Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 21st Jan., 1899
A communication by ALEXANDER A. VANSICKLE and THOMAS M. DE FREES, both
of Indianapolis, in the County of Marion and State of Indiana, United States
of America.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both
in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County of.
Warwick, and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil 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:-
-
This invention relates to an improvement in gas engines.
The objects of the invention are; to produce an engine in which the piston
will serve to open and close the admission and exhaust ports; to provide means
for allowing a rapid exhaust; to provide means by which the explosive mixture
may be heated, prior to its admission into the cylinder, by the heat from the
exhaust gases; and to provide an improved form of governor to regulate the
flow of gas or other fuel.
In the drawings,
Figure 1 is a central vertical section parallel with the crank-shaft;
Figure 2 is a similar section at right angles to the crank shafi;
Figure 3 is a side elevation;
Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 2;
Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Figure 2;
Figure 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Figure 1;
Figure 7 is a detail of the connection between the igniter shaft and the
operating rod.
In the drawings, 10 indicates a casting, the upper end of which is bored out
to form the cylinder 11. Formed near the lower end of casting 10 are two
bearings 12 and 13 which receive the crank-shaft 14. The bearing 13 is carried
by a removable cap 15 in order that the interior of the casting 10 may be easily
reached and the various portions of the crank-shaft and parts attached thereto
easily assembled. The lower portion of the casting 10 forms a chamber 16 which,
is air-tight and provided with a check-valve 17 for the admission of air. The
upper end of cylinder 11 is closed by a cap 18 provided with a chamber 19
communicating with the interior of the cylinder.
Leading from the chamber 16 up alongside the lower end of cylinder 11 to
about the middle thereof, is an air-duct 20, the upper end of which opens into
an annular mixing chamber 22 which surrounds the cylinder. Immediately
above the chamber 22 is a similar chamber 23 into which the exhaust is dis-
charged, the arrangement being such that the heat from the .exhaust gases will
serve to heat the material within the mixing chamber 22. Leading into cham-
Pine 877

page_text: ber 22 at a point about ninety degrees from the air-duct, is a pipe 24 which
is connected with any suitable supply of fuel. If desired, any suitable spraying
device may be mounted in the pipe 24. Leading through the walls of the
cylinder 11, at a point opposite the pipe 24, is a series of admission ports 25
and placed between these ports and the duct 20, on one side, is a partition 26,
the arrangement being such that the incoming air from the duct must pass
entirely around the cylinder before reaching the ports 25.
Mounted within the cylinder 11 is a piston 27 which is connected with the
crank 28 of the crank-shaft 14 by means of a pitman 29. Formed in the upper
end of the piston 27, a short distance from the upper end and at right angles
to the axis, is a V-shaped slot 30 the inner end of which extends to the centre
of the piston, the outer end embracing and communicating with the ports 25
when the piston is at the end of its forward stroke. Secured to the top of the
piston 27, and communicating with the inner end of slot 30, is a pipe 21, the
purpose of which will appear.
Leading from the interior of cylinder 11 into chamber. 23 is a series of exhaust
ports 32 which are placed as near together as possible around the circumference
of the cylinder with the exception of the short space along the mouth of the
slot 30 travels.
Around the upper end of the cylinder is formed a water-jacket 33, the upper
end of which communicates with a water space 34 formed in cap 18. Leading
into jacket 33 is a suitable supply pipe 35 and leading from space 34 is a discharge
pipe 36. For the purpose of drawing the exhaust gases from the chamber 23
the said chamber is extended, as at 37, and the outer end of pipe 36 leads down-
ward therein. Opposite pipe 36 and leading from chamber 37 is a discharge
pipe 39 of considerably larger diameter than pipe 36, the arrangement being
such that the passage of water from pipe 36 to pipe 39 through chamber 37
draws the gases from chamber 23.
Leading through the walls of cap 18 into the chamber 19 is a plug 40, the
interior of which is tapered, the inner end being the larger. Mounted within
the plug 40 is a tapered bushing 41 between which and the plug 40 is placed a
layer of insulation 42, the insulation being held tightly in position by means of
a nut 43 mounted on the outer end of the bushing. The bushing carries an
electrode 44 which projects into the chamber 19 and to the outer end of which
may be secured a suitable electrical connection. Revolubly mounted in the walls
of cap 18 and projecting into the chamber 19 is an igniter-shaft 45 to the inner
end of which is secured a finger 46 adapted to be brought into engagement with
the inner end of electrode 44. To the outer end of shaft 45 is secured an arm 47.
Arm 47 is perforated with an opening 471 which is a trifle larger than the operat-
ing rod 48 which is passed therethrough. The lower end of rod 48 is passed
through a bearing 49 and is adapted to engage a cam 50 secured to the crank-
shaft. Secured to the upper end of rod 48 are two collars 51 and 52 between
which and the arm 47 are mounted the springs 53 and 54 respectively.
The cam 50 is provided with a sudden drop and the arrangement of the rod 48
and arm 47 is such that, when this sudden drop of the cam comes under the
lower end of the rod 48 the said rod is quickly freed and forced downward both
by gravity and the action of spring 53, thus causing a spark in the chamber 19.
Before the rod 48 has dropped enough to come into engagement with the lower
portion of the cam the arm 47 swings enough the cramp the rod and thus prevent
its further downward movement, thus lessening the noise of operation of the cam.
In order to automatically control the supply of fuel to the pipe 24 is secured
a casing 55 divided into two chambers by the valve-diaphragm 55', the opening
through which may be regulated by means of the valve 56. The valve 56 is
mounted in guides as shown and the lower end thereof is connected to the outer
end of an arm 57 secured to a rock-shaft 58. Secured to shaft 58 is an arm 59
the lower end of which carries a roller 60 arranged to engage the flange 61 of a
collar 62 mounted so as to slide upon the hub of the fly-wheel 63. Keyed to

