IMPROVE- MENTS IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, WILLIAM JOHN RODGERSON 33 Brunswick Street Gateshead, in the County of
Durham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES to be as follows:-
Improved Methods of Igniting the gaseous charge in a gas engine; a method of
heating the gaseous charge before ignition, of flushing the interior of the engine at
the end of the stroke, and a new method of governing the quantity and quality of
the gaseous charge; together with the general arrangement of the various parts.
The arrangement I adopt in a Single Acting Gas Engine is as follows:-
I arrange two cylinders side by side, one of which is cooled with a water-
jacket (herinafter called the power cylinder); the other cylinder has a jacket, (for
heating the gaseous charge), which jacket is in connection with interior of the
power cylinder, and round which the products of combustion circulate. This
cylinder is herinafter called the "Charging Cylinder."
Inside the power cylinder is a piston which is of such a length in the body that
when the piston is at the end of its instroke, the front end of the piston shall cover
a hole, which is cast in the side of the cylinder for the purpose of carrying the
permanent igniting flame.
The front piston Rod is a continuation of this piston only much smaller in
diameter, being, with the piston, hollow, and provided with holes which communicate
with the interior of the piston; at the back end of this piston is another hollow
Rod smaller in diameter, and provided with slots at its further extremity. The
holes in the front end of the piston are for the purpose of sucking in air (when the
piston is moveing backward) in the piston, and in the annular space in front, by
means of suitable valves in the cylinder or its cover, and after ignition on its
foreward stroke, these valves close and the air is thus compressed in the annular
space in front, and in the piston, untill it has gone nearly to the end of its
outstroke, when it uncovers the exhaust ports and allows the products of
combustion to pass round the charging cylinder,' and at the same time bringing
the slots in the back piston Rod into the interior of the cylinder, thus allowing the
compressed air to escape and completely flushing the cylinder. This Rod works in
a long stopped pipe, projecting from the cover, with a gland on its open end, for
compressing packing and to make the joint gas-tight.
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page_text: 2
The igniting chamber is cast in this piston, as near the end as possible, having
regard to the gas-tightness of piston, and is supplied for the first part of the back-
stroke with gas from the meter, and is-lighted by the permanent flame at about the
beginning of the stroke; this is kept up by means of gas entering thro suitable
slots in the cylinder and piston, untill near the end of the stroke, when the gas is
cut off and a small port is opened into the gaseous charge in the cylinder; this
takes up the flame and feeds it with the gaseous mixture; until the end of the
stroke, when the igniting chamber in the piston comes opposite a similar slot cut
in the cylinder, communicating with the charge and thus ignites the charge.
This piston is connected by a connecting Rod to the Crank Shaft, the Cranks
of which (the power cylinder and the charging cylinder, Cranks) are set at about
right angles, that of the charging cylinder being in advance of the power cylinder
Crank.
The charging cylinder acts as a pump acting from one end, and, on the instroke,
its piston draws in a mixture of gas and air, thro a suitable valve, and forces them
into the power cylinder, thro another valve, which is loaded sufficiently to enable
it to keep its seat, untill the power cylinder has closed the exhaust ports.
The governing gear is so arranged that on the balls opening, the spindle closes or
nearly closes, the opening in the air inlet valve, by means of slots in a circular
Disc, and at the same time by means of a taper plug, nearly closes in a proportional
degree the opening in the gas supply pipe.
In applying this invention to a double acting engine I double all the gas ways
in the power piston but use the same igniting flame for both ends, I also use
a separate cylinder in order to compress the air for flushing out the power cylinder
and make the charging pump Double-acting.
The gas and air inlet valve is made in three parts, viza mixing valve, and
two lift valves of the ordinary type.
Dated this 24th day of Ionunu 1001

page_text: I, WILLIAM JOHN RODGERSON of 33 Brunswick Street Gateshead in the County
of Durham Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The arrangement I adopt in a single acting Gas Engine, is as follows:-
I arrange two Cylinders side by side, one of which may be water jacketed, called
herinafter the Power Cylinder, the other cylinder also has a Jacket, which is in
connection with the Interior of the power cylinder, and round which the products.
of combustion circulate, this cylinder is herinafter called the charging cylinder.
