Improvements in the Igniting and Starting Arrangements of Gas and Hydrocarbon Engines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 1st Oct., 1891-Accepted, 28th Nov., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Igniting and Starting Arrangements of Gas
and Hydrocarbon Engines.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM LANCHESTER of 13 Bedford Row London W.C.
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
This invention relates to improvements in the igniting and starting arrangements
of gas engines and one part is applicable to incandescent tube or incandescent
metallic surface igniters and one object is to dispense with continuous external
heating for such igniter tubes or surfaces and to cause the temperature of the
ports and passages leading to the tubes to be more uniform under variation
of load.
Another part of the invention relates to an arrangement for igniting the charge
and starting such gas engines as are described in the Specification of Patent
No. 19868 of 1889 granted to the present applicant; but is also applicable to some
other types of engine.
In carrying the first part of the invention into effect, according to one mode
communication is made between the explosion space and a small chamber by a tube
controlled by any suitable valve; opposite the end of the tube which passes into or
projects into this chamber is arranged a plate which may be of platinum or other
suitable material and the plate is first heated to incandescence by a flame.
When the engine is at work a portion of combustible mixture is allowed to pass
through the tube at every compression stroke and the current entering the chamber
impinges against the incandescent metal and becomes ignited. The flame so
produced further heats the already incandescent metal and keeps it at a temperature
suitable for ignition without requiring any application of an external flame. The
bore of the tube or a portion of it is so proportioned that when the chamber is
being filled with gases from the cylinder, the velocity of flow is sufficient to prevent
the Hame passing back to the cylinder; but when the chamber fills sufficiently to
reduce this velocity to a certain rate the flame at once passes back to the engine
cylinder and explodes the mixture therein contained.
In order to keep up a supply of sufficient combustible mixture or flame to
maintain the metal or other surface incandescent, the engine is governed by
preventing the flame passing back to the cylinder and alternately expanding and
compressing the mixture in the cylinder without exploding it, allowing however a
sufficient portion of inflammable mixture to impinge against the hot surface to keep
it incandescent.
With this object the governor acts on a valve which closes or reduces the
passage between the cylinder and the chamber that although the mixture fires in
the small chamber and so heats the surfaces yet the flame cannot pass into the
cylinder. A pendulum governor of the Crossley or other type may be used for
controlling this valve if desired.
By another modification of the invention combustible mixture from the cylinder
is allowed to impinge upon the exterior of an incandescent tube by means of a
suitable passage and a gauze or other grating. The interior of the tube fires the
mixture in the cylinder in the usual manner; but the ordinary external flame is
dispensed with.
In tube igniters heated either as above or in the ordinary manner which open
directly to the explosion space and depend for the proper timing of the ignition
upon the compression of the combustible mixture and the proportions of the
incandescent igniting tube with the passages leading to it; it has been found that
the igniter tube acts with great regularity when the walls of the passages leading
TD 017

page_text: to it are kept at a uniform temperature. Part of this invention provides means
whereby those portions are kept at a fairly and nearly uniform high temperature
and provides means to supply a pure combustible mixture to a position near the
igniter tube aperture.
In arranging an igniter tube in accordance with this invention the metal carrying
the igniter tube and its passages is isolated from the main cylinder by the walls of
a communication port which is made of such length and the walls of such thickness
that the conduction of heat from the cylinder to the igniter or the reverse is
minimised. These walls are not water jacketed and so the exchange of heat to or
from the cylinder is small and the temperature of the igniter is nearly independent
of that of the engine cylinder. By this arrangement even when the engine is
running with a light load and infrequent ignitions, that portion containing the
igniter tube and passages attains a uniform temperature and when the full load is
taken and the ignitions are frequent the temperature does not vary to a serious
extent. The desired equal temperature is thus obtained in all conditions of running
the engine.
In order to ensure that the long or relatively long port in question is filled with
pure combustible mixture at every supply stroke of the engine, a small tube is led
up the port, one end of which projects into, or nearly into, the cylinder, and the
reduction of pressure in the cylinder causes a current of mixture to pass into the
port and through the tube to the cylinder.
