IMPROVEMENTS IN PRIME MOVERS ACTUATED BY THE EXPLOSIVE FORCE OF MIXTURES OF GASES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Ford, of No. 12, Lansdown Place, South.
Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PRIME MOVERS ACTUATED BY THE EXPLOSIVE FORCE OF
MIXTURES OF GASES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Ford at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th February 1874:
t
"
I, SAMUEL FORD, of Number 12, Lansdown Place, South Lambeth, in
the County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said.
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRIME MOVERS, ACTUATED BY THE EXPLOSIVE
FORCE OF MIXTURES OF GASES," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to that class of prime movers now well known
as "gas engines," and one part thereof consists in the employment of'
rotating pistons instead of reciprocating pistons as heretofore used, that
is to say, in the adaptation of the rotatory class of engines to the
utilisation of the explosive force of gases. The form of engine which I

page_text: consider most suitable for this purpose is that in which a "leaf" or leaves
constituting the piston or pistons is or are adapted to a cylindrical drum
rotating within a cylinder, such piston or pistons being arranged to act
in connection with a fixed abutment provided with inclined planes
which cause such piston or pistons to slide in and out in a slot formed in
the said drum.
I surround the cylinder with a water jacket, and I also form water
spaces within the said drum, and connect such water spaces with the
water jacket by means of passages in the cylinder covers and in the
axial shaft in such manner as to allow water to circulate round the
cylinder and through the said drum in order to prevent their over-
heating.
In connection with a rotary engine adapted as a gas engine I employ
a chamber in which the carburetted hydrogen or other inflammable gas
employed is mingled with atmospheric air in due proportions before
being admitted to the cylinder.
In some cases, and especially when the explosion in the cylinder of a
rotary engine is to be effected by means of a jet or jets of gas flame, I
. employ a rotating, partially rotating, or sliding valve, furnished with
suitable ports to regulate the admission of gas to the mixing chamber, to
admit the explosive mixture into the cylinder, and to bring into action
the jet or jets of gas flame to effect the explosion.
In some cases, and especially when the explosion is to be effected by
means of electricity, I dispense with the aforesaid valve, and instead
thereof I form in the piston drum grooves or recesses corresponding in
number to the leaves or pistons so arranged and proportioned that during
the rotation of the said piston drum each groove or recess shall serve to
establish a communication between an inlet port and the space behind
the piston for a length of time sufficient to permit a suitable quantity of
the explosive mixture to enter the cylinder.
Another part of my Invention consists in an improved arrangement
of gas burner for the ignition of the explosive mixture in the cylinder,
applicable to other forms of gas engines besides the rotary. I employ in
connection with a gas burner a valve for admitting the gas, which is
kept open by means of a spring until ignition of the explosive mixture
takes place, when the pressure arising from the explosion closes the
valve against the resistance of the spring until the pressure within the

page_text: cylinder becomes sufficiently reduced to permit the said spring to reopen
the valve. The sudden closing of the said valve prevents the driving
back of the gas in the supply pipe of the burner, and enables me to
dispense with the bellows or other gas forcing apparatus usually
employed.
Another part of my Invention consists in applying a relief valve
opening inwards by the pressure of the atmosphere, and admitting air
into the cylinder at such times after an explosion as a vacuum may be
formed behind the piston. This part of my Invention is also applicable
to other forms of gas engines besides the rotary.
And another part of my Invention consists in the employment of a
self-acting valve opened by the exhaustive action of the pistons in order
to admit the gas to the mixing chamber when required, but closed by a
spring or weight in order to cut off the supply of gas when the engine is
stopped without the main valve or tap being closed, thus avoiding the
danger of an escape of gas, which may in some cases happen. This part
of my Invention is also applicable to other forms of gas engines besides
the rotary.
2
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Samuel Ford in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 6th August 1874.
TO ALL. TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
FORD, of No. 12, Lansdowne Road, South Lambeth, in the County of..
Surrey, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her,
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of February, in the year,
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Samuel Ford, Her special license
that I, the said Samuel Ford, my executors, administrators, and:
assigns, or such. others as I, the said Samuel Ford, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with and no:
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and

