Improvements IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Ramsden Woodhead of Leeds, in the County of
York, Engineer for an Invention of Improvements IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ramsden Woodhead
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st January 1883.
JOHN RAMSDEN WOODHEAD, of Leeds, in the County of York, Engineer,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES
This invention of improvements in gas motor engines relates to that kind of
engine having two working cylinders.
In connection with such cylinders I use a third cylinder which constitutes a
pump for supplying the two first named cylinders (or the combustion chambers
connected thereto) alternately with the combustible mixture at proper intervals
and under pressure, this being effected by a suitable arrangement of valve or
valves and mechanism for working the same. Each working cylinder is fitted
with a piston which by a link is connected to one of the cranks of the engine, the
centres of the cranks are arranged to coincide or are in a line with each other so
that both pistons make their respective outward and inward strokes simultaneously.
The pump is actuated from the engine crank shaft in any suitable manner, such for
instance as an additional throw or an eccentric, or from a separate crank shaft
having the same relative speed as the engine.
In order that the working cylinders or their combustion chambers may receive
the combustible mixture at the proper times I arrange for the stroke of the pump
piston to take place somewhat in advance of that of the pistons of the working
cylinders.-The mode of action is as follows;-In starting the engine by hand, one
cylinder or its combustion chamber receives from the pump its charge of
combustible mixture, this, being ignited by suitable means explodes and propels
the piston of such cylinder on its outward stroke, the impetus thus given to the
flywheel causes the piston to make its inward stroke and to expel the spent gases
or products of combustion through a valve or valves arranged for the purpose.-In
its next outward stroke the piston draws in cold air and by its following instroke

page_text: expels the greater portion of such cold air, and about the same time receives under
compression a fresh charge of tho combustible mixture from the pump.
During these two outward and inward strokes of the piston of this cylinder the
piston of the other cylinder also makes two outward and inward strokes, the first
outward stroke occurring by reason of the connection of the piston with the crank;
during such outward stroke the piston draws in cold air, and during its return or
first inward stroke it expels cold air until it has travelled about two thirds of its
stroke, at which point the outlet becomes closed.
Admission of combustible charge under compression then takes place, the charge
is ignited as in the case of the first named cylinder and the piston is caused to
make its second outward stroke giving force to the crank at each revolution.
The same alternato operations in the two cylinders continue whilst the engine is
at work,
•
Engines according to my invention may be made horizontal, vertical or
otherwise.
-

page_text: by me bald vom namsden woounead in the Great Deal Patent Once on the
27th June 1883.
JOHN RAMSDEN WOODHEAD, of Leeds in the County of York, Engineer
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES
"
This invention of improvements in gas motor engines relates to that kind of
engine having two working cylinders.
In connection with such cylinders I use a third cylinder and piston consti-
tuting a pump for supplying the two first-named cylinders (or combustion chambers
connected thereto) alternately with the combustible mixture at proper intervals
and under pressure, this being effected by a suitable arrangement of valve or valves
and mechanism for working the same. Each working cylinder is fitted with a
piston which by a link is connected to one of the cranks of the engine, the centres
of the cranks are arranged to coincide or are in a line with each other, so that both
pistons make their outward and inward strokes simultaneously, The pump is
actuated from the engine crank shaft in any suitable manner, as for instance by an
additional throw, or an eccentric, or it may be worked from a separate crank shaft
having the same relative speed as that of the engine.-In order that the working
cylinders or their combustion chambers may receive the combustible mixture at
the proper times I arrange for the stroke of the pump piston to take place some-
what in advance of that of the pistons of the working cylinders. The mode
of action is as follows:-In starting the engine by hand, one cylinder or its
combustion chamber receives from the pump its charge of combustible mixture,
this charge being ignited by suitable means explodes and propels the piston of the
said working cylinder outwards. The impetus thus given to the fly wheel causes
the piston to make its inward or return stroke, and in doing this, to expel the
spent gases or products of combustion through a valve or valves arranged for the
purpose. In its next outward stroke the piston draws in cold air and by its
following instroke expels the greater portion of such cold air, and during the latter
portion of this instroke of the piston the cylinder receives under compression a
fresh charge of the combustible mixture from the pump. During these two
outward and inward strokes of the piston of one cylinder, the piston of the other
cylinder also makes two outward and two inward strokes, the first outward stroke
being effected by reason of the connection of the piston with the crank; during
this first outward stroke, this second piston draws in cold air, and during its return
or first inward stroke it expels cold air until it has travelled about two thirds of
its stroke, at which point the outlet becomes closed, and admission of a combustible
charge under compression takes place, and on its being ignited as in the case of the
charge in the first named cylinder or its combustion chamber, the piston is caused
to make its second outward stroke, giving force to the crank at alternate revolutions
with that given by the first named piston.-The crank shaft thus receives an
impulse at each revolution, first from the piston of one cylinder, and then from the
piston of the other.-The same alternate operations in the two cylinders continue
whilst the engine is at work.
Engines according to my invention may be made horizontal, vertical or
otherwise.
And in order that my invention may be properly understood I will proceed to
more fully describe the same by reference to the accompanying drawings, which
represent an engine of the vertical type, similar letters and numerals denote like
parts wherever they occur. Fig 1, is an elevation of one side of the engine, partly

