Improvements in Igniting Arrangements for Gas or Oil Motor Engines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 11th June, 1891-Accepted, 11th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Igniting Arrangements for Gas or Oil Motor
Engines.
I, HENRY PLATT HALL, of Gorse Bank, Werneth, Oldham, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in the ignition mechanism of gas or oil
motor engines and more particularly to those engines in which the explosive
mixture is fired by means of an externally heated tube.
To ensure a regular ignition of the explosive mixture in the cylinder it is
desirable to clear out the ignition tube of the products of the previous combustion
before admitting fresh explosive mixture from the cylinder to the igniting tube.
My improvements consist in applying a suitable mechanical device to force out,
or to enable to escape into the atmosphere, such products of the previous com-
bustion as remain in the tube; by these means the explosive mixture in the cylinder
has free access to the interior of the heated tube at the proper moment, and a
regular ignition is thereby effected.
A suitable device is to fix to the end of the igniting tube farthest from the
cylinder a suitable valve which moves automatically when the communication is
made between the igniting tube and the cylinder and in doing so allows a portion
of the burned gases &c., remaining in the passages leading to and in the igniting
tube, to escape into the atmosphere, such valve is almost simultaneously closed
automatically by the pressure of the compressed gases from the cylinder passing
into the igniting tube.
A valve which operates as described above can be made as follows:-
A small spherical hall rests in a valve box conveniently fixed on to the end of the
igniting tube. The interior of the valve box is in direct communication with the
igniting tube at the bottom side and with the atmosphere at the top side. The ball,
when the engine is describing its suction, compression and exhaust strokes, lies over
the hole communicating with the igniting tube, but at the moment the compressed
gases in the cylinder are admitted to the igniting tube the ball is lifted by their
pressure from its original position and is pressed up against the seating at the top
side of the valve box thereby cutting off any communication between the cylinder
and the atmosphere during the time of ignition and combustion of the explosive
charge in the cylinder; the ball falls to its normal position as soon as the
pressure in the tube falls to that of the atmosphere. During the moment of time
occupied by the ball in changing its position from the bottom to the top of the
valve box, a portion of the burnt gases in the igniting tube escape into the atmo-
sphere and by that means permit the explosive mixture from the cylinder to have
free access to the interior of the heated tube thereby ensuring the ignition of the
combustible mixture always at the same moment of time or approximately so.
In place of a ball valve the valve may be of any other suitable form and if
necessary may be weighted or a spring employed to ensure that it cannot close
until the full pressure of the compressed charge in the cylinder is turned into the
ignition tube.
It is obvious that the relief valve on the top of the ignition tube may be operated
by suitable mechanism from the engine.
Dated this 11th day of September 1890.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Igniting Arrangements for Gas or Oil Motor
Engines.
I, HENRY PLATT HALL, of Gorse Bank, Werneth, Oldham, in the County of
Lancaster, 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 relates to improvements in the ignition mechanism of gas or oil
motor engines and more particularly to those engines in which the explosive
mixture is fired by means of an externally heated tube.
To ensure a regular ignition of the explosive mixture in the cylinder it is
desirable to clear out the ignition tube of the products of the previous com-
bustion before admitting fresh explosive mixture from the cylinder to the igniting
tube.
My improvements consist in applying a suitable mechanical device to enable
such products of the previous combustion as remain in the tube to escape into
the atmosphere whereby the explosive mixture in the cylinder has free access
to the interior of the heated tube at the proper moment, and a regular ignition is
thereby effected.
A suitable device for the purposes of my invention consists in fixing to the end
of the igniting tube farthest from the cylinder a suitable valve which when the
communication is made between the igniting tube and the cylinder allows a portion
of the burned gases &c., remaining in the passages leading to, and in the igniting
tube, to escape into the atmosphere, such valve being almost simultaneously closed
by the pressure of the compressed gases from the cylinder passing into the
igniting tube.
