Improvements in Motor Engines Worked by the Vapour of Ether and other Volatile Liquids.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 9th Apr., 1891-Accepted, 9th May, 1891.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Motor Engines Worked by the Vapour of Ether
and other Volatile Liquids.
I, PAUL DE SUSINI of No. 6 Rue de Sfax, Paris, France, Doctor of Medicine,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved construction of motor engine worked by the
vapour of volatile liquids such as ether; an essential characteristic of the improved
construction consists in that its vapour generator, its feed conduit, and the motor
engine are all immersed in a bath of a suitable fluid enclosed in an air-tight casing
and in that the use of stuffing boxes, is avoided so that no leakage of vapour can
occur. In addition, the working parts being immersed in glycerine, they are
effectually lubricated in an automatic and reliable manner and consequently require
no supervision.
The body or bodies of liquid or combination of liquids which thus isolate the
generator and the motor engine from the surrounding air, is or are contained in a
casing so constructed as to constitute a thermo-siphon or two thermo-siphons.
In carrying out my invention I employ either one of two arrangements.
According to the one arrangement, which is adapted for motor engines of small
power, I surround both the vapour generator and the motor engine by one and the
same body of liquid, preferably glycerine.
The glycerine or other liquid surrounding the generator being heated directly by
a fire, transmits its heat to the ether or other volatile liquid of the generator, and
the vapour thus produced passes through the feed pipe or passage to the motor
engine, which is also surrounded by glycerine, this being made to circulate in like
manner from the casing surrounding the generator to that surrounding the motor
engine, and after having flown in a downward direction therein, it passes back
from the lower part of such casing to the casing of the generator and so on
continuously.
According to the second arrangement, which I use by preference for larger
engines, I avoid the use of a large quantity of circulating glycerine, which is com-
paratively expensive, by dividing the casing enclosing the vapour generator and
the motor engine into two separate thermo-siphons of which one is charged with
water under pressure and serves to enclose the vapour generator, which is heated
thereby, the heat being transmitted to the second thermo-siphon, which is charged
with glycerine and surrounds the motor engine, so as to maintain the heat of the
vapour acting therein until it has completed its duty. By this means the quantity
of glycerine required is reduced to a minimum, while the useful effect of
the two thermo siphons is equal to that of the single one in the preceding
arrangement.
By the above described means I avoid all condensation of the ether vapour before
it has completed its work. The ether vapour, after doing work in the engine,
passes through a conduit to an air surface condenser where it flows in contact with
very extended surfaces cooled by an air current supplied by a fan, and, becoming
immediately condensed, the resulting liquid ether flows down into a tank or
receptacle below that supplies the vapour generator.
From this tank the liquid ether is then forced by a feed pump into the vapour
generator, from which it again passes in the form of vapeur to the motor engine,
and so on continuously.
It will thus be seen that a perfect utilisation of the motive power produced by
the generation and condensation of the ether vapours is effected, resulting in a

page_text: great economy of fuel as compared with other motor agents, while ensuring perfect
security in its use.
The motor engine which I prefer to employ consists of two single acting cylinders
placed with their open ends facing each other, the two pistons being connected to
one and the same crosshead which is connected to the crank of the engine shaft
situated within the glycerine casing, through a stuffing box in the side of which it
passes.
The admission of the vapour is effected alternately into the two cylinders through
cylindrical distributing and expansion valves, the expansion valve being situated
within the distributing valve and communicating therewith by helically shaped
ports, so that by turning the expansion valve from the outside by means of a spindle
and hand wheel, relatively to the distributing valve, the degree of cut off and
expansion can be varied, the distributing valve and expansion valves have both
external circular flanges fitting the cylindrical valve casings, and forming between
then chambers through which firstly the ether vapour passes into the expansion
slide, and secondly into which the ether vapour passes from the expansion valve in
order to be distributed to the ports of the engine cylinder, and also, after doing
work therein, through which it is led to the discharge passage. The two expansion
valves have tubular extensions supported by rollers to prevent friction and they as
also the two distributing valves are respectively coupled together by a rod and are
worked by two sets of eccentrics on the engine shaft provided with link motions for
reversing.