page_text: In some cases, and especially when the explosion is to be effected by
means of electricity I dispense with the aforesaid valve, and instead
thereof I form in the piston drum grooves or recesses corresponding in
number to the leaves or pistons so arranged and proportioned that during
the rotation of the said piston drum each groove or recess shall serve to
establish à communication between an inlet port and the space behind
the piston for a length of time sufficient to permit a suitable quantity of
the explosive mixture to enter the cylinder.
Another part of my Invention consists in an improved arrangement
of gas burner for the ignition of the explosive mixture in the cylinder,
applicable to other forms of gas engines besides the rotary. I employ in.
connection with such a gas burner a valve for admitting the gas, which
is kept open by means of a spring until ignition of the explosive mixture.
takes place, when the pressure arising from the explosion closes the
valve against the resistance of the spring until the pressure within the
cylinder becomes sufficiently reduced to permit the said spring to reopen
the valve. The sudden closing of the said valve prevents the driving
back of the gas in the supply pipe of the burner, and enables me to
dispense with the bellows or other gas forcing apparatus usually
employed.
Another part of my Invention consists in applying a relief valve
opening inwards by the pressure of the atmosphere, and admitting air
into the cylinder at such times after an explosion as a vacuum may be
formed behind the piston. This part of my Invention is also applicable
to other forms of gas engines besides the rotary.
.
And another part of my Invention consists in the employment of a
self-acting valve opened by the exhaustive action of the piston in order
to admit the gas to the mixing chamber when required, but closed by a
spring or weight in order to cut off the supply of gas when the engine is
stopped, without the main valve or tap being closed, thus avoiding the
danger of an escape of gas, which may
in some cases happen. This part
of my Invention is also applicable to other forms of gas engines besides
the rotary.
In order that my. Invention may be fully understood, I will now,
refer to the two Sheets of Drawings which accompany this Specification,
and which are drawn about one quarter of the full size and marked with

page_text: letters of reference, corresponding marks indicating the same parts in
all the Figures:
In Sheet 1 of the said Drawings Fig. 1 is an end elevation; and
Fig. 2, a side elevation of a gas engine constructed in accordance with
my Invention; and in Sheet 2, Fig. 3 is a plan of the same. In the
said Figs. A is the cylinder of the engine; B is the framing which
sustains the same; C is the main valve, and D is the said mixing
chamber.
In Sheet 2, Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on the line E in Fig. 2, and
Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the lines F and G in Fig. 1.
In Figs. 4 and 5 A is the cylinder which is bored to a circular form in
cross section, and a is the aforesaid drum which I will style the piston
drum and which is turned to a cylindrical form. The said piston drum
is formed with a slot within which works the leaf or piston B, which is
formed in two parts in order that its length may be adjusted by means
of the screws and nuts c, c. A fixed abutment d is turned on one side,
to fit the interior of the cylinder, and the central portion of the other
side is bored to fit the piston drum, the ends being formed as inclines of
such a form and curvature as that straight lines drawn through the axis
of the piston drum from the abutment to the interior surface of the
cylinder A, or from one part of the abutment to another would be of
equal length or thereabouts. The piston drum is formed with hollow
internal spaces and is provided with ends e, e, on each of which is
formed a trunnion f, and the said trunnions are fitted to revolve in
glands in the cylinder covers g, g. The ends e, e, are firmly secured to
the piston drum by the bolts h, h, which pass through from one end to
the other, and the said ends e, e, are fitted to revolve in recesses formed
in the said cylinder covers g, g. The said recesses in the cylinder
covers g, g, are by preference a little less in diameter than the piston
drum as seen in Fig. 5, so that shoulders are formed, and these parts and
the circumferences of the said ends are made to fit well to the said
cylinder ends so as to lessen the escape of the gases. The trunnions ƒ‚ƒ¹,
are formed with passages i, i, which communicate with the interior spaces
of the piston drum, and also with the pipes j and k seen in Fig. 2, for
the inlet and exit of water, the connection of the said pipes with the said
trunnions being effected by means of glands so as to permit of the
revolution of the said trunnions. A water space is formed in the shell
of the cylinder A similar to the steam jacket of a steam engine cylinder,