In this manner the port is swept clear of exhaust products at every charging
stroke of the engine notwithstanding its necessary isolation from the main entering
current of gas and air. Instead of this device or in combination with it the igniter
tube is sometimes isolated from the cylinder by a series of concentric tubes screwed
or attached one within the other in order to bring the opening of the igniter tube
close to the supply port and at the same time to interpose a considerable length of
comparatively thin metal between the cylinder and the hot tube so as to reduce
conduction. When I use a small tube such as herein before described to clear out
the burned gases and admit pure mixture to the igniter I sometimes cause the
ignition flame from the hot tube to enter the cylinder by this small tube by so
arranging matters that the passage by which gases and air mixture enters the tube
is protected by flame proof orifices such as small holes or wire gauze which allow
gases to freely enter; but prevent flame from passing back that way. By adopting
these improved details the open incandescent tube is rendered more uniform and
effective in its action than hitherto.
In starting a compression gas engine of ordinary type or with an automatic or
other gas and air inlet valve in accordance with the second part of the invention, a
passage is provided between the compression space near the inlet valve and a port
nearer the forward extreme of the piston stroke. The port is covered by the piston
when it is full in and as the piston moves out to take in a charge of gas and air a
second passage leading back to the air and gas inlet port from one end of the front
port allows a portion of the gas and air drawn into the engine to pass into the port
filling it and filling the passage leading to the compression space. The second
passage is controlled by a check or flap valve opening into the front port with but
slight resistance.
"
---
Another flap or check valve opens from the atmosphere into the front port; but
is loaded by weight or spring sufficiently to keep it shut with the amount of
❝ suction which opens the first check valve. This second check valve has playing
against or near it from the atmosphere a flame. The arrangement acts as
follows -When the piston moves from the "in" end of its stroke to take in a
charge of gas and air the mixture passes into the cylinder by the second and first
passage through the front part as well as by the main inlet. The "suck," is at
first however insufficient to open the second or external flap valve; but when the
piston has moved sufficiently to uncover the front port then as it enters directly to
the cylinder the "suction "increases very much and the outer valve opens and the
flame is introduced and ignites the mixture in the port & thence in the cylinder.

page_text: This gives the piston an impulse at low pressure and the low pressure impulse is
repeated at every revolution till the engine has attained its speed when the igniting
starting arrangement is shut off by suitable cock or valves and the ordinary
compression ignitions proceed.
Dated this 29th day of November 1890.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Igniting and Starting Arrangements of Gas
and Hydrocarbon Engines.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM LANCHESTER, of 13 Bedford Row, London W.C.
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:-
This invention relates to improvements in the igniting and starting arrangements
of gas engines, and one part is applicable to incandescent tube or incandescent
metallic surface igniters, and one object is to dispense with continuous external
heating for such igniter tubes or surfaces, and to cause the temperature of the ports
and passages leading to the tubes to be more uniform under variation of load.
Another part of the invention relates to an arrangement for igniting the charge
and starting such gas engines as are described in the Specification of Patent
No. 19868 of 1889 granted to the present applicant, but is also applicable to some
other types of engine.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings. Figures 1 to 8 illustrate
various applications. In carrying the first part of the invention into effect,
according to one mode, communication is made between the explosion space and a
small chamber C¹ (see Figure 1) by a tube B controlled by any suitable valve, or
having an adjusted aperture as a without such control; opposite the end of the tube B
which passes into or projects into this chamber is arranged a plate C which may be
of platinum or other suitable material, and the plate C is first heated to incan-
descence by a flame as D. When the engine is at work a portion of combustible
mixture is allowed to pass through the tube B at every compression stroke, and the
current entering the chamber C¹ impinges against the incandescent metal C and
becomes ignited. The flame so produced further heats the already incandescent
metal surface C and keeps it at a temperature suitable for ignition without requiring
any further application of an external flame. The plate C may be a flat disc or
diaphragm or it may be shaped as shown at Figure 1 and attached by a flange D¹
and suitable bolts. The bore of the tube B or a portion of it is so proportioned
that when the chamber C' is being filled with gases from the cylinder, the velocity
of flow is sufficient to prevent the flame passing back to the cylinder by the
aperture but when the chamber fills sufficiently to reduce this velocity to a
certain rate the flame at once passes back by a to the engine cylinder and explodes
the mixture therein contained. A modification of this arrangement is shown at
Figure 4 where the chamber Ci screws on the end of the tube B and thus secures
the diaphragm C in position. The diaphragm C has a small hole in it through
which the gases pass to C¹ from B. The whole of B and C is heated up to begin
with, and afterwards, the gases flowing through a burn within B and heat up C,
firing back into b and thence passing to the explosion chamber when the flow ceases
or diminishes sufficiently. The diaphragm C is made of some heat resisting material
and the aperture is proportioned to cause sufficient flow from B to C. In order to
keep up a supply of sufficient combustible mixture or flame to maintain the metal
or other surface incandescent, the engine is governed by preventing the flame
passing back to the cylinder without exploding it, allowing however a sufficient

page_text: b
portion of inflammable mixture to impinge against the hot surface to keep it
incandescent. With this object the governor acts on a valve as a (see Figure 5)
which closes or reduces the passage between the cylinder and the chamber C¹ that
although the mixture fires in the small chamber and so heats the metal surfaces,
yet the flame cannot pass into the cylinder. In Figure 5 the passages d, e lead to
the explosion chamber, and the passage 6 opens to the tube B; c is a mass of wire
and wire gauze which freely passes pressure but stops flame. When the valve a is
open as seen in Figure 5 there is free communication between the passages e and b
by which flame passes back from the chamber C¹ (Figure 1) to the cylinder.