page_text: in section. Fig. 2. is a similar view of the reverse side. Fig. 3. an end elevation,
partly in section. Fig. 4. a partial plan, partly in section. Fig. 5. a plan with
portions in section and shewing parts that are omitted in Fig. 4.-Fig. 6, is a
partial elevation shewing parts not seen in Fig. 1a, is the foundation or bed of
the engine, b, and 6 1, are the working cylinders, open at their tops and worked on
what is known as the trunk system. Each of those cylinders has an outer casing
wherein cold water circulates as is usual in such engines, c, c 1, are the pistons or
rams in the working cylinders, they are connected by links d, and d 1, to the
respective cranks e, and e 1, koyed on the crank shaft f-g, is the third or pump
cylinder previously referred to, and is furnished with a piston or ram h, (similar to
pistons c, and c1, in the working cylinders b,-b1.) connected by a link i, to the
crank f1, is the fly wheel, . l, m, n, are toothed gearing wheels for imparting
rotary motion to the vertical shaft o, Near the foot of this shaft are three
cams p, q, r, The cam p, gives an intermittent reciprocating angular motion to a
forked lever 1, fixed on an axle 2, on the lower part of which is fixed a lever
having three arms t, u, v, the arms t, and u, alternately actuate the valves w,
and w 1, which at proper intervals admit the combustible mixture under pressure
to the combustion chambers w2, and w3, alternately and thence to the corre
sponding working cylinders b, and 61, the said mixture lifting in its passage the
valve, or valve z 1, as the case may be.-The third arm v, of the abovementioned
lever, by means of the stud x, actuates intermittently a lever y (having its centre
of motion on a stud y 1.) a link y 2, and two V slides y 3, and y 4, hereinafter
referred to, The cam 9, actuates in contrary directions the double ended levers A,
and B, mounted on the stud C, these levers open alternately the exhaust valves D,
and E, their closing being effected by springs F, and G, respectively. The cam r,
actuates a lever H. also on the stud C, this lover by means of a stud I taking into
a lever J, actuates the latter, The outor end J 1, of lever J, acts on the inclined
part of a lever K, and opens the valve L, for the admission of gas within the
annular space M, around a valve N, The outward stroke of the pump piston h
causes the valve N, to open and admit air through the central part thereof, and
gas through the annular space abovementioned. The quantity of gas admitted is
regulated by a governor O, driven from a pulley P, on the cam shaft O, The
governor is in connection with a lever Q, connected to a rod R, attached to a
lever J, abovementioned, which is capable of being raised and lowered by the
action of the governor which thus causes the lever J, to act on the lever K, at a
longer or shorter distance from its fulcrum, and thus to open the gas valve L, less
or more as required.-Referring now to the pump g, its piston h, during its first
outward stroke draws in through the valve N, a charge of combustible mixture of
air and gas, and during its inward stroke compresses this charge until the valve w,
is acted upon by the cam p, and levers 1, and t, as beforementioned, whereupon
the compressed charge opens and rushes past the check valves, into the combustion
chamber or port w 2, and cylinder b, When the piston h, of the pump g, has com-
pleted its stroke, the check valve w, is released and closed, and the piston c, completes
the compression in the combustion chamber w2, and cylinder b, pressing down and
closing the check valvez, The charge is then ignited in the chamber w 2, I prefer to
do this by means of an igniter such as described in the specification of Letters Patent
N° 1723, dated April 20th 1881, granted to William Watson. The explosion on
ignition propels the piston c, outward, and whilst it is making this stroko, the
piston h, in pump g, draws in a fresh charge for compression and ignition in the
combustion chamber w3, and cylinder 61,-The explosion above referred to in
chamber w2, and cylinder b, causes the fly wheel to be actuated, and by its momentum
the piston c, is carried through its inward stroke, the cam g, acts on the lever B,
whose outer end acts on the rod B1, and opens the exhaust valve E, After the
piston c, has completed its inward stroke it makes another outward stroke, during
which it draws in cold air through the check valve Z, and the air valve S, and
when the next inward stroke of piston c, commences, the check valve Z, closes and
by the action of the cam q, and lever B, as before, the exhaust valve E, is again

