IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTORS WORKED BY COMBUSTIBLE GAS OR VAPOR
Year: 1886

page_text: I ELLIS BUTTERWORTH of Rochdale in the county of Lancaster Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTORS WORKED
BY COMBUSTIBLE GAS OR VAPOR to be as follows:-
I employ a working cylinder (which in some cases I surround with water or
other liquid to keep it cool or ribs may be formed on it for the same purpose) and
a displacement cylinder, preferably placed side by side, and provided with pistons
connected in any convenient way to the crank shaft.
In the working cylinder an explosive mixture of gas or vapor and air is com-
pressed and then ignited and power developed, but the displacement cylinder is
employed to effect displacement of the azote or bad gasses in the working cylinder
and supply it with the explosive mixture. The gas or vapor and air, is drawn by
the displacement cylinder piston, through or under or over a valve, the centre of
which preferably, covers the hole through which the gas or vapor comes, and the
outer part of the valve covers the hole or holes through which the air comes, holes
or perforations are formed through the valve between the parts that cover the gas or
vapor hole and air holes so that gas and air can pass through the valve as well as
under or over the outer edges. Communication is made between this valve and
displacement cylinder by means of suitable passages leading to and ending in ports
in the face against which a valve works, these ports are placed in communication
or cut off from each other by means of this valve. The working cylinder is placed
in communication with the displacement cylinder by another port in the face
against which this valve works and is placed in communication by means of this
valve. To ignite the charge in the working cylinder I form a groove on the face
next the cylinder against which the valve works, and this groove is supplied with
gas by a pipe or other means, passing through this face against which the valve
works and not through the valve cover as is usually the case. In the valve and
opposite this groove is the port or hole through which the charge in the cylinder
is fired, which port or hole leads to and forms part of the lighting chamber, this
port or hole is tubular or formed so that the gas in passing through it from the
groove in the cylinder face, has to go a short distance before it meets with the air
which comes into the lighting chamber by another port, and by which the flame in
the lighting chamber is supported, and as the valve moves, this port or hole of
the lighting chamber passes the groove in the cylinder face and thus cuts off the
supply of gas to the lighting chamber, but as the port or hole contains a little gas,
the flame is kept alive in it, until this port or hole comes opposite the port in the
working cylinder through which the explosive mixture passes into the cylinder,
when some of the charge in the cylinder passes into the lighting chamber and the
charge is thus ignited. By this means the small channels or holes that have
previously been used to connect the charge in the cylinder with the lighting
CA

page_text: chamber, previous to the port in the lighting chamber coming opposite the port in
the cylinder are not required.
This form of port or hole leading to and forming part of the lighting chamber, may
be used when gas is brought to it in any other way. Thus one valve regulates the
admission of the explosive mixture to the displacement cylinder, and from the dis-
placement cylinder to the working cylinder, and fires the charge in the working
cylinder. (In place of the lighting chamber in the valve "Watson's " patent igniter
may be used). The standing light which lights the igniting flame in the valve
chamber is supplied with gas which comes through the valve, and this gas is
brought to the valve by a pipe or other means, which passes through the face
against which the valve works next the cylinder, by these means the gas pipes are
not connected to the valve cover and the valve can be taken out without dis-
connecting any pipes. The crank of the displacement piston is about a quarter of
a revolution in advance of the crank of the working cylinder piston so that when
.the displacement piston is at the bottom of its stroke the piston of the working
cylinder will have got about half way down when communication between the
displacement cylinder and working cylinder will be cut off and the piston in the
working cylinder will begin to compress the charge in the cylinder.
The piston of the displacement cylinder only sends into the working cylinder as
much of the explosive mixture as about half or three quarters of what it will hold
when full, and the exhaust port in the working cylinder is placed so that when the
piston rises about half way up the cylinder, it uncovers the port but as the exhaust
valve is closed the gasses do not escape until the piston is at or near the top of its
stroke when the exhaust valve is opened and the azote or gasses in the cylinder if
above atmospheric pressure rush out through the port and valve, and as the piston
descends it pushes out the residue that is between it and the exhaust port, until it
has got down to and closes the exhaust port again and then begins to compress the
charge that has been sent into the working cylinder by the displacement piston.
