Improvements in Gas Engines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 8th Feb., 1893
J
mplete Specification Left, 8th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 6th May, 1893
.COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas Engines.
I, EDWIN WILLIAM EVANS, of 23 South Front Street, in the City and County
of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, 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 has reference generally to engines, particularly to that class known
as "gas-engines," for power purposes, and has special reference to a construction
and operation of a rotary or balance valve that combines the principles of
mixing, condensing, ignition, and exhausting and has for its object cheapness
and durability in construction and operation, efficiency in timing and avoiding
the use of eccentrics and cams; and to the end sought it consists of the novel
features of construction &c. hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.
In the drawings which illustrate my invention,
Figure 1 is a view, partly in vertical section, of the valve and its connected
piston, piston cylinder &c. embracing my invention, the parts being represented in
position to take in a charge of gas.
Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the valve body or stationary portion of the valve,
the exhaust port therein being shown in dotted lines.
Fig. 3 is a view of the bottom balance valve, showing in dotted lines the gas
pocket therein.
Fig. 4 is a similar view of the top balance valve.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the same, taken on the line XX, XX.
Fig. 6 is a view in cross section of the valve body taken on the line xx, Fig. 1,
the
upper balance valve being removed and-
Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of the entire valve looking toward the piston
cylinder.
Referring to the drawings, in which the parts are indicated by numerals, similar
numerals denoting like parts wherever used, 1 is the piston or compression chamber,
and 2 the piston and its rod, 3 the power transmitting wheel, 4 the horizontal shaft:
to which the piston is geared, 5 means shown for supporting the shaft, and 6 a gear.
wheel on the extremity of the said shaft. This gear wheel 6 meshes with a larger
gear 7 mounted on the upper extremity of the vertical shaft 8 which is suitably
attached to the rotary portions 10, 11, of the valve and rotated by the working
of the piston and the intermediate gearing for purposes hereinafter more fully
explained.
The chamber is in open communication with the valve body 9 by means of the
ports 12, 13 the valve body 9 being stationary while the balance valve portions
thereof 10 il are keyed or otherwise suitably mounted on the shaft 8 and rotate.
therewith. The valve body 9 is preferably cylindrical in outline, having flat upper.
and lower surfaces, against which the rotary portions 10 11 of the valve work, and>
a central opening 18 for the shaft 8. A port 13 extends vertically through the

page_text: <
valve body 9 and is in open communication with the port 13" and this valve body 9
is further provided as to its upper face with a port 14 hereinafter termed the
mixing port," which extends partially only through said body portion 9 and is in
open communication with the gas inlet port 15, and as to its lower face with a
similar port 16, hereinafter termed the "exhaust port," which is in open communi
cation with the outlet port 17 and shown in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 6 of the
drawings. These ports 13, 14 and 16 are located at each quarter point relative to
the circumference of the body portion 9, the fourth quarter point being blank or
presenting a solid or closed surface. The upper and lower valve portions 10 and 11
are alike in construction, Figs. 1 and 5 each having a central opening 181 1811
respectively, for the shaft 8 and a gas pocket 19, 20 respectively (shown in dotted
lines, Figs. 3 and 4) for purposes presently explained and are rigidly mounted on
the shaft 8 in place on the body portions 9 as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the
drawings, Figs. 4 and 3 showing the relative positions of the pockets 19 20
with regard to the ports 13, 14 and 16 in the body portion of the valve
when the valve is in position to take in a charge of gas, the dotted line X X
Fig. 4 indicating the overlap of one end of the pocket 19 of the upper valve
with the mixing port 14 and its other end is then in open communication with
the port 13 to the cylinder 1 while the pocket 20 of the lower valve is closed
to the ports 13 and 16 the arrows Figs. 3 and 4 indicating the direction of
rotation.
