IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS-MOTOR ENGINES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Wilden King, Engineer of Broughton Bridge
Ironworks, Manchester in the county of Lancaster, and Alfred Cliff of
35 Osborne Road, Forest Gate in the county of Essex for an Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS-MOTOR ENGINES.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Wilden King
and Alfred Cliff at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
6th February 1883.
CHARLES WILDEN KING Engineer, of Broughton Bridge Ironworks Manchester
in the county of Lancaster, and ALFRED CLIFF of 35 Osborne Road, Forest Gate,
in the county of Essex. IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS-MOTOR ENGINES
The first part of our invention relates to certain means or methods of introducing
the charge of combustible mixture or of air and gas separately into the motor
cylinder, either while undergoing compression, or partly at atmospheric pressure
and partly while undergoing compression; also in certain means or methods of
exhausting or driving out of the motor cylinder the products of combustion and in
flushing or washing out the motor cylinder with pure air, either to drive out or
partially drive out the products of combustion or to cool the sides of the cylinder
to prevent premature explosion.
The second part of our invention relates to certain means or methods of
igniting the charge of combustible mixture while under compression in the motor
cylinder, and also in certain ways of driving the igniting valve or device which
conduces to its durability and prevents undue friction.
Our methods of igniting embodied under this part, are applicable to gas motor
engines generally.
In carrying out the first part of our invention we construct our engine with two
cylinders, a pump or compression cylinder and a motor or expansion cylinder.
These may be placed in various ways but in all cases we arrange that the pistons
of both shall be either making the back stroke at the same time or the pump
piston shall be slightly in advance of the motor piston.
In one arrangement the pump is provided with a suction valve similar to that
described in our former specification of patent 4337/79, and a delivery valve of
the ordinary mushroom or conical type, which opens into the back end of the
motor cylinder, and we make this back end of the motor cylinder of a tapering
or conical shape gradually increasing from a diameter a little in excess of the
valve to a diameter equal to that of the motor piston.
The motor cylinder is provided with a space into which the piston does not enter,
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page_text: and which may be wholly or partly the conical part before described. The
exhaust valve is placed in the side of the cylinder about midway of the stroke of
the piston, and is operated by cams eccentrics or tappets in the usual way.
The action is as follows, suppose the engine to be at the outer end of its stroke,
the motor cylinder is then full of the products of combustion and the pump is full
of combustible mixture drawn in during the previous stroke. The exhaust valve
opens, and both pistons begin to return, the motor piston driving before it the
products of combustion, and the pump gradually delivering the mixture into the
conical end of the cylinder, this mixture also driving before it the products of
combustion in the cylinder, the conical end enabling this operation to be per-
formed with the least possible mingling of the two. The products of combustion
being thus driven from both ends, escape through the exhaust valve into the
atmosphere, and when the pistons have completed a little more than half of the
back stroke are entirely expelled. The exhaust valve is now shut and the pistons
move on compressing the charge the rest of the contents of the pump being during
compression gradually delivered into the clearance space behind the motor piston.
The explosion is now effected and the outer working stroke made, during which
the pump draws in a fresh charge, ready to perform the same cycle of operations.
In a modification of the same arrangement two separate pumps are provided for
the gas and air composing the combustible mixture, and the air pump delivers its
contents into a space or chamber between its delivery valve and the cylinder end;
on the cylinder end is provided a second delivery valve opening the same way,
this space or chamber is made only large enough to contain a portion of the
charge of air delivered by the pump. The amount required for combustion in the
cylinder passing through both valves, and mixing with the gas which is delivered
through holes or through a rose at the cylinder end so as to mix thoroughly with
the air. The air contained in this chamber under pressure remains there after the
explosion and until the exhaust valve opens when the pressure in the cylinder being
relieved, it flows in, flushing the cylinder and driving out part or all of the
products of combustion. In this arrangement the pump must be made large
enough to deliver both the air required for combustion and for flushing.
In another arrangement the front end of the motor or of the pump piston or a
separate compressing pump, may compress a charge of air for flushing, which may
be delivered into the cylinder in the way herein before described or through an
annular port which the piston uncovers.
When the motor cylinder is flushed through an annular port which the piston
uncovers, we may place the exhaust valve at its back end, keeping it open during
only such time as the annular port is uncovered; in this case compression takes
place during nearly the whole back stroke of the pump and motor pistons, the
charge being delivered from the pump to the cylinder gradually during the whole
time of compression.
In all the hereinbefore described arrangements except those in which the motor
cylinder is flushed through an annular port uncovered by the piston, we may in
place of having an exhaust valve, allow the exhaust to escape through an annular
port uncovered by the piston and similar to the before mentioned flushing port;
when this is the case compression takes place during nearly the whole back stroke
and there will be a cushion of air where flushing is employed or of products of
combustion where there is no flushing, between the motor piston and the compressed
combustible charge, the charge being in this case also delivered from the pump to
the cylinder gradually, during the whole time of compression.