The displacement piston may send less gas or vapor and air into the working
cylinder than what half fills it and in this case I place the exhaust port in the
working cylinder so that the piston in descending will close it just before it comes
to the explosive mixture that has just been sent into the working cylinder, thus
the piston pushes out of the working cylinder the azote or bad gasses that are
above the exhaust port, and compresses the explosive mixture that is below, and
thus the explosive force of the gasses may be expanded down to or below atmo-
spheric pressure and gas saved. The exhaust valve or a valve attached to the
exhaust port is made to open easily, or a relief valve is provided, so that as the
piston in the working cylinder rises when no explosion has taken place the valve
will open and prevent much vacuum being formed in the cylinder. To regulate
the speed of the Engine, I employ a governer which is driven from any convenient
place, which when the Engine is running too fast, disengages and stops the valve,
when none of the explosive mixture will be sent into the working cylinder, nor any
explosion take place, until the speed of the engine is reduced, when the governer,
will allow the valve to move again, when the explosive mixture will go into the
working cylinder, and be ignited, and thus the speed of the engine regulated.
When the governor is driven by a band, I mount it on a lever or other mechanism,
which when the band breaks, moves, and stops the valve, or cuts off the gas or
vapor, and thus stops the engine, this arrangement may be applied to Engines, in
which the explosive mixture is not compressed before being fired. The above
describes my invention as applied to a vertical Engine, but the same may be applied
to other forms of Engines, without departing from my Invention.

page_text: Improvements in Motors Worked by Combustible Gas or Vapor.
I ELLIS BUTTERWORTH of Calder Cottage Rochdale in the county of Lancaster
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
MOTORS WORKED BY COMBUSTIBLE GAS OR VAPOR and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
In order that my invention may be thoroughly understood and readily carried
into effect I will now proceed to describe the same reference being had to the
accompanying sheet of drawings. Fig. 1 is a front elevation Fig. 2 a side elevation
Fig. 3 a plan partly in section and Fig. 4 a section through the centre of the slide
valve, similar letters and figures on all the Figs. represents similar parts. a is the,
working cylinder which is shown with a cavity so that it may be surrounded with
water or other liquid to keep it cool but ribs may be formed on it to take the beat
away instead of being surrounded with water-In this cylinder an explosive
mixture of combustible gas or vapor and air are compressed and then ignited and
power developed-b is the displacement cylinder to displace the azote or incom-
bustible gases in the working cylinder and supply it with the combustible
nixture They are both provided with pistons of any suitable construction. The
displacement cylinder might form part of the working cylinder thus one piston
only would be required when power would be developed at one end of the cylinder
and the other end would form the displacement cylinder in this case the cylinder
would require to have a lid on, or the piston in the displacement cylinder and the
piston in the working cylinder (when there are two cylinders as shown) might go
in and out together, but in this case the exhaust port in. the working cylinder
would require to be lower than as shown or some of the products of the previous
explosion would be left in the working cylinder and compressed along with the
explosive mixture sent into it by the displacement piston, but I prefer it as shown
on the drawing. The piston in the working cylinder is connected to the crank
shaft c by means of the connecting rod d and the piston in the displacement
cylinder is connected to the stud or pin e by means of a connecting rod. The stud
or pin e is fast to the fly wheel which is mounted on the crank shaft c (it might
be fast to a disc or crank instead of the fly wheel). The stud e is about a of a
revolution in advance of the crank c (but it may be more or less as required).
The gas or vapor and air is drawn by the displacement piston through or under the
valve g see Fig. 4 (which is shown without the cover over the valve), the centre of
this valve covers the hole through which the gas or vapor comes, and the outer
part of the valve covers the holes through which the air comes, holes or perforations
are formed through the valve between the parts that cover the gas or vapor hole
and the air holes, so that gas and air can pass through the valve as well as the
outer edge. The lift of this valve is regulated by the screw gi which passes
through the cover of the valve see Fig. 2. Communication is made between this
valve g and the displacement cylinder by means of the passages h
to and ending in ports i and in the face against which the slide
hese ports are placed in communication by means of this valve j.
