AN IMPROVED ATMOSPHERIC ENGINE
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Louis Eugène Mouline at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st
March 1864.
I, LOUIS EUGÈNE MOULINE, of Vals, in the Empire of France, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED ATMOSPHERIC
ENGINE," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in introducing to a cylinder, provided with a piston,
heated air produced from a furnace and in a state of expansion, after which
the inlet valve is closed and the heated air reduced to a small volume by an
abundant jet of cold water; the power is then produced by the pressure of
the atmosphere acting freely upon the other side of the piston, and compelling
it to move.
I proceed to describe the arrangement of apparatus for effecting this result
in a continuous method. The cylinder is placed horizontally; it has at the
upper part two openings, through which the hot air enters; these openings
are alternately closed or shut by a valve rod and valves, the reciprocating
motion of which takes place almost instantaneously when the piston reaches
either end of the cylinder. To obtain this motion the end of the piston rod is
furnished with a projection or tappet, which at each movement of the piston
rod comes in contact with the short arms of two levers which actuate the valve
rod. The heated air is conducted directly by a pipe from the furnace through
the openings into the cylinder. The furnace is of cast iron, or it may be

page_text: constructed of refractory bricks. When the engine is not in action a register
or valve is opened, which establishes communication with a chimney for the
escape of the heated air. At the lower part of each end of the cylinder a
valve is situated, which falls and closes by its own weight, and by which the
cold air escapes, and the water introduced to the cylinder. The water reaches
the cylinder by small tubes diverging from each other, and placed above the
valves. This water is supplied from a pump, which should inject a quantity a
little greater than that which is necessary into a reservoir of metal closed.
This closed vessel contains a certain quantity of air, which becomes compressed
in proportion as the water is injected; this compressed air serves to force the
water through the tubes into the cylinder with great pressure, and to cause it
to become finely divided after striking against the piston and sides of the
cylinder. This reservoir is furnished with a valve for the escape of the surplus
water, and a small slide rod enables the water to pass alternately to each end
of the cylinder, the quantity being regulated by a tap or cock. More than
one cylinder may be used with one furnace and reservoir if great power is
required. When the piston arrives towards the end of its stroke it continues
its motion, acquired by its rapidity and the fly wheel, and forces the water and
cold air through the valve at the lower part of the cylinder, which valve is
self-opening. On the other side of the piston the air heated by the furnace
immediately enters, and when the piston has finished its stroke the rod changes
its position, and the jet of water also changes on each side; then the heated
air shut up in the other portion of the cylinder is cooled by the jet of water,
and is diminished in volume. The pressure is thus reduced on that side, and
the piston yields to the action of the atmospheric pressure which is exerted on
the other side through the opening of the cylinder, the conducting pipe, and
the furnace. This pressure in forcing back the piston at the same time re-fills
such end of the cylinder with heated air. But when the piston has performed
a part of its stroke, the pressure of the cooled air becomes equal to the
atmospheric pressure; the other valve at the base of the cylinder opens, and
the motion continuing as previously under the action of momentum, the
air and water are driven ont, and the engine works thus with a continuous
movement. To stop the engine it is only necessary to close the cold water
tap, or to decrease its speed to partially close the same. When it is desired
to reverse the action of the engine the valve on the lower part of the cylinder
at that end corresponding with the greater space formed between the piston
and cylinder must be raised, so that the draught of the chimney it will be
filled with hot air; the valve must then be let fall, and the rod moved by the
hand to close the opening for the introduction of the heated air, and open the

page_text: cold water tap. In all hot-air engines hitherto devised it has been required
to produce power by causing the expansion by heat of air forced into a closed
vessel, whereas, on the contrary, I produce power by atmospheric pressure
acting against a piston, which yields by the contraction of heated air cooled by
a jet of cold water.