Year: 1897

page_text: I, ALEXANDER WINTON, of 37, Bolton Place, Cleveland, in the County of
Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, Inventor and Mechanical Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My present invention has for its object improvements in explosive engines, in
which gasoline is used for producing the explosive compound, though so far as
the operative parts of the engine are concerned, ordinary gas may be used instead.
According to my present invention I provide a box in which the operating parts
of the engine are enclosed, the said box adapted to contain oil, thus surrounding
the working parts of the engine with a lubricant. The cylinder is of the ordinary
construction having one end opening into the said oil-box, and through this open
end the pitman extends and is connected to a crank carried by the drive-shaft
which extends transversely through the said box. Situated in this box is a
train of gearing, through the medium of which a sparker operating lever is recip-
rocated. In turn this sparker operating lever operates a sparker at the proper
time for exploding the explosive mixture which is drawn into the explosive
chamber of the cylinder in the ordinary manner.
An important part of my invention pertains to providing a valve for closing
the inlet port to the explosive chamber, and having the said valve connected to a
controller which regulates the flow of gasoline or other explosive material the
said arrangement being such that when the valve opens the explosive compound
is permitted to flow into a chamber and from this chamber through the inlet
port, and when the said valve is closed the flow of explosive compound or mixture
is entirely cut off. Another feature of my present invention pertains to pro-
viding a spring portion between the sparker and its operating mechanism, and
between the valve and the mixture controller. This construction will permit
the taking up of wear occasioned at the sparker and at the controller, and always
insure an absolute contact and a perfect cutting off of the explosive mixture.
In the operation of the engine, the working parts churn the oil continuously
causing it to splash around, and it is essential that there should be an escape for
accumulated gases in the oil-box or chamber. This I accomplish by means of a
return pipe, which permits the escape of the gases while it conveys all of the
escaping oil back to the box.
The above described construction has been used also in connection with a
double cylinder engine, the box being sufficiently large to permit two cylinders
to open therein, both having pitmans connected to a single driving shaft. In this

page_text: instance the driving shaft is caused to operate two sparker mechanisms, as will
be readily understood.
The construction is also such that the sparking operating mechanism also
serves to actuate the outlet port valve to permit the escape of the products of
combustion after the explosion has occurred.
Dated this 21st day of January 1897.
Improvements in Explosion Engines.
I, ALEXANDER WINTON, of 37, Bolton Place, Cleveland, in the County of
Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, Inventor and Mechanical Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
-
My invention relates to improvements in Explosive Engines, and pertains more
particularly to that class of explosive engines in which gasoline is used from
which to generate the explosive compound.
My present improvement pertains to an improved form of electric sparker, and
controller for the hydro-carbon fluid, and in the general assemblage and con-
struction of the several elements which combine to produce a complete engine.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view taken on the dotted line 1-1 of Fig. 3.
Fig. 2 is an elevation partly in section looking in the drection indicated by
arrow in Fig. 3.
Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the engine.
Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view showing the vibrating plate or gland carried
by the sparker rod.
Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the operating end of the lever for
actuating the sparker.
Fig. 6 is a similar view but showing the parts in a different relative position.
I here show a double or two-cylinder engine, though the several parts and
elements hereinafter described are equally applicable to a single engine as will
fully appear hereinafter, and I also here show and prefer to have all working
parts of the engine enclosed within an oil-tight casing.
Referring now to the drawings, 1 indicates a chamber which is oil-tight, having
a reduced extension 5, which is formed into two cylinders, in which the piston
heads 6 work in the usual manner.
The drive shaft 3 extends transversely through the oil-tight chamber 1, ap-
proximately at its centre, and directly below the centre of the cylinders formed
by the extension 5. The drive shaft 3 is provided with two cranks connected
with the pistons respectively through the medium of the pitman 7.
The outer ends of the cylinders are provided with exhaust ports controlled by
the valves 21, said valves having elongated stems 20 extending down into the
oil-tight chamber through the offset or shoulder formed by the reduced extension 5.
The inner or lower end of the stems 20 are provided with rollers 19, and above
the rollers are situated springs a which serve to normally hold the valves to their
seats as represented in Fig. 1.