and h¹ leading
valve j works,
The working,

page_text: cylinder is placed in communication with the displacement cylinder by means of
the slide valvej which places the port in communication with the port 7 which
leads into the working cylinder. To ignite the charge in the working cylinder a
I form a groove m on the face next the cylinder against which the slide valve j
works, this groove is supplied with gas through the hole n from any convenient
source. In the valve and opposite this groove is the port or hole o through which
the charge in the cylinder is fired, this port or hole o leads to and forms part
of the lighting chamber p and is formed so that the gas in passing through it from
the groove m has to go a short distance before it meets with the air (by means of
which the flame in the lighting chamber is supported) which air comos into the
lighting chamber p by the port p¹ in the usual way.
As the slide valve moves
the end of this port or hole o passes the groove m in the cylinder face and thus
cuts off the supply of gas to the lighting chamber, but as the port or hole o
contains a little gas the flame is kept alive in it until this port or hole o comes
opposite the port in the working cylinder a, through which the explosive
mixture passes into the cylinder a when some of the charge in the cylinder a
passes through the port o into the lighting chamber p and the charge is thus
ignited. This port or hole o may be formed or connected to the lighting chamber
in slide valve or groove in the face against which the slide valve works in any
convenient manner so that it will contain a sufficient quantity of gas to keep the
flame alive in it until the end of it comes opposite the port in the working cylinder
through the charge in it is fired. By this means the small channels or holes that
have previously been used to connect the charge in the cylinder with the lighting
chamber previous to the port in the lighting chamber (through which the charge
in the cylinder is ignited) coming opposite the port in the cylinder are not required.
q is a hole through which gas (which is brought from any convenient source) passes
into the groover formed in the cylinder face against which the slide valve works.
8 is a hole in the slide valve, through which passes the gas from the groove to
the groove in the valve cover and thence through a hole t¹ to the standing light u
which ignites the flame in the lighting chamber in the usual manner.
In place
of the lighting chamber in the slide valve, "Watsons" igniter Patent No. 1723
for 1881 may be used to ignite the charge in the working cylinder.
k
The pin e in the fly wheel which moves the piston in the displacement cylinder
is shown a of a revolution in advance of the crank to which the piston in the
working cylinder is attached so that when the displacement piston is at the bottom
of its stroke the piston of the working cylinder will have got half way down when
the slide valve j is moved so as to cut off the communication between the displace-
ment cylinder and the working cylinder and as the piston just covers the exhaust
hole or port (see Figs. 1, 2 & 3) in the working cylinder the piston compresses the
charge in the working cylinder until the bottom of the piston gets down to or
nearly to the dotted line a³ when the piston in the working cylinder will be at the
bottom of its stroke when the slide valve will have been moved by means of
the eccentric so that the port or hole o in the slide valve comes to the port in the
When
cylinder a when the charge in the cylinder is ignited and power developed.
the piston in the working cylinder has got to the top of its stroke the bottom of
the piston will have got to or near to the dotted line a² when the screw v¹ on the
lever which is moved by means of the eccentric will have lifted the exhaust
valve w when the products of combustion will pass out of the cylinder a and as the
slide valve has been moved so as to open up a communication between the displace-
ment cylinder and the working cylinder the displacement piston sends as much of
the explosive mixture as will fill the working cylinder up to the bottom of the
exhaust hole or port and push the products of the previous explosion that are
below the exhaust hole or port k through the exhaust port and as the piston in the
working cylinder descends it pushes the products of the previous explosion that
were above the exhaust port k through the exhaust port k and thus there is nothing
left in the working cylinder but the explosive mixture which the piston in the
cylinder a compresses when the bottom of it gets below the exhaust port k. It

page_text: required a less quantity of the explosive mixture may be sent into the working
cylinder a by the displacement piston, than will fill the working cylinder up to the
level of the exhaust port but in this case some of the products of the previous
explosion would have to be left in the working cylinder and compressed along with
the explosive mixture but I prefer it as described. In place of the exhaust port k
in the working cylinder being uncovered when the piston has got half way up as
shown it may be placed lower when less of the explosive mixture would be sent
