whole being heated by the
exhaust gases.
In Figure 11 where the carburetter is provided with a coil the oil traverses
the interior of the coil heated by the exhaust and is volatilized upon leaving
at n².
The advantages of my new arrangements allow of obtaining,
(1) a very low centre of gravity
(2) a rapid starting
the reversing of the motion either by changing the direction of rotation of
the engine by means of cams suitably keyed as hereinbefore described or by
always preserving the same direction of rotation of the engine and reversing the
operation of the screw propeller, by means of the system represented in Figures 3
and 4. For reversing the motion the lever o Figure 3, causing the frame p² to
slide, brings the bevel wheel q, connected to the shaft of the screw propeller
against the pinion movable on a shaft fixed to the frame and then places the
latter in contact with the bevel wheel & formed integral with the driving-chain-
wheel. The screw propeller will turn in a contrary direction to the bevel wheels².
On the other hand by disengaging the wheels by means of the lever of the
clutches or catches 2, t (Figure 3) come in contact and operate the shaft of the
screw propeller in the same direction as the bevel wheels. I would remark that
in this system for changing the direction of motion the gearings do not work in
the forward movement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In a gas or petroleum engine the use of the various arrangements of mechanism
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
2. In a gas or petroleum engine the use of the herein described means for
producing the expansion substantially as set forth and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawing.
3. In a gas or petroleum engine the novel arrangements of carburetters in
combination with the distribution mechanism substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in Figures 4, 10 and 11 of the accompanying drawing.
4. In a gas or petroleum engine the mechanism for reversing the motion in
combination with the distribution mechanism substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
5. The combination of the various arrangements of mechanism herein described
in order to produce a relatively high degree of power in a small engine substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
6. The improved gas or petroleum engines herein before described with reference
to the various figures of the accompanying drawing.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
+4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.