IMPROVE MENTS IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis William Crossley and William John Crossley, both
of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVE
MENTS IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES."
Sealed the 23rd May 1879, and dated the 13th December 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis William Crossley
and William John Crossley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 13th December 1878.
FRANCIS WILLIAM CROSSLEY and WILLIAM JOHN CROSSLEY, both of Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES."
Our Invention relates to motor engines worked by the combustion of a mixture
of combustible gas and air, and consists mainly in storing up a great portion of the
hot gases produced by the combustion of the gaseous charge, which store is
subsequently utilized during another stroke or another part of the stroke of the
piston.
For this purpose according to one arrangement we provide a closed and jacketted
receiver communicating at both ends with the working cylinder, which is closed at
both ends, the lower passage (should the cylinder be vertical) being provided with
a check valve. The working cylinder is so arranged as to draw in a combustible
charge during the whole or part of the stroke of the piston, and at or near the end
of such stroke the charge is ignited by any suitable known means. The hot gases
under pressure thus produced escape through the before mentioned passage provided
with a check valve into the receiver where they are retained, the other end passage
being closed by the piston or otherwise. The partial vacuum produced in the
working cylinder by the expansion and cooling of the gases remaining therein
causes the piston to commence the return stroke, whereupon the stored gases are
admitted from the receiver to the cylinder on the opposite side to that in which the
vacuum exists, and thus act together with the latter in imparting motion to the
piston. At the end of the stroke the piston is caused by the momentum of the fly
CD 637

page_text: wheel to perform another stroke, so as to draw in a fresh combustible charge, and
the above described cycle of operations is repeated.
According to another arrangement the working cylinder is open to the atmosphere
at the one end, and the receiver communicates with the other end firstly by a
passage provided with a check valve, as above described, through which the gases
enter the receiver, and secondly, by another passage closed by a slide or valve
opened at the required moment for establishing the communication. Thus the
combustible charge being drawn in by the outstroke of the piston and then ignited
the hot gases pass into the receiver. The piston then performs its instroke by the
atmospheric pressure acting against the partial vacuum produced by the expansion
and cooling of the gases behind it, and at the end of this stroke the slide or valve
in the passage leading to the receiver is opened so as to allow the gases under
pressure to enter the cylinder and cause the piston to perform its outstroke. By
the momentum imparted to the fly wheel, or by a partial vacuum produced by the
expansion and cooling of the gases, the piston is then made to perform its instroke,
and at the next outstroke the piston draws in a fresh combustible charge and the
above described cycle of operations is repeated.
According to another arrangement we dispense with the receiver and draw in a
combustible charge during part of the outstroke of the piston, and expand and
thereby weaken such charge during the remainder of the stroke. The charge is
then ignited and the expanded gases are allowed to escape into the atmosphere
through an opening provided with a check valve. By the cooling of the gases
remaining in the cylinder a partial vacuum is formed and the piston is made to
perform its instroke by the atmospheric pressure. By the momentum of the fly
wheel the piston is moved so as to draw in a fresh charge, and the above operation
is repeated.
By the partial vacuum caused by cutting off the supply of gas and air before the
end of the first outstroke in the cycle last described a better vacuum is obtained
after the explosion than would have been possible had the cylinder been filled
previously to atmospheric tension, and this compensates for the loss of power in
expanding the charge previous to ignition, while such expansion enables a consider-
able saving of gas to be effected in charging.
The valves used in these various forms may sometimes with advantage be of the
circular or revolving type, so as to enable a long series of operations, as in the
second case described, viz., drawing in, igniting, delivering to cylinder from the
receiver, and to exhaust both from receiver and cylinder, to be all performed by one
such valve only, such valve in the case referred to being driven by gearing from
the mainshaft at a speed of one half that of the latter.
The orifice through which the heated gases are delivered to the receiver is also
so formed as to distribute the heated gases thoroughly amongst the previous contents
of the receiver so that they may take up the heat of the former, and the better
store it until it is again utilized in the cylinder, in this way preventing to some
extent absorption by the surface ofthe receiver.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Francis William Crossley and William John Crossley in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 11th June 1879.
FRANCIS WILLIAM CROSSLEY and WILLIAM JOHN CROSSLEY, both of Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES."
Our Invention relates partly to improved arrangements of that description of
motor engines worked by the combustion of a mixture of combustible gas and air,
wherein a portion of the hot gases produced by the combustion of the gaseous
charge is stored up in order to be subsequently utilised during another stroke of
the piston.
