IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS ENGINES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Max Sombart, of the Firm of Buss, Sombart, and
Company, Engineers and Patent Agents, of Magdeburg, in the Empire of
Germany, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS ENGINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Max Sombart at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th January 1881.
CHARLES MAX SOMBART, of the Firm of Buss, Sombart, and Company, Engineers
and Patent Agents, of Magdeburg, in the Empire of Germany. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
GAS ENGINES."
The first part of my Invention relates to several improvements in the construction
of the so called Bisshop gas engine, consisting, firstly, in the separation of the slide
valve casing from the working cylinder; secondly, in removing the side valve
excentric to the rear end of the crank shaft bearing; and, thirdly, in the application
of a sieve like perforated disc in the air valve chamber.
These improvements have been made on account of the following reasons:-
1. When after some time of use the bore of the slide valve of the Bisshop gas
engine is worn out by the motion of the round slide or piston valve and has to ba
bored out again, it is required to dismount the whole engine and to remove the
working cylinder from its place, an operation which involves heavy expenses and a
considerable loss of time. Further, it may also happen that if the bore is worn
out to too great an extent, or any other integral part of it broken, the lower body
of the engine, viz., the working cylinder and piston valve casing, will have to be
replaced by a new piece.
In order to avoid these inconveniences the piston valve casing is made separate,
so that it can be easily fixed to and taken off from the working cylinder.
The piston valve casing is of the same shape as the boss cast to the cylinder of
the old type of Bisshop gas engines, and screwed to a faced surface on the cylinder
by means of screw studs. In order to prevent as much as possible the transmission
of heat from the working cylinder to the piston valve casing the faced surface on
the latter is formed of annular projections, which leave between them and the
corresponding face of the cylinder sufficient clearance to admit of the air passing
through, thus keeping the valve casing sufficiently cool.
2. In the Bisshop gas engine the mode of journalling the crank shaft is very

page_text: defective; the bearing being slotted for the reception of the piston valve eccentric
involves several disadvantages. The first consists in the fact that one part of the
bearing bracket receives a smaller bearing surface than the adjacent part, and will
therefore sooner be worn out than the latter, the more as it is to sustain the greatest
part of the direct shock of the crank. In consequence of this it is also very liable
to breakage by the bending strain, thus when broken down involving the replace-
ment of the whole top part of the engine. Furthermore, the mode of fixing the
eccentric upon the crank shaft between these two bearing parts is not reliable, as
the eccentric could not be kept sufficiently fast by means of the set screw, by which
it had to be formerly fixed to ensure a continued invariable position of the eccentric
in relation to the slide or piston valve.
In order to obviate the last inconvenience and to obtain a bracket of greater
resistance, as well as a continuous bearing surface for the crankshaft, the eccentric
is removed to the rear end of the bearing. In this case the connection of the
eccentric with the fly wheel is effected by means of a pin engaging a hole in the
nave of the latter, and serving as a driver; thus an invariable position in respect
to the crank may easily and exactly be secured. Its motion is transmitted to the
piston valve by means of an eccentric rod, a double armed lever, and valve rod. In
securing the eccentric rod to the eccentric by means of two nuts means are provided
for altering or exactly adjusting the relative position of the piston valve to the
eccentric.
The last improvement of the first part of my Invention relates to the application
of a finely perforated iron disc in the air valve chamber for the purpose of
preventing the india rubber disc from being so easily burnt or destroyed by the
flame from the explosion. The iron disc contains fine holes arranged in several
concentric circles, and is placed just behind the plate which limits the lift of the
india rubber disc. This perforated disc affords the requisite passage for the
entrance of air, but deadens the vehemency of the back flame at the moment of
the explosion, so that the caoutchouc of which the air valve is composed is not
softened and destroyed to such an extent as was previously the case.
The second part of my Invention relates to a self acting regulating apparatus
for these gas engines, which however may be used in connection with other gas
engines of a similar type or system.
This apparatus may be conveyed anywhere and connected to any engine by a
driving cord. Essentially it consists of a common centrifugal governor acting upon
a slide valve, in such a manner that at the normal working of the engine this valve
supplies only the quantity of gas necessary for the engine to develope the normal
effective power. If the engine is running faster or slower by reason of any
circumstance this valve will, according to a greater or smaller angle of separation
of the balls, reduce or increase the passage for the flow of gas.
