An Improved Explosion Engine.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 23rd Sept., 1899
QUALT LAPIE DIEULTICATION.
An Improved Explosion Engine.
We, HENDRIK VAN SUYLEKOM, Chief Machinist in the Royal Navy of the
Netherlands, of 10, Schippersgracht, Amsterdam, and JAN HENDRIK WINDEMULLER,
Merchant, of 55, Haringvliet, Rotterdam, both in the Kingdom of the Nether-
lands, 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:-
The gas-engine which forms the subject of this invention belongs to the kind
or class known as one-cylinder engines working with a two-stroke-cycle.
In the two-stroke-cycle engines heretofore known, the compression of the
explosive mixture and the explosion take place in the working cylinder itself,
that is to say, on one side of the piston.
These motors can only turn in one direction, and the starting of the motor
involves much trouble and labour.
The object of this invention is to produce a gas, petroleum or benzine motor
which, in addition to the known advantages of the two-stroke-cycle motor, i.c.,
that there is an explosion for each revolution of the motor-shaft, possesses the
additional advantages that the direction of rotation can be reversed and the starting
of the motor does not involve any difficulties as soon as the crank is away from a
dead point. In order to effect this, a quantity of the explosive mixture must
always be available in order that this mixture may be brought behind the piston
at the desired moment and exploded.
For this purpose, there is arranged near the working cylinder, a reservoir
which can be brought into communication both with the space in front of the
piston as well as with the space behind the piston. During the return stroke
of the said piston, air and gas, in suitable proportions, are drawn into the space
in front of the piston, and during the outward stroke of the piston, are first
compressed and then forced into the above-mentioned reservoir.
During the return stroke of the piston, the products of combustion are driven
out behind the piston and air and gas are again drawn-in in front of the piston.
The inlet-valve between the cylinder and the reservoir is then opened and the
mixture present in the reservoir exploded whereby the piston is driven outward.
The opening of the valves takes place by means of an adjustable or displace-
able controlling shaft which is provided with two sets of cams.
Accordingly as the one or the other set actuates the valves, the motor will
turn in one or the opposite direction.
The motor is shown in the accompanying drawing wherein
Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section through the reservoir.
Figure 2 is a rear elevation."

page_text: Figure 4 shows the position of the cams on the controlling shaft.
In the cylinder 1, provided with a cooling jacket, moves the piston 2, which
in the known manner transmits the motion by means of the connecting-rod 3 and
crank 4 to the motor-shaft 5. The motor-shaft 5 turns in bearings 6, Figure 3,
and bears on one side the fly-wheel 7. On the other side is arranged an eccentric
pin 8 which, by means of the rod 9, sets the controlling shaft 10 in rotation.
Against the rear cylinder-cover 11 is screwed the valve-chest 44 with the
valves 13 and 14, Figure 3. By opening the valve 13 the space behind the
piston is brought into communication with the exhaust-pipe connected to the
joint-piece 15. By opening the valve 14, the space behind the piston 2 is
brought into communication with the reservoir 17 connected to the valve-chest 44.
Onto the front side of the reservoir 17 there is cast a valve-chest 19 which is
provided with a suction-valve 20 and a delivery-valve 21. The space between
the suction- and delivery-valves is connected by the passage 18, Figure 3, with
the space in front of the piston. The suction-valve 20 is a double valve, gas
being drawn into the cylinder through the joint-piece or union 38 connected to
the gas-pipe and through the central passage, and air through the joint-piece 37,
Figures 1 and 2, the air-passage being arranged around the gas-passage. This
gaseous mixture is afterwards forced. through the delivery-valve 21 into the
reservoir 17.
The outlet- and inlet-valves 13 and 14, as well as the suction- and delivery-
valves 20 and 21, are made of the form usually employed in gas and petroleum
motors and are only shown diagrammatically in the drawing.
On the front side of the reservoir 17, or in any other suitable position, is
provided a joint-piece 40, to which the igniting arrangement is connected, whilst
a safety-valve can be mounted on the joint-piece 41. The capacity of the reser-
voir 17 can be regulated, by screwing in and out the bolt 39, Figure 3, with
respect to the required quantity and degree of compression of the explosive
mixture.
