Improvements in Motor Engines Actuated by Explosions.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 14th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 15th Feb.. 1892-Accepted, 2nd Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Motor Engines Actuated by Explosions.
We SYDNEY RUSSELL BARRETT, Civil Engineer of The Limes, Church Road
Moseley and FRANCIS WILLIAM TICEHURST of The Lawn, Ward End,
Birmingham Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
Our invention relates to improvements in motor engines in which motive power
is given by the explosion of a charge of some explosive such as gunpowder dynamite
or other explosive fired by means of a detonating cap and cartridge or by means of
For the
electricity or heat a lubricating arrangement being combined therewith.
purpose of starting engines we insert a metal chamber in the end of cylinder
containing an explosive which is exploded from without or from within the cylinder
For
the explosion drives the piston forward and so puts the engine in motion.
impulse at each end of the stroke of piston we insert a similar chamber at each end
of the cylinder and drive the piston both on forward and return stroke by alternative
explosions the explosive charge being automatically replaced by the movements of
the engine. The products of combustion are removed by exhaust ports the valves
of which are actuated by the motion of the engine.
Dated this 13th day of May 1891 -
SYDNEY RUSSELL BARRETT.
FRANCIS WILLIAM TICEHURST.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Motor Engines Actuated by Explosions.
We, SYDNEY RUSSELL BARRETT of Church Road, Moseley, and MONTGOMERY
HOOPER, of 83, Colmore Row, Birmingham, Solicitor, Executor of Francis
William Ticehurst deceased, late of Ward End, Birmingham, 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 :-
•
This invention relates to obtaining motive power by the explosion of a charge of
explosive material whether as a means of starting ordinary gas engines (instead of
turning them round by hand; or of wholly driving what may be termed explosion
engines.
.
The invention also comprises the combination, with, the explosive charge, of a
charge of lubricant.
The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings,
forming part of this Specification, wherein
Figure 1 represents a sectional view of one end of the cylinder, shewing the
invention applied as a gas-engine starter.
Figure 2 is a similar view of a starter holding a triple charge to be exploded in
succession for starting larger engines.
Figure 3 is a section of a cartridge, shewing lubricant combined therewith.
Figure is an elevation, and Figure 5 a vertical section, of mechanism for
automatically inserting the charges in an explosion engine wholly driven by a
succession of charges exploded at alternate opposite ends of the cylinder.
Figure 6 is a detail section.
For the purpose of starting a gas engine there is inserted in the cylinder head a
metal chamber a communicating with the interior of the cylinder and in which

page_text: b
provision is made for the explosion of one or more cartridges. Figure 1 shews a
single, and Figure 2 a triple, cartridge explosion chamber. The cartridge or
cartridges are placed by hand in their explosion chamber which is closed by a
screw-plug provided with a striker or firing pin which is struck by hand when
it is required to start the engine, the three cartridges shewn in Figure 2 being
exploded by three successive blows. e is an extractor for removing the spent
cartridge case after the plug is unscrewed. In Figure 3 the cartridge is shewn in
longitudinal section, the explosive charge being enclosed at the open end of the
case by a plug of tallow f
C
The mode of automatically inserting firing and extracting the cartridges for
driving an explosion engine is described with reference to Figures 4, 5, and 6.
A. is the working cylinder, and a the explosion chamber, the cartridge held in a
cartridge carrier, there being a series of such carriers linked together as an endless
chain running on drums B B and passing through a breech chamber C fixed on the
cylinder and in which slides up and down a breech block which fits into and closes
the cavity in the carrier (which for the time being is situated in the breech
chamber) and together therewith serves to enclose the cartridge when being fired.
The breech block his worked through a rock lever i pivoted at and connected by
a link with a crank pin on a counter shaft D driven by the engine shaft and the
drum, B is rotated step by step by a pawl and ratchet gear operated by the
same crank pin, the parts being so timed with regard to each other and to
the engine that the block comes down on each carrier y as it brings its cartridge
into firing position concurrently with the arrival of the piston at that end of the
cylinder. E is the cartridge hopper, whose mouth is closed by one or other of a
pair of alternately-acting sliding shutters Im connected by links to the ends of a
three-armed lever n worked by the lever i so that the one shutter is open when the
other is closed, the space between them being only sufficient to hold one cartridge,
the parts being timed so that the shutter m opens when a carrier
it allowing
comes beneath
g
a cartridge to fall into the cavity of the carrier g. is the firing pin
or striker actuated by a spiral springo and retracted by a cam surface
with the head pl of the pin p. This cam surface is at the extremity of one arm q
of a bell-crank lever q' pivoted loose on the axis of the drum B and whose other
arm is connected by a link.³ with the crank pin on the. countershaft D.
t is a
trigger lever, whose one end engages with the head p' of the firing pin when it is
thus retracted and holds, it until the proper moment for firing, whilst its other
extremity projects through a slot in the chamber into a groove in the. block h, so
that when the latter comes down it disengages the trigger from the firing pin which
is tliereupon forced forward by its spring against the detonating cap of the cartridge.
The block is then raised and the chain of carriers g moved onwards to the extent,
of one link by the pawl and ratchet motion kk and as the carriers pass round the
drum the spent cartridge cases fall out and the carriers are ready to be reloaded
when they come round again beneath the cartridge hopper.
engaging
The mechanism for supplying and exploding the cartridges, at the opposite end
of the cylinder of a double-acting engine is identical with that above described, the
operation of the two mechanisms alternating with each other.
The lubricant is introduced into each cartridge in the form of a plug of tallow
vaseline, or other fatty matter which serves both as a liquefiable wad to retain the
explosive charge in the cartridge case and as a means of lubricating the piston and
cylinder
The products of the explosions are exhausted through suitable ports controlled
by valves actuated by the engine in the usual manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare, that what we.
claim is :
1. The application, for the purpose of starting a gas-engine, of a cartridge or 5
cartridges containing a charge of explosive material contained in a firing chamber

page_text: connected with the engine cylinder and provided with a means of exploding the
cartridge, as specified.
2. In an explosion engine, the combination, with the engine cylinder, of a
cartridge chamber connected therewith and of mechanism, substantially as described,
operated by the engine itself for automatically bringing into firing position and
exploding a continuous succession of explosive cartridges, as specified.
3. The combination, with the cartridge used for the above mentioned purposes, of
a plug of lubricant for the two-fold purpose specified.
Dated this 15th day of 1ebruary 1892.
S. R. BARRETT.
M. HOOPER.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.