page_text: and water is admitted into the said space from a pipe m seen in Fig. 3,
and flows through the said space or water jacket into the pipe j which
conveys the water to the passage in the trunnion f. The water flows
thence through the water spaces in the piston drum, and through the
passage in the trunnion f¹ in the direction indicated by the arrows into
the exit pipe. The overheating of the parts is thus prevented or is
rendered less injurious.
Instead of passing one current of water through both the piston drum
and cylinder jacket, I may sometimes employ two separate currents of
water, one flowing through the piston drum and the other through the
cylinder jacket. If necessary a pump may be employed to force tho
water through the piston drum or cylinder jacket. A pipe n conveys a
small quantity of water from the pipe m to the interior of the cylinder
during the working of the engine or whenever considered to be
desirable.
Fig. 6 is a section on the line H which is drawn through the centre
of the mixing chamber D, and Fig. 7 is a section on the line I which is
drawn through the centre of the valve C.
Referring to all the afore-mentioned Figs. the valve C is in the
example made of a cylindrical form and is fitted to slide to and fro in a
casing o being actuated by a grooved camp which is fixed on the
trunnion f. The said cam acting upon the lever q which is connected
by a link with the valve imparts a to-and-fro sliding movement to the
said valve.. The valve casing o is formed with a passage r which is
connected with the gas supply pipe s, which is fitted with a throttle
valve acted upon by the governor to regulate the supply of gas to the
engine. Ports u, u, formed in the valve alternately establish a com-
munication between the passage r, and a second passage which leads
into the upper part 1 of the mixing chamber D. The said chamber is
formed with a conical mouth for the admission of air, and is provided
with a conical valve w which can be moved to and from the said mouth
so as to regulate the admission of air. A grating on each side of
the passage separates the said upper part from the lower part 2,
which communicates by means of a port y alternately with the two cross
ports z, z.

page_text: into the cylinder A. Cross ports to contain the firing gas burners c¹, c³,:
are formed near each end of the valve, and each of the said burners is
connected with a valve which forms a separate part of my Invention,
and which is seen in vertical section on a larger scale than the other
Figures in Fig. 8. In the said Figure I is the body of the valve in which
and covering the end of the firing gas supply pipe e¹ is fitted a valve d¹
acted upon by a spiral spring which tends to raise the valve from its.
seat. The strength of the said spring is so adjusted as that it shall yield
to the force of the explosion in the cylinder A, and permit the valve d¹
to close and shall reopen or raise the said valve again when the pressure
within the cylinder has become reduced. This arrangement is applicable
to other forms of gas engines as herein-before mentioned. The two
valves I, I, are connected by flexible tubes e¹, e', with a chest J into
which gas is admitted through a pipe g¹. The said chest also supplies
the two gas igniting burners ', h, which relight the firing jets leading
from c¹, c².
The action of the engine may be described as follows, namely, supposing
the parts to be in motion the piston 6 and the valve C would be moving
in the direction indicated by the arrows. This movement of the said
valve would open a communication between the gas supply pipes and
the mixing chamber, and also between the said mixing chamber and the
interior of the cylinder, and gas would be drawn by the piston 6 through
the passager, port u³, and passage v, into the upper mixing chamber 1.
The issuing gas along with the air entering by the conical mouth of the
mixing chamber would then be drawn by the exhaustive action of the
piston through the grating a, (whereby the mixture of the gas and air
is effected) into the chamber 2 and thence through the ports y, z¹, a²,
and 2 into the cylinder. The continued movement of the valve would
then bring the chamber of the firing burner c² opposite the passage a²
and thereby in communication with port 62, and explosion of the mixed
gases
in the cylinder would then take place, the valve d¹ in I closing as
herein-afore mentioned, an impulse being thus given to that end of the
piston which projects beyond the piston drum, and which is shown at
the upper part of the cylinder in Fig. 4. The direction of motion of the
valve being now reversed the mixed gases will be drawn through the
ports, a¹, and b', and be fired by the flame of c¹, an impulse being
thereby given to the other end or half of the piston, that is to say, to
the end which is in the lowest position in Fig. 4, but which will by that

