Improvements in Petroleum and like Engines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 25th June, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 25th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 25th Apr., 1896
Improvements in Petroleum and like Engines.
We, BRAYTON PETROLEUM MOTOR CO. LIMITED, of 74 Coleman Street, in
the City of London, and SAMUEL WITHERS, of 6 Eade Road, Green Lanes, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to petroleum and like engines and has for its chief object
an engine in which there will be an impulse at each out-stroke of the piston or in
other words an engine in which the cycle is completed in one revolution of the
crank shaft. For this purpose we so provide that the air required to support the
combustion of the charge shall be admitted to the working cylinder immediately at
the completion of the out-stroke or during the first part of the in-stroke of the
piston simultaneously with the ejection of the spent charge, and compressed during
the return or in-stroke or during the latter part thereof so as to be ready to receive
a new charge at the completion of the in-stroke.
In carrying this invention into practice we make the base or pedestal of the
engine hollow and permit it to have free communication with the outer end of the
cylinder by which is meant that end opposite to the firing-end. We make the said
base or pedestal air-tight by passing the crank shaft through air-tight bearings in
the sides thereof and we provide it with a valve opening inwards by which air can
enter but cannot leave the pedestal.
At each in-stroke of the piston a cylinder full of air at atmospheric pressure is
drawn into the pedestal. The air is compressed during the out-stroke of the piston,
but immediately the exhaust valve opens at the end of the out-stroke and the
pressure is thereby relieved on the working side of the piston, the air in the
pedestal passes through a valve provided for the purpose in the piston and sweeps
out the products of combustion through the exhaust outlet. The form of valve
adopted in the Brayton petroleum engine may be conveniently used for this
purpose. When this operation is complete the cylinder space on the working side
of the piston is full of air ready to be compressed by the piston on the in-stroke as
soon as the exhaust valve has been closed. The exhaust valve is preferably kept
open during portion of the in-stroke for the purpose of enabling the air to thoroughly
cleanse the cylinder of the products of combustion. At the completion of the
in-stroke the charge of oil spray is injected into the compressed air and fired as
heretofore. Simultaneously with the operation of compressing the air in the
working cylinder, a fresh quantity of air is drawn by the piston into the pedestal
through the valve aforesaid and this in turn is compressed as above described
during the next out-stroke. The cycle is thus completed each revolution of the
crank and an impulse is obtained at each out-stroke of the piston.
This improvement is particularly intended to be used in combination with the
method of introducing and firing the oil vapour adopted in the Brayton petroleum
engine. It is however not confined to this type of engine, but is applicable to other
oil and like engines.
In some instances the oil charge is introduced with the air in the pedestal, and is
compressed along with the air during the in-stroke of the piston.
Dated this 25th day of June 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in Petroleum and like Engines.
We, BRAYTON PETROLEUM MOTOR Co. LD. of 74 Coleman Street, in the
City of London, and SAMUEL WITHERS, of 6 Eade Road, Green Lanes, in the
County of Middlesex, 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 :-
This invention relates to petroleum and like hydro-carbon or liquid fuel engines
in which there is an impulse at each out-stroke of the piston or in other words an
engine in which the cycle is completed in one revolution of the crank shaft.
According to our invention we so provide that the air required to support the
combustion of the charge is admitted to the cylinder on the working side of the
piston immediately at the completion of the out-stroke or during the first part of
the in-stroke of the piston simultaneously with the ejection of the spent charge, and
is compressed during the return or in-stroke, or during the latter part thereof, so
as to be ready to be fired when the new charge of oil is introduced in the cylinder
at the completion of the in-stroke. The charge is preferably introduced very
rapidly and fired by means of a burner or material maintained in an incandescent
state as in the Brayton engine described in the Specification of Letters Patent
No. 11062 dated 15th July 1890.
In carrying this invention into practice as applied to a vertical engine by way of
example we preferably make the pedestal of the engine hollow and permit it to have
free communication with the lower end of the cylinder the upper end being the
firing-end. We make the said pedestal air-tight and constructed to enclose the crank,
the crank shaft being passed through air-tight bearings in the sides of the
pedestal, and we provide the pedestal with a valve opening inward to admit air to
the enclosed space.
