Improvements in and relating to Gas and other Engines.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Apr., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 18th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 23rd Mar., 1889
Improvements in and relating to Gas and other Engines.
We, ALPHONSE EDOUARD TAVERNIER, of Hitchin, in the county of Hertford, Civil
Engineer, and EDWARD CASPER, of 21, Colville Terrace, Bayswater, in the county of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention chiefly relates to engines of the class described in the Specification
of Letters Patent dated March 30, A.D. 1887, No. 4757, in which the motion is
produced partly by the explosion of an inflammable mixture and partly by steam
which is generated from water introduced into the cylinder to cool the same.
According to our invention the cylinder (which, with the other parts of the engine,
is mounted upon a bed plate of any ordinary or suitable construction) is provided at
each end with a chamber forming a continuation of the main part thereof.in which
the piston moves so that the engine is double acting. The piston is attached to a
cross head, which is connected by two rods to the two cranks of a crank
shaft at the rear of the cylinder, each rod passing along one side of the said
cylinder.
To each of the said chambers is connected a valve box, containing two valves,
viz., one for allowing the exhaust of the products of combustion and steam, and the
other for the admission of the air and gas for the formation of the inflammable
mixture. These valves are each preferably in the form of a cylinder containing a
piston, adapted to move past an opening in the wall of the cylinder, communicating
with the valve box; so that when the piston is at one side of the opening it will open
communication with one end of the cylinder and when at the other side with the
opposite end. A valve is also provided at each end of the cylinder for admitting
water in the form of spray at predetermined intervals. The operation of these valves
at each end of the cylinder is effected by the following means, that is to say, to the
rod of each valve is connected one end of a lever the other end of which is arranged
to work in connection with a projection on a cam cylinder mounted upon one side of
the cylinder.
The movement of the cam cylinder is effected through the medium of a plate
rotating on a projecting boss on the cam cylinder and located between the latter and

page_text: a collar on the end of the boss. The said plate carries a slide, moving in guides and
connected to one of the connecting rods of the engine by a pin in such a manner that
the plate makes one revolution for each revolution of the crank shaft.
In order to communicate the motion of this plate to the cam cylinder at proper
intervals for operating the respective valves at the required times I attach to the
said plate a spring bolt adapted to engage with notches in the periphery of the
collar on the boss, the said bolt during certain portions of the revolution of the plate
bearing upon the plain periphery of the said collar so that no motion is imparted
to the cam cylinder, whilst when it is in engagement with one of the notches it causes
the plate to move the required distance. The bolt is withdrawn from the notches after
the cam disc has been moved the required distance by means of a lever attached to a
small eccentric mounted upon the bolt and bearing against a fixed cam surface on the
shaft of the cam cylinder.
The cam cylinder is provided with a flange having on its periphery a number of
projections corresponding to the different positions which it occupies for opening the
different valves. A spring catch fixed on the cylinder is adapted to normally engage
with one or other of these projections, but is moved out of engagement therewith to
allow the cam cylinder to be rotated by inclined surfaces on the edge of the
said plate.
The ignition of the charges is preferably effected by electric sparks, which are
produced in small boxes the openings between which and the cylinder are normally
closed by spring valves, which only open under the pressure produced within the said
boxes by the explosion of the inflammable mixture introduced into them in a dry or
heated state. With this arrangement no moisture which can counteract the effectiveness
of the sparks produced, by forming an electrical connection between the terminals,
is deposited, as is the case when the terminals are placed within the cylinder
proper.
A pump is employed for introducing the component parts of the inflammable mixture
into the boxes at the required pressure.
A great advantage of this means of lighting is that the gas which is used for igniting
the cylinder charge itself assists in propelling the piston through its stroke, and that
the igniting charge being at a great pressure before it enters the cylinder causes an
active molecular movement of the cylinder charge, so that the lighting is much more
effective than when an open light is employed.
The water is sprayed into the cylinder by means of a pump actuated by the cross
head, a safety valve being placed in the delivery pipe to limit the pressure of the water.
A water heater is provided through which the water passes prior to its introduction
into the cylinder, the waste heat from the products of combustion being utilized for
heating the same.
A governor is employed for controlling the admission of gas or vapour for the
production of the explosive mixture, the supply of gas or vapour being entirely cut off
when a given limit of speed has been obtained.
The lubrication of the cylinder is effected by means of a lubricator placed upon the
cylinder and communicating with the interior of the latter by a number of holes through
which the lubricant is drawn by the suction of the piston.
When the engine is to be worked with an explosive mixture composed of vaporized
hydro-carbon and air, or if it is to be enriched with hydro-carbon, the hydro-carbon
is vaporized by heat, so that no deposit is formed in the cylinder.
Dated the 16th day of April 1888
. G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicants,

page_text: is the pipe for conveying gas to the valves ff and ', are air-boxes through
which the air for the formation of the explosive mixture is drawn, h² is the pipe
through which the products of combustion and steam passing through the valves fif
are conveyed and 3 is the pipe through which water is conveyed to the valves g, g
from a force pump 6* hereinafter described.
The operation of the valves f, f1 and y at each end of the cylinder is effected through
the medium of spring levers, the levers for operating the valves f, f¹ and g in
connection with the chamber 62 being lettered i, ¹, respectively and pivotted
at k, k, respectively and those for operating the valves f,f,g in connection with the
chamber being lettered *, *, ** respectively and pivotted at k, k, k²* respectively;
is a cam cylinder which is mounted on a stud 1* on the side of the power cylinder b
so that it can rotate, the said cam being provided with cam projections m, m³, m³, m³,
m*, m¹*, m²*, m³* which serve to operate the levers k, k¹, k³, k*, *, **, through
the medium of downward extension when the cam cylinder is rotated as herein-
after described.. The cam cylinder is shewn in detail at figures 6, 7 and 8 which
represent an elevation, a vertical section, and development of the cam surface
respectively.
The movement of the cam cylinder is effected through the medium of a disc n
shewn in detail at figures 9 and 10 which represent an elevation and vertical section
respectively.
The disc n rotates on a boss on the cam cylinder and between the latter and a
collar on the said boss l, the said collar being provided with three equi distant
notches for the purpose hereinafter described. The disc n carries a slide n moving
in guides and connected by a pin or stud n³ to the connecting rod c³ so that
the disc n will be caused to make one revolution for each revolution of the crank
shaft d¹.
In order to effect the proper working of the valves f, f¹ and g, it is necessary that
the cam cylinder should not move more than one sixth of a revolution while the piston
.is making each stroke. To attain this result we mount upon the disc na sliding
spring bolt adapted to engage with either of the notches 3 in the boss . Pivotted
to the disc n and working over the bolt n is a spring disc no having a slot n° which
engages with and serves to actuate the bolt n by means of a pin n. This disc no is
provided with a projection n which bears upon the periphery of a disc n having two
diametrically opposite cam surfaces n¹0, n¹, the said disc being attached to the end
of the stud *.
By this arrangement if the bolt n¹ be in engagement with one of the notches /
on the boss and the disc n be revolved by the connecting rod e in the direction of
the arrow as shown in figure 1, the dise n will, by means of its projection n³ working
over the cam surface no of the disc n³, cause the bolt to be entirely disengaged from
the notch 3 by the time the disc n has made a sixth of a revolution, thereby allowing
the cam cylinder to remain stationary. When the disc n has made a half revolution,
the projection 8 will fall onto the lower part of the cam surface n of the disc n
thereby allowing the spring bolt n to engage with another of the notches 1³ which will
be in position to receive it. The cam cylinder will then be turned another sixth of a
revolution and so on. It will therefore be seen that the movement of the cam cylinder
takes place only during the first part of each stroke of the engine, the said cam
cylinder remaining stationary during the rest of the stroke.
In order to prevent any further rotation of the cam cylinder by momentum or
friction with the disc n when disengaged from the said disc, we provide it with six
equidistant projections on its periphery each of which in turn comes against a spring
bolt or catch o, but when the said cam cylinder is again engaged with the disc n the
bolt o is caused to move out of engagement with the projections with which it is.
engaged by means of cam surfaces n¹³ on the disc n.
P: P are the ignition boxes one of which is attached to each of the chambers b
and . p, p' are the terminals between which the electric spark is produced. One
of the said ignition boxes is shown in section at figure 11. If it is desired to use an
explosive mixture which is poor in gas and which it would be difficult to ignite by

page_text: ordinary means, we provide for introducing pure gas into the boxes p, p in order
to enrich the explosive mixture therein prior to the explosion, so that when the
explosion takes place, the detonation thereof ignites the cylinder charge. We
advantageously introduce this charge by means of a small pump worked in any
suitable manner.
commutator
To effect the ignition of the combustible mixture at the proper time, we provide the
which is shewn in detail sectional elevation at figure 12. This
commutator consists of an endless band q' working over pulleys 9, 9, the pulley q
being provided with teeth or projections q which engage with holes q in the band
so as to impart a positive movement to the said band. The band gl has attached to it,
adjacent to its two edges, two cam pieces 78, 77 which serve when the band is actuated
to move under and operate the ends of two levers r, respectively so as to cause them
to complete an electric circuit through the terminals in the ignition boxes p, p.
