Improvements in Gas Motor Engines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 25th May, 1891-Accepted, 27th June, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas Motor Engines.
I, HENRY NIELD BICKERTON, of 6 Richmond Street, Ashton-under-Lyne,
Gas Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:―
The improvements have for object the providing of means for introducing
and igniting the first charge in gas motor engines for the purpose of starting
the same.
To accomplish this and to effect my improvements, I attach in connection with
the space behind the piston of the engine, a pipe provided with a suitable stop
valve, such pipe being also in connection with the gas main, so that when the
stop valve is opened, the gas may enter the cylinder by its own pressure and mix
with some of the air contained therein. The superfluous air, displaced by the
gas thus entering, may be arranged to escape either through the exhaust valve
(this being temporarily propped open for the purpose) or through another stop
valve, or the same stop valve which controls the entrance of the gas may, by being
constructed with two passages, be used for both purposes, or, and by preference,
I connect the gas pipe with the gas supply pipe, from the gas bag to the engine.
In this case by closing the communication between the gas bag and the main, after
the bag has been filled, I am enabled, by the more or less compression of the bag,
(by hand), to approximately measure the quantity of gas introduced into the
cylinder.
One means employed by me for igniting this charge is to make in any convenient
part of the cylinder a small hole provided with a flap cover, and to project against
it a flame of sufficient velocity to displace such flap cover, and enter the cylinder,
thus igniting the charge contained therein, whereupon the flap cover is closed
by the increased pressure resulting from the explosion and so prevents escape of the
products of combustion through the hole.
Another means is more particularly applicable to that class of gas engine in
which ignition is effected by a heated tube. In this arrangement, I employ a
special plunger and cylinder, in connection with the hot tube, in such a manner
that by drawing the plunger by hand a partial vacuum is produced in the tube,
which allows replacement by a combustible charge thus drawn in from the
cylinder; this charge upon coming in contact with the hot tube is ignited and thus
fires the whole. Or I may, by the aid of the plunger, force up into the tube some
small portion of the charge, the flame from which is allowed to escape into the
cylinder, and thus fire the whole.
In order that the engine may stop with the crank in the best position for
starting again, and thus obviate the necessity of setting in position by hand,
I construct on the side shaft of the engine a special set of cams, so that by moving
the bowls on the exhaust and air valve levers, these latter are so manipulated as to
bring gaseous pressure on the piston at the right time to cause the engine to stop in
the correct position.
Variations in detail may be made, such as the position and form of the various
valves, and other parts without departing from the peculiar character of the
invention.
Dated this 8th day of Antil 1801
WILLIAM GADD, C.E.,
.64, Barton Arcade,. Manchester, Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas Motor Engines.
1, HENRY NIELD, BICKERTON, of 6 Richmond Street, Ashton-under-Lyne,
Gas 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 :-
The improvements have for object the providing of means for introducing
and igniting the first charge in gas motor engines for the purpose of starting
the same.
To accomplish this and to effect my improvements, I attach in connection with
the space behind the piston of the engine, a pipe provided with a suitable stop
valve, such pipe being also in connection with the gas main; so that when the
stop valve is opened, the gas may enter the cylinder by its own pressure and
mix with some of the air contained therein.
The superfluous air, displaced by the gas thus entering, may be arranged to
escape either through the exhaust valve (this being temporarily propped open for
the purpose) or through another stop valve, or the same stop valve which controls
the entrance of the gas may, by being constructed with two passages, be used
for both purposes, or, and by preference, I connect the gas pipe aforesaid with the
gas supply pipe, from the gas bag to the engine. In this case, by closing the
communication between the gas bag and the main, after the bag has been filled,
I am enabled, by the more or less compression of the bag, (by hand, or by means of
a lever provided for the purpose), to approximately measure the quantity of
gas introduced into the cylinder.
any
One means employed by me for igniting this charge is to make in convenient
part of the cylinder a small hole provided with a flap cover on the inside, and to
project against it on the outside a flame of sufficient velocity to displace such flap
cover, and enter the cylinder, thus igniting the charge contained therein, where-
upon the flap cover is closed by the increased pressure resulting from the explosion,
and so prevents escape of the products of combustion through the hole.
Another means is more particularly applicable to that class of gas engine in
which ignition is effected by a heated tube. In this arrangement, I employ a
special plunger and cylinder, in connection with the hot tube, in such a manner that
by drawing the plunger by hand a partial vacuum or space is produced in the tube,
which allows replacement by a combustible charge thus drawn from the cylinder
into the space. This charge upon coming in contact with the hot tube is ignited
and thus fires the whole. Or I may, by the aid of the plunger, force up into
the tube, in which there are two openings one for inlet and one for outlet, some
small portion of the charge, the flame from which is allowed to escape into
the cylinder, and thus fire the whole.
In order that the engine may stop with the crank in the best position for
starting again, and thus obviate the necessity of setting in position by hand, I may
construct on the side shaft of the engine a special set of cams, so that by moving
the bowls on the exhaust and air valve levers, these latter are so manipulated as to
bring gaseous pressure on the piston at the right time to cause the engine to stop in
the correct position.
But that the improvements may be better understood, I will, by the aid of
the accompanying drawings proceed more fully to describe means employed
by me.

page_text: Figs. 3, and 4 show views of a gas bag and depressing lever for ejecting an
approximately measured quantity of gas; whilst
Figs. 5 and 6 show sectional elevations of apparatus according to my improve-
ments where ignition is effected by a heated tube.
In
The same letters indicate corresponding parts wherever they occur.
Figs. 1 and 2 a, a, is the flap valve, b, the orifice in the cylinder casing;
and c, the flame which, on pushing open the flap valve fires the gas which has
previously been conveyed into the cylinder for starting purposes. d, is an adjusting.
Screw, which may be screwed up to the projection a' on the valve, and so prevent
such valve from opening after the starting operation has been effected.
In Figs. 3, and 4, e, e, is the gas bag, and f, f, the depressing lever, which may
be, if desired, provided with a suitable depressing surface or disc such as fi.
99, is a bracket, forming the fulcrum for the lever. This bracket may be so
marked or graduated as to more accurately guage the stroke of the lever, and thus
the quantity of gas expelled thereby, or suitable stops may be provided for this
purpose; but it is obvious that this portion of the apparatus may be dispensed
with, and the gas bag depressed by the action of the hand direct..
In Figs. 5 and 6, , h, is the explosion chamber, or back portion of the cylinder,
and k, k, is a cap or cover, in which are drilled or otherwise formed the inlet and
outlet passages, and ², leading to and from the tube 1, 1, which is heated
by means of a flame from the burner m, m.
n, n, is the special cylinder, and o, o, the plunger, by means of which, by creating
a vacuum in the passage k², gas is drawn from the engine cylinder into the heated
tube and fired.
P. P, is a pipe connecting the gas bag with the interior of the cylinder, and
through which the starting charge is introduced by the actuation of the depressing
lever When the starting charge of the engine has been introduced into the
cylinder, this auxilliary supply of gas is stopped by turning off the cock ", the gas
being then supplied in the usual way by the engine, through the valves, one
of which valves s, s, is shown in the drawing.
t, t, is a screw valve or plug, which, when screwed up, closes the passage k² and
shuts off communication with the special starting cylinder, preventing the escape of
gases from the engine at this point.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. In starting apparatus for gas engines, the employment of a flap valve at
an orifice leading to the interior of the engine cylinder or explosion chamber, which
Hap valve is actuated by the force of a jet flame, for firing the gases which have
been already introduced into the cylinder, for the purpose of starting the engine,
and in manner substantially as herein shown and described.
2. In starting apparatus for gas engines, the employment of a heated firing tube
provided with two passages leading thereto, whereby gas, which has previously been
admitted, may be drawn, on the actuation of an auxilliary piston, from the cylinder
of the engine into such heated firing tube, for the purpose of starting the engine,
and in manner substantially as herein shown and described.
3. In starting apparatus for gas engines the combination of the auxilliary
cylinder and piston, with the two gas passages, and the firing tube, for the purpose
and in manner substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 23rd day of May 1891.
WILLIAM GADD, C.E.,
64, Barton Arcade, Manchester, Agent.