Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept., 1886.
Complete Left, 22nd June, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 22nd July, 1887.
nature of this invention to be as follows :-
My invention relates to the class of air engines in which the air is alternately
heated and cooled and the consequent expansion and contraction is utilised to produce
motive power.
I construct my engine with an air chamber, preferably of cylindrical form with its
axis vertical, and I will here describe it as in this position and the other parts in their
relative positions to it in this position. It may be placed in other positions however,
the other parts bearing suitable relative positions to it.
This air chamber is formed of iron, steel, or other suitable material. The lower part
is closed by the heater formed of iron, steel, or other suitable material.
The upper part is also closed and cooled by the usual water jacket or preferably by
the means as described hereafter.
A displacer or regenerator, described hereafter, is moved within this chamber
alternately to and from the cooled and heated ends by means of a rod or its equivalent
attached to it and extending out of the cooled end of the chamber through an air-tight
gland or its equivalent.
The motion causing the well known expansion and contraction of the air.
A working cylinder is mounted preferably above this air chamber with its axis
about at right angles with that of the air chamber, in this case about horizontal.
One end of this cylinder is connected by a suitable pipe or passage to the said air
chamber.
A piston working in this cylinder is thus free to be acted upon by the variation of
pressure of the air in the air chamber.
This piston is connected by a connecting rod to a disc or crank with shaft working
preferably above the air chamber and so that the upward or downward movement of
the crank pin, through the means discribed hereafter or its equivalent, is imparted to
the displacer or regenerator whilst the horizontal motion of the piston drives the crank,
A suitable fly wheel being keyed upon the crank shaft.

page_text: The motion may be imparted by the crank to the displacer or regenerator in the
following manner or its equivalent.
The connecting rod connecting the working piston to the crank may be formed
parallel or of the same diameter or size throughout its length and a sliding head
attached to slide or run upon it.
This head is jointed into the displacer or regenerator rod before mentioned.
The connecting rod is therefore free to move through the said head horizontally, but
its vertical motions are thus transmitted to the displacer or regenerator.
A friction pulley or pulleys may be used in the said head to reduce friction, or a
connecting rod may be used.
A coil of pipe may be used within the air chamber at the end to be cooled and cool
water or other fluid caused to circulate through it, and this pipe may be prolonged
into the pipe or passage between the working cylinder and the air chamber
Or a
water jacket may be formed or other suitable means used to effectually cool the air.
The before mentioned heater may be heated by a fire or flame in a grate suitably
arranged with fire bars or a burner or otherwise according to the fuel to be used
whether solid liqued or gaseous.
The before mentioned displacer or regenerator may preferably be formed of a metal
casing with suitable openings in it for the passage of the air through it and it
approximately fits the air chamber diametrically, in which it is worked, and this casing
is filled with wire gauze, asbestos yarn, or other suitably perforated material through
which the air will pass.
To controle the action of the engine or to prevent its over running should the work
be taken off suddenly, a valve may be used in the passage or pipe communicating
between the cylinder and the air chamber. This valve is normally held open by a
spring or by gravity or an equivalent, but should the speed be excessive the strong
flow of air to or from the cylinder will close or partially close this valve and the air
will be throttled. It thus prevents the engine overrunning.

page_text: I HORACE ROBINSON 12 Albert Street Manchester 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 the class of air engines in which the air is alternately
heated and cooled and the consequent expansion and contraction is utilised to produce
motive power.
I construct my engine with an air chamber, preferably of cylindrical form with
its axis vertical, and I will here describe it as in this position and the other parts in
their relative positions to it in this position. It may be placed in other positions
however, the other parts bearing suitable relative positions to it. This air chamber
is formed of iron, steel, or other suitable material. The lower part is closed by the
heater formed of iron, steel, or other suitable material.
The upper part is also closed and cooled by the usual water jacket or preferably
by the means as described hereafter.
A displacer or regenerator, described hereafter, is moved within this chamber
alternately to and from the cooled and heated ends by means of a rod or its equivalent
attached to it and extending out of the cooled end of the chamber through an air-tight
gland or its equivalent.
The motion causing the well known expansion and contraction of the air.
A working cylinder is mounted preferably above this air chamber with its axis
about at right angles with that of the air chamber, in this case about horizontal.
One end of this cylinder is connected by a suitable pipe or passage to the said air
chamber.
A piston working in this cylinder is thus free to be acted upon by the variation of
pressure of the air in the air chamber.
This piston is connected by a connecting rod to a disc or crank with shaft working
preferably above the air chamber and so that the upword or downward movement
of the crank pin through the means described hereafter, or its equivalent, is
imparted to the displacer or regenerator whilst the horizontal motion of the piston
drives the crank. A suitable fly wheel being keyed upon the crank shaft.
The motion may be imparted by this crank to the displacer or regenerator in the
following manner or its equivalent. The connecting rod connecting the working
piston to the crank may be formed parallel or of the same diameter or size throughout
its length and a sliding head attached to slide or run upon it. This head is jointed
into the displacer or regenerator rod before mentioned. The connecting rod is
therefore free to move through the said head horizontally but its vertical motions are
thus transmitted to the displacer or regenerator.
A friction pulley or pulleys may be used in said head to reduce friction or a
connecting rod may be used.
.

