IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Horace Robinson, of the City of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS
MOTOR ENGINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Horace Robinson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th January 1880.
HORACE ROBINSON, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES."
My Invention relates to improvements in that class of gas motor engine in which
the inflammable mixture of gas or gases and atmospheric air are compressed, and
in that state ignited in order to produce motive power. In my improved gas motor
engine the mixture of gas or gases and atmospheric air is forced at an extremely
low pressure or allowed to flow into a chamber, which chamber is in free communi-
cation with the working cylinder. The gas or gases and air after their passage
into this chamber are retained therein by a suitable valve, which valve may be
opened by the flow of the gases themselves into the chamber, but closes when their
inward flow has ceased and so prevents their return.
The working piston being in free communication with the aforesaid chamber
compresses the charge therein by its backward or inward stroke, while under
compression the charge is ignited and by its expansion drives the piston forward,
the force thus developed being available as motive power.
The aforesaid chamber is recharged with the inflammable mixture of gas or gases
and atmospheric air when the working piston has accomplished part or the whole
of its working stroke, and part or the whole of the products of combustion formed
by the union or burning of the previous charge of gases escapes through an annular
or other suitable opening in the cylinder, before or in front of the fresh charge of
inflammable mixture. The annular or other suitable opening may be uncovered by
the forward or outward motion of the piston itself.
One mode in which I ignite the charge of inflammable gas or gases and
atmospheric air whilst under compression is as follows:-I use a valve in which
there is a recess; a suitably adjusted passage or passages is or are formed in this
valve in such a way that when the valve is in one position a small quantity of the
IP

page_text: mixture to be ignited escapes through the aforesaid passage or passages into the
aforesaid recess. This recess being in the vicinity of a flame which is kept burning
in the open air, the gases thus escaping into the air are ignited or lighted by the
aforesaid flame. Motion which is now imparted to the valve brings the recess
containing a small quantity of burning mixture into contact with the main body of
gases to be ignited and ignites it.
The mode by which I obtain an ignition or burning in the aforesaid recess is
preferably by the use of a cone of wire gauze or other suitable material inserted
into this recess, its apex towards the inward end of the recess, the gases running
from the outside through the gauze or other suitable material into the inside of the
cone where they are ignited or burned.
Another mode in which I ignite the mixture of gas or gases and atmospheric air
under compression is as follows:-A valve is used in which there is a recess. This
recess contains a small cake or lump of material which is a good nonconductor of
heat. In the centre of this non-conducting material is imbedded a small piece of
porcelain or other material capable of bearing or resisting a very high temperature.
By the action of the valve above mentioned, this piece of porcelain or other suitable
material is first exposed to the concentrated heat of the flame of the blow pipe and
then brought over or into the chamber containing the gases to be ignited and comes
into contact with them, and the heat which this small piece of porcelain or other
suitable material has acquired by the action of the flame of the blow pipe ignites
the mixture of gases under pressuré in the aforesaid chamber.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Horace Robinson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th July
1880.
HORACE ROBINSON, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES."
My Invention relates to improvements in that class of gas motor engine in which
the inflammable mixture of gas or gases and atmospheric air is compressed, and in
that state ignited in order to produce motive power. In my improved gas motor
engine the mixture of gas or gases and atmospheric air is forced at an extremely
low pressure or allowed to flow into a chamber, which chamber is in free communi-
cation with the working cylinder. The gas or gases and air after their passage into
this chamber are retained therein by a suitable valve, which valve may be opened by
the flow of the gases themselves into the chamber, but closes when their inward
flow has ceased, and so prevents their return.
The working piston being in free communication with the aforesaid chamber
compresses the charge therein by its backward or inward stroke, and while under
compression the charge is ignited and by its expansion drives the piston forward,
the force thus developed being available as motive power.
The aforesaid chamber is recharged with the inflammable mixture of gas or gases
and atmospheric air when the working piston has accomplished part or the whole
of the working or outward stroke, and part or the whole of the products of
combustion formed by the union or burning of the previous charge of gases escapes
through an annular or other suitable opening in the cylinder, before or in front of
the fresh charge of inflammable mixture. The annular or other suitable opening is
uncovered by the forward or outward motion of the piston itself.
