Improvements in Gas Motor Engines.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Jan., 1887
Complete Left, 13th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 15th Nov., 1887
[Communicated from abroad by THE GAS MOTOREN-FABRIK DEUTZ, of Deutz on
the Rhine, in the German Empire, Manufacturers.]
Improvements in Gas Motor Engines.
1, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-;
This invention relates to gas motor engines of the "Otto" type, wherein a single
acting cylinder is made to operate with a cycle of four strokes, namely drawing in a
combustible charge, compressing the same, firing and expanding and expelling the
products of combustion.
According to the present invention four such single acting cylinders of the "Otto"
type are combined to form one engine having a single crank shaft, the cycles of
operation in the four cylinders being so timed, that at every semi revolution of the
crank shaft one of the cylinders is performing its working outstroke, and consequently
there is a practically continuous impulse imparted to the crank shaft by the combined
action of the four cylinders, resulting in a very uniform motion of the engine.
For this purpose the four cylinders are arranged in pairs lying in one and the
same plane on opposite sides of the crank shaft, the piston of one cylinder of each
pair being connected to the same crank (or to a crank having the same position) as
the piston of the opposite cylinder of the other pair. Assuming the two cranks to
which the four piston rods are connected as described to lie in the same position on
one side of the engine shaft so that the two crank pins have one and the same axial
line, the pistons of the pair of cylinders on one side of the crank shaft will be
situated at the end of their outstroke when those of the other pair are situated at the
end of their instroke.
The ports, valve gear and firing device of each cylinder are arranged and operate
in the manner usual with engines of the Otto type, and are actuated respectively by
cams on countershafts driven from the engine shaft at half its speed, and the cams

page_text: are so arranged on the several countershafts that the action of the four cylinders,
which I will designate by Nos. I II III and IV, will take place as follows; assuming
that I and II are the two opposite cylinders coupled to one crank, and III and IV
those on the other crank.
ETH SEMI REVOLUTION.
I Compressing, II Charging, II Working, IV Expelling.
In the first described arrangement, weights would be provided in the fly wheels for
balancing the momentum of the cranks and moving parts; in the second arrange-
ment, the moving parts, being always in two diametrically opposite positions, would
sufficiently balance each other without weights.
The above described construction of engine would also offer the advantage that the
crank shaft and crank pins need not be materially stronger than in a single cylinder
motor engine giving one fourth the power, nor need the flywheels be heavier.
The power of the engine can be regulated by a governor acting upon a sliding cam
either formed with an incline whereby the gas inlet valve is kept open a longer or
shorter time so as to increase or decrease the quantity of combustible gas in the
explosive charges, as described in Patent No. 2081 of 1876 or the regulation may
be effected as described in Patent No. 491 of 1877 where, when the normal speed of
the engine was exceeded, the gas supply valve was kept entirely closed by the
sliding cam, while at other times it was always opened thereby so as to admit a
uniform proportion of combustible gas. The gas supply pipe may be conveniently
brought between the two cylinders of each pair, and branch off right and left to
these.

page_text: In the case where the charge of the engine is admitted through a lift valve there
may be applied in addition to either of the above modes of regulation, an arrange-
ment whereby the power of the engine may be increased or decreased at will as may
be required for the time being. For this purpose there are provided on the cam
shaft two or more cams situated side by side, one or other of which acts upon a lever
that works the inlet valve. This lover is provided with an antifriction roller that can
be shifted on the pin of the lever so as to bring opposite one or other of the said
cams, and these cams are so formed that one thereof will keep the inlet valve open
during the whole of the charging stroke when the engine is required to work at full
power, while the other or others are so formed that it or they will only keep the valve
open during part of the stroke, thus increasing the volume of the combustible charge,
when the engine is required to work with reduced power.
In this case, the inlet valve being closed before the piston has arrived at the end
of its stroke, the charge will be to a certain extent rarified, and will consequently also
be compressed to a somewhat less degree during the return stroke.
The uniform action of the engine will not be interfered with by this means as
there will be no reduction of the number of impulses, but only of the power
developed thereby.
Although I have spoken throughout of the use of combustible gas, it is to be
understood that this engine may be worked with combustible vapour instead of gas.
Dated this 25th day of January 1887.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: improvements in Gas Motor Engines.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, 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 relates to gas motor engines of the "Otto" type wherein a single
acting cylinder is made to operate with a cycle of four strokes namely drawing in a
combustible charge, compressing the same, firing and expanding, and expelling the
products of combustion.
"
According to the present invention four such single acting cylinders of the "Otto'
type aro combined to form one engine having a single crank shaft, the cycles of
operation in the four cylinders heing so timed, that at every semi-revolution of the
crank shaft one of the cylinders is performing its working outstroke, and consequently
there is a practically continuous impulse imparted to the crank shaft by the combined
action of the four cylinders, resulting in a very uniform motion of the engine.
I will proceed to describe the arrangement and working of an engine constructed
according to the above described invention with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which Fig. 1 shews a cross section of the engine. Fig. 2 a part side
elevation and part longitudinal section and Fig. 3 a sectional plan. On opposite
sides of the crank shaft A are arranged two pairs of cylinders C, C, and C3, C4, the
piston rods B of each pair of cylinders being connected to one and the same crank
as shown, and both cranks being either situated in the same plane, and on the
same side of the shaft as shewn on the drawings so that the pistons each two cylinders
on one and the same side of the crank shaft perform their strokes, together or the two
cranks may be situated diametrically opposite each other, as shewn in the modified
arrangement at Figs. 4 and 5.
'
The action of each cylinder during the cycle of four strokes is as follows:-
When the piston is at the end of its instroke, a space exists between it and the
end of the cylinder which is filled with the combustion-products of the previous
explosion. In performing its outstroke the piston draws in a charge of combustible
gas and air, entering through the inlet valve E. The gas enters for this purpose
through the regulating valve Finto a horizontal pipe G in which it mixes intimately
with the air entering below, and from which it passes into the cylinder through the
valve E when this is opened by a cam on a countershaft at the commencement of the
outstroke.
Each two cylinders C₁ C³ and (² (4 are supplied with gas from the same supply
pipe G, which branches to either side from the central inlet. When the piston
arrives at end of outstroke, the cylinder is closed, so that by the following instroke,
the charge is compressed.
When the piston has arrived at the end of the compressing instroke the compressed
charge is ignited by means of the igniting slide H, the piston being made to perform
its working outstroke by the force of the resulting explosion and to transmit the
power produced to the crankshaft. Towards the end of the stroke the discharge
valve J'is opened so as to allow the products of combustion to escape during the
expelling stroke.
These several operations are repeated in the four cylinders of the arrangement

page_text: shewn at Figs. 1, 2 and 3 during four consecutive semi revolutions of the crank
shaft in the following order:

page_text: With the arrangement shewn at Figs. 1 to 3, the weights of the cranks and
connecting rods will have to be balanced by compensating weights in the fly wheels,
while in the arrangement at Figs. 4 and 5 the parts are approximately balanced
without weights.
In both arrangements the valve gear of the engine is driven from a countershaft
parallel with the cylinder axis which by means of suitable mechanical devices actuates
the inlet and discharge valves and the ignition slide.
The governing of the engine may be effected by means of a centrifugal governor
acting upon the gas regulating valve in such manner that, as described in the
specification to patent No. 2081 of 1876, first a charge of air and then a mixture
of gas and air being drawn into the cylinder, the governor is made to acl upon a
sliding cam with incline so that the quantity of gas in such mixture is increased or
decreased thereby according to the speed of the engine.
Or the regulation may be effected as described in the specification to patent No. 491
of 1877 where, the charge of gas and air mixture being always maintained of the
same proportions, the governor is made to cut off the gas supply entirely when the
engine runs too fast, so that only a charge of air is drawn into the cylinder during
one or more charging strokes.
In addition to these modes of regulation, the arrangement shewn at Figs. 6 and 7
may used in combination with either of them for varying the power of the engine.
The inlet valve J is in this arrangement opened at the commencement of each charging
stroke by means of a lever K actuated by one or other of two cams N on the counter-
shaft, so as to allow combustible mixture to enter the cylinder.
The cams are formed with dwells of different lengths so that according as the lover
is actuated by the one or the other, the valve will be held open thereby for a longer
or shorter time, so that a larger or smaller charge of combustible mixture will be
admitted. With this mode of regulation, the inlet valve will consequently be closed
before the end of the charging stroke, so that from such moment of closing to the
end of the stroko a certain rarefaction of the charge will be effected.
On the return stroke the diminished charge is compressed and then fired by the
igniting slide in the usual manner.
For causing the valve lever K. to be acted upon by either the one cam N or the
other, as may be required, it is provided with a pin on which is a roller that can be
shifted thereon by a sliding rod so as to face either cam, of which there may of
courso be more than two if necessary.
When the lever is acted upon by the cam having the shorter dwell so as to admit a
reduced charge, the engine will work with reduced power. The uniform character of
the action of the engine will not be affected by such reduction of the charges, as it
would be in the case of the entire suppression of one or more combustible charges.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
In a gas motor engine of the kind herein referred to, the combination of four
working cylinders, with a coinmon crank shaft A, the cranks of which either lie in
the same plane on the same side of the shaft, as described with reference to Figs. 1, 2,
and 3 of the drawings, or are diametrically opposite each other, as described with
reference to Figs. 4 and 5, the two opposite cylinders having their pistons connected
to one and the same crank pin, substantially as and for the purposes described.
Dated this 12th day of October 1887.