IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis William Crossley, of Great Marlborough Street,
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES."
Sealed the 13th June 1876, and dated the 12th January 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis William Crossley at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th January 1876.
FRANCIS WILLIAM CROSSLEY, of Great Marlborough Street, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES."
This Invention relates to improvements in gas motor engines of the kind
described in the Specifications of Patents granted to C. D. Abel, on the
12th February 1866, No. 434, and on the 3rd August 1867, No. 2245, being com-
munications to him from E. Langen and N. A. Otto; also in the Specification of a
Patent granted to the said C. D. Abel on the 18th February 1874, No. 605, being
a communication from G. W. Daimler; and in the Specification of a Patent granted
to me, the said F. W. Crossley, on the 19th September 1874, No. 3205.
In the engine described in the said Specifications a piston was raised in a
cylinder a little distance, drawing in an explosive charge of gas and air, which
being ignited propelled the piston along the cylinder without doing work, the work
being performed by the return stroke of the piston, consequent on the atmospheric
pressure acting against a partial vacuum produced under the same. In starting such
engines it has hitherto been necessary for drawing in the first explosive charge to
turn the fly wheel and its shaft by hand, or otherwise, in order to effect the move-
ment of the slide valve and the partial raising of the piston by means of the gear
provided for that purpose.
Now according to my present Invention I dispense with the necessity of turning
the fly wheel and shaft for the above purpose, by providing means for moving the
before-mentioned gear that raises the piston and works the gas and air slide valve
independently of the fly wheel shaft. Various contrivances may be employed for
so moving the gear; thus according to one arrangement I provide the crank of the
small crank shaft described in the before-mentioned Specification, No. 3205, of
1874, with a stud at its end, upon which I fit loosely a loop at the one end of a
chain which is wrapped round the side surface of the crank, and is connected at its

page_text: other end to a lover having its fulcrum on the engine framing, so that by pulling
the chain by means of the lever the said crank and its shaft will be rotated, and
the piston and slide consequently moved as required. The crank shaft having thus
been caused to revolve sufficiently far to adinit and fire a charge of gas and to start
the engine, on its continued revolution the loop of the chain will drop off the
stud, and thus leave the apparatus free to continue working.
According to another arrangement I fix on the said crank shaft a toothed pinion,
and I provide a lever having its fulcrum on the engine framing, and provided with
a toothed segment at one end, which is put in gear with the said pinion, so that on
moving the other end of the lever by hand the crank shaft will be rotated. The
lever is moved until the toothed segment is out of gear with the pinion, thus
leaving the shaft free to continue in motion; or a toothed wheel may be provided
in gear with the said pinion, and rotated partially by a ratchet lever, or other
suitable known contrivance, when required to start the engine. In a similar
manner I effect the rotation of the crank of the engines described in the Speci-
fication No. 605, of 1874, or the eccentrics of the engines described in the
Specifications Nos. 434, of 1866, and 2245, of 1807.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed by
the said Francis William Crossley, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th July 1876.
FRANCIS WILLIAM CROSSLEY, of Great Marlborough Street, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES."
This Invention relates to improvements in gas motor engines of the kind
described in the Specifications of Patents granted to C. D. Abel, on the
12th February 1866, No. 434, and on the 3rd August 1867, No. 2245, being com-
munications to him from E. Langen and N. A. Otto; also in the Specification of a
Patent granted to the said C. D. Abel on the 18th February 1874, No. 605, being
a communication from G. W. Daimler; and in the Specification of a Patent granted
to me, the said F. W. Crossley, on the 19th September 1874, No. 3205.
In the engine described in the said Specifications a piston was raised in a
cylinder a little distance, drawing in an explosive charge of gas and air, which
being ignited propelled the piston along the cylinder without doing work, the work
being performed by the return stroke of the piston, consequent on the atmospheric
pressure acting against a partial vacuum produced under the same.
In starting
such engines it has hitherto been necessary for drawing in the first explosive charge
to turn the fly wheel and its shaft by hand, or otherwise, in order to effect the
movement of the slide valve, and the partial raising of the piston by means of the
gear provided for that purpose.
Now according to my present Invention I dispense with the necessity of turning
the fly wheel and shaft for the above purpose by providing means for moving the
before-mentioned gear that raises the piston and works the gas and air slide valves
independently of the fly wheel shaft. Various contrivances may be employed for
so moving the gear; thus according to one arrangement I provide the crank of the
small crank shaft, described in the before-mentioned Specification No. 3205, of
1874, with a stud at its end, upon which I fit loosely a loop at the one end of a
chain which is wrapped round the side surface of the crank, and is connected at its
other end to a lever having its fulcrum on the engine framing, so that by pulling
the chain by means of the lever the said crank and shaft will be rotated, and
the piston and slide consequently moved as required. The crank shaft having thus
been caused to revolve sufficiently far to admit and fire a charge of gas and to start
the engine, on its continued revolution the loop of the chain will drop off the stud,
and thus leave the apparatus free to continue working.

page_text: According to another arrangement I fix on the said crank shaft a toothed pinion,
and I provide a lever having its fulcrum on the engine framing, and provided with
a toothed segment at one end, which is put in gear with the said pinion, so that ou
moving the other end of the lever by hand the crank shaft will be rotated. The
lever is moved until the toothed segment is out of gear with the pinion, thus
leaving the shaft free to continue in motion; or a toothed wheel may be provided
in gear with the said pinion, and rotated partially by a ratchet lever or other
suitable known contrivance when required to start the engine. In a similar
manner I effect the rotation of the crank of the engines described in the Speci-
fication No. 605, of 1874, or the eccentrics of the engines described in the
Specifications No. 434, of 1866, and 2245, of 1867.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 shews a side view of the gear for raising the piston and gas slide of a gas
engine, such as those above referred to, and Fig. 2 shows a cross section, with one
arrangement of my said Invention applied thereto. A is the crank on the shaft A',
the rotation of which effects the lifting of the piston by means of a roller E on the
crank pressing against the projection F on the rack piston rod F, while at the same
time the crank H moves the gas slide, as described in the Specifications before
referred to. On the crank A is fixed or formed a stud B, on which, when the
engine is about to be started is loosely placed a loop on a chain C, which is
wrapped round the side surface of the crank, as indicated, and has its other end
connected to a lever D having its fulcrum G on the top of the engine framing I.
The crank lever and chain being in the position shown at Fig. 2, it will be seen
that on pulling down the lever by hand the crank A, shaft A', and crank H will be
rotated, thereby effecting the lifting of the piston and the moving of the slide, as
described. The crank A having made one revolution the loop of the chain will
drop off the pin B, and the lever D can then be lifted out of its fulcrum G and
removed.
Figs. 3 and 4 shew respectively a side view and end view of the same parts as
Figs. 1 and 2, with another arrangement of my Invention. In this case a toothed
pinion K is formed or fixed on the back of the slide crank H, and the lever D has
a toothed segment D' formed on its end, which for starting the engine is put in
gear with the pinion, and the lever is then pulled down so as to rotate the
pinion K, shaft A', and cranks A and II, as before. The lever having been moved
until it is quite out of gear with the pinion it is lifted off its fulcrum G, which in
this case is formed on a bracket L projecting from the standard that carries the
shaft A¹.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claim in respect of gas motor engines of the kind herein
referred to, the provision of means for moving independently of the engine shaft
the gear that raises the piston and actuates the gas slide, substantially as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis William Crossley, have hereunto set my
T
.
F. W. CROSSLEY. (L.S.)