Improvements in Explosion Engines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 6th July, 1892-Accepted, 1st Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Explosion Engines.
We, WILLIAM HORNSBY and ROBERT EDWARDS, both of Spittlegate Iron
Works, Grantham in the County of Lincoln, Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows :—
This invention relates to improvements in liquid hydrocarbon engines or motors
in which a combustible mixture is produced by mixing hydrocarbon vapour with
atmospheric air. The engines are preferably made on what is known as the Otto
Four Cycle plan. In one arrangement the space at the end of the cylinder in
which the air and gas is compressed and exploded, is divided by a partition having
a port hole through it. The part at furthest from the piston will hereafter be
called the vapouriser or combustion chamber.
Atmospheric air is drawn in through valves in varying proportions on both sides
of the partition and is sometimes heated, previously to being drawn in, by causing
it to pass through a vessel externally or internally heated by the exhaust gases, or
by causing the air to pass through a series of plates gauze wire or other suitable
material through which the exhaust gases have been previously passed and which
are thereby heated. In some cases however we prefer only to heat the air drawn
into the vapouriser. Into the vapouriser we inject at a suitable time a liquid
hydrocarbon and such liquid may or may not be heated previously to being
injected. In another arrangement we place in the port in the partition, a series of
plates or wire gauze or the like, or we cause the partition itself to be made of a
series of plates, wire gauze or the like so that the heat of the explosions is readily
taken up by these plates or the like and when the air is pressed into the space at
the back of the partition it is more or less heated by passing through these plates
or the like.
The vapouriser is heated externally to enable it to cause the oil to vapourise
and on the compression of the air charge, to explode the mixture, the subsequent
explosions causing it to be kept heated sufficiently afterwards.
The oil or hydrocarbon is injected by a pump the admission being controlled by
a double valve which opens or closes an inlet to the vapouriser and at the same
time closes or opens an outlet for the oil back again, the two working instantaneously
and being controlled by a governor.
In some cases the valves are made small enough to render it possible for some
of the oil to go into the vapouriser and some to return back again, in varying
proportions the regulation being effected by a governor. In order to make a
portable engine it is necessary as in fixed engines to have a cooling jacket around
the cylinder to keep it cool, this jacket being connected to a tank and in order to
make this tank as small as possible we make it with a series of tubes through it or
divide it up in any well known way, or make it of a series of tubes so that air can
be circulated in the spaces around those in which the water is contained so as to
cool the water and to effect this more readily we cause these spaces to be connected
to a chimney and the heat imparted to the air by the water will then cause the
chimney to increase the flow of air and sometimes we cause the exhaust gases from
the engine to exhaust into this chimney and therefore cause an increased current
of air and consequent cooling of the water.
The same arrangements are applicable to engines working with an explosion for
every revolution in which the air is compressed from the outer end of the cylinder
into a reservoir.
TAL: AL 11001

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Explosion Engines.
We, WILLIAM HORNSBY and ROBERT EDWARDS both of Spittlegate Iron
Works, Grantham, in the County of Lincoln, Engineers, 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 improvements in liquid hydrocarbon engines or motors
in which a combustible mixture is produced by mixing hydrocarbon vapour with
atmospheric air. The engines are preferably made on what is known as the Otto
Four Cycle plan. In one arrangement the space at the end of the cylinder in
which the air and gas is compressed and exploded, is divided by a partition having
a port hole through it. The part at furthest from the piston will hereafter be
called the vapouriser or combustion chamber.
Atmospheric air is drawn in through valves in varying proportions on both sides
of the partition and is sometimes heated, previously to being drawn in, by causing
it to pass through a vessel externally or internally heated by the exhaust gases, or
by causing the air to pass through a series of plates gauze wire or other suitable
material through which the exhaust gases have been previously passed and which
are thereby heated. In some cases however we prefer only to heat the air drawn
into the vapouriser. Into the vapouriser we inject at a suitable time a liquid
hydrocarbon and such liquid may or may not be heated previously to being injected.
In another arrangement we place in the port in the partition, a series of plates
or wire gauze or the like. This arrangement is shown at Figure 1 where a is the
cylinder. the comoustion chamber. c the air admission valve. d the exhaust
valve. e the oil valve and ff wire gauze or perforated plates. Or we cause the
partition itself to be made of a series of plates, wire gauze or the like so that the
heat of the explosions is readily taken up by these plates or the like and when
the air is pressed into the space at the back of the partition it is more or less heated
by passing through these plates or the like.
The vapouriser is heated externally to enable it to cause the oil to vapourise
and on the compression of the air charge, to explode the mixture, the subsequent
explosions causing it to be kept heated sufficiently afterwards.
The oil or hydrocarbon is injected by a pump the admission being controlled by
a double valve which opens or closes an inlet to the vapouriser and at the same
time closes or opens an outlet for the oil back again, the two working instantaneously
and being controlled by a governor.
This valve is shown at Figures 2 and 3. g is the oil inlet from the pump leading
to the chamber h in which are the two valves jj. The oil passing the valve; goes
by the passage k past the non-return valve to the combustion chamber whilst
the oil passing the valve j¹ enters the chamber and escapes by the overflow I.
The bell crank lever m is connected to the governor and operates the valves, when
these are pressed down, the passage to the combustion chamber is closed and the
oil passes out by the overflow.
In some cases the valves are made small enough to render it possible for some
of the oil to go into the vapouriser and some to return back again, in varying
proportions the regulation being effected by a governor.
In order to make a portable engine it is necessary as in fixed engines to have a
cooling jacket around the cylinder to keep it cool, this jacket being connected to a
tank and in order to make this tank as small as possible we make it with a series
of tubes through it or divide it up in any well known way, or make it of a series
of tubes so that air can be circulated in the spaces around those in which the water
is contained so as to cool the water and to effect this more readily we canse these
spaces to be connected to a chimney and the heat imparted to the air by the water.
will then cause the chimney to increase the flow of air and sometimes we cause the
2.

page_text: exhaust gases from the engine to exhaust into this chimney and therefore cause an
increased current of air and consequent cooling of the water.
In Figures 4 and 5 n is the engine and o the water tank which has tubes o¹
passing through open to the air at one end and at the other leading into the
chamber p connected to the chimney 9 at the entrance to which is the blast pipe r
from the exhaust. The water is caused to circulate by the pump s. Figures 6
and 7 show a similar arrangement except that the engine is below instead of above
the tank. In this case the pump s may be omitted.
The same arrangements are applicable to engines working with an explosion
for every revolution in which the air is compressed from the outer end of the
cylinder into a reservoir.
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. In engines in which the chamber where the gases are exploded is divided
from the working cylinder by a partition with a porthole through it, drawing in
the air required for mixing with the hydro-carbon or other vapour on both sides of
the partition substantially as described.
2. In explosion engines dividing the combustion chambers from the cylinder by
a partition of wire gauze or like material substantially as described.
3. The double valve to control the injection of the oil into the vaporiser of the
engine arranged so as to open or close an inlet to the vaporiser and open or close
an outlet for the oil to return back again, the two valves being connected together
and moved by the governor and one or the other closed, or so that they can both
be partially closed the oil passing in varying proportion past each of them
accordingly as one or the other is mostly closed substantially as described.
4. The water cooling tank with pipes through it or constructed of a series of
water tubes or jacketted with air in combination with a chimney drawing the air
around or through the tank by the action of the draught caused by the heat
of the air or by a blast from the exhaust to the engine substantially as described.
5. Explosion engines substantially as described and shewn in the drawings.
DL: TALT.1 1900
WILLIAM HORNSBY.
ROBERT EDWARDS.