page_text: Each cylinder is provided with a sparker consisting of the stationary contact 53
and the movable contact 52 electrically connected to a battery in the usual
manner. An endwise moving rod 24 is connected at its upper end with the outer:
end of the contact 23 which is intermediately pivoted at the point 51 as shown,
the opposite and lower end of the rod 24 passing through an elongated opening 27.
made in the upper wall of the oil-tight chamber 1. A plate or gland 26 closes
this opening 27, and is held in position by means of screws 35, the said screws
passing through slots in the plate which permit the plate to move or slide in the
direction of the length of the elongated slot 27. The lower end of the rod 24
passes through this plate 26 and moves up and down independent thereof. A
stop bis arranged on the rod 24 to limit the downward movement of the rod
under the tension of the spring 28. The spring 30 has its inner end connected
with the rod 24 and its outer end connected to a bracket 29, the tension of the
spring being to hold the lower end of the rod normally to the outer end of the
elongated slot 27 as will be readily understood.
A lever 14 is provided at each side of the oil-tight casing 1, whereby a lever is
provided for each cylinder, for operating its respective sparker as will presently
appear. The levers are pivoted at the point 15 upon opposite walls of the casing 1,
and the upper ends of these levers are directly under the inwardly projecting ends
of the rod 24. These rods 24 form operating members for the sparkers, and the
lower ends of the rods are preferably rounded in cross-section and slightly tapered
to engage the grooves c made in the upper faces of the cam-shaped ends 16 of
the levers 14. Secured to a shaft 11 extending transverse the oil-tight chamber
are the gears which are operatively connected and driven by the drive shaft
through the medium of the gears 9 and 10. Upon the shaft 11 adjacent the
gear wheels are the eccentrics 12, one end of the pitman 13 surrounding the said
eccentric, its opposite end being pivotally connected to the levers 14 intermediate
their ends as clearly shown in Fig. 1. From this description it will be seen that
the shaft in its rotation rotates the gears d and the levers 14 are correspondingly
reciprocated for the purpose of operating the sparker actuating members 24. The
inner edges of the upper ends of the levers 14 are inclined as shown, so that after
the levers have been forced outward and the actuating members 24 moved upward
to cause a contact of the contact points 52 and 53 the rod will then drop downward
behind the inner edge of the lever 14 as shown in dotted lines Fig. 1. The
lever 14 cannot move inward except that the end of the rod 24 is moved laterally,
and this lateral movement is caused through the medium of the inclined edge of
the upper end of the lever 14. The springs 30 and 28 respectively cause a down-
ward and lateral pressure upon the lower end of the rod for the purpose of causing
it to assume its normal position after being operated either upward or laterally by
the end of the lever 14, thus assuming the proper position to again engage the
groove in the upper cam-shaped end of the lever 14. The sparker actuating
member or rod 24 is reduced intermediate its ends and bent laterally into essen-
tially a U-shaped spring portion 25. The object of this spring portion is that
before the end of the rod 24 has travelled the entire length of the cam 16 of the
lever 14, the contacts or electroids will be in contact, and the further upward
movement of the rod 24 in traversing the remainder of the cam 16 is taken up
by the spring 25. This always insures an absolute and positive contact of the
sparker, and also takes up any wear which may occur in the sparker, always
assuming a reliable contact of the electroids as will be readily understood.
The cylinders are provided with the usual water-jacket 23 and this water-
jacket is connected through the medium of a pipe or pipes 38 with the water-
jacket 37 surrounding the carburetting chamber 36. Water is fed through
these jackets and out an outlet pipe 54, this arrangement serving to keep the
carburetting chamber 36 warm, and preventing condensation of the hydro-carbon
vapor which would otherwise occur from the cooling of the chamber 36. The
inner ends of the carburetting chamber 36 (of which there is one for each
cylinder) are connected with the inlet ports of the explosion chambers, and the