into the working cylinder, or it might be placed higher so that the piston would
have to go above half way up before the bottom of it uncovered the exhaust hole /
when more of the explosive mixture would be sent into the working cylinder but
I prefer it as shown. The exhaust valve wis made to open easily or a relief valve w¹
attached to the exhaust port is made so as to open easily so that as the piston
in the working cylinder rises when no explosion has taken place the valve will open
and prevent much vacuum being formed in the cylinder. x is a band pulley on the
crank shaft which drives the pulley 2 which is fast on the boss of the disc or plate 3
this disc or plate carries the two governor balls 4 which oscilate on two studs
mounted on the disc or plate. 5 is a stud one end of which passes loosely through
the boss of the disc or plate 3 and is thus supported, there is a groove formed on
this stud 5 into which the end of the arms which are fast to the governor balls take
and as the balls expand or contract they move this stud 5 endway. 6 is a lever
with three legs or projections mounted on the stud 7 to one leg is attached the
spring S which presses the end of the top leg against the stud 5, and thus prevents
the governor balls expanding too easily, the other leg of the lever 6 when the
engine is running too fast is pushed down by means of the governor balls 4 and
stud 5 so as to catch the top end of the lever 9 when it is being pushed out by the
eccentric, and thus lifts the other end of the lever 9 (which is formed as a catch)
off the bracket 10 which is connected to and by means of which the slide valve j
is moved and thus as the catch 9 does not take hold of the bracket 10 the slide
valve will not be pulled back so as to let the explosive mixture pass out of the
displacement cylinder into the working cylinder and no explosion take place until the
speed of the engine is reduced when the governor balls will contract and allow the
catch 9 to take hold of the bracket 10 that is attached to the slide valve and thus
move it again so as to allow the explosive mixture to pass into the working cylinder
again. By this means the slide valve does not move when the engine is running
too fast. The plate or disc 3 on the boss of which the pulley 2 is fastened is carried
by the bracket 11 which is mounted on the stud 12. The band which drives the
pulley 2 is so tight that it lifts the pulley end of the bracket 11 until the stop 13
prevents it doing so. If the band breaks or comes off then the pulley end of the
bracket 11 drops until the stop 14 prevents it, and in dropping, it carries the stud 5
along with it when the end of the stud presses against the incline on the top leg of
the lever 6 and thus disengages the catch 9 that moves the slide valve and thus
stops the Engine: If there is a rotating instead of a slide valve the same
mechanism might be applied to stop its rotation when the engine is running too
fast and also when the band breaks that drives the governor. The above describes
my invention as applied to a vertical engine but the same may be applied to other
forins of Engines.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
ion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim
n respect of motors worked by combustible gas or vapor is
1st. The construction of motors in which the displacement piston is about a
quarter of a revolution in advance of the working piston so that when a working
troke or explosion takes place a constant volume of combustible mixture which is
hot more than would fill the working cylinder the length of its stroke at atmo-
pheric pressure is sent into it, the engine being governed by cutting off the supply
of combustible mixture from the working cylinder so that no explosion takes place
when the engine runs too fast substantially as described and illustrated.

page_text: 2nd. The construction of motors in which the displacement piston is level with or
in advance of the working piston so that when the working stroke or explosion
takes place a constant volume of combustible mixture which is not more than would
fill the working cylinder the length of its stroke at atmospheric pressure is sent
into it, the engine being governed by cutting off the supply of combustible mixture
from the working cylinder so that no explosion takes place when the engine runs.
too fast substantially as described and illustrated.
3rd. Stopping the slide or rotary valve (by which the combustible mixture is let
into the working cylinder and ignited) when the engine runs too fast or the band
or strap breaks that drives the governor substantially as described and illustrated.
4th. The form of valve g by which the combustible mixture is admitted to the
cylinders substantially as shown and described.
5th. Forming the port or hole o which leads to and forms part of the lighting
chamber in the valve and through which the gas passes into the lighting chamber
and through which the charge in the cylinder is ignited so as to contain sufficient
gas in it when the supply is cut off to enable the light in the lighting chamber to
keep lit until this port comes to the port in the cylinder through which the charge
in the cylinder is ignited substantially as described and illustrated.