Improvements in and relating to Gas or Petroleum Engines or Motors.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 30th June, 1891-Accepted, 3rd Oct., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Gas or Petroleum Engines or
Motors.
I, PAUL HENNING IRGENS, of Christiana in the Kingdom of Norway, Machinist,
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 gas or petroleum engines or motors.
The said invention consists of an improved motor in connection with an
apparatus for the production of the gas for use therein. The said motor is
especially constructed for the use of petroleum or other gas produced from light
volatile liquids but any other gas which can be ignited by an electric spark may be
used.
The motor is characterized by its extraordinary simplicity and solidity of con-
struction. The motion of the piston is communicated to the main-shaft in the usual
manner. The gas producing apparatus supplies the necessary quantity of gas for
the proper working of the motor. The material from which the gas is to be
produced may consist of any volatile oil or liquid such as naphthalin, petroleum or
other hydrocarbon. The gas is produced by heating the hydrocarbon and passing
a current of warm air through it.
The invention is represented in the accompanying drawings in which :
Figure is a front elevation of a motor and gas producing apparatus constructed
according to this invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section thereof.
Figure 4 is a horizontal section on the line a of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is an end elevation partly in section of the gas apparatus.
Figure 6 is a side elevation of a combined adjustable air-inlet and safety valve,
hereinafter described.
Figure 7 is a plan of the same.
Figure 8 is a vertical section thereof.
Figure 9 is a horizontal section of Figure 8.
Figure 10 is a vertical section of a valve for automatically supplying the liquid
to the gas-apparatus.
Figure 11 is a side elevation of a combined inlet and exhaust valve.
Figure 12 is a plan of the same.
Figure 13 is a vertical section thereof.
Figure 14 is a horizontal section of Figure 13.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several
figures of the drawings.
The gas producing apparatus is composed of a liquid reservoir or reservoir for
the crude material A arranged above the reservoir B for the production of the gas
the liquid reservoir is provided inside with a perforated bottom or filter A' furnished
with handles a with which it may be taken out and cleaned when desired the object
of this filter being to retain any foreign matter in the liquid. The reservoirs A
and B are connected by means of the reservoirs C and C¹ which are connected with
each other by a cylindrical neck C of glass or the like. The reservoir C serves
for the reception of the raw-material when starting the engine the said reservoir
being filled with the volatile liquid which speedily passes over as an explosive gas,
when it returns into the apparatus without heating. When the machine has been
the memesin free the now motorial is opened
The

page_text: pipes D and D¹ of which the latter, serves as a discharge pipe for the liquid and is
furnished with the cock d. D is a pipe for the admission of air in order to prevent
the formation of a vacuum in the reservoir for the raw-material. The gas-
reservoir B communicates with the reservoir C¹ through the pipes D2 and D³ the
latter being an air-pipe.. In the neck C between the reservoirs C and C is
arranged a valve Cwith seat.c in the bottom of the upper reservoir C. From the
said bottom projects an arm 2, which forms a guide for the valve-rod c³, which
is connected below with a float.c. The reservoir C is provided with a waste
pipe having a cock d through which the fluid in the gas apparatus may be
drawn off.
b
The reservoir A as well as the reservoir C are furnished with feed holes
provided with covers a' and respectively apparatus 13 for the production of gas is
provided with the cover B which forms a valve adapted to lift of itself if the
explosion in the engine 'happens to rebound to the apparatus. The cover or valve
is guided by the spindle working in the cross-piece and is held down by the'
spiral spring The bottom B of the reservoir B is made concave, partly to
prevent the air getting into the apparatus without passing through the liquid in
reeling, when it is used on board ship, and partly to get a larger surface for heating.
In the centre of the bottom B2 is arranged the pipe E' for the supply of air which
opens into a cap, which is provided below with a dish-shaped piece b, which rests
upon the bottom and is held in place by the annular projection formed on the
said bottom. The said dish shaped piece is furnished with a number of small holes,
through which the air passes, the object of the said holes being to divide the air as
it'ascends through the liquid. The cap does not reach quite down, to the bottom,
but a small space is left between it and the said botton in order to allow the air to
pass from mider the said cap.
