IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES to be as follows
Year: 1885

page_text: I CHARLES GRANTLEY BEECHEY of 17 York Street, in the City of Liverpool
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for “IMPROVEMENTS IN
GAS MOTOR ENGINES to be as follows :—
"
My invention has reference to gas motor engines in which there is a space or
clearance behind the working piston when at the end of its instroke to contain the
charge of compressed combustible mixture for the next explosion and the object of
my invention is to construct the engine so as to get an explosion at every revolution.
and so as to more effectually get rid of the products of combustion. My invention
also comprises a mode or arrangement for starting the engine.
I construct in front of, or in any other suitable position relative to, the working
cylinder another cylinder (hereinafter called the second cylinder) of the same or
(preferably) greater capacity and I provide this second cylinder with a piston
which is connected with the working piston so as to move therewith. The rear
end of the second cylinder is in communication with the source of supply of the
combustible mixture and a passage, cominunicates between the rear of the second
cylinder and the rear of the working cylinder. In the centre of the rear portion
of the working cylinder is a tube or snout which forms the exhaust outlet and at
the rear of the working piston is a recess or chamber which in the latter part of the
instroke surrounds but does not fit the said tube or snout. Valves and ports made
to open and close at the proper times for the operation of the engine as about to be
described are provided.
The action or operation is as follows: - The engine having been started in the
outstroke of the two pistons a charge of combustible mixture is drawn into the
rear end of the second cylinder by its piston. As soon as the outstroke is complete
the exhaust valve of the working cylinder and the valve in the passage between the
two cylinders are opened. During the first half or first portion of the instroke of
the two pistons the working piston forces out the products of combustion through the
central exhaust and is assisted in this by the charge of combustible mixture which
by the instroke of the second piston is being driven from the second cylinder into
the rear end of the working cylinder. When the pistons have performed about
one half of their instroke the exhaust valve is closed so that the combustible
mixture that is already in the working cylinder and that which continues to enter
it from the second cylinder become compressed in the chamber at the rear of the
TP/1

page_text: working cylinder by the completion of the instroke of the two pistons. The com-
munication between the two cylinders is then closed, the charge in the working
cylinder is ignited in any ordinary manner and the pistons thereby caused to make
their outstroke the inlet valve to the second cylinder being opened immediately
after the ignition. These operations are repeated at every revolution of the engine,
except when the action of the governor cuts off the supply of the gas, as is well
understood.
In order to prevent the combustible charge becoming mixed with the products
of combustion in the working cylinder a perforated plate or diaphragm may be
placed across the working cylinder around the exhaust tube or snout; this
will distribute the incoming combustible charge more equally over the area of the
cylinder.
For the purpose of supplying the igniting burner with mixture at a rather
greater pressure than that of the mixture in the working cylinder the communi-
cation between the two cylinders may be cut off just previous to the completion of
the instroke of the pistons so that by the completion of the stroke of the second
piston the supply to the igniting burner (when this is obtained from the second
cylinder) receives additional pressure. I make no claim however to this method
of obtaining the additional pressure at the burner as it is described, in the
Specification of former Letters Patent granted to me N° 1318 of 1882.
a
My mode or arrangement for starting is as follows:-I employ a compressed air
reservoir in which air can be compressed by the engine when previously at work;
this reservoir communicates with the exhaust outlet by a passage in which are two
valves; one of these valves is actuated by an excentric or equivalent device and
opens at the commencement of each outstroke of the pistons so long as
removable pin which acts as its tappet is in place; the other valve is a check
valve. In order to start the engine I place the crank in such a position that the
compressed air when admitted to the cylinder will force the piston outwards and
in this position the compressed air inlet valve is held open by the tappet. The
cock of the air reservoir is then opened, the air rushes through the check valve
into the working cylinder and forces the piston forward. When at about half
stroke the air inlet valve is closed by a spring or by gravity and the piston
completes its stroke by the expansion of the air already admitted to the cylinder.
The return or instroke is effected by the fly-wheel and the next outstroke should
be effected by an explosion; but if this explosion fails the tappet again opens the
compressed air inlet valve and the action is repeated. As soon as the explosions
cominence the check valve is closed because the pressure due to the explosions is
greater than that of the compressed air. The tappet can then be withdrawn.
Instead of the compressed air for starting being admitted through the exhaust
outlet it may be admitted through any other suitable passage which leads to the
working cylinder,

