IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS ENGINES
Year: 1884

page_text: .:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
.0
I, HERBERT GUTHRIE of 22, Lime Grove, Longsight, near Manchester, in the,
county of Lancaster, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for :
IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS ENGINES to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention mainly consists of a peculiar mode of injecting cool 'air into '
the cylinders of gas engines with the object of preventing over-heating without
loss of so much effective power by the, conduction of heat through the walls.
as is usually caused by water jacketing, radiating fins or similar expedients.
The air thus injected to form part of the charge for generating the dynamic.
power.
To accomplish this. I prefer to use a piston of the. plunger type, the plunger;
portion being a sufficiently loose fit in the cylinder to form a small annular
space between it and the walls. Into this annular space I inject a part or the
whole of the air used for the charge; and to do this in the most effective way
I cause the injection to flow through a port or ports annularly situated in that
part of the cylinder close to the packed or working part of the piston and root of
the plunger so that the cool air thus introduced shall flow from the working parts
along the annular space to the combustion end and carry back with it the greater
portion of the heat conducted and radiated therefrom..
In carrying out this invention it is necessary that the gas and air be supplied by.
separate pumps, and through separate channels so as to prevent any combustion
going on in the annular space between the plunger and the walls of the cylinder ;
but a portion of the air may be led to the gas port near the combustion end of the
cylinder so as to mix with the gas as it enters and promote combustion.
To prevent loss of heat at the combustion end of the cylinder I prefer to have
a lining, insulated from the outer casing by some non-conducting material such as
asbestos or silica cotton, and, as this lining formes no portion of the working part.
of the cylinder, it may be, formed cheaply without much turning or fitting. A.
further object of this insulated lining, at the combustion. end is to accumulate
sufficient heat and maintain, a degree of incandescence sufficient to secure the
ignition of the charge as it enters: thús superceeding the ordinary igniting valve
with all its complicated gear. To secure the ignition of the charge in the starting
of the engine, and untill the above conditions obtain, any of the well known
expedients may be resorted to, such as the electric spark from a battery or electro.
accumulator charged by the dynamic energy of the engine itself; or by an incan-
descent wire heated from similar sources. Or it may be secured by the incandescence
of a small tube running through a portion of the combustion end of the cylinder
and heated by a small regenerative gas burner within the tube, but not in direct.
communication with the interior of the cylinder.

page_text: I, HERBERT GUTHRIE of 22, Lime Grove,, Longsight, near Manchester, in the
county of Lancaster, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my, invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS ENGINES, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say :-
This Invention mainly consists of a particular mode of injecting cool air into the
cylinders of Gás engines with the object of preventing over-heating without the
loss of so much effective power by the conduction of heat through the walls as is
usually caused by water jacketing, radiating fins or similar expedients. The air
thus injected to form part of the charge for generating the dynamic power. To
accomplish this I prefer to use a piston of the plunger type, the plunger portion
being a sufficiently loose fit in the cylinder to form a small annular space between
it and the walls. Into this annular space I.inject a part or the whole of the air
used for the charge; and to do this in the most efficient way I cause the injection
to flow through a port or ports annularly situated in that part of the cylinder close
to the packed or working part of the piston and root of the plunger, so that the cool
air thus introduced shall flow from the working parts along the annular space to
the combustion end, and carry back with it the greater. portion of the heat con-
ducted and radiated therefrom, all dust also being effectually driven back from the
working parts.
In carrying out this invention it is necessary that the Gas and Air be supplied
by separate pumps and through separate channels so as to prevent any combustion
going on in the annular space between the plunger and the walls of the cylinder;
but a portion of the air may-be-led-to-the-gas-port-near-tho-combustion-end-of-the
cylinder so as to mix with the gas as it enters and promote combustion.
To prevent loss of heat at the combustion end of the cylinder I prefer to have
a lining insulated from the outer casing by some nonconducting material such as
asbestos or silica cotton. A further object of this insulated lining at the com-
bustion end is to accumulate sufficient heat and maintain a degree of incandescence
sufficient to secure the ignition, of the charge as it enters; thus superseding the
ordinary igniting valve with all its complicated gear.
To secure the ignition of the charge in the starting of the engine, and until the
above conditions obtain, any of the well known expedients may be resorted to,
such as the electric spark from a battery, or electro accumulator charged by the
dynamic energy of the engine itself; or by an incandescent wire heated from a
similar source; or it may be secured by the incandescence of a small tube running
through a portion of the combustion end of the cylinder, and heated by a small
regenerative gas burner within the tube, but not in direct communication with the
interior of the cylinder.
Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1., is a longitudinal section through the pump
line. A, is the air pump piston, with a prolongation of a smaller diameter B,
serving the purpose of a gas pump as well as a guide for the larger piston,
C, and D, are respectively the air and gas valves connected by levers and rods
.4
If

page_text: and actuated by the same cam or eccentric motion. E, and F, are the inlets to
these valves; and G, and H, the portways leading to the cylinder. These valves
are shewn in the closed position they should have during compression and together
with the piston and plunger are just about to open communication and inject the "
compressed charge. I, is an ordinary exhaust valve actuated by an eccentric and
rod in the usual manner.
Fig. 2, is an end view with reference figures corresponding to the other
drawings.
Fig. 3, is a plan shewing the power cylinder and part of the pumps in section,
and a top view of the other part of the pumps with their valves. J. and K, is the
piston of the power cylinder, the latter being a separable part, for the double
purpose of insulation and being able of renewal. L, is a small passage whereby a
portion of the injected air may be led to mix with the gas with the object before
described. The cylinder lining is made conical with the objects of allowing for
easy fitting and tightening up after any contraction which might take place from
the continued high temperature. The insulating packing, besides serving the
purpose of insulation also serves the purpose of a cushion upon which the lining
may expand without over-straining the outer casing. The insulations and packing
are sectioned with dots. The reference letters in the different figures correspond
throughout.
Having now. particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1st The annular injection of cool air near the working parts in such a manner as
to collect and carry back to the combustion end the waste heat and harmful dust
tending towards those working parts, as herein before described.
2nd The separate gas and air pumps in combination with. their independent
entrances to the power cylinder at oposite ends, as herein before described.
Dated this 11th day of March 1885