Year: 1888

page_text: I, ANDREW SCLANDERS NELSON, Managing Director of the Glasgow Gas Engine
Company 18 Renfield Street in the City of Glasgow do hereby declare the nature of
this Invention to be as follows:-
This Invention which relates to gas, oil or other hydro-carbon motive power engines
has for its object improvements in the construction and operation of the ignition valve
arrangements whereby certainty of ignition of the combustible charge within the
cylinder is ensured.
To that end I form or secure upon or near the end of the cylinder a small casing
which serves as an ignition chamber and which is placed in communication with the
interior of the cylinder upon the opening of a lifting valve situated between the
cylinder and ignition chamber and operated either directly by a tappet on the engine
piston or through suitable gearing from any moving part of the engine against the
power of a spring serving to maintain the valve normally in a closed position. In
communication with the ignition chamber is an ignition tube whose outer end is
closed and which is maintained at a sufficiently high temperature by means of a gas
jet playing externally upon it to fire the combustible charge when by the opening of
the ignition valve it enters the ignition chamber.
Under one arrangement the ignition chamber is made in the form of a small
cylinder which may be provided with a water jacket and is secured by studs to the
engine cylinder cover or end. Into the ignition cylinder is screwed a liner which
acts as a guide for the valve and carries the spring which retains the valve closed
the spring being also thereby protected from the flame and heat of the explosion.
On the engine piston is fitted a projecting stud or tappet which upon the completion
of the instroke of the piston strikes and presses open the ignition valve and admits a
portion of the combustible charge under compression to the ignition chamber where
it is ignited by contact with the highly heated internal surface of the ignition tube.
The latter is placed within a chimney tube into which is directed a jet from a Bunsen
burner to heat up the ignition tube whilst a lining of asbestos in the chimney serves
to retain the heat of the jet. In lieu of the externally heated ignition tube other

page_text: ordinary means for igniting the charge admitted to the ignition chamber may be
employed. In case of the spring upon the valve yielding to the pressure of the
explosion, shoulders or check springs on the valve and liner are provided to prevent
displacement of the valve; and in order that the ignition tube may be conveniently
replaced when worn out it is secured to a steel or gun metal die screwed into the
casing of the ignition chamber.
Under another modification the valve instead of being directly acted on by the
piston of the engine is carried on a spindle placed transversely of the axis of the engine
cylinder and is seated on a diaphragm separating a part of the ignition chamber in
communication with the said cylinder from a part of it with which the ignition tube
communicates. The valve is kept closed by means of a spring acting upon the part
of the valve spindle outside of the casing and it is opened when the piston has com-
pleted its instroke or is about to commence its outstroke by a lever acted on by a
cam on a shaft geared to the crank shaft.
In a further modification a hollow cast iron key or plug valve working in a casing
is used to place the ignition chamber in communication with the cylinder and to
ignite the combustible charge an opening in the key being uncovered at the proper
time by a small disc.
By the arrangements described the friction occasioned by the use of sliding or
rotating valves is avoided and the use of lubricants which are liable to vaporize
with the heat is dispensed with whilst no risk of blowing out an ignition flame
occurs.
Dated this Thirty first day of May 1888

page_text: I, ANDREW SOLANDERS NELSON Managing Director of the Glasgow Gas Engine
Company, 18 Renfield Street in the City of Glasgow, 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 which relates to gas, oil, or other hydro-carbon motive power engines
has for its object improvements in the construction and operation of the ignition valve
arrangements whereby certainty of ignition of the combustible charge within the
cylinder is ensured.
To that end I form or secure upon or near the end of the cylinder a small casing
which serves as an ignition chamber and which is placed in communication with the
interior of the cylinder upon the opening of a lifting valve situated between the
cylinder and ignition chamber and operated either directly by a tappet on the engine
piston or through suitable gearing from any moving part of the engine against the
power of a spring serving to maintain the valve normally in a closed position. In
communication with the ignition chamber is an ignition tube whose outer end is closed
and which is maintained at a sufficiently high temperature by means of a Bunsen
burner or gas jet playing externally upon it to fire the combustible charge when by
the opening of the ignition valve it enters the ignition chamber.
As represented in end elevation at figure 1 and in longitudinal vertical section at
figure 2 of the accompanying drawings under one arrangement the ignition chamber
is made in the form of a small cylinder A which may be provided with a water jacket,
and is secured to the engine cylinder cover or end B. Into the ignition cylinder A is
screwed a liner C which acts as a guide for the valve D and carries the spring E
which retains the valve closed the spring being also thereby protected from the flame
and heat of the explosion. On the engine piston F is fitted a projecting stud or tappet G
which upon the completion of the instroke of the piston strikes and presses open the
ignition valve D and admits a portion of the combustible charge under compression to the
ignition chamber a where it is ignited by contact with the highly heated internal
surface of the ignition tube H. The said tube H is placed within a chimney tube I
into which is directed a jet from a Bunsen burner J to heat up the ignition tube
whilst a lining I' of asbestos in the chimney serves to retain the heat of the jet. In
lieu of the externally heated ignition tube other ordinary means such as a naked flame
for igniting the charge admitted to the ignition chamber may be employed. In case
of the spring upon the valve yielding to the pressure of the explosion, shoulders (or
check springs) on the valve and liner are provided to prevent displacement of the
valve D; and in order that the ignition tube H may be conveniently replaced when
worn out it is secured to a steel or gun metal die H¹ screwed into the casing A of the
ignition chamber a.
Under another modification represented in end elevation at figure 3 and in
longitudinal vertical section at figure 4 the valve D instead of being directly acted

page_text: on by the piston of the engine is carried on a spindle D' placed transversely of the
axis of the engine cylinder B and is seated on a diaphragm D separating a part a of
the ignition chamber in communication with the said cylinder from a part a¹ of it
with which the ignition tube H communicates. The valve is kept closed by means of
a spring E acting upon the part of the valve spindle D' outside of the casing A and
it is opened when the piston has completed its instroke or is about to commence
its outstroke by a lever K centred in a bracket K¹ on the cylinder end and acted on
by a cam L on a shaft M geared to the crank shaft.
In a further modification represented at figures 5 and 6 the valve D is directly
operated by a cam L on the shaft M which passes through a guide slot in the valve
spindle D. The cam L in its rotation acts on a roller L₁ fitted on a stud on the valve
spindle and lifts the valve D from its seat d in the casing A thereby opening com-
munication between the interior of the cylinder B and the chamber a which is open
to the ignition tube H. The spring E is fitted to keep the valve D normally closed
and it is protected from the flame and heat of the explosion by a conical valve D* on
the spindle D¹ closing against a seat d² in the casing A when the cam L acis to open
the valve D.
By the arrangements described the friction occasioned by the use of sliding
or rotating valves is avoided and the use of lubricants which are liable to
vaporize with the heat is dispensed with whilst no risk of blowing out an ignition
flaine occurs.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
-claim-is-:-
The combination of parts constituting the improved ignition valve apparatus for
hydro-carbon engines arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described
under several modifications with reference to the annexed drawings.
D)
Mh 1000