page_text: time have arrived at the upper part of the cylinder, being thrust out
from the piston drum, while the other end had been thrust in by the
action of the inclined planes during the half revolution of the piston
drum, two impulses being thus imparted to the piston during cach
revolution. Any gases or vapour and water remaining after cach
explosion are ejected through the pipe K.
It must be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise form.
and action of the said valve as other forms of valves may be employed
to regulate the admission of gas into the cylinder to act upon. the
rotating pistons or leaves. The relief valve which constitutes a part of
my Invention which is applicable to other forms of gas engines is seen.
at in Figs. 3 and 4. The said valve is pressed against its scat by.
means of a spiral spring and remains closed at all times excepting when.
a vacuum is formed behind the piston to such an extent as would
interfere materially with the effective power of the engine. At such
times the said valve opens to admit air into the cylinder.
.
pro-
Fig. 9 illustrates the arrangement which I propose to employ when
the gases are exploded by clectrical means. In this example grooves or:
recesses ², k¹, are formed in the surface of the piston drum a.
The gas.
supply pipe is connected with the passage which may or may not be
provided with a valve m to be hereafter referred to. The gas and
portion of air are drawn or inspired by the action of the piston bthrough
the grating n into the port o' which leads into the recess k₁ which
conveys the mixed gases into the space behind the piston. The con-
tinued revolution of the piston drum carries the said recess beyond tho
port o' whereby the passage for the flow of gases is cut off and the said.
gases are then fired by an electrical igniter p¹ of any known or suitable
construction. In the same Figure m¹ represents a valve which remains
closed by its own weight or by the pressure of a spring at all times-
except when exhaustive action of the piston draws the gas from the
supply pipe, and by this means any escape of gas when the engine is.
stopped without shutting off the main supply valve is provented. .
+
Figs. 10 and 11 represent a more complete form of valve which may
bc employed in lieu of the valve m¹. In this example a double beat
valve part of the weight of which is counterbalanced by means of a
weighted lever q¹ is used.. The inlet for gas is at 1, the inlet for air
at, and the outlet to the mixing chamber is at s¹. The unbalanced

page_text: weight of the valve should be sufficient to cause it to close against the
ordinary pressure of the gas the valve opening when the piston has an
exhaustive or inspiring effect.
In order to facilitate the opening of the valve by the exhaustive or
inspiring effect of the piston I sometimes attach to the valve a plate t¹
adapted to fit loosely into and to slide easily in a contraction of the outlet
of the mixing chamber as shown. Being larger in diameter than the
valve the exhausting action of the piston has a proportionately greater
effect upon it, and consequently there is greater certainty of the valve
opening, and the plate t¹ being withdrawn clear of the contraction cach
time it is opened there is an annular passage left all round it for the
entrance of the mixed air and gas. Or if preferred the plate may be
pierced with holes so as to take the place of the grating n² in Fig. 9, or x
in Fig. 6. Such self-closing valves may also be employed in other forms
of gas engines, as herein-before mentioned.
Having now fully described and illustrated the nature of my said.
Invention, and the means whereby I carry the same into practical effect,
I would in conclusion have it to be understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise details as illustrated in the Drawings, but that I
claim,―
First. The general arrangement, construction, and adaptation of the
rotary gas engine, substantially as set forth aud illustrated herein-before
and by the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. Causing water to circulate through spaces in the pistons or
piston drums of rotary gas engines, such water also circulating or not
through the jacket surrounding the cylinder.
Thirdly. The adaptation of mixing chambers to rotary gas engines,
substantially as set forth and indicated herein-before and in the accom-
panying Drawings.
Fourthly. The employment of the valve for regulating the admission
of the gases to the cylinder of a rotary engine, and of the arrangement
of gas burners in connection therewith for effecting the explosion of
such gases, substantially as set forth and indicated herein-before and in
the accompanying Drawings.
Fifthly. The employment of grooves or recesses in the piston drum,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth, and as indicated by Fig. 9
in the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: Sixthly. The employment in the firing burners of gas engines of
valves which close when the explosion takes place, substantially as in
the case of the valve represented by Fig. 8 in the accompanying
Drawings.
Seventhly. The employment in gas engines of relief valves which
open inwardly to admit air into the cylinders, for the purpose herein-
before set forth.
And, lastly. The employment in gas engines of self-acting valves
which close when the piston has ceased to inspire gas, substantially in
manner as herein-before set forth and indicated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Ford, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand cight hundred and seventy-four."