The reservoir B rests upon a base E and the said base is adapted to receive the
heated cooling-water or cooling-air and the exhaust, which' comes from the engine
which together serve for heating the liquid in the said reservoir B. His a receiver
for the heated cooling water, which comes from the engine. When the apparatus
is set in motion after a stoppage boiling water is filled into this receiver; the water
flows from the said receiver 'into the base E under the gas-apparatus and heats the
liquid therein. If there is a very light volatile liquid on 'hand, as above mentioned
which is filled into the reservoir C no previous heating of the base E from the
reservoir His necessary. E' is the inlet-pipe for the 'heated cooling-water, which
comes from the engine through the receiver H, E3 is an inlet-pipe with a stop-valve
for the exhaust, E is discharge-pipe for exhaust air, and Ea discharge-pipe for
the water.
F is a filter consisting of an outer reservoir (f) which by means of the pipes f
and communicate with the gas-apparatus. From the opening of the piper.on
the inside of the filter, a pipe or channel 2 leads down to the bottom of the
said filter on which is laid pebbles, which form the filter bed over the said filter
bed is laid a perforated plate f, in order to prevent the pebbles from being carried
with of the gas into the pipe. The object of the above described filter is to purify
the gas, and to retain any oil that has been carried therewith, and to 'prevent'
the return of the gas to the gas-reservoir. The oil, filtered off from the gas
runs back into the gas-reservoir through the pipe in the bottom of the filter.
A pipe leads from the said filter to the motor, and in this pipe is arranged a
cut-off valve of any suitable form, and a combined' air-inlet and safety-valve
which may be regulated as desired. This valve consists of a cylindrical casing G
arranged to be turned by the handle y upon an inner cylindrical casing G, which
is provided below with a flange g¹, by means of which it is connected with the
pipe The upper openings of the casings G and G¹ are covered by a safety
valve Ghaving a spindle sliding in a guide in the end of the casing G¹, the
said valve being held down by the spiral-springg. The inner casing Gha's two
diametrically opposite rectangular openings and the outer cylinder has 'two
diametrically opposite triangular openings 7 covered with ganze-wire or a per-
:

page_text: forated plate g; these openings being of the same height as the openings in the
inner casing. By turning the outer casing the openings in the inner casing are
covered or uncovered more or less, according to the quantity of air to be admitted
with the gas. The outer casing is held in position upon the inner casing by means
of a screw 98 which is screwed into the said inner casing and slides in a slot g' in
the said outer casing. A hand or pointer 90 secured to the outer casing is
moved across the graduated scale g by turning the said outer casing thereby
indicating the extent to which the inner opening is covered, and also the quantity
of air admitted.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows
:--
If petroleum or any other heavier volatile oil is employed it is necessary, in order
to set the apparatus in operation, to have warm water at hand for heating the oil
or fluid, and it is then poured in the receiver H from which it flows to the base or
heating chamber E and heats the liquid, or a volatile liquid may be employed,
which, in
a suitable quantity is poured into the gas-apparatus through the
reservoir C, and a part of which immediately it comes into the gas-apparatus,
passes over as gas by which the engine is set in operation. As soon as the
apparatus is properly in operation and the base or heating chamber E is filled with
the heated cooling-water and exhaust, which comes from the engine, so that the
liquid in the gas-apparatus is heated by it the cock d is opened, and the liquid from
the filled reservoir A for the raw-material runs into the reservoir C and from the
said reservoir down through the neck C to the reservoir C₁, and from thence
through the pipe D into the gas-apparatus or reservoir B. In the two reservoirs C
and B the liquid will assume the same level and will rise until the liquid inlet is
shut off by the valve which thus automatically opens and shuts the valve by
means of the float c. As soon as the level of the liquid falls, the valve is again
opened by the float. The gas is generated in the reservoir B and passes through
the pipe into the filter F down through the passage f³, and is then filtered and
passes up through the pipe F' to the engine. During its passage through this
pipe the gas receives. the necessary quantity of air for the explosion, through the
valve G, and this mixture of gas and air is conducted to the motor.
The motor consists of the cylinder I, which is surrounded with a water jacket or
air space and open at one end and at the other end provided with a round conical
or other shaped cover I firmly connected with the cylinder. At a short distance
from the said cover is arranged a hood I³ of corresponding shape which may be
moved nearer to or farther from the cover as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3.
The said hood I is provided at its centre with an opening communicating with a
short pipe 13, which can be displaced backwards and forwards on the pipe E for
the admission of air to the gas apparatus. The air, which is received into the gas
apparatus, passes between the said cover I' and the hood 12. The cover I is heated
by the explosions in the cylinder so that the air in passing between the said cover
and the hood on its way to the gas apparatus, also becomes heated to a greater or
less extent according, as the said hood is moved nearer to or farther from the
heated cover.
The electric spark device K is fixed on the cylinder cover I¹ the terminal
points being arranged in the inside of the cylinder. The electric current may
be obtained from an electric battery and the spark produced by any suitable make
and break device actuated from the main shaft. On the side of the cylinder
cover is arranged the combined gas inlet and exhaust-valve. This valve consists
of a casing with an automatic valve 2 for the gas inlet and another valve for
the exhaust which is operated by a lever arrangement from the main shaft. Both
valves are opened inwards. The spindle of the gas valve is continued through
the top part and is guided in a pipe screwed into the said top part. The
valve is held against its seat by the spring n, placed on the said spindle, the tension
of which may be regulated by the nuts n. The exhaust-valve with its spindle is
arranged in the same manner as above described, with the exception that the tension.
of the spring is constant, and that the spindle ends in a fork ? in which is

page_text: arranged a small roller which glides on the lever o pivoted at o'. This lever has
motion communicated to it from a sliding piece o", which is moved up and down in
the guides o by a bell crank lever being connected to a rod o' which is operated
from the main shaft of the engine. The said bell-crank lever also drives the
pump P for the cooling water which is forced through the pipe p into the valve-
casing. For regulating the movement of the exhaust valve, the sliding piece of is
provided with a block, which may be operated by a screw o' against which block
the said bell-crank lever o* strikes. When the said block is moved down by the
screw o, the motion of the exhaust-valve is lessened as the sliding piece o² and
also the lever o and the valve is raised higher and if the block is moved up the
result is reversed. The valve consists of an inner and outer casing and with a
rib or partition connecting the said casings, the space between them forming the
water jacket, and the inlet being through the pipe p from the pump, and the outlet
through the pipe p' to the water-space around the cylinder, from which the water
passes through the pipe to the reservoir H. The valve is connected with the.
cylinder cover I by means of the flanges n³.
The inside of the valve R com
municates with the cylinder through the passage n° and through this passage the
inlet of the gas to the said cylinder, and the outlet of the exhaust therefrom is
effected.
.
In the pipe N which forms a continuation of the outlet for the exhaust, is
arranged a throttle valve N which receives its motion through the lever N2 and,
rod N, from the governor N, which is driven from the main shaft. This throttle
valve is so arranged as to regulate the working of the engine, thus, when the engine,
goes too fast it contracts or entirely covers the outlet, by which little or no, exhaust.
can escape. The engine then uses a smaller quantity of gas for the next stroke so
that a slight explosion only is effected, which will be followed by a slower working,
of the engine.
The pipe for the outlet of the exhaust is in communication with a pipe E³ to the
heating space of the gas apparatus and by a pipe N with the atmosphere both
pipes being furnished with cocks so that the exhaust may be caused to pass through
the one or the other pipe as desired.
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 F
claim is
'
First. In a petroleum or other gas engine or motor a cylinder is provided at one
end with a round conical or similar shaped cover connected to the said cylinder and
an adjustable hood arranged at a short distance from the said cover a combined
valve for gas inlet and exhaust connected to the said cylinder cover and a valve in
the exhaust pipe for controlling the operation of the engine, the. said valve being.
worked from a governor by means of a lever arrangement, the ignition of the gas
taking place within the cylinder cover by means of an electric spark and a water.
jacket or air space surrounding the cylinder and inlet and exhaust valve provided;
with a water jacket or air space.
Second. In a petroleum or other gas engine or motor the arrangement of the
cylinder cover fixed to the cylinder of the engine and a hood corresponding in shape
to; the said cover, the said hood being in communication with, and serving as the
air inlet to the gas apparatus, and made adjustable so that it may be moved nearer
to or farther from the said cylinder cover to enable the air passing between the
hood and the cover to be heated.
Third. In a petroleum or other gas engine or motor the arrangement of a com-
bined inlet and exhaust valve secured to the cylinder cover, consisting of an inner
and an outer casing with a water jacket or air space between them an automatically
operated inlet valve and an outlet or exhaust valve operated by means of a lever
arrangement from the main shaft of the engine both valves.opening inward and
held upon their seats by springs the pressure of which may be regulated, placed on
the spindles of the said valves a passage connecting the inside of the valve with the

page_text: inside of the engine cylinder which passage serves as an inlet for the gas as well as
an outlet for the exhaust.
Fourth. In a petroleum or other gas engine or motor the arrangement of a
throttle valve in the exhaust-pipe for opening and closing the exhaust-passage and
which is operated by a lever arrangement from a governor driven directly or
indirectly from the main shaft of the engine.
Fifth. In a petroleum or other gas engine or motor the arrangement of mechanism
for operating the exhaust-valve consisting of a lever pivoted at one end and upon
which the valve spindle rests or to which it is secured, the other end of the said
lever is connected with a sliding piece which moves up and down in guides and
which is provided with a slot in which an adjustable sliding block is arranged, one
arm of a pivoted bell crank lever engages with the underside of the said block to
operate the said sliding piece, the said bell crank lever serving also to work the
pump for circulating the water in the water jacket the other arm of the said bell-
crank lever being connected by a rod which is operated from the main shaft of the
engine.
Sixth. In an apparatus for the production of gas for gas motors and for other
similar purposes from volatile oils the arrangement of a reservoir A for the crude
material communicating with a reservoir B for the production of the gas through
pipes or conduits D1 and D2 and reservoirs C and C¹ in the former of which is
arranged a valve e e¹ which is automatically opened and shut by means of a float c
in the lower reservoir C¹ the air inlet pipe to the gas-reservoir passing up through
the bottom of the said reservoir, and opening into the upper end of a cap, the
lower end of which projects down into the fluid, a filter F in connection with the
gas-reservoir and a pipe provided with a combined air inlet and safety valve which
may be regulated a valve in the reservoir for the production of gas the bottom
of the said reservoir being treated by the heated cooling-water from the engine
and the exhaust which is caused to pass into the base or lower part (E) of the
said reservoir.
Seventh. In an apparatus for the production of gas. as hereinbefore described
the arrangement of a reservoir A for the crude material provided with a perforated
bottom or filter A' the said reservoir communicating by means of a pipe having a
cock with the reservoir (C) which through an automatic valve arrangement (cc)
is connected with the reservoir C which in turn communicates with the reservoir B
for the production of the gas the reservoirs A and C being so arranged that A
may be shut off and C used as the reservoir for the crude material, the cover for
the reservoir B forming a lift valve and the bottom thereof being made concave.
Eighth. In an apparatus for the production of gas as hereinbefore described the
arrangement of a reservoir (C) or of two connected reservoirs (C C¹) forming a
connection between the liquid reservoir or the reservoir for the crude material and
the gas reservoir the said connecting reservoirs being provided with an automatic
valve so arranged, that the float will be raised or lowered and the valve con-
sequently opened or closed according to the level of the fluid in the reservoir B.
Ninth. In an apparatus for the production of gas as hereinbefore described the
arrangement of a pipe for the supply of air to the gas-reservoir the said pipe being
covered by a cap, which projects downward into the liquid the said gas reservoir
resting on a base and heated by the heated cooling water and exhaust from the
engine which is conducted through suitable pipes to the said base.
Tenth. In an apparatus for the production of gas as hereinbefore described
the arrangement of a combined air inlet and adjustable safety-valve consisting of
two concentric cylinders having both ends open the outer one having a handle by
which it may be turned on the inner one and otherwise fixed to the same the inner
cylinder being provided with a finger for securing the same to the gas-pipe and
the upper end of the said cylinders being covered by a lift or safety valve. The
inner cylinder provided with two diametrically opposite rectangular openings,
and the outer cylinder with two diametrically opposite triangular openings or
perforations triangularly arranged so that the vertical sides of the triangles are

page_text: parallel with the vertical sides of the rectangular openings and by the turning of
the outer cylinder the hypotenuse of the triangle covers the inner opening sub-
stantially as shown in the drawings and for the purpose above specified.
Dated this 30th day of June 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.