When the engine is constructed with two separate thermosiphons according to
the second above described arrangement, the casing to the motor engine has a
chamber formed below it, which communicates with the casing of the vapour
generator by means of two pipes, so that the water heated in the latter casing by
fire heat is made to circulate through the said chamber and thus heats the glycerine
contained in the casing of the motor engine, such heating being if necessary
accelerated by causing the glycerine to circulate through tubes that project into
the said chamber.
Dated this 12th day of July 1890
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Motor Engines Worked by the Vapour of Ether
and other Volatile Liquids.
I, PAUL DE SUSINI of No. 6 Rue de Sfax, Paris, France, Doctor of Medicine,
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 an improved construction of motor engine worked by the
vapour of volatile liquids such as ether; an essential characteristic of the improved
construction consists in that its vapour generator, its feed conduit and the motor
engine are all immersed in a bath of a suitable fluid enclosed in an air tight casing
and in that the use of stuffing boxes is avoided so that no leakage of vapour can
occur. In addition the working parts being immersed in glycerine, they are effectually
lubricated in an automatic and reliable manner and consequently require no
supervision.
The body or bodies of liquid or combinations of liquid which thus isolate the
generator and the motor engine from the surrounding air, is or are contained in a
casing so constructed as to constitute a thermo-siphon or two thermo-siphons.
In carrying out my invention I employ either one of two arrangements.
According to the one arrangement which is adapted for motor engines of small

page_text: power, I surround both the vapour generator and the motor engine by one and the
same body of liquid, preferably glycerine.
The glycerine or other liquid surrounding the generator being heated directly by
a fire transmits its heat to the ether or other volatile liquid of the generator and
the vapour thus produced passes through the feed pipe or passage to the motor
engine, which is also surrounded by glycerine, this being made to circulate in like
manner from the casing surrounding the generator to that surrounding the motor
engine, and after having flown in a downward direction therein it passes back
from the lower part of such casing to the casing of the generator, and so on
continuously.
According to the second arrangement, which I use by preference for larger
engines, I avoid the use of a large quantity of circulating glycerine, which is com-
paratively expensive, by dividing the casing enclosing the vapour generator and the
motor engine into two separate thermo siphons, of which one is charged with water
under pressure and serves to enclose the vapour generator, which is heated thereby
the heat being transmitted to the second thermo siphon which is charged with
glycerine and surrounds the motor engine so as to maintain the heat of the vapour
acting therein until it has completed its duty. By this means the quantity
of glycerine required is reduced to a minimum, while the useful effect of
the two thermo siphons is equal to that of the single one in the preceding
arrangement.
By the above described means I avoid all condensation of the ether vapour
before it has completed its work. The ether vapour, after doing work in the
engine, passes through a conduit to an air surface condenser where it flows in
contact with very extended surfaces cooled by an air current supplied by a fan,
and beco.ning immediately condensed the resulting liquid ether flows down into a
tank or receptacle below that supplies the vapour generator.
From this tank the liquid ether is then forced by a feed pump into the vapour
generator, from which it again passes in the form of vapour to the motor engine
and so on continuously.
It will thus be seen that a perfect utilisation of the motive power produced by
the generation and condensation of the ether vapours is effected, resulting in a
great economy of fuel as compared with other motor agents, while ensuring perfect
security in its use.
For the sake of simplicity I will first describe the arrangement of the engine
with a single thermo siphon, although for practical purposes I prefer to employ the
arrangement with two thermo siphons, which will be described later on.
Figs. 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings shew the said construction.
Fig. 1 shews a vertical section of the motor engine and generator.
Fig. 2 is a cross section on line a b.
Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line c d.
Fig. 4 is a cross section on line e, f, g, h.
Fig. 5 is a side view and
Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional plan of the cylinders and slide valve gear of one
of the cylinders and its slide valve casing.
The motor engine consists of two single acting cylinders A. B the pistons C D of
which have their rod c c coupled to one and the same crosshead E, acting upon a
crank pin F on a crank plate G of the shaft H, so that the pistons perform their
strokes simultaneously, the one performing its working stroke while the other is
performing its exhaust stroke.
