Improvements in Oil Engines for Marine and Vehicular Propulsion.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Aug., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 22nd May, 1897-Accepted, 26th June, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Oil Engines for Marine and Vehicular
Propulsion.
I JAMES STEPHENS of Stonehouse in the County of Gloucester Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is, to so arrange the mechanism of the engines that
vibration of the boat or vehicle may be prevented.
In carrying out this invention I construct two cylinders which I fit with trunk
pistons. These I fix with their open ends facing each other, and in the same axial
line. The aforesaid pistons I connect to each other, and I fix the cylinders at such a
distance from each other that a cross-head pin passing through the piston connection
midway between the two pistons, may not strike the open ends of the cylinders in
making its stroke. A double or forked connecting rod couples the cross-head pin
to a crank in a crank shaft fixed beyond the closed end of one of the cylinders.
I construct a duplicate pair of cylinders and other parts like the above, which actuate
the before named crank shaft by means of a crank at an angle of 180° to the first named
crank.
The cycle of operations in each cylinder, which require two revolutions of the crank
shaft to perform, are, induction of the explosive charge, compression, ignition, and
exhaust. These operations may be performed by means of any well known valve
gear so arranged that a propulsive effort is exerted on each of the four pistons
successively so that two impulses may be given to the crank shaft at each
revolution.
It will be seen from the foregoing description, that equal masses of metal
composing the moving parts having a reciprocating motion, are moving in opposite
directions at the same time and so counterbalance each other and secure immunity
from vibration in the engines.
Dated this 25th day of August 1896.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Oil Engines for Marine and Vehicular
Propulsion.
I JAMES STEPHENS of Stonehouse in the County of Gloucester, 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 :-
The object of this invention is, to so arrange the mechanism of the engine that
vibration of the boat or vehicle may be prevented.
In carrying out this invention I construct two cylinders which I fit with trunk

page_text: pistons. These I fix with their open ends facing each other and in the same axial
line. The aforesaid pistons I connect to each other, and I fix the cylinders at such
a distance from each other that a cross-head pin passing through the piston
connection midway between the two pistons, may not strike the open ends of the
cylinders in making its stroke. A double or forked connecting rod couples
the cross-head pin to crank in a crank shaft which revolves in bearings beyond the
closed end of one of the cylinders. I construct a duplicate pair of cylinders and
other parts like the above, which actuate the before named crank shaft by means of
a crank arranged at an angle of 180° to the first named crank.
The cycle of operations in each cylinder, (which require two revolutions of the
crank shaft to perform) are, induction of the explosive charge, compression, ignition,
and eduction of the products of combustion. These operations may be performed by
means of any well known valves and valve gear, so arranged that a propulsive effort
is exerted on each of the four pistons successively, so that two impulses may be given
to the crank shaft at each revolution.
It will be seen from the foregoing description, that equal masses of metal
composing the moving parts of the engine having a reciprocating motion are moving
in opposite directions at the same time, and so counterbalance each other and secure
immunity from vibration in the engine.
The mode of carrying out this invention will be better understood by reference
to an accompanying drawing, showing the parts necessary to the illustration of this
invention, in which A. B. C. D. are the cylinders in section, fitted with the
pistons E. F. and G. H. having cross-head pins I. J. passing through them, and
connecting rods K. K¹ and L. L connecting them to cranks M and N arranged at
an angle of 180° to each other in the crank shaft O. The cycle of operations
performed by this arrangement, are, the explosive charge is drawn into the cylinder A
by the piston E at the down stroke, and at the return stroke of the piston it is
compressed, while at the same time an explosive charge is being drawn into cylinder B
by piston F. At the commencement of the next down stroke the compressed charge
in the cylinder A is ignited and propels the piston to the end of its stroke, and at
the same time the charge in the cylinder B is compressed hy the piston F, and an
explosive charge is drawn into cylinder C by the piston G. At the next return
stroke the products of combustion are expelled from cylinder A by the piston E,
the compressed charge in cylinder B is ignited and propels the piston F to the end of
its stroke, the explosive charge in cylinder C is compressed by piston G, and an
explosive charge is drawn into cylinder D by the piston H, thus completing the cycle
of operations during two revolutions of the crank shaft.
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
In an oil engine the arrangement of the parts having a reciprocating motion so
that equal weights may be moving in opposite directions at the same time, and that
while they counterbalance each other, produce two propulsive efforts on the crank shaft
at each revolution, substantially as drawn and described.
Dated this 21st da..
M1907
JAMES STEPHENS.