Improvements in Gas or Combustible Vapour Engines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Nov., 1891:
Complete Specification Left, 30th July, 1892-Accepted, 3rd Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas or Combustible Vapour Engines.
I HORACE ROBINSON 78 Great Bridgewater Street Manchester Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in engines in which the piston is propelled
by the explosion and expansion of a mixture of gas or combustible vapour and air
or other supporter of combustion.
To actuate the valves of my engine the exhaust valve may be operated by a cam
or eccentric upon the cugine shaft a rod from the eccentric or cam actuating, a
wheel with various sizes of teeth which throw the rod into and out of position for
actuating the exhaust in the manner as described in my Patents number 14787
A.D. 1890 and number 1083. A.D. 1891 and the speed of the engine may be
governed by the catch or detent or tongue piece pivoted on the exhaust valve stem,
or prolongation in such a manner that when the exhaust is opened the tongue piece
comes against a stop which moves it into such a position that it would come in
contact with another stop during the early part of the action which would other-
wise close the exhaust; a spring or gravity or their equivalent tend or tends to
move the tongue piece into such a position that it will miss the last named stop
when the engine is running at or below its normal speed thus allowing the exhaust
to close. Should the engine run above its normal speed the tongue piece has not
time to get into position to miss the stop and the exhaust is not allowed to close as
described in my Patent No. 1083 A.D. 1891. The inlet valve for the admission of
the charge may be of the mushroom type the air entering at the centre and the
gas or vapour through a number of small holes from an annular space suitably
formed.
The air inlet opening I may prolong out preferably by means of a pipe shaped piece
which can be taken off to adjust the valve and within this pipe shaped piece cotton
waste or other substance having the same property of absorbing sound may be
placed. The object being to prevent or lessen the sound which may be caused by
the inflow of air to the cylinder. The cotton waste or equivalent as mentioned may
be kept in place by discs of wire gauze through which the air can pass. The air
need not necessarily pass through the quieting material but may pass round it or
otherwise as most convenient. I prefer it to pass in an annular film round the
quieting material which may be contained in a small cylindrical case with gauze
ends the case being held in position by screws or other suitable means. The inlet
valve and quieting device I place preferably behind the exhaust valve. The
incandescent tube may be used to ignite the charge.
The open end of the tube I may form conical with a collar or nut screwed or formed
upon it.
The tube may be attached to the inlet passage and a clamp having one
end with an open slot in it making it forked shape may secure the tube to its seat
which seat is also conical so that the tube fits against it air tight. The said clamp.
may be bent round the slotted end bearing against the collar or nut on the igniting
tube and the other end brought round to the other side of the inlet passage and a
screw inserted in it which may be tightened against the passage causing the forked
end to pull the igniting tube against its seat. By slackening this screw the clamp.
may be withdrawn and the tube is then free and may be taken out and replaced by
a new one or inspected.
Instead of the usual heavy box castings now frequently used as a support for gas.
engines I may employ two light supports or feet of girder form running under the
bed of the engine. These girder shaped supports are in the form of flat webs with
opening in the middle to lighten them and flanges round them to stiffen them and

page_text: for bolting to the engine bed and the ground. These girder shaped supports are
continued out considerably beyond the ends of the bed and sloped outwards at the
ends to increase base both ends being alike.and are thus either right hand or left.
hand and can be cast from the same pattern.
To lubricate the crank pin of the engine and the small end of the connecting rod
I employ the following means. form an oil channel running from end to end of
the connecting rod the said channel being open at the top at the piston end for a
suitable distance and the lubricator which lubricates the piston and cylinder drops
oil also into this pipe and so also lubricates both ends of the connecting rod and
crank pin without the necessity of stopping the engine.
To adjust the piston end of the connecting rod I may insert a screw at the end of
the rod and this screw is of a large diameter and with a milled head; this screw
takes up the wear in the brasses of the connecting rod; a light spring bears upon
a piece which engages into suitable recesses in the milled head of the screw and
prevents it from turning of its own accord but permits it to be turned by hand when
necessary to take up the wear as mentioned.
1
To diminish the sound of the exhaust products of combustion I may cause them
to pass through a quantity of fine wire preferably tinned iron wire such wire not
being easily corroded and of about 36 gauge though other wire may be used provided
it is not of a metal easily corroded and not of too coarse a gauge. This wire may
be placed in the exhaust pipe which may be enlarged to receive it or a hood or
enlarged tube with the wire in it may be placed over the exhaust pipe and perforated
for the escape of the exhaust products. The wire may preferably be tangled by
cutting the hanks or rings or coils of wire through, thus dividing it into lengths
which easily tangle. The wire being tangled lessens the sound.
Dated this 20th day of November 1891.
HORACE ROBINSON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas or Combustible Vapour Engines.
I, HORACE ROBINSON 78 Great Bridgewater Street Manchester 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:-
:―
My invention relates to improvements in engines in which the piston is propelled
by the explosion and expansion of a mixture of gas or combustible vapour and air
or other supporter of combustion.
.
To actuate the valves of my engine the exhaust valve may be operated by a cam
or eccentric upon the engine shaft a rod from the eccentric or cam actuating a
wheel with various sizes of teeth which throw the rod into and out of position for
actuating the exhaust in the manner as described in my Patents No. 14787 A.D. 1890
and number 1083, A.D. 1891 and the speed of the engine may be governed by the
catch or detent or tongue piece pivoted on the exhaust valve stem or prolongation
in such a manner that when the exhaust is opened the tongue piece comes against
a stop which moves it into such a position that it would come in contact with
another stop during the early part of the action which would otherwise close the
exhaust; a spring or gravity or their equivalent tend or tends to move the tongue
piece into such a position that it will miss the last named stop when the engine is
running at or below its normal speed thus allowing the exhaust to close. Should the
engine run above its normal speed the tongue piece has not time to get into position
to miss the stop and the exhaust is not allowed to close as described in my Patent
No. 1083 A.D. 1891. The inlet valve for the admission of the charge may be of
the mushroom type the air entering at the centre and the gas or vapour through a
number of small holes from an annular space suitably formed.
The air inlet opening 1 may prolong out preferably by means of a pipe shaped

page_text: The
piece which can be taken off to adjust the valve and within this pipe shaped piece
cotton waste-or other substance having the same' property of absorbing sound may
be placed. The object. being to prevent or lessen the sound which may be caused
by the inflow of air to the cylinder. The cotton waste or equivalent as mentioned
may he kept in place by discs of wire gauze through which the air can pass.
air need not necessarily pass through the quieting material but may pass round it or
otherwise as most convenient. I prefer it to pass in an aunular film round the
quieting material which may be contained in a small cylindrical case with gauze
ends the case being held in position by screws or other suitable means.
The inlet
valve and quieting device I place preferably behind the exhaust valve. The incan-
descent tube may be used to ignite the charge.
The open end of the tube I may form conical with a collar or nut screwed or
formed upon it. The tube may be attached to the inlet passage and a clamp having
one end with an open slot in it making it forked shape may secure this the tube to
its seat which seat. is also conical so that the tube fits against it air tight. The said
clamp may be bent round the slotted end bearing against the collar or nut on the
ignition tube and the other end brought round to the other side of the inlet passage
and a screw inserted in it which may be tightened against the passage causing the
forked end to pull the ignition tube against its seat. By slackening this screw the
clamp may be withdrawn and the tube is then free and may be taken out an
replaced by a new one or inspected.
'
"
Instead of the usual heavy box castings now frequently used as a support for gas
engines I may employ two light supports or feet of girder form running under the
bed of the engine. These girder shaped supports are in the form of flat webs with
opening in the middle to lighten them and flanges round them to stiffen them anch
for bolting to the engine bed and the ground. These girder shaped supports are
continued out considerably beyond the ends of the bed and sloped outwards at the
ends to increase base both ends being alike and are thus either right hand or left
hand and can be cast from the same pattern.