In connection with my engine I have shown electrical means for igniting or
exploding the charge of gas for the obtaining of the necessary automatic con-
tinuous operation and power transmitting features of the engine, and to this end
the wires 21 which are supplied with a battery, sparker &c. (not shown) con-
veniently lead into the port 13 through a plug 23. Other wires 22 to complete
the circuit connect with a contact arm 24 mounted on the shaft 8 and so set
relatively to the rotation of the valve as to make and break circuit at the
ending of the second quarter turn of said valve from the beginning of the taking in
of the charge of gas. Thereby the charge of compressed gas may be timely
exploded or expanded.
Having now fully described the several parts of my invention, the operation is as
follows:-
The cylinder 1 and valve body 9 being connected so that the port 12 of the
former and ports 13, 13 of the latter form a single port or open communication
between said cylinder and valve, the balance valves 10 and 11 suitably mounted on
the shaft 8 and in proper position on the valve body 9 that is to say, the pocket 20
of the balance valve 10 open to both the ports 13 and 14 and overlapping the
port 14 to the extent as indicated by dotted line X X Fig. 4 and the balance
valve 11 closed to the ports 13 and 16 the piston 2 at low centre, the gears 6 and 7
meshing, the gearing being such as to cause the balance valves 10 and 11 to each
make a quarter turn to each stroke of the piston) and the port 15 having a
connected source of gas supply, there then being a continuous open passage between
the inlet port 15 and cylinder 1, the engine is ready to be started, (see Fig. 1).
The wheel 3 is given a turn by hand when the piston 2 will at once commence to
ascend and the valves 10 and 11 to rotate, the pocket 19 in valve 10 gradually
closing to the mixing port 14 and simultaneously taking in a charge of gas, which
flows through the ports 15 14 into the pocket 19 then downward through the port 13
to the ports 13 12 and thence passing into the cylinder 1. This operation continues
until the balance valves have made a quarter turn at which time the pocket 19 will
be closed to the mixing port 14, the charge of gas taken in and the piston be at top
centre that is to say, have made a full stroke. The piston now travels toward low
centre compressing the charge of gas, and so continues until a complete second
stroke has been made, at which time the valves have completed a second quarter
turn and are now closed to the various ports in the valve body 9. At this instant
the finger 25 forms electrical contact with the arm 24 and thereby ignites and
explodes the charge of compressed gas, causing the piston to rapidly ascend to top

page_text: centre again, thus giving momentum and increased power to the driving wheel 3
through the intermediate gearing and from there transmitted in a manner well
understood. At this time the piston will have made its third stroke and the
valves completed their third quarter turn. The pocket 19 is still closed to the
port 13, while the pocket 20 in the lower balance valve 11 is now open to
the ports 13 and 16 of the valve body 9 and completely exhausts the exploded
gas as the piston travels toward and again reaches low centre to make its fourth
stroke at the completion of which the valves will have made their last quarter turn
and the parts be again in position to take in a new charge of gas and repeat
the operation of mixing, compressing, exploding, and exhausting charges of gas for
power generation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:―
1. In a gas or other engine, the combination, with the piston cylinder, piston,
and its connected power transmitting gearing, of a balance valve consisting of a
fixed body portion having a combined supply and mixing port, a combined exhaust
and outlet port, and combined port communication with the piston cylinder and two
movable portions, one on each side of said fixed portion, mounted on a shaft
extending through the latter and rotating therewith, each of said movable portions
provided with a pocket adapted to communicate with their respective ports in the
fixed portion at predetermined intervals, as described.
2. In a gas engine, a balance valve of the character herein described, consisting
of a fixed body portion having a combined supply and mixing port, a combined
exhaust and outlet port, and combined port connection with the compression
cylinder, two movable portions, one on each side of said fixed portion, mounted on
a shaft extending through the latter and rotating therewith, each of the said
movable portions provided with a pocket adapted to communicate with their
respective ports in the fixed portions at predetermined intervals, and means for
timely exploding a charge of gas when taken into the engine, whereby a charge of
gas may be taken into the engine and in turn compressed, exploded, and exhausted,
for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1893.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicant.