Improvements in Motor Engines Worked by Oil Vapour.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application. 5th Feb.; 1890
Complete Specification Left, 29th Oct., 1890- Accepted, 29th Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by THE GAS MOTOREN FABRIK DEUTZ, of Köln-
Deutz, in the German Empire.]
Improvements in Motor Engines Worked by Oil Vapour.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of London, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to that description of four-stroke-cycle petroleum motor engines
constructed by my correspondents in which a spray or vapour of petroleum mixed
with air to form an explosive compound is introduced through a long heated
passage into the working cylinder, such explosive charge after compression being
ignited by suitable means in the said passage. The charge, which may be intro-
duced either under pressure or by forming a partial vacuum in the cylinder during
the suction stroke, effects the clearance of the passage from the residual products of
combustion of the previous charge, which are retained in the cylinder, and leaves the
passage filled with explosive compound suitable for ignition. In the arrangement of
such engines heretofore employed the whole of the air supply required for the perfect
combustion of the explosive charge was introduced through the long passage,
whereby the ignition was rendered more or less uncertain.
According to the present invention this disadvantage is obviated by introducing
into the passage, only a portion of the air required for the complete combustion, the
remaining portion being introduced either directly into the cylinder itself or into the
end of the passage which adjoins the cylinder.
By this means the passage remains filled with rich explosive mixture which will
ignite with certainty, while that portion of the charge which enters the cylinder mixes
both with the residual products of combustion and with the further quantity of air
required for complete combustion.
The said passage and valves may be variously arranged for this purpose; thus
according to one arrangement the passage, which may either be straight or curved
upward at its outer end, has at such end a chamber into which opens the air-supply
valve for the petroleum spray, the air from which issues through two concentric
annular openings or nozzles of restricted area into the passage, while the valve for the
petroleum supply is situate centrally within the inner nozzle. Thus on the oil and
air valves being opened by cams on the way shaft of the engine at the commencement
of the suction stroke, the air issuing through the inner nozzle with some force, owing
to a partial vacuum being formed in the cylinder, effectually converts the petroleum
issuing through its valve into spray, the oil having already been partially divided by
flowing through a number of small grooves formed in the cylindrically enlarged, stem
of the valve. The air entering through the second nozzle then impinges upon the
spray and converts it into an explosive mixture that flows through the heated channel
into the cylinder.
A second air valve is provided in the side of the cylinder, or it might be arranged
in the mouth of the channel itself, through which a further supply of air is admitted,
to mix with the rich explosive mixture as it enters, and thus supply a sufficient body
of air to effect the complete combustion of the whole of the petroleum vapour of the
charge, while the passage remains filled with rich mixture that will be readily ignited
by means of a heated tube or other igniting device in the passage.
According to another arrangement, the inner annular air nozzle does not communi-
cate with the chamber into which the air valve opens, but it has a separate inlet hole
for the air to enter direct from the outer air, and in this case this nozzle forms part of
the seating of the oil valve, so that it is closed except when the oil valve is opened. .

page_text: According to another modification, the said chamber into which the air valve opens,
has, in addition to the two nozzles, a channel or channels leading through the side
walls of the passage to the inner end of the latter where they open into the cylinder
so that a portion of the entering air passes through such channels so as to mix with
the combustible mixture as it enters the cylinder, thus constituting the second charge
of air above described and consequently dispensing with the separate air valve in the
cylinder.
The oil is supplied under constant pressure to the oil valve so as to insure uniform
supply, by means of a vessel which may be fixed on the engine cylinder, and which is
supplied with oil from a reservoir through a float valve, so that a constant level
☐ is maintained in the vessel. The pipe leading from this to the oil valve has a
cock by which the supply is regulated.
