IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS ENGINES
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert William Torr Jenner
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th September 1880.
HERBERT WILLIAM TORR JENNER, of Handsworth, in the County of Stafford,
Mechanical Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS ENGINES."
My Invention consists of the improvements herein after described in motive
power engines commonly called gas engines, that is, engines in which motive power
is obtained by the ignition of an explosive mixture of atmospheric air and com-
bustible gas or vapour.
My improvements relate principally to the parts of the said gas engines by which
the ignition of the explosive gaseous mixture is effected, but my Invention also
includes other improvements hereinafter described.
The ignition of the compressed explosive gaseous mixture contained in a com-
bustion chamber is effected by bringing it into communication with a flame
contained in a cavity in the slide by which the inflammable gas or vapour and
atmospheric air are admitted into the combustion chamber, or the said cavity
may be contained in a separate slide. This cavity is provided with a burner of the
kind herein after described, and the said burner is supplied with combustible gas
from the combustion chamber. The ignition of the gas in the cavity in the slide
is effected by means of a small external stationary burning in the atmosphere
near the slide. By the motion of the slide communication is first opened between
the external flame and the explosive gaseous mixture in the slide, the communication
between the said passage and the combustion chamber being at the same time cut
off.
Immediately the ignition of the gas in the passage in the slide has been
effected the further motion of the slide closes that end of the passage near which
the external flame is situated, and puts the opposite end of the said passage into
communication with the combustion chamber. The burning gaseous mixture
ignites the gaseous mixture in the combustion chamber, and by the expansion of
the said ignited gaseous mixture the piston of the engine is raised in its cylinder.
Price Gidi

page_text: In order that the products of combustion (which may remain in the passago
which is always open between the combustion chamber and the burner in the slide)
may not interfere with the free ignition of the of the mixture when rushing through
the burner while the burner is in communication with the external flame, a passage is
provided in the slide containing the burner, which passage communicates with the
gas supply pipe of the engine, and is so arranged as to be open only when the
combustion chamber is taking in its supply of gas and air, so that the combustion
chamber receives a small portion of its gaseous charge through the passage leading
from it to the burner, which gaseous charge mixes with the products of combustion
previously left in that passago and renders them as inflammable as the main body
of the gaseous mixture.
The burner contained in the slido consists of a conical cavity, in the small end
of which a concentric plug is fixed, nearly but not quite filling the cavity at that
part. The gas to be burned enters through the narrow annular space between the
plug and the cavity, and is diffused in the wider part of the conical cavity by
means of a spiral coil in the said cavity, against the convolutions of which the
inflowing stream of gas impinges.
In order the more effectually to clear away the products of combustion from the
combustion chamber after each detonation I disponse with a fixed bottom to the
combustion-chamber and employ a moveable bottom. The said moveable bottom
consists of a tight working piston urged inwards-by-a-spring-On the detonation
of the contents of the combustion chamber the said piston is forced to the end of
the chamber, its spring-being-compressed. On the exhaust passage being opened
the spring urges-the-piston inwards, and thereby more effectually discharges-the-
contents of the combustion chamber.
The parts of the gas engine which I have not described differ in no essential
respect from those commonly employed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Herbert William Torr Jenner in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th February 1881.
HERBERT WILLIAM TORR JENNER, of Handsworth, in the County of Stafford,
Mechanical Engineer. " IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS ENGINES."
My Invention consists of the improvements herein after described in motivo
power engines, commonly called gas engines, that is, engines in which motive power
is obtained by the ignition of an explosive mixture of atmospheric air and com-
bustible gas or vapour.
My improvements relate principally to the parts of the said gas engines by which
the ignition of the explosive gaseous mixture is effected, but my Invention also
includes other improvements heroin after described.
The ignition of the compressed explosive gaseous mixture contained in the
combustion chamber is effected by bringing into communication with it a flame
contained in a cavity in the slide by which the inflammable gas or vapour and
atinospheric air are admitted into the combustion chamber, or the said cavity
may be contained in a separate slide. This cavity is provided with a burner of the
kind herein after described, and the said burner is supplied with combustible gas
from the combustion chamber through the passage herein after described.
ignition of the gas in the cavity in the slide is effected by means of a small
external stationary flame burning in the atmosphere near the slide. By the motion
of the slide communication is first opened between the external flame and the
explosive gaseous mixture in the slide, the communication between the cavity and
the combustion chamber being at the same time cut off.
The
Immediately the ignition of the gas in the cavity in the slide has been effected
the further reverse motion of the slide closes that end of the cavity near which the
external flame is situated, and puts the opposite end of the said cavity into
communication (through a port) with the combustion chamber. The burning
gaseous mixture in the slide ignites the gaseous mixture in the combustion chamber,
and by the expansion of the said ignited gaseous mixture the piston of the engine
is raised in its cylinder.
In order that the products of combustion which may remain in the passage
between the combustion chamber and the burner in the slide may not interfere
with the free ignition of the mixture when rushing through the burner, while the
burner is in communication with the external flame, a passage is provided in the
slide containing the burner, which passage communicates with the gas and air
supply pipe or port of the engine, and is so arranged as to be open only when the
combustion chamber is taking in or is about to be taking in its supply of gas and
air, so that the combustion chamber receives a small portion of its gaseous charge
through the passages leading from it to the burner, which gaseous charge mixes
with the products of combustion previously left in one of the passages described,
namely, that leading from the combustion chamber to the burner, and renders them as
inflammable as the main body of the gascous mixture in the combustion chamber.
The burner contained in the slide consists of a conical cavity, in the small end
of which a concentric plug is fixed nearly, but not quite, filling the cavity at that
part. The gas to be burned enters through the narrow annular space between the
plug and the cavity, and in descending is diffused in the wider part of the conical
cavity by means of a spiral coil in the said cavity, against the convolutions of which
the inflowing stream of gas impinges.
I will now proceed to describe, with reference of the accompanying Drawing,
the manner in which my Invention is to be performed.

page_text: Figure 1 represents in side elevation part of a gas engine containing my
improvements, and Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the same; Figure 3 is an
elevation, partly in sction, of the slide, and Figure 4 is an elevation of the face
plate against which the slide, Figure 3, works; Figuro.5 represents the slide and
face plate in plan, and the back plate in horizontal section.
Figures 1 and 2 are drawn one quarter full size, and Figures 3, 4, and 5 are
drawn full size.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the
Drawing.
a, a², is the cylinder of the gas engine, the front end a of which acts as a pump
for drawing in and mixing the gas and air of which the combustible mixturo
employed to actuate the engine consists. At every in stroke of the piston a³ tho
gas and air are drawn into the cylinder, and at every outstroke of the piston a³
the mixture of gas and air is forced in a compressed state from the cylinder a, a²,
into a receiver b. For the purpose of collecting, compressing, and forcing the
mixture of gas and air into the receiver b, the cylinder a is provided with the
suction valve c and delivery valve d. The rear end a² of the cylinder is employed
for bringing the compressed mixture of gas and air to a further state of compression,
and for the developing of motive power by the ignition and expansion of such
highly compressed mixture as hereinafter-explained. The rear end. a³ of the cylinder
is provided with a combustion chainber e and a slide valve f for tho admission
of the compressed-mixture.from the receiver b. The said combustion chamber c is
-also-provided with a valve g for the escape of the products of combustion, and has also
the arrangement of parts hereinafter explained-for-igniting the gaseous charge in the
combustion chamber e. The ignition of the compressed gaseous mixture contained in
the combustion chamber e is effected by bringing into communication with it a flame
contained in a cavity h in the slide f, by which the inflammable gas or vapour and
atmospheric air are admitted into the combustion chamber e. The cavity h is
provided with a burner i constructed as hereinafter described, and the said burner is
supplied with combustible gas from the combustion chamber e through the passage 1, l.
The ignition of the gas in the cavity in the slide f is effected by means of a
small external stationary flame burning in the atmosphere near the slide. By
the motion of the slide f communication is first opened between the external flame k
and the explosive gaseous mixture in the slide, the communication between the
said cavity and the combustion chamber e being at the same time cut off.
Immediately the ignition of the gas in the cavity h in the slide has been effected,
the further reverse motion of the slide, in the direction indicated by the arrow in
Figure 2, closes that end of the cavity / near which the external flame is situated,
and puts the opposite end of the said cavity h into communication with the
combustion chamber through the port m. The burning gaseous mixture in the
slide ignites the gaseous mixture in the combustion chamber, and by the expansion
of the said ignited gaseous mixture the piston a³ of the engine is raised in the
cylinder a, a³.
