IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO MOTOR ENGINES FOR UTILIZING THE FORCE OF HEATED AIR OR GAS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention.
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO MOTOR ENGINES FOR UTILIZING
THE FORCE OF HEATED AIR OR GAS." A communication from abroad by
Moriz Arzberger, of Vienna, and August Oblasser, of Trieste, both in tho
Empire of Austria.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th June 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO MOTOR
ENGINES FOR UTILIZING THE FORCE OF HEATED AIR OR GAS." [A communi-
cation from abroad by Moriz Arzberger, of Vienna, and August Oblasser, of Trieste,
both in the Empire of Austria.]
This Invention relates to motor engines or apparatus in which hot air or other
heated gas is used, and consists essentially in a closed apparatus hereinafter
described, in which compressed atmospheric air or other gas is alternately heated and
cooled, and thus caused alternately to be under a greater or less degree of tension or
pressure, and to act with this difference of pressure upon the piston of a motor.
The power of this action is dependent on the one hand upon the extent of the
difference in the heating and cooling of the air or gas, and on the other hand upon
the pressure or tension of the same.
In most of the known caloric engines the difference in the heating and cooling
must be as considerable as possible in order to bring the gas, which is but slightly
dilated, to a profitable degree of pressure or tension, and therefore the parts of the
machinery subjected to heat become nearly red-hot, and are in this state exposed
to the pressure of the expansive gases so that they soon become deformed and
oxidized; moreover the size and weight of such machines are great.
This Invention is designed to provide means whereby considerable power may
Di S

page_text: be obtained with machines of small size and weight without necessitating very
elevated degrees of heat.
According to the said Invention I make use of air considerably compressed, say
at a pressure of 20 atmospheres, which is alternately heated by hot water and
cooled by cold water, so that by means of the heated air which expands consider-
ably the piston of a motor will be pressed against the cold air which expands to a
less degree.
The apparatus or generator of power constructed according to my Invention
consists mainly of a combination of tubular air receptacles or holders, in each of
which there is a piston or plunger of peculiar construction which serves for dis-
placing the air by causing the same to pass alternately from the cold to the warm
end of the tube, and vice versa, and thus effecting the cooling and heating of the
air in the tubes. The said tubes are constantly filled with air under considerable
pressure, and one half of the whole length of the said tubes is heated from the
exterior by hot water, whilst the other half is cooled from the exterior by cold
water. It is obvious that without departing from the principle of this Invention
other gases may be used instead of air, and other liquids instead of water.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide a system or series of tubes
arranged horizontally, one set being above another set, which tubes are connected
with each other and with the cylinder of an engine by means of transverse tubes.
Within each of these first named tubes there is a piston or plunger, hereinafter
termed a displacer, which is so operated by the engine that it alternately presses
the air from one end of the tube to the other, forcing it through a narrow annular
space existing between the walls of the tube and the outside of the displacer,
whereby the gas takes up the heat given off by the walls between which it passes,
or imparts its heat thereto according to whether it is being forced through the
heated or the cooled part thereof.
For the purpose of heating and cooling the air one half of the tubes lengthwise
is placed on a reservoir containing boiling water, this reservoir also enclosing the
engine cylinder; the water is kept boiling by means of a stove. The other half of
the tubes is in another reservoir through which cooling water flows. The displacers
are made chiefly of metal and are consequently good conductors of heat; they are
so constructed that there is a division at the centre formed by a plug or piece of
wood or other bad conductor of heat, this division being provided in order that one
half of the displacer may be heated internally and the other half cooled internally,
this effect being obtained by pumping the heating or cooling water through an
inner tube passing to the displacer through a tubular rod connected to the latter at
each end, the water being admitted to the inner space of the displacer by apertures
provided in this inner tube, and leaving through the said tubular rod, and thus by
constant circulation the displacer is heated and cooled. The motor in connection
with the apparatus may be a cylinder-engine in which the piston will be forced up
and down by reason of the difference in pressure between the heated and the
cooled air, this motion of the piston being transmitted to a fly-wheel, from the
shaft of which the displacers are operated forward and backward by any suitable
mechanism, and this in such manner that one half of the displacers shall always be
set to "hot" and the other half to "cold." One half of the system of tubes com-
municates with the upper inlet tube of the cylinder, and the other half with the
lower one, and the heated air or gas which expands considerably will force the
piston against the cooled air or gas which expands to a less degree. In constructing
the engine attention has to be paid to making the volume of the cylinder as small
as possible in proportion to the system of tubes, so as to avoid too great heating
and cooling when during the working of the machine the gas is condensed and
expanded.
To allow more time for the heating and cooling of the air or gas when the
engine is working at high speed, or in other words, to avoid necessity for the dis-
placers having to work too rapidly, I may so connect two or more of the
apparatus above described with the cylinder, that one is in communication with