page_text: outer ends of the carburetting chambers are provided with air inlet pipes 39.
A gasoline or other fluid chamber 43 is connected through the medium of pipes 41
with the nozzles 40 forming gasoline exits within the air pipes 39. The com-
munication of the fluid from the tank to the nozzles 40 is preferably interrupted
through the medium of the valves 42 and 44 for the purpose of regulating the
fluid or of cutting it off entirely.
The valve 50 controls the inlet port for the explosive compound to the explosion
chamber and is provided with an extended stein 47, the outer end of which is
provided with a guide or piston-head 49 moving in a short cylinder 60, and
situated between this head 49 and the inner wall of the cylinder 60 is a spring 48
serving to normally hold the valve seated as will be readily understood.
A valve or controller 45 passes through one wall of the air-pipe 39 and is
seated at the exit of the nozzle 40. This controller 45 is connected with the
extended end of the valve stem through the medium of a connection 46 which
is here shown as being essentially U-shaped in form, and thus constituting it a
spring. The action of this spring is to cause the controller 45 to seat itself before
the valve 50 is entirely closed so that the further movement of the valve is taken
up by the spring 46, and this insures always a perfect seating of the valve or
controller 45 at the gasoline entrance, and also serves as a means for taking up
any wear of the seat or the controller as will be readily understood.
From the above description it will be noted that when the valve 50 is opened
by the suction of the piston head 6, the controller 45 is withdrawn from the
gasoline exit, thus admitting a spray of gasoline into the air pipe and at the
same time the piston 6 causes a suction through the air pipe and through the
carburetter 36, which carries the mixed gas and air to the explosion chamber of
the cylinder ready to be exploded as will be readily understood.
It will also be noted that the gear wheel which is driven by the drive shaft,
effects the operation of the sparkers and the exhaust valves through positive con-
nections, which produces absolute timing and reliable operation of those elements
which are so necessary to the proper operation of an explosive engine. The
chamber is filled with oil to about its centre, and the oil being churned by the
operating mechanism situated within this chamber, and there being some escape
of gases from the productions of combustion in the explosion chamber it is neces-
sary to furnish an escape for the gases which accumulate in this chamber. I
provide this escape in a simple manner, by essentially a U-shaped connection
consisting of the two elbows or arms 32 and 33 in the form of pipes, the one 33
having communication with the chamber 1, below the level of the oil, and the
communication 32 at a point practically above the oil level. The main stem or
leg 31 of this communication which is essentially U-shaped in form has an air
escape 34. The air or gas which accumulates in this chamber 1 escapes and
passes upward through the communication 34 as shown by arrow, while any oil
which may splash through or otherwise enter the communication 32 will pass
downward into the chamber 1 again.
The exhaust passes out through the pipe 22, and the exhaust port is regulated
by the valve 21, the stem of said valve passing downward through the extension 5,
with its lower extremity within the box 1. A wheel 19 is carried on the lower
end of the valve stem, and the shaft 11 carries a cam or projection 18, which
strikes the wheel of the valve stem at each revolution thereof, thus serving to
force the stem upward and unseat the valve to permit an escape of the exhaust.
The projection or cam 18 is carried by the shaft 11 as before stated, and this
same shaft carries an eccentric 12 for reciprocating the lever 14 that actuates
the sparker, as previously described. It will be noticed that the projection 18 is
at the opposite side of the shaft 11 from the cam 12, or in other words operates
the valve in opposition to the operation of the sparker, to permit the escape of the
products of combustion or exhaust at the proper time.
The sparker and exhaust valve being operated by the same shaft, they are
always operated in proper time.

page_text: The above engine is adapted for many purposes, and is particularly adapted
for use upon a motor-vehicle, and instead of being a double engine, the parts are
equally adapted to a single engine as will be readily understood without departing
from the spirit of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. An explosive engine comprising an oil-tight chamber having a cylinder pro-
jecting therefrom with its inner end opening into said chamber, a piston head
within the cylinder, a drive shaft passing through said chamber, a connection
between the piston head and said shaft, an exhaust valve situated outside of said
box and provided with an extension passing through said box with one end therein,
an igniter situated outside of said box and provided with an extension passing
through said box with one end therein, and actuating mechanisms for said valve
and igniter extensions situated within said box and engaging them, said mechan-
isms operatively connected with said drive shaft, substantially as described.
2. An explosive engine comprising an oil-tight chamber having a reduced
extension fashioned into a cylinder having its inner end in communication with
said chamber, an exhaust valve for said cylinder and an igniter, actuating members
therefor projecting into said chamber through the offset formed by said reduced
extension, a drive shaft within said chamber, a piston-head within said cylinder
connected with the drive shaft, and operating mechanisms connected with the drive
shaft and situated within said chamber directly below said offset for engaging the
said valve and igniter actuating members, substantially as described.
3. An explosive engine having an oil-tight box actuating mechanisms situated
therein, and an escape for the gases comprising a plurality of communications with
said chamber, one practically above and the other practically below the oil level
of the chamber, the upper communication opening to the atmosphere, substantially
as described.
4. An explosive engine having an oil-tight chamber containing oil, actuating
mechanisms situated within said chamber, and an escape for said chamber com-
prising an essentially U-shaped pipe having one end in communication with the
chamber practically above and the other below the oil level of said chamber,
and an escape for said communication above the oil level, substantially as
described.
5. An explosive engine comprising an oil-tight chamber, a driving mechanism
situated therein, an igniter, an elongated opening in the wall of said chamber, an
igniter actuating member passing through said opening and having an up and
down and horizontal reciprocating movements in said opening, a plate covering
said opening and through which said actuating member reciprocates vertically,
and means for holding the plate against vertical movement but permitting a
horizontal movement thereof, substantially as described.
6. A. sparker having a yielding actuating member, tending to hold the contacts
together, substantially as described.
7. A sparker having an actuating member yieldable in the direction of move-
ment and tending to hold the contacts together, substantially as described.
8. A sparker having an actuating member provided with an intermediate
yielding portion forcing the contacts together, substantially as described.
9. A sparker comprising relatively movable or separable contacts, an actuating
and releasing member, and a yielding connection between said contacts and the
actuating and releasing member, substantially as described.
10. A sparker comprising relatively separable contacts an actuating and releas-
ing member for said contacts; and a connection between said contacts and the
actuating and releasing member, the connection longitudinally yieldable for the
purpose described.

