Improvements in or relating to Vibrating Gas Engines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 11th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 10th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 11th June, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Vibrating Gas Engines.
We, SAMUEL WITHERS of 21 Masboro' Road, West Kensington, Mechanical
Engineer, and D'ESTAING SALISBURY COVERT of 7 Bridge Avenue,
Hammersmith, Gentleman, both in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to employ the reverse motion of the vibrating
piston to compress a charge of gas and air and to force the same into the chamber
on the reverse side of the piston or blade where it is exploded and the expansive
force thus developed gives the motive power which causes the piston to vibrate,
and thereby reducing the cost of construction and obviating the necessity of any
unusual or special tools in the manufacture thereof.
According to this invention we construct a shell or body which we term the
cylinder, this is circular in form and is divided into two sectional chambers right
and left by means of two partitions or bulkheads placed vertically, these chambers
having an arc of about 90° more or less-in these two chambers vibrate the piston
blades which radiate from a central trunnion oscillating in bearings carried in the
covers or sides which are bolted to the shell or cylinder, these trunnions are
extended beyond the covers and the vibratory motion is communicated to a crank
and converted into a rotating motion by any of the known means suitable
thereto.
The sectoral chambers above referred to are again divided or separated into two
spaces by the piston blades, the spaces under the blades forming the explosion
chamber, the spaces above form the compression chambers: the action of the engine is
as follows, when one or either of the blades is forced up by the explosion, the opposite
blade descending draws in after it through suitable ports and valves a charge of
gas and air at the same time expelling under or in front of it the product of the
previous explosion, on the return motion the charge of gas and air just drawn in
compressed and forced into the space under the descending blade when it is
ignited at the proper moment and the explosion forces the piston up or back, thus
producing the vibrating motion on the piston blades.
The supply of gas and air, the transference of the charge from the compressing
chamber to the firing chamber and for exhausting the products of combustion are
effected by means of suitable valves. The relative capacities of the compression
chambers to the firing chambers can be varied by a sectoral enlargement of the
trunnion on the compression side of blades and the upper bulkhead being reduced
to correspond, thereby effecting an expansion of the explosive charge beyond its
original volume:
We preferably use oscillating valves fitted or ground to removal bushes for the
purpose of facilitating the refitting or renewal of valves when worn, these valves
and bushes may be inserted in the bulkheads or otherwise placed as may be found
desirable. The ports or passages for conducting or transferring the charges from
the compression chambers to the firing chambers may be constructed in the covers
or otherwise.
Dated this 11th June 1801

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Vibrating Gas Engines.
SAMUEL WITHERS of No. 21 Masboro' Road W., West Kensington,
Mechanical Engineer, and D'ESTAING SALISBURY COVERT of No. 7 Bridge
Avenue, Hammersmith, Gentleman, both in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
This invention relates to that class of engines having vibrating pistons and
which are driven by the explosion of a gas or gaseous compound. The object of
this invention is to produce an engine of the class named which shall be of few and
simple parts, easily constructed, light in weight, occupying small space economical
of fuel, and the working parts of which are accessible and easily renewed..
To accomplish this, and to secure other and further advantages of construction,
operation, and use, the improvements involve certain new and useful arrangements
or combinations of parts peculiarities of construction, and principles of operations,
all of which will be herein first fully described, and then indicated in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings forming part of this Specification
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the improved engine upon a plane at right
angles to the main shaft, and
Fig. 2 is an end view partly in section and partly in elevation, of such engine.
Similar letters indicate like parts in both figures.
A. represents a shell or body which we term the cylinder, this is preferably
circular in form, and is divided into two sectoral chambers right and left, by means
of two partitions or bulkheads marked B. B' and preferably placed vertically,
these bulkheads may be cast with the cylinder but we prefer to make them
separate from the cylinder (so that said cylinder may be bored in an ordinary lathe,
thus obviating the necessity for any specially constructed machine for tooling same).
