Improvements in or pertaining to Motor Apparatus suitable for Propelling Carriages, Cycles, and other Road Vehicles, or for Light Power purposes generally.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Oct., 1897
Complete Inecification Loft 23th July 1808 Accented
25th Nov
1898
Date of Application, 25th Oct., 1897
Complete Specification Loft, 25th July 1808 Accepted, 25th Nov
1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or pertaining to Motor Apparatus suitable for
Propelling Carriages, Cycles, and other Road Vehicles, or for
Light Power purposes generally.
Partly a communication from WILLIAM JOSEPH STILL, Machinist, and THOMAS
BENGOUGH, Stenographer, both of the City of Toronto, in the County of York,
and Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada.
I, PERRY ERNEST DOOLITTLE, Physician, of 70, Guilford Street, Russell Square,
in the County of London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
In carriages and other road vehicles driven by motors worked by the explosion
of a combustible mixture of gas or vaporised oil and air, very objectionable
features have heretofore been experienced owing to the motors having to be kept
constantly in action whether the vehicles are moving or not, with the result that
when a vehicle fitted with such a motor is standing at rest, the rapid revolution
of the balance or fly wheel or other heavy part driven by the motor, with the
occasional explosion of a combustible charge, sets up an amount of vibration
that is very unpleasant to the user of the vehicle. Also the power of the motor
has been applied in such a manner that the motor runs at a constant or nearly
constant speed whatever may be the required speed of the vehicle, thereby
necessitating a system of gearing up and gearing down to allow the vehicle to be
driven at different speeds to suit varying requirements. Now an object of this
invention is to obviate the disadvantages above referred to. For this purpose
in motor apparatus according to this invention the main driving shaft or equiva-
lent means from which the vehicle or other object is operated, is driven by a
spring or other medium in which energy is stored by a motor worked by the
explosions of combustible charges, the construction and arrangement of the parts
being such that explosions with second development of energy will occur only
as required to operate the main driving shaft or equivalent and that as the grade
traversed by the vehicle increases, the explosions will increase in frequency, and
will stop altogether when the carriage is brought to a standstill, or when the
speed of the driven mechanism exceeds that at which the governor is set to work,
or when running down grade.
Motor apparatus to act according to this invention can be constructed in
various forms.
According to one construction, the apparatus comprises a motor cylinder in
which power is produced by the explosions of combustible charges, as of com-
bustible gas or vapour and air. The cylinder is fitted with a piston that is
operated by the said explosions and works onto a crank shaft or crank disc which,
through a friction or other suitable clutch, is adapted to rotate in one direction
a heavy drum that acts as a fly wheel and contains a powerful coiled spring which

page_text: is attached at one end to the drum and at the other end to the mechanism to be
driven, a second friction clutch or equivalent means being provided to prevent
the spring drum rotating in the opposite direction and allowing the spring to
unwind at the end at which it is wound up. A special return spring is provided
for returning the crank shaft and piston to the proper positions for making a
new stroke. Also, there is provided a detent or other suitable catching or hold-
ing device which is actuated by or is under the control of the governor of the
vehicle or driven mechanism motor and which when the speed of the vehicle
rises above a predetermined limit, acts to detain the piston at the point of full
stroke and prevent it returning to the compressing and igniting position until
the speed again falls to a suitable limit.
The action of the apparatus. is as follows:-The engine is started by releasing
the detent that holds the piston at the end of its working stroke whereupon the
special return spring causes the piston to make its return stroke and compress a
combustible charge, which is fired at a given compression by a hot tube or other
suitable igniter. The explosion of the charge causes the piston to again make
an outward working stroke and rotate the spring drum with considerable force
through the clutch device. At the end of the outward stroke, the force of the
explosion being expended, the piston will come to rest, its energy having been
imparted to the spring drum during the movement of the crank to the point of
dead centre. Although the piston comes to rest the drum will continue moving
for a time proportional to the spring pressure working against it, and when it
stops rotating it will be held by the second clutch device and prevented from
returning. Several successive strokes of the engine may be made so as to pro-
duce in the spring the tension required to move the mechanism to be driven, each
successive stroke increasing the tension previously attained..
It will be seen from the foregoing description that in the application of the
invention to a motor vehicle, the rate of working of the motor will be propor-
tional to the amount of work being done in driving the carriage so that on a
stiff up-grade one or two explosion strokes may be made to each revolution of
the main driving shaft, and that on the level or down grade a stroke will only.
be given so often as the governor on the vehicle or driven mechanism indicates
that the speed is less than that at which it is set to operate.
Instead of using a coil spring as the elastic medium between the motor and
the driven niechanism, there may be employed air, gases or other medium in
which energy can be stored by the explosion of the motor and be given off
steadily and constantly to the mechanism to be driven, the main objects being
to prevent the sudden impulses of the motor, which are so objectionable in
carriages and similar vehicles driven by explosion engines from being directly
transmitted to the vehicle; to obtain a continuous driving pressure, which,
without the use of changeable gear, can be varied in proportion fo the amount
of work the motor is called upon at different times to perform, to lessen the
number of working parts of the apparatus: and to simplify its construction..
The motor cylinder according to one construction is provided with separate
air inlet and outlet ports and valves and is fitted with two pistons one of which,
viz. the outer, is connected to the crank shaft or equivalent whilst the other,
viz. the inner, is capable of a limited movement relatively to the first one against
or under the action of a spring. In connection with the air outlet passage is
an inspirator or equivalent device for supplying oil, gas or other combustible
material to compressed air for producing a combustible mixture which passes
to the combustion chamber end of the cylinder and is fired by
suitable igniter. The arrangement is such that when an explosion takes place
both pistons will be close together at the inner end of their stroke, and during
the outward stroke both pistons will work together in close contact with each
other until within about one eighth of full stroke has been reached. At this
point the exhaust port will open and the two pistons will begin to separate, the
inner one under the action of its spring, making its backward stroke until it
a

page_text: reaches the position it was in when the explosion took place. The other or
outer piston will at this time have made about one third of its return stroke and
the suction produced between the two pistons will have filled the space between
them with fresh air through the inlet valve which may be situated in the outer
piston or in the wall of the cylinder. The return stroke of the outer piston will
compress the air imprisoned between the two pistons and cause it to flow through
the outlet port and passage past the inner piston and into the explosion chamber
beyond it. A small portion of the compressed air along with the burnt gases
from the previous explosion will pass out of the explosion chamber by means of
an exhaust port.
Simultaneously with the closing of the exhaust port the explosive or com-
bustible charge will be injected into the said air outlet passage and be carried
by the air current into the explosion chamber where the mixture will be com-
pressed and ignited and another working stroke of the pistons effected.
The combustible charges instead of being fired by a hot tube, may be ignited
by igniting apparatus comprising an electric sparking motor working by means
of an interrupted magnetic field, the commutator and brushes being arranged
within the explosion or combustion chamber and means being provided for
making and breaking contact, at the proper times, between the brushes and the
commutator.
The exhaust port of the motor cylinder may be controlled by a valve under the
action of a cam movement, the arrangement being such that the turning of the
valve stem in one direction will move the valve from its seat, sufficient lost
motion being provided to allow of the valve turning slightly on its seat each time
it is closed so as to grind and remove any obstructions there may be on such seat.
According to another construction of motor apparatus according to this inven-
tion the main or outer piston of an explosion motor of the kind above referred
to is connected to the piston of an air compression cylinder provided with suitably
arranged air inlet and outlet valves to enable it to work as an air compressor.
The compressed air outlet passage communicates with an air jacket that is
arranged around the motor cylinder and its explosion chamber and is adapted
to deliver the compressed air to one or more cylinders adapted to work as an air
motor or motors for driving a vehicle or other object. In connection with the
air jacket means may be provided for supplying water thereto for utilizing the
heat of the motor cylinder to produce steam for use in conjunction with the air
in the compressed air motor or motors.
For governing the speed of the compressed air motor or motors, the inlet ports
of the compression cylinder may be held open when the speed is too great, by
suitable detents or devices under the control of the governor; or the supply of
explosive mixture to the explosion chamber of the explosion motor may be cut off.
For starting the apparatus there may be provided in connection therewith a
spring that is wound up through a suitable clutch by the successive strokes of
the motor and in connection with which there is provided a suitable catch or
detent for releasing the spring when desired for starting the apparatus.
The working of the apparatus may be controlled by suitable cams acting in
such a manner as to produce the following results at starting, viz.:
(a) to move the slide valves of the air motor cylinders from the exhaust position
to the point at which they receive air pressure for their maximum length of time;
(b) to release the starting mechanism of the explosion engine; (c) to increase the
tension on the centrifugal governor of the explosive motor, and thereby increase
its speed. When stopping this order will be reversed thus; (d) to reduce the
tension on the governor; (e) to replace the detent or catch of the starting
mechanism in position to be tripped when wanted; and (f) to bring the slide
valves to a position of rest at a point where the ports are open to the exhaust. In
reversing, this same order is followed but the slide valves of the air motor
cylinders are opened during the opposite stroke of the motor.
Between the steel or other packing rings of any of the pistons, especially that

page_text: of the motor cylinder, a semi-fluid lubricating packing may be introduced under
a pressure equal to or greater than that of the fluid within the cylinder.
As will be obvious the details of construction may be variously modified. Also
that motor apparatus according to this invention can be used for various purposes
other than driving road vehicles.
5
Improvements in or pertaining to Motor Apparatus suitable for
Propelling Carriages, Cycles, and other Road Vehicles, or for
Light Power purposes generally.
Partly a communication from WILLIAM JOSEPH STILL, Machinist, and THOMAS
BENGOUGH, Stenographer, both of the City of Toronto, in the County of York
and Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada.
I, PERRY ERNEST DOOLITTLE, Physician, of 70, Guilford Street, Russell Square,
in the County of London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer
tained in and by the following statement:
-
This invention relates to improvements in or pertaining to motor apparatus
suitable for propelling carriages, cycles and other road vehicles and for power
purposes generally. In carriages driven by motors worked by the explosion of
combustible mixtures of gas or vaporous oil and air very objectionable features
have heretofore been experienced owing to the motors having to be kept con-
stantly in action whether the vehicle is moving or not with the result that when
a vehicle fitted with such a motor is standing at rest the rapid revolution of the
fly wheel or other heavy part driven by the motor with the occasional explosion
of a combustible charge sets up an amount of vibration that is very unpleasant
to the user of the vehicle. Also the power of the motor has been applied in such
a manner that the motor runs at constant or nearly constant speed whatever may
be the required speed of the vehicle, thereby necessitating a system of gearing up
and gearing down to allow the vehicle to be driven at different speeds to suit
varying requirements.
Now one object of this invention is to obviate the disadvantages above referred
to. For this purpose in the motor apparatus constituting this invention the
main driving shaft or equivalent means from which the vehicle or other object
is operated is driven by a compressed air chamber, spring or other equivalent in
which energy
is stored by a motor worked by the explosion of combustible
charges, the construction and arrangements of the parts being such that explo-
sions with secondary development of energy will occur only as required to
operate the main driving shaft or equivalent and that as the grade traversed by
the vehicle increases the explosions will increase in frequency and will
stop altogether when the carriage is brought to a standstill or when the speed
of the driving mechanism exceeds that at which the governor is set to work or
when running down grades. Motor apparatus to act according to 'this invention
can be constructed in various forms.

page_text: According to the construction illustrated in the Figures 1 and 2 the apparatus
comprises a motor cylinder A in which power is produced by the explosions of
combustible charges as with combustible gas or vapour and air. The cylinder.
is fitted with piston B. It is operated by the said explosions and works on to a
crank shaft C which through friction clutch D is adapted to rotate in one direc-
tion a heavy drum that acts as a fly wheel and contains a powerful coil spring. E
which is attached at one end to the drum and at the other end to the mechanism
to be driven by means of the sprocket wheel V. A second friction clutch F is
provided to prevent the spring drum from rotating in the opposite direction and
preventing it from unwinding at the end at which it is wound up.
A special return spring G is provided for returning the crank shaft and piston
to the proper positions for making a new stroke, also there is provided a clutch H-
which is under the control of the governor of the motor and retains the piston
at the point of full stroke and prevents it from returning until a fresh stroke is
desired.
Upon an explosion occurring the piston and crank are driven out towards the
point of full stroke thereby rotating the drum H₁. The spring G will tend to
return the latter, but the clutch H thereupon immediately tightens upon it,
thereby holding it from returning until the point R₁ of the arm R is raised by
suitable mechanism; thus releasing the spring R³ which normally tends to
tighten the clutch H upon the drum H¹.
The clutch D comprises an arm D₁ fastened to the crank shaft of the engine
or to a sleeve fixed thereon, to the opposite ends of which arm are journalled
arms D2 (only one of which is shown in Fig. 1). To the outer free end of each
said arm D2 is socketted a wedge block D³ inserted between the adjacent ends
of two shoes or halves of the clutch D. The arms D2 are provided with springs D*
which normally act to draw the wedge blocks inwards.
The clutch operates as follows:-When the crank shaft is released by the
governor it is returned by the spring G and the wedge blocks D3 are drawn to-
wards inwards by the arms 12. The moment, that the charge is ignited the
crank tends to turn in the opposite direction thus immediately driving the wedge
blocks D3 into the spaces between the shoes and forcing them outwards against
the drum and if their angles are properly proportioned, they will grip the
drum and revolve it with the crank, again releasing the clutch as soon as the
driving force ceases.
The clutches above referred to have been described as examples suitable to
accomplish the work required, but it will be obvious that other clutches may be
employed for the same purposes.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The engine is started by pulling the
rod P, in the direction of the arrow thereby lifting the arm R and releasing the
clutch that holds the piston at the end of its working stroke, whereupon the
return spring G causes the piston to make its return stroke and compresses a
combustible charge which is then fired by a suitable igniter Q. The explosion
of the charge causes the piston to again make an outward working stroke and
5 rotate the spring drum with considerable force by means of the clutch D, at the
end of the outward stroke, the force of the explosion being expended, the piston
will come to rest, its energy having been imparted to the spring drum during the
movement of the crank to the point of dead centre.
Although the piston comes to rest the drum will continue moving for a time
O proportional to the spring pressure working against it and when it stops rotating
it will be held by the clutch F and prevented from returning in the opposite
direction as will be well understood. Several successive strokes of the engine
may be made so as to produce in the spring the tension required to move the
mechanism to be driven, each successive stroke increasing the tension previously
5 attained.
It will be seen from the foregoing description that in the application of the
invention to a motor vehicle, the rate of working of the motor will be proportional

page_text: to the amount of work being done in driving the carriage, so that on stiff up-
grade one or two explosion strokes may be made to each revolution of the main
driving shaft, and that on the level or down grade a stroke will only be given
as often as the governor on the vehicle or driven mechanism indicates that the
speed is less than that at which it is set to operate.
will
with
According to the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2' the cylinder A con-
tains two pistons B and' X, the outer one B is connected with the crank shaft C
whilst X is capable of a limited movement relative to B by the action of a
spring M. The arrangement is such that when the explosion takes place both
pistons
be close together at the
of
inner end
their stroke.
During the outward stroke both pistons will work together in close
contact
each other until they stop at the end of their
stroke when the exhaust port 0 will open. The main piston B will
be held from returning by its clutch F but the inner piston will immediately
return by the action of its spring M drawing a charge of combustible mixture
between the two pistons through port S to which will be attached a suitable check
valve. By releasing the clutch H the two pistons will be forced towards the
bottom of the cylinder until the piston is past the port N and cushions upon the
spring L. The continued movement of the piston B will now drive the charge
contained between the two pistons through this port to the combustion chamber
behind the piston X.
When part of the charge has been delivered into the combustion chamber the
exhaust port O will close and the remainder of the charge will be compressed into
the combustion chamber by the momentum of the piston B. Contact will at this
time be made with suitable electric igniter Q and a spark produced in the
cylinder an explosion will occur and the two pistons will again travel out in
close contact with each other and be held at the point of full stroke until a fresh
one is required.
+
The exhaust port is operated by means of the crank C shown at the extreme
left of the crank shaft C in Fig. 2 and shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. This
crank operates an arm T, also shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and which has a
balance weight attached to one end and the shaft U to the other end, the arm Y
is also attached to this shaft and by its movement operates the exhaust valve O.
The crank C¹ being set at a nearly opposite point to the main crank, the arm T
moves forward when the piston moves backward and the weight attached to its
upper end will balance the movement of the pistons B and X and prevent
vibration.
Suitable means of gearing is employed in order to reverse the driving action
for vehicle purposes when it is wished to travel in opposite direction to that in
which the rig is ordinarily driven. The clutches and motor always acting in one
direction.
Instead of using a coil spring as an elastic medium between the motor and
driving mechanism I also employ air, gas or other medium in which energy can
be stored by the explosion of the motor and given off steadily and constantly to
the mechanism to be driven. The main objects being to produce a motor the
speed of which is in exact proportion to the work done, to prevent sudden impulses,
to obtain a powerful and continuous driving pressure, which without the use of
changeable gear, can be varied in proportion to the amount the motor is called
upon at different times to perform, and to facilitate the operation of the motor
on varying loads and speeds.
According to this construction illustrated in Fig. 3 the motor consists of a
main cylinder A in which are located two pistons B and B having attached to
them pistons C and C operating in cylinders D and D¹. Upon the explosion
occurring between the two pistons B and B they will immediately separate forc-
ing the pistons C and C¹ into their respective cylinders D and Di displacing the
liquid medium with which they were filled and forcing it by the pipes F and F

page_text: into the common tank G and thence by the valve H to the compressed air
chamber E.
From this chamber it is delivered by means of the pipe I to an hydraulic motor
operating the mechanism to be driven. These motors may be of ordinary type
but should permit of considerable range of power to handle the varying loads.
Their exhaust liquid will be carried into the tank J by means of the pipe K,
whence it will be re-pumped into the compressed air chamber E by the pistons C
and C¹.
The strokes of the pistons B and B are governed by the pressure in the com-
pressed air chamber E the action being as follows: In the position shown in
Fig. 3 the piston L has drawn a charge of combustible mixture into the cylinder M
through the valve N and at the same time has forced the arm N2 over dead centre,
by means of the rod and the arm P attached to the piston L by the link Q.
The valve chamber R is connected with the compressed air chamber E by the
pipe R and when the pressure in the compressed air chamber E falls to a pre-
determined limit, the valve S will be forced from its seat by the spring N¹.
This will admit pressure from the chamber E to the piston L' which will
immediately descend driving the charge contained in the cylinder M through
the valve T into the cylinder A.
At a suitable point near the end of this stroke the arm P will close the exhaust
value U and a suitable contact will be made with the igniter V.
The pistons B and B will at this time be in the position shown in Fig. 3, and
when the explosion occurs between them it will force them outwards and displace
the liquid in the cylinders D) and D¹, forcing it through the chamber G as before
mentioned into the compressed air chamber E.
In the chamber G is located the small compressed air chamber Y. and the
stroke of the pistons will compress the air therein contained to the same pressure
as that in the main chamber E before any liquid is forced into it.