Referring to the accompanying drawing which illustrates our invention
Figure 1 is a vertical central section of the engine.
Figure 2 is an elevation of the valve seat applied to the pedestal of the
engine.
Figure 3 is a horizontal transverse section of the piston taken on the line, a of
Figure 1.
A is the base of the engine and B is a hollow pedestal mounted on the base and
having free communication at its upper end with the cylinder C which is mounted
directly on the pedestal. The crank D revolves wholly within the pedestal and
its shaft D¹ passes out through air-tight bearings D2 D2 at the sides of the pedestal.
There is no piston rod, the connecting rod E being coupled directly to the piston F
by a pin E which is arranged to be parallel to the crank shaft and which is fixed
in its bearings or sockets E E. The piston is pierced with a ring of holes F¹, F,
or with an annular thoroughfare forming a communication through the piston
between the two ends of the cylinder. When the said thoroughfare is an aunular
opening, the central flat part of the piston is secured to the circular part by the
ribs f. On the working side of the piston is a valve G which closes the holes or
thoroughfare F when the pressure in the cylinder above the piston is in excess of
that below the piston, and which is raised to open the thoroughfare FL when the
pressure in the cylinder above the piston is less than that below the piston.
G₁, G', G' are guides to maintain the valve in position and to limit the lift of the
valve. At the side of the pedestal is a valve H opening inwardly. H' is the
grid-like valve seat which is detachably secured to the side of the pedestal. The
devices for introducing and firing the charge, and the exhaust valve are arranged
at the upper end of the cylinder.

page_text: The operation of our improved engine is as follows; that is to say,
At each in-stroke or in this case up-stroke of the piston an amount of air-
approximately equal to that required to fill the cylinder at atmospheric pressure is
drawn into the pedestal B through the valve H, and is compressed during the out-
stroke or down-stroke of the piston, but immediately the exhaust valve opens at
the end of the down-stroke and the pressure is thereby relieved on the working side
of the piston, the compressed air in the pedestal raises the valve G and passes
through the piston and sweeps out the products of combustion through the exhaust
outlet. When this operation is complete the cylinder space on the working side of
the piston is full of air which is compressed by the piston during the up-stroke as
soon as the exhaust valve has been closed. The exhaust valve is preferably kept
open during a portion of the up-stroke for the purpose of enabling the air to
thoroughly cleanse the cylinder of the products of combustion. At the completion
of the up-stroke the charge of oil in a finely divided state is rapidly injected into
the compressed air and at once fired by means similar to those heretofore employed
in the Brayton engine above referred to. Simultaneously with the operation of
compressing the air in the working cylinder, a fresh quantity of air is drawn by the
piston into the pedestal through the valve H aforesaid and this in turn is compressed
as above described during the next down-stroke. The cycle is thus completed each
revolution of the crank and an impulse is obtained at each down-stroke of the
piston. It is obvious that the invention could be applied to a horizontal
engine.
This invention is as above indicated particularly intended to be used in
combination with the method of introducing and firing the oil spray adopted in the
Brayton petroleum engine; it is however not confined to this type of engine, but
is applicable to other oil and like hydro-carbon engines in which the firing is
performed by a burner or material maintained in an incandescent state within the
cylinder.
We have hereinabove described an engine in which the air is introduced into the
cylinder through the piston from an enclosed space formed by the pedestal; the
air need not however pass through the pistou as it may be arranged to pass
through a channel independent of the piston; moreover in some instances the air
is forced or drawn into the cylinder at the completion of the out-stroke by
means independent of the working piston. We prefer however the construction
above described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A petroleum or like engine in which the products of combustion are expelled
from the cylinder and replaced by air at the termination of the out-stroke of the
piston or during the early part of the in-stroke which air is compressed during
such in-stroke and then at the termination of the compression is rapidly charged
with the combustible liquid in a finely divided state suitable for immediate
combustion and at once fired, substantially as described.
2. In a petroleum or like engine of the type above described the combination
with the working cylinder of an enclosed crank chamber communicating with the
cylinder and constructed. and arranged for the supply of compressed air to the
cylinder substantially as, and for the purposes, specified.
3. An engine constructed substantially as described with reference to the
accompanying drawing and operating as specified.
Dated this 25th day of March 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants..