Improvements in Motors Adapted to be Operated by Explosives.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Aug, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 14th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 18th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Motors Adapted to be Operated by Explosives.
I, JOSEPH HENRI VICTOR STALLAERT, of Malines, in the Kingdom of Belgium,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
The motor constructed according to this invention is specially adapted for
operating screw propellers or paddles fitted to an air-balloon for the purpose of
assisting and directing its motion though it is also applicable to pleasure-boats and
the like purposes.
The apparatus consists mainly of a cylinder of cast-steel open at the top and
provided with a removable bottom-piece, a priming piston, a loading piston, a safety
valve, an escape valve, an automatic feed with its controlling plug, a winding-on
wheel, a winding-off wheel, and a centrifugal governor regulating the whole of the
motion.
The cylinder is vertically secured to a frame and within it moves a piston
receiving its upward motion from the expansion of the gas produced by an explosive
agent, preferably that known as "Paleine," which is free from danger and which
consists of a mixture of nitro-glycerine and nitro-cellulose or powdered and nitrified
straw.
Underneath the bottom of the cylinder and co-axial therewith or perpendicularly
to the axis of the motor is provided a small cylinder which may be integral with
the bottom-piece and within which a piston provided with a crown or ring is moved
upward by the lever-arms of the governor. In the lower part of the priming
cylinder as it is here termed there is an opening provided with a small screw valve
whereby the escape of air is regulated, the compressed air exercising a yielding
action similar to that of a spring. In the upper part of the priming-cylinder there
is another opening for the free escape of the air.
The loading piston is adapted to move horizontally within its cylinder one end of
the rod of this piston is connected by lever-arms with a cam connected and directly
co-operating with the governor, that is to say this cam is moved upwardly by the
centrifugal action of the balls of the governor. This cam is adapted to make the
loading piston travel a greater or less distance with a variable speed and thus to
enable it to receive more or less explosive matter in a recess provided for the
purpose in the piston rod on the say left hand or opposite side of the piston. This
left and end of the piston rod is provided with a leather cap or packing adapted
continuously to clean or clear the passage and throwing out if necessary through
the orifice of the safety valve into a suitable collector or reservoir, such matter as
may not have been automatically deposited within the conical inner chamber formed
by the bottom piece of the cylinder such chamber being hereinafter termed "the
exploding chamber."
Diagonally to the motor shaft and between the loader and the primer a slide
valve is adapted to move through the action of a spring of preferably cast and
tempered steel. The end of the valve rod receives motion through the medium of
a lever arm connected with a tubular or hollow shaft which in its turn communicates
with a cam secured to the vertical governor shaft there being on the same side
of the said shaft a lever connected by suitable rods to a disengaging valve.
The band or tape of fulminate of mercury is wound on or off as required, by
means of the wheels of the fulminate holder, one of which is provided with a ratchet
wheel with which engages a pawl pivoted to one of the before mentioned governor
operated lever arms and thereby connected to the primer lever. A small spring
preferably of cast steel which may be wound spirally causes when required the said

page_text: pawl to move one or more teeth or spaces of the wheel in a desired direction each
space corresponding to the distance between two successive fulminate centres.
Over the loader is arranged a metal reservoir in which a piston is adapted to
move vertically the rod of such piston being threaded at a pitch of preferably one
millimetre. Upon the said reservoir is arranged a gear wheel performing the office
of a perforated cover. Within the nave of this gear wheel is fitted a movable nut
which is rendered stationary by the insertion of a pin into a vertical opening
provided for the purpose. This pin is adapted to act as a nut and to tighten the
rod in place while if the rod be removed the nut becomes loose within the nave of
the gear wheel.
This gear wheel is set in motion by means of a tangential screw secured to a shaft
capable both of rotary and of lateral displacement and carrying a pitch wheel con-
nected with a pulley of similar construction mounted upon the main driving shaft
motion being transmitted from one to the other by means of a light pitch chain.
When the loader is filled, the fulminate of mercury tape having been previously
wound upon its carrying spindle by hand, one or two turns are imparted to the gear-
wheel. The shaft of the governor, being connected with the gear-wheel provided
When
with inclined teeth is thus moved with the same speed as the main shaft.
this takes place supposing the piston to be completing its downward stroke at the
time, the discharge valve opens and the safety-valve moves out of the way so as to
afford a passage for the loading piston which, while these two movements were
being performed, has in its turn taken up such a position that its recess is in front
of an orifice, so as to receive the explosive matter fed through such orifice, after it
has been delivered into the exploding chamber by a turn of the loader whereupon
the loader resumes its former position, the discharge and safety valves close again,
and the primer instantaneously comes into operation and in its return movement
carries away a wafer of fulminate, to place it against the perforated seat upon which
it will be struck when it is desired to fire the explosive, which the fulminate does
through a narrow opening or channel. There may be 60 explosions per minute,
or 120 for two cylinders. The cock enables the amount of explosive matter to be
predetermined, and it also serves to control the normal operation of the machine,
the maximum amount of explosive to be used at a pressure, of say, 8 atmospheres
being about 177 milligrammes. No injurious or nitrous gas is thereby produced,
provided the apparatus is properly constructed and kept in repair, and it requires
practically no attendance after it has once been started.
This motor is applicable to a variety of purposes.
It is most powerful and com-
paratively compact and light. Both the cost of its construction and the cost of
labour involved by the attendance it requires are considerably below the usual
expenditure occasioned by ordinary motor engines.
When it is desired to stop this engine it is sufficient to close the cock so as to cu
off the supply of explosive matter.
Dated this 14th day of August 1890.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Motors Adapted to be Operated by Explosives.
I, JOSEPH HENRI VICTOR STALLAERT, of Malines, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, 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 :-
These improvements relate to an engine having two cylinders preferably made
of cast steel.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying
drawing in which only the essential features of the invention are shown the

page_text: section being taken through the axis of one of the two cylinders. In each of
the cylinders A the piston Y is movable. Both of the cylinders and their
distributing and other mechanism being alike the following description of one
half of the engine will apply to both or either. The cylinder A is closed at
one end by a cover B in which is arranged the igniting device with its safety and
distributing attachments.
C is the igniting or firing piston.
Kis the explosion chamber.
L is the reservoir for containing the explosive material. In this reservoir a
shaft L' provided with stirring arms or blades L° at its lower end is arranged
to rotate.
M is the slide-valve or damper adapted for the distribution of the explosive
material.
The blades L° are pressed against the bottom surface of the distribution
cylinder L by a spiral spring L**. At each revolution of the main shaft of the
engine one of the blades Lo moves past the distributing orifice L and in so doing
moves along the quantity of explosive necessary for generating the required
amount of motive power which it leaves in front of the opening of the distributing
valve M.
This valve, according as its operating mechanism is adjusted, is capable of
performing longer or shorter strokes and also of moving slower or more rapidly as
the case may be so that the exact amount of H. P. necessary to perform the work
may be reliably secured.
The valve E is operated by the lever arms E¹ mounted upon the shaft or pivot E'
and receiving motion from the eccentric C secured to the governor shaft E.
Unlike other arrangements of an analogous nature the safety-valve here has for its
only object the temporary or periodical admission of explosive material from the
priming chamber D and the equally temporary cut-off of the gases produced, it
performing no part whatever in the distribution of explosive.
In the safety valve E is provided an orifice E through which passes the end of
the priming piston D2 fitted with a leather cap whereby the passage is cleaned ont
at each stroke and any excess of explosive material there may be, conveyed into
the orifice E of E. In this orifice are provided circular recesses.
The pruning piston D whenever it completes one fourth of the revolution about
its axis enables the explosive material contained in R to fall into the explosive
chamber K. Upon the lower portion of E there is a volute spring E' consisting
of a flat band of steel which directly after the priming piston D has completed
its stroke, moves the valve back to the position in which the explosive is allowed
to ignite. Its shape is such that the entrance of the gases which during the
explosion pass from D over R into the main reservoir L is prevented so that they
may follow their course undiminished and undisturbed.
The priming piston D is provided with two rods and operated by means of levers
and links from the governor-spindle D' the rod D³ following a spiral or worm
shaped groove.
..
As shown in the drawing a recess or chamber is formed in the cap or lid B on the
side opposite to D for the reception of the hammer G of the compressor. The
object of this hammer is to powerfully compress the explosive material as it is
introduced.
"
This compressor is particularly valuable where the explosive known as "paleine
is employed. This is a species of cellulose and is only capable of exploding
instantaneously in a firmly compressed condition. During the explosion the
compressor is held back within its chamber or recess.
This chamber is formed in the cover or lid B and the spindle of the compressing
hammer G is provided externally with a square to which is secured a toothed

page_text: wheel gearing with a toothed sector g* receiving motion from the governor-spindle
through the medium of suitable levers or links. The gases remaining after the
explosion will escape through the port g at each stroke of the hammer.
The firing or igniting piston C consists of a piston proper C' a lower piston
rod C and an upper piston rod C and it is adapted to be reciprocated by the
governor-spindle.
At a slot is arranged transversely to the cylindrical casing of the compressor
for the passage of an endless band or tape carrying caps or igniters arranged the
required distance apart and consisting of fulminate of mercury and its direction of
motion through the slot or passage is at right angles to or across the axis of the
cylinder. The upper end of C is so shaped that as the piston C rises one of
the igniters is forced out of the endless tape and caused to strike against the igniting
surface T when it explodes and ignites the charge in S.
In the upper part of the cylinder casing W the piston C is tightly fitted so as to
prevent any passage of air as it moves and the piston rod C" is similarly packed in
the cap or lid V.
Above the piston C in the casing W is provided a passage or port H and
a similar passage He is formed underneath. The upper passage communicates
with the external air while the lower is closed by means of a cock H which
is so adjusted that the gases escaping downwardly around the piston do so only
partly when the fulminate explodes so that a sort of air-cushion is formed
underneath the piston while above the same the gas may freely escape through H.
The engine may be arranged to work either vertically or horizontally.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what mauner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a motor worked by explosives a charging device consisting of a safety valve
by which explosive material is periodically admitted from the charging chamber
and the gases produced by the explosion are temporarily cut off and of a compressor
adapted to compress the explosive material after its admission but resting within a
recess provided in the wall of the explosive chamber before the explosion takes
place so that it closes the passage through which the gases arising from the
explosion tend to escape substantially as described.
2. In a motor worked by explosives the method of supplying the fulminate
necessary for igniting the charge by means of small plates caps or igniters placed
upon an endless tape or band which is carried in front of the firing piston at right
angles to its axis so that whenever the said firing piston operates one of the caps or
igniters is removed from the band or tape and by percussion caused to ignite the
explosive charge substantially as described.
3. In a motor worked by explosives the combination with the igniting device
described in the last preceding claim of two passages for the escape of gases one
above and one below the firing piston in the wall of the igniting chamber so that
the gases above the piston may at once freely escape into the atmosphere while by
shutting or throttling the lower passage by means of a regulating cock a cushion or
counter-pressure is produced acting upon the lower surface of the piston for the
purpose of intercepting or deadening the recoil when the igniter explodes
substantially as described.
4. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete motor
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
D
1 1001
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.