IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS-MOTORS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Carl Pieper, Civil-Engineer and Patent Agent resident
at 109-110 Gneisenaustrasse, Berlin S.W, Prussia, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS-MOTORS" a communication to him from Ernst
Körting and Georg Lieckfeld, residing in Hannover, Kingdom of Prussia
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Carl Pieper at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st May 1883.
CARL PIEPER, Civil Engineer and Patent-Agent, resident at 109/110 Gneisenau-
Strasse, Berlin S.W. Prussia, "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS-MOTORS," a communication
to me from Ernst Körting and Georg Lieckfeld, residing in Hannover, Kingdom of
Prussia,
This invention relates to gas-motors in which motive power is produced by the
combustion, within the working cylinder, of a mixture of inflammable gas and air
supplied by a force pump.
According to the first improvement the inventors so direct the current of gas and
air entering into a space at the bottom end of the cylinder, that the same will, by
impinging against the wall of the said space, be diverted from its original direction
and lose its initial velocity. The mixture of gas and air is thereby brought to a
state of rest or localized in the said space. Simultaneously the working piston
during its descent expells a portion of the combustion gases through exhaust orifices
arranged in the wall of the cylinder and an exhaust valve, while the remaining
portion of the said gases is enclosed in the cylinder. These gases being hot and
therefore lighter than the fresh mixture, will rise as the latter enters and form a
distinct gaseous layer between the piston and the explosive gas mixture. After
the exhaust valve has closed, the gases in the cylinder are compressed. By
preference the inventors make the space at the bottom of the cylinder of
hemispherical or spheroidal form.
If the current of gas and air enters from the side, it is advantageous to arrange
on the opposite side between the space and the cylinder proper, a partial partition
or screen adapted to divert the gas-current downward as it strikes against the

page_text: wall. Another arrangement consists in extending the inlet channel to the center
line of the cylinder and bending it downward at its end, so as to direct the gas-
mixture against the bottom of the space.
The second improvement relates to the means for igniting the gas mixture.
The device which the inventors employ herefor consists in the first place of a fixed
barrel open at the bottom and projecting with its lower part into the said mixture.
This barrel has one or more lateral ports opening out into the gas mixture, and
another port situated above the former and by which a communication is established
between its interior and the outer air. In front of the upper port the permanent
gas jet burns. In the lower part of the barrel there is a movable tube, the inside
of which forms, at the bottom end, a cone having at its apex a very small hole.
The side of the tube is provided with apertures which, when the tube is in its
lowest position, communicate with the lower port or ports of the barrel. In the
upper part of the latter there is a plunger forming a valve and operated by a cam
receiving motion from the main shaft of the engine, or by other suitable means.
In its depressed position this plunger closes the upper port of the barrel. When
it is lifted and the said upper port thereby opened, and when gas-mixture is at the
same time admitted into the cylinder, the pressure of the gas acting on the bottom
of the said tube, raises the same, and thus causes a closing of its lateral apertures.
Simultaneously gas mixture passes through the small hole at the bottom of the
tube into the interior thereof and ignites at the permanent jet or lighting flame.
A small flame fed with gas from the cylinder, will then continue to burn inside of
the tube. The plunger being hereupon depressed, and the upper port thereby
closed, the tube (which may receive an impulse from the plunger) drops down; its
lateral apertures come in register with the lower ports of the barrel and establish
free communication between the inside of the tube and the cylinder. This causes
the mixture in the latter to take fire from the flame in the tube. In order to
make the tube close tight on the outside when lifted, it is provided below its
lateral apertures with a shoulder fitting in the manner of a valve against an offset
in the barrel arranged above its lower ports. In a like manner the plunger closes
with its bottom edge against an offset below the upper port. The cam operating
the said piston is by preference carried out in the form of a sector oscillated by an
eccentric on the main shaft.