When a is closed on its seat, then the inflammable mixture reaches the plate C
through the wire mass c but no flame can pass back to e. The plate C is therefore
heated at every compression but cannot ignite the mixture in e Figure 5 till the
valve a is opened again. A pendulum governor of the Crossley or other type may
be used for controlling this valve if desired, or a centrifugal governor may be used.
By another modification of the invention combustible mixture from the cylinder is
allowed to impinge upon the exterior of an incandescent tube, which is heated at
first in any convenient known manner, by means of a suitable passage and a gauze
or other grating. The interior of the tube fires the mixture in the cylinder in the
usual manner but the ordinary external flame is dispensed with. This method is
shown at Figure 3 where E is the incandescent tube communicating internally with
the explosion space by the passage E'. The passage G² communicates with the
explosion space also in such manner as to be supplied with explosive or combustible
mixture at a slight pressure. The mixture passes through the grating G, gauze G¹
and perforated non-conducting plate G³, burns in the chamber F which chamber is
protected by a heat resisting coating and so keeps the tube E at a suitable
temperature. The passage F2 serves to contain the burned gases.
In tube igniters heated either as above or in the ordinary manner which open
directly to the explosion space and depend for the proper timing of the ignition
upon the compression of the combustible mixture and the proportions of the
incandescent igniting tube with the passages leading to it, it has been found that
the igniter tube acts with great regularity when the walls of the passages leading
to it are kept at a uniform temperature. Part of this invention provides means
whereby those portions are kept at a fairly and nearly uniform high temperature,
and provides means to supply a pure combustible mixture to a position near the
igniter tube aperture. Suitable arrangements are illustrated at Figures 2, 6,
and 7.
In arranging an igniter tube in accordance with this part of the invention, the
metal carrying the igniter tube and its passages is isolated from the main cylinder
by the walls h of a communication port f (Figures 6 and 7) which is made of such
length and the walls of such thickness that the conduction of heat from the cylinder
to the igniter, or the reverse, is minimised. Those walls h are not water jacketed
and so the exchange of heat to or from the cylinder is small, and the temperature
of the igniter is nearly independent of that of the engine cylinder. By this
arrangement even when the engine is running with a light load and infrequent
ignitions, that portion containing the igniter tube and passages, attains a uniform
temperature, and when the full load is taken and the ignitions are frequent the
temperature does not vary to a serious extent. The desired equal temperature is
thus obtained in all conditions of running the engine.
The port with walls h is shown at Figure 2 as applied to the type of incandescent
igniter with the internal tube B illustrated at Figure 1, and fi is a diaphragm
carrying the tube B'.
In order to ensure that the long or relatively long port f in question is filled with
pure combustible mixture at every supply stroke of the engine, a small tube g
(Figure 6) is led up the port f one end of which projects into or nearly into the
cylinder, and the reduction of pressure in the cylinder causes a current of mixture
to pass into the port and through the tube I to the cylinder. Combustible
mixture is thus brought close to the aperture into which the igniter tube is

page_text: inserted. The diaphragm f¹ serves to hold the tube g. In Figure 7 I show the
tube 9 screwed into the aperture g₁ and here the mixture at the outer end of the
port enters the tube while the burned gases are compressed past it. In this
manner the port is swept clear of exhaust products at every charging stroke of the
engine, notwithstanding its necessary isolation from the main entering current of
gas and air.
Instead of this device or in combination with it the igniter tube is sometimes
isolated from the cylinder by a series of concentric tubes screwed or attached one
within the other in order to bring the opening of the igniter tube close to the
supply port and at the same time to interpose a considerable length of com-
paratively thin metal between the cylinder and the hot tube so as to reduce
conduction.
By adopting these improved details the open incandescent igniter tube is rendered
more uniform and effective in its action than hitherto.
