IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND METHOD OF ACTION IN GAS ENGINES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Simon and Francis Wertenbruch, both of
Wilford Road, in the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham,
Engineers, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
AND METHOD OF ACTION IN GAS ENGINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Simon & Francis
Wertenbruch at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd
October 1881.
RICHARD SIMON and FRANCIS WERTENBRUCH, both of Wilford Road, in the
Town and County of the Town of Nottingham, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION AND METHOD OF ACTION IN GAS ENGINES."
Our Invention consists of an improved form or construction of the cylinder and
piston of a gas engine, by means of which and by means of and in combination
with a new form and construction of inlet and outlet valves the work of drawing in
a mixture of gas and air, compressing it, moving the mixed compressed body to
the part of the engine where the burning or exploding is to be performed, and
exhausting the products, is done in a simpler and more effective manner than
hitherto.
The cylinder consists of two parts placed end to end, the compression cylinder
being larger in diameter than the power cylinder.
Working in these is a double piston or trunk, having two piston-heads, one
fitting in each cylinder respectively. As the trunk is smaller in diameter than
the larger cylinder an annular space is left round it between it and the cylinder
walls.
When the piston moves outwards, impelled either by the flywheel or the impact
of the expanded gases behind it, gas and air are drawn into this annular space, and
on the return stroke (always effected by the momentum of the flywheel) are com-
pressed. At a suitable moment a valve opens and admits the mixture into a
receiver, whence it passes to the further end of the power cylinder, and is there
D

page_text: burned or exploded. The receiver referred is a small cylinder fixed to the side
of the larger one and called by us the valve box. In this valve box are two small
pistons fixed on one rod and worked by an eccentric, the motion of the eccentric
and the position of the small pistons and of the communicating ports are such
that the four operations of letting the gas and air into the compressing cylinder,
passing it thence into the receiver, thence into the power cylinder, and finally
exhausting the waste products, are all performed by these two small pistons.
An important feature in the construction of these two small pistons is, that
they are not themselves the actual valves, but carry each an elastic metallic ring
which is made somewhat broader than the width of the port it closes and closes
the port perfectly, but being elastic has but little friction.
The space between the two small pistons is used as a receiver.
One way of igniting the compressed mixture is by means of an internal flame,
such as described in Letters Patent granted to Richard Simon and another,
No. 4979, in the year 1878. In this case perforated brass plates having layers of
wire gauze between are placed between the valve box and cylinder, and a small
receiver is added to receive sufficient of the compressed mixture to supply the
internal flame. In this case also the construction of the engine allows of the
exhaust products passing through, and thus cleansing the wire gauze and perforated
plates.
To regulate the speed of the engine we in this case admit the gas and air into
the valve box through ports in a circular valve actuated by a governor, which
governor closes the ports more or less as required.
This valve is so formed that no gas can pass it except when the engine is
drawing a fresh supply.
We sometimes close the front end of the cylinder and allow the exhaust products
to be drawn into the space between such cover and the piston by the instroke of
the latter. In this case a partial contraction or condensation of the exhaust
products may take place, and the partial vacuum thus obtained would assist in
the outstroke of the piston. At the completion of this outstroke the piston would
expel these products through a suitable back pressure valve, but sometimes we
prefer to lead them into a condenser (by a valve opened at a suitable moment by
an eccentric) so placed and arranged that the vacuum formed by farther con-
densation, if any, may also be utilized.
In some cases we prefer to explode the compressed mixture by means of an
external flame lighting a travelling flame carried in one of the many forms of
slide valves known to engineers, or such as or a modified form of the one described in
Letters Patent granted to Louis Simon and Francis Wertenbruch, in the year 1880,
No. 4881. In these cases the perforated plates and wire gauze are dispensed with,
and the compressed mixture is exploded in a suitable chamber provided at the
further end of the power cylinder, or between that cylinder and the valve box. or
in the valve box itself.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Richard Simon & Francis Wertenbruch in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 1st April 1882.
