An Improved Combined Steam and Gas Generator and Engine.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Apr., 1594-Accepted, 3rd May, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Combined Steam and Gas Generator and Engine.
I, NORMAN EATON of Hopedale, in the County of Worcester, State of
Massachusetts, 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 relates to an apparatus for generating combined gas and vapour
under high tension, and in utilizing the same by an engine adapted by its peculiar
construction to be driven by the said combined gas and vapour and co-operate in
the generation of the same.
The method of putting my invention in practice is illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings, in which
Figure is a plan of my apparatus.
Figure 2 is an end elevation of my apparatus.
Figure 3 is a view partly in vertical section and partly in elevation on an enlarged
scale showing some of the details.
Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on line x. . . x of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a vertical section taken on line y
rear.
Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken on line w
Figure 7 is a vertical section taken on line 2
the rear, and
.
y of Figure 1, looking from the
....w of Figure 5.
. . . z of Figure 1, looking from
Figure is an enlarged view in vertical section of the injector and its connecting
parts; these parts are also shown in Figure 5.
In general terms, my invention consists in adapting mechanism to admit of the
performance of the following succession of operations.
Liquid fuel and air are admitted to the furnace and ignited, combustion con-
tinuing until the furnace has become sufficiently hot to maintain combustion with
the continued influx of fresh fuel.
The heated products of combustion, mingled with steam generated by contact
of water with said products, are now forced, by their own pressure, through an
injector (and by the said injector mingled with water) into a chamber or chambers
whence they are led through proper distributing valves to the motor cylinders.
Each of the divisions of the engine cylinder has an exhaust port: that of the
cylinder that takes the lighter or more gaseous portion of the product of the
generator opens into the open air, while that of the division that takes the heavier
vapour portion of the product of the generator leads through passages back to
the generator at a point near the injector, and is again mixed with the products
of combustion and the watery spray, and again passes, with the other products of
the generator, into the steam chamber, to undergo a repetition of the process
above described.
I will now give a mechanical description of my device.
B, in the drawings, is a casing within which the furnace or fire chamber D
(Figures 5 and 6) and its connected parts are contained. Attached to the furnace
casing, I have a box A, (Figures 2, 3 and 6) within which are located a piston
valve A (Figure 3) which controls the supply of air to the furnace, and a rotary
valve A', which serves in connection with other parts to regulate the speed of the
engine. P represents the main cylinder of the engine Figures 2, 4, 5 and 7.

page_text: Referring to Figures 5 and 6, D represents the fire chamber of the furnace.
This chamber is lined with fire brick, or some suitable refractory material, and is
surrounded by double walls, between which is the chamber R¹. This chamber R
serves to receive the compressed air from the pipe R, and to heat it previous to its
passage through the opening A' (Figures 3 and 5) to the furnace. (This will be
explained hereafter.) D' is a manhole, closed by the cover D².
Liquid fuel is admitted to the passage A² (see Figures 3 and 5) by a supply
pipe A', and is ignited through an opening at A³, Fig. 3, the combustion taking
place in the furnace chamber D. While the furnace chamber D is being heated, air
may be freely admitted through the pipe B1 (Figure 3). The air pipe B com-
municates directly with the chamber R', which is supplied with air under pressure,
through the pipe R (Figure 5). B³ is a hand valve, by means of which the air
pipe B may be closed or opened at will. A³ (Figure 3) is a valve which serves
to admit or cut off the supply of air from the chamber R¹ through the port A
and passage a.
This valve is caused to operate by the following described
mechanism :
Dotted lines at S (Figure 2) represent an eccentric attached to the shaft S of
the counter cylinder P1 (see Figures 2, 4, 5 and 7). This eccentric S operates the
arm D2 which is connected by a pin D21 to a rocker lever D20 said rocker lever D20
being keyed to the extension D18 (Figure 2) of the shaft of the rotating valve D
(Figure 5) and is connected by the pin S³ to the link S2, and through the link S*
to the stem A of the valve A³ (sec Figures 2 and 3); thus at each rotation of the
counter cylinder P₁, both the valve A and the valve D12 will be operated.
The air supply governor valve A7 (Figures 3 and 6) is closed and opened by
being rotated upon its own axis. The pressure governing valve C" (Figure 5) is
also closed and opened by being rotated. Both of the above valves (A and C)
are controlled by the same mechanism, which I will now describe.
The shaft S of the counter cylinder P¹ (one of the cylinders of the rotary engine)
has a disc C attached to it Figs. 1 and 2. To the disc C, a swinging weight C
is connected by a pivot C³ (Figure 2); this weight C is are shaped, as shown, its
free end being held by a spring C, which is connected to it by a fastening at C,
the other end of the spring being connected to the disc C by a pin C. It is to be
understood that as the disc C is rotated rapidly, the weight C2 will swing outwardly,
its outward motion being checked and regulated by the spring C. A link pivotel
to the weight C2 at C connects the said weight (by a pin C¹) to a side cam
piece A Fig. 1, so that as the weight C2 is caused to swing outward by the rapid
rotation of the shaft S, it causes the side cam piece A2 to rotate relatively on the
said shaft St. A Figure 1 is a companion cam to A", but cannot rotate
independently of the shaft S', although it can slide longitudinally on the said shaft.
