Improvements in Gas Engines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1894-Accepted, 20th Oct., 1894
Improvements in Gas Engines.
1 ADOLPHE VERMERSCH, Engineer, of 19 Rue du Chaufour, à Lille, in the
Republic of France, 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 for improvements in gas engines has for its principal object to
simplify the construction to reduce the consumption of gas and to diminish the
maintenance; and consists essentially in the special arrangement of the frame in
conjunction with the cylinder and the adjacent parts.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings:-Fig. 1 is a sectional
elevation on R R, SS, TT, of a gas engine constructed according to this invention,
the parts removed by the section being shown by dotted lines; and Fig. 2 is a side
elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation showing the arrangement for
connecting the piston rod with the crank. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the
igniter and Fig. 5 is a horizontal section showing the communication between the
igniter and the cylinder.
The frame A and the cylinder V with its jacket A' are cast in one piece
allowing a space between the cylinder and the outer jacket for the circulation of
water in order to keep the cylinder at a suitable temperature. An inspection
cover B below the cylinder facilitates the removal of any incrustation and is fixed
with a rubber joint and a tightening screw.
Inspection covers B³ are also provided on either side of the base and are provided
with four holes b for the circulation of air. They are fixed by a bolt passing
through the centre of the covers. In order to obtain acess to the cover B in the
jacket below the cylinder the covers B³ must be removed. The cylinder passes
horizontally through the frame and is closed at the outer end by a plate A and is
provided with a passage which enters the cylinder. Two valves b¹³ are arranged
in the plate in front of the piston one 6 communicating by the passage A' with the
intake of gas 1 and air 2, and the other valve serves for the exhaust of the burnt
gases. In the base of the passage A¹ is a balanced valve C mounted on a
spindle C¹ passing outside the frame. This spindle is provided with a nut and a
This
square head designed to regulate the inlet of air corresponding to the gas.
operation terminated the nut is tightened and the mixture remains always perfect.
The escape is effected by means of a pipe passing inside the frame and opening into
the exhaust chamber B and escaping by the pipe 3.
This arrangement is particularly adopted with the object of obtaining economy
in space and in construction. In certain cases and if necessary, an independent
escape box could be attached in view of cleaning and obtaining access to the
interior of the frame.
In order to maintain the valves at a suitable temperature a chamber C in
the plate A communicates with the cooler and a current of water is passed
through this.
The only resistance surfaces are the surfaces of the cylinder and the plate A
with valves b¹ 62 with respect to the piston Y which has a partial spherical hollow
space to reduce the surface of pressure against the surfaces of the cylinder V.
The valves b' 6' act alternately by means of levers EFGH and acting by means
of cams x forming part of a drum X. The levers FG are connected by a
spindle I turning in bearings J at each end. The levers E H are connected by a
hollow spindle passing over the spindle I and fitting in the bored support J J. The
levers GH are each provided with a roller g g¹. The end of the lever F carries a

page_text: regulating screw i for the control of the gas. At the moment the lever F descends
the screw i rests on the lever K of the gas admission valve and makes it rock.
This valve also acts as a governor by a stop hook, the principle of which is based
on the resistance of the displacement of air.
This regulator is composed, besides the valve and the lever K, of a beam L fitted
with a very thin metal disc L¹ shaped in the form of a partial sphere. To make it
rigid the beam L is connected to the lever K by a screw or pin and is kept in its
proper position by means of a catch M resting on a stop pin fixed on the lever K.
On the other side of the catch rests a spring K' also fixed in the lever K by a
regulating screw N. This screw serves to regulate the speed viz. the number of
revolutions per minute which it is desired to give to the motor. When the speed
of rotation exceeds the number of revolutions fixed upon the spring K' gives way
to the pressure of the displacement of air, the beam L'oscillates and by means of
this escapes the catch m on the rod n¹ of the valve 63 and in this case does not
supply any gas.
In order to facilitate the regulation of the compression the rod Y¹ of the piston Y
is connected to the crosshead of the connecting rods O by means of a screw thread
and nut. This end of the rod could also be attached to the connecting rods by
means of a socket or by a cap with sliding joint. The connecting rods are
pivoted at the base of the frame on an axis carried by a socket in which the axis is
rigidly fixed by four regulating screws designed to regulate the position of the axis.
Cold water is admitted at 4 and the heated water passes out at 5.
In order to effect economy in the consumption of gas, the tube igniter is com-
posed of a burner with a nickel heating tube d producing the explosion inside the
cylinder and of a valve d' underneath regulating the supply of air.
The valve d'
can be screwed up or down on the hollow rod e for the purpose of allowing the
escape of the gas burnt in the passages. The rod e is fitted at its lower end with
an adjustable screwed plug e designed to regulate the moment of explosion by
increasing or decreasing the capacity of the lower escape chamber of burnt gas
communicating with the inside of the igniter tube. This piston also has a part at
its base screwed on which is arranged a collar e forming a lock nut and an attached
part entering into the hollow rod above mentioned. This arrangement is specially
adapted for a motor having no system of disengagement. It is sufficient to turn
the valve d to the right or to the left in order to vary the draught of the chimney.
The base of the burner is perforated with holes at a fixed radius to make a current
of air, it is also provided with an upper chimney fitting above the igniter tube.
This chimney is lined with asbestos extending somewhat above the tube and
permitting the. concentration of the heat. The height of this lining is fixed so as
to permit the draught to be made. This chimney is also fitted outside with a
jacket d³ of very thin metal provided at its base with several holes having for their
object to create a current of air inside the jacket and the chimney so as to protect
the other parts of the motor from a destructive heat.
In order to readily vary the proportions and amount of air and gas for heating
the igniter tube a small cylinder fis provided with a hollow piston bored in the
centre of its end with a small conical hole fi and provided with a screwed rod g
with pointed end and acting as a valve. It is sufficient to adjust this screw in order
to vary the supply of gas through the hole 2. The air is drawn in through holes h
bored in the cylinder and the amount is varied by adjusting the position of the
piston and so varying the opening of these holes. The piston f¹ and the screw g
are each provided with a milled collar k acting as a back nut. The body of the
cylinder also carries a projection on which fits a rubber tube; the hole bored
through the projection opens into a circular chamber round the piston. The
latter is also bored with several holes round its circumference thus allowing the
access of the gas to the interior of the piston. The cylinder fis fixed at the base
of the igniter Q by means of a screw thread and opens out into a circular chamber
in the base of the chimney which is perforated all round with holes, making a restricted
burner which heats the igniter tube to a suitable temperature for causing the

page_text: explosion without uselessly altering the metal. The arrangement of the tube
with piston at the base of the igniter is specially adapted for motors below
3 horse power.
For motors above 3 horse power, in order to facilitate starting the exhaust is
arranged so that it can be kept open during the usual compression stroke. As
shown in Fig. 5 a starting cam is fixed on the drum X already described and the
roller n is adapted to be acted on by the starting cam or by the usual exhaust cam.
A lever o engages in a groove formed in the boss of the roller n and enables the
roller to be moved from one cam to the other, on its axis which is fixed on the
lever of connected to the exhaust rod by a small link p. To keep the roller in its
respective position in one or the other case, a small sector o³ is fitted to the
lever o¹ attached to the frame by a stud q.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The arrangement of inspection covers for the removal of incrustation.
2. Regulating the speed of gas engines by the resistance of the displacement
of air.
3. The igniter tube substantially as described.
4. The air and gas injector substantially as described.
5. The general arrangement of piston rod and crosshead enabling the compression
to be regulated.
6. The arrangement for escape of burnt gas into the base of the frame.
7. The arrangement of the starting movement.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.