To lubricate the crank pin of the engine and the small end of the connecting
rod I employ the following means I form an oil channel running from end to end
of the connecting rod the said channel being open at the top at the piston end for
a suitable distance and the lubricator which lubricates the piston and cylinder drops
oil also into this pipe and so also lubricates both ends of the connecting rod and
crank pin without the necessity of stopping the engine.
To adjust the piston end of the connecting rod I may insert a screw at the end'
of the rod and this screw is of a large diameter and with a milled head; this screw
takes up the wear in the brasses of the connecting rod a light spring bears upon a'
piece,which engages into. suitable recesses in the head of the screw and prevents
it from turning of its own accord but permits it to be turned by hand when necessary
to take up the wear as mentioned.
To diminish the sound of the exhaust products of, combustion I may cause them to
pass through a quantity of fine wire preferably tinned iron wire such wire not being
easily corroded and of about 36 gauge though other wire may be used provided it
is not of a metal easily corroded and not of too coarse a gauge. This, wire, may be
placed in the exhaust pipe which may be enlarged to receive it, or a hood or
enlarged tube with the wire in it may be placed over the exhaust pipe and
perforated for the escape of the exhaust products. The wire may preferably be
tangled by cutting the hanks or rings or coils of wire through, thus dividing it into
lengths which casily tangle. The wire being tangled lessens the sound.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of my engine A is the air inlet quieting pipe.
Fig. 2 shows this quieter A to a larger scale and removed from the valve seat.
B Figs. 1 and being the inlet valve seat.
C is the cotton waste or other substance having the same property of absorbing
sound, discs of wire gauze D or their equivalent may be used to keep the cotton
waste in place and a small case E inside the pipe A may hold the cotton waste or
similar material (asbestos for instance I have found to have something of the said

page_text: property) in place and let the air pass round it or through it. X and Y Fig. 1 show
the valve moving mechanism as in my Patent No. 14787, 1890.
Fig. 3 is a section of the clamp H taken through line G G Fig. 1. K Figs. 1
and 3 is the screw for tightening up the ignition tube F onto its seat.
Fig. 4 shows this clamp in plan. L L Fig. 5 and Fig. 9 (which is a section
at O. O. Fig. 5) are the girder shaped supports upon which the engine is bolted and
which are the same at both ends and cast from one pattern and continued out
considerably as shown, to distribute the weight of the engine over a large area and
diminish vibration.
Fig. 5 shows the oiling device, the lubricator N drops oil onto the piston and
also into the oil channel or pipe M which extends from end to end of the connecting
rod and is open at the top for a part of its length as shown, and the oil is conveyed
to the ends of the rod and lubricates them by this means.
Fig. 6. shows this oiling channel or pipe to a larger scale and
Fig. 7 is a cross section at P. P. Fig. 6.
R Fig. 6 and S is the screw with the milled head which takes up the wear.
SS are the small recesses into which the piece T is caused to bear by, the light
spring U.
Fig. 10 shows the exhaust quieting arrangement; W is the exhaust pipe bringing
the exhaust into the fine wire V. V. Z Z are a number of fine holes to allow of
the escape of exhaust products.
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
First. In a gas or combustible vapour engine the oiling arrangement substantially
as described and illustrated in Fig. 5. 6 and 7.
Second. The combination of parts constituting my improved engine all as described
and illustrated.
Third. The special arrangement and form of clamp for tightening the ignition
tube onto its seat as and for the purpose described and illustrated.
Fourth. The mode of quieting the inlet of air to the cylinder by a soft material
which absorbs the sound in the manner described and illustrated.
Fifth. The exhaust quieting arrangement having fine tangled noncorosive wire
as described & illustrated.
Sixth. The special form and construction of the supports L L in combination
with a gas or combustible vapour engine as described and illustrated.
Seventh. The form and combination of parts as shown at Figs. 6 and 8 for
adjusting the piston end of the connecting rod in a gas or combustible vapour engine
as described and illustrated.
Dated this 29th day of July 1892.