The companion cam A carries a sleeve A", loosely fitted on to it, and held by a
spring A and flange A". From the above it may be seen that when the weight (
is thrown outwardly by the rapid rotation of the shaft S, it will give the side
cam A" a relative motion in respect to the cam A" and force it (the cam A20)
along the shaft S, taking with it the sleeve A", which in turn, acting through the
arm A and link A (see Figures 1 and 2) and arm A, will cause the rocker
shaft A to make a partial rotation. Motion is communicated from the rocker
shaft A through the arm A, link A", and crank arm A and spindle A8 to the
rotating valve A7 (see Figure 3) by means of which the passage of air through the
opening A is regulated. The pressure governing valve C¹³, C12 (Figures 2 and 5)
is operated by the rocker shaft A" through the arm C' link C, and arm C¹¹ (see
Figures 1 and 2).
·
The main exhaust valve M³ (Figures 2, 5 and 7) is operated by the
link S (previously referred to) acting through the pin M" and the arm M⁰ and
valve spindle M³*.
The construction of my engine is illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 7, and it
consists of an outer casing P which is divided into two chambers, an upper and a
lower one.
These chambers are practically cylindrical in form and open one on to

page_text: the other as shown in the sectional view of Figure 5. In the lower of these
chambers, my working cylinder P³ (Figure 4) is placed. This cylinder has two
annular chambers M N each of which has a pressure head; the one in the
chamber M 1 term the steam head and designate it in Figure 5 by the letter M².
The other head I call the gas head and have indicated it by the letter N' shown
in dotted line in Figure 5, and in full lines in Figure 7. The engine is driven by
the pressure of the steam against the steam head Man by the pressing of the
gases against the gas head N2 as will be explained. A counter cylinder P P³
(Figure 4) rests upon the lower cylinder P³ and revolves with it.
cylinders P3 and P₁ P are connected together by the following described
mechanism: The cylinder P3 is affixed to a shaft M which has keyed to it a gear
wheel M which engages with a gear wheel P keyed to the shaft S* of the counter
cylinder P1 P2 so that both cylinders turn together. The counter cylinder Pi P³
has a recess P (Figure 5) for receiving the steam head M² as it revolves, and also
a recess P (Figure 7) for receiving the gas head N³.
The two
The cock and passage R (Figure 2) admits air to the heating chamber R' which
surrounds the furnace D. From the chamber R¹ the air passes through passage A'
through the governing valve A7; thence it is admitted through the passage a
(Figure 3) and upward around the valve A through passage A2 to the furnace.
The function of the valve and passage B³ B₁ is to start the blast in the furnace
and is independent of the other parts. The operation is as follows:-
The valve and passage B³ B¹ being opened lets a blast of air pass into the
passage A2 carrying with it a spray of oil or other liquid fuel from the pipe A
The mixture of which the blast is composed is ignited at the opening A³ (Figures 2
and 3) by any suitable means. This ignited blast is maintained until the engine is
started, and is cut off by closing the valve in the passage B'.
The function of the governor valve C¹³ is to regulate the difference of pressure
between the chamber D8 and D10, that is if the speed of the engine gets above the
normal, the governor will open the passage between the chamber D8 and D10 and
thus reduce the pressure in the chamber D1° and consequently in the engines, the
excess passing into the exhaust.
After the furnace becomes sufficiently heated to maintain combustion of the fuel
that enters through the passage A2, then the air valve B3 Figures 1, 2 and 3, may
be closed, and the following action will take place; the product of combustion
will pass downward into the passage D³, Figure 5, and downward through and
around the large pipe D'; that part which passes around the pipe D³ comes in
contact with water in the steam generator D³ (water being admitted through the
pipe D) and forcing it through the passage H¹.
Another portion passes down through the passages H H2 (see Figures 5 and 8)
of the injector. This action will draw water from the reservoir D through the
passage H'. Now this combination of water, and gases is discharged through the
nozzle H³ and openings H'H' into the chamber Dio (see Figures 5 and 8), whence
they pass either through passage D₁ and valve passage D in rotating valve D
and passage D¹³ into steam cylinder M, or directly through passage d² (see Figure 7)
into a valve opening d made in the farther end of the rotating valve D2, thence
through passage d' into gas engine N (Figure 7) one or the other of the valve
passages being always open. That which passes through the gas engine exhausts
into the atmosphere through the opening N', while that of the steam engine passes
through exhaust passage M' and exhaust valve M³ into chamber D8; Figure 5,
the water settles in chamber D8, and the steam rises into the furnace through
annular passage D'. The air blast valve A³, worked by eccentric, is shown as
about to close. It starts to open, when the steam piston or revolving head M²
(Figure 5) is back of position shown in dotted lines at about M' (Figure 5). At
about this position (M) of steam head M² the exhaust valve M³ closes, and remains
closed through the dead part of rotation till M2 has got a little further in its
rotation than shown in the drawing. The valve opening D13 of steam cylinder is

page_text: closed ouly while head M² is passing the dead part of its rotation (from a position
just before it gets to the exhaust passage M' from cylinder to that shown).
