Improvements in Gas or Combustible Vapour Engines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 12th June, 1891-Accepted, 18th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas or Combustible Vapour Engines.
I HORACE ROBINSON 9 Albert Square Manchester Engineer do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows
My invention relates to improvements in engines in which the piston is propelled
by the ignition and expansion of an explosive mixture of gas and air or other
supporter of combustion or combustible vapour and air or other supporter of
combustion. I use an eccentric or cam or equivalent upon the crank shaft of the
engine to actuate the exhaust valve of the engine in the manner described
hereafter. The piston may be propelled at every second revolution of the crank
shaft in the usual manner. The mode in which I cause the before mentioned
eccentric or cam to operate the exhaust valve at the required intervals is as
follows, I mount a wheel or its equivalent upon an axis in such a manner that a
rod or its equivalent worked by the said eccentric or its equivalent rests by gravity
or otherwise against teeth or cavities or their equivalent formed on the said wheel.
These teeth may be a little less than the travel of the before mentioned rod and
upon the rod a projection may be formed in such a manner that it engages with the
before mentioned teeth or cavities.
A spring or its equivalent may be employed to bear upon the said wheel or a
pawl or retaining catch may be employed, the object being to prevent the rotation
of the wheel except in one direction.
The before mentioned rod moved at each revolution of the engine engages as
before mentioned with the teeth or cavities of the wheel and moves it onward
preferably one tooth or cavity at each revolution of the engine.
The said teeth or cavities are formed of different depths and the said rod is thus
held in different positions according to the depth or shape of the tooth or cavity
upon which it is acting. The exhaust valve of the engine is preferably placed
with its axis about parallel with the axis of the before mentioned rod the said rod
can thus act directly upon the exhaust valve stalk or an elongation of the valve
stalk or its equivalent when the said rod is in contact with certain of the teeth or
cavities of the before mentioned wheel but when other teeth or cavities are in
contact with the rod they cause the rod to work in such a position that it misses
the said valve stalk or its equivalent and so no opening of the exhaust valve takes
place. In the well known cycle consisting of an ignition at every other revolution
of the engine, every other tooth or cavity on the before mentioned wheel is of the
form necessary to bring the eccentric rod or equivalent into position to actuate the
exhaust.
The inlet or other valves of the engine may be worked in the same manner as
the before mentioned exhaust or they may be allowed to open automatically or
otherwise as may be most convenient.
I prefer however to allow it or them to open automatically as the piston draws
in its charge through or past it or them. The cylinder I prefer to form open at
both ends and of the simplest possible form preferably bolted against the bed at its
front end and with no inlet or outlet holes in it, it is thus easy of renewal and of
manufacture.
A cylinder cover may be used at the back end and the inlet of air and gas or
vapour may be through this cylinder cover the inlet valve or valves being attached
to the said cover. The said cover may preferably be made to overlap the cylinder
at the place where the exhaust valve is attached, the said projection may thus be

page_text: planed or turned with the other part of the surface of the cylinder cover it
forming a prolongation of the same surface.
The cylinder cover can thus be removed without disturbing the exhaust pipes if
necessary.
The speed of the engine may be governed in any known manner or in the
following manner.
vapour
A light valve may be placed in the inlet pipe or passage through which gas or
is drawn into the cylinder. This valve is normally held open by gravity or
a light spring or otherwise but should the speed of the engine rise this light valve
is brought to its seat by the velocity of the gas or vapour passing it at each suction
stroke of the engine and the passage of the gas or vapour is thus checked or
prevented and the engines speed cannot rise. The ignition may be effected either
by the tube igniter or by the means as described in my Patent No. 117 A.D. 1880,
or other known means.
Dated this 10th day of Santambar 1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas or Combustible Vapour Engines.
I HORACE ROBINSON 9 Albert Square Manchester 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in engines in which the piston is propelled
by the ignition and expansion of an explosive mixture of gas and air or other
supporter of combustion or combustible vapour and air or other supporter of
combustion. I use an eccentric or cam or its equivalent upon the crank shaft of
the engine to actuate the exhaust valve of the engine in the manner described
hereafter. The piston may be propelled at every second revolution of the crank
shaft in the usual manner.
The mode in which I cause the before mentioned eccentric or cam to operate the
exhaust valve at the required intervals is as follows: I mount a wheel or its
equivalent upon an axis in such a manner that a rod or its equivalent worked by
the said eccentric or its equivalent rests by gravity or otherwise against teeth or
cavities or their equivalent formed on the said wheel. These teeth may be a
little less than the travel of the before mentioned rod and upon the rod a
projection may be formed in such a manner that it engages with the before
mentioned teeth or cavities.
A spring or its equivalent may be employed to bear upon the said wheel or a
pawl or retaining catch may be employed the object being to prevent the rotation
of the wheel except in one direction.
The before mentioned rod moved at each revolution of the engine engages as
before mentioned with the teeth or cavities of the wheel and moves it onward
preferably one tooth or cavity at each revolution of the engine.
The said teeth or cavities are formed of different depths and the said rod is thus
held in different positions according to the depth or shape of the tooth or cavity
upon which it is acting. The exhaust valve of the engine is preferably placed
with its axis about parallel with the axis of the before mentioned rod the said rod.
can thus act directly upon the exhaust valve stalk or elongation of the valve stalk
or its equivalent when the said rod is in contact with certain of the teeth or
cavities of the before mentioned wheel but when other teeth or cavities are in
contact with the rod they cause the rod to work in such a position that it misses
the said valve stalk or its equivalent and so no opening of the exhaust valve takes
place. In the well known cycle consisting of an ignition at every other revolution
of the engine every other tooth or cavity on the before mentioned wheel is of the

page_text: form necessary to bring the eccentric rod or equivalent into position to actuate the
exhaust.
