IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Bickerton and Henry Nield Bickerton, both
of Ashton under Lyne, in the County of Lancaster, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Bickerton and
Henry Nield Bickerton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 28th March 1881.
SAMUEL BICKERTON and HENRY NIELD BICKERTON, both of Ashton under
Lyne, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES."
We employ a specially constructed cylinder which is enlarged in diameter at the
one end, and into which enlarged end the mixture of air and gas in suitable
proportions or air only is drawn by the piston as it is performing its return stroke,
such admission of air and gas being suitably regulated. We employ a short piston,
and so arrange the stroke that this piston is by means of the crank drawn out of
the smaller diameter into the larger diameter of the cylinder towards the end of its
stroke, and thus we partially compress the gas and air mixture so introduced as
aforesaid until the piston has passed completely into the larger diameter, when
such mixture is free to escape past the piston into the smaller diameter, and in
addition to the ordinary piston we employ a loosely fitting piston or disc which is
free to slide along the piston rod inside the cylinder, and we arrange the piston
rod hollow at or near its end, and opening into the cylinder by side passages, so
that at the proper instant these side passages are uncovered and permit the
products of the explosion to escape through such hollow piston rod into the
atmosphere, and which escape is completed by the fresh charge pushing the loosely
fitting piston or disc, and the remaining products in front of it until the side
openings are again covered, when the compression of the fresh charge is completed
by a continuation of the back stroke of the piston, and at the proper instant we
arrange the firing of the charge.
It will be apparent that instead of having the cylinder enlarged, as before
mentioned, the same effect may be produced by having a separate chamber in
communication with the end of the cylinder, or the cylinder itself may be

page_text: constructed of the same diameter, and communicate through side ports with the
back end, such ports becoming uncovered as the piston approaches the end of
its stroke.
One method of firing the compressed charge is to have a chamber formed in
the piston rod, and provided with a passage opening into the cylinder, and so
permitting a portion of the compressed charge to enter the chamber. This chamber
also communicates through a small orifice with another side passage formed in the
piston rod, but in front of the first mentioned one. As the piston rod approaches
the backward end of its stroke, and at the instant that the first mentioned passage
has become covered or closed by entering the cover or stuffing box of the cylinder,
the other passage has passed out of the cylinder and become exposed to the
atmosphere, the gas thus locked in the chamber being then free to escape into the
vicinity of a lighted flame is thereby ignited, and the ignition passing back into
the chamber serves to ignite the compressed charge, which takes place when the
piston has commenced its forward stroke, and has reopened the communication
between such chamber and the interior of the cylinder.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Samuel Bickerton and Henry Nield Bickerton in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 28th September 1881.
SAMUEL BICKERTON and HENRY NIELD BICKERTON, both of Ashton-under-Lyne,
in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS-MOTOR ENGINES."