The corresponding position of gas cylinder valve opening d is as shown in
Figure 7, when the steam-rotating valve opening D¼ Fig. 5, is open, the valve
opening d closes, as shown in Fig. 7 and remains closed through the dead part of
rotation, or until the head N2 Fig. 7 gets to a position similar to that of steam
head M² see Fig. 5. It then opens through more than a quarter of a rotation; then
shuts through less than a quarter of a rotation; then opens again on the last of the
rotation. It is when the gas engine head N' is in this arc that the blast from the
valve A is let on. The heads M and N2 are always in the same relative
positions, as they are keyed to the same shaft.
When the machine is fairly going, the exhaust steam is pushed into the furnace
by the steam head M2; then the blast is let on, which heats and drives the exhaust,
together with the gases, as above stated, through the injector, carrying along
condensing water from chamber D, and discharging into chamber D10 Fig. 5,
wherein the pressure has been reduced by the action of the engine. Thus the
pressure in the circuit is unbalanced, so that by the impact of the jet from the
injector a short period (the engine is intended to run at a high speed) of high
pressure is created in the chamber D10, so that the tendency will be for the gases
to hold the water intact under this pressure till steam engine valve passage D¹³
opens, when it is pushed through said passage into engine by the compressed gases.
Then the gas engine valve D2 opens into passage d' (Figure 7), and lets out what
remains in Do, the steam engine valve being still open for a while. There would
be practically a continuous flow through the injector, with quick intermittent
discharges.
The construction and arrangement of the injector is more fully shown in
Figure 8, which I will now describe in detail. H represents the passage for the
products of combustion into the inlet of the injector; the blast through H draws
water and watery vapour from the chamber D8 through the openings H¹; thence
the mingled products of combustion, steam and spray are forced downward through
the passage H2 H3 of the nozzle E¹ (said nozzle E being held by the pipe E³,
which in turn is held by the casing E³), and through the openings H* into the
annular chamber E"; thence through the opening H into the chamber D, from
which it passes into the engine (see Figure 5).
A floating or cushion check valve E is placed in the extension E of the injector
nozzle; this check valve E has openings E" to correspond with the openings H*
in the extension E, so that a movement of the check valve will cause a contraction
or expansion of the passages from the injector to the chamber E¹².
The check valve E is subjected on its under side to the pressure in the
chambers E and D10 through the openings at K, so that when the pressure in the
chamber Do exceeds that in the injector, the check valve E will be forced upward,
and thus close or partly close the openings H; but as soon as the pressure in the
chamber Do falls, then the pressure of the injector will overcome it, and the check
valve E will fall and
open the
passage H¼
E is a vent to allow the check valve to work freely. E is a hand wheel on the
screw E, which serves to adjust the injector. The pet cock E" is for the purpose
of drawing off any water of condensation that may accumulate and also for taking
off the back pressure from the chamber D¹º.
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 :-
First. In a combined steam and gas generator and engine, the combination of a
compressed air chamber, a combustion chamber, a device for admitting and igniting
fuel, and an injector device, as described: with a separating chamber, and valves
opening from said separating chamber to the divisious of a combined rotary engine,

page_text: and a combined rotary engine adapted to operate as described; substantially as
described and for the purpose set forth.
Second. In a combined steam and gas generator and engine, the combined rotary
engine having divisions M and N, the division N having exhaust port direct to
the open air, and division M having exhaust leading back to the combustion
and generating chambers, substantially as described and for the purpose set
forth.
Third. In a combined steam and gas generator and engine, the combination of
the combustion chamber and injector leading from the same, and an annular
passage surrounding said injector and connecting with a water chamber, the
injector adapted to receive the products of combustion, and mingling the same
with the vapour and spray from the water chamber, injecting the same into the
valve chamber D of the engine; substantially as described and for the purpose
set forth.
Fourth. In a combined steam and gas generator and engine, a vertical chamber
adapted to receive the combined steam and gas from the generator in combination
with valve passages, one opening from the lower part of said chamber and adapted
to receive the heavier parts of the combined steam and gas and deliver it to one
division of the cylinder of the engine, and another valve passage adapted to receive
the lighter parts of the combined steam and gas, and deliver the same to another
part of the combined engine, substantially as described and for the purpose set
forth.
Fifth. In a combined steam and gas generator and engine, a compound rotary
engine having a rotating cylinder divided laterally, each part provided with a
steam head; in combination with a counter cylinder adapted to operate with the
aforesaid cylinder, all substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
Dated thie 3rd dev of Anvil 1894
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.