In that case said bulkheads may be bolted or otherwise fixed in said cylinder.
In the two chambers K. K' formed by the insertion of said bulkheads, vibrate
the piston blades C. C₁ which radiate from a central trunnion D. oscillating in
bearings D' Fig. 2. carried in the covers or sides E. which are bolted to the shell
or cylinder said trunnion is extended beyond the covers on each side, and the
vibrating motion is communicated to a crank H. and converted into a rotary
motion by any of the known means suitable therefor.
In the drawings the crank has an elongated journal or crank pin F. extending
beyond each side of cylinder sufficient to allow the connection of a connecting
rod G. on each side, and between the crank arms H. The upper ends I of said
conuecting rods are pivoted to oscillating arms J. keyed to the trunnion ends.
We prefer to use a connection as above described on each side of the cylinder in
order to equalize the strain on the trunnion but one only may be used if desired,
the crank shaft may be placed under, above, or at either end of the cylinder.
The sectoral chambers before referred to are each divided or separated into two
spaces by the piston blades C. C¹
The valves LL2 shown in the bulkheads B. B' are oscillating valves preferably
tapering lengthways and preferably fitted into removable bushes for the purpose of
easy renewal in case of wear. L' performs the operation of admitting the charges
alternately to the two chambers through channels N. N' N2 and for permitting
the transfer of charges from the supply chambers to the explosion chambers,
through the channels N' N2 and additional channels O. O as hereinafter
described.
Valve L' connects each explosion chamber alternately with the exhaust port M.
through channels P. P.
The connection between channels O. 0 in the
hulkhead
unner
B with

page_text: channels O. O in lower bulkhead B' respectively, are formed either by external
pipes or preferably by channels cast in the cover as shown by dotted lines Q.
The valves may be operated by any of the usual methods adapted thereto,
preferably we employ cams, the curves of which give the exact motion and time
required by the valves to perform their several duties, and the motion is
transmitted by means of bell-crank levers and rods S. S¹ S' the rollers on bell
crank lever S being kept up to the periphery of the cams by springs.
The action of the engine is as follows: When either of the piston blades, being
at the top of its respective chamber, is (by turning the shaft) moved in the
direction of the arrow, as shown in the left hand chamber K. Fig. 1. it draws in
behind it through channels N. N¹ and cavity T. in valve L', a charge of air
admixed with a due proportion of gas, the gases in front or under said blade being
expelled by the forward motion of the piston or blade through channel P. and
cavity T2 in exhaust valve L2 into exhaust port or channel M.
When said piston
blade has made about one half its stroke, the gas is cut off, by any of the usual
methods (preferably by a small cam operating a lever on spindle connected with
the gas valve, said cam being controlled by a governor) and the remaining portion
of the charge admitted, consists of air only; on the completion of the stroke or
movement of said piston blade the valve L' is turned round (by the action of
cams and levers hereinbefore described) sufficiently to establish communication
between channels N and N2 by means of cavity T. in readiness for charging the
opposite chamber, also bringing passage T into position for establishing com-
munication between, channels N₁ and O. By the return movement of said piston
blade, the charge just drawn in is forced into the space under the opposite piston
blade C through channels N' and O¹ passage T' in valve L¹ and channels in
cover; the portion of charge composed of air only entering first by the downward
movement of blade C expelling the contents of the space under the said blade
through channel P¹ and cavity T2 in valve L³ which has been turned round to
bring cavity T2 into register with channel P and exhaust port M. When the
blades C & C have made about one half their stroke, the exhaust valve L² is
turned sufficiently to cut off communication with the exhaust port M. and the
remaining portion of the charge consisting of an admixture of gas and air is by
the continued movement of the piston blades transferred from the space above the
blade C. through passages NI TO' into the space under opposite blade C¹ and is
there compressed, sufficient space being left on the under sides of the piston blades
for that purpose, while the upper sides of the opposite piston blade C, coming
close up to the bulk head B' forces the mixture into said space under the piston
blade C; at the moment of greatest compression the charge is ignited, and the
explosion forces the blade C in the reverse direction thus giving motion to the
engine.