RICHARD SIMON and FRANCIS WERTENBRUCH, both of Wilford Road, in the
Town and County of the Town of Nottingham, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION AND METHOD OF ACTION IN GAS ENGINES."
Our Invention consists of an improved form or construction of the cylinder and
piston of a gas engine, by means of which and by means of and in combination
with a new form or construction of inlet and outlet valves the work of drawing in
a mixture of gas and air, compressing it, moving the mixed compressed body to the
part of the engine where the burning or exploding is to be performed, and
exhausting the products, is done in a simpler and more effective manner than
hitherto.
The cylinder consists of two parts placed end to end, the compression part of the
cylinder being larger in diameter than the power part of the cylinder. Working
in these is a double piston or trunk, having two piston heads, one fitting in each
cylinder respectively. As the trunk is smaller in diameter than the larger cylinder
an annular space is left round it between it and the cylinder walls.
When the piston moves outwards, impelled either by the flywheel or the impact
of the expanded gases behind it, gas and air are drawn into this annular space, and
on the return stroke (always effected by the momentum of the fly wheel) are
compressed. At a suitable moment a valve opens and admits the mixture into a
receiver, whence it passes to the further end of the power cylinder, and is there
burned or exploded.
The receiver referred to is by preference a small cylinder fixed to the side of the
larger one, and called by us the valve box. In this valve box are two small pistons
fixed on one rod, and worked by an eccentric, the motion of the eccentric and the
position of the small pistons and of the communicating ports are such that the four
operations of letting the gas and air into the compressing cylinder, passing it
thence into the receiver, thence into the power cylinder, and finally exhausting the
waste products are all performed by these two small pistons. An important feature
in the construction of these two small pistons is that they are not themselves the
actual valves, but carry each an elastic metallic ring, which is made somewhat
broader than the width of the port it closes, and closes the port perfectly, but being
elastic has but little friction. These pistons are always in equilibrium, the space
between them being used as a receiver.
One way of igniting the compressed mixture is by means of an internal flame,
such as described in Letters Patent granted to Richard Simon and another, No. 4979,
in the year 1878. In this case perforated brass plates having layers of wire gauze
between are placed between the valve box and cylinder, and a small receiver is
added to receive sufficient of the compressed mixture to supply the internal flame.
In this case also the construction of the engine allows of the exhaust products
passing through, and thus cleansing the wire gauze and perforated plates.
To regulate the speed of the engine we in this case admit the gas and air into
the valve box through ports in a circular valve actuated by a governor, which
governor closes the ports more or less as required. This valve is so formed that no
gas can pass it, except when the engine is drawing a fresh supply.
We sometimes close the front end of the cylinder, and allow the exhaust products
to be drawn into the space between such cover and the piston by the instroke of
the latter. In this case a partial contraction or condensation of the exhaust
products takes place, and the partial vacuum thus obtained assists in the
+

page_text: outstroke of the piston. At the completion of this outstroke the piston expels these
products through a suitable back pressure valve, but sometimes we prefer to lead
them into a condenser, so as to utilize any further contraction that may take
place.
In some cases we prefer to explode the compressed mixture by means of an
external flame lighting à travelling flame carried in one of the many forms of slide
valves known to engineers, or such as or a modified form of the one described in
Letters Patent granted to Louis Simon and Francis Wertenbruch in the year 1880,
No. 4881. In these cases the perforated plates and wire gauze are dispensed with,
and the compressed mixture is exploded in a suitable chamber provided at the
further end of the. power cylinder, or between that cylinder and the valve box, or
in the valve box itself.
Our Invention is clearly represented in the annexed Drawings, in which
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a side elevation; Figure 2, a section in plan of the cylinder
and valve box; and Figure 3, an end view; Figure 4, Sheet 2, is a vertical section
of the valve box; Figure 5, a vertical cross section along the line A; B; and
Figure 6 is a vertical cross section along the line C, D. The parts are marked
with the same letters throughout.
