Improvements in Gas Engines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 10th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 16th Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas Engines.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM LANCHESTER, of 13 Bedford Row, London, W.C.
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in the type of gas engines described in the
Specification of Patent No. 19868 of 1889 granted to me and it consists in various
improved details applicable to that type of engine and in some cases to other types
of engine.
One part of the invention relates to improvements in the governing valve
described in that Specification which valve acts by change in the rate of flow of the
compressed gases which passing into a chamber causing the valve to cut off flame
communication between the contents of the cylinder and the igniter tube. My
improvement is intended to make the valve more rapid and sensitive in its governing
action by reducing its weight and increasing the rate of its fall under the action of
gravity by adding to or aiding the pull of gravity by the pull of a permanent
or other magnet. In one mode of carrying the invention into effect I attach a
permanent magnet of the double bar or horse shoe type under the valve in such
manner that the magnet attracts the valve which is then made preferably of soft
wrought iron and I vary the pull of the magnet upon the valve either by adjusting
and varying the distance of the poles from the valve or by sliding between the
poles in contact with both bars, a wrought iron keeper piece. The position of this
keeper piece relative to the poles determines the amount of attraction which the
magnet is allowed to exercise. Suitable graduations and stops are provided to
enable the speed of the engine to be varied by varying the position of the sliding
keeper piece.
When the engine is out of action it preferred to place the keeper piece at the
extremity of the magnet poles so as to enable the magnet to retain its intensity
without change.
According to another part of my invention I improve the construction of the
automatic inlet gas and air valve in the following manner:-The valve of the
conical seated type with gas holes in the seat and instead of constructing such
valve seats in the ordinary manner with a uniform upper and lower seat below the
gas holes, I cut away the seat at its lower part leaving only sufficient valve seat
face around each hole to keep gas tight when the valve is closed. The valve face
thus consists of an upper face with lower projections or reticulations in which the
gas holes are placed. This arrangement of reticulated valve seat prevents incon-
venience from leakage back from the engine cylinder by allowing any such leakage
free access to the air inlet pipe without any undue tendency to blow back into
the gas supply pipe. In some cases I cut a groove round the upper part of the seat
above the gas holes and provide apertures opening from this groove to the passage
and in this manner I entirely prevent, if desired, any leakage from the cylinder
from finding a passage into the gas pipe. This method is also applicable to any seat
dividing the gas supply pipe or channel from the explosion chamber.
Another part of this invention relates to the automatic exhaust valve described
in my Specification No. 19868 of 1889 and it consists in the addition of a blow off
valve attached to the exhaust chamber from which the exhaust valve piston is
operated. This blow off valve is intended to relieve any undue pressure which
might be produced in that chamber by leakage from the cylinder through the
exhaust valve. Such leakage if considerable might open the exhaust valve at a
wrong time.
The blow off valve is loaded by spring, lever, weight or in any other
convenient and suitable manner.

page_text: Another improvement is intended to prevent the action of freezing from bursting
the cylinders or back covers of gas engines and it consists in introducing into the
water space a closed piece of collapsible tube which gives way or is compressed
when the water in the water jacket freezes and by giving way prevents any bursting
action of the expanding ice upon the cylinder or other space enclosed by metal walls.
The tube may be of lead tin or other material, rubber for example may be adopted
but when metal is used I prefer a flat or oval section instead of a truly circular
section so as to enable the tube to be readily compressed or collapsed.
The last portion of my invention consists of an arrangement intended to carry off
from the igniter tube flame or other flame used for igniting purposes in the gas
engine, the products of the combustion of such flame or flames in order to avoid
vitiating the atmosphere of the room in which the engine works. In carrying this
purpose into effect I arrange a hood over the flame and connect it to the inlet pipe
in such manner that the products of combustion are taken into the cylinder with the
charge and discharged with the exhaust gases of the engine.
Dated this 9th day of March 1891.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas Engines.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM LANCHESTER, of 13, Bedford Row, London W.C.,
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 relates to improvements in the type of gas engines described in the
Specification of Patent No. 19868 of 1889 granted to me, and it consists in various
improved details applicable to that type of engine, and in some cases to other types
of engine.
One part of the invention relates to improvements in the governing valve
described in that Specification which valve acts by change in the rate of flow of the
compressed gases while passing into a chamber causing the valve to cut off flame
communication between the contents of the cylinder and the igniter tube. My
improvement is intended to make the valve more rapid and sensitive in its
governing action by reducing its weight and increasing the rate of its fall under the
action of gravity by adding to or aiding the pull of gravity by the pull of a
permanent or other magnet.
Referring to the two sheets of accompanying drawings,
Figures 1 to 11 illustrate modes of carrying my invention into effect in its various
parts.
Figures 1, 2, and 3 illustrate my method of arranging a magnet under the valve T ;
and in carrying it into effect I attach a permanent magnet a of the double bar or
horse shoe type under the valve T in such manner that the magnet a attracts the
valve T which is then made preferably of soft wrought iron and 1 vary the
pull of the magnet a upon the valve by adjusting and varying the distance
of its poles from the valve. To effect this the magnet a is attached to the
sliding clamp and the clamp slides upon the rod or pillar b so that the
distance of the poles of a from the valve T may be adjusted to any desired
extent. The valve T, chamber U, and other details shown in that part of Figures
and 2 are constructed and act as described in the Specification No. 19868 of 1889
with reference to Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10 of the drawings accompanying that Specifi-
cation. I also adjust the attractive force of the magnet a on the valve T by sliding
between the poles in contact with both bars, a wrought iron keeper piece c.
position of this keeper piece c relative to the poles determines the amount of
attraction which the magnet is allowed to exercise, Suitable gradations and stops
The