Inside the Power Cylinder is a Piston which is of such a length in the body, that,
when the Piston is at the end of its instroke the front end of the Piston shall cover
a hole, which is in the side of the Power Cylinder, for the purpose of carrying a
permanent flame for igniting the charge of gas & air etc. The Piston Rod is
connected to this piston, and is of a large diameter, and hollow, and provided with
holes which communicate with the interior of the piston, this rod may also be made
solid, the holes in such a case being in the front of the piston. At the back end
of this piston is another hollow Rod, generally smaller in diameter than the
herinbefore mentioned Rod, at the front end of the said piston, and provided with
holes at its further extremity. The holes berinbefore mentioned in the front end
of the piston, or rod, are for the purpose of sucking air (when the piston is moving
on its instroke) into the piston and into the annular space in front, by means of
suitable valves in the Cylinder or its Cover; and after ignition, on its foreward
stroke, these valves close and the air is thus compressed in the annular space in
front, and in the Piston, untill it has travelled nearly to the end of its outstroke ;
when it uncovers the exhaust ports and allows the products of combustion to
circulate round the charging Cylinder; and at the same time brings the slots in the
back Piston Rod into the interior of the power Cylinder, thus allowing the
compressed air to escape and completely flushing the Power Cylinder. This Rod
works in a long stopped pipe projecting from the cover with a gland on its
open end, to compress packing and make an air tight joint.
The igniting chamber is cast in this piston as near the end as possible, having
due regard to gas tightness of piston, and is supplied for the first part of the
back stroke of the power piston, with gas from the meter or other supply; and is
lighted by the permanent flame at about the beginning of the instroke, this flame
is kept up by means of gas entering thro suitable slots in the cylinder, and piston,
untill near the end of the stroke when the gas is cut off, and a small port is opened
into the gaseous charge in the Cylinder; this takes up the flame and feeds it with
the gaseous mixture untill the end of the stroke, when the igniting chamber in the
piston comes opposite a similar slot cut in the cylinder, communicating with the
gaseous charge, and thus ignites the charge.
The piston is connected by a connecting Rod to the crank Shaft the cranks of
which are set at about right angles, that of the charging cylinder in advance of the
power cylinder crank.
The charging cylinder acts as a pump, acting from one end, and on the instroke
its piston draws in a mixture of gas and air through a suitable valve, and forces
them into the Power Cylinder, thro another valve which is loaded sufficiently to
enable it to keep its seat untill the power piston has closed the exhaust ports.
The governing gear is so arranged that on the balls opening or closeing, the spindle
connected thereto closes or opens in a more or less degree the opening in the

page_text: J
air inlet pipe, by means of slots in a circular diaphragm and at the same time by
means of a taper plug, closes or opens in a proportionate degree the opening in the
gas supply pipe.
In applying this invention to a double acting gas engine, I double all the
gas-ways in the power piston, but use the same igniting chamber and permanent
flame for both ends. I also use when necessary a separate cylinder in order to
compress the air required for flushing the power cylinder, and make the charging
pump double acting, the gas and air inlet valve is made in three parts, a mixing
valve, and two lift valves of the ordinary type.
יד.
I may also when convenient, remove the charging cylinder, using the front end
of the power cylinder to draw in and compress the charge, which then enters the
power cylinder by means of the holes in the end of the back piston Rod; in such a
case the flushing out of the Cylinder by compressed air may be dispensed with, the
action of igniting remaining the same.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig 1 is a sectional elevation of a single acting
Gas Motor, made in accordance with my improvements. Fig 2. is a sectional Plan
of the same, and Fig 3. is a sectional elevation of the mixing, and inlet valves.
A is the power cylinder, B is the charging cylinder, said cylinders being arranged
paralell to one another, C is the trunk piston, located in the power cylinder A being
connected with the crank A¹ by means of a connecting Rod, D is the trunk piston
located in the charging cylinder B and connected with the Disc pin B¹ by means of
an ordinary connecting Rod. The Disc pin B1 and the crank pin A¹ are usually
arranged nearly at right angles the Disc pin B¹ being in advance of the crank
pin A¹.
