IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS ENGINES WORKED BY THE COMBUSTION OR EXPLOSION OF A COMPRESSED MIXTURE OF GAS AND AIR OR HYDROCARBON AND AIR."
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Simon, one of the Partners of the Firm Louis
Simon and Son, of the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham, Gas
Engine Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS ENGINES
WORKED BY THE COMBUSTION OR EXPLOSION OF A COMPRESSED MIXTURE OF
GAS AND AIR OR HYDROCARBON AND AIR."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Simon at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th August 1879.
RICHARD SIMON, one of the Partners of the Firm Louis Simon and Son, of the
" IM-
Town and County of the Town of Nottingham, Gas Engine Manufacturers.
PROVEMENTS IN GAS ENGINES WORKED BY THE COMBUSTION OR EXPLOSION OF A
COMPRESSED MIXTURE OF GAS AND AIR, OR HYDROCARBON AND AIR."
The object of this Invention is mainly to arranging the cylinder that a mixture
can be drawn in by the movement of the piston, and compressed during the return
stroke and passed into a receiver, from which it is taken in a compressed state to
the working end of the cylinder.
In this engine I use one cylinder which is the working cylinder, and in which a
piston moves up and down connected with a connecting rod and crank in the
following or any equivalent manner :-Attached to the piston and forming one
piece with it is a hollow plunger, within which is a piston rod to transmit the
movement of the piston to a cross head attached to the connecting rod.
One end of the cylinder is closed by a cover at the end furthest from the
connecting rod end. At this cover end of the cylinder are placed the ports and
orifices for the admission of the compressed gas and air, the port for the exhaust,
the arrangements for lighting the charge, etc. These arrangements may be sub-
stantially the same as those described in previous Patents granted to myself and
others in the year 1878, Nos. 433, and 4979.
The other end of the cylinder is closed by a cover in which are fitted two or
more metallic rings pressed towards the centre by springs, which are arranged to
close tightly on the plunger above mentioned.
At this end of the cylinder are ports for the admission of gas and air, and also
for their exit in a compressed state into a receiver.

page_text: The action of the apparatus is as follows:-When the piston makes a return
stroke (i.e., from the end nearest the crank to the further end), gas and air will
be drawn through the ports into the space it leaves behind it, in as much as
the piston fitting air tight in the cylinder, and the plunger itself fitting air tight
into the rings mentioned, the vacuum caused by its movement can only be supplied
through the entry ports.
On its return stroke the gas and air are compressed and then pass through an
outlet valve into a suitable receiver or chamber, whence they are allowed to pass
in any convenient manner through the ports or valves in the further end of the
cylinder (that furthest from the crank), where they are burnt or exploded either
as described in a previous Patent granted to Louis Simon and myself in the year
1878, No. 433, or in any other suitable manner.
The expansion resulting from this combustion or explosion drives the piston
forward and imparts motion to the crank shaft, at the same time compressing a
fresh charge and passing it into the receiver.
The momentum acquired by the flywheel brings the piston back, and exhausts
the products of the combustion through a suitable valve, at the same time drawing
in a fresh charge of gas and air, and the process is repeated de novo.
The cylinder may be placed either horizontally or vertically. In order to work
two or more of the different valves with one eccentric, I make use of a rocking
shaft with sliding levers which may be controlled by a governor, so as to proportion
the charge to the work to be done.
Instead of using a jet of gas or a mixture of gas and air outside or inside the
cylinder to effect the ignition of the gaseous mixture, I sometimes use an arrange-
ment of spongy platinum which possesses the property of igniting such a gaseous
mixture, and which I place inside the cylinder near the point of entrance of the
mixture.
The above arangements and improvements specifically apply to the previously
mentioned Patent, No. 43378, but may also be used for other gas engines working
with compressed mixtures of gas and air, or hydrocarbon and air.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Richard Simon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th
February 1880.
RICHARD SIMON, one of the Partners of the Firm Louis Simon and Son, of the
Town and County of the Town of Nottingham, Gas Engine Manufacturers.
"IM-
PROVEMENTS IN GAS ENGINES WORKED BY THE COMBUSTION OR EXPLOSION OF A
COMPRESSED MIXTURE OF GAS AND AIR, OR HYDROCARBON AND AIR."