For this purpose any centrifugal governor may be used as regulator.
A centrifugal governor may be arranged, for example, on a horizontal spindle
journalled in the bosses of the frame, and connected to the gas engine by a cord or
belt for being put into rotation. A spiral spring is placed on the said horizontal
spindle between a nut and the sleeve, and has the tendency to keep or to bring the
balls of the governor in their smallest circle of revolution. As the resistance of the
spiral spring or the pressure upon the sleeve is increased by screwing up the nut
on a threaded part of the said spindle towards the said sleeve, a regulation of the
number of revolutions and of the energy of the governor is obtained within certain
limits.
The reciprocating motion of the sleeve is transmitted to two levers, and through
a curved slotted arm placed upon the same rocking shaft, and by means of a link
to a lever fixed on the spindle of the oscillating disc, which in common with the
similarly shaped slide face constitute the chief parts of the regulating valve of the
supply of gas.
It will be thus easily understood that the oscillating motion of
the disc depends on the amount of displacement of the sleeve on the governor
spindle.

page_text: This regulating valve consists of a casing containing two separate chambers,
which are closed by a common partition forming the slide face of the oscillating
disc. This partition, as well as the disc, may be provided either with one or
several slots or with round openings, which are on both parts equally distributed
and arranged in a concentric circle of the same diameter. When these openings
coincide the communication between the two chambers is established by a free
space obtained by the vaulted cover of the valve casing. The surface of the
oscillating disc being cast in one piece with its spindle, as well as that of the said
partition, are made so as to fit tightly one upon the other, and to prevent any
escape of gas through these faced surfaces the disc is constantly pressed against its
seat by a spiral spring.
Opposite this regulating valve there is adapted a cock, which being connected
to the lower part of the frame is in communication with the valve by means of a
channel. The branch of this cock carries the gas supply pipe, which passes
through a chamber. This pipe is divided into two spaces by a plug, which spaces
communicate with each other through holes in the walls of the pipe and the
interior of the chamber. The gas entering the upper space of the pipe flows
through the holes into the chamber, thence into the lower space of the said pipe
through the holes to pass through the cock and channel to one of the chambers of
the valve casing. From this chamber it will flow through the openings of the
valve, and its seat being more or less opened by the governor according to the
working of the engines into the space, and the other chamber of the casing in
order to be introduced into the gas engine by means of a caoutchouc tube put over
the nozzle of the regulating valve.
In order to provide for a regular working of this regulating apparatus, not only
in applying it to several sizes of gas engines, but even to the same engine working
under a different gas pressure, the extent of oscillating motion of the valve in
relation to the displacement of the sleeve, or the amount of covering and opening
the holes in the valve seat may be regulated.
To this end the curved arm or lever which is operated in unison with the sleeve
is provided with a circular slot, having the length of the connecting link as radius,
in which slot a bolt at one end of the link is arranged to slide and to be fixed in
any position. The link is connected by a lever with the valve spindle, as herein-
before described; by adjusting therefore the bolt and fixing it, say, at the outer
or inner end of the slot, the extent of oscillating motion of the valve will be
increased or reduced at equal displacements of the sleeve.
It should however be remarked that the position of the curved lever in relation
to the levers connected with the sleeve is arranged in such a manner that when
the governor occupies its highest position the lever on the valve spindle will not
the least alter its original place while sliding the bolt through the segmental slot
of the lever. If now the gas engine be of greater effective power, or the gas
pressure be lower than usually for a certain engine, the bolt should be placed
so as to perform a longer or smaller stroke just as required. In the first case the
holes of the valve seat will be entirely, and in the second case only partially opened.
However, the course which the governor sleeve is to perform from both its end
positions in order to open the holes entirely and to close them entirely, or to open
only a certain fractional part of these holes and to close them also to the determined
fractional passage, will be exactly the same as if there were small holes instead
of large holes to be completely opened and closed at a complete stroke of the
governor sleeve.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles Max Sombart in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th June 1881.