One mode in which I ignite the charge of inflammabe gas or gases and atmospheric
air whilst under compression is as follows:-I use a valve in which there is a
recess; a suitably adjusted passage or passages is or are formed in this valve in such
a way that when the valve is in one position a small quantity of the mixture to be
ignited escapes through the aforesaid passage or passages into the aforesaid recess.
This recess being in the vicinity of a Hame which is kept burning in the open air,
the gases thus escaping into the air are ignited or lighted by the aforesaid flame.
Motion which is now imparted to the valve brings the recess containing a small
quantity of burning mixture into contact with the main body of gases to be ignited
and ignites it. The mode by which I obtain an ignition or burning in the aforesaid
recess is by the use of a cone of wire gauze or other suitable material inserted into
this recess, its apex towards the inward end of the recess, the gases running from the
outside through the gauze or other suitable material into the inside of the cone
where they are ignited or burned.
This
Another mode in which I ignite the mixture of gas or gases and atmospheric air
under compression is as follows:-A valve is used in which there is a recess.
recess contains a small cake or lump of material which is a good non-conductor of
heat. In the centre of this non-conducting material is imbedded a small piece of
porcelain or other material capable of bearing or resisting a very high temperature.
By the action of the valve above mentioned this piece of porcelain or other suitable
material is first exposed to the concentrated heat of the flame of the blow pipe and
then brought over or into the chamber containing the gases to be ignited and comes
into contact with them, and the heat which this small piece of porcelain or other
suitable material has acquired by the action of the flame of the blow pipe ignites
the mixture of gases under pressure in the aforesaid chamber.
And in order that this my said Invention may be better understood and carried
into practical effect I have hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings illustrative of
my improvements in gas motor engines, and will now proceed to describe the same
by reference to the Figures and letters of reference marked thereon, the same
letters being used to denote similar parts in the several views.

page_text: Fig. 1 is a vertical section of my improved gas motor engine; Fig. 2 is a sectional
plan through the line x-x on Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a back view of the cylinder and
connections, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the cylinder and connections, but in
the roversed position to that illustrated in Fig. 1. A is the gas supply pipe and B¹
is a suction valve; A¹ is one of a number of holes formed in the valve scating B for
allowing the inward passage of atmospheric air, and A' is a single hole formed in
the same seating for the admission of gas from the pipe A; C, C, C, is a pump and
clearance space or chamber in free communication with one another; D is a pipe or
passage between the pump with its clearance space C, C, and the ignition chamber E³,
which chamber E' is open to the working end of the cylinder E²; E, shown more
clearly in section Fig. 5, is a valve which acts as a retention valve to the ignition
chamber E', and also acts as a delivery valve to the pump C, in the manner described
more fully hereafter; F is a long or continuous piston connected in a suitable
manner, substantially as shown, to a crank shaft W; F¹ is an exhaust passage, and
f is an annular groove or opening in the cylinder E³; T is a water jacket; G is the
igniting valve or plug described more fully hereafter. Fig. 5 shows a vertical
section of the valve E in position on its seating; a spindle or rod N passes down
from this valve through a hole N' in the pipe or passage D and two nuts N' are
locked upon it to restrict the rise of the valve E within certain limits. An india
rubber washer or spring and a metallic washer are inserted between these nuts and
the plug or boss N³, the rubber or spring uppermost or nearest the said boss, and
thus noise from the rising of the valve E is prevented or lessened. A cap O is
screwed over these nuts and washers which allows of the free action of the spindle
and valve, but prevents the escape of the gases into the open air.
Fig. 6 shows a plan of the seating of the said valvo E.
The action of this improved gas motor engine is as follows:-The piston F in
moving in the direction of the arrow, see Fig. 1, causes the suction valve B' (which
is preferably of the disc form) to rise and draws in gas through the pipe A and
atmospheric air through the air holes A¹ into the pump and clearance space C, C.