page_text: A coil of pipe may be used within the air chamber at the end to be cooled and
cool water or other fluid caused to circulate through it, and this pipe may be
prolonged into the pipe or passage between the working cylinder and the air chamber.
Or a water jacket may be formed or other suitable means used to effectually cool
the air.
The before mentioned heater may be heated by a fire or flame in a grate suitably
arranged with fire bars or a burner or otherwise according to the fuel to be used whether
solid, liquid, or gaseous.
The before mentioned displacer or regenerator may preferably be formed of a metal
casing with suitable openings in it for the passage of the air through it and it
approximately fits the air chamber diametrically, in which it is worked, and this casing
is filled with wire gauze, asbestos yarn, or other suitably perforated material through
which the air will pass.
To control the action of the engine or to prevent its over running should the work
be taken off suddenly, a valve may be used in the passage or pipe communicating
between the cylinder and the air chamber. This valve is normally held open by a
spring or by gravity or an equivalent, but should the speed be excessive the strong
flow of air to or from the cylinder will close or partially close this valve and the air
will be throttled. It thus prevents the engine over running.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings the same letters are used to denote similar
parts in the different views. Figures 1 and 2 are vertical sections of my improved hot
air engine. These sections are taken at right angles to each other, Fig. 1 being taken
on the line X X of Fig. 2. A is the air chamber in which the displacer or
regenerator B is worked. C is the heater forming the lower part of this chamber.
D is a jacket or water space through which water or other fluid circulates to keep the
upper part of A cool or a coil of pipe may be used as described hereafter. A rod E or its
equivalent is connected to the displacer or regenerator and this rod works air-tight
through the gland F or its equivalent. G is the working cylinder in communication
with the chamber A by the pipe or passage H so that the variations of pressure in A
act upon the piston I working in the cylinder. The piston I is connected by a
connecting rod K to the crank or disc pin L and shaft M. The upward or downward
movement of the crank pin L is communicated to the displacer or regenerator B by
means of the connecting rod K, the head N (described hereafter) and the rod E,
whilst at the proper times the horizontal movement of the piston I drives the crank
pin L, shaft M, and fly wheel O.
The connecting rod K works through the head N, this head N is jointed into the
rod E by the pin P and a pin Q with adjustable bolts R or their equivalent, connect
a friction pulley or its equivalent S into the head N to run or roll upon the connecting
rod K to reduce friction.
As before mentioned a coil of pipe may be used to cool the upper part of the
chamber A.
T Fig. 4 represents a vertical section of this coil and a prolongation U is seen in
plan Fig. 3 and vertical section Fig. 4, extending into the pipe or passage H shown
in dotted lines.
V (Figs. 1 and 2) is the fire grate shown with fire bars but a burner may be used
for liquid or gaseous fuels.
The displacer or regenerator B is preferably formed as a metal casing preferably of
iron or steel with openings in it for the passage of air in the directions as shown by
arrows 6, Figs. 1 and 2, and this casing is filled with wire gauze or other suitably
perforated material through which the air will pass.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section of a means for preventing the engine from running at
an excessive speed, H represents a part of the air passage as described with reference
to H Fig. 2. W (Fig. 5) is the light valve which is normally open as shown but if
the speed of engine rises the speed of the air in the passage H becomes great enough
to move the valve W so that it stops or contracts the passage H at each stroke of
the engine as shown by its position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5. The speed of
the engine is thus prevented from rising too high.

page_text: The action of the engine is as follows. The heater C, Figs. 1 and 2, is heated by
the fire in the grate V or other suitable means.
Assuming the engine to be in the position shown in Fig. 2, the displacer or
regenerator is now at about its highest point and the air in the lower part of the
chamber A is now heated and expanded and the working piston I is now performing
its outward stroke in the direction of the arrow 8, Fig. 2.
When the piston I has completed its outward stroke the displacer or regenerator B
will have been lowered to the position as shown in Fig. 1 owing to the down-
ward motion of the crank pin L and the connections described, and when the
piston I has half completed the return or inward stroke B will have arrived at
the bottom of its stroke and by its descent it takes up heat from the air and con-
sequently contracts the air and the piston I is caused to complete the inward stroke
by the momentum of the fly wheel. B is now being raised and in its ascent it gives
up heat again to the air, causing it to expand and drive the piston I forward again,
B is raised to the position shown in Fig. 2, I completes its outward stroke and the
action is repeated as before.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
First. The peculiar combination of the moving parts and connections of a hot air
engine as shown and described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2.
Second. The means of moving the displacer or regenerator as shown at Figs. 1
and 2.
Third. Coupling the displacer or regenerator by direct connection to a slide or head
through which the connecting rod from the working piston is free to slide or run, the
angular motion of the connecting rod being thus transmitted to the displacer or
regenerator substantially in the manner described and illustrated.
Fourth. The use of the head substantially as shown at N Figs. 1 and 2 and for the
purpose specified.
Fifth. The use of a friction pulley S, or pulleys, in the head N substantially as and
for the purpose described and illustrated.
Sixth. The use of a valve between the working cylinder and the air chamber the
said valve being worked by the velocity of the air to prevent the speed of the engine
becoming too high, substantially in the manner described.
Dated this 20th day of June 1887.
HORACE ROBINSON.