Year: 1896

page_text: ERNEST JOSEPH BANKS Engineer 2 Needless Alley New Street Birmingham
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
An improved oil-motor of the enclosed type, fitted with adjustable ball bearings
to the main shaft & obtaining an impulse every revolution in the following
manner:
The main shaft bearings are made air-tight by flexible washers on the inside of
crank-chamber this chamber & lower part of cylinder serve to compress air on the
downward travel of piston, (the air being previously drawn by piston rising, through
an automatic non-return valve). When the piston reaches the bottom of its
downward travel it uncovers the exhaust opening to the top part of cylinder, at
the same instant the previously compresse i air rushes in at the top expelling the
exhaust gases & filling the cylinder with explosive vapour, (the oil vapour or gas
being drawn in by the compressed air) which is compressed by piston rising & fired
by any suitable means when fully compressed. This result is obtained with only
two valves both automatic.
This motor is fitted to any cycle by clamping its cylinder parallel to front lower
tube of cycle frame (which connects bottom of steering head with bracket carrying
pedal axle) & a pinion on notor main shaft gearing into a special gear & chain
wheel combined on said pedal axle.
Another part of this invention is a combined inlet & exhaust valve which rocks
to & fro actuated by a specially shaped cam on mutor main shaft, the effect of this
rocking is to place the interior of cylinder in connection with the necessary passages
for the inlet. of explosive vapour & the outlet of exploded vapour.
1000
ERNEST JOSEPH BANKS.
1, ERNEST JOSEPH BANKS of 2 Needless Alley, New Street, Birmingham
Engineer do hereby declare the mature 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 motors of the enclosed type specially adapted for use
upon cycles and other road vehicles.
The invention consists in an improved construction and arrangement of the
motors parts, and also the casing enclosing them, which allows of the said motors
casy adaption to work directly onto the cycle crank axis, and to be clamped to the
front lower member of the cycle framing which carries it, without the necessity of
complicated gear and attachments. The said motor is designed upon a single cycle
173

page_text: principle, namely, to give an impulse every revolution of its shaft, and its construction
and fitting is so self contained and practically considered that the additional weight
and room imposed and taken up upon a cycle is extremely small. The motors
driving shaft is supported in anti-friction bearings, made air-tight by flexible discs
or washers, and fly cranks are carried thereon, disposed within the motors casing so
as to obtain a balance in the working and to help over the dead points. Only two
valves are used for the supply of the explosive charge and these arc self acting,
one of them, the primary one, opening directly into the rear part of the cyclinder
constituting the explosion chamber for the purpose of admitting the mixture
comprising the charge, and the other, the secondary one, arranged within the
crank chamber of the casing at the other end of cylinder to admit only the air into
the said chainber on the rearward movement of the piston. The construction and
fitting of the combination casing and cylinder is important, as ready access can be
obtained to the working parts of the engine in case anything should go wrong.
The invention will be fully understood by reference to the annexed sheets of
drawings, reference letters being used thereou to indicate the various parts.
On Sheet 1, by Figs. 1 and 2, the invention is illustrated, the views being
respectively a longitudinal side elevation and a section; the construction of the
combined cylinder and enclosing casing and also the disposition of the air-inlet
valve, the exhaust, and the main valve opening into the rear end of the cylinder,
being clearly defined.
On Sheet 2 a top side plan of Fig. 1 is show at Fig. 3, a rear end elevation of
the same figure at Fig. 4, and a transverse vertical section on the dotted line AB,
Fig. 2, at Fig. 5; the latter clearly illustrating the fly cranks upon the motors driving
shaft, and the way in which the latter is anti-frictionally mounted and its bearings
sealed. A diagramatic view in Fig. 6 illustrates the disposition of the motor upou
the frame of a ladies cycle.
The working parts of the motor a are enclosed within a combination cylinder and
enclosing casing a 2, consisting of a cylindrical hollow part a 3 and a hollow circular
box part a 4, the cross sectional rectangular shaped figure of which latter is shown
clearly in the sectional view Fig. 5. The hollow rectangular sectional box part a 4,
which constitutes the crank chamber wherein the cranks are situate, is made up of
two parts a 5 a 6, the one, a 5, being rigid or made in one piece with the motors
cylinder, and the other, a 6, detachably connected to the part a 5 by a flanged
connection a 7, through the medium of screw pins or bolts a 8. The part a 6, as
aforesaid, constitutes a removable end to the crank chamber, and the middle part
of its Hanged facing on both its sides is formed into a semi-circular boss a 9, which,
when the parts a5 a6 are securely fixed together, combines with like semi-circular
parts a 10, formed on both flanged sides of the part a 5, to form internally screwed
sockets for the reception of adjustable ball bearing cones or ball races c, as berein-
after more fully described. The air inlet valve d, which is a self acting one
as will be hereinafter set forth, is carried upon the lower portion of the part a 5 of
the crank chamber, and a semi-circular groove e is provided longitudinally upon its
top portion to embrace the tubular member of the cycle framing to which the
motor is attached; a like groove e 2 being also formed upon a bracket extension e 3
projecting upwards from the rear end e 4 of the cylindrical hollow portion a3 for
the same purpose.
Circumferentially surrounding the walls of the cylinder portion 3, at equi-
distances apart, are a number of ring flanges or ribs e, their purpose being to form
channels 2 for air currents, and to promote the radiation of the heat, from the
body of the cylinder, generated in consequence of the ignition of the explosive
charge.
Enclosed and working within the box part or crank chamber a 4, as aforesaid, and
with the cuds g 3 g 4 of their divided shatt g5 extending through the adjustable
cones c, as before described, and working upon balls 9 6 are fly cranks g g 2, coupled
together by a double ended screw pin g 7, to the centre part g 8 of which one end 2
of a piston rod is connected; the other end 3 of the said rod being swivelly

page_text: connected to the piston head h4, which latter reciprocates back and forth within
the hollow cylinder a 3. Each of the ends g 3 g 4, of the motors divided shaft g 5,
has upon it a collar g 9, to form a curved shoulder upon which the anti-friction
balls g 6, as aforesaid, roll; their other surface of contact being the seatings within
the cones c. The back sides g 10 of the collars 9 9 are shaped to form seatings for
the middle portions of centrally pierced flexible discs or washers ii 2, respectively
fixed to the inner walls of the crank chamber, as aforesaid, by metallic ring
clamps i3i4, through the medium of screw pins i5 iG; their purpose being to
make air tight the motors shaft within the crank chamber, so that the air while
being compressed therein shall not get away at those points.
The air inlet valve d, as hereiubefore referred to, consists of a circular part d2
standing out from the crank chamber a 4, having piercings d 3 in its face and a
yielding flap d 4 upon its inside, which latter allows the air to enter into the crank
chamber, through the piercings, but prevents its return when the said air is
compressed by the forward movement of the piston. Thus, we have disposed in
the crank chamber a pair of fly cranks, operated directly from the piston and
mounted anti-frictionally within bearings in the crank chamber casing, the said
bearings being sealed or made air-tight; and a non-return inlet valve, through
which the air is drawn, on the back stroke of the piston, for the purpose of being
mixed with the fuel for the explosive charge.
The rear end of the cylinder a 3 is closed by a cylindrical cover plate j
projecting centrally from which is a sleevej 2, having an inlet hole j3 and a coned
seating j4; an oil or gas supply j5, from a needle or other valve, being directed
onto the seating at j 6. The end of this sleeve is closed by a cap k, within the
hollow interior of which, and also that of the sleevej 2, the stalk m 2 of a valve m
works, the mushroom head m 3 thereof facing the seating j4, as aforesaid. The
action of this valve is automatic, by reason of the charge being forced into the
cylinder under pressure and by means of the spring m 4; the litter being tensioned
by lock nuts m 5.
The inlet hole j3, as aforesaid, of the socket part j2 of the rear end cover
plate j, has directed into it the one end n 2 of a communication tube n, the other
end n 3 of which is fixedly connected within a hole n4 formed through the top end
portion a 5 of the crank chamber, the purpose of the said tube being to form a
passage for the air from the crank and air compression chamber to the primary
valve upon the rear end cover plate of the cylinder.