When the piston F has reached the end of this stroke the suction valve B¹
closes either by its own weight or by means of a spring or by the action of the
'gases or by the combination of these forces. When the piston F performs its
outward stroke in the direction of the arrow, see Fig. 2, it causes the gas or gases
and atmospheric air in the pump C (which have now become mixed) to be slightly
compressed as the said gas or gases and atmospheric air cannot escape through or
past the valve E owing to the pressure of the ignited charge in the chamber E¹ and
cylinder E causing such valve at this stage to act as a retention valve to the
chamber E¹. When the piston F in its outward stroke passes beyond the annular
groove or opening of the products of combustion of the previously ignited charge or
mixture of gas or gases and atmospheric air are free to escape from the working
end of the cylinder E out through the exhaust and thus leaves the valve E free to
be opened. This is assuming one working revolution of the engine to have been pre-
viously made. The mixture of gas or gases and atmospheric air in the pump and
clearance C, C, is now slightly under compression and is free to be forced or
allowed by its elasticity to How through or along the pipe or passage D and through
or past the delivery valve E (shown in detail at Figs. 5 and 6) into the igniting
chamber E¹, and this chamber E¹ being in free communication with the working end
of the cylinder E³ part of the said mixture of gas or gases and atmospheric air is
free to flow into or to be forced into the working end of the cylinder E, and as the
remaining products of combustion or part of the remaining products of the previously
ignited charge flow out or are forced out through the annular groove or opening f
the fresh mixture fills up part or the wholo of the igniting chamber E' and this
chamber E¹ being in free communication with the working cylinder E² a portion of
the said mixture is free to flow into or to be forced into the working end of the
cylinder E. The piston F by the momentum of the fly wheel V and crank W now
commences its return or inward stroke and closes the communication through the
annular passage f into the exhaust and commences to compress the mixture of gas

page_text: or gases and atmospheric air in the igniting chamber which mixture has been
already forced or allowed to flow through or past the valve E in the manner
already described. The valve E having admitted this mixture of gas or gases and
atmospheric air into the ignition chamber E' in the manner already described has
closed ineanwhile by the action of the gases or by its own weight or by means of a
spring or by the combination of these forces and now acts as a retention valve and
prevents the return of the mixture of gases from the working end of the cylinder E2
and the igniting chamber E. As the piston F continues its inward stroke it
continues to compress the mixture of gas or gases and atmospheric air until it
reaches the end of its inward stroke. The compressed charge of gas or gases and
atmospheric air in the chamber E¹ is now ignited by means of an ignition valve or
plug G (described more fully hereafter), and the expansion of the mixture thus
ignited drives the piston F forward or outward thus developing motive power, and.
at the same time acting in the manner already described upon the gas or gases and
atmospheric air which have been drawn into the pump C. When the piston F has
passed beyond the annular groove or opening of the working end of the cylinder E
is placed in free communication with the exhaust passage F¹ and the products of
combustion or part of the products of combustion are allowed to flow out or are
forced out of the cylinder by their own expansion and by the action of the fresh
charge of gas or gases and atmospheric air flowing or being forced from the pump
and clearance C, C, and the pipe or passage D over or past the valve E, in the
manner already described.
It will thus be seen that an ignition occurs at or about the commencement of
every outward stroke of the piston.
Referring to the Drawings, Fig. 7 is a cross section, and Fig. 8 is a sectional plan
on a larger scale of the ignition plug or cylindrical valve G (shown in Fig. 2).
G¹ is the casing in which this valve moves, and H2 is an opening in the said casing;
H is a recess formed in the valve or plug G; H¹ is a hollow cone of wire gauze or
other suitably perforated material fitted into the recess H, with its apex towards the
inner end of the recess H, and its open bottom toward the outer end of the
recess H; I is a small passage communicating continuously between the ignition
chamber E¹ and the before mentioned recess H; K is a light or flame burning in
the open air. A second passage 11 may also be formed, as shown in Fig. 8, or as
shown in Fig. 8ª.
The mode in which this plug or valve G, Figs. 7, 8, and 8ª effects the ignition of
the charge of gas or gases and atmospheric air whilst under compression is as
follows: When the valve or plug G is in the position shown in Fig. 8, the
recess H containing the cone H of wire gauze or other suitably perforated
material is in free communication with the open air through the opening H2 in the
casing G¹, and the passage I (which is suitably adjusted, preferably by a small
screw having an aperture through it as illustrated or flat upon its side) communi-
cates continuously between the recess H. and the ignition chamber E¹, in which
the mixture of gas or gases and atmospheric air to be ignited is confined. A small
quantity of the said mixture escapes through the said passage I into the recess H
and through the sides of the perforated cone H' into the open air, and the
light K which is kept constantly burning in the open air ignites this small quantity
of escaping mixture which now burns in the cone H¹. At the proper time for
the ignition of the gases an eccentric U, Fig. 2, or cam forces the said plug or
valve G into about the position shown in dotted lines Fig. 8, and this brings the
burning charge in the said cone H¹ directly into contact with the ignitable mixture
contained in the chamber E¹ and ignites it. As it is preferable to allow a greator
quantity of the mixture of gas or gases and atmospheric air contained in the
chamber E¹ to escape into the recess H and cone H when the time for ignition
approaches, but whilst the recess H and tho cone Hare in free communication with
the open air a second small passage 1¹ formed either in the manner shewn in Fig. 8,
or in the manner shewn in Fig. 80, may be opened between the chamber E' and the
recess H and cone H¹ by the inward motion of the valve G.

page_text: This ignition valve or plug is in equilibrium so far as any pressure acting at right
angles to its axis is concerned, seeing that the pressure is equal upon its cylindrical
surface or periphery.
Referring to the Drawings, Fig. 9 is a cross section, and Fig. 10 is a sectional
plan on an enlarged scale of another arrangement of ignition valve; G is the
igniting plug or valve working in the casing G¹; L is a cake or lump of fire-clay or
other material which is a good non-conductor of heat; L' is a small piece of
porcelain or other material capable of bearing or resisting a very high temperature;
M is a blow pipe. The mode in which the ignition is effected by this arrange-
ment is as follows:-When the valve G is in the position shewn in Fig. 10, the
small piece of porcelain L' or other suitable material is exposed to the concentrated
heat of the flame of the blow pipe M, which raises the temperature of L¹
considerably above the temperature necessary to ignite the mixture of gas or gases
and atmospheric air contained in the ignition chamber E¹. At the proper time for
the igniting of the said mixture a cam or eccentric moves this valve or plug G
inwards, or to the position shown in dotted lines Fig. 10; and the small piece of
porcelain or other suitable material L' which is now at a high temperature is
brought into direct contact with the said ignitable mixture and thus ignites it.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
Invention, together with the best methods with which I am acquainted for carrying
the same into practical effect, I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details, relative proportions or dimensions of the
several parts of the improved gas motor engine herein before described and
illustrated on the accompanying Drawing, as the same may be considerably varied
without departing from the Invention, but what I do claim is,―
First. In a gas motor engine, the employment of a long or continuous piston in
combination with the annular port or groove formed in and surrounding the
working cylinder, whereby the communication with the exhaust is closed up to or
near to the end of the outward stroke of the piston, substantially as and for the
purpose herein before described and illustrated on the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The peculiar form and construction of ignition valve or plug when
formed with a recess fitted with a cone of wire gauze or other suitable perforated
material, one end of which valve is forced completely into the ignitable mixture,
substantially as and for the purpose herein before described and illustrated on the
accompanying Drawing.
Third. The employment of a cone of wire gauze or other suitable perforated
material inserted in a recess formed in the ignition valve of a gas motor engine, as
and for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying
Drawings.
Fourth. Arranging a suitably adjusted passage within the ignition valve or plug,
so as to form a constant communication between a recess formed within the said
plug or valve and the charge to be ignited, as and for the purposes herein before
described and illustrated on the accompanying Drawing.
Fifth. The peculiar cylindrical form and construction of the ignition valve or
plug for carrying suitable incandescent material into the explosive mixture of gas
or gases and atmospheric air, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described and illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10 of the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Horace Robinson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.