The shaft His carried in bearings IJ, of which I is contained within the closed
casing K filled with glycerine while J is situated outside the casing, on the base
plate of the machine, the shaft being carried through a stuffing box in the side of

page_text: The casing K communicates by a pipe L with the upper part of casing M of the
vapour generator, and by the pipe N with the lower part of this casing which is
also filled with glycerine. Thus the glycerine in the casing M being heated by the
fire grate O when the engine is working, a current of hot glycerine will be
established in the direction of the arrows, so as to constitute the continuous cycle
of a thermo siphon, the object of which is to prevent all condensation of ether in
the supply pipe P to the engine, as also in the cylinders A B and thereby to enable
the entire expansive force of the vapour generated to be utilised in or acting
upon the pistons C and D.
The vapour generator Q is tubular and the ether, which is contained in the
space between the tubes
99
is heated through the medium of the glycerine, which
circulates through the tubes and which is contained in the casing M. The
generator is provided with all the usual safety apparatus, and on the pipe L
is provided a safety valve in order to prevent any excessive pressure from
occurring in the glycerine contained therein before it has become completely
dehydrated.
The ether vapour is supplied to the cylinders by means of distributing slide
valves d and expansion slide valves e. These slide valves are of cylindrical form,
and the vapour entering through the pipes P and passages p p formed in the
cylinders, passes into the cylindrical slide valve casings through the ports finto the
spaces g between the tightly fitting pistons h, i, of which 1, belong to the distri-
buting valves and i to the expansion valves. From the spaces g the vapour enters
the interior of the expansion valves through openings as shewn, and thence,
through openings j¹k into the annular spaces between the two pistons m and n
of the distributing valves d from which the vapour enters the cylinder through the
ports o.
The orifices and are of helical form in order to allow of the degree of
expansion being varied by turning the expansion slide valves e by means of an
external hand wheel t the slide valves d remaining stationary, by which means the
moment of the closing of the supply ports is advanced or retarded.
The expansion valves e are connected together by a rod e¹ and have tubular
extensions and are supported by rollers d as shewn at Fig. 5, in order to insure
their accurate working and to reduce the friction due to their weight.
For the same reason the crosshead E is supported upon rollers e². The admission
slides are connected together at their outer ends by the rode and all the slide
valves are actuated by four eccentrics y actuating two link motions for
reversing motion, one of which actuates the expansion slides and the other the
admission slides as shewn. The link motions are moved from the outside by means
of a lever Z.
After working with expansion on the pistons C and D the vapour escapes into
the annular spaces q₁ and openings in the passages s, formed in one casting with
the cylinders A and B.
The exhaust vapour passes by the pipe R to the air condenser S where it comes
in contact with internal extended refrigerating surfaces, formed by star shaped
ribs T which are continuously cooled externally by a current of air passing through
a surrounding casing and supplied from a fan U through a pipe V the fan being
driven by the engine.
The condensed ether collects at the bottom X of the condenser which forms
the feed reservoir, from which it is drawn by the pump Y and forced into the
generator.
Fig. 7 shews a vertical section of the before mentioned arrangement in which
the casing M of the vapour generator Q is charged with water, while the casings K
and L enclosing the motor engine and the pipe leading the ether vapour thereto
are charged with glycerine, which arrangement I prefer to use, as before stated,
when the engine is of any size.
The casing M being heated by a fireplace O beneath, the heat is transmitted
through the water to the generator Q the water being made to circulate through a

page_text: pipe 1 at top to a tank 2 from which it passes back to the bottom of the casing M
through a pipe 3, thus constituting a water thermo siphon, which is provided with
an expansion chamber at 4 having a safety valve so as to prevent all excessive
accumulations of pressure, and from which any escaping steam is led through a
pipe 5 either to a condenser or to the atmosphere.
The casing K of the motor engine, filled with glycerine is placed over the tank 2
and has, cast in one therewith, pendant tubes, closed at the lower end which
project into the tank 2 and afford very extended surfaces heated externally by the
circulating water, such heat being consequently imparted to the glycerine in the
casing, which circulates from the casing K through the pipe L and back again
through the pipe 6 thus constituting the glycerine thermo siphon, which affects the
perfect lubrication of the machine, and prevents all condensation of ether vapour
from the point of generation to the point of discharge.
At is a safety valve serving for the prevention of all excessive pressure in
the casing K and pipe L which might occur until the glycerine is completely
dehydrated.
The other parts of the machine are of precisely the same construction as
previously described and are indicated by the same letters of reference and need
therefore not be further described.