The exhaust outlet is arranged through the cylinders walls about midway in its
length, the same consisting of a gap or slot f2 covered by a perforated hood f3,
the area of the said piercing being as great as possible without weakening the
cylinders walls.
The fuel supply j5 may be in connection with a gas or oil storage cylinder,
carried upon any part of the cycle to which the motor is fitted; the fuel preferred
being either benzoline oil or acetylene gas. Suitable means, preferably of an
electrical nature, will be provided within the rear end of the cylinder, and in connection
with the piston, for the ignition of the explosive charge at a determined time.
The motors driving shaft carries upon one of its ends a toothed pinion or its
equivalent o, for the purpose of gearing with an annulus upon the cycle crank
axis; the disposition of such pinion being illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. Thus, we
have a simplified construction of motor and casing enclosing it, working economically
upon a one cycle principle, the explosive charge having a common inlet valve; the
fuel supply being so arranged therewith that the fuel is ejected, from the supply,
directly into the explosion chamber by the pressure of the air, from the front end
of the piston, which is to form part of the explosive charge; the arrangement of
exhaust being such as to act in conjunction with the piston head and reduce the
pressure of the explosive charge to atmospheric.
The working of the motor is as follows:-Assuming the charge to have been
fully compressed and just fired, an impulse is given to the piston which reciprocates
it and forces it forward. In this movement the air previously drawn into the crank

page_text: chamber through the valve d, by the rearward movement of the piston, is now
compressed, a pressure being exerted upon the back side of the valve m 3 by way
of the communication pipe n. So long as the pressure is greater in the explosion
chamber, behind the piston, than that of the compressed air at the back of the
valve m 3, the said valve will be kept closed, but immediately the exhaust is open
to the cylinder the pressure in the interior thereof is reduced to atmospheric, which
allows of the greater pressure of the compressed air to open the valve and charge
the rear end of the cylinder with explosive mixture; the fuel being blown in and
vapourised with and by the compressed air. After the piston has reached the end
of its forward stroke it then returns, compressing the charge and closing the
valve m 3; at the same time drawing in fresh air through the valve d. When
fully compressed the charge is again fired and the same movements repeated, it
being particularly noticeable that only one valve, m 3, is opposed to the explosive
force of the charge, and that the seating of this is continually lubricated by the
forced-in air and fuel.
When applied to a gentlemans cycle the motor would preferably be arranged
upon the top side of the lower front framing bar member, but any other suitable
position upon any of the frame members may be taken.
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 motors for cycles and the like, the construction of the combination
cylinder and enclosing casing, comprising a cylindrical hollow part a 3, a hollow
box part a4 forming the crank and air compression chamber and having n
removable part, end, or cover a 6 and flanged connections a 7 and semi-circular boss
portions a 9 a 10, and grooves e, e 2, substantially as described and set forth.
Second. The arrangement construction and mounting of the fly cranks g, g 2, and
the motors driving axis 95 carrying them, within the hollow part a 4 of the
combined cylinder and enclosing casing, the same having a removable end a 6
substantially as set forth.
Third. The method and the means of sealing the motors driving shaft within the
crank chamber, substantially as described and set forth.
Fourth. The combination with the motors driving shaft 95 having collars or
enlargements formed thereon, and the casing wherein the same is mounted to
revolve, of flexible washers or discs i i2, and ring clamps i3 i 4, as set forth.
Fifth. The combination with the hollow cylinder a 3 and the hollow circular box
part a 4, fitted with a removable lid, of non-return self-acting inlet valves d
and m 3, the latter having a fuel supply directed onto its seating, and a communi-
cation passage or tube n arranged substantially as set forth.
Sixth. The combination of the cylinder part a 3, box part a 4, self-acting
valves d and m 3, communication passage n, piston head h4, and exhaust slot f2,
as set forth.
Dated this 17th day of April 1897.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
11, Burlington Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,
Also at London, Liverpool, and Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.