For regulating the power and speed of the engine, a similar arrangement of
governor and sliding cams is employed as was described in the Specification to
application No. 20892 of 1889, that is to say, the cams of the levers that actuate the
before described oil and second air supply valves are mounted upon a sleeve sliding
on a way shaft driven at half the speed of the engine shaft, the sleeve being actuated
'by the cam and lever that open the escape valve of the cylinder, so that at every
revolution of the way shaft, the .said sleeve and cams are first moved out of gear
"with the oil and air valve levers, and are then moved back again. The governor
acts upon a lever the end of which, when the engine is running too fast, is brought
opposite a notch on the escape valve lever and thus prevents this from moving
back again after it has been acted upon by its cam, so that it then holds the
sliding cams out of gear with the oil and air valve levers, thus preventing any
explosive charge from entering the cylinder, until the speed has been reduced
again to such an extent as to cause the governor lever to release the exhaust valve
lever.
The latter is also made to stop the supply of circulating water to the cylinder
jacket during the time that no working charges are admitted, by causing it to act
on a sliding stem situated underneath the feed valve of the water circulating pump.
*
When the engine is running at normal speed the said stem is pushed up under the
feed valve and withdrawn again by the action of the escape valve lever, at the same
time that the supply valve opens and closes in obedience to the suction and forcing
strokes of the pump, so that the stem has no effect on the valve, but when the exhaust
valve lever is kept in the open position by the governor lever when the engine is
running too fast, as described, the stem being held in the raised position, prevents the
suction valve of the pump from closing and thus stops the supply of water.
When the cooling water is supplied directly from a main instead of through a pump,
the said main is provided with a check valve or cock which is acted upon by the
'escape valve lever so as to be kept closed and thus intercept the supply when the
said lever is in the position in which it holds the escape valve open.
Dated this 5th day of Fahru 1800
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE 'SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Motor Engines Worked by Oil Vapour.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of London, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, 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:―
+2
This invention relates to that description of four-stroke-cycle petroleum motor
engines constructed by my foreign correspondents in which a spray or vapour of
petroleum, mixed with air to form an explosive compound, is introduced through
along heated passage into the working cylinder, such explosive charge, after
compression being ignited by suitable means in the said passage.
The charge,
:

page_text: which may be introduced either under pressure or by forming a partial vacuum in the
cylinder during the suction stroke, and which may be formed either in the heated
passage itself or before entering the same, effects the clearance of the passage
from the residual products of combustion of the previous charge and leaves the passage
filled with explosive compound suitable for ignition. In the arrangement of such
engines heretofore employed by my correspondents, the whole of the air supply
required for the perfect combustion of the explosive charge was introduced through
the long passage, whereby the ignition was rendered more or less uncertain.
According to the present invent on this disadvantage is obviated by introducing
into the passage at the point where the petroleum spray or vapour is introduced,
only a portion of the air required for the complete combustion, the remaining
portion being introduced either directly into the cylinder itself, or into the end of the
long passage which adjoins the cylinder. By this means the passage remains filled
with rich explosive mixture which will ignite with ce: tainty.
The accompanying drawings show the construction of a motor engine operating in
the above described manner.
Fig. 1 shews a longitudinal section, Fig. 2 a side view, Fig. 3 a cross section
through the air valve E and escape valve H, Fig. 4 an end view, Fig. 5 a section
shewing the circulating pump, and Figs. 6 and 7 enlarged details of the oil spraying
and mixing apparatus.
A is the cylinder, whose piston B, when in its backward or inward position, leaves
a charging or compressing space with which the uncooled supply and igniting
passage communicates.
The charging space also communicates with the escape valve H Fig. 3 and with the
air supply valve F. The curved passage C has an opening at Z for the introduction
of a suitable igniting device such as a heated tube; at its extremity is the valve E for
the admission in the form of spray of the oil or other combustible liquid shewn to a
larger scale at Fig. 6, as also the self acting air valve D.
The air supply is admitted to this valve through the regulating cock M either
immediately from the surrounding atmosphere or through a suitable appliance for
lessening noise.
There is also provided a gas supply cock N for admitting ordinary combustible gas
on starting the engine.
A pressure regulator T is provided on the top of the cylinder for supplying the oil
under constant pressure to the valve E, the regulator being charged with oil from
the upper reservoir S through the pipe U and inlet valve Ui controlled by a
float U
Fig. 2 shews a longitudinal elevation of the cylinder, shewing the valve gear and
governing apparatus. These mechanisms are worked by the way shaft K which
revolves at half the speed of the engine shaft.
