Improvements in Gas and Hydrocarbon Motor Engines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 27th July, 1892-Accepted, 10th Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas and Hydrocarbon Motor Engines.
ROBERT ABRAM LEE 76 High Holborn London W.C. Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
--
My invention consists of improvements in the admission of the gas or oil spray &
arrangement of governors & valves for this purpose; also a self contained silencing
chamber for the exhaust.
The engine may be of single or double acting & either non compression or
compression type.
To a rotary shaft worked by the motion of the piston I attach a hinged tube or
cage, made capable of being elevated or depressed from a horizontal position to an
angle of about 75 degrees, this cage or tube is open or cut away on the lower side
about one third of its diameter & a length equal to about one & a half times its
diameter, in this cage or tube I insert a metal ball fitting easily & free to run up &
down; the cage being inclined at an angle & revolving with the shaft the hall
rests, in its normal position, at the end of the cage nearest the shaft; & at a
defined position comes in contact with a knife edge circular path, which is
connected to the gas valve, depressing this & the valve admitting gas to the
cylinder.
Should the speed of the engine exceed its defined rate, centrifugal force causes
the ball to run out to the end of the cage which is provided with a spring to
prevent any tendency of the ball to stay too long at this end. When the ball
is at the end of the cage it misses the circular path & does not open the gas
valve, the effect being a reduction of speed & consequent return of the ball to
its normal position. In compression engines the ball would pass the path (either
to hit or miss) at each alternate revolution of the crank shaft; & the shaft working
the air & exhaust valves would carry the governor, but when it is desired to get
great regularity of speed of engine under varying loads, I gear the governor to
revolve at equal speed with the crank shaft & attach to the circular path an
additional path made to spring out at one revolution, & held in the way of the
ball by a cam at the next revolution; so that it causes it to miss the path which
opens the gas valve when the piston is on the explosion stroke, but opens it
(when required) on the suction stroke. In another arrangement I dispense with
the tube or cage & attach the ball to a rod hinged on to the rotary shaft & having
fixed to it a projecting arm or roller to come in contact with the path when
required to open the valve. The gas valve opens direct into the explosion
chamber & is placed over the air valve to ensure the gas & air properly mixing;
the air & exhaust valves are opened by levers & cams in the usual manner.
The base of the engine is made hollow & such part of it as is not occupied by
moving parts is boxed in (& filled with pebbles) into which the exhaust is
discharged before going to the exhaust pipe.
Dated this 26th day of October 1891.

page_text: Improvements in Gas and Hydrocarbon Motor Engines.
ROBERT ABRAM Lee 76 High Holborn London W.C. 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 consists of improvements in the admission of the gas or oil spray
and arrangement of governors and valves for this purpose. Also a self contained
silencing chamber for the exhaust.
The engine may be single or double action, and either compression or non-
compression type.
To a rotary shaft, worked by the motion of the piston, I attach a hinged tube or
cage made capable of being elevated and depressed from a horizontal position to an
angle of about 75 degrees, this cage or tube is open or cut away, on the lower side
about one third of its diameter, and a length equal to about one & a half (1) times
its diameter. In this cage or tube I insert a ball free to run up & down.
The cage being inclined at an angle and revolving with the shaft. The ball
rests in its normal position at the end of the cage nearest the shaft, and at
a defined position comes in contact with a knife edge circular path, which is
connected to the gas valve, depressing this & the valve admitting gas to the
cylinder.
Should the speed of the engine exceed its defined rate, centrifugal force causes
the ball to run out to the end of the cage, which is provided with a spring to
prevent any tendency of the ball to stay too long at this end. When the ball is at
this end of the cage it misses the circular path & does not open the gas valve; the
effect being a reduction of speed & consequent return to its normal position. In
compression engines the ball would pass the path (either to hit or miss) at each
alternate revolution of the crank shaft, and the shaft working the air & exhaust
valves would carry the governor. When it is desired to get great regularity of
speed of engine under varying loads, I gear the governor to revolve at equal speed
with the crank shaft, and attach to the circular path an additional path made to
spring out at one revolution and held in the way of the ball at the next revolution,
so that it causes it to miss the path which opens the gas valve when the piston is
on the explosion stroke, but opens it (when required) on the suction stroke. In
another arrangement I dispense with the tube or cage and attach the ball to a rod
hinged on to the rotary shaft and having fixed to it a projecting arm or roller to
come in contact with the path when required to open the valve. The gas valve
opens direct into the explosion chamber and is placed over the air valve to ensure
the gas and air mixing properly.
The air and exhaust valves are opened by levers & cams in the usual manner.
The base of the engine is made hollow and such part as is not occupied by the
moving parts is boxed in (and filled with pebbles) into which the exhaust is
discharged before going to the exhaust pipe.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure'l is an elevation of the governor & Figure 2 a plan of the same.
The shaft for working the valves is shown broken & and marked A. B is a long
collar with projecting arms b 1. D is the cage, E the ball, F is a connecting link
hinged on to the cage & also on to the sleeved nut C which screws up & down B;
by means of this nut C, the cages is elevated or depressed as required. G is a
sliding bracket carrying the pathway g 1, this slides on the shaft A & pin K. I is
an adjusting screw to take up wear, J is the spindle of the gas valve carried
by frame L (shown broken off) and kept in position by the spring M.

page_text: In a hydrocarbon or oil engine the pathway is attached to a pump plunger, and
the ball passing over this pathway actuates the pump.
Having now particularly described & 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:
1st. In a gas motor engine the governor arrangement consisting of a ball in a
tube or cage, capable of being elevated and depressed & acting on a pathway for
operating the admission of gas substantially as described.
2nd. In an oil motor engine the governor arrangement with a pump plunger and
pump attached in the place of the valve rod J.
3rd. The general combination of parts forming my improvements in gas and
oil motor engines substantially as described; and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 27th day of July 1892
ROBERT ABRAM LEE.