CHARLES MAX SOMBART, of the Firm of Buss, Sombart, and Company, Engineers
and Patent Agents, of Magdeburg, in the Empire of Germany. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
GAS ENGINES."
The first part of my Invention relates to several improvements in the construction
of the so called Bisschop gas engine, consisting, firstly, in the separation of the
slide valve casing from the working cylinder; secondly, in removing the slide valve
eccentric to the rear end of the crank shaft bearing; and, thirdly, in the application
of a sieve like perforated disc in the air valve chamber.
These improvements having been made on account of the reasons which will
hereinafter be referred to.
The second part of my Invention relates to the use of self acting governing
or regulating apparatus for these gas engines or other gas engines of similar type.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Sheet of Drawings represent a vertical and
part transverse section, respectively of an ordinary Bisschop's gas motor engine for
shewing the various parts as hitherto used.
Figures 3, 4, and 5 represent respectively part vertical, transverse, and longi-
tudinal sections, of a similar type of gas engine with my improvements applied
thereto.
Figures 6 and 7 shew a plan, sectional plan, and sectional elevation, respectively
of the separate slide valve casing constructed according to my Invention.
Figure 8 is a part longitudinal section to a large scale of such separate slide case
for shewing the relation of the air inlet valve and perforated protecting plate
arranged according to another part of my Invention.
Figures 9, 10, and 11 represent respectively a front elevation, vertical section,
and sectional plan of my automatic gas regulating apparatus.
And Figures 12, 13, and 14 shew respectively to an enlarged scale a front
sectional elevation with cover removed, longitudinal and transverse section of the
gas regulating valve and its casing arranged and constructed according to my
Invention.
When, after some time of use, the bore of the slide valve of the Bisschop gas
engine, the class and construction of which engine is now well known and
represented in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings at Figures 1 and 2, is worn
out by the motion of the round slide or piston valve and has to be bored out again,
it is required to dismount the whole engine and to remove the working cylinder
from its place, an operation which involves heavy expenses and a considerable loss
of time. Further, it may also happen that if the bore is worn out to great extent,
or any other integral part of it broken, the lower body of the engine, videlicet,
the working cylinder and piston valve casing, will have to be replaced by a new
piece.
In order to avoid these inconveniences the piston valve casing is made separate
so that it can be easily fixed to and taken off from the working cylinder, as shown
attached to a gas engine in vertical, transverse, and longitudinal section respectively
at 3, 4, and 5 of the accompanying Drawings, and separate at Figures 6 and 7 in
plan, sectional plan, and sectional side elevation respectively.
The piston valve casing B is of the same shape as the boss cast to the cylinder
of the old type of Bisschop gas engine, and screwed to a faced surface on the
cylinder by means of screw studs. In order to prevent as much as possible the

page_text: transmission of heat from the working cylinder to the piston valve casing B, the
surface a on the latter is formed of annular projections (see Figure 7), which leave
between them and the corresponding face of the cylinder A, Figure 4 and 5,
sufficient clearance to admit of the air passing through, thus keeping the valve
casing sufficiently cool.
In the Bisschop gas engine the mode of journalling the crank shaft is very
defective, for the bearing being slotted for the reception of the piston valve eccentric,
as shewn at Figure 2, involves several disadvantages; the first consists in the fact
that the part 6 of the bearing bracket receives a smaller bearing surface than
the adjacent part c, and will therefore sooner be worn out than the latter, and the
more so as it has to sustain the greatest part of the direct shock of the crank. In
consequence of the defects above referred to it is also very liable to breakage by
the unequal bending strain, and which, if occurring, involves the replacement of
the whole top part of the engine; furthermore, the mode of fixing the eccentric
upon the crank shaft between these two bearing parts b and c is not reliable, as the
eccentric can not be kept sufficiently fast by means of the set screw o, shewn in
Figure 1 of the Drawings, by which it had to be formerly fixed to insure a continued
invariable position in relation to the slide or piston valve.
In order to obviate the last inconvenience, and to obtain a bracket of greater
resistance, as well as a continuance of bearing surface for the crank shaft, the
eccentric is removed to the rear end of the bearing, as will be clearly seen at
Figure 4 of the Drawings. In this case the necessary connection of the eccentric C
with the fly wheel is effected by means of a pin i, shewn in Figure 3, which passes
into a hole in the nave of the latter and serves as a driver, by which means an
invariable position in respect to the crank may easily and exactly be secured. Its
motion is transmitted to the piston valve by means of an eccentric rod, a double
armed lever e, and valve rod f, as represented at Figures 3 and 4. For securing
the eccentric rod d to the eccentric C, two nuts are provided, which also serve
to alter or exactly adjust the relative position of the piston valve to the
eccentric.
The part of my Invention which relates to the application of a finely perforated
iron disc in the air valve chamber for the purposes of preventing the india rubber
disc from being so easily burnt or destroyed by the flame from the explosion as
hitherto, is illustrated by a part vertical section to an enlarged scale at Figure 8 of
the Drawings. The iron disc g contains fine holes arranged in several concentrical
circles, and is placed just behind the plate h which limits the lift of the india
rubber disc.
This perforated disc g affords the requisite passage for the entrance of air whilst
obstructing the return of the flame at the moment of the explosion, so that the
caoutchouc of which the air valve is composed is not softened or deteriorated to
such an extent as was previously the case.
In order to prevent the flame of the igniter J from unduly heating the working
cylinder, there is adopted a species of chimney O, Figure 3, which, standing quite
isolated, conducts away the flame and heat respectively from the exterior of the
cylinder. The top of the chimney, which is separate and put upon the latter, is
surmounted with a wire gauze cover, so that the flame is prevented from escaping
from the chimney.
The second part of my Invention relates to an automatic governor or self acting
regulating apparatus for these gas engines, but which however may be used in
connection with other gas engines of a similar type or class.
This apparatus, as shown in front elevation, vertical section, and plan at
Figures 9, 10, and 11 of the Drawings, may be conveyed anywhere and connected
to any such gas engine by a driving cord or equivalent connection; essentially it
consists of a common centrifugal governer acting upon a slide valve in such a
manner that at the normal working of the engine, this valve supplies only the
quantity of gas necessary for the engine to develope the normal effective power.
But if the engine is running faster or slower by reason of any circumstance this

page_text: valve will, according to a greater or smaller angle of separation of the balls, reduce
or increase the passage for the flow of gas.
A centrifugal governer B in Figures 9, 10, and 11, may be arranged, for example,
on a horizontal spindle which is journalled in the side bosses of the frame A and
connected to the crank shaft of the gas engine by a cord or belt for the purpose of
receiving rotary motion of a corresponding relative velocity. A spiral spring C (is
placed on the said horizontal spindle between the nut p and the sleeve Ĺ) and has
the tendency to keep or to bring the balls of the governer in their smallest circle of
revolution. As the resistance of the spiral spring C or the pressure upon the
sleeve L is increased by screwing up the nut p on a threaded part of the said
spindle towards the said sleeve, a regulation of the number of revolutions and
of the energy of the governor is obtained within certain limits.
The rectilinear reciprocating motion of the sleeve L is transmitted to two
levers a, a, and through the curved slotted arm 6 placed upon the same rocking
shaft, and by means of the link c to the lever d fixed on the spindle r of the
oscillating disc v, which in common with the similarly shaped slide face constitute
the chief parts of the regulating valve for the supply of gas. It will be thus
easily understood that the oscillating motion of the disc depends on the amount
of displacement of the sleeve L on the governor spindle.
This regulating valve, which is separately represented in detail by a sectional
plan, vertical and longitudinal section, respectively to an enlarged scale in the Figures
12, 13, and 14, of the Drawings, and consists of a casing R containing two separated
chambers H and K, which are closed by a common partition x forming the slide
face of the oscillating disc valve v. This portion, as well as the disc v, may be
provided either with one or more circular apertures or radial slots o, o, as shown
on the Drawings, which are in both parts equally distributed and concentrically
arranged to the same diameter or gauge similar to a grid iron valve; when these
openings o coincide the communication between the two chambers H and K is
established by a free space J, obtained by the curved or convex cover S of the
valve casing R. The surface of the oscillating disc grid valve v, which is cast in one
piece with its spindle r, and that of the said partition x are made so as to fit tightly
one upon the other, so as to prevent any escape of gas through their surfaces, the
disc valve being constantly pressed against its seat by a spiral spring J¹ as shown.
Opposite this regulating valve there is adapted a cock F, as shown in Figures 10
and 11, which being connected to the lower part of the frame A is in communication
with the disc valve v by means of a channel k; the branch of this cock carries the
gas supply pipe f which passes through the chamber G; this pipe is divided in its
length into two spaces by a plug or baffle of cork e, which spaces communicate with
each other through holes i, i, in the walls of the pipe and the interior of the
chamber G.
The gas entering the upper space of the pipe f flows through the holes i into the
chamber G by the interruption of the baffle plug e, and thence back into the lower
space of the said pipe through the holes i, in order to pass through the cock f, and
channel to the chambers H of the valve casing R; from this chamber it will
flow through the openings o of the valve v, and its grid openings being more or
less opened by the governor according to the working of the engine, so as to effect
the requisite communication between the space J and the other chamber K of the
casing, and the gas is thence conducted to the gas engine by means of a caoutchouc
tube fitted to the nozzle m of the regulating valve tube.
In order to provide for a more universally regular working of this regulating or
governing apparatus, not only as applied to several sizes of gas engines, but also to
the same or similar engines working under different gas pressures, the extent of
oscillating motion of the disc valve v in relation to the displacement of the sleeve L
or the amount of covering and opening the holes o in the water seat x may be
suitably regulated in the following manner :-The curved arm or lever b, shown in
side elevation at Figure 9 of the Drawings, which is operated in unison with the
sleeve L is provided with a circular or curved slot having the length of the

page_text: connecting link c as radius, in which slot an adjustable screw bolt t at one end
of the link is arranged to slide, and to be fixed in any required position. The
link c is connected by the lever d with the valve spindle r. By adjusting therefore
the bolt t, and fixing it, say, at the outer or inner end of the slot, the extent of
oscillating motion of the valve v will be increased or reduced at equal displacements
of the sleeve L.
It should however be remarked that the position of the curved lever b in relation
to the levers a, a, connected with the sleeve L, is arranged in such a manner that
when the governer occupies its highest position the lever d or the valve spindle "
will not the least alter its original place while sliding the bolt t through the
segmental or curved slot of the lever b. If now the gas engine be of greater
effective power or the gas pressure be lower than usually for a certain engine, the
bolt t should be placed so as to perform a longer or shorter stroke just as required.
In the first place the holes o of the valve seat x will be entirely, and in the second
case only partially opened. However the course which the governer sleeve L is to
perform from both its end positions in order to open the holes o entirely and to
close them entirely, or to open only a certain fractional part of these holes o and
to close them also to the determined fractional passage, will be exactly the same
as if there were small holes instead of large holes o to be completely opened and
closed at a complete stroke of the governer sleeve L.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is,―
First. Constructing the slide valve casing of gas engines of the kind herein before
referred to independent of the working cylinder, so that they may be kept cooler
and readily attached or disconnected, substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before described and illustrated in Figures 3 to 7 inclusive of the accompanying
Drawings.
Second. The peculiar arrangement of eccentric and adjustable valve gear
arranged at the end of the crank shaft in connection with the fly wheel of
the gas engine, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and
illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying Drawings.
Third. The use of a perforated dise or plate, so arranged in combination with
the air chamber and india rubber disc inlet valve as to prevent deterioration of
the latter by the action of the gas charge' igniting flame at the moment of the
explosion, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 4 and 8
of the Drawings.
Fourth. Gas motor regulating or governing apparatus, consisting of of a centrifugal
governor in combination with the arrangement of levers, link, and adjusting curved
slotted coupling lever connected with the throttle valve of the gas supply, and
capable of compensating adjustment according to the size or power of the engine to
which it is applied, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
Figures 9, 10, and 11 of the Drawings.
Fifth. The construction and arrangement of gas regulating or throttle valve in
combination with the regulating apparatus before referred to, whereby the extent of
oscillating motion and sectional area of the gas supply is controlled, substantially as
herein before described and illustrated in Figures 9 to 14 inclusive of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Max Sombart, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, this Twenty fourth day of June, One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
CHARLES MAX SOMBART. (L.S.)