The ignition of the charges is alternately effected preferably by means of
tubes U. U closed at one end and communicating at the other through the casing,
with the spaces under the piston blades, these tubes are kept at a red heat by
Bunsen burners or other suitable means.
In order to prevent premature explosions, we attach to the under sides of each
piston blade, a thin plate V, V', shaped to the arc of the cylinder; these plates
are either hinged to the piston blades or fitted with slots and screws so that when
compression of the charges takes place, they are pressed against the arc or inner
surface of the cylinders. The plates V. V₁ are so adapted in length that they
cover the passage into the ignition tubes U. U₁ before the compression is sufficient
to force the inflammable gases into the incandescent part of the ignition tubes,
but when the blades have completed their stroke, and at the time the compression
has attained its greatest pressure, a small orifice W in said plates is brought into
register with the opening into the ignition tubes, and the compression then forcing
a part of the charge into the incandescent tube, ignition. takes place, and the
explosion occurs at the proper moment.

page_text: The operations above described then take place in the opposite side of the engine
and so on alternately from side to side so long as the engine is in motion.
If desired, a separate valve L' might be employed for admitting the charge to
the upper side of each of the piston blades C. C₁ and to transfer such charge from
the upper side of one piston blade to the under side of the other, but we prefer to
employ a valve L' common to both chambers in which the piston blades C. C¹
work as above described.
Further if desired a separate valve L' might be employed for controlling the
exhaust from the underside of each of the piston blades C. C¹ but we prefer to
employ one valve L² common to both chambers K. K' in which the piston
blades C. C' work as above described. The cylinder is preferably water jacketted
as shown at X.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. The combination of a cylinder A. divided by partitions or bulkheads B. B¹,
into two opposite segmental chambers K. K¹ in each of which works a piston C. C¹,
connected to a common central shaft or trunnion and of an admission valve L' and
passages N. N' N², T. T¹, O. O₁ for admitting the charges alternately to the
upper side of each piston and transferring same from upper side of one, to the
under side of the other piston, substantially as specified.
2. The combination of a cylinder A. divided by partitions or bulkheads B. B¹
into two opposite segmental chambers K. K' in each of which works a piston C. C'
connected to a common central shaft or trunnion, and of a separate valve L' for
each segmental chamber and serving to admit a charge to the upper side of the
piston therein, and then transferring same to the under side of the other piston
substantially as specified.
3. The combination with a cylinder A. divided by partitions or bulkheads B. B¹
into two opposite segmental chambers K. K' in each of which works a piston C. C'
connected to a common central shaft or trunnion and a valve or valves L' and
passages for admitting charges alternately to the upper side of each piston and
transferring same from the upper side of one to the under side of the other piston,
of an exhaust valve L2 and passages P. P¹, T2, M, for placing the space between
each piston C. C' alternately open to exhaust, substantially as specified.
4. The combination with a cylinder A. divided by partitions or bulkheads B. B'
into two opposite segmental chambers K. K' in each of which works a piston C. C¹
connected to a common central shaft or trunnion and a valve or valves L' and
passages for admitting charges alternately to the upper side of each piston, and
transferring same from the upper side of one, to the under side of the other piston,
of a separate exhaust valve L2 for each of the segmental chambers K in which the
piston blades C. C¹ respectively work substantially as specified.
5. The combination with a vibrating piston oscillating in a segmental chamber
of a plate V. V curved to the shape of the segmental chamber in which such
piston works, and secured to the outer end of said piston, so that it is capable of
an outward movement in relation thereto, such plate having an opening, which,
when the piston is at or near the end of its inward stroke, registers with a corre-
sponding opening leading to an igniter, the whole serving for the purpose of
preventing the charge contained beneath the piston in the chamber from being
prematurely ignited, substantially as specified.
Dated this 9th day of March 1892.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicants.