Improvements in and relating to Gas and Gasoline Engines.
Year: 1899

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Gas and Gasoline Engines.
I, ALEXANDER MAHON, of 501, Seventh Street, N.W., in the City of Washington
and District of Columbia, United States of America, Patent Solicitor, 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:-
My invention relates to that class of engines in which the power is derived
from the explosive force of a gas, and has for its object, first, to cause the
exploded and non-exploded gases to flow from the cylinder through different
channels or passage-ways whereby to prevent the mixing of the same after leaving
the cylinder; and, secondly, to provide for the non-exploded mixture or gases
emitted from the cylinder in such manner as to prevent danger therefrom, and the
invention consists, first, in the combination in an explosive engine of a cylinder
and piston, and mechanism adapted to be actuated by the explosive force inde-
pendent of the piston and its actuated mechanism to control the operative action
of the engine.
It further consists in the combination of a cylinder, a piston, an outlet for
exploded gases which is adapted to be opened in the normal working of the
engine and which is kept closed when a charge fails to explode with means for
removing the unexploded charges from the cylinder.
It further consists in certain other novel features, all as hereinafter described.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the engine.
Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section through the base and the lower part of
the cylinder and water jacket, showing the inlet valve, also the plunger in full
lines.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through the same.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the uprights or standards, showing the
mechanisin for actuating the valves for the outlets from the cylinder with the
mechanism which actuates said valves.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the mechanism which actuates the valves.
Figure 6 is a face view of the upper end of the arm or lever which carries the
valve operating mechanism.
Figure 7 is a horizontal section taken on or about on line A B of Figure 3,
showing the arrangement of the piping in full lines wherein the live gas from
the cylinder is conveyed back to the supply pipe and showing in dotted lines
piping wherein such live gas may be carried to a condenser.
Figure 8 is a section of the cylinder head, showing the piston which throws the
mechanism into action for changing the direction of the gases passing from the
cylinder.
As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the invention has been shown as
applied to an ordinary form of upright engine mounted upon a suitable base a.
Standards b c are mounted on the base and may either be secured thereto by

page_text: means of bolts, or may be formed integral with the base, as shall be found most
desirable. Between the standards is mounted the cylinder d surrounded by a
suitable water jacket e
A crank shaft f is mounted in bearings formed in the upper end of the standards
and the piston is connected thereto through a suitable pitman or connecting
rod g.
Mounted, and rigidly secured to the crank shaft adjacent to one of the standards
is a gear wheel h, and mounted on a stub axle projecting from the standard is a
gear wheel having double the number of teeth, and which meshes with said
gear h.
Secured to the gear i is a disc k having a cam 7 projecting from its peripheral
face, and the disc at one side of the cam is provided with a notch or depression m
hereinafter referred to.
An arm or lever n is connected to the standard by bolts 2 passing through
elongated openings to permit the reciprocation of the arm. The upper end of
the arm is provided with an elongated opening 3, through which the shaft passes,
and projecting from the upper end of the arm is a friction roller 4 with which
the cam disc engages.
The arm or lever n extends down below the end of the cylinder head and is
provided with an extension 5 at right angles thereto, which extends across the
face of said head with its forward end engaged by and moving in guide-ways 6.
In the present instance the cylinder head is shown provided with three
valved openings, o, p, q, one, o being for the admission of the exploding mixture,
and two outlet openings hereinafter referred to. A piston 21 is also mounted
in the head having a rod or stem 7 extending out through the head, the upward
movement of the piston being limited by means of a collar 8, surrounding the rod
or stem 7, and being returned to its normal position by means of springs 9,
as shown in Figure 8.
Pipes, r, s, one, r connecting with the gas or gasoline supply 20, and the
other, s, with the air, are connected with a chamber surrounding the valved
opening o, and the pipes are provided with suitable regulating cocks 10, 11,
and the piper is further provided with a suitable check valve 12.
Pipes t, are connected to the head to communicate with the valved open-
ings pq, one of said pipes, t, leading to or communicating with a suitable
muffler box, while the other, 4 communicates either with a suitable condenser w,
shown in dotted lines in Figure 7, or with the supply, or with any other suitable
receptacle.
Secured to the extension 5 of the arm or lever n are guide ways 13, and mounted
in said guides and straddling the bar is a plate having the portion which rests
upon the upper face of the bar made in bifurcated form or having a short and
long arm, 14, 15, with lugs or projections 16, 17, on the ends thereof, and so
arranged that, when said plate is in its normal position, the, lug 16 will be
under the valve of the opening 7 and will act to raise said valve as the arm or
lever n is reciprocated, while the other lug, 17, is back of the valve p, but in
position to be brought under the same in a manner and for a purpose hereinafter
explained.
The lower portion of the plate a rests in the guide-ways 13 and is provided at
its forward end with an opening 18, adapted to be engaged by the stem 7 of the
piston, the lower end of which stem is made beveling or inclining inward, or
has an incline plate attached thereto as shown in Figure 2.
A standard with its face on an incline parallel with the end of the stem
is secured to the frame in front of the plate and about midway of its width,
with which standard the forward end of said plate engages in the downward
reciprocation of the arm or lever_n.
The igniting mechanism may be of any usual or preferred construction, one
electrode z of which is shown passing through a suitable insulation near the base
of the cylinder, the other electrode being carried by the piston, not shown.