Immediately the piston L reaches the bottom of its stroke the arm N³ will be
pulled over dead centre and the spring N¹ will lift the exhaust valve W and the
spring X will draw the pistons L and L up their stroke forcing the liquid in
front of piston L' into the tank J through the pipe J.
At the end of this stroke the arm P will push the arm N2 into the position
shown in Fig. 3 closing the exhaust valve W and imparting a tension to the
inlet valve S tending to lift it as before described.
During this stroke the arm P will also impart a tension to the spring. Z con-
nected with the exhaust valve U and as soon as the pressure in the cylinder A
is sufficiently reduced by expansion the valve U will lift releasing the exhaust
pressure.
•
The pistons B and B will now be forcibly returned towards each other by the
expansion of the air contained in the small chamber Y until this air is reduced to
atmosphere pressure when the velocity acquired will enable the pistons to, draw
a fresh charge of oil from the tank J through the valve G¹ during their return
to the point shown in Fig. 3.
If from any cause whatever a charge shall be drawn which is not suitable for
ignition the air pump L will return as before mentioned to the point of full
stroke and although the pistons B and B have not separated, and the mechanism
to be driven may be inert, the air pump will make a fresh stroke forcing in the
new mixture to be exploded by the igniter V, so that misfires will not cause a
stoppage of the engine but will only result in comparatively inefficient work.
If on the return of the main pistons B and B to their initial position and the
return of the air pump piston L to its full outward position as shown in drawings
the pressure in the compressed air chamber E has been raised by the last stroko
above the pre-determined limit this pressure acting upon valve S will hold it to
its seat, preventing the spring N¹ from raising it and a new stroke will not be
produced until the pressure has fallen to the pre-determined point.
In the apparatus here described I use an incompressible liquid such as oil or

page_text: water as the medium for transferring the energy from the gas engine to the motor
cylinders, such liquid being delivered from the exhaust of the motor cylinders
into the tank J from which the engine again pumps it into the compressed air
chamber. Although employing this incompressible liquid for the actual trans-
mission, the energy is stored by the elasticity of the air in the compressed air
chamber E.
This I consider as a preferential method, but I have used and suitable apparatus
can be devised to employ compressed air alone as a medium for its transmission
without the use of an incompressible liquid as here shown.
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:-
1. In an explosive engine the interposition of an elastic medium between the
explosion cylinder and the mechanism to be driven so as to reduce the shock on
the driven mechanism and produce a steady outflow of energy under control of the
operator as and for the purpose specified."
2. In an explosive engine a means for completing the cycle of operation
necessary for the production of each succeeding stroke by stored energy that is
under control of the governor and which is independent of momentum, or the
mechanism to be driven as and for the purpose specified.
3. In an explosive engine the means for storing, holding and releasing at the
will of the operator a part of the power produced at each explosion and suitable
mechanism which when operated by such stored energy will complete the cycle of
motions necessary for the next succeeding stroke enabling the number of strokes
per minute to be varied at will as and for the purpose specified.
4. In an explosive engine the combination of a cylinder a piston or pistons; a
means of storing a part of the power produced at each explosion, with a suitable
mechanism for drawing, compressing and igniting each successive charge con-
nected to and capable of being driven by such power, and a controlling mechanism
for holding and releasing such power at varying intervals of time as and for the
purpose specified.
5. In an explosive engine the means of storing a part of the power produced
at each explosion and a mechanism for drawing, compressing and igniting each
successive charge driven by such power so constructed that in the event of a mis-
fire it will automatically repeat the cycle until an explosion occurs or the stored
power is exhausted, such motions being independent of momentum or any motion
of the mechanism to be driven as and for the purpose specified.
6. The combination of a piston or pistons of an explosive engine directly con-
nected to the pistons or pistons of an hydraulic pump and a compressed air
chamber in which pressure is stored by each successive explosion; and an
hydraulic motor connected to such chamber as and for the purpose specified.
7. An explosion engine as described in these specifications and as illustrated in
Figs. Nos. 1, 2 and 3.