The object of this Invention is arranging the cylinder and piston that a mixture
can be drawn in by the movement of the piston, and compressed during the return
stroke and passed into a receiver, from which it is taken in a compressed state to
the working end of the cylinder.
In this engine I use one cylinder which is the working cylinder, and in which a
piston moves up and down connected with a connecting rod and crank, in the
following or any equivalent manner: -Attached to the piston and forming one
piece with it is a hollow plunger, within which is a piston rod to transmit the
movement of the piston to a crosshead attached to the connecting rod.
One end of the cylinder is closed by a cover at the end furthest from the
connecting rod end. At this cover end of the cylinder are placed the ports and
orifices for the admission of the compressed gas and air, the port for the exhaust,
the arrangements for lighting the charge, etc. These arrangements may be sub-
stantially the same as those described in previous Patents granted to myself and
others in the year 1878, Nos. 433, and 4979.
The other end of the cylinder is closed by a cover in which are fitted two or
more metallic rings pressed towards the centre by springs, and which are arranged
to close tightly on the plunger above mentioned.
At this end of the cylinder are ports for the admission of gas and air, and also
for their exit in a compressed state into a receiver.
The annexed sheet of Drawings represent my construction or arrangement of
cylinder, piston, and valves, as before explained.
Figure 1 is an elevation; Figure 2, an end view; Figure 4, a sectional
elevation; Figure 5, also an end view showing the walls of the cylinder and water
jacket by means of dotted lines; Figures 6 and 7 are details of valves, and at
Figure 3, enlarged views of the sliding levers.
The same letters are used for the parts throughout.
It
The piston proper A works against the cylinder B in the ordinary manner.
has cast on it the trunk I, which may either be so arranged. as to be the true piston
rod itself, thus dispensing with the rod D, or may be, as shown in the Drawing,
hollow and having an interior piston rod.
The object of increasing the diameter of the trunk or piston rod I is to diminish
the effective suction capacity of the cylinder so as to gain by subsequent expansion.
The outer end of the trunk I slides in rings E, E, which are held in the cover K,
which closes the outer end of the cylinder B. The rings E are pressed inwards by
suitable springs placed on their outer periphery or by their own elasticity, and may
be of any convenient construction, which will equally effect the purpose of
preventing any escape at that end of the cylinder.
On the other side of the piston A is fixed the bonnet or hollow cylindrical
chamber L. It may either be screwed on or, as shown in the Drawing, fastened
down by means of the nut M tightening the conical end of the piston rod D in a
corresponding recess of the bonnet L, as shown at N.
The construction of the piston will be sufficiently understood from the foregoing
and the details shown in the Drawing, but I do not always carry out the details in
exactly the same manner. The object of the bonnet L (which it should be said is
made somewhat less-in diameter than the interior of the cylinder), is to protect the

page_text: rings from the heat following the combustion or explosion which takes place in the
cylinder.
The action of the engine is as follows:- On the return stroke of the piston A
performed by the momentum of the flywheel gas and air are drawn into the
cylinder B, the capacity of which has been diminished by the enlarged trunk or
piston rod I through any suitable port or ports furnished with back pressure valves
on the out stroke (which when the engine is at work is performed by the expansion
of the products of combustion, or it may be by explosion); the gas and air thus
drawn in are compressed and finally forced through a suitable back pressure valve
(which, as placed in this engine, is shown at O, Figure 1), into a suitably placed
receiver, from which they are admitted through any suitable valve into the cylinder
B at the bottom end thereof. The valve used on the engine herein described is
shown in Figures 2 and 7; but I sometimes prefer to use the slide valve or rotary
valve patented by me and others in the year 1878, No. 497978.
When the compressed mixture of gas and air enter the cylinder B it is ignited
by means of a flame burning at Q (which is supplied with a portion of the com-
pressed mixture through a suitably disposed pipe from the receiver), and expanding
in consequence of combustion imparts outward motion to the piston A, and rotary
motion to the crank shaft H.
I sometimes prefer to place a piece of spongy platinum at Q, which becomes
incandescent when in a mixture of combustible gases and ignites them, as is known
to chemists.