b is the force pump which we provide for forcing the water into the power
cylinder and which is actuated from the crosshead 2 by a pin t working in a slot t¹
in the pump rod t against adjustable collars . The water passes from the pump
through the pipe s into the water chambers of the water heater a* where it receives
the waste heat from the exhaust products of combustion and steam which pass through
the tubes of the said water heater and into the atmosphere. The water then passes
from the water heater to the valves g, g as herein before described. By the use of the
adjustable collars we are enabled to alter the stroke of the pump rod and con-
sequently the pressure of the water.
u is the safety valve which is attached to the water chambers of the water
heater a* and serves to relieve the pressure of the water when it exceeds a
certain limit.
e is the governor which is connected to a gas throttle valve v' by rods v², v³, v for
controlling the admission of the gas to the engine, the said valve being driven by bevel
wheels from the main shaft d¹.
› .
The lubrication of the cylinder is effected by means of a lubricator w fixed on
the top of the power cylinder b as shewn in side elevation in Figures 1 and 2, plan
in Figure 3 and end elevation in Figure 13 which also shows a part transverse section
of the power cylinder. The lubricator w communicates with the interior of the power
cylinder b by means of four branch pipes w¹ for the purpose of distributing the
lubricant so as to more effectually lubricate the said power cylinder, one of the inlets w
being arranged so as to drop the lubricant onto the piston rod e¹ for the purpose
of lubricating the same as shewn clearly in Figures 2 and 13. The lubricant is drawn
into the power cylinder by the suction of the piston c. w³ is a cock on the lubricator
to regulate the flow of the lubricant.
The operation of our improved engine is as follows: that is to say, presuming the
parts of the engine to be in the position shewn in Figures 1, 2 and 3, if the fly wheel x
he revolved in the direction of the arrow, the valve communicating with the
chamber will be opened by its lever i being operated by the car m on the cam
cylinder so as to allow the gaseous mixture to be drawn into the said chamber
as the piston c moves forward in the power cylinder. At the same time that the said
valve is opened the exhaust valve communicating with the chamber b¹ is also
opened by the cam m¹* on the cam cylinder operating the lever * so as to allow
of the egress of the products of combustion previously generated in the said chamber.
The piston having completed one stroke will then commence to return and make a
second stroke by the momentumn of the fly wheel and at the same time the valve g
communicating with the chamber 61 will be opened by its lever ** being operated by
the cam m so as to allow a certain quantity of water to be sprayed into the said
chamber, the said water being instantly converted into steam which will then force
the piston to the other end of the power cylinder. This movement of the piston will
compress the gaseous mixture previously drawn in through the valve of the
chamber 6. The piston will again tend to move forward so as to make a third
stroke but at the commencement of its movement the cam piece q' of the commutator q
will operate the lovor r so as to complete the electric circuit in connection with the

page_text: ignition box p of the chamber 62 and thereby ignite the compressed gaseous mixture in
the said chamber, which will then drive the piston forward, the said piston driving out
the steam previously generated, through the exhaust valve f' of the chamber 6, the
said valve being operated by the cam m³ of the cam cylinder acting upon the
lever The operations just described are then repeated but not in connection
with the same ends of the power cylinder, that is to say, the piston draws in a
charge of gaseous mixture through the chamber & by a fourth stroke, returns and
compresses it by tlie fiftli stroke and ignites and expands it during the sixth stroke,
at the same time the piston forces out by the fourth stroke the products of combustion
generated during the third stroke in the chamber and draws in through the valve g
of the said chamber, a charge of sprayed water during the fifth stroke and exhausts
the resulting steam during the sixth stroke thus completing the cycle of operations
and so on.
The cams on the cam cylinder 1 for effecting the operations in connection with the
chamber as last described are shewn clearly in Figure 8 and will therefore need
no further description.
When the engine is to be worked with an explosive mixture composed of vaporized
hydro-carbon and air, or if it is to be enriched with hydro-carbon, the hydro-carbon
is vaporized by heat so that no deposit is formed in the cylinder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
(1.) In an engine operated by the explosion of an inflammable mixture, the
employment in combination with the power cylinder of a chamber or chambers in
which tho ignition of the inflammable mixture is effected such chamber or chambers
having arranged in connection with it or them means for introducing pure gas or
vapour to enrich the mixture therein, substantially in the manner, and for the purpose
specified.
(2.) The manufacture and use of the improved engine hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.