The piston 2 is formed at the front as a trunk-cylinder which is so designed
that, the annular space between the trunk 22 and the working cylinder 1, is of
the size required for drawing in a sufficient quantity of air and gas. The trunk-
cylinder 22 is made tight by means of the gland and stuffing-box 23 and the
packing-ring 24.
The controlling-shaft 10 makes the same number of revolutions as the motor-
shaft 5. The motion can be transmitted in any suitable manner.
In the arrange-
ment shown here, pins 8 and 25 are arranged eccentrically on the two shafts, and
these two pins connected by the rod 9. The said rod slides on a block 35 which
is pivotally mounted on a pin 36 fixed to the frame of the motor. The con-
trolling-shaft is mounted in bearings 26 and is made in two parts. The part 10
on the right-hand side, Figure 2, is mounted so that it can rotate but not move
longitudinally the other part 16, at the left-hand side, can be displaced longi-
tudinally relatively to the part 10 but is however rotated therewith by a feather
or key 27 when the part 10 is driven by means of the pin 25. The displacement
of the controlling-shaft 16 is effected by means of the hand-lever 12 or in any
other suitable manner.
On the displaceable part 16 are arranged four cams 28, 29, 30 and 31. In the
position shown in Figure 2, the inlet-valve 14 is actuated from the cam 31, and
the outlet or exhaust-valve 13 from the cam 29. If however the hand-lever 12
is reversed, and the part 16 of the controlling-shaft thus moved to the right,
these cams go out of action and the valves are actuated by the cams 30 and 28.
Double levers 32, which engage at one end with the controlling-shaft by
means of a roller, and are made fork-shaped at the other end in order to engage
round the valve-rods 33, Figure 11, form the intermediate link between the cams
and valves. The double levers 32 turn about the fixed pivot-pin 42 on the
cylinder-frame and spiral springs 43 continually press these down on to the cams.

page_text: In Figure 4 is shown the relative positions of the cams 31 and 29 which act
together for rotation in one direction, and the cams 30 and 28 for rotation in
the other direction.
During about half of the forward stroke of the piston, the inlet-valve 14 is
opened, otherwise it remains closed. The exhaust-valve is opened during the
backward stroke of the piston.
In Figure 4, it is indicated by means of arrows, which directions of motion
correspond to the two pairs of cams, and it will be seen from the positions of
these cams shown, in what manner the inlet and outlet periods for the correspond-
ing directions of rotation follow each other. It should moreover be noted that
the direction of rotation of the controlling-shaft is always opposite to that of the
motor-shaft; moreover that, for the most usual direction of rotation of the motor,
the cams 30 and 28 act on the valves 14 and 13 respectively, the controlling- or
reversing-lever 12 is consequently moved towards the cylinder and the controlling-
shaft pushed in.
The action of the motor is as follows:-In the position of the piston shown
in Figure 3, by opening the valve 14 by means of the cam 31, communication
is made between the reservoir 17 and the cylinder. The explosive mixture, with
which the reservoir 17 is filled, is ignited and the piston driven forward during
the first half of the stroke.
The annular space in front of the piston was filled with a mixture of gas and
air.
During the first part of the stroke, this mixture is compressed into the said
annular space.
When the pressure of this mixture has become as high as the pressure of the
products of combustion remaining behind in the reservoir from a previous explo-
sion, the mixture will be forced through the valve 21 into the reservoir 17. The
inlet-valve 14 is then already closed and the products of combustion existing
in the cylinder 1 only act by their expansion to drive the piston 2. After the
commencement of the new stroke, the exhaust-valve 13 is opened by the cam 29,
the products of combustion escape and, after the valve 21 has closed under the
pressure of the gaseous mixture in the reservoir 17, a mixture of gas and air
is again drawn in at the front side of the piston, through the double valve 20.
When the piston has again reached the position shown in Figure 3, the above
described operations are repeated.
As above mentioned, the products of combustion, in the reservoir.17, of a
previous explosion, are mixed with the fresh mixture of gas and air. In this
manner, the pressure of the explosive mixture is increased. If it be desired. to
only partly take up the products of combustion remaining behind in the .reser-
voir, in the fresh mixture, the safety-valve mounted on the reservoir can be
combined with an exhaust-valve and a part of the products of combustion driven
out through this valve. This driving out of part of the products of combustion
can be effected by their own pressure or by the entering fresh gas. It will be
seen that the mixture of products of combustion, gas and air, in the reservoir 17
remains during the last half of the forward stroke and during the whole of the
backward stroke, and this gaseous mixture can be employed at any time for the
purpose of altering the direction of rotation of the motor or for starting the same.
