IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS ENGINES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward John Cowling Welch of Palace Chambers,
St Stephens, Westminster Civil Engineer and Richard Christopher Rapier of
5 Westminster Chambers Victoria Street Westminster Civil Engineer for an
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward John Cowling
Welch and Richard Christopher Rapier at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents on the 29th December 1883.
EDWARD JOHN COWLING WELCH of Palace Chambers, St Stephens, Westminster
Civil Engineer and RICHARD CHRISTOPHER RAPIER, of 5 Westminster Chambers,
Victoria Street, Westminster Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS ENGINES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in gas engines.
Our improvements relate to that class of gas engine in which the gas is not
consumed explosively, but is burned under pressure quietly and continuously in a
combustion chamber, the whole products of combustion being utilized in the
working cylinder or cylinders and an excessive temperature, being avoided by the
admixture of a suitable quantity of water with the hot gases.
We so arrange the pumps for compressing the air and gas that their working
capacity can be varied by the action of the governor which also controls the
admission of the hot gases to the cylinder, whereby the work to be done by the
pumps can always be varied in accordance with that required to be done by the
engine.
We make the pumps by preference double acting and to consist of cylinders and
pistons with covers at each end, the valves being placed in the covers so as to be
as nearly as possible approached by the piston, upon which also projections are
formed so as to fill up clearances as close to the valves as possible. Also by
preference we place the pumps for compressing the air and gas in a direct line
with one another, their piston rods forming an extension of the piston rod of the
working cylinder.
The gas and air after compression are conveyed separately to the furnace which
is completely enclosed in an iron or steel chamber made strong enough to withstand

page_text: be
the required pressure. The gas and air on their passage to the furnace may
heated by the waste gases passing from the working cylinder.
We so construct the furnace itself as to adapt it for use when working under
pressure, and also for working under the ordinary atmospheric pressure for the
purpose of heating up the several parts preparatory to starting the engine. The
furnace is preferably composed of one or more rings of fireclay or similar material
arranged so as to ensure the best circulation of the products of combustion, the
upper part of the innermost ring being filled up with broken pieces of any suitable
refractory material, piled loosely amongst and above the gas burners or perforated
discs of such material may be used. This mass of material becomes highly incan-
descent and ensures perfect combustion notwithstanding any unsteadiness of
delivery of the gas and air from the pumps, and even if the delivery be interrupted
for a short time the gas would be relighted by the heat on the re-starting of the
pumps. The gas issues from a number of small holes pierced in fire clay burners
and the air rises through fine apertures in close proximity to the gas. Intense
combustion is thereby produced not only in the immediate neighbourhood of the
burners, but also in the material higher up in the furnace as above described.
For starting the engine we admit gas at the ordinary pressure of the mains and
allow it to burn quietly until everything is sufficiently heated, the supply of air to
support combustion being drawn in through a valve at the bottom of the apparatus
opened for the purpose, and the products of combustion escaping through an opened
valve at the top. When all is thoroughly heated, the valves are closed and then a
few turns of the engine made by hand suffice to start the whole in action.
In some cases we provide a separate set of small pumps for air and gas to be
worked by hand for starting the engine, and in some cases we generate a small
quantity of steam by means of separate apparatus for the purpose of starting the
engine.
We inject water amongst the products of combustion either whilst they are
within the combustion chamber or as they pass from this chamber to the working
cylinder. To regulate the quantity of water admixed with the gases we employ a
thermostat or equivalent apparatus the hotter the gases the greater the quantity of
water we admix with them.
The water which we inject into the heated products of combustion may be part
of the water which has been used for cooling the compressing pumps, and which
has become partly heated thereby.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward John Cowling Welch and Richard Christopher Rapier in the
Patent Office on the 28th June 1884.
EDWARD JOHN COWLING WELCH of Palace Chambers St. Stephens Westminster
Civil Engineer and RICHARD CHRISTOPHER RAPIER of 5 Westminster Chambers
Victoria Street Westminster Civil Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS ENGINES
,,
This Invention has for its object improvements in gas engines
Our improvements relate to that class of gas engine in which the gas is not
consumed explosively but is burned under pressure quietly and continuously in a
combustion chamber the whole products of combustion being utilized in the
working cylinder or cylinders and an excessive temperature being avoided by the
admixture of a suitable quantity of water with the hot gases.
We
e so arrange the pumps for compressing the air and gas that their working
capacity can be varied by the action of the governor which also controls the
admission of the hot gases to the cylinder whereby the work to be done by the
pumps can be always varied in accordance with that required to be done by the
engine
We make the pumps by preference double acting and to consist of cylinders and
pistons with covers at each end the valves being placed in the covers so as to be as
nearly as possible approached by the piston upon which also projections are formed
so as to fill up clearances as close to the valves as possible. Also by preference we
place the pumps for compressing the air and gas in a direct line with one another
their piston rods forming an extension of the piston rod of the working cylinder
The gas and air after compression are conveyed separately to the furnace which
is completely enclosed in an iron or steel chamber made strong enough to withstand
the required pressure. The gas and air on their passage to the furnace may be
heated by the waste gases passing from the working cylinder.
We so construct the furnace itself as to adapt it for use when working under
pressure and also for working under the ordinary atmospheric pressure for the
purpose of heating up the several parts preparatory to starting the engine. The
furnace is preferably composed of one or more rings of fireclay or similar material
arranged so as to ensure the best circulation of the products of combustion the
upper part of the innermost ring being filled up with broken pieces of any suitable
refractory material piled loosely amongst and above the gas burners or perforated
discs of such material may be used, This mass of material becomes highly
incandescent and ensures perfect combustion notwithstanding any unsteadiness of
delivery of the gas and air from the pumps and even if the delivery be interrupted
for a short time the gas would be relighted by the heat on the re-starting of the
pumps. The gas issues from a number of small holes pierced in fireclay burners
and the air rises through fine apertures in close proximity to the gas-Intense
combustion is thereby produced not only in the immediate neighbourhood of the
burner but also in the material higher up in the furnace as above described.
For starting the engine we admit gas at the ordinary pressure of the mains and
allow it to burn quietly until everything is sufficiently heated, the supply of air to
support combustion being drawn in through a valve at the bottom of the apparatus
opened for the purpose and the products of combustion escaping through an opened
valve at the top. When all is thoroughly heated the valves are closed and then a
few turns of the engine made by hand suffice to start the whole in action.
In some cases we provide a separate set of small pumps for air and gas to be
worked by hand for starting the engine and in some cases we generate a small
quantity of steam by means of separate apparatus for the purpose of starting the
engine,

page_text: We inject water amongst the products of combustion either whilst they are
within the combustion chamber or as they pass from this chamber to the working
cylinder. To regulate the quantity of water admixed with the gases we employ a
thermostat or equivalent apparatus the hotter the gases the greater the quantity of
water we thus admix with them.
The water which we inject into the heated products of combustion may be part
of the water which has been used for cooling the compressing pumps and which
has become partly heated thereby
In witness whereof I the said Edward John Cowling Welch have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Twenty eighth day of June in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty four
EJ COWLING WELCH (L.S.)