E is the mixing valve, and F is the inlet valve.
The gas and air, are admitted to the charging cylinder B, by the mixing valve E,
in suitable proportions. During its outstroke. They are then compressed in the
cylinder B, on the return stroke of the trunk piston D, untill the piston C in the
power cylinder A, has reached the end of its outstroke, when it uncovers the exhaust
ports a¹, allowing the products of combustion to pass through the exhaust port a¹
into the space b round the charging cylinder B. In the space A2 in the cylinder A,
air is compressed by being admitted into the space A² by the check valve a, which
valve is then closed by the spring a³. On the piston C uncovering the exhaust
port a the air compressed in the space A2, finds its way through the hole c in the
front piston Rod C₁ through the hollow piston C, and the hollow back piston Rod C²,
into the cylinder A; entering by means of holes c² in the back piston Rod C², said
holes being brought inside the power cylinder A by the action of the piston C.
This compressed air drives out the products of combustion lodging in the
cylinder A; and the inlet valve F is now lifted by the pressure of the mixed gasses
entering thro the pipe 6².
When the piston C is at the end of its outstroke, the chamber c³ comes opposite
an opening a cut in the side of the cylinder A, and in which is inserted the
permanent flame P. A hole c is bored thro the piston C, to the opposite side
of the cylinder A, where it communicates with a slot a' cut in the cylinder A, and
which communicates by means of a hole a³, with the gas supply pipe G. By these
means a supply of gas is caused to flow through the hole c', which gas is lighted by
the permanent flame P. On the piston C nearing the end of its instroke the supply
gas is cut off from the hole c, by the sudden termination of the slot a*, and the
hole c almost simultaneously comes opposite another slot a, cut in the cylinder A,
which is in communication with the charge compressed in the cylinder A.
the piston C has arrived at the end of its instroke, the edge of the chamber c³
slightly overlaps the edge of the passage a², allowing the gaseous charge to enter
the chamber c³ and communicate with the flame issuing from the hole c'; when an
explosion occurs.
of
When
The chamber c³ is ventilated by means of the suction of air thro small holes,
drilled in the side of the chamber c³, drawing off the burnt air and allowing fresh
air to come up the passage a³, and along the slot a³, up the slot c³, into the passage

page_text: or chamber c; the communication between the passage and the slot a³ is cut off
before the explosion occurs.
In Fig 3 a spindle f has a reciprocating action imparted to it, by means of an
ordinary govenor; the grooves fl on the spindle fengage with the teeth on the
pinion h which is on the vertical spindle H. On the bottom side of the spindle H
is a disc h which has slots cut in it corresponding to similar slots cut in the cover
plate h¹, and, at the upper end of the spindle H is a taper plug h² fitting in the
caseing h³; the hole h* corresponds to a hole which is in the caseing h³, and through
which the gas enters, the plug h³ is hollow and the gas when the hole in the plug h²,
is opposite the hole in the caseing h³, passes into the space f' in the valve E, and
through small holes f³, which are bored all round the seat of the valve E.
When the spindle H is caused to move by the action of the spindle f, the plug h²
& the disc ho close their respective openings in equal proportions; or open them in
the same proportions, thus causing the mixture to remain of the same strength
throughout the whole time the engine is working.
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 :-
1. The combination and arrangement of the cylinders and their ports, by means
of which a charge of air is driven through the power cylinder, flushing the
same, Substantially as hereinbefore described and Illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
2. The Method of heating the gases previous to igniting, by means of the
exhaust gases passing around the charging cylinder; Substantially as herein before
described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
3. The arrangement of piston by means of which air is compressed by the fore
part, and allowed to escape at the proper time. Substantially as herinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
4. The arrangement of ports and passages, in the piston, and in the cylinder,
by means of which a flame is carried into the power cylinder, and ignites the
charge. Substantially as herinbefore described, and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawing.
5. The method of governing the amount of gas and air entering the charging
cylinder, by means of the arrangement shewn in Fig 3 of the drawing;
Substantially as herinbefore described and illustrated in the before mentioned
drawing.
Dated this 20th day of Santambon 1001.