Instead of the gradual combustion on entering the cylinder as above described,
an engine may be constructed, and of which a piston made and used as the one
described by me shall be an essential part, that a full charge of the combustible
mixture may be taken into the cylinder, and exploded in any of the ways now in
use and well known to engineers.
The combustible mixture in the engine shown passes through plates of perforated
metal, between which are layers of wire gauze to prevent the flame spreading into
the receiver. These plates are shown at R. On the return stroke of the piston the
products of combustion are expelled through the exhaust valve S, which is actuated
by an excentric or cam on the crank shaft by means of the rod T, as shown in
Figures 1 and 2.
U and V are jackets surrounding the cylinder B. The jacket U containes cold
water for the purpose of keeping that end of the cylinder as cool as possible while
the jacket V contains water which is allowed to absorb as much heat as possible
from the walls of the cylinder, which at that end are very hot for the double
purpose of absorbing heat, which in some cases would otherwise be detrimental,
and of generating steam, which steam is admitted through the valve W, Figures 1,
2, and 6, in the manner and for the purpose described in the Specification of Patent
No. 43378
For the same purpose the continuity of the cylinder is broken at X, and a non
conducter interposed if required between the flanges of the two parts of the
cylinder.
The second part of my Invention consists of controlling the admission of
the compressed mixture of gas and air, or of this and of the steam to the cylinder B,
by means of certain sliding levers, worked from the governor in order to proportion
the quantities admitted to the load on the engine.
These are shown in detail in Figures 1, 2, and 3. They also control the quantity
of gas and air admitted into the cylinder B by suction, and for the same purpose.
On the excentric rod T is a nose a which in its to and fro motion trips the bolts
or sliding levers b and c, working in the oscillating sockets d and e on the ends of
the rods f and g, Figure 3, which pass through the bed plate of the engine.
The rod f by means of the levers 7, i, k (Figure 1), actuates the tappet valves P
and W, opening them a longer or shorter time according to the position occupied
by the bolt or sliding lever b, which position depends on the governor to which the

page_text: bolt b is connected by means of the rod 7. When I prefer to use a slide or rotary
valve I actuate ordinary throttle valves or other independent cut off valves by
means of the rod f and suitable levers; the rod g is connected by means of suitable
levers with a double piston valve, such as is described in 4979, /78, and opens it a
longer or shorter time to admit gas and air into the cylinder B by suction, being
connected with the governor by means of the rod M. In the engine shown in the
Drawing this double piston valve is situated underneath the cylinder.
It will be evident that the valves are open a longer or shorter time, according as
the position of the governor allows the wedge shaped sliding bars or bolts b and c
to project a longer or shorter distance, they being thus exposed to the oscillating
action of the nose or catch a on the excentric rod T in its oscillating and to and
fro motion.
It will be understood that by gas in the foregoing description I refer specifically
to coal gas, but a mixture of the vapour of a liquid hydrocarbon and air, or by
some modifications a liquid hydrocarbon may also be used.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First. Constructing or arranging the piston of a gas engine, that one side of it
shall alternately act as a suction piston to draw in a mixture of gas and air on its
inward stroke, and as a compression piston compressing that mixture; and that
the other side shall act as a working piston receiving the impact of the expansion
of the gaseous mixture burned or exploded in the cylinder in its outward effective
stroke, and expelling the effete products of combustion or explosion on its return
stroke, as described and substantially as shown in the annexed Drawings, Figure 4,
or any mere modification thereof.
Secondly, I claim. The addition to the piston of a gas engine of bonnet L such
as and for the purpose described and substantially as shown in the Drawings,
Figure 4.
Thirdly. The construction of the cylinder of a gas engine with two separate
water chambers, in the manner and for the purpose described.
Fourthly. The combination of bolts or sliding levers connected with the
governor and other levers, to which a nose, or catch on the rod of an excentric
or cam on the crank shaft in its to and fro movement imparts an oscillating
motion, substantially in the manner described, or any mere modification thereof,
for the purpose of automatically working a cut off valve or valves on a gas, also
the application of the above arrangement to a steam engine.
Fifthly. The particular construction and arrangement of parts forming, a gas
engine shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the annexed Drawings, and acting in the
manner described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Simon, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
RICHARD SIMON. (L.S.)