Improvements in Gas and Oil Motor Engines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 4th May, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas and Oil Motor Engines.
I JOSEPH SOUTHALL of Woodleigh, Selborne Road in the City of Worcester,
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 specially applicable to that description of
gas or oil motor engine described in my Patent No. 18,109 of 1892 and made clear
by the drawing accompanying that Patent, according to which invention the exhaust
takes place when the piston has accomplished about half or rather less than half of
its outstroke the remaining part of the piston's outstroke unaided by any action
produced by the cooling of the exhaust gases serving to introduce the new charge.
These present improvements consist in making the passage to the exhaust valve as
small as practicable so as to reduce as far as possible the volume of its contents
to undergo expansion during the charging portion of the piston's stroke; providing
a baffle in the cylinder for the incoming charge to strike against; obtaining
greater expansion of the working charge by keeping the exhaust valve open during
the instrokes of the piston until it has reached a point further in the cylinder than
that point, during the outstrokes of the piston, at which the exhaust valve is opened
and lastly providing an improved form of valve &c. applicable to oil engines
generally for the supply and vapourising of a charge of air and oil.
The accompanying drawings shew the construction of a gas and oil motor
engine arranged according to my above described invention.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the cylinder of the gas engine, A. is the exhaust
passage of small capacity situated so as to be uncovered by the piston when it has
accomplished about half its outstroke, B is the baffle for the incoming charge to
strike against which I prefer to make in the form of a disc with a hole through
its centre having an area equal to about one eighth of the area of the cylinder
bore. To give the increased expansion of the working charge the passage A is
brought nearer to the back of the cylinder and the valve C is replaced by a valve
lifting inwards against the pressure in the cylinder and opened at the desired times
by a cam on the engine's crank shaft.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of a similar cylinder fitted with the improved air
and oil arrangement, Fig. 3 being a sectional end view of same on line D. E.
In these two figures the same distinguishing letters are used to denote like parts;
referring to them, F is the oil reservoir, the precise position of which is not
important, into which dip the two ends of a wick G the bore of which is kept open
by means of a coiled wire H inserted therein so as to fit well against the castings
surrounding it. I. I. are inlets for admitting air to the inside of G, these inlets may
be above the level of the oil in F say at Q and to govern the speed of the engine I fit
them with a valve or valves so operated by the governor as to reduce their area or
wholly close them when the engine exceeds its proper speed, J are the main air
supply passages and K are several holes drilled through that part of the casting
which forms the seat of the valve L; N is a metal box lined with non-conducting
material and having in it a piece of metal O which after the engine has been
running a short time becomes heated to a higher temperature than the rest of the
engine to perform the igniting of the charges, thus allowing the vapouriser M to
remain at a lower temperature than would be practicable if its heat has to

page_text: perform the igniting, instead of mounting N on L as shewn it may be supported
on legs fastened to the inside of the back cover of the cylinder.
On a suction stroke occurring the charge composed of air entering through the
passages J and of air drawn through I which takes up oil as it passes through
the wick G on its way into the cylinder through the holes K; impinges against the
heated metal vaponriser M surrounded by a non-conducting casing and heated at
starting by a blast lamp or fire and afterwards either by a lamp or by the heat of
the combustion of the charges; thus vapourising the oil and forming an explosive
mixture which when compressed is ignited, for a short period by the heat of the
vapouriser or an ignition tube P fitted into same, and afterwards by the extra-hot
piece of metal O.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
cion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
(1.) In a gas or oil motor engine in which the exhaust takes place when the piston
has accomplished about half or rather less than half of its outstroke the use of a
baffle arranged substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.
(2.) In a gas or oil motor engine operating the exhaust valve substantially as
described to obtain greater expansion of the working charges.
(3.) In an oil motor engine the use of a valve, wick, vapouriser, ignition
apparatus and other parts appertaining thereto for the purpose described,
arranged so as to operate substantially as described and shewn on the drawing
Figures 2 and 3.
(4.) In an oil notor engine fitted with the valve &c. arrangement referred to
in the preceding claim; controlling the amount of oil admitted to the cylinder by
causing the governor to operate a valve or valves in such a manner as to reduce or
entirely close the inlets for the admission of air into the wick.
Dated this 25th day of March 1895.
JOSEPH SOUTHALL.