page_text: 11. A sparker having an actuating member movable at one end in two direc-.
tions, and an operating member therefor having vertical and horizontal cam
surfaces which move the actuating member in its two directions, substantially as
described.
12. A sparker having an actuating member movable in two directions, and
an operating lever therefor moving across the actuating member, the lever having
a curbed end for moving the member in one direction, and an inclined edge for
moving the member in the other direction, substantially as described.
13. A sparker having an actuating member inovable longitudinally, and trans-
versely at its free end, a reciprocating lever reciprocating transverse the free end
of the member, the lever having its end formed into a cam for moving the
member longitudinally, and its edge inclined for engaging and moving the free
end of the member transversely, substantially as described.
14. A. sparker having an actuating member movable transversely and longi-
tudinally, and an operating lever therefor situated at and reciprocating transverse
the end of the member, said lever having its end provided with a grooved cam for
receiving the end of the member and moving it longitudinally, and its edge
inclined for moving it transversely, substantially as described.
15. In an explosive engine the combination of a sparker having an actuating
member, an operating lever for said member, a drive shaft, and a second lever
having one end operatively connected with the first mentioned lever intermediate
its ends, substantially as described.
16. In an explosive engine the combination of a drive shaft, a sparker and an
exhaust valve, a rotating member driven by the drive shaft, a valve cam and a
sparker cam carried by and arranged in opposition upon said rotating member, for
the
purpose described.
17. In an explosive engine, the combination of a drive shaft, a sparker, an
exhaust valve, a gear operatively connected with the drive shaft, the gear carrying
an arm for actuating the valve, and an eccentric and pitman actuated by the
eccentric for operating the sparker, substantially as described.
18. In an explosive engine, the combination of a drive shaft, a sparker an
exhaust valve, a gear operatively connected with the drive shaft, a lever pivoted
at one end and having its free end operating the said sparker, a pitman having
one end driven by the said gear and its opposite end connected with the lever,
and a cam or arm operated by said gear for actuating the exhaust valve, sub-
stantially as described.
19. A gasoline explosive engine comprising an explosive chamber, an explosive
inlet port, a valve controlling said port, a gasoline exit, and a controller for said
exit port connected directly with said valve, substantially as described.
20. A gasoline engine comprising an explosive chamber, an inlet port therefor,
a gasoline exit, and a yielding controller for said exit connected with said valve
and tending to close said exit, substantially as described.
21. A gasoline engine comprising an explosion chamber, having an inlet port,
a valve for controlling said port, a gasoline exit opening in the same direction
as the said inlet port, and a controller for said exit carried by the valve, whereby
the opening and closing of the valve opens and closes the gasoline exit, substan-
tially as described.
22. A gasoline engine comprising an explosion chamber having an inlet port,
a yalve controlling the same and having a projecting stem, a gasoline exit, a
controller for said exit, and a U-shaped spring connection between the stem and
the exit controller, substantially as described.
23. A gasoline engine comprising an explosive chamber having an inlet port,
a valve controlling said port, a carburetter situated adjacent said port and having
at one end an outlet communication with said port, at a point outside said valve,
and the opposite end an inlet in communication with the atmosphere and extending
across the line of travel of said valve, a gasoline exit within said inlet com-

page_text: munication, a controller for said exit, and a connection between the controller
and the valve, the parts operating as described.
Dated this 21st day of October 1897.
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.