We employ a specially constructed cylinder which is enlarged in diameter at the
one end, and into which enlarged end the mixture of air and gas in suitable
proportions or air only is drawn by the piston as it is performing its return stroke,
such admission of air and gas being suitably regulated. We employ a short piston,
and so arrange the stroke that this piston is, by means of the crank, drawn out of
the smaller diameter into the larger diameter of the cylinder towards the end of its
stroke, and thus we partially compress the gas and air mixture so introduced as
aforesaid until the piston has passed completely into the larger diameter, when such
mixture is free to escape past the piston into the smaller diameter, and in addition
to the ordinary piston we employ a loosely fitting piston or disc which is free to
slide along the piston rod inside the cylinder for the purpose of more effectually
clearing out the cylinder of the exploded or consumed gases, and also for more
completely separating the new charge from the said exploded gases, such piston
being free to move either in contact with the piston proper or apart from it. This
loose piston separates from the other part at or about the time that the exhaust
opens, moving backward or downward in front of the incoming mixture of air and
gas, and thus more completely driving out the consumed gases; and we arrange
the piston rod hollow at or near its end, and opening into the cylinder by side
passages, so that at the proper instant these side passages are uncovered and permit
the products of the explosion to escape through such hollow piston rod into the
atmosphere, and which escape is completed by the fresh charge pushing the loose
piston or disc, and the remaining products in front of it until the side openings
are again covered, when the compression of the fresh charge is completed by a
continuation of the back stroke of the piston, and at the proper instant-we arrango
the firing of the charge.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents a side view, and Fig. 2 a plan
both partially in section of our improved gas motor engine constructed to work
horizontally; and Fig. 3 is a front sectional view, and Fig. 4 a plan of another
modification of our improvement shown in the construction of a vertical gas motor
engine. In Figs. 1 and 2, A is the cylinder surrounded with a water jacket A',
and constructed with a stuffing box B at either end through which passes the
piston rod C; such piston rod is connected in the usual manner at its front
extremity to the crank D by means of the connecting rod E, and at its rear
extremity this piston rod C is formed hollow, and provided with side passages C¹
opening into the cylinder, so that at the proper instant these side passages are
uncovered and permit the products of the explosion to escape through the hollow
piston rod into the atmosphere; El is the piston, which is of the ordinary
description, but in addition to this piston we employ a further piston G, which
in this case is mounted upon the piston rod C, and is free to slide along such piston
rod inside the cylinder. The front end of the cylinder A is enlarged in diameter,
and is in constant and free communication at the front of the piston with the
surrounding space or chamber H, and we either arrange that the piston E¹ shall
be capable of being drawn right out into this space at the forward end of its
stroke; or we form an extension. I of the cylinder to project into the space or
chamber H, and arrange an opening J through the same so as to open a com-
munication between the inside of the cylinder and the space H when the piston

page_text: has arrived at or near the forward end of its stroke. We admit a mixture of air
and gas in suitable proportions to form the explosive charge into the space H
through the admission valve K, such mixture being drawn in by the piston E¹ as
it is performing its return stroke. The action of this our improved gas motor
engine is as follows:―
Assuming that the piston has taken its return stroke in the direction of the
arrow, and has drawn in its supply of air and gas in taking its forward stroke,
the inlet valve K closes and the charge thus locked in becomes partially compressed
by the continued forward stroke of the piston until such piston has passed the
opening J, or has passed into the larger diameter, in either of which cases the
partially compressed air and gas will be free to escape into the cylinder between
the piston E and the loose piston G, as indicated in Fig. 1; the first effect of this
is to drive the loose piston G to the rear end of the cylinder, and so to force out
the exploded products of the previous charge in front of it through the exhaust
ports C¹, which are now open, this action taking place whilst the crank is passing
over the front centre. The next return stroke of the piston woill further
compress the charge of air and gas now located between the pistons, the exhaust
being meanwhile closed, and such compression is continued until the charge is
forced completely round the loose piston through the ports c and d in the ignition
valve, and corresponding ports c and d in the cylinder, as indicated by the arrows
in Fig. 2, by which time the pistons will have come in contact with each other, and
the charge thus forced completely behind them, the crank having thus turned over
its back centre it will at this instant be fired. The explosion thus produced forces
the two pistons forward until the exhaust is opened, and the main piston E' again
passes the opening J and comes to the position indicated in Fig. 1, when the same
operation is again repeated. In the engine represented by Figs. 3 and 4 we employ
a trunk piston L working in a water jacketted cylinder A, and connected in the
usual manner to the crank shaft M, and instead of having a piston rod formed
hollow and continued through the end of the cylinder, and having the disc piston
mounted upon it, as in Figs. 1 and 2, we employ an exhaust valve N actuated by
a lever O for permitting the escape of the products of combustion, such lever being
operated by its top end being caused to extend into the path of the piston slide L³,
or operated in any other convenient manner, and we arrange the loose piston P so
as to be free to move up and down inside the cylinder; and instead of having an
enlarged end or chamber we introduce the mixture of gas and air into the cylinder
through the side opening Q, controlled by suitable admission valve R. The action
of this engine may be described as follows:-
-
Assuming that the piston L is at the top of its stroke, as seen in Figs. 3,
the falling of the loose piston P by its own gravity will have drawn in a
charge of air and gas through the opening Q and past the valve R. The piston
now makes its downstroke, and the valve R having closed to prevent the
return of the charge; such charge is compressed as the piston descends, and is
forced completely round and through the ports formed in the cylinder, and
corresponding ports formed in the valve until the pistons having arrived in close
contact, and the crank having just passed over its bottom centre, the charge is
fired, so forcing the two pistons upward together until the exhaust valve N opens
by the piston slide having come in contact with and pushing out the lever O, this
taking place at or immediately before the main piston passes the opening Q, when
the pressure being thus relieved below the loose piston such loose piston is free to
descend, driving out the products of the exploded charge on its under side, and
assisting in drawing in the fresh charge on its upper side, such drawing in being
completed by the continuation of the forward motion of the piston. In Figs. 5
and 6 we illustrate a side and plan view respectively both in section of one form
of ignition valve which we use in our improved gas motor engines, although it
must be understood that any of the usual ignition valves now in use may be
substituted. In both views a is the improved valve, consisting of a cylindrical rod
fitted in the barrel or casing b; this casing is provided with two annular chambers-

page_text: c and d surrounding the valve a, and each communicating through its opening c¹
and d', and through a corresponding opening c and d with the interior of the
cylinder, whereby such valve is rendered and maintained in constant equilibrum.
A chamber e is formed inside the valve, and is provided with a passage f opening
into the annular chamber d, and so permitting a portion of the compressed charge to
enter such chamber e. This chamber e also communicates through a small orifice g
fitted with an adjusting spindle h with another side passage or hole i formed or
bored through such valve, and so arranged that during the compression of the gas
and air mixture in the cylinder some of such mixture shall be compressed into the
chamber e through the passage f, and so become locked in as the valve proceeds in
the direction of the arrow under the controll of the actuating eccentric or cam until
the passage i arrives in the vicinity of the lighted flame burning in the chimney j,
and so the confined charge in the chamber e as it expands and escapes past or
around the adjusting spindle h becomes ignited and continues to burn until the
valve a is drawn back, and the side passage i containing the flame is brought back
into the annular portion d of the barrel 6, and thus into communication through
the opening d' with the cylinder behind the two pistons, so firing the charge and
causing the requisite explosion. It will be obvious that the chamber e and openings
fand i could be arranged in the piston rod itself, but this we should consider to be
a less convenient form of our Invention. In conclusion we would remark that
although one of the present applicants described such an arrangement in his
Provisional Specification, No. 4633, and dated November 11th, 1880, we make no
claim to the construction of a gas motor engine with an enlarged end, or com-
municating with a chamber, as hereinbefore described, nor to permitting the
partially compressed charge to escape from such chamber round the piston through
a port or ports formed in the cylinder, save and except when used in conjunction
with our peculiar construction of piston.
We claim as our Invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent,-
1st. The general arrangement and construction of gas motor engine wherein the
air and gas mixture is admitted in suitable proportions into one end of the cylinder
and slightly compressed for the purpose of operating a loose piston, substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying Drawing.
2nd. In a gas motor engine the construction of a piston in two parts, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated on the
accompanying Drawing.
3rd. Expelling the exploded or consumed gases in a gas motor engine by the use
and application of a loose piston, as hereinbefore described and illustrated on the
accompanying Drawing.
4th. In a gas motor engine the use and application of a loose piston for assisting
in drawing in the fresh mixture of gas and air, substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated on the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, we, the said
Bickerton, have hereunto set our
day of September, in the year of
and nights
Samuel Bickerton and Henry Nield
hands and seals, this Twenty seventh
our Lord One thousand eight hundred
(L.S.)
SAM BICKERTON.
HENRY NIELD BICKERTON. (L.S.)