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 a motor engine worked by the vapour of ether or other volatile liquids,
the combination of two opposite single acting cylinders with open front ends the
pistons of which are connected to one and the same crank, a casing enclosing the
whole of the operative parts of the engine, and filled with glycerine or equivalent
liquid, a vapour generator consisting of a vessel charged with ether or other volatile
liquid, a casing enclosing the same filled with glycerine or equivalent liquid, and
heated by a fire, a pipe connecting the vapour generator with the motor engine,
for supplying the latter with ether vapour, a casing enclosing such pipe filled with
glycerine or equivalent liquid and communicating at one end with the casing of the
vapour generator and at the other end with the casing of the motor engine, and a
second pipe connecting the lower ends of the casings of the vapour generator and
the motor engine, substantially as described.
2. In a motor engine worked by the vapour of ether or other volatile liquids,
the combination of two opposite single acting cylinders, with open front ends,
provided with cylindrical distributing slides, and concentric expansion slides
working in casings without stuffing boxes, a casing enclosing the whole of the
operative parts of the engine and filled with glycerine or equivalent liquid, a vapour
generator consisting of a vessel charged with ether or other volatile liquid, a casing
enclosing the same filled with glycerine or equivalent liquid, and heated by a fire,
a pipe connecting the vapour generator with the motor engine, for supplying the
latter with ether vapour, a casing enclosing such pipe filled with glycerine or
equivalent liquid and communicating at one end with the casing of the vapour
generator and at the other end with the casing of the motor engine, and a second
pipe connecting the lower ends of the casings of the vapour generator and the
motor engine, substantially as described.
3. In a motor engine worked by the vapour of ether or other volatile liquids,
the combination of two opposite single acting cylinders with open front ends of the
pistons of which are connected to one and the same crank, a casing enclosing the
whole of the operative parts of the engine, and filled with glycerine or equivalent
liquid, a vapour generator consisting of a vessel charged with ether or other
volatile liquid, a casing enclosing the same filled with glycerine or equivalent
liquid, and heated by a fire, a pipe connecting the vapour generator with the motor
engine, for supplying the latter with ether vapour, a casing enclosing such pipe
filled with glycerine or equivalent liquid and communicating at one end with the

page_text: casing of the vapour generator and at the other end with the casing of the motor
engine, a second pipe connecting the lower ends of the casings of the vapour
generator and the motor engine, and a surface condenser, for the exhaust vapours
of ether from the motor engine, the lower part of which constitutes a reservoir of
condensed ether, from which the ether is forced by a pump into the vapour
generator, substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 to 6 of the
drawings.
4. In an ether vapour engine, the combination of a vapour generator, a casing
enclosing the same filled with water or other suitable liquid, a furnace for heating
such liquid so as to volatilize the ether, a motor engine worked by the ether
vapour from the generator, a casing enclosing the motor engine and the pipe
conveying the ether vapour to it, and filled with glycerine or other suitable
liquid and a chamber communicating by pipes with the casing of the vapour
generator so that the hot water can circulate from the latter to the former such
chamber being in contact with the casing enclosing the motor engine, so that
the heat of the water in the chamber is transmitted to the glycerine in the
casing of the motor engine and of the conduit pipe, substantially as described
with reference to Figure 7 of the drawings.
5. In an ether vapour engine, a casing surrounding the vapour generator filled
with water or other suitable liquid, a furnace for heating the water in the said
casing, a casing surrounding the motor engine and the conduit pipe for the supply
of ether vapour thereto, such casing being filled with glycerine or other suitable
liquid, a chamber forming part of the said casing communicating by two pipes
with the casing enclosing the vapour generator, so that the heated water in the
last named casing can circulate through the said chamber and thereby heat the
glycerine or other liquid in the casing to which it is connected, and a pipe con-
necting the last named casing with the end of the casing surrounding the vapour
supply pipe next the vapour generator.
6. In an ether vapour engine, the combination of the vapour generator and
motor engine with a surface condenser for the ether vapour constituting a reservoir
of condensed ether and a pump for feeding such liquid ether into the generator,
so as to form a closed circuit for the continuous circulation of the ether, substan-
tially as described.
7. The combination of ether vapour generator Q, vapour supply pipe P, motor
engine A, B and parts connected therewith, casings M, L, K2 filled with liquid,
heated by fire grate O, connecting pipes 1. 3. 6, condenser S, fan U, and feed
pump Y, substantially as described.
Dated this 9th day of April 1891
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.