Improvements relating to Gas-engines.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 15th June, 1889-Accepted, 20th July, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Gas-engines.
I, WILHELM VON OECHELHAEUSER, of Dessau, in the Empire of Germany, Chief
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of the present invention is to provide for imparting to the piston of a
gas-engine, during the same stroke, two or more impulses which are distinct from
each other and take place at different points of the said stroke, in order to increase the
efficiency of the engine, obtain a low maximum working pressure, low temperature,
small losses of heat, and greater uniformity in the rotary velocity of the driving
shaft.
The said two or more impulses of the piston are to be produced by two or more
rapid admissions of compressed gas by jerks, the ignition being effected at the same
time, after the engine has been charged before the first impulse with the entire air
necessary for the combustion.
In order to make the said invention better understood I proceed to describe the
same as applied to an engine which is charged in every second stroke of the piston, it
can however, also be applied to engines of different kinds.
The air designed for the combustion is drawn in at the front part of the engine
cylinder through a valve and forced through a second valve into an air chamber which
is cooled with water and which is in connection with the working space of the cylinder
by means of a controlled valve and a passage. The gas is sucked from the gas
admission pipe by means of a single-acting pump actuated directly by the cross head
of the piston rod and forced into a pipe which serves as a gas collector. The suction
and force valves of the gas pump are arranged in the chamber of the cylinder cover
in the known manner. The aforesaid gas collector is prolonged in the cylinder cover
and terminates in front of the gas admission valve which is arranged in the form of a
conical valve provided with a piston guide and spring in the cover of the engine
cylinder.
The exhaust valve for the gases of combustion is controlled by the same excentric
rod as the said gas admission valve.
After the working space of the engine has been charged before the commencement
of the piston stroke with all the air designed for the combustion, the first sudden
injection of the gas is effected nearly at the dead point with nearly a constant volume
from a channel by suddenly opening and closing the gas admission valve, whilst the
ignition of the gas which enters with the highest velocity, takes place by an igniting
device which acts permanently in the combustion space. For this purpose an electric
arc or any suitable ignition device which acts by continual incandescence or a flame
can be employed.
The injection of the gas and ignition is repeated in another position of the engine
piston once or more times during the same stroke while the introduction of fresh air
is not repeated. For the said purpose the distributing rod of the engine can for
example be provided with two lifting tappets which in its forward movement will
rapidly raise a lever or pawl twice and allow the same to fall again, thereby causing
the gas admission valve to be rapidly opened and closed twice through the medium
of a lever.
In this movement the said lever or pawl bears against an angular piece whilst in its
back movement it is forced back so far that the aforesaid distributing rod with its
two tappets can pass the lever or pawl freely without acting upon the valve.
A spring causes the lever or pawl to move back again to its normal position. By
reason of the two or more introductions of the gas the throw of the valve, in com-
parison with that for a single introduction of the same quantity, can be so small that

page_text: a friction roller is not necessary at the lower end of the lever or pawl. Accordingly
the said valve can each time be closed almost momentarily by the valve spring, as
soon as the two tappets have passed the lever or pawl.
The same object can also be effected by means of slides which are provided with
one or more narrow admission openings. In each case the over-pressure of the com-
pressed gas and the admission mechanism for the gas must be such that the admission
and ignition of the gas at the respective points of the piston stroke are effected with
nearly a constant volume. In lieu of one admission opening in the walls of the
cylinder, and in lieu of one slide or other valve which is caused to open several times,
two or more admission openings, slides or other valves can be provided, so that the
gas is not only injected at different times from the same opening but also enters the
working space at different points.
These injections of gas can be repeated during the same stroke as long as there is
oxygen in the working space. A characteristic feature of the described improvements
is that one charge of air is used for several separate charges of gas in one piston
stroke, and that after every charge and ignition of gas the gas admission opening is
completely closed thereby causing each time a fresh combustion and expansion.
Apart from the saving of gas which varies according to the number and moment
of the sudden admissions of the gas to the working space, the total efficiency in the
case of several combustions is obtained with lower pressures and temperatures and
smaller losses of heat than in the case of a single combustion of the same quantity of
gas with a high initial pressure and temperature. The dimensions of the engine
cylinder and the thickness or strength of the operative parts can therefore be less for
the same effective work. The several impulses of the engine piston during one stroke
also ensure greater uniformity in the rotary velocity of the crank or driving shaft of
the engine.
In lieu of lighting gas, other gas or vapour can be used for the combustion in the
engine cylinder.
Dated this 17th day of Santambon 1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Gas-engines.
I, WILHELM VON OECHELHAEUSER, of Dessau, in the Empire of Germany, Chief
Engineer, do hereby. declare the nature of the said invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
The object of the present invention is to provide for imparting to the piston of a
gas-engine, during the same stroke, two or more impulses which are distinct from
each other, and take place at different points of the said stroke, in order to increase
the efficiency of the engine, obtain a low maximum working pressure, low tem-
peratures, small loss of heat, and greater uniformity in the rotary velocity of the
driving shaft.
The said two or more impulses of the piston are to be produced by two or more
rapid admissions of compressed gas by jerks, the ignition being effected at the same
time, after the engine has been charged before the first impulse with the entire air
necessary for the combustion.
In order to make the said invention better understood I proceed to describe the
same with reference to Figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings as applied to
an engine which is charged in every second stroke of the piston; it can however also
be applied to engines of different kinds.
The air designed for the combustion is drawn in at the front part of the engine
cylinder through a valve a (Figures 2 and 5) and forced through a second valve b
into an air chamber c which is cooled with water (Figures 2, 4, and 5). The air