In carrying out the second part of our invention for igniting the compressed
charge we employ a port leading from the space at the back end of the cylinder.
This port or passage in one arrangement may be made small say one quarter to one
half inch diameter. It leads into a small chamber lined with fireclay, porcelain or
other refractory material, and preferably containing a bundle or spiral of platinum
wire or some platinum wire gauze; from this chamber there is a small exit port,
leading through water or cooling medium to a valve or tap worked by the engine,

page_text: The action of this igniting device is as follows, the valve or tap being open and
compression commencing in the cylinder, a portion of combustible mixture flows
into the fire clay chamber, where it is ignited by the residual heat of this chamber,
which before starting the engine is heated by a blowpipe or other convenient
means to a temperature that will ensure combustion. As long as the valve or
tap remains open the continual flow through the small port from the cylinder
prevents the flame striking back and exploding the charge; a little before the
proper moment of ignition the valve or tap is closed, and the flow being stopped
the flame travels back through the small port and explodes or ignites the main
charge in the cylinder. The heat caused by the combustion taking place in the
chamber is sufficient to maintain its temperature sufficiently high.
In another arrangement the port from the cylinder is made large, and leads to a
valve face, where a peculiarly constructed igniting valve, at the proper moment
opens communication between it and a flame which is previously cut off from the
atmosphere in a way about to be described. The valve is made of two concentric
rings connected together by ribs, and mounted upon an eccentric or crank pin
upon which the valve is free to revolve at any time during the action of the engine.
The ribs connecting the rings divide the annular space between the rings into a
series of segmental ports, any one of which or two of them if a rib happens to
come in the way, may act as an igniting port. At the back of the valve is a back
plate pressed upon it by a spring or springs, this back plate contains a recess which
the valve uncovers to a master flame in the atmosphere in order to ignite a jet of
combustible mixture which flows from the cylinder port through one or two of the
segmental ports of the valve and past a regulating screw in the back plate into
this recess.
The outer ring of the valve then advancing covers up this recess from
the atmosphere, and communication is made through one or two of the segmental
ports between the flame in the recess and the cylinder port, thus causing the
explosion.
At the instant the recess in the back plate is covered up we may uncover to the
cylinder a pin hole which gives a freeer way for the mixture than past the
regulating screw, so that the pressure in the recess may be raised nearly up to the
cylinder pressure before connection is made to the cylinder.
In order to obtain the motion necessary for these operations we may cause the
eccentric or crank pin upon which the valve is mounted to oscillate through an are
of a circle, and drive it from the crank shaft by an eccentric actuating a lever. Or
we may cause it to revolve by two eccentrics on the crank shaft at right angles,
actuating two small cranks on the valve shaft.
The ports require to be shaped to suit the motion of the valve in a way easily
ascertained by setting the motion out. The motion of the valve exercises a polishing
action on the cylinder face and back plate, thus reducing the friction, while the
valve being free to revolve, fresh parts are brought into action, thus preventing
undue heating. We may if necessary provide a device for ensuring this rotation
of the valve on its driving eccentric.
We may in our engine use ordinary coal gas, the vapor of hydrocarbons, or any
other suitable combustible vapour. By duplicating the necessary parts we may
make a double-acting engine, and by providing link motion or other suitable device
to the valve gear, our engine is capable of having its motion reversed.
We may construct our engine in various ways as long as the motor piston and
pump piston move together or nearly together; one very simple arrangement
which we generally prefer being a tandem arrangement with the motor cylinder
behind the pump; on the motor piston is a trunk equal to it in diameter and
connected to the pump piston which is made larger, the aunular space thus formed
acting as a pump.
It is advisable in large engines to make an arrangement for actuating the
suction valve of the pump mechanically.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles Wilden King and Alfred Cliff in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 4th August 1883.
CHARLES WILDEN KING formerly of Broughton Bridge Ironworks, Manchester,
but at present of 24 Rue Alibert, Paris, and ALFRED CLIFF of 35 Osborne Road,
Forest Gate in the county of Essex IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS-MOTOR ENGINES.
The first part of our invention relates to certain means or methods of introducing
the charge of combustible mixture or of air and gas separately into the motor
cylinder, either while undergoing compression or partly at atmospheric pressure
and partly while undergoing compression and in exhausting or driving out of the
motor cylinder the products of combustion and flushing the same with air to partially
drive out the products of combustion or to cool the sides of the cylinder to prevent
premature explosion.
The first arrangement described in our provisional specification we find is not
sufficiently novel for us to make any claim thereto.
In another arrangement separate pumps are provided for the gas and air
composing the combustible mixture and Figs. 1 and 2 in the drawings illustrate
the same with the pump and cylinder arranged tandem fashion. The air pump A
delivers its contents into a space or chamber B, between its delivery valve a and
the cylinder end C. On the cylinder end is provided a second delivery valve b
opening the same way, we find it is advantageous to load this valve slightly with
a spring shewn at c. The space or chamber B is made only large enough to contain
a portion of the charge of air delivered by the pump. The amount required for
combustion in the cylinder passing through both valves and mixing with the gas
which is delivered by the gas pump D Fig. 2 into the annular space d Fig. 1 and
passes therefrom by a ring of holes or a rose into the end C of the cylinder.
The air contained in the chamber B under pressure remains there after the
explosion and until the exhaust valve e opens, when the pressure in the cylinder
being relieved it flows in, flushing the cylinder and driving out part of the products
of combustion. The piston which is at the outer end of its stroke at the time the
exhaust valve opens, then begins to return and pushes out the rest of the products
of combustion through the exhaust valve, while the gas pump delivers part of its
charge into the air at the cylinder end thus rendering it a combustible mixture.
It is intended that the back movement of the piston shall eject all the remainder
of the exhaust and the flushing air that has mixed with it, so that when the
exhaust valve shuts, the piston has made about half its stroke and has behind it a
combustible mixture composed of part of the flushing air and the gas which has so
far been delivered by the gas pump. The spring c may be adjusted so that the
valve b only now or slightly before this, begins to open by the pressure of air
behind it, and during the rest of the back stroke the air required to complete a full
charge passes through it mixing with the gas which the gas pump D continues to
deliver through the annular space d and the ring of holes into the cylinder end C.
At the end of the backward stroke there is a full charge of compressed combustible
mixture in the cylinder end C, and the chamber B contains a charge of pure air
ready to flush the cylinder after the working stroke is completed. The cylinder,
air and gas pump, pistons are connected and make their strokes together.
In another arrangement shewn in Fig. 3 the front end of the cylinder or a
separate compressing pump compresses a charge of air for flushing which is
delivered through an annular port which the piston E uncovers. The exhaust

page_text: valve g is placed at the back end F of the cylinder, and we find it better to keep it
open during a little longer time than the annular port is uncovered so as to get rid
entirely of the products of combustion. In Fig. 3 the front end of the cylinder
compresses the flushing charge, which when the piston passes the annular port f
passes round the piston and drives a portion of the products of combustion of the
previous charge through the valve g which is at that instant opened. The piston
moves back and the exhaust valve g is preferably kept open until the whole of the
products of combustion are driven out of the cylinder and only the flushing charge
of air remains. The gas pump G now delivers its charge into the flushing charge
thus converting it into an explosive mixture which is then ignited to perform the
working stroke. As it is generally desirable to allow a portion of the flushing
charge to escape and when through such being done there is not enough of air left
to give a full charge we make the gas pump larger than is necessary for the charge
of gas only and allow it to draw in a portion of air with the gas so that it delivers
a very strong mixture of gas and air into the cylinder instead of gas only. The
gas pump Gin Fig. 3 is shewn working thus, the suction valve h being of the
type described by us in a previous specification 4337-1879. and the delivery
valve being slightly loaded with a spring k so as to delay the delivery into the
cylinder and prevent waste of gas through the exhaust-With this object also
the delivery is not made at the cylinder end but in the position shewn in the
drawing at V.
The second part of our invention relates to certain means or methods of igniting
the charge of combustible mixture while under compression in the motor cylinder,
first by an igniting device or apparatus and secondly by an igniting valve which is
driven in a peculiar way that conduces to its durability and prevents undue friction.
Our methods of igniting under this part are applicable to gas motor engines
generally.
In Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 we employ a port or passage leading from the space at
the back end of the cylinder, this port may be made small say one quarter to one
half inch diameter. It leads into a small chamber H, lined with fire-clay porcelain
or other refractory material m m and preferably containing some platinum wire
nnor platinum wire gauze, from this chamber there is a small exit port o o which
may lead through the water jacket or cooling medium as shewn in Fig. 4 to a valve
or tap pp worked by the engine. The action is as follows, the valve or tap being
open and compression commencing in the cylinder a portion of combustible mixture
flows through the port or passage into the fireclay chamber where it is ignited by
the residual heat of this chamber, as long as the valve or tap remains open the
continual flow through the passage 7 prevents the flame striking back and exploding
the charge, a little before the proper moment of ignition the valve or tap p p is
closed and the flow being stopped the flame travels back through the small port
and explodes or ignites the main charge in the cylinder. The heat caused by the
combustion taking place in the chamber H is sufficient to maintain its temperature
sufficiently high. In starting it is necessary to heat the platinum to a temperature
that will ensure combustion.
In Fig. 4 this is accomplished by drawing a charge of combustible mixture into
the cylinder and then opening the valve or cover q by the hand wheel and screw
shewn, the engine is now turned round while a light is held at the opening, the
charge burns in the chamber H heating it and the platinum. The valve or cover q
is then screwed down and a fresh charge drawn into the cylinder and exploded as
described above. In Figs 5 and 6 the chamber H is placed in a conical plug which
in position shewn at Fig. 5 has a hole Rrr R through itself and the casing which
holds it, underneath this hole is placed a Bunsen burner or blowpipe 8 which is
lighted for five minutes or so before the engine starts, this heats the platinum and
the plug being turned through a right angle by the handle t the hole r comes
opposite the hole o and the igniter acts as described above. In Fig. 7 an iron or
other pipe is shewn which in Fig. 8 is the port leading to the cylinder, this
is heated externally by a gas flame which renders the mixture passing through it

page_text: so hot that the platinum is thereby sufficiently raised in temperature to ignite it.
The action when the chamber H gets hot being the same as before.
In order to provide against possible premature ignition of the charge in the
cylinder by explosions occurring in the chamber H, and driving back the current
of combustible mixture we may provide as shewn in Fig 11 a diaphragm Y in the
port made of layers of wire gauze, perforated plates or simply a solid mass fitted
rather loosely so as to allow escape past it. This diaphragm Y at the moment of
ignition or a little before is withdrawn by a lever or other suitable mechanism
into the recess Z, so as to leave the hole 7 free for the passage of the flame. In
our igniting valve shewn at Figs. 9 and 10, a large port v leads to a valve face
where a valve K at the proper moment opens a communication between it and a
flame w which it previously cuts off from the atmosphere. The valve K is made
of two concentric rings x y connected together by ribs z and mounted upon an
eccentric L or crank pin upon which the valve is free to revolve at any time
during the action of the engine as it is exactly symmetrical about its centre. The
ribs z divide the annular space between the rings x y into a series of segmental
ports any one of which or two of them if a rib happens to come in the way may
act as an igniting port. At the back of the valve is a back plate M pressed upon
it by a spring or springs in the usual way, this back plate contains a recess N
which the valve uncovers to a master flame R in the atmosphere. A jet of gas or
combustible mixture which flows from the cylinder port v through the little ports
OP past a regulating screw Q in the back plate is thus ignited. The outer ring
then advancing covers up the recess N from the atmosphere and communication is
made through one or two of the segmental ports between the flame w in the recess
and the port leading to the cylinder, thus causing the explosion.
We find it in some cases advisable to make the port or recess N right through
the back plate and have a little reservoir S which is fed by the pipe T and the
regulating tap U from the gas pump or cylinder.
In order to obtain the motion necessary for these operations we may cause the
eccentric L to revolve by means of gearing or preferably by two little cranks at
right angles W X which are driven by eccentric rods from the crank shaft. Or
the eccentric L may oscillate through an arc of a circle in which case only one
eccentric and rod is necessary. In either case the motion of the valve exercises
a polishing action on the cylinder face and back plate thus reducing the friction
while the valve being free to revolve fresh ports are brought into action preventing
undue heating. We may if necessary provide a device for ensuring this rotation
of the valve.
We may in our engine use ordinary coal gas, the vapour of hydrocarbons or any
other suitable combustible vapour. By duplicating the necessary parts we may
make a double-acting engine, and by providing link motion or other suitable
device to the valve gear our engine is capable of having its notion reversed.
We may construct our engine in various ways so long as the motor piston and
the pump pistons move together or nearly together; and we may fit mechanically
actuated slide or other valves to the pumps and engine cylinders for the necessary
distribution of the air and gases.
We claim as our invention:-
1. The combined compression and flushing pump with the reservoir B and
separate gas pump; for flushing the cylinder and introducing and compressing the
charge in the manner substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The combined cylinder and gas or gas and air pump for introducing and
compressing the charge substantially as shewn in Fig. 3 and as hereinbefore
described.
3. The igniting device as shewn in Figs 4. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 11 acting in the manner
and for the purpose substantially as herein before described.
4. Producing ignition of compressed mixture in gas engines by an incandescent
chamber H from which the flame is caused to travel back by closing a small
external orifice, substantially as hereinbefore described.

page_text: 5. A circular symmetrically constructed igniting valve actuated by and free to
revolve upon an eccentric or crank pin, as shewn in Figs 9 and 10 for the purpose
of reducing wear and friction, substantially as herein before described.
In Witness Whereof, I the said Alfred Cliff on behalf of myself and the said
Charles Wilden King have hereunto set my hand and seal this fourth day of
August in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and eighty-three.
ALFRED (L.S.) CLIFF