page_text: the crank-shaft is a collar 64 to which are pivotally secured two governor-arms 65,
the outer end of each of which is provided with a weight 66 and the inner end
of each of which is connected by a link 67 to the collar 62. A stop 68 is carried
by one of the weights in position to engage the other, and the two weights are
held normally together by means of a spring 69. The arrangement is such that,
as the weights are forced apart by an increase of speed of the fly-wheel the
collar 62 will be forced along the hub and thus swing arm 59 which, in turn,
will operate to close or partially close the valve 56.
Mounted in the casing 55 is a suitable check valve 55" through which the
gas supply passes.
In operation With the parts in the positions shown in Figure 1, a rotation
of shaft 14 will throw cani 50 around so as to release rod 48, thus swinging
finger 46 away from electrode 44 and causing a spark which, in turn, causes an
explosion in the upper end of the cylinder: Piston 27 is forced downwards and,
as it nears the end of the stroke, ports 32 are first uncovered and the gases
allowed to escape into the chamber 23. The further downward movement of
the piston brings slot 30 opposite ports 25. In the meantime the downward
movement of the piston has forced the air from chamber 16 up into chamber 22
where it has become thoroughly heated and mixed with gas which has passed
through valve 56. The mixture passes through ports 25, slot 30 and pipe 31
into the cylinder and directly to the top of the cylinder. From the upper end
of the cylinder the new charge fills downward, thus crowding out the dead
gases. An upward movement of the piston first closes ports 25, then ports 32,
and then compresses the new charge, cam 50 operating, in the meantime, to bring
finger 46 into engagement with electrode 44 and the operation is then repeated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is ;-
1. A gas engine characterised by a casing forming an operating cylinder upon
one side of the piston and an air chamber upon the other side, a mixing chamber
in constant communication with the air chamber, ports leading from said mixing
chamber into the cylinder in position to be opened and closed by the piston sub-
stantially as described.
2. In a gas engine in which there is a casing forming an operating cylinder
upon one side of the piston and an air chamber upon the other side, a mixing
chamber in constant communication with the air chamber, and ports leading
from said mixing chamber into the cylinder, the combination therewith of a
slot formed in the periphery of the piston in position to be brought opposite the
admission port when the piston is at or near one end of its stroke, and the said
slot communicating at its inner end with the interior of the cylinder substantially
as described.
3. A gas engine having a mixing chamber surrounding the cylinder, an exhaust
chamber also surrounding the cylinder adjacent to the mixing chamber, and
ports leading from both chambers into the cylinder arranged to be opened and
closed by the piston.
4. In a gas engine in which there is a mixing chamber surrounding the
cylinder, an exhaust chamber also surrounding the cylinder adjacent to the
mixing chamber, and ports leading from both chambers into the cylinder, the
combination therewith of a slot formed in the periphery of the piston and
communicating with interior of the cylinder, the said slot being arranged to he
brought opposite the admission port when the piston is at or near one end of its
stroke, substantially as described.
5. A gas engine having a series of exhaust ports leading from the cylinder
near its forward end, an admission port leading into the cylinder between the
exhaust ports and the forward end of the cylinder, and a piston so mounted as
to cover and uncover said ports, substantially as described.

page_text: 6. In a gas engine in which there is an admission port leading into the cylinder
near its forward end, a piston, and a slot formed in the piston and extending
into the interior thereof, the said slot communicating at its inner end with the
interior of the cylinder, the arrangement being such that the slot will be brought
opposite the admission port when the piston is at or near one end of its stroke
substantially as described.
7. The combination with a gas engine of a governor consisting of a collar
slidably mounted on the crank-shaft, governor balls also mounted on the crank
shaft and adapted to slide the collar, an admission valve leading into the cylinder,
and an arm adapted to be engaged at one end by the collar, and at the other
end connected with the valve, substantially as described.
8. The combination with a gas engine of an igniter consisting of a stationary
electrode extending into the cylinder, a rack shaft also extending into the cylinder
and carrying a finger arranged to engage the stationary electrode, an arm carried
by the outer end of the rock shaft, and perforated with a hole 47 adapted to
receive an operating rod 48, the arrangement being such that, in its lowest
position, the rod will be cramped in said hole by the swinging of the arm, sub-
stantially as described.
9. The general combined arrangement and construction of parts forming the
improved gas engine substantially as set forth.