Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 15th May, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 12th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 20th Mar., 1897
THOMAS JAMES BENNETT, 160 Walton Street, Oxford, Dentist, and WALTER
FREDERICK THOMAS, 37 Bloomsbury Street, Birmingham, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this our invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in gas, oil and spirit engines and consists
as follows:-
We combine four (or more) cylinders 'arranged to act together in pairs, that is,
the one cylinder in a pair is placed opposite to the other, whose piston rods with
their respective connecting rods act each upon its own crank upon the main shaft,
such two cranks being diametric to each other (at 180 degrees). In the case of
using four cylinders, the second pair would be so arranged that their cranks upon
the main shaft would be at right angles to those of the first pair, whilst in using
six cylinders each pair of the cranks would be 120 degrees to each other.
The object in thus arranging the cylinders is that the explosion in the two
cylinders takes place simultaneously and consequently the shocks from such
explosion in the one is neutralized by the explosion in the other in the opposite
direction, and therefore is not transmitted to the vehicle or boat &c. in which the
engine may be placed, in the manner that is at present experienced. The valves
will be preferably of the piston or cylindrical type, but others may be used if
desirable. These are actuated by cams on a suitable secondary shaft worked by
say four to one gear from the main shaft. (This cam shaft is provided with four
sets of canis, two for the forward motion and two for the reverse motion). If
there are six cylinders used there will be six sets of cams or as many sets as there
are cylinders. Of each of these two sets of cams the one is for starting purposes
or noncompression, while the other is used when the load is on the engine. For
this purpose the cam shaft is made to slide lengthwise so as to bring the different
cams in line with their respective rollers. Thus there are two cycles of operation
in each direction the one for starting and the other for actual working. The
starting cycle will be noncompressive, with an explosion every revolution, similar
to the Lenoir or Hugon engine, the valves being worked by specially shaped cams;
during a portion of the forward stroke of each piston there is drawn in a charge of
gas and air, which is fired by an electric spark, to work the remainder of the
forward stroke; the return stroke exhausting the products of combustion. The
working cycle is similar to the Otto. The engine will be provided with controlling
handle for moving the cams into their proper positions for starting, stopping, or
reversing of engine, it will also make electric contact for ignition.
If found necessary the engine will be provided with a friction grip barring lever,
to move it round a little iu either direction when required before starting, also a
brake arrangement may be made in connection therewith. When working as a
spirit or oil engine, one or several compressed air spray makers will be used to
inject the oil into the air feed pipe, pipes or cylinders; an heated vaporiser will
be used if required. One or several small air pumps will be used to compress the
air for spray maker or makers, worked by the engine. The oil or spirit may have
a positive feed which will accurately regulate the amount of oil or spirit for each
charge of either cycle, the compressed air needed for spraying being liberated at

page_text: the proper time by means of a cam and valve. The spray may be regulated by a
cock on the air pump barrel which will regulate the amount of air pumped into the
reservoir. This reservoir is kept almost full by a float valve.
Engine to be connected by a friction clutch to the load when working on the
working cycle. This clutch may be actuated by the controlling handle of engine.
Dated this 14th day of May 1906
CHARLES T. POWELL,
Applicants' Agent.
We, THOMAS JAMES BENNETT, of 160 Walton Street, Oxford, Dentist, and
WALTER FREDERICK THOMAS, of 37 Bloomsbury Street, Birmingham, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manuer the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in gas, oil and spirit engines, and its
object is to provide a combination and arrangement of mechanism whereby such
engines may be capable of being worked either upon a single or noncompressive
cycle, or upon the compression (or Otto) cycle; also means by which the engine
may be started upon the noncompressive cycle and then at will transferred to the
compressive (or Otto) cycle; also means whereby the engine when in full work
being upon the compressive cycle, the act of stopping returns the mechanism to the
single cycle, ready for restarting; also the combination and arrangement with such
engines of a combustion chamber which is common to two opposite cylinders for
simultaneous explosion, thus neutralizing the shock and preventing vibration;
also the combination with such engines of two sets of cams for the different cycles
and reversing purposes. We attain these improvements by the mechanism
illustrated upon the accompanying drawings to which reference is made in this our
specification upon which :
Fig. 1, is a general side view partly in section of the engine.
Fig. 2, is a plan view of the engine.
Fig. 3, shows an end view.
Fig. 4, shows the ignition mechanisin, the sliding cam mechanism and the clutch
mechanism &c.
Fig. 5, is a general plan view of part of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 4.
Fig. 6, is au end view of the clutch and sliding cam lever and some of its parts.
Fig. 7, is an end view of the friction grip barring lever.
10, 10, are cylinders forming a pair, which are opposite to each other each
having their respective pistons 11, and connecting rods, 12, connected up to
cranks 13, 13, placed at an angle of 180 degrees on the shaft 14. The precise
details as to shape or character of any of these parts or in fact of other parts
illustrated are only such as to show what is our invention and one way in which
it may be carried out, but which may be varied as requirements or designs may
suggest. These cylinders are strongly tied together by tie rods 15 which also
serve as fixtures to which and from which the levers 16, 16 may be carried, and
also the brackets or frames 17, 17 are connected thereto. 18, 183 are the valve
rods, to which preferably piston valves of suitable type are attached and which are
arranged for inlet and exhaust openings to and from the cylinders, such valves
being situated at 19, 19, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the exhaust ports being
showu at 20 20" and the air and gas supply ports being shown at 21, 21ª. Other