page_text: An oil cup 19 is shown for oiling the plunger.
The operation of the engine is as follows:
When the engine is in position of rest, the lug 16 will be under the valve of the
opening the exploding mixture being drawn in and then compressed and
when the crank is passing the dead center the two electrodes will break contact,
making a spark to ignite the charge; should the charge fail to explode for any
reason, the arm or lever n, in its reciprocating movement will cause lug 10, which
has maintained its aforesaid position, to engage the stem of the valve of the
opening and cause the non-exploded gas to flow through the piping either to the
condenser w, Figure 7, or back to the cylinder..
Should the failure to explode be due to a defect in the quality of the charge,
that is to say, a defect due to the presence of too much or too little vapor or
air, the charge, in returning to the cylinder, passes first through pipe r and thence
into the mixing chamber with which the air and vapor pipes communicate,
whereby the unexploded charge will receive new increments of vapor or air,
as the case may be, and thus be revivified. Should the gas explode, it will
act on the plunger or piston 21 forcing it down into engagement with the plate
and, by the action of the incline face on the stem 7 of said plunger force, said
plate forward, bringing the lug 17 under the valve of the opening p, and cause
the intermittently moving arm n to actuate said valve, instead of the one
controlling the opening 7, causing the exploded gases to pass to the muffler
box, Figure 7, or other convenient outlet, the plate a being each time retracted
or returned to its normal position by the engagement of said plate with the
inclined standard y always leaving the plate in position to actuate the valve
controlling the opening leading to the condenser or supply pipe.
The disc and cam 7 which control the movements of the arm or lever in
the present instance make one revolution for two of the driving crank, movement
being only imparted to the arm or lever when the cam on the disc engages the
friction roller 4, which takes place during the downward movement of the piston
to discharge the exploded or non-exploded gases, the construction of the disc
being such that the bar will be held always directly to engage either of the
valves immediately upon the cam coming into position to engage the friction
roller, the first action of which will be to immediately open and hold open the
valve with which it is caused to engage, until the gases have been exhausted, and
then permit the roller to ride down into the depression m permitting the arm
or lever to drop sufficiently to bring the plate into engagement with the
inclined standardy and force said plate back into its normal position, when the
roller 4 will be engaged by the raised face of the disc and the plate a raised
and held in proper position to again immediately engage either of the valves, as
before described.
Various modifications may be made in the construction and arrangement of
parts without departing from the spirit or intent of my invention, so long as the
same acts either to prevent unexploded charges from passing to the muffler box
or out into the air.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that as no non-exploded gas
can pass out either to the muffler box or open air, all danger heretofore experienced
is avoided and the engine can be used with perfect safety.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In an explosion engine, the combination of a cylinder and piston, and
mechanism including a valve adapted to be actuated by the explosive force
independent of the piston and its actuated mechanism to control the flow of the
gases of the engine.
2. In an explosion engine, the combination of a cylinder, a piston, an outlet
for exploded gases which is adapted to be opened in the normal working of the

page_text: .
engine and which is kept closed when a charge fails to explode, and means for
removing the unexploded charges from the cylinder.
3. In an explosion engine, the combination of a cylinder, a piston, means for
intermittently opening the cylinder for and closing the same against the outflow
of an unexploded charge, and an outlet for the exploded gases controlled by a
valve that is adapted to be actuated by an explosion.
4. In an explosion engine, a cylinder and piston, a valve mechanism adapted
to normally provide for the control of non-exploded gases, and an auxiliary
mechanism independent of the piston and actuated by and dependent upon the
explosive force resultant from each explosion to set the mechanism to control the
exploded gases.
5. The combination with the cylinder of an explosion engine, of a feed pipe
therefor, means for eliminating an unexploded charge from the cylinder, and
means for revivifying said charge and returning it to the cylinder.
6. The combination with the cylinder of an explosion engine, of a feed pipe
therefor, means for eliminating an unexploded charge from the cylinder, and
means for returning said charge to the cylinder, substantially as described.
7. The combination in an explosion engine, a cylinder, valve outlet openings,
an arm or lever actuated in the movements of the engine, a movable element
adapted to normally engage one of the valves, a plunger adapted to be actuated
by the explosive force of the charge to throw said movable element into position
to actuate the other valve, substantially as described.
8. The combination, in an explosion engine, a cylinder, valved outlet openings,
an arm or lever actuated during the movements of the engine, a movable element
adapted to normally engage one of the valves, a plunger adapted to be actuated by
the explosive force of the charge to throw said movable element into position
to actuate the other valve, and means to automatically re-set the movable element,
substantially as described.
9. The combination, in an explosion engine, valved outlet openings, pipes
communicating therewith, one communicating with a muffler box and the other
with a condenser, and mechanism for causing the non-exploded gases to pass
to the condenser and the exploded gases to the muffler box, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
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