page_text: chamber is in connection with the working space A of the cylinder (Figure 2) by
means of a controlled valve d (Figures 2, 3 and 5) and a passage 1. The gas is
drawn from the gas admission pipe f (Figure 2) by means of a single-acting pump e
actuated directly by the cross-head of the piston rod (Figures 1, 2 and 4) and forced
into a pipe g which serves as a gas collector. The suction and force valves of the gas
pump are arranged in the chamber 2 of the cylinder cover in the known manner.
The aforesaid gas collector g is prolonged in the cylinder cover D (Figure 2) and
terminates in front of the gas admission valve h which is arranged in the form of a
conical valve provided with a piston guide and spring in the cover of the engine
cylinder.
The exhaust valve for the gases of combustion is shown at i, (Figures 1, 2 and 3),
and is controlled by the same eccentric rod y (Figures 12 and 6) as the said gas
admission valve h.
After the working space of the engine has been charged before the commencement
of the piston stroke with all the air designed for the combustion, the first sudden
injection of the gas is effected nearly at the dead point with nearly a constant volume
of the working space from a channel K by suddenly opening and closing the gas
admission valve h whilst the ignition of the gas which enters with the highest velocity,
takes place by an igniting device which acts permanently in the combustion space.
For this purpose an electric arc or any suitable ignition device which acts by con-
tinual incandescence or a flame can be employed as shown at z Figure 2.
The injection of the gas and ignition is repeated in another position of the engine
piston once, or more times, during the same stroke while the introduction of fresh
air is not repeated. For the said purpose the distributing rod y (Figure 6) of the
engine can, for example, be provided with two lifting tappets y¹ and y' which in its
forward movement will rapidly raise a lever or pawl n twice and allow the same to fall
again, thereby causing the gas admission valve h to be rapidly opened and closed
twice through the medium of a lever h¹, Figure 2.
In this movement the said lever or pawl n bears against an angular piece o whilst
in its back movement it is forced back so far that the aforesaid distributing rod y with
its two tappets y¹, y³ can pass the lever or pawl freely without acting upon the
valve.
A spring n¹ causes the lever or pawl n to move back again to its normal
position.
By reason of the two or more introductions of the gas the throw of the valve in
comparison with that for a single introduction of the same quantity, can be so small
that a friction roller is not necessary at the lower end of the lever or pawl n. Accord-
ingly the said valve can each time be closed almost momentarily by the valve spring,
as soon as the two tappets y' and y2 have passed the lever or pawl n.
The same object can also be effected by means of slides which are provided with
one or more narrow admission openings. In each case the over-pressure of the com-
pressed gas and the admission mechanism for the gas must be such that the admission
and ignition of the gas at the respective points of the piston stroke are effected with
nearly a constant volume of the working space. In lieu of one admission opening
in the walls of the cylinder and in lieu of one slide or other valve which is caused to
open several times, two or more admission openings, slides or other valves can be
provided, so that the gas is not only injected at different times from the same opening
but also enters the working space at different points.
These injections of gas can be repeated during the same stroke as long as there is
oxygen in the working space. A characteristic feature of the described improvements
is that one charge of air is used for several separate charges of gas in one piston
stroke, and that after every charge and ignition of gas the gas admission opening is
completely closed, thereby causing each time a fresh combustion and expansion.
The advantages of the repeated charges of gas and combustions as compared with
only one charge and combustion will be seen from the two working diagrams placed
together in Figure 7. The line 1, 2, 3, 4 represents the diagram for a single charge

page_text: and combustion, and the line 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 4 the diagram for two charges and com-
bustions.
From 1 to 2 there is supposed to be compression of the air in the air collector or
working cylinder. This compression can however be dispensed with.
Apart from the saving of gas which varies according to the number and moment
of the sudden admissions of the gas to the working space, the total efficiency in the
case of several combustions is obtained with lower pressures and temperatures and
smaller losses of heat than in the case of a single combustion of the same quantity of
gas with a high initial pressure and temperature. The dimensions of the engine
cylinder and the thickness or strength of the operative parts can therefore be less for
the same effective work. The several impulses of the engine piston during one
stroke also ensure greater uniformity in the rotary velocity of the crank or driving
shaft of the engine.
In lieu of lighting gas, other gas or vapour can be used for the combustion in the
engine cylinder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I wish it understood that
I claim :-
The charging and igniting of gas engines characterized by injecting, after the
single charging of the working chamber of the engine with all the air designed for
combustion for a piston stroke, the gas which is compressed outside the cylinder
chamber, in two or more separate charges into the same working chamber within
reach of the igniting device, the admission of the compressed gas being momentarily
opened and closed two or more times during the same piston stroke but in different
positions of the engine piston, and the gas which is momentarily injected being every
time ignited at once.
Dated this 15th day of June 1889.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.