IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES
Year: 1877

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by Wilhelm Weyhe at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 1st November 1877.
WILHELM WEYHE, of Bremen, in the German Empire. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS
MOTOR ENGINES."
My Invention relates to a construction of gas motor engine wherein by a
peculiar construction of the engine piston, with ports and passages, and by imparting.
to it a combined rectilinear and rotary reciprocating motion, the admission of the
explosive mixture of gas and air into the cylinder, the ignition thereof, and the.
discharge of the gaseous products of combustion are effected without the use of a.
slide or valve.
The construction of the said engine is shewn on the accompanying Drawings, in
which,―
Fig. 1 shews a side view of the engine.
Fig. 2, a plan, partly in section.
Figs. 3 and 4, cross sections respectively on lines a, a, and b, b, Fig. 1.
Figs 5 to 12, shew detached details of the cylinder and piston.
The cylinder A has a piston B which is about one-fifth longer than its stroke,
and is connected by its rod C and connecting rod D to the crank of the engine
shaft E; it has also a pin C¹ projecting down into a fixed cam path F, which is of
such a form that, while the piston is completing its stroke and commencing the:
return stroke, it has a partial rotary motion imparted to it in one direction, and
while it is completing this stroke and commencing the next it is partially rotated
in the contrary direction..
Each end of the cam path may be fitted with a shunting spring to determine
the direction of the pin C at the change of stroke. The engine is single acting, the
cylinder being open to the atmosphere at the front end so as to operate according
to that well-known manner, whereby the outstroke is effected by the explosion of
the gaseous charge, while the instroke is effected partly by the atmospheric pressure,
CDC37

page_text: against the partial vacuum behind the piston and partly by the accumulated power
in the fly wheel shaft.
At the back end of the cylinder is provided a second piston or false bottom G
held outwards by a spring H, so that, should the explosion of the charge be too
violent, the piston G in giving way somewhat will prevent the shock from acting
injuriously on the piston B and its connections.
'
The general construction of the body of the piston B is similar to that of a piston
described in the Specification to my Patent, No. 3372, of 1877, consisting of two
conical parts within a cylindrical shell B' split longitudinally, so that by causing
the two cones to approach each other by a screwed gland on the piston rod, the
shell is expanded against the surface of the cylinder; the space between the cones
and shell is filled in with suitably yielding packing, such as asbestos.
Fig. 7 shews a vertical section of the cylinder shewing the split side of the
shell B¹ of the piston, the split being formed so as to prevent the escape of gas
past it.
Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional plans of the cylinder, shewing 'the top of the piston
with the ports and passages formed therein, as also the ports and passages in the
top of the cylinder, the former being, for the sake of clearness, sectioned with lines,
thus,, while the latter are sectioned with lines, thus, \\\\ Fig. 5 shews the
position of the piston at the time when the explosive charge is being drawn in.
Fig. 6 shews the position at the moment of firing the charge.
Figs. 8 and 9 shew enlarged views of the passages at the commencement of the
outstroke when the charge is just beginning to be drawn in; and Figs. 10, 11, and
12 shew the positions of the passages when the charge is just about being fired,
Figs. 11 and 12 being respectively sections on lines c, c, and d, d, Fig. 10.
The passage I of the piston extends to the rear end thereof, communicating with
the space in the cylinder behind, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 7. It has
two branches, by which, during the outstroke, it is twice made to communicate
with the cavity II. in the cylinder, namely, first by the front branch, as shewn in
Figs. 5, 8, and 9, at which time the cavity II., being also put in communication
with the inlet V: for gas and air by means of the channel III., the explosive charge
can enter the cylinder; secondly, by the rear branch, as shewn at Fig. 6, at which
time the cavity II., charged with explosive mixture, having previously been put in
communication with the opening VI. in which is the igniting flame (as at Fig. 11)
by means of the channel IV., the flame in the cavity passes through the passage I.
and ignites the charge, the communication between the gas flame at VI. and the
cavity II. ceasing immediately after the ignition is effected, as shewn at Fig. 6,
and the communication between the cavity II. and the inlet V. for combustible
- mixture having ceased some time previously, as shewn at Fig. 10.
As the piston nears the end of its outstroke, it is caused by the cam path F to
turn partly round, whereby the passages I., III, and IV. are moved to one side, so
that they cannot communicate with II., V., and VI. on the return stroke, while, at
the same time, a passage VII. at the under side of the piston, shewn in Figs. 4 and
7, is made to establish a communication between the space behind the cylinder and
the escape pipe VIII., so that the products of combustion can escape during the
return stroke of the piston. Such products of combustion may be forced into a
closed receiver or gas holder whence they can be admitted together with the gas
and air for forming the explosive charge, each supply pipe being provided with a
cock or valve so as to regulate the proportion of each supply as may be required.
With large engines, the supply is regulated by a governor in any well-known
manner.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claim, an improved construction of gas motor engine,
wherein the piston is provided with ports and passages, such that, with a combined
longitudinal and rotary reciprocating motion, it effects the admission of the
explosive charge, the ignition of the same, and the emission of the products of

page_text: combustion without the use of a slide or other valve, substantially as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Wilhelm Weyhe, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
WILHELM WEYHE. (L.S.)