Improvements in and connected with Engines Operating by Gas Generated from Petroleum or other Liquid Hydrocarbon.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 31st Oct., 1891-Accepted 5th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Engines Operating by Gas
Generated from Petroleum or other Liquid Hydrocarbon.
I CHARLES WILLIAM PINKNEY of Raglan Road, Smethwick in the County of
Stafford Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide a petroleum engine which is simple and
efficient the point or time of ignition of the explosive charge being regulated as
desired to take place when any predetermined degree of compression of the charge
has taken place the ignition being effected without the employment of an igniting
tube being necessary:
According to my invention I provide in communication with the rear of the
cylinder a combustion chamber which is preferably of conical form the smaller end
being outmost. The air and liquid hydrocarbon to be gasified are admitted at or
near the end of the combustion chamber next the cylinder. A lamp is provided
for heating the combustion chamber externally this lamp being turned out
when the combustion chamber itself becomes hot enough to ignite succeeding
charges of the explosive mixture. The point or time of ignition of the charge
depends upon the degree of compression obtained and the part of the combustion
chamber which is allowed to become hot enough to ignite the charge. This part
can be regulated by for instance jacketting the combustion chamber with a water
casing at the end next the cylinder and for a distance therefrom in accordance with
the desired period of ignition the further along the combustion chamber this water
jacket extends the later in the compression stroke will the charge be ignited. Or
instead of or in addition to the water jacket I may use a small chamber in com-
munication with the combustion chamber and with a valve controlling the passage
between them and being arranged so that it can be caused to leave a greater or
lesser passage past it and so when I have ascertained the proper time of ignition I
can set this valve so that the gases can be allowed to pass into the said chamber at
a greater or lesser speed and so the time of full compression and ignition are
regulated.
During the charging stroke the combustion chamber is filled with exhaust gases
but on the compression stroke the fresh charge is forced into the combustion
chamber and the exhaust gases are thereby forced back sufficiently to allow the
said charge to reach the part of the combustion chamber which is hot enough to
cause ignition of the charge when the proper degree of compression of the charge
is attained.
1
LT1001
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Engines Operating by Gas
Generated from Petroleum or other Liquid Hydrocarbon.
I CHARLES WILLIAM PINKNEY of Raglan Road, Smethwick in the County of
Stafford England 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 object of my invention is to provide a petroleum engine which is simple and

page_text: efficient the point or time of ignition of the explosive charge being regulated as
desired to take place when any predetermined degree of compression of the charge
has taken place the ignition being effected without the employment of an igniting
tube being necessary..
According to my invention I provide in communication with the rear of the
cylinder a combustion chamber which is preferably of conical form the smaller end
being outmost (remotest from the cylinder). The air and the liquid hydrocarbon
(which I will hereinafter refer to as "petroleum") to be gasified are admitted at or
near the end of the combustion chamber next the cylinder. A lamp is provided
for heating the combustion chamber externally which lamp may be turned out
when the combustion chamber itself becomes hot enough to ignite succeeding
charges of the explosive mixture. The point or time of ignition of the charge
depends upon the degree of compression obtained and the part of the combustion
chamber which is allowed to become hot enough to ignite the charge. This part
can be regulated by, for instance, jacketting the combustion chamber with a water
casing at the end next the cylinder and extending backwards therefrom for a
distance in accordance with the desired period of ignition the farther along the
combustion chamber this water jacket extends the later in the compression stroke
will the charge be ignited. Or instead of or in addition to the water jacket, I may
use a small chamber in communication with the combustion chamber and with a
valve controlling the passage between the said small chamber and the combustion
chamber the said valve being so arranged that it can be caused to leave a greater
or lesser passage past it and so when I have ascertained the proper time of ignition
I can set this valve so that the gases can be allowed to pass into the said chamber
at a greater or lesser speed and so the time of full compression and ignition are
regulated.
During the charging stroke of the piston the combustion chamber is filled with
exhaust gases but on the compression stroke the fresh charge which was drawn
into the cylinder on the charging stroke is forced into the combustion chamber and
the exhaust gases are thereby forced back sufficiently to allow the said charge to
reach the part of the combustion chamber which is hot enough to cause ignition of
the charge when the proper degree of compression of the charge is attained.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to
the several figures on the annexed drawings the same letters of reference where
used indicating corresponding parts.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing shews in longitudinal section and
Figure 2 in transverse section so much of an engine as is necessary to illustrate
my invention.
Figure 3 is a section of the aforesaid small chamber and valve for regulating the
period of ignition.
A is the working cylinder of the engine and C is the combustion chamber.
D the air and petroleum inlet valve in the valve box d. d2 is the spring which closes
the said valve D by bearing on the nut d³. h² is the petroleum inlet passage it being
a continuation of the pipe H leading from the petroleum tank and provided with
the cock. The air and petroleum inlet is situated, as shewn, near to the cylinder
end of the combustion chamber. C¹ is a casing outside the combustion chamber to
retain the heat of the combustion chamber when starting the engine. C* is the
combustion chamber cover and C³ a water circulating passage around the cylinder
end of the combustion chamber. C is the inlet water circulating pipe for
supplying water to the passage C³ from the pipe A by which water is passed into
the jacket A2 of the cylinder A. C is the outlet water circulating pipe from the
passage C3 and A³ is the outlet water circulating pipe from the water jacket A
c² are water passages which may be made to give communication from the jacket A
to the passage C³. I is the lamp for heating the combustion chamber, P is the
exhaust passage and m is the air inlet passage.
My invention being most suited to engines operating on what is known as the

