Improvements in Petroleum and like Motors.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 30th May, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Petroleum and like Motors.
I, ATHANASE ANTOINE LOYAL, of 95 Boulevard Beaumarchais Paris, in the
Republic of France, Engineer, 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 an improved petroleum motor which is very simple and
powerful relatively to its lightness and the simplicity of its construction.
It utilizes the entire force of the gas employed and the gas burnt is expelled
without compression, which obviates the excessive heating to be found in most of
the motors, thereby dispensing with any cooling of the cylinder by water or by
means of ribs.
It will be readily understood that, the gas being expelled without compression,
the motor gives the maximum power, because the gas has produced its effect. The
improved motor can be used either with a mixture of air and hydrocarbon or with
lighting gas, but in the latter case I filter the gas by any appropriate means at the
bottom of the cylinder.
According to a well known physical phenomenon a fresh mixture of air and
petroleum or other gas mixes with burnt gas only with difficulty.
I have utilized this phenomenon for expelling the burnt gas while maintaining
the fresh mixture of air and gas at the bottom of the cylinder.
In my motor, supposing the piston to be at the end of its stroke, the explosive
mixture being drawn in and compressed at the bottom of the cylinder this mixture
is ignited by the means hereinafter described. As soon as the explosion takes place
the piston is moved and in its stroke uncovers one or more escape valves arranged
at the periphery of the cylinder.
These valves allow a certain quantity of the burnt gas to escape, and the piston
terminating its stroke draws in a quantity of fresh gas equal to that of the burnt
gas which has escaped. The piston, after having passed beyond the dead point of
the beam to which it transmits its power moves to the rear, continues to allow the
escape of burnt gas in order to obviate too great a compression, until the
piston has passed beyond the escape valves herein before referred to; the fresh gas
remaining at the bottom of the cylinder.
In order that the following explanations may be as clear as possible I have
represented my improved petroleum motor by way of example in the accompanying
drawings in which
Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section.
Figure 2 is an horizontal section of the same and
Figure 3 is an horizontal section through the cylinder.
In the
The improved stationary motor may be applied to all possible uses.
example shown in the drawing I have supposed that it operates a beam with the
object of being applied to dynamos which, as is well known, require very
regular motion. I may of course arrange it either horizontally or obliquely, or it
may be oscillating, reversed or the like, for its construction does not impose any
special arrangement.
The piston P of the petroleum motor is made of cast metal in segments. Its
rod T is solid and articulated to one of the extremities of the beam A. The
admission valve H is kept on its seat by a helical spring r. A special cock serves

page_text: for the introduction of the explosive mixture. The escape valve or valves S are,
as shown, held upon their sear by helical springs K. A plug K¹ serves as a support
for the spring K and as a guide for the valves. This plug K', which is screw-
threaded, enables the pressure of the springs to be regulated. The exhaust takes
place through apertures formed in the lateral faces.
Having thus described the parts which constitute my improved petroleum motor
I will now proceed to examine the operation. The explosive mixture having just
been ignited by the compression in the box and brought together with the burner
tube previously heated (by a lamp with an air current, a gas burner or any other
means) the piston P under the action of the explosion is moved under the
conditions previously described. The piston P continuing its stroke produces a
partial vacuum at the bottom of the explosion chamber G and consequently opens
the valve H giving a free passage to a certain quantity of explosive mixture which
is drawn into the carburator; the piston passing beyond the dead point returns,
actuated by the fly wheels, the valve H is closed again and the burnt gas and the
mixture of air and unburnt gas are compressed below the piston. At a given
moment, under the pressure of the compression which takes place, the valves S are
opened, and according to the physical phenomenon which I have above mentioned
these valves afford a passage for the burnt gas, but not for the mixture of fresh
air and gas which is at the bottom of the chamber. The departure of the burnt
gas takes place until the piston P has passed beyond the openings of the valves S.
At this moment these valves are closed again under the pressure of the springs ;.
the piston continues its stroke of compression, compresses the explosive mixture
which it has drawn in during the first phase. When it arrives at the bottom end
of its stroke the mixture is ignited and the two-phase cycle is thus continued
indefinitely.
In my motor the exhaust valves allow the escape only of the excess of the charge
which has exploded and the fresh charge is mixed with a part of the burnt gas
resulting from the previous charge and which has been retained.
Owing to this special arrangement, which is not to be found in any of the motors
heretofore used, I succeed in operating my motor without any ignition device, the
charge mixed with a part of the gas previously burnt is ignited of itself at the time
of the compression.
For this ignition I proceed under the following conditions: I add to the
explosion chamber at the bottom of the cylinder a tube of metal (copper, nickel,
or the like) of any form and at the moment of starting of the motor I heat this tube
by means of any source of heat so as to raise the temperature of this tube to a
sufficient beat. I effect at this moment the first compression by actuating the fly
wheel. The gaseous mixture drawn in is then compressed not only at the bottom
of the cylinder, but in the tube hereinbefore alluded to, which is heated to a
suitable temperature. Then I obtain the explosion of the whole fresh and explosive
mixture in the chamber which explosion moves the piston and which consequently
starts the two-phase motion. I retain the source of heat during the first explosions,
but in a very short time I may remove it and the explosions take place of
themselves by reason of the compression in the explosion chamber and under the
beforementioned conditions.
Thus I obtain an automatic ignition which results from three causes which are
intimately connected with each other and which are as follows:--
(1) Compression of a small volume of gas. As explained I draw in a very small
charge during each piston stroke.
(2) Mixing of the fresh charge with a part of the gas burnt during the previous
explosion and which is still at a very high temperature.
(3) Compression under a small volume at the bottom of the cylinder.
These three causes which I have just enumerated are, as above stated, intimately
connected in such a manner that the automatic ignition could not take place if one
cause were suppressed.
It will be understood that the tube which I attach to the explosion chamber and

page_text: to which I have above referred may be replaced by any other similar device
heated by any appropriate means.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :—
The hereinbefore described petroleum motor specially characterized by :-
First. The most complete utilization possible of the force of expansion of the
gas produced in each explosion.
Second. The suction of a fresh quantity of explosive mixture after each
explosion, and more especially the expulsion of the burnt gas not mixed with the
explosive mixture through one or more valves arranged laterally in the cylinder,.
the said valves, designed both for the suction and exhaust, being adapted to effect
the automatic regulation of the escape of the burnt gas and also the necessary
admission of the quantity of fresh gas required in the motor.
Third. The automatic ignition resulting from the compression, at the end of the
cylinder, of the charge of fresh gas brought together with a retained part of the
gas burnt at the time of the preceding explosion, and profiting by the heat kept up
by the compression and deflagration of the successive and preceding explosions, an.
exterior source of heat being necessary only for the starting.
Dated this 29th day of April 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.