Improvements in Gas and Oil Motor Engines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Aug., 1995
Complete Specification Left, 9th May, 1896-Accepted, 8th Aug., 1896
Improvements in Gas and Oil Motor Engines.
1, FREDERICK WILLIAM LANCHESTER, of Cobley Hill Alvechurch
Warwickshire, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:--
This invention relates to improvements in gas and oil motor engines and
vaporising apparatus for use in connection with the same, and has for its main
object the construction of a gas or oil motor engine of few moving parts in such
manner that little or no vibration shall be communicated to any vehicle, or other
structure to which the frame of the engine is attached, also to provide ready means
of starting the engine without manual labour.
In one method of carrying any invention into effect I construct an engine
comprising a piston working in a cylinder connected to a compression space in the
usual manner with valves and gear of any known suitable type. Instead of the
usual single crank shaft and connecting rod I arrange two crank shafts to turn in
opposite directions about a common axis their respective bearings being arranged
on opposite sides of the frame of the engine the crank pins being connected by two
connecting rods arranged side by side and connecting to a common pin fitted to the
piston or crosshead. The cranks are of the overhung type and may be forged of
a single piece or disc or other built up crank may be used; each crank carrying a
balance weight on the side opposite the crank pin and as near the centre line of
engine as possible. These balance weights may be arranged either to just balance
the piston, connecting rods, etc., or to somewhat overbalance them, in which case
small compensating weights are arranged on the shafts at points remote from the
centre line but on the same side as the crank pin. Fly-wheels of equal weight or
about equal weight are keyed on to the crank shafts either inside or outside
the bearings and the balance weights may be arranged as pieces cast on to the
fly-wheels.
The action of this balancing arrangement, (supposing the motor be of the
horizontal type), is as follows:-The approximately harmonic motion of the motor
piston is compensated by the horizontal component of the circular motion of the
balance weights, the vertical components of which neutralise each other the direction
of motion being contrary. The object of the herein before mentioned compensating
weights being to counteract any tendency to rocking motion of the engine due to
the planes of motion of the main balance weights being slightly separated in order
to leave sufficient space to accommodate the connecting rods.
The two cranks may if required be arranged side by side.
It will be seen in the foregoing arrangements that when an explosion takes place
in the motor cylinder an equal quantity of angular momentum is imparted to each
of the flywheels in opposite directions and consequently there is no unbalanced
couple acting on the frame of the engine as is the case in a gas engine of the
ordinary type.
In one mode of constructing a starting gear in accordance with the present
invention enclose the crank chamber entirely in a sufficiently strong casing and
arrange thereon a gas injector, and igniter as described in Specification of
Patent 5479/90 granted to the present applicant, the said injector and igniter
being so arranged relatively to one another on the casing that the crank chamber
initially containing air can be charged with sufficient gas to form explosive

page_text: mixture and ignition effected in the manner described. The front edge of the
piston is arranged to over-run a port in the cylinder wall when the piston is near
to its innermost position, this port opens to atmosphere to allow the products of
combustion to escape at the termination of the starting impulse.
In one mode of constructing a vaporiser in accordance with the present invention
I arrange an oil reservoir into which dips the lower extremity of a bundle of lamp
wick the other end of which passes into and fills an upper chamber through which
a certain amount of air is drawn by the suction stroke of the engine, I preferably
arrange the wick to enter the upper chamber through an aperture round which
runs an annular groove into which the air is led by a suitable passage the said
annular groove being covered by a ring of wire gauze or perforated metal through
which the air passes into the loose mass of lamp wick, here it becomes saturated
with oil vapour ready to be drawn off through à gauze disc or perforated plate
fitted above the wick space.
Where a very volatile oil is employed air may be allowed to enter the vaporiser
at atmospheric temperature, frequently however it is found advantageous to initially
heat the air by taking it through a super heater consisting of a casing or coil
arranged round the ignition tube or exhaust pipe or adjacent to walls of the
cylinder or compression space.
When a very volatile oil is employed the carburetted air may be admitted to the
engine by an ordinary gas valve opening into the air passage and operated by hit
and miss mechanism of the ordinary construction, when however a less volatile oil
is employed I arrange a piston on the stem of the gas valve which when the said
valve is operated closes or partially closes the air supply passage thereby causing
the whole or a large part of the charge to be drawn in through the vaporiser.
Dated this 9th day of August 1895.
MARKS & CLERK,
18 Southampton Buildings, Loudon, W.C., and
13 Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Gas and Oil Motor Engines.
1, FREDERICK WILLIAM LANCHESTER, of Cobley Hill, Alvechurch, in the
County of Warwick, 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 and oil motor engines and
vaporising apparatus for use in connection with the same, and has for its main
object the construction of a gas or oil motor engine of few moving parts in such
manner that little or no vibration shall be communicated to any vehicle or other
structure to which the frame of the engine is attached. Also to provide ready
means of starting the engine without manual labour.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings.-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of an engine constructed in accordance with
my invention.
Figure 2 is a plan.
Figure 3 is a modification having two cylinders.
Figure 4 is a section of my vaporising device.
Figure 5 is a side elevation on a larger scale of the oil vapour valve, and
Figure 6 is a corresponding plan.
In one method of carrying my invention into effect, I construct an engine
comprising a piston A working in a cylinder B connected to a compression
space C in the usual manner with valves and gear of any known suitable type.