The passage 1, 1, Figure 5, between the combustion chamber e and the burner i
in the slide is always open prior to ignition, but by the further movement of the
slide the said passage ., is closed immediately after the ignition of the charge
and is not exposed to the full force of the explosion. In order that the products of
combustion which may remain in the passage l, l, may not interfere with the free
ignition of the mixture when rushing through the burner, while the burner is in
communication with the external flame, a passage n, n, n, is provided in the slide
containing the burner, which passage communicates with the gas and air supply
pipe or port p of the engine, and is so arranged as to be open just before and while
the combustion chamber takes in its supply of gas and air, so that the combustion
chamber c receives a small portion of its gaseous charge through the passages n, n,
and I, l, leading from it to the burner, which gaseous charge mixes with the
products of combustion previously left in the passage 1, 1, and renders them as
inflammable as the main body of the gaseous mixture.

page_text: The burner i contained in the slide consists of a conical cavity q, in the small
end-of which a concentric plug is fixed nearly, but not quite, filling the cavity at
that part. The gas to bo burned enters through the narrow annular space s between
the plug and the cavity q, and in descending is diffused in the wider part of the said
cavity by means of a spiral coil t in the said cavity, against the convolutions of
which the inflowing stream of gas impinges.
Instead of a spiral coil, which I employ in most cases, other substances to diffuso
the gases in the conical cavity q may be used, such for example, as a plug of
asbestos fibre or spongy platinum.
Instead of the annular space s between the plug and cavity q, the plug r may
have a number of small grooves or chases made on its circumference and parallel to
its axis, the said plug otherwise fitting the cavity at that part. These small
grooves or chases fulfil the same object as an annular opening.
The action of the gas engine is as follows:-
At each instroke of the piston a certain diluto proportions of gas and air (one
volume of gas to twelve volumes of air answer well), are drawn into the front end
of the cylinder a, and are forced into the receiver b by each outstroke of the piston.
At every alternate outstroke of the piston a portion of the compressed mixture of
gns and air in the receiver bis passed by the motion of the slide f through a pipe u
and port p in the said slide, into the combustion chamber e at the back end of the
cylinder, so that the back end of the cylinder receives at each alternate outstroke of
the piston the quantity of compressed mixed gases obtained by two outstrokes of
the said piston at the front end of the cylinder. On the return in stroke of the
piston this double charge of compressed gaseous mixture is brought to an increased
state of compression in the combustion chamber e by the motion of the piston, and
is ignited at the next outstroke of the piston. The products of combustion are
allowed to escape during the subsequent in-stroke.
The motions of the several moving parts are obtained as follows:-The shaft
having the crank to which the piston rod v gives motion is genred to a supple-
mentary parallel or lay shaft, neither of which shafts is shown in the Drawing, and
from a small crank on the said lay shaft the motion of the rod w for working the
slide f is taken, the said lay shaft making one rotation to each two rotations of the
principal shaft. The motion of the exhaust valve g is obtained by the action of
the tappet on the rod w. The face of the said tappet acting on the roller on the
end of the long arm of the lever y forces inwards the short arm of the said lever y,
and thereby raises the valve g, and thus permits of the escape of the products of
combustion left after the combustion of the gaseous mixture in the chamber e.
The return motion of the lever y is effected by a spring not shown in the Drawing;
is a back pressure valve which closes the communication between the chamber c
and the receiver b, should the gaseous mixture in the said chamber e be from any
accidental cause prematurely ignited; is a relief valve which comes into
operation should there be at any time too great a pressure in the receiver b.
The receiver b may where convenient be made part of the hollow framing of the
engine.
2 is a water casing to keep the cylinder a, a, cool, which water casing also
extends round the combustion chamber e, the two water casings being connected.
The parts of the gas engine which I have not described differ in no essential respect
from those commonly employed.
Although for convenience of description I have described the use of combustible
gas, yet combustible vapour, such as the vapous of liquid hydro carbons, may be
employed in place of combustible gas.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my
Invention of "Improvements in Gas Engines,"—
First. Introducing at every alternate outstroke to one end of a gas engine
cylinder a double charge of mixed compressed gases, obtained by two instrokes at
the other end of the cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose described.

page_text: Secondly. The arrangement and combination of the several parts of the burnor
marked i, q, r, s, and t, represented in the Drawing, substantially as and for the
purpose described.
Thirdly. Cutting off the communication between the passage l, l, that is, between
the combustion chamber and the burner, immediately after the ignition of the
mixture in the combustion chamber has been effected, as herein before described.
Fourthly. Providing a communication n, m, n, between the supply pipo or port
of the engine, and the passage l, l, which said passage 1, 1, is the communication
between the combustion chamber and the burner, substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert William Torr. Jenner, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Twenty-third day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty-one.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
37, Temple Street,
HERBERT WILLIAM TORR JENNER. (L.S.)
Birmingham.