Improvements in Gas Engines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Lert, 18th July, 1893-Accepted, 16th Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas Engines.
I, CHARLES WILLIAM PINKNEY of 1 Raglan Road, Smethwick in the County
of Stafford, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to gas engines which work on what is known as the
"Otto cycle" and the object of my invention is to simplify the engine by
reducing the number of working parts as I dispense with the ordinary gearing
wheels, side shaft, brackets, valve levers, and the like, as hitherto used.
According to my invention I cause the pressure of the charge of gas and air
when being compressed and of the explosion of the said charge to bring into
and maintain in position for the requisite time a connection of or attachment to
the exhaust valve so that an attachment of or part operated by or from the
crank shaft operates thereon when the exhaust valve is to be opened the said
valve at other times remaining closed as the said attachments of the said valve.
and crank shaft respectively are then not in position to act to open the exhaust
valve. I do not limit myself to precise details but the following is a convenient
arrangement according to my invention the description of which will serve to
further make clear the nature of my invention. The exhaust valve box into which
the gases pass from the cylinder before they pass through the valve has a passage
therefrom which leads into a cylinder or vessel in which moves a small piston or
diaphragm having attached to it a rod which when the piston or diaphragm is in its
elevated position brings an attachment (such as a hinged lever or sliding projection)
on the end of the exhaust valve spindle into line with an attachment thrust rear-
ward by the crank shaft, for instance by a cam thereon acting on a roller on the
said attachment. When the engine is at work, as the piston in the main cylinder
makes its charging stroke the vacuum formed in the main cylinder will by the
communication of the exhaust box and passage and cylinder or chamber containing
the aforesaid small piston or diaphragm draw the said piston or diaphragm down or
inwards so that the attachment to the exhaust valve is not in line with the aforesaid
attachment to the crank shaft. When the piston in the main cylinder returns and
makes its compression stroke the pressure will cause the aforesaid small piston or
diaphragm to move so that the attachment to the exhaust valve will be brought
into line with the attachment to the crank shaft. At the end of the compression
stroke the explosion takes place the pressure still keeping the small piston or
diaphragm in its last named position. When the crank of the engine has arrived
at the position at which the exhaust valve should be opened the aforesaid attach-
ment to the crank shaft is by the cam or equivalent arrangement moved so that it
meets and acts upon the attachment to the exhaust valve which is now in its path
and the exhaust valve is opened until the main piston has reached the end of its
exhausting stroke when the exhaust valve closes and is held tightly to its seat by
its spring. The piston in the main cylinder now commences to make its charging
stroke and a vacuum will again be formed in the main cylinder and the aforesaid
small piston or diaphragm will take such a position that the attachment to the
exhaust valve is out of line with the aforesaid attachment to the crank shaft and
therefore although this portion of the revolution of the crank shaft corresponds
with the position on explosion the exhaust valve will not be opened as the attach-
ment of the crank shaft will not abut against the attachment of the exhaust valve.
Dated the 15th day of November 1892.

page_text: :
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas Engines.
1 CHARLES WILLIAM PINKNEY of 1 Raglan Road, Smethwick in the County
of Stafford 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 gas engines which work on what is known as the
"Otto cycle" and the object of my invention is to simplify the engine by reducing
the number of working parts as I dispense with the ordinary gearing wheels, side
shaft, brackets, valve levers, and the like as hitherto used.
According to my invention I cause the pressure of the charge of gas and air
when being compressed, and of the explosion of the said charge, to bring into, and
maintain in position for the requisite time, a connection of, or attachment to, the
exhaust valve, so that an attachment of, or part operated by, or from, the crank
shaft operates thereon when the exhaust valve is to be opened, the said valve at
other times remaining closed, as the said attachments of the said valve and crank
shaft respectively are then not in position to act to open the exhaust valve. I do
not limit myself to precise details but the following is a convenient arrangement
according to my invention the description of which will serve to further make clear
the nature of my invention and will at the same time describe the manner in which
the same may be performed.
Figure 1 of the accompany drawing is a horizontal section of so much of a gas
engine as is necessary to explain the application of my invention thereto.
Figure 2 shews in plan a part of the crank shaft and of the attachment which
operates the exhaust valve.
