Improvements in Gas Engines
Year: 1889

page_text: ate of Application, 17th Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 16th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 16th Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by PAUL NIEL, Engineer, of Evreux, Department of
Eure, in the Republic of France.]
Improvements in Gas Engines.
EUGENE REPLAND Merchant of Plough Street Commercial Road London, E. do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
;
This invention relates to improvements in the arrangement and construction of
Gas Engines, and has for its object: To obtain a double expansion in utilising the
heat of the products of combustion to maintain the pressure in another cylinder
having a compressed charge of air or inert gases, thus producing an additional
work for an equal consumption of gas. This invention consists in the application
to the gas engines having their cycle completed by four strokes of the piston, viz.:
the first sucking, the second compressing, the third igniting and expanding an
explosive charge of air and gas, and the fourth blowing out the products of com-
bustion of another cylinder of a larger volume working on the same cycle as the
other, but sucking and compressing only air or other inert gases; the expansion being
obtained by the heat added to the air from the hot gases of the small cylinder
exhausting in the compressed charge of air. This large cylinder has a piston con-
nected to the crank shaft of the small one in such a manner that it compresses the
air while the small one expands its charge. It is provided with an automatic air valve
allowing the air to fill up the cylinder for the whole of the first stroke, and an
exhaust valve worked by levers and cain from a shaft geared to the crank shaft so as
to make one revolution while the crank makes two. This exhaust valve remains open
to allow for a part of the second stroke a certain quantity of the air sucked in to be
rejected out from the cylinder, leaving only an about equal weight of air to the
weight of the explosive charge contained in the small cylinder, then the valve
closes and the piston for the remainder of the stroke compressos the air at a pressure
more or less equal to the pressure of the products of combustion then expanded in the
small cylinder. At this time the exhaust valve of the small cylinder being lifted up
by a suitable cam opens the communication with the compression space of the
large cylinder and the small piston being or the fourth stroke blows the hot gases
behind the large piston, thus raising the temperature of the compressed air and
maintaining its pressure for the third stroke, produces an additional work on the
crank, by the fourth stroke of the large piston the expanded mixture of air and
gases is expelled through the exhaust valve in the atmosphere. The distribution of
air and gas and the ignition are obtained in the small cylinder indifferently by
either one of the arrangements used in other gas engines.
Dated this Seventeenth day of January 1889.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas Engines.
I, EUGÈNE REPLAND, of Plough Street, Commercial Road in the City of London,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention, a communication to me from abroad
by Paul Niel of 14 Avenue de Tourville Paris, France, Engineer and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in motors for gas or other hydrocarburets,
in which the explosive mixture is compressed prior to ignition while the cycle is

page_text: completed by four strokes of the piston or two revolutions of the shaft. Suid
improvements have for their object to allow the heat of the products of combustion to
be utilized for raising the temperature of air or other non-inflammable gas, com-
pressed in another cylinder and causing the expansion produced thereby to act on the
shaft, thus effecting considerable working economy.
Referring to the accompanying drawing
Fig. 1. is a longitudinal section of a motor with air cylinder, and
Fig. 2. is a cross section along line A B Fig. 1.
In the cylinder D works the piston E, actuating with its rod & the crank F. The
distribution of air and gas and the ignition take place through the lateral duct H,
distribution being illustrated as produced through a conic cock with circular move-
ment by means of arbor I, one revolution of which corresponds to two revolutions
of the shaft; it may however also be effected by means of flat slides, valves or
any other convenient device, either from the side or from the bottom of the
cylinder. The valve-box, shown in cross section by Fig. 2. is attached to the
eduction port J, establishing communication between cylinder D and air chamber K.
In the latter works the piston L acting by means of rod M on crank N, so secured ou
the shaft of crauk Fas to occupy an entirely or approximately adverse position
to crank F. Said piston engages by its progress a volume of air nearly twice as
large as that engaged by the piston of the gas motor. At the bottom of the
cylinder a space is provided forming together with the valve box a compression
chamber of sufficient size to allow a pressure to be produced which is approximately
equal to that resulting from the products of combustion of the gas motor at the
moment of escape. Into the space O opens an automatic valve for the admission
of atmospheric air by the compression of which it is kept closed. The valve Q, com-
municating with the eduction port J at its upper end and with the valve box at its
lower end, is operated by means of levers and cam R to allow of an escape from
cylinder D into cylinder K. The other valve S is opened by means of cam T to allow
at pleasure of an escape of either air or of products of combustion into the atmosphere
through conduit U.
Owing to the relative position of the two cranks the piston L receives a quantity of
air through valve P while the piston compresses its explosive charge. Subsequently
the mixture is ignited and expanded in cylinder D; during this time the valve S actuated
by cam T remains open and allows the escape into the atmosphere of a portion of
the air previously engaged and amounting to about the volume of the explosive charge
taken in by piston E of the gas motor, in order to allow, since the third stroke, when
no explosion has taken place, the charge of cylinder D to complete that of cylinder K
and to prevent a prejudicial vacuum being produced behind the piston L. The
valve S then closes and the piston L compresses the remainder of air in chamber O.
Towards the end of this second stroke the valve Q is opened and establishes a com-
munication between and mixture of the products of combustion expanded in cylinder D
and the compressed air in chamber 0. The said products of combustion communicate
their heat to the air and maintain behind the piston L, during the third stroke, a
greater pressure than that exerted during the compression. Thus, through the
difference in the diameters or strokes of the Lwo pistons, increased power is imparted
to crank pin N. During the fourth stroke, the valve re-closes and the piston E
receives a fresh explosive charge while the valve S re-opens and allows the air
mixture and the products of combustion repelled by piston I to escape into the
atmosphere, the cycle being thus completed in the two cylinders.
I do not confine myself to the shapes and arrangements illustrated and described,
that is to say, the cylinder K, instead of occupying a lateral position, may also lie in
the same axis with cylinder D of the gas motor, their pistons being connected by a
common rod and acting by means of a connecting rod on a common crank. The
suction and repulsion of a portion of the air in cylinder K may also be effected
through the valve P, which in this case, instead of being automatic, is actuated by
a cam mounted for this purpose on arhor I, while the valve S serves but for the escape
during the fourth stroke.

page_text: Or, the valve P may be dispensed with and, in lieu of air, the products of com-
bustion previously evacuated through conduit U may be engaged by suction, the
valve S remaining open up to the middle of the second stroke, while, at the
termination thereof, the piston L compresses the remainder of these products which
are thus imparted the higher temperature of the new products of combustion escaping
from cylinder D.
It is immaterial whether air or any other non-inflammable gas be compressed in
cylinder K to produce the increase of motive force by means of the heat of the
products of combustion, said force only varying with the different temperatures at the
time of compression.
The improvement is also applicable to gas motors with two cylinders. In this case
one air cylinder to each gas cylinder may be employed, or one common air cylinder,
closed at both ends, the piston of which is acted upon respectively on either side by
one or the other of the gas cylinders, and, by means of a rod, actuates the connecting
rud and the crank in the manner described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is:
The application, in gas motors, of a second cylinder of greater volume than that of
the gas motor, said second cylinder receiving a charge of air or other non-inflammable
gas, a portion of which is compressed at the moment of escape of the products of
combustion, which charge, by the action of the heat of said products, expands,
thereby producing additional motive force to act on the shaft, and consequently
resulting in an economy in combustion, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.