Improvements in and connected with Motor Power Apparatus for Propelling Vehicles and Boats
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Feb., 1897-Accepted, 27th Mar., 1897
Improvements in and connected with Motor Power Apparatus for
Propelling Vehicles and Boats.
1, JOHN MALCOLM MACDONALD, of 2 Victoria Mansions, Westminster,
London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention proposes to use compressed air as the motive power and to utilize
the increased power given to same by the expansion caused by heat. In carrying
out this invention as applied to a vehicle for example, I use an internal combustion
motor, such as an oil motor to compress air into one or more reservoirs. Placed
preferably under the oil motor, is one or two engines for giving the motor power
to the vehicle worked by the compressed and expanded air. In place of keeping
the oil motor cylinder cool by water, I cause the compressed air to enter the jacket
before passing into the engine, by this means it,the air, becomes heated giving
an increased pressure by the expansion. The jacket of the oil motor is preferred
to be somewhat narrowed towards where the air passes out for the purpose of
keeping it as close as possible to the walls of the hot cylinder. Reducing and other
necessary and usual valves are employed in the air conducting pipes, and air
reservoir. The driving motor can be connected to the vehicle in any usual way.
Dated this 21st day of April 1896.
FREDERIC PRINCE,
Agent for Applicant.
Improvements in and connected with Motor Power Apparatus for
Propelling Vehicles and Boats.
I JOHN MALCOLM MACDONALD, of 2 Victoria Mansions Westminster London
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 refers to means for propelling vehicles and boats wherein the
latter are to receive their motive power from compressed air engines, the air for
use therein being first forced into a reservoir or air chamber or chambers by means
of an internal combustion or explosive engine, from such air chamber the air at
pressure passes through a jacket on the explosive cylinder, becoming heated
thereby, and the pressure proportionately increased. The air at bigh pressure is
then delivered to the compressed air engines aforesaid in a heated state.
In order that my invention may be readily understood I will describe same with
reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings which sufficiently illustrate
by way of example an arrangement whereby the invention may be carried into
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effect. Fig. 1, is a sectional side elevation of such motive power apparatus, Fig. 2,.
is a plan view of a part of same and Fig. 3, is a transverse section through the
cylinders of the air and gas engines drawn to a larger scale than the previous
figures.
Referring to Figs. 1 und 2; A is the main driving shaft from which motion is
transmitted to say, the wheels of a vehicle, this shaft A, forms the crank shaft of
the compressed air engines of which B B are the connecting rods, C the cross-
heads, DD the piston rods and EE the cylinders. Located above the cylinders E E
is arranged (in the example shewn) the cylinder F of an explosive engine such as
an oil engine. The minor details of this engine are not specially illustrated as
these do not differ from such engines as are ordinarily constructed and the cyclo
of operations are as is usual on the "Otto" engine. The piston rod G passes out
of this cylinder through a packed gland F at the forward end of the cylinder
which is here provided with a cover F2 while the usual cycle of operations such as
the indrawing of the explosive vapour, the compression, ignition etc. take place at
the rear of the piston. In its rearward motion the pistou draws in atmospheric air
into the forward end of the cylinder by means of an air inlet valve F3 on the
cover F 2, and the next forward motion of the piston forces the air therefrom by an
outlet valve H and pipe H', into a reservoir J, which should be fitted with
suitable safety valve such as J. From the reservoir J, the air is conducted by a
pipe such as J2, to a jacketted chamber K surrounding the cylinder of the
explosive engine, the pipe J 2 being fitted with a stop cock J 3, and reducing or
other valves as required (not shown in the drawings) are fitted in the air conducting
pipes if required or found necessary.
The piston rod G of the explosive engine is connected to a cross-head G¹, having
a connecting rod G 2, operating a crank shaft G 3, on which is or are mounted a
fly wheel or wheels G 4.
From the jacketted chamber K, the compressed air is conducted to the valvo
chest L of compressed air engine cylinders E as shewn at Fig. 3, the valves M M
of which are operated by eccentrics N N, Fig. 2, mounted upon the crank shaft A.
The motion of the crank or driving shaft A is communicated to the wheels of a
vehicle or to the propeller or paddle shaft of a boat, in any usual or convenient
manner.
The jacketted chamber K is preferably somewhat narrowed internally towards
that part where the air passes out to the valve chest L say by plates K', as shewn
at Fig. 3 for the purpose of bringing the air into more intimate contact with the
walls of the hot cylinder F.
By the arrangement and combination of apparatus hereinbefore described, the
explosive engine is continuously running, while the compressed air engine or engines
may be stopped and started as desired, while at the saine time the use of water for
cooling the explosive cylinder F is dispensed with, this office being effectually
served by the continual passage of the compressed air, and I gain from the heating
of the air and its consequent expansion a very considerable increase of power.
I would have it understood that I do not limit my invention to the specific
arrangement of the parts relatively to one another, that shewn being only by way
of illustration, nor do I limit myself to the mere details of construction as such may
obviously be varied but
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion for improvements in and connected with motor power apparatus for propelling
vehicles and boats, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare
that what I claim is :-
1. The combination of apparatus essentially composed of an explosive motor or
engine adapted to compress atmospherio air, reservoir into which the said
compressed air is forced and stored, a jacket chamber around the cylinder of the
explosive engine, into which jacket the compressed air from the reservoir is admitted
to become heated while serving to cool the said cylinder of the explosive engine,

page_text: and a compressed air motor or engine to which the heated and compressed air is
supplied, the said compressed air motor serving to drive the vehicle or boat
substantially as set forth.
2. In combined apparatus as claimed by Claim 1, the contraction of the exit air
passage from the jacket chamber around the explosive cylinder substantially as
described.
3. The arrangement and combination of parts composing the apparatus
substantially as and for the purposes described and shewn with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
4. In the application of internal combustion motor power to vehicles to propel
same, cooling the cylinder of motor by the introduction into the jacket of cylinder
of motor, in place of water, of compressed air at a lower pressure than in the
reservoir from which the supply is drawn.
Dated this 22nd day of February 1897.
FREDERIC PRINCE,
37 Cursitor Street London, Agent for Applicant..