Improvements in Gas Engines.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 1st June, 1837
Complete Left, 1st Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 6th Apr., 1888
Improvements in Gas Engines.
We ROUGHSEDGE WALLWORK of Union Bridge Iron Works Charter Street
Manchester in the county of Lancaster Engineer and Ironfounder and THOMAS
STURGEON of Ilkley in the county of York Engineer do hereby declare the nature of
our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS ENGINES to be follows:-
:-
Gas engines are worked by the combustion of a mixed charge of gas and air acting
within a cylinder upon a piston or pistons the power being conveyed to a crank shaft
by means of ordinary mechanism and the charge of mixed gas and air is usually
admitted either direct to the working cylinder or to an intermediate charging
cylinder through ports or passages so arranged that the air is drawn in through a
port and in its course towards the cylinder travels past a number of holes through
which the gas flows or is drawn in, the gas and air being thus mixed on their way to
the cylinder.
Now our invention consists in making that port through which the air is admitted
adjustable ;-that is to say, in so arranging it that its size may be altered and may be
increased or decreased according to requirements. The size of this port may thus be
under control and may be regulated according as the quality of the gas or other
requirements may necessitate.
The following is a description of the best method we are acquainted with at present
for putting our invention into practice.
In gas engines where slide valves are used, the slide valve generally works between
a loose or false plate screwed on to the body of the cylinder, and a valve cover and
the air port may be formed either in the loose plate or in the cover.
Instead of
forming this port by merely cutting a hole through the metal we arrange it so that
one side of the port is formed by a separate piece nicely fitted so as to slide in or out,
nearer to or further from the opposite wall of the port. The adjustment may be
made by means of a thumb-screw which can be fixed by a lock nut as soon as the
adjustment is completed.

page_text: Where mushroom or piston valves are used for admitting the charge we use two
discs perforated with similar holes one of these discs being moveable and the other
fixed.
When so placed that the holes coincide the largest amount of air will be admitted
and when the moveable disc is moved slightly round its centre, the holes being
partially closed the amount of air will be reduced.
It is clear that other methods may be adopted both in the case of slide valves
and mushroom or piston valves; thus the adjustable port might be in the form of
an ordinary tap but we prefer the methods described as the adjustable port can thus
be got nearer to the working part of the valve.
GEO. DOWNING,
Agent for Applicants.

page_text: We, ROUGHSEDGE WALLWORK of the firm of Henry Wallwork & Co. Union
Bridge Iron Works, Charter Street, Manchester in the county of Lancaster,
Engineer and Ironfounder, and THOMAS STURGEON of Easby Drive, Ilkley in the
county of York, Engineer, 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 :-
Gas engines are worked by the combustion of a mixed charge of gas and air acting
within a cylinder upon a piston or pistons, the power being conveyed to a crank
shaft, by means of ordinary mechanism and the charge of mixed gas and air is
usually admitted either direct to the working cylinder or to an intermediate charging
cylinder through ports or passages so arranged that the air is drawn in through a
port and in its course towards the cylinder travels past a number of holes, through
which the gas flows or is drawn in, the gas and air being thus mixed on their way
to the cylinder.
Now our invention consists in making that port through which the air is
admitted adjustable, that is to say in so arranging it that its size may be altered,
and may be increased or decreased according to requirements.
The size of this port may thus be adjusted, and the amount of air admitted will
thus be under control and may be regulated according as the quality of the gas or
other requirements may necessitate.
The following is a description of the best method we are acquainted with at present
for putting our invention into practice.
In gas engines where slide valves are used, the slide valve generally works
between a loose or false plate screwed on to the body of the cylinder, and a valve
cover and the air port may be formed either in the loose plate or in the cover.
Instead of forming this port by merely cutting a hole through the metal we arrange
it so that one side of the port is formed by a separate piece nicely fitted so as to slide
in or out nearer to or further from the opposite wall of the port. The adjustment
may be made by means of a thumb-screw which can be fixed by a lock nut as soon
as the adjustment is completed.
Fig. 1. is a sectional plan of our invention shown as it would be applied to a gas
engine such as described in a specification filed by the within named Thomas
Sturgeon No. 4923 and dated 2nd April 1887.
Fig. 2. is a front view of the loose plate. Where similar letters are found on both
these figures they refer to the same parts. A is the charging cylinder & B the
working cylinder. C is a portion of the air passage. DD is the loose plate in which
are formed the air port E, the mixture port F communicating with the charging
cylinder. by the passage G, and the firing port H communicating with the working
cylinder by the passage 1. K K is the slide valve here shown in the position it
assumes while the charge is being driven from the charging cylinder into the
working cylinder. L is a portion of the eccentric rod by which motion is imparted
to the slide valve. The cover M carries the igniting tube N & chimney O and
also the gas valve P and is kept up to its place against the valve in the ordinary

page_text: way by clamps Q springs R & nuts S on screwed studs. The adjustable slide in the
air port in the loose plate is shown at T and as will be seen it can be moved in or
out by turning the milled head U on the long spindle V. The screwed part of this
spindle works in a threaded hole in the solid part of the loose plate. This spindle
has projecting end round which runs a groove of semicircular section. This
projecting end fits into a corresponding recess in the sliding piece T. A small hole
is then drilled, through the metal of the slide T at the proper place and a pin is
driven through so that half the diameter of the pin will be in a portion of the semi-
circular groove and the other half imbedded in the metal of the slide T. This pin
is shown at W Fig. 2. This device is well known to mechanics. It will thus be
seen that by turning the milled head U, the slide will have to move in or out
according to the direction in which the spindle is turned, and when the best position
has been found for it, the slide may be fixed by means of the lock-nut X.
In some cases where the air is drawn through a long passage or pipe before
reaching the port in the loose plate, we find it an advantage to have another
adjustable slide at the other end of this passage or pipe, which enables the orifice of
the passage or pipe to be reduced or only opened just sufficient to allow the proper
amount of air to be admittted. By thus reducing this orifice until it is not larger
than is absolutely necessary for the due admission of the proper amount of air a
perceptible reduction of the noise caused by taking in the charge, is often effected.
Where mushroom or piston valves are used for admitting the charge we use two
discs perforated with similar holes, one of these discs being moveable and the other
fixed. When so placed that the holes coincide the largest amount of air will be
admitted, and when the moveable disc is moved slightly round its centre, the holes
being partially closed, the amount of air will be reduced."
In Fig. 3. is shewn a mushroom valve on a principle which it has sometimes been
proposed to use in Gas engines. The gas is admitted into the annular cavity A A
by the small gas valve B. (is the main valve, and when it rises the gas flows up
the small holes, d. d, air at the same time passing in up the passages E E, round the
cylindrical guide in which works the spindle of the valve C.
These
At the lower end of the casting containing these passages we place the two
perforated discs F & G ; F being the fixed disc and G the moveable one.
discs are perforated with similar holes as shewn in plan view in Fig. 4. H is a slot so
as to allow the disc G to be moved backwards or forwards and open or close the
perforated parts more or less. The little screwed pin I passes through this slot and
by its means the disc G may be fixed as soon as the right position has been ascer-
tained. K is a little handle projecting from the side of the disc G to enable it to be
moved with greater ease.
It is clear that other methods may be adopted both in the case of slide valves &
mushroom or piston valves, thus the adjustable port might be in the form of an
ordinary tap, but we prefer the methods described as the adjustable port can thus be
got nearer to the working part of the valve.
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,
In gas engines, making the port by which the air is admitted adjustable, so that
the amount of air admitted may be under better control and regulated to suit special
requirements.
Dated this Twenty ninth day of Fahn1000