page_text: are provided to enable the speed of the engine to be varied by varying the position
of the sliding keeper piece. When the engine is out of action it is preferred to
place the keeper piece at the extremity of the magnet poles so as to enable the
magnet to retain its intensity without change. The keeper piece is preferably
made in halves as shown at c Figure 3 and the two halves are kept together by the
spring bolt c.
In
According to another part of my invention I improve the construction of the
automatic inlet gas and air valve in the following manner-The valve is of the conical
seated type of which the ordinary form of seat is shown at Figure 6 in plan and
Figure 7 in section, with gas holes in the seat and instead of constructing such
valve seats in the ordinary manner with a uniform upper and lower seat below the
gas holes, I cut away the seat at its lower part leaving only sufficient valve seat
face around each hole to keep gas tight when the valve is closed. The valve face
thus consists of an upper face with lower projectious or reticulations in which the
gas holes are placed. The new arrangement is shown at Figures 4 and 5.
Figure 4 which is a plan the upper seat d is continuous, but the gas holes e, e, e, e
are surrounded by small seats e forming reticulations or projections from the
upper seat d. Figure 5 is a section on a larger scale in which the seats e',
holes e, and upper seats d are all clearly shown. This arrangement of reticulated
valve seat prevents inconvenience from leakage back from the engine cylinder
by allowing any such leakage free access to the air inlet pipe without any undue
tendency to blow back into the gas supply pipe. In some cases I cut a groove e
round the upper part of the seat e' above the gas holes e, and provide apertures
opening from this groove to the air passage or cut the groove into the air
passage as shown at Figures 4 and 5, and in this manner I prevent, if desired,
any leakage from the cylinder from finding a passage into the gas pipe. This
method is also applicable to any seat dividing the gas supply pipe or channel from
the explosion chamber.
Another part of this invention relates to the automatic exhaust valve described
in my Specification No. 19868 of 1889 and it consists in the addition of a blow-off'
valve attached to the exhaust chamber from which the exhaust valve piston is
operated. This blow-off valve is intended to relieve any undue pressure which
might be produced in that chamber by leakage from the cylinder through the
exhaust valve. Such leakage if considerable might open the exhaust valve at a
The blow-off valve is loaded by spring, lever, weight or in any
wrong time.
other convenient and suitable manner. Figure 8 shows the exhaust valve C and
casing or chamber B as described with reference to Figure 1 of the said Specifi-
cation. B' is the blow off valve intended to relieve the chamber B as herein-
before stated. The blow-off valve B is loaded by a spring and may be readily
removed by unscrewing a cap as shown.
Another improvement is intended to prevent the action of freezing from
bursting the cylinders or back covers of gas engines, and it is illustrated at
Figures 9 and 10. The improvement consists in introducing into the water
space, Figure 9 a closed piece of collapsible tube g which gives way or is
compressed when the water in the water jacket freezes, and by giving way
prevents any bursting action of the expanding ice upon the cylinders or other
space enclosed by metal walls. The tube may be of lead, tin or other material,
rubber for example may be adopted but when metal is used I prefer a flat or
oval section instead of a truly circular section so as to enable the tube to be
readily compressed or collapsed. A coil or spiral may be adopted as shown in
the water space fat y, Figure 10.
The last portion of my invention illustrated at Figure 11 consists of an
arrangement intended to carry off from the igniter tube flame or other flame
used for igniting purposes in the gas engine, the products of the combustion of
such flame or flames, in order to avoid vitiating the atmosphere of the room in
which the engine works.
In carrying this purpose into effect I arrange a hood k over the flame of the

page_text: igniting apparatus hand connect it to the inlet pipe by the tube k¹ in such
manner that the products of combustion are taken into the cylinder with the
charge, and discharged with the exhaust gases of the engine.
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 :-
(1)-In gas engines, governing by the movement of a valve as T, the method
of pulling the said valve to one end of its travel by means of a magnet,
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and of the
drawings.
(2) The arrangement of a sliding magnet or a sliding keeper piece for
adjusting the intensity of magnetic attraction on a valve used in governing a
gas engine substantially as herein before described and illustrated at Figures 1,
2, and 3 of the drawings.
(3) In gas engines, a gas and air valve with reticulated seats surrounding
the gas holes, and a continuous upper seat, the reticulated seats being with or
without grooves above the gas holes, substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before described and illustrated at Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings.
(4) In automatic exhaust valves for gas engines of the kind described in
Specification No. 19868 of 1889, a blow-off valve to relieve the exhaust valve
chamber in the event of leakage, substantially as herein described with reference
to Figure 8 of the drawings.
(5) In gas engine water jackets or spaces, a collapsible pipe or pipes to
collapse by the expansion of water in the act of freezing so as to prevent the
fracture of the containing metal walls or liners, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
(6) In gas or vapour engines carrying off the products of combustion from
the igniter flame by a pipe led into the suction pipe or leading to it, substantially
as herein before described.
Dated this 9th day of December 1891.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.