page_text: caused to open and to remain so until the piston c, has accomplished about two
thirds of this inward stroke, whereupon the valve E, is caused to close and the
combustion chamber w2, receives another charge-During the time occupied by
piston c, in making the strokes just described, the piston c1, in the cylinder bi,
will accomplish one outward stroke, drawing in cold air through the check
valve Z 1, and valve S1, and a return or inward stroke, during which the check
valve Z 1, will close, and by the action of the cam g, on the lover A, and rod B 2,.
the exhaust valve D, will open and remain open till the piston c 1, shall have
accomplished about two thirds of its inward stroke whereupon the exhaust valve D,
will close, and the admission of a compressed charge into the combustion
chamber w 3, will take place, which on being ignited as in the case of the charge
in chamber w2, will cause the piston c 1, to make its second outward stroke. The
momentum of the fly wheel causes the piston c 1, to make its second inward stroke
and expel the products of combustion, Thus a compressed combustible charge is
alternately delivered to and exploded in the combustion chamber w 2, and cylinder b,
and the combustion chamber w3, and cylinder b1, so long as the engine continues
working, and each working cylinder draws in cold air and exhausts the same
alternately. The governor O, may be of any ordinary or suitable kind that will
regulate the speed of the engine and the quantity of gas to form the combustible
charge, Figs. 7, and 8, shew to an enlarged scale, one of the V, slides (y 3, y 4,)
previously mentioned, together with its attachment to one of the combustion
chambers (w 3). The said slides are specially arranged to ignite the charge either
with a flame or with an igniter such as Watson's above referred to which latter
arrangement being preferred by me is shewn in the drawings. T, and T1, are
brackets attached one to each combustion chamber w 2, and w3, and in which the
said V, slides y 3, and y 4, are respectively mounted. These brackets and slides
are provided with ports V, and V1, through which communication is established
alternately between the combustion chamber w 2, and its igniter U, and between
combustion chamber w3, and its igniter U1, by the operation of the V slides,
actuated by the cam p, as previously described. W, are pipes for water to circulate
in the jackets of the working cylinders b, and 61, D2, is an exhaust port shewn
cast in the bed plate a, of the engine, and is in connection with the exhaust
valves D, and E, but these valves may have other outlets if desired.
Having now described the nature of the said invention and the manner of
carrying the same into practical effect, I would have it understood that what I
consider to be novel and original and therefore claim as secured to me by the
Letters Patent, herein before first in part recited is
1, In a gas motor engine the use of a combined arrangement of two working
cylinders and one pump, such, that by means of the said pump the two cylinders
are supplied alternately with a combustible charge under pressure substantially as
hereinabove described with reference to and shewn in the drawings
2, In a gas motor engine such as referred to in claim one, the use of a pump
arranged to draw in a charge of combustible mixture during each outstroke of its
piston, and during the return or instroke to compress such charge and deliver it to
one or other of the combustion chambers and the corresponding cylinder in the
alternate manner hereinabove described with reference to the drawings.
3, In a gas motor engine such as above referred to, the use in combination of
the lever 1, actuated by the cam p, and the three armed lever t, u, v, for actuating
the valves w, and w1, to admit the compressed charges from the pump, alternately
to the combustion chamber w2, and working cylinder b, and to the combustion
chamber wo 3, and to cylinder b1, and for actuating the V slides y 3, and y 4, of the
igniting apparatus substantially as described and shewn.
4-In a gas motor engine such as above referred to, the arrangement described
whereby cold air is drawn in through the valves S. and S1, as a scavenger charge to
clear the two working cylinders, and is expelled together with the products of
combustion through the valves D, and E, alternately
5. In a gas motor engine such as above referred to, the use in conjunction with

page_text: the lever K, for actuating the gas supply valve L, of a rising lever such as J,
operated as hereinabove described by means of a governor.
In Witness whereof, I, the said John Ramsden Woodhead, have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Eighteenth day of June in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
JOHN RAMSDEN WOODHEAD (L.S.)
Witness to the signature of the
said John Rainsden Woodhead
THOS. E. CRAVEN C.E. Fel. Inst. Patent Agents
24 Victoria Chambers,
South Parade,
Leeds.