My starting gear is illustrated at Figure 8.
In starting a compression gas engine with positively actuated valves or with an
automatic or other gas and air inlet valve, in accordance with the second part of
the invention, a passage n is provided between the compression space k, see Figure 8
near the inlet valve and a port p nearer the forward extreme of the piston stroke.
The port is covered by the piston m when it is full in, and as the piston moves out
to take ima' charge of gas and air a second passage o leading back to the air and
gas inlet port from one end of the front port p allows a portion of the gas and air
drawn into the engine to pass into the port p filling the passage n leading to the
compression space. The second passage o is controlled by a check or flap valve o¹
opening into the front port p from o with but slight resistance. Another flap or
check valve opens from the atmosphere into the front port p but is loaded by
weight or spring sufficiently to keep it shut with the amount of "suction" which
opens the first mentioned check valve o'. This second check valve p' has playing
against it or near it from the atmosphere a flame p². The arrangement acts as
follows: When the piston m moves from the in end of its stroke to take in a
charge of gas and air, the mixture passes into the cylinder by the second and first
passages o, n, through the front port p as well as by the main inlet valve . The
"suck" is at first however insufficient to open the second or external flap valve p',
but when the piston has moved sufficiently to uncover the front port p then as it
enters directly to the cylinder the "suction" increases very much and the outer
valve p¹ opens and the flame 22 is introduced and ignites the mixture in the
cylinder. This gives the piston an impulse at low pressure and the low pressure
impulse is repeated at every revolution till the engine has attained its speed when
the igniting starting arrangement is shut off by a suitable cock or valve as n² and
the ordinary compression ignitions proceed. The valve n² is shown in Fig. 8 as a
plug cock; but the passage n may be arranged so that a lift valve cuts off
connection between the two ports of the passage. The nozzle n is preferably
inserted in the end of the passage n terminating close to the piston m without
touching it so as to entirely fill the port p with combustible mixture and ensure
reliable ignition.
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 or hydrocarbon engines, an igniting device in which a suitable surface
or chamber is kept incandescent and mixture from the cylinder flows through a
tube into the chamber, the said tube having an aperture of regulated diameter so
that when the flow of the combustible gases ceases or is sufficiently reduced, the
flame passes back into the cylinder and causes explosion substantially as and
for the purposes hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accom-
panying drawings.
(2) In gas or hydrocarbon engines an igniting device in which a suitable surface

page_text: is kept incandescent by heat generated from the combustion of a portion of the
contents of the cylinder, the said combustion taking place in a tube opening to a
chamber, the said tube having an aperture of regulated diameter so that when the
flow of the combustible gases ceases or is sufficiently reduced, the flame passes
back into the cylinder and causes explosion substantially as and for the purposes
hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
(3) In gas or hydrocarbon engines an igniting device comprising an incandescent
metal plate as C forming one side of a chamber as C', having within it a tube as B
with an aperture of regulated diameter as a leading to the cylinder, acting as herein-
before described with reference to Figure 1 of the drawings.
(4) In gas or hydrocarbon engines an igniting device consisting of a tube as B,
a chamber as C and a perforated diaphragm as C substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.
(5) In gas or hydrocarbon engines having igniting devices such as are claimed
under Claims 1, 2, 3, and 4, the arrangement of governing valve as a, passages and
gauze and wire or a metallic flame stop as c so as to allow inflammable mixture to
burn near the incandescent surface at every stroke without exploding the mixture
in the cylinder substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described,
reference being had to Figure 5 of the drawings.
(6) In gas or hydrocarbon engines the arrangement hereinbefore described with
reference to Figure 3 of the drawings in which a portion of the inflammable
contents of the cylinder are utilized to heat the exterior of an igniting tube.
(7) In gas or hydrocarbon engines the long port or chamber without water
jacket and with or without the tube g the walls of the port f being long enough and
of small enough section to reduce the conduction of heat to and from the igniter
tube and the cylinder substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described
and illustrated at Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings.
:-two
(8) In gas or hydrocarbon engines the starting arrangement comprising:-
passages as n, o, leading to a port as p and connecting at the other end, one to the
cylinder and the other below the gas and air valve; two flap or check valves
arranged as o, p¹; an igniter flame playing against one of the valves as p'; all
arranged to fill the port as p and ignite the mixture within the cylinder when the
piston crosses the port p to start the engine by non-compression explosions,
substantially as and for the purposes herein before described and illustrated at
Figure 8 of the drawings.
Dated this 30th day of September 1891.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.