page_text: forms of valve may be used if found necessary.
The lower ends of the levers 16, 16
are coupled to the valve rods 18, 18. Upon these levers are rollers 22 (levers are
not shown in Fig. 2) which are acted upon by cams 23, 24, 25 and 26. These cams
are secured upon a shaft 27 which is capable of an endway sliding motion by means
of the lever 28 having lugs or trunnions 29 (see Figs. 4 and 6) acting between
collars 30 on the shaft 27.
This cam shaft is rotated by means of suitable gearing the proportion of which
we now find most suitable being one revolution of cam shaft to two revolutions of
main crank shaft indicated by dotted lines 31 and 32 on Fig. 1, and also shown
in Fig. 2.
The valve 19 is employed to supply and exhaust from both cylinders of one pair,
and the valve 19 is independently used for a second pair of cylinders that is the
valve 19 may be used for the two cylinders 10, 10, while the valve 19" may he
used for similar cylinders at 33, 33.
The carns 23, 24, 25, and 26, act diametrically upon each valve rod.
The cam 23 is shaped so as to operate the valve in order to give an explosive
charge into the combustion chamber 34, which is exploded to give the simultaneous
forward stroke of both pistons and is exhausted during the return stroke thus
furnishing the noncompressive cycle. The cam 24 however is so shaped as to give
but one explosive charge to every two revolutions, or what is known as the Otto
cycle of perations, in which as it is well known the charge is received, compressed,
exploded and exhausted during the said two revolutions. The cams 25 and 26 are
duplicates of the cams 23 and 24 but turned back about as to position, so as to give
the reverse motion to the engine. It will be seen that the combustion chamber 34
is a continuous chamber communicating directly and common to each cylinder 10
and 10%, so that the explosion which takes place therein shall simultaneously act
upon both pistons, and thus neutralize all shock and vibration. A separate
combustion chamber is used to each pair of cylinders. The lever 28 is pivoted
at 35 with its lower end 36 engaging with the double flanged collar 37, which latter
is feather keyed on the main shaft 38. This flanged collar forms part of the
sleeve 39 which has formed at its inner end the external double coned clutch 40,
which latter agrees with the double internally coned clutch part on crank shaft 14.
Reverting again to the lever 28 it will be seen that its various positions may be
determined, by the quadrant plate 42 having notches 43, 44, 45, 46, 47 and 48, with
which engages the sliding pawl 49. Provision is also made in connection with this
lever whereby the charge in the combustion chamber may be fired at the right
Upon the lever is placed a slightly springy contact bar 50 which rides
tightly upon the other contact plates 51, 51 & 51 and thus forms a switch when
the lever is moved to that position, the electrical leads &c. being of any
suitable ordinary construction. Upon the cam shaft 27 are also secured the
ignition cams 52, 53, 54 and 55, which answer to the valve cams before described
and are so shaped as to cause electrical circuit at any desired point by means of
the plates &c. 56, and thus explode the charge in the combustion chamber or
chambers. It will be seen that there are two sets of three notches each in the
quadrant plate 42, also two sets of two each cams for the valves; and similarly
two sets of two each ignition cams. In each case the one set is for a forward
motion of the engine and the other is for the reverse motion so that by moving and
operating the lever upon either side of the plate 42, the engine may be driven in
either desired direction. By placing the lever 28 at notch 47 the single or non-
compressive cycle cam 23 is brought into action when a charge is exploded every
revolution which is used for starting purposes until the momentum of the engine is
capable of compressing the charge on the Otto cycle, when the lever may then be
passed to notch 48, which also passes simultaneously to the Otto cycle, the cam 24
ou to the valve rod rullers 22, so that the engine thence proceeds under the
compressive cycle when the load may then be added. In order to stop the engine,
the lever is notched at 46, at which point the switch contacts 50 and 51 are broken
and therefore no charge is exploded, but at the same time it should be noticed

page_text: that such a position of the lever has brought back the single cycle cam 23 into
valve operation, consequently the combustion chamber is necessarily charged ready
for restarting. Also it will be noticed that as shown, the clutch mechanism is so
arranged that the load is not thrown upon engine until the Otto cycle principle is
in operation. Upon the flywheel 57 we prefer to make a notch 58, into which the
one end of the lever 59 may engage, such lever having a foot plate 60, or spring or
their equivalents. This notch 58 is so placed in relationship of position with the
cranks that if the engine finally comes to rest with such notch held by the lever 59,
the entire mechanism is in the correct position for restarting; hence when the
engine is nearly at rest the lever 59 is pressed against the periphery of the wheel
so as to finally arrest its motion at such point.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In gas, oil or spirit engines the combination and arrangement of mechanism
substantially as herein described and shown whereby the said engines will be
started with a noncompressive cycle of operation and subsequently transferred to
the compressive cycle of operations.
2. In gas, oil or spirit engines the combination and arrangement of mechanism
substantially as hereindescribed whereby the engine may be transferred from the
Otto or compressive cycle of operations to the noncompressive cycle when desired.
3. The combination and arrangement of mechanism as here described and shown
by which the engine working upon the Otto cycle operations when being stopped
is thereby transferred to the single cycle operations ready for restarting.
4. In gas, oil or spirit engines the combination with a pair of cylinders of a
combustion chamber common to both with one valve inlet and exhaust substantially
as set forth and shown.
5. In gas, oil or spirit engines the combination with such necessary parts of the
engines, of the double sets of cams by which the direction of motion of the engine
may be reversed at will substantially as set forth and shown.
Dated this 11th day of February 1897.
CHARLES T. POWELL,
12 Cherry Street, Birmingham, Applicants' Agent.