Figures 3 and 4 and Figure 5 shew modifications of the device worked by the
pressure of the charge and of the explosion as hereinafter described.
The exhaust valve box B into which the gases pass from the working cylinder A
of the engine, before they pass through the exhaust valve 6 to the outlet 6 has a
passage 6³ therefrom which leads, by the pipe C, into a cylinder, or vessel D, in
which moves a piston E having attached to it a rod e which, when the piston E is
in its elevated position, brings a lever F, centered at f, on the end of the exhaust
valve spindle into line with the rod G having a jointed end portion or rod g
with a mouth shaped termination, thrust rearward by the crank shaft, this is shewn
as being effected by a cam h on the crank shaft H acting on a roller y on the said
rod G the crank shaft end of which is bifurcated as shewn to embrace the shaft H
between the cam h and collar which act as a support and guides therefor. The
other end of the rod G is supported by a lever gcentered to the engine framing
and having a pin g for the rod g' to rest upon. is a spring which returns the
rod G and its attachments after the cam has acted upon it. When the engine is
at work, as the piston in the main cylinder A makes its charging stroke the vacuum
formed in the said main cylinder will by the communication of the exhaust box B
by the pipe C with the cylinder or vessel D draw the said piston E down or inwards
so that the lever F is not in line with the rods g*.
When the piston in the main cylinder returns and makes its compression stroke
the pressure of the charge will cause the said piston E to rise or move outwards so
that the lever F will be brought into line with the rod g' as indicated by the dotted
lines the said lever F having a bearing piece f* to take the strain. At the end of
the compression stroke the explosion of the working charge of the cylinder A takes
place the pressure still keeping the piston E in its last named position. When the
crank of the engine has arrived at the position at which the exhaust valve should
be opened the rod G is by the cam moved so that the mouth at the end of the
rod o' meets and acts upon the end of the lever F which is now in its path as shewn
by the dotted lines and the exhaust valve is opened until the main piston has

page_text: reached the end of its exhausting stroke when the exhaust valve closes and is held
tightly to its seat by its spring 64. The piston in the main cylinder A now
commences to make its charging stroke and a vacuum will again be formed in the
said main cylinder and the piston E will take such a position that the lever F is
out of line with the rod g as shewn in full lines and therefore although this portion
of the revolution of the crank shaft corresponds with its position on the occurrence
of the explosion the exhaust valve b will not be opened as the end of the rod gª will
not abut against the lever F.
As before stated I do not limit myself to the precise details which I have
illustrated as the attachment to the crank shaft and the attachment to the exhaust
valve which is brought into line therewith may be arranged in any other convenient
way. For example as shewn in elevation and sectional plan respectively in
Figures 3 and 4 the lever F may be replaced by a piece F' sliding in guides b³ in
the end of the exhaust valve rod 63 and acted upon by the rod e of the piston in the
cylinder or vessel D to raise or lower the projection f to bring it into line with the
attachment (9) to the crank shaft as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 3 it
returning to its lower position by its own weight or under the action of a spring.
Or I may use in place of the cylinder or vessel D a vessel D' as shewn in Figure 5
having in it a diaphragm e to which the rod e is attached the said rod being
weighted by the weight e³ to return the rod and diaphragm to their lowered position.
Or I may use any other suitable device such as a Bourdon steam gauge on the tube
of which the pressure acts as the steam acts in a Bourdon gauge.
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 :-
1. In gas engines the utilization of the pressure of the explosive charge during
compression and explosion to operate a device for causing the exhaust valve to
be operated at the proper times substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In gas engines the combination with the exhaust valve and its passage of a
device in communication therewith which brings an attachment to the exhaust
valve into position to be acted upon at the proper times by an attachment to
the crank shaft substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. In gas engines the combination with the exhaust valve and its box of a tube
or passage (such as C) leading from the said box to a device (such as D E e
or the modifications thereof as explained) for acting upon an attachment to the
exhaust valve (such as F) to cause it to be operated or to remain unacted upon
by an attachment to the crank shaft (such as G y') and thereby cause the exhaust
valve to be operated at the proper times all substantially as hereinbefore described
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
101 7
T
1000
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.