Fig. 3 shews a cross section of the cylinder and Fig. 5 the construction of a pump
for the cooling water, with special arrangement for regulating the supply of the
cooling water.
The mode of working of the engine shewn at Figs. 1 to 6 and of the mechanisms
combined therewith is as follows.
The oil passing from the tank S and pipe U to the pressure regulator T and
regulating screw valve O, is in the first instance subjected to a preparatory heating in
the space above the spraying valve E. As soon as the air valve D opens automatically
against the pressure of its spring, at the commencement of the suction stroke, and
the valve stem m is pressed down by the cam k and levert the oil is distributed in the
small channels P in the enlarged part of the stem m shewn more clearly in the
enlarged plan Fig. 7, and is further divided on contact with the valve seat, and is then
converted into spray by the jet of air entering through valve D into chamber D' and
issuing with considerable velocity from the annular nozzle Q.
The petroleum spray thus formed mixes with another supply of air issuing through
the nozzle Q, forming an easily inflammable mixture, and passes through the heated

page_text: passage C into the cylinder A, where it mixes with the residual products of com-
bustion.
17..
3.1.
During the suction stroke, the air valve F is opened by the cam and lever u,
thereby admitting to the charge in the cylinder a quantity of fresh air for the above
described purpose:
On the return stroke of the piston, the charge is compressed, and the compressed
charge is then fired in the passage C, effecting the working outstroke by the consequent
expansion.
On the following return stroke the products of combustion are expelled through
the escape valve H which is opened by means of the lever e and cam f.
11
The annular nozzles Q and Q' are formed with such restricted area, that when the
piston B commences its suction stroke a partial vacuum will be formed in the
cylinder, thus enabling the external atmospheric pressure to force the air through
the nozzles Q and Q with considerable velocity and thus produce, firstly, the
effectual spraying of the oil, and secondly the intimate and uniform admixture
thereof with the air, to form the combustible charge entering the cylinder.
The formation of an easily inflammable mixture is effected by regulating the oil
supply by means of the regulating device O, and the air supply by the cock M. The
air supply drawn directly into the cylinder F can be regulated either by an earlier or
later opening of the valve, or by more or less restricting the passage. The valve F
can therefore be made to open automatically against the action of a spring, and
the valve D may be worked by a lever and cam instead of automatically.
The ignition is effected as nearly as possible at the end of the charging passage C,
such as at the point Z, by means of any suitable igniting appliance; in the drawing
(Fig. 4) an incandescent igniting tube is supposed to be employed for this
purpose.
The regulation of the engine is effected in such a manner that when, owing to a
reduction of the work performed, the engine tends to run at higher speed than the
normal, the oil supply is cut off, so that no explosions take place, while at the same
time the escape valve H is held open, so that the hot products of combustion that
are expelled during the expelling stroke are drawn in again from the discharge flues
during the following suction stroke, whereby any detrimental cooling of the cylinder
sides is prevented.
For the above purpose the regulating sleeve L which is moved to and fro by
means of the lever e that works the escape valve, and by the link g and lever h,
is held in its one end position, corresponding to the opening of the escape valve H
by the action of the governor levere and notch d so that the cams kand / revolve
out of gear with the levers t and u, in consequence of which the oil valve E and the
air valve Fare kept closed, in a similar manner to that described in the previous
application No. 20892 dated 30th December 1889.
This method of regulation can also be applied to the supply of cooling water to the
cylinder jacket for the purpose of economizing such water as shewn at Figure 5.
For this purpose the lever e is arranged to force open the suction valve by means of
the rod a, levers n n' and stem o which passes through the suction valve casing and
is held down by a spring, such forcing open being effected during the time that the
lever e is being acted upon by its cam, that is to say, during about one fourth of a
revolution of the way shaft. As the pump eccentric is so placed on the way shaft
relatively to the escape valve cam f that the said lifting of the suction valve
corresponds to the automatic upward motion of the valve during the suction stroke of
the pump, it will be seen that when the engine is working at the normal speed the
said action of the stem o will not affect the working of the pump; but as soon as,
owing to an increase of speed above the normal, the governor causes the escape valve
to be kept open in the above described manner, the suction valve of the pump will
also be kept open, and consequently no water will be supplied to the cylinder jacket
during the time that the supply of oil spray through valve E and of air through
valve F is cut off.