According to our Invention the working cylinder is open to the atmosphere at
the one end, and the receiver for storing the gases communicates with the other
end, firstly, by a passage provided with a check valve, through which the gases
enter the receiver, and secondly, by another passage closed by a slide or valve
opened at the required moment for establishing the communication. Thus the
combustible charge being drawn in by the outstroke of the piston and then ignited
a large part of the hot gases passes into the receiver. The piston then performs its
instroke by the atmospheric pressure acting against the partial vacuum produced
by the expansion and cooling of the gases behind it, and at the end of this stroke
the slide or valve in the passage leading to the receiver is opened so as to allow the
gases under pressure to enter the cylinder and cause the piston to perform the next
outstroke. By the momentum imparted to the fly wheel, or by a partial vacuum
produced by the expansion and cooling of the gases, the piston is then made to
perform the next instroke and to exhaust the products of combustion, and at the
succeeding outstroke the piston draws in a fresh combustible charge and the above
described cycle of operations is repeated.
According to another arrangement we dispense with the receiver and draw in a
combustible charge during part of the outstroke of the piston, and expand and
thereby weaken such charge during the remainder of the stroke. The charge is
then ignited and the expanded gases are allowed to escape into the atmosphere
through an opening provided with a check valve. By the cooling of the gases
remaining in the cylinder a partial vacuum is formed, and the piston is made to
perform its instroke by the atmospheric pressure. By the momentum of the fly
wheel the piston is moved so as to draw in a fresh charge and the above operation
is repeated.
By the partial vacuum caused by cutting off the supply of gas and air before the
end of the first outstroke in the cycle last described a better vacuum is obtained
after the explosion than would have been possible had the cylinder been filled
previously to atmospheric tension, and this compensates for the loss of power in
expanding the charge previous to ignition, while such expansion enables a consider-
able saving of gas to be effected in charging.
The valves used in these various forms may sometimes with advantage be of the
circular or revolving type, so as to enable a long series of operations, as in the
first case described, viz., drawing in, igniting, delivering to cylinder from the
receiver, and exhausting from the cylinder, to be all performed by one such valvo
only, such valve in the case referred to being driven by gearing from the main
shaft at a speed of one half that of the latter.
The orifice through which the heated gases are delivered to the receiver is also
so formed as to distribute the heated gases thoroughly amongst the previous contents
of the receiver, so that they may take up the heat of the former and the better
store it until it is again utilised in the cylinder, in this way preventing to some
extent absorption by the surface of the receiver.

page_text: Fig. 1 of the Drawings shews a front elevation of one arrangement of our before
described improved gas motor engine; Fig. 2 shews a vertical section of the same
taken on a line at right angles to the view at˚Fig. 1; and Figs. 3 and 4 shew
respectively an enlarged front view and section of the revolving slide with slide
cover and cylinder face. A is the engine cylinder; B, its piston connected by a
connecting rod to the crank shaft C; D is the receiver for the hot gaseous products
of combustion provided with a non conducting lining to prevent loss of heat by
radiation, and communicating with the lower end of the cylinder by means of the
passages E, E¹, in which is a valve F held closed by a spring within the case F1, 80
that the hot gases can pass from the cylinder into the receiver through the said
passages and valve, but cannot pass back again the same way. A revolving slide G
constructed and operating as will be presently described effects consecutively the
charging of the cylinder with combustible mixture, the ignition of such charge, the
admission of the hot stored gases from the receiver D into the cylinder, and the
escape of the expanded gases from the cylinder, the action of the engine being as
follows: The engine piston being made to commence its upstroke, the combustible
charge is drawn into the cylinder and then ignited by a small flame in the revolving
valve. The resulting hot gases of combustion partly pass from the cylinder through
the passages E, E', into the receiver, and partly act in propelling the piston, causing
it to perform the latter portion of its outstroke. The piston then performs its
instroke partly through the momentum of the fly wheel and partly through the
partial vacuum produced beneath it by the cooling of the gases. At the completion
of the instroke the slide G is brought into position for establishing a communication
between the receiver and the cylinder, so that the hot gases stored under pressure
pass from the former into the latter, and cause the piston to perform its second out-
stroke, the second return stroke being effected, as before, partly by the momentum
of the fly wheel and partly by the partial vacuum under the piston due to the
condensation of the gases, which are eventually expelled through an exhaust
port.
For effecting these various operations the slide valve G, which is pressed against
the cylinder face H (by preference formed as a separate plate) by means of the
cover I acted upon by a spring J, receives rotary motion from the engine shaft by
means of a pinion K gearing with an idle wheel L which gears with a toothed
ring G¹ formed on the slide, the pinion K. and toothed ring G₁ being so propor-
tioned that the slide performs one revolution while the engine shaft makes two
revolutions.
a is the port in the cylinder face through which the gases enter into and escape
from the cylinder; b is the port in the cylinder face leading by a passage 62 (Fig. 1)
to the receiver, through which passage the hot gases pass from the receiver to the
cylinder, the communication between the ports a and b for this purpose being
effected by the groove b' in the slide face; c is the exhaust port in the cylinder
face leading to the atmosphere, and put in communication with the cylinder port a
by means of the exhaust ports and passages c¹, c¹, in the slide face; d is the supply
pipe for combustible gas communicating by the passage d¹ and port d³ in the slide
cover I with the holes e, e, in the slide leading into the gas and air passage 61.
This passage has a port e³ on the outer slide face communicating with the air port f
on the inner side of the slide cover (which port opens to the outer air at f¹) and a
portes on the inner slide face communicating with the cylinder port a; g is the
chamber in the slide containing the small charge of burning gas for igniting the
charge in the cylinder; this chamber has a port g' by which it communicates with
the cylinder port a, and a port 92 by which it communicates with the port h in the
slide cover leading to the chimney h' containing the gas flame A by means of which
the charge in the chamber g is ignited. The gas supply for such charge enters the

page_text: chamber through a small passage g³ communicating with a groove g* in the cylinder -
face into which the gas passes from a small gas pipe at g; i is an air passage in
the slide cover communicating with a passage i¹ in the slide through which the air
enters the chamber g for maintaining the combustion.
The cylinder piston having just commenced its upstroke the slide (which revolves
in the direction of the arrow) is in the position shewn on the Drawing, so that on
further motion the charging port es of the valve (the leading corner of which corre-
sponds with the radial line X) will establish a communication between the cylinder
port a, the gas holes e, and the air port f, so that combustible mixture will enter
the cylinder. At the commencement of the upstroke the line X representing the
edge of the charging port will have been at the point A, the interval from A to F
being necessary to allow a corresponding interval between the moment when the
exhaust port c¹ leaves the cylinder port a, and the moment when the latter
communicates with the charging port e When the line X has reached the point B
the communication between a and e³ is cut off; and when it reaches the point C
the lighting chamber g cominunicates with the port a so as to fire the charge in the
cylinder. By the time the piston has completed its outstroke and following instroke
the line X will have moved to D, when the communication between the ports a and
b will be established by the passage b¹ so as to admit the stored gases from the
receiver into the cylinder. On the completion of the second outstroke X will have
moved to E, at which time or somewhat later the port a will be made to communi-
cate with the exhaust port c by the passage c¹, so as to allow of the escape of the
gases during or towards the end of the second instroke of the piston, at which
time X will have again arrived at the point A. For the clearer comprehension of
the arrangements of the several ports and passages these have been sectioned in
different ways on Fig. 3. The slide is held in position during rotation by
forming it with a recessed inner face into which the cylinder face fits, and by
making its outer face fit into a recess in the slide cover, the latter is prevented
from rotating by means of a projection thereon (not shewn on the Drawing) bearing
against a projection or filling into a notch in the engine framing. By dispensing
with the receiver D and making the passage E with valve F to open to the atmo-
sphere the engine may be made to operate according to the second described
method, that is to say, the slide G (which in this case may either be a rotary one
or of ordinary construction) being made to admit the combustible charge during
only the first part of the outstroke of the piston, such charge is expanded by the
completion of the outstroke, whereupon the lighting flame in the slide effects the
ignition of the expanded charge, and the resulting gaseous products of combustion
escape through the passage E and valve F. A partial vacuum being formed beneath
the piston by the cooling of the gases remaining in the cylinder, the piston is caused
to perform its working instroke by the pressure of the atinosphere. It will be
understood that if a rotary valve is employed in this arrangement it will be made
to revolve once for every revolution of the engine shaft, being provided merely
with ports and passages for the introduction and subsequent ignition of the
combustible charge in a manner well understood.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, we claim,—
First. In a gas motor engine, the cylinder of which is open to the atmosphere at
one end, causing the hot gases resulting from the combustion of the charge during
one outstroke of the piston to pass through a passage provided with a check valvo
into a receiver, from which the stored gases are subsequently admitted into the
cylinder to cause the piston to perform its next outstroke, substantially as herein
described.
Second. In combination with a gas motor engine operating as set forth in the
preceding claim the use of a revolving slide with ports and passages so arranged as
by one rotation consecutively to introduce the combustible charge into the cylinder
to fire the charge, to admit the gases from the receiver to the cylinder, and to

page_text: exhaust the gases from the cylinder to the atmosphere, substantially as herein
described with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Third. In a gas motor engine the cylinder of which is open to the atmosphere at
one end, causing a combustible charge introduced into the cylinder during the first
part of the stroke to be expanded during the remainder of the stroke and then
fired, the gaseous products of combustion being made to escape through a passage
provided with a check valve, so that a partial vacuum is produced under the piston,
thereby causing this to perform its instroke, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William John Crossley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
WILLIAM JOHN CROSSLEY. (L.S.)