page_text: the said cylinder and actuates the piston whilst the other is being reversed, and
thus time is allowed to the compressed air or gas therein contained to become
heated and cooled. The arrangements must be so made that the apparatus whose
displacers are at rest communicates with the cylinder, whilst the other apparatus
whose displacers are being reversed is cut off from the cylinder till the piston has
arrived at the end of the cylinder, at which moment the power is caused to act in
the opposite direction, this being effected by suitable connections.
Upon the shaft there is also a compressing pump which has for its object to
replace any air that may escape through the packings, and to maintain the pressure
or tension of the same at the suitable degree.

page_text: "
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Williain Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th December 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO MOTOR-
ENGINES FOR UTILIZING THE FORCE OF HEATED AIR OR GAS."
A communi-
cation from abroad by Moriz Arzberger, of Vienna, and August Oblasser, of
Trieste, both in the Empire of Austria.
This Invention relates to motor engines or apparatus of that class in which hot
air or other heated gas is utilized, and consists essentially in a closed apparatus
hereinafter described wherein compressed atmospheric air or other gas is alternately
heated and cooled, and thus caused to be alternately under a greater or less degree
of tension or pressure, and to act with this difference of pressure upon the piston
of a motor. The power of this action is dependent on the one hand upon
the extent of the difference of temperature due to the heating and cooling
of the air or gas, and on the other hand upon the pressure or tension of the
same.
In most of the caloric engines heretofore constructed, the difference of temperature
in the houting and cooling of the air or gas must be as much as possible in order
to bring the fluid, which is but slightly dilated or expanded, to a useful degree of
pressure or tension, and therefore the parts of the machinery subjected to heat
become nearly red hot, and are in this state exposed to the pressure of the expansivo
gas, so that they soon become distorted and oxidized; morcover the size and weight
of such engines or machines are inconveniently great.
This Invention is designed to provide means whereby considerable power may
be obtained with engines or machines of small size and weight without necessi-
tating the employment of an excessively high degree of heat.
According to the said Invention I make use of air considerably compressed (say,
at a pressure of 20 atmospheres) which is alternately heated by hot water and
cooled by cold water, so that by means of the heated air which expands con-
siderably the piston of a motor will be forced or caused to exert pressure against
the cold air which expands to a less degree.
My improved motor apparatus or engine consists mainly in the combination of
tubular air receptacles or holders, in each of which there is a piston or plunger of
peculiar construction; the said piston or plunger serves to displace the air by
causing the same to pass alternately from the cold to the warın end of the tube,
and vice versa, and thus effects the cooling and heating of the air in the tube.
The series of tubes is constantly filled with air under considerable pressure, and
one half of their entire length is heated externally by hot water, whilst the other
half is cooled externally by cold water. It is obvious that without departing from
the principle of this Invention other gases may be used instead of air, and other
liquids instead of water.
"In the accompanying Drawing,
Figure 1 illustrates my improved power-generating apparatus.
Figures 2 and 3 are sectional views illustrating the construction of the piston
or plunger which effects the displacement of the gas.
Figures 4, 5, and 6 represent in vertical, longitudinal, horizontal, and transversc
section an entire apparatus embodying my Invention.
Figure 7 represents a modification of the said apparatus.

page_text: A, A', represent the motor-apparatus or power-generators, in which heat is
transformed into power, and which consist of a series of tubes a, a². These
tubes are connected with each other and with the cylinder D by means of the
tubes a³, as shewn in Figures 5 and 6. Within each of the said tubes a, a', is a
piston or plunger b, hereinafter termed a displacer, which is so operated by the
engine that it causes the air to pass alternately from one end of the tube to the
other, forcing it through a narrow annular space between the inner surface of the
tube and the exterior of the displacer, so that the gas takes up or absorbs the heat
given off by the surfaces, between which it passes or imparts its heat thereto,
according to whether it is being forced through the heated or the cooled part
thereof.
In order to heat and cool the air one half a of the tubes is placed in a reservoir B
which contains water kept boiling by means of the stove or furnace B¹, and encloses
the engine cylinder, and the other half of the said tubes is placed or enclosed within
the reservoir C, through which the cooling water flows. The displacers baro
formed chiefly of metal, and are consequently good conductors of heat. They are
so constructed (sec Figures 2 and 3) that there is a division at the centre formed
by a plug or piece b¹ of wood or other material which is a bad conductor of heat,
this division being provided in order that one half of the displacer may be heated
internally and the other half cooled internally, this effect being obtained by
pumping the heating or cooling water through the inner tube b². The water being
admitted to the inner space of the displacer through the apertures or holes bs; the
water flows along the interior surface of the said displacer and leaves the same
through the tube b, thus by a constant circulation the displacer is heated and
cooled. The motor in connection with this apparatus may, as shown in Figures 4,
5, and 6, be a cylinder-engine in which the piston is forced up and down by reason
of the difference in pressure between the heated and the cooled air, this motion of
the piston being transmitted to a fly-wheel E, Figures 4 and 6, from the shaft of
which the displacers are moved to-and-fro by any suitable mechanism in such a
manner that one half of the displacers will always be heated and the other half
cooled.
One half of the series of tubes communicates with the upper inlet tube or port d
of the cylinder D, and the other half communicates with the lower tube or port d'
and the heated air or gas, which expands considerably, will force the piston against
the cooled air or gas, which expands to a less degree. In constructing the engine
the volume of the cylinder should be made as small as practicable in proportion
to that of the system or series of tubes so as to avoid too great heating and
cooling when during the working of the machine the gas is condensed aud
expanded.
To allow a sufficient length of time for the heating and cooling of the air or
gas to take place when the engine is working at a high speed, or in other words, to
avoid the too rapid working of the displacers, I may (as shown in Figure 7) so connect
two or more power-generators A, A¹, with the cylinder D, that one generator (A³,
for instance) is in communication with the said cylinder and actuates the
piston therein whilst the other generator A is being reversed, and thus time is
allowed for the compressed air or gas therein contained to become heated and
cooled. The arrangements must be so made that the power-generator A', whose
displacers are at rest, communicates with the cylinder D through the distributing
devices at d, d³, whilst the other power-generator A, whose displacers are being
reversed and move in the direction indicated by the arrows, is cut off by the
distributing devices at d², d³, from the cylinder till the piston has arrived at the
end of the same, at which moment both the distributing devices d³, d³, and d', d³,
are reversed, and the power is caused to act in the opposite direction. In connection
with the shaft carrying the flywheel E is a compressing pump F, Figure 6, which
has for its object to replace any air or gas that may escape through the packings,
and to maintain the pressure or tension of the air or gas at the requisite
degree.

page_text: In the operation of my improved apparatus the water transmits heat to the tubes
and the heating-apparatus has to impart to the water as much heat only as is
abstracted therefrom by the tubes; the heating water always remains the same, as
it cannot escape from the closed boiler either in the form of steain or otherwise, so
that loss of heat by the transition of the liquid to a gascous state does not take
place.
The system of tubes abstracts the same quantity of heat from the boiling water
as it transmits to the cooling water in the cooling reservoir C.
The difference in tension produced by this variation in temperature acts upon
the piston, which further transmits the power, the object of this arrangement being
as far as possible to transform the heat into power.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it
understood that I claim,-
First. The tubes a, a', permanently filled with gas under high pressure, and
heated and cooled externally, in combination with the movable displacers, sub-
stantially as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
Second. The combination of the tubes a, a¹, the connecting tubes a³, tho
displacers b, the cylinder D, the hot water reservoir B, and the cooling water
reservoir C, all substantially as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.