page_text: Improvements in Gas Motor Engines.
I CHARLES GRANTLEY BEECHEY of 17 York Street in the City of Liverpool,
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 has reference to gas motor engines in which there is a space or
clearance behind the working piston when at the end of its instroke to contain the
charge of compressed combustible mixture for the next explosion and the object of
my invention is to construct the engine so as to get an explosion at every
revolution and so as to inore effectually get rid of the products of combustion and
thereby ensure perfect combustion of the mixture thus avoiding all liability to
'premature combustion." My invention also comprises a mode or arrangement for
starting the engine.
"
---
Figure 1 of the annexed drawings is a vertical section and Figure 2 a horizontal
section (without the pistons) of the cylinders of my improved engine and the parts
immediately connected therewith, Figure 3 a transverse section on the line 1 - 1
of Figure 2 and Figure 4 a back elevation. Figure 5 is a side elevation of the
engine. Figure 6 is a vertical section through the line 2 - 2 of. Figure 5
illustrating my mode or arrangement for starting the engine.
---
A is the working cylinder, B its piston and X the clearance space or chamber
behind the piston when at the end of its instroke. In any suitable position
relative to the cylinder A I place another cylinder C which in the drawings is
placed in front of the cylinder A. The cylinder C is of the same or (preferably)
greater capacity than the cylinder A and I provide it with a piston D which is
connected with the working piston B so as to move therewith. The rear end of
the cylinder C is in communication by the port E with the source of supply of the
combustible mixture, and a passage F F provided with a valve G communicates
between the rear of the cylinder C and the rear of the working cylinder A. In
the centre of the rear portion of the cylinder A is a tube or snout H which forms
the exhaust outlet and in the rear of the working piston B is a recess or chamber I
which in the latter part of the instroke surrounds the tube or snout H.. Valves
and ports made to open and close at the proper times for the operation of the
engine as about to be described are provided.
The action or operation is as follows:-The engine having been started,―in the
outstroke of the two pistons B and D a charge of combustible mixture is drawn
through the supply valve K and port E (the valve K being opened by a rod K¹
operated from an excentric on the crank shaft or it may be a clack valve) into the
rear end of the cylinder C by its piston D. As soon as the outstroke is completed
the exhaust valve L of the cylinder B and the valve G in the passage F between
the two cylinders are opened. The valve L is operated by a bell crank L¹ which
is moved by a rod O worked by an excentric on the crank shaft; the valve G is
operated by the lever G which is moved through the intermediation of the slide
valve G¹ by the rod K' already referred to. During the first half or first portion

page_text: of the instroke of the two pistons, the piston B forces out the products of
combustion through the central exhaust H and is assisted in this by the charge of
combustible mixture which by the instroke of the piston D is being driven from
the cylinder C into the rear end of the cylinder A. When the pistons have
performed about one half of their instroke the exhaust valve L is closed so that
the combustible mixture that is already in the cylinder A and that which continues
to enter it from the cylinder C become compressed in the chamber ✗ at the rear of
the cylinder A by the completion of the instroke of the two pistons. The communi-
cation between the two cylinders is then closed by means of the valve G, the charge
in the cylinder A is ignited in any ordinary manner and the pistons thereby caused
to make their outstroke, the supply valve K to the cylinder C being opened
immediately after the ignition. These operations are repeated at every revolution
of the engine except when the action of the governor cuts off the supply of the
gas as is well understood. In order to prevent the combustible charge becoming
mixed with the products of combustion in the cylinder A, I lead the passage F into
this cylinder at an angle as seen in Figure 3 so that the incoming combustible
charge may adopt a rotary or eddying motion within the cylinder. The slide
valve G¹ before referred to is for the purpose of firing the charge; it has a burner
in it which may be supplied either from the cylinder C or the chamber X.
My mode or arrangement for starting is as follows:-I employ a compressed
air reservoir N (Figure 5) in which air can be compressed by the engine when
previously at work; this reservoir communicates with the exhaust outlet H by a
passage P in which are two valves Q and R; the valve Q is actuated from the
crank shaft by the rod O which operates the exhaust valve and is opened at the
commencement of each outstroke of the pistons B and D so long as the removable
pin S (Figures 2 and 5) which acts as its tappet is in place; the valve R is a check
valve. In order to start the engine I place the crank of the main shaft in such a
position that the compressed air when admitted from the reservoir N to the
cylinder A will force the piston B outwards and in this position the compressed air
inlet valve is held open by the tappet S pressing upon the lever S¹ which is
connected to this valve. The cock of the air reservoir N is then opened, the air
rushes through the check-valve R into the cylinder A and forces the piston B
forward. When at about half stroke the valve Q is closed by a spring Tor by
gravity and the piston B completes its stroke by the expansion of the air already
admitted to the cylinder A. The return or instroke is effected by the fly-wheel
and the next outstroke should be effected by an explosion; but if this explosion
fails, the tappet S again opens. the compressed air valve Q and the action is
repeated. As soon as the explosions commence the check valve R is automatically
closed the pressure due to the explosions being greater than that of the compressed
air. The tappet S can then be withdrawn. Instead of the compressed air for
starting being admitted through the exhaust outlet H it may be adinitted through
any other suitable passage which leads to the cylinder A, but I prefer to admit it
through the exhaust outlet, because it will then be in front of the combustible
charge and will not tend to weaken the mixture and thus prevent ignition. Instead
of the reservoir N being supplied with compressed air it may contain compressed
products of combustion from the engine or compressed combustible mixture.
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 in respect of gas motor engines is
1. In a gas motor engine having a working cylinder with piston and with a
clearance space or chamber behind the piston and having a second cylinder with
piston which moves with the working piston, I claim a central exhaust outlet in
the form of a tube or snout projecting into the working cylinder through which
outlet the exhaust products are driven by the working piston during the first
portion of its instroke assisted by the charge of combustible mixture which is being
forced into the rear of the working cylinder, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 2. The combination with the cylinder A having a piston B and a chamber or
clearance space X and with the cylinder C having a piston D moving with the
piston B, of the port E, passage F, valve G, tube or snout H, piston recess I and
valve all arranged and acting substantially as set forth and shown.
3. The arrangement set forth for starting gas motor engines, said arrangement
consisting of a reservoir of compressed air or other gas in communication by a
passage with the working cylinder of the engine, a compressed air (or gas) valve
and a check valve in said passage, and a removable tappet which when in place is
operated from the engine and opens the said compressed air or gas valve, substantially
as described.
4. Constructing gas motor engines as bereinbefore described and shown in the
drawings.
J. C. MEWBURN,
169, Fleet Street, London,
Agent.