A valve which operates as described above can be made as follows :—
A small spherical ball rests in a valve box conveniently fixed on to the end of
the igniting tube. The interior of the valve box is in direct communication with
the igniting tube at the bottom side and with the atmosphere at the top side. The
ball, when the engine is describing its suction, compression and exhaust strokes,
lies over the hole communicating with the igniting tube, but at the moment the
compressed gases in the cylinder are admitted to the igniting tube the ball is lifted
by their pressure from its original position and is pressed up against the seating at the
top side of the valve box thereby cutting off any communication between the cylinder
and the atmosphere during the time of ignition and combustion of the explosive
charge in the cylinder; the ball falls to its normal position as soon as the pressure
in the tube falls to that of the atmosphere. During the moment of time occupied
by the ball in changing its position from the bottom to the top of the valve box, a
portion of the burnt gases in the igniting tube escapes into the atmosphere and by
that means permits the explosive mixture from the cylinder to have free access to
the interior of the heated tube thereby ensuring the ignition of the combustible
mixture always at the same moment of time or approximately so.
In place of a ball valve the valve may be of any other suitable form and if
necessary may be weighted or a spring employed to ensure that it cannot close until
the full pressure of the compressed charge in the cylinder is turned into the igniting
tube.
As stated above, any form of valve other than that of the ball type may be
employed, and on the accompanying sheet of drawings Figs. 1 and 2 represent on
an enlarged scale another valve well suited to the purpose. In Fig. 1 the valve is
shown closed and in Fig. 2 open.
In these views (a) designates the valve and (b) the valve spindle which is
free to move in a suitable casing (c) having a seating at (d) against which the
valve (a) closes, the lift of the said valve being regulated by the locknuts (e).

page_text: Attached to the valve casing (c) is a frame (f) carrying a small spindle (g) on
which is fixed a collar (h) a spring (i) is coiled on the spindle (g) and is confined
between the collar (4) and the frame (f). The end of the spindle (g) touches or
nearly touches the top of the valve spindle (b) when the valve (a) is open as shown
in Fig. 2 but when the valve (a) is closed as shown in Fig. 1 the spring (i) is com-
pressed by the movement of the valve spindle (b) having raised the spindle (g) and
consequently as soon as the pressure behind the valve (a) has been sufficiently
reduced the valve (a) at once falls to its normal position i.e. open partly by the
action of the spring (i) and partly by the action of gravity. The igniting tube (j)
is connected to the valve casing (c) and is put in direct communication with the
atmosphere by means of the openings (c') in the casing.
The action of the valve (a) is as follows:-During the suction, compression and
exhaust strokes, the valve (a) is in its normal position, viz., open, see Fig. 2, and
the igniting tube (j) is then in direct communication with the atmosphere by means
of the holes (c) in the casing (c).
When the ignition of the explosive mixture in the cylinder is required, a valve,
not shown, controlling the communication between the cylinder and the igniting
tube in the usual manner is opened and the combustible mixture rushing from the
cylinder into the heated tube (1) drives before it, and expels through the holes (c¹),
the incombustible products of the previous ignition, remaining in the tube, and
in so doing closes the valve (a) against the seating (d) thereby cutting off
communication between the interior of the igniting tube () and the atmosphere.
By these means the highly combustible mixture from the motor cylinder can
enter freely through the aforesaid controlling valve into the heated igniting tube,
thereby causing a regular and certain ignition.
The amount of waste products or spent gases allowed to escape from the tube
can be regulated by adjusting the locknuts (k) on the spindle (9) and so regulating
the compression of the spring (i) and further by regulating the lift of the valve (a)
by adjusting the locknuts (e).
A valve of this description can also be conveniently used in gas engines in which
the ignition is effected by electricity, for the purpose of removing the products
of the previous combustion from the igniting chamber and thereby assuring that
the combustible mixture from the cylinder has free access to the point or place of
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. The arrangement use and application in combination with the ignition tube or
chamber of a gas or oil motor engine, of an automatic valve through which are
discharged the spent gases expelled from said ignition tube or chamber by the new
charge of compressed gases entering from the cylinder substantially in the manner
and for the purposes herein set forth.
2. The combined arrangement of parts substantially as and for the purposes
herein. described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 10th day of June 1891.
H. B. BARLOW,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agent for Applicant.