For altering the direction of rotation of the motor it is only necessary to
reverse the controlling-lever 12. In the condition of the parts shown in Figure 3,
the cams 31 and 29 are operative, and, by reversing the controlling-lever, or
displacing the controlling-shaft to the right, the cams 30 and 28 can be brought
into action. The position of the cams 30 and 28 is, however not that suitable
for the existing direction of rotation of the motor. Admission of the explosive
mixture and an explosion is thus caused, and the exhaust-valve held closed, during
the backward stroke of the piston, this taking place at the moment that the
piston should begin or has actually begun this stroke. The piston is thus checked

page_text: in its backward motion and pressed backwards, and an alteration takes place in
the direction of rotation of the motor. When this has once taken place, the inlet-
and outlet-valves open by means of the cams 30 and 28 at the proper moment.
In addition to the advantages which are proper to two-stroke-cycle motors
generally, as compared with four-stroke-cycle motors, that is to say, the uniform
motion, the lighter fly-wheel, and the higher useful effect by reason of the better
utilization of the fuel, our improved motor is distinguished by the following
properties:-
1. The explosion takes place in a space separated from the cylinder instead of
in the cylinder itself which is therefore not soiled with residues from the com-
bustion.
2. The detrimental space in the cylinder can be made small, which has an
advantageous influence on the consumption of fuel.
3. It permits the direction of motion of the motor to be altered. This point
is of especial importance in cases where it is desired to employ the motor for
driving vehicles or vessels which must be capable of moving both forwards as
well as backwards.
The whole complicated system of spur-gearing and friction-couplings which
is required when employing an ordinary gas or petroleum motor running in one
direction only, in order to permit both forward and backward motion, is un-
necessary when employing our improved motor.
4. The motion of the valves is obtained from the main shaft or from an
auxiliary shaft, which makes the same number of revolutions as the main shaft.
Therefore it is unnecessary here to reduce the speed of the controlling shaft by
means of bevel-wheels as in the case of four-stroke-cycle motors.
5. The cylinder only requires to be cooled and the temperature of the reservoir
can be proportionately high. The loss of heat is thus small in this motor.
6. Since at each explosion there is a simultaneous compression of a fresh
quantity of air and gas, there will always be a quantity of this explosive mixture
available. If the motor is at rest, and the crank is not at a dead point, the
motor can always be set in motion since, by opening the inlet-valve 14, this
mixture is conducted behind the piston and exploded. It will then depend upon
the position of the connecting-rod in what direction the motor will commence
to turn, and care must be taken that the controlling or reversing-lever is in the
position corresponding to this direction. If this direction is not the one desired,
it can be changed, after the motor has been set in motion, by reversing the
controlling-lever.
For carriages and vehicles in which the motor often must turn in both direc-
tions, two motors are preferably arranged on a common' motor-shaft. The
admission of the explosive mixture can be allowed to take place in such a manner
that, in reversing, the two motors can generally be started immediately in the
desired drection.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:.
1. A two-stroke-cycle explosion engine, in which one side of the piston, acting
as a pump, draws in gas and air and in which a reservoir is arranged near the
working cylinder, which reservoir can be put into communication with the space
in front as well as with the space behind the piston of the said cylinder in such
a manner that the explosive mixture, drawn in by the pump and then compressed
during the forward stroke of the piston, is forced into the said reservoir, in which
it remains and is exploded, after which, to the beginning of the next succeeding
forward stroke of the piston, communication is made with the space behind the
piston by opening a valve.
2. The combination, in an explosion-engine such as is herein before described,
of cams for actuating the inlet and outlet-valves, arranged on a displaceable

page_text: controlling-shaft in such a manner that, by displacing the said controlling shaft,
the said valves can be opened and closed so as to permit rotation of the motor
in one or the other direction, as desired, substantially as described.
3. The improved explosion engine constructed substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawing, for the purposes specified.
Dated this 18th day of August. 1899
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 and 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.