The inlet or other valves of the engine may be worked in the same manner as
the before mentioned exhaust or they may be allowed to open automatically or
otherwise as may be most convenient.
I prefer however to allow it or them to open automatically as the piston draws
in its charge through or past it or them. The cylinder I prefer to form open at
both ends and of the simplest possible form preferably bolted against the bed at
its front end and with no inlet or outlet holes in it, it is thus easy of renewal and
of manufacture.
A cylinder cover may be used at the back end and the inlet of air and gas or
vapour may be through this cylinder cover the inlet valve or valves being
attached to the said cover. The said cover may preferably be made to overlap the
cylinder at the place where the exhaust valve is attached the said projection may
thus be planed or turned with the other part of the surface of the cylinder cover
it forming a prolongation of the same surface.
The cylinder cover can thus be removed without disturbing the exhaust pipes if
necessary.
The speed of the engine may be governed in any known manner or in the
following manner.
A light valve may be placed in the inlet pipe or passage through which gas or
vapour is drawn into the cylinder. This valve is normally held open by
gravity or a light spring or otherwise but should the speed of the engine rise this
light valve is brought to its seat by the velocity of the gas or vapour passing it at
each suction stroke of the engine and the passage of the gas or vapour is thus
checked or prevented and the engines speed cannot rise. The ignition may be
effected either by the tube igniter or by the means as described in my Patent
No. 117. A.D. 1880 or other known means.
Referring to the drawings Fig. 1 is a sectional plan Fig. 2 a vertical section
taken through X X Fig. 1. A is the eccentric rod engaging with the teeth or
cavities cf the wheel B. Fig. 3 shows on a larger scale the end of this rod A
engaging by its projection C with the before mentioned wheel B and Fig. 5 is a
section to the same scale as Fig. 3 taken through Z Z, Z Z. Figs. 2 and 3. When
this rod A with projection C engages with the teeth or cavities P. P. of the
wheel B as shown at Figs. 2 and 3 the said rod A misses the valve stem or rod F¹
and no opening of the exhaust takes place and the charge in the cylinder is
compressed by the inward motion of the piston ready for ignition for propelling
the piston on its outward stroke. The revolution of the engine causes the rod A
by its reciprocating motion to rotate the wheel B in the direction of the arrow
Fig. 3 preferably one tooth so that at the next stroke of the engine the rod A by
its projection. C engages with a tooth or cavity R of the wheel B and the rod Ă
assumes the position as shown in Fig. 4 when it opens the exhaust by coming in
contact with the rod or stem F1 and the products of combustion escape the valve
closing on the following outward stroke the piston draws in its charge. E Figs. 1,
2 and 5 is a spring bearing against the wheel B and preventing from turning in
the wrong direction. F Figs. 1 and 2 is the exhaust valve of the engine.
G is the inlet valve admitting air through the holes H H Fig. 1 and gas
through one hole by the gas pipe I Fig. 2. M is the cylinder cover with its
projection M' against which the exhaust is attached leaving the cylinder L of
simple form.
NFig. 2 is the governor valve in the gas pipe I. Fig. 6 shows this to a larger
scale. The valve is shown in its normal position in the figures namely open,
excessive speed of the engine however causes N to come to the seat I' of the gas
pipe I thus checking the quantity of gas drawn into the cylinder and causing the
charge to be more diluted with air.
The piston S is connected in the usual manner by connecting rod to the crank
shaft U & fly wheel V.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
First. The peculiar arrangement of parts constituting the mechanism for
operating the exhaust valve and consisting of the wheel B with its teeth or
cavities PR actuated directly by the rod A the said wheel rotating upon an axis
or centre attached to a fixed part of the engine substantially as described and
illustrated.
Second. The combination of the wheel B revolving round a stationary centre
and having teeth or cavities of different depths or shape for the purpose specified
the said wheel being prevented from rotating in the wrong direction by the
spring E all substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Third. In a gas or combustible vapour engine a wheel attached to a stationary
part, of the engine said wheel having teeth or cavities of varying dimensions for
the purpose of guiding a reciprocating rod into and out of contact with a valve
spindle in the manner and for the purpose as described.
Fourth. The wheel B with teeth or cavities of different shape or depth upon it
the said teeth or cavities being actuated directly by the same rod which they
guide into and out of position for actuating the exhaust valve the wheel taking
no part in the opening of the valve except the guiding of the rod into the position
to do this as and for the purpose described and illustrated.
Fifth. In a gas or combustible vapour engine guiding the rod into and out of
position for actuating a valve by means of teeth or cavities of different sizes or
shapes the said rod coming in direct contact with each tooth and the said teeth
being moved directly by the motion of the rod which they guide for the purpose
described.
Sixth. In a gas or combustible vapour engine the special shape or construction
of the teeth upon which the rod A acts the said teeth being so formed that the
rod A. moves them onward in one direction and the said teeth move this same rod A
into and out of position for opening the exhaust valve in the manner described.
Seventh. The peculiar arrangement of the governor consisting of the valve N
placed in the gas pipe I the said valve being in such a position that it has not to
withstand the pressure of the explosion but remains open continuously except when
the speed of the engine rises when the velocity of the gas passing it draws it to
its seat and thus it checks the gas supply without preventing the supply of air the
charge being drawn into the engine thus having less gas and more air as and for
the purpose described and illustrated.
Dated this 11th day of June 1891
HORACE ROBINSON..