page_text: two to one cycle I will describe it in connection therewith, and as my invention is
more particularly for the method of charging vapourizing igniting and regulating
the ignition, I have not shewn in the drawings more of the engine than is
necessary for the proper explanation of my invention.
To start the engine I cause the lamp I to burn underneath the combustion
chamber C until the said chamber C becomes sufficiently heated I open the
petroleum cock h¹ and cause the main piston of the engine to make its outward or
charging stroke. The air will then pass through the passage m into the air valve
box d. The petroleum will pass through the passage h' into the valve box d where
it will mix with the air and pass into the combustion chamber C and cylinder A in
the form of air and petroleum well mixed but the petroleum not being vapourized.
During the return or compression stroke of the piston the mixture of air and
petroleum is forced by the piston into the hot combustion chamber C the
temperature of which is very much higher at the outer or smaller end than at the
inner or larger end owing to the water circulation at C³ and contact with
the cylinder A cooled by the water jacket A². Whilst the mixture is being forced
into the combustion chamber C the heat of the said chamber converts the mixture
into an explosive vapour or gas and when this mixture is at about the highest point
of compression this compression assisted by the heat thereof causes it to ignite and
drive the piston outwards and so gives motion to the crank shaft in the usual way.
On the return stroke of the piston the exhaust valve (not shewn in the drawing but
situated in the passage P) is opened which may be done by a cam on the second
motion shaft in the usual way and the exhaust gases are driven out of the cylinder
by the piston's return stroke and so one complete cycle of operations is performed.
To prevent ignition taking place too soon, I arrange the water passage C³ so that it
extends towards the small end of the combustion chamber to a greater or lesser
distance towards its outer and larger end as required, and in some instances I prefer
to fix a relief valve t and chamber T (see Figure 3) on the small end of the
combustion chamber C in place of the cover C₁ shewn in Figure 1 or in other
suitable position preferably towards the outer end of the combustion chamber.
t' is a collar adjustably secured by the screw t² to the spindle of the valve t there
being an opening covered by the cover t³ for giving access to the collar and screw.
The degree to which the valve t is open during the compression stroke of the piston
is regulated by the screw t upon which the lower end of the spindle of the valve t
rests the said screw t being fixed in its adjusted position by the lock nut 5.
Supposing the combustion chamber C to contain exhaust gases due to a previous
explosion and the inlet valve D to be fixed as shewn as near to the large end of the
combustion chamber C as possible, when the piston makes its charging stroke the
petroleum and air will pass into the cylinder A through the valve D and very
little of the exhaust gases in the chamber C will be disturbed. During the return
or compression stroke of the piston the exhaust gases in the chamber C will be
forced back towards the small end by the new charge of petroleum and air for a
considerable distance before the part in the said combustion chamber C which is
hot enough to cause ignition is reached. This will take some little time, it being
preferable to allow the crank pin to arrive at the most favourable position for the
explosion. If the ignition should be too late when the relief valve t is closed or
opened but to a small extent I raise the said valve from its seat by the adjusting
screw so that during compression the exhaust gases will pass through the
passage left by the valve t and allow the charge of petroleum and air to sooner
reach the part of chamber C which is hot enough to cause an earlier ignition. The
water in the passage C³ will prevent too early ignition. I may use the branch
supply water pipe C and the outlet water pipe C or the passages c² or both to
supply the passage C³ with water or in large engines a pump inay be used to force
the water through the passage C³.
To govern this engine I may use the well known method of spragging the exhaust
valve open thus preventing the inlet valve D with the aid of the light spring ³
leaving its seat during the charging stroke of pist on and so the explosive mixture

page_text: is not allowed to enter the cylinder during the time the engine is running beyond
its normal speed.
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 :-
1. In engines worked by gas generated from petroleum (or other liquid hydro-
carbon) an air and petroleum inlet valve situated at or near to the cylinder end of
the combustion chamber for the purpose of allowing the well mixed air and
petroleum to enter the cylinder the petroleum being then in an unvapourised
condition and there being but little disturbance of the exhaust gases substantially as
hereinbefore described.
2. In engines worked by gas generated from petroleum (or other liquid hydro-
carbon) the regulation of the time of ignition of the explosive charge by the
regulation of the temperature and degree of compression by means substantially as
hereinbefore described.
3. In engines worked by gas generated from petroleum (or other liquid hydro-
carbon) the combination with the combustion chamber and chamber T communi-
cating with the said combustion chamber and provided with a regulated opening or
valve as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
4. In engines worked by gas generated from petroleum (or other liquid hydro-
carbon) the combination with the subject matter of the preceding first claiming
clause of a water passage C³ as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
5. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the improvements in
petroleum or hydrocarbon engines as a whole substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 15th day of September 1891.
CHARLES WILLIAM PINKNEY.