page_text: Instead of the usual single crank shaft and connecting rod arrange two crank
shafts D D to turn in opposite directions about a common axis E, their respective
bearings F F being arranged on opposite sides of the frame of the engine. the
crank pins being connected by two connecting rols G G arranged side by side,
and connecting to a conunon pin H fitted to the piston A or crosshead. The
cranks are of the overhung type, and may be forged of a single piece or disc or
other built up crank may be used; each crank carrying a balance weight on the
side opposite the crank pin, and as near the centre line of engine as possible.
These balance weights may be arrangel either to just balance the piston, connecting
rods, etc., or to somewhat overbalance them, in which case small compensating
weights are arranged on the shafts at points remote from the centre line, but on the
same side as the crank pin. Fly-wheels II of equal weight or about equal weight
are keyed on to the crank shafts either inside or outside the bearings, and the
balance weights may be arranged as pieces cast on to the fly-wheels.
The action of this balancing arrangement (supposing the motor to be of the
horizontal type), is as follows.-The approximately harmonic motion of the motor
piston is compensated by the horizontal component of the circular motion of the
balance weights, the vertical components of which neutralise each other, the
direction of motion being contrary. The object of the herein before mentioned
compensating weights being to counteract any tendency to rocking motion of the
engine due to the planes of motion of the main balance weights being slightly
separated in order to leave sufficient space to accommodate the connecting rods.
The two cranks may, if required, be arranged side by side.
It will be seen in the foregoing arrangements that when an explosion takes place
in the motor cylinder an equal quantity of angular momentum is imparted to each
of the fly-wheels, I, in opposite directions, and consequently there is no unbalanced
couple acting on the frame of the engine as is the case in a gas engine of the
ordinary type.
In one mode of constructing a starting gear in accordance with the present
invention I enclose a crank chamber K entirely in a sufficiently strong casing and
arrange thereon a gas injector and ignitor L, as described in Specification of
Patent No. 5479/90 granted to the present applicant, the said injector and ignitor
being so arranged relatively to one another on the casing that the crank chamber
initially containing air can be charged with sufficient gas to form explosive mixture
and ignition effected in the manner described. The front edge of the piston A is
arranged to over-run a port M in the cylinder wall when the. piston is near to its
inner-most position; this port opens to atmosphere to allow the products of
combustion to escape at the termination of the starting impulse.
In another modification of this invention, shown diagramatically at Figure 3,.
I may also arrange an engine with two cylinders facing one another whose pistons
are each fitted with two connecting rods driving on to a pair of cranks as
herein before described. I find this arrangement specially desirable when short
connecting rods are expedient, and for very high speeds. This modification is
shown diagramatically in Figure 3.
The two oppositely rotating cranks may be connected by gearing to prevent the
possibility of their directions of rotation becoming reversed.
In one mode of constructing a vaporiser in accordance with the present invention.
I arrange an oil reservoir N Figure 4, into which dips the lower extremity of a
bundle of lamp wick, the other end of which passes into and fills an upper
chamber P through which a certain amount of air is drawn by the suction stroke
of the engine. I preferably arrange the wick to enter the upper chamber P
through an aperture round which runs an annular groove Q into which the air is
led by a suitable passage Q', the said annular groove being covered by a ring of
we gauze or perforated metal R through which the air passes into the loose mass
of lamp wick. Here it becomes saturated with oil vapour ready to be drawn off
through a gauze disc S or perforated plate fitted above the wick space.
Where a very volatile oil is employed, air may be allowed to enter the vaporiser

page_text: at atmospheric temperature. Frequently, however, it is found advantageous to
initially heat the air by taking it through a superheater consisting of a casing or
coil arranged round the ignition tube or exhaust pipe, or adjacent to walls of the
cylinder or compression space.
When a very volatile oil is employed, the carburetted air may be admitted to
the engine by an ordinary gas valve opening into the air passage, and operated by
hit and miss mechanism of the ordinary construction. When, however, a less
volatile oil is employed, I arrange a piston T on the stem of the gas valve U
(see Figures 5 and 6) which, when the said valve is operated, closes, or partially
closes the air supply passage V, thereby causing the whole or a large part of the
charge to be drawn in through the vaporiser.
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 oil engine, the method of neutralizing the recoil consequent on
each impulse, consisting in arranging two oppositely rotating bodies to counteract
each other's motion substantially as herein set forth.
2. In a gas or oil engine, the method of balancing the reciprocating parts by
disposing the weights of two oppositely rotating bodies so as to counteract each
other, the rotation being accomplished from one piston by two connecting rods
substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. A balanced gas or oil engine in which one piston is connected by two
connecting rods to oppositely rotating cranks arranged to balance each other
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings Figures 1,
2, and 3.
4. Starting a gas or oil engine by charging a crank chamber with combustible
mixture and exploding to propel the piston substantially as herein before
described.
5. A vaporiser consisting of an oil vessel and a wick chamber having inlet and
outlet passages and wick raising oil from the vessel to the wick chamber operating
and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 4 of
the drawings.
6. The valve herein before described with reference to Figures 5 and 6 used in
conjunction with the vaporiser claimed in Claim 5.
Dated this 7th day of May 1896.
MARKS & CLERK,
18 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13 Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.