The manner of working is as follows:-Whan the trunk piston F travelling in
the cylinder E travels outward, that is, towards the crank, gas and air pass into
the space through between the trunk F and the walls of the cylinder, being drawn
in through the port T, which is placed in communication with the port L, into
which gas and air are admitted by suitable pipes opened and closed by a rotating
valve actuated by a governor. To form a communication between the ports L
and T the valve piston J bearing the ring valve K is moved inwards by means of
an eccentric suitably adjusted. On the back stroke of the piston this eccentric
moves the valve piston J outwards until by means of the ring K, which is
somewhat wider than the port T, communication with L has been closed and
communication through T with the space W between the trunk V and the
walls of the valve box I established. The back stroke of the piston head H
therefore compresses the gas and air previously drawn in by it into the
space W.
The eccentric now imparts a backward movement to the pistons J and J' on the
trunk V, and the contents of W are placed in communication through the port ✗
with the cylinder E behind the power head G of the piston F. At the same time
the port T is closed to W and opened to the port L by the inward movement of the
valve piston J. Entering through the port X into the cylinder E the compressed
mixture of gas and air traverses the perforated plates R, between which are layers
of wire gauze to prevent the fire going back into the space W. At Q the mixture
encounters a flame lighted before starting the engine and supplied with compressed
gas and air from the receiver S by means of a suitable pipe. The receiver S is fed
from the space W through a small back pressure valve. When it reaches the flame
the mixture is ignited and the consequent expansion impels the piston outwards,
and by means of a suitable connecting, rod and crank imparts a rotary motion
to a flywheel and pulley fixed on that crank. At the same time a fresh
charge is being drawn in behind the piston head H in the manner already
described. When the piston heads G, H, are at the half of their outward stroke
the eccentric moves the valve pistons J and J¹ outwards again, so that the
ring K on J¹ commences to close the communication between W and the
port X, and to open a communication through the pipes N and P between
the space in the cylinder E which is behind the piston head G, and between the
space Y which lies in the cylinder. E between the outer side of the piston head H
and the cylinder cover Z. The exhaust products are forced by the back stroke of
the piston head G and at the same time drawn by the inward stroke of the piston
head H into this space Y, where they rapidly contract to below atmospheric
pressure, forming a vacuum, which exercises a tractive force, assisting the piston
on its next outstroke. The exhaust products are expelled on the completion of

page_text: that outstroke through the back pressure valve M, which may be placed in any
convenient part of the pipes N or P, or in the cylinder cover Z. The pipes P and N
are made of some capacity and supply the place of a receiver.
It will be observed that our Invention enables us to use what is a waste product
in other gas engines to give power, but if preferred we could dispense with the
the cover Z, and the pipes P and N, and exhaust in the ordinary manner.
In the engine figured the cylinder may be said to contain three spaces, one of
which is by turns used to draw gas and air and to compress it, another is the part
in which the expansion produced by combustion yields power, and in the third the
rapid rarefaction of the products of combustion also yields power. The result is
the production of power at each revolution of the engine.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, we declare that we claim,—
First. The arrangement of the two pistons J and J and the ring valves K
and K¹, and their method of action for determining the admission of a charge into
one portion of a cylinder and for its transfer to another portion of the same
cylinder, and for regulating the exhaust, all as berein set forth.
Secondly. In a gas engine, utilizing the contraction obtainable by transferring
the exhaust products to a receiver or to the front end of the cylinder for the
purpose of obtaining power, as described and shown.
Thirdly. The arrangement and construction of parts forming a gas engine, as
described and shown, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said Richard Simon and Francis Wertenbruch,
have bereunto set our hands and seals, this Thirtieth day of March, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
DIMUN.
(L.B.)
FRANCIS WERTENBRUCH. (LS.)