page_text: This mode of regulating the supply of cooling water has the effect of maintaining
the temperature of the engine cylinder as constant as possible.
If the cooling water is supplied from a service pressure pipe, the arm of the escape
valve lever e is made to act directly upon a check valve in the supply pipe opening
downwards and held closed by a spring, so that as long as the escape valve of the
engine is closed, the lever holds the check valve open and water flows to the cylinder
jacket, but as soon as the escape valve is held open by the lever e through regulating
mechanism as above described, the check valve is closed by means of its spring and
by the pressure exerted upon it by the water in the main, so that during such time
the water supply will be stopped.
Fig. 8 shews a modification of the above described arrangement of the oil spraying
apparatus in which, in addition to the air valve D, a separate air supply is provided
through the passage Q surrounding the petroleum nozzle m' for the purpose of
spraying the oil issuing from the nozzle m'.
The orifice of the passage Q is closed by the same valve E that closes the oil nozzle.
F is, as before, the air. inlet valve in the cylinder.
In the modification shewn at Fig. 9 the air inlet valve F in the cylinder, is
dispensed with, and in place thereof passages C are formed round the passage C
leading from the chamber D₁ above the air valve D, through which a portion of the
air entering from the latter is made to pass directly into the end of the cylinder A,
while another portion enters the passage C through the channels Q Q' surrounding
the oil nozzle E, for the purpose of spraying and mixing with the oil.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a four-stroke-cycle petroleum motor engine, the method of operating whereby
the petroleum vapour or spray is introduced during a portion or the whole of the
suction stroke together with a portion of the requisite air through a passage in which
the ignition of the charge is also effected after compression, the rich explosive
mixture thus formed being made to mix in the cylinder firstly with the residual
products of combustion, and secondly with a further quantity of air drawn directly
into the cylinder, while the said passage remains charged with rich explosive mixture,
substantially as described.
2. In a four-stroke-cycle petroleum motor engine, the combination of a passage C
serving both for the introduction of the explosive charge and for its ignition after
compression, a valve E for the introduction of the petroleum, a valve D for the
introduction of a portion of the air supply, an igniting device Z and a second air
inlet valve F for the introduction of a separate charge of air directly into the cylinder
during the suction stroke, substantially as herein described.
3. In the method of working set forth in the first claim, producing the explosive
charges for the working cylinder by drawing in petroleum or other combustible
liquid through the valve E and air through a valve D, the petroleum being in the
first instance distributed through fine channels P on the valve stem m, then converted
into spray by the air blast entering through the annular nozzle Q, and then converted
into explosive mixture by admixture with a further quantity of air entering through
the annular channel Q¹, such explosive mixture being drawn into the cylinder through
the heated passage C and mixing in the former first with the residuary products of
combustion and then with a further body of air introduced directly into the cylinder
through a valve F; substantially as herein described.
4. In a petroleum motor engine operating in the manner set forth in the first claim,
effecting the regulation of the speed of the engine in such a mauner, that when the
engine is running too fast, the petroleum admission valve E as also the air supply
valve Fare kept closed, while the escape valve H is kept open, the closing of the
valves E and F being effected by the shifting of the cam sleeve L on the way shaft K,
actuated by the lever e of the escape valve and cam f while the keeping open of the

page_text: escape valve is effected by the governor through the lever c and notch d on lever e,
substantially as described.
5. The herein described construction of oil supply valve E in combination with the
air supply valve D, in such manner that the latter opens into a space D' that
communicates with the passage C through two concentric annular openings or
nozzles QQ that surround the oil valve E.
6. In a petroleum motor engine such as is referred to in the first claim, the method
of cooling the working cylinder through an intermittent supply of water in such a
manner that the supply is stopped by the action of the escape valve lever every time
that the latter keeps the escape valve open, when no explosive action takes place,
substantially as herein described.
Dated this 29th day of October 1890.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.