The third improvement relates to the mechanism for regulating the speed of the
engine. For this purpose an auxiliary chamber which I shall term "receiver," is
put in communication with the feed pump and the cylinder by suitable channels,
and in these channels a valve or valves are arranged which are controlled by the
governor, and which according to their position operate to conduct the gas-mixture
from the feed pump either to the cylinder or to the receiver. When the speed of
the engine is too great, the balls of the governor flying out, will close the valve of
the cylinder channel, and thus cause the pump to force the gas-mixture into the
receiver and to aspire therefrom. When, on the other hand, the speed decreases,
the receiver is shut off, and the entire quantity of mixture delivered by the pump
is forced into the cylinder.
The fourth improvement consists in so connecting the plug of the gas-cock with
the cock of an oil reservoir from which the cylinder is lubrified, that both cocks
will be opened and closed at the same time and by one operation. By this means
waste of oil during the stoppage of the engine is prevented.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Carl Pieper in the Great Seal Patent Office on
26th November 1883.
the
CARL PIEPER, Civil Engineer and Patent-Agent, resident at 109-110 Gneisenau-
5 Strasse, Berlin S.W. Prussia. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS-MOTORS."-a communication
to me from Ernst Körting, and Georg Lieckfeld, residing in Hannover, Kingdom of
Prussia.
This invention relates to gas-motors in which motive power is produced by the
combustion, within the working cylinder, of a mixture of inflammable gas and air
supplied by a force-pump, and the improvements consist: firstly, in a construction
and combination of parts whereby the fresh mixture of gas and air entering into
the cylinder, will be localized in a space at the bottom of the same, while a layer
of residual combustion gases remains enclosed between the fresh gases and the
piston; secondly, in the particular device employed for igniting the gas-mixture;
and thirdly, in the construction of mechanism for regulating the speed of the
engine.
A gas-motor embodying these improvements is represented on the annexed sheet
of drawings. Fig: 1 is a front view of the motor partly in section; Fig: 2
a sectional side view and Fig: 3 a sectional plan thereof. Fig: 4 shows a modi-
fication of a part of the same in transverse section. Figs 5 and 6 are sections of
the igniting device with different positions of movable parts drawn to a larger
scale. Figs 7 and 8 show in horizontal and in vertical section the speed-regulating
mechanism, also drawn to a larger scale. Fig: 9 finally represents an arrangement
for stopping all supply of oil to the cylinder while the engine is at rest.
a is the main or working cylinder. The power produced within the same is
transmitted by the piston a' and a connecting rod to the crank a³.
bis the pump
for the supply of fresh gas mixture; the piston of the same operates by a con-
necting rod on a crank placed alike to the crank a² on the main-shaft of the engine,
which also carries the fly-wheel. c is a space which we have called localizing space
and which is provided with curved walls. By preference the same is made hemi-
spherical or spheroidal so that for a given capacity its refrigerating surface may be
as small as possible. d is a valve serving as suction valve for the pump b and
besides, as apparatus for mixing gas and air in such a manner that the piston of
the pump will always draw a mixture of uniform constitution upon the whole
length of its course. This valve is described in the specification of the German-
patent No 19435. In e is contained a selfacting delivery valve of the pump b.
fis the apparatus for igniting the charge. g is the exhaust channel for the com-
bustion gases; the same communicates by a number of orifices g¹ with the interior
of the cylinder. h is the exhaust valve, which is opened by a cam-disk keyed on
the main-shaft, and closed by a spring. x is the channel by which the mixture of
gas and air passes from the pump to the cylinder. y is a partial partition, screen
or flange arranged at the top of the space c opposite to the mouth of the channel x
when the same conducts into the cylinder from the side, as in Fig: 2.
The operation of the engine is as follows:
During the upward or outward motion of the working piston, the piston of the
pump moves in the same direction and aspires an inflammable mixture of gas and
air upon the whole length of its stroke. When the working piston is at or near
the upper end of its stroke, the exhaust valve h opens, so that the combustion gases
being under the piston, are then free to issue by the orifices g' in the wall of the
cylinder, the channel g and the valve into the atmosphere. The working piston
thereupon descending displaces the combustion gases and forces them out by the
valve h. During about the same period the pump presses fresh explosive mixture
by the channel into the localizing space c. The current of the gaseous mixture.

page_text: is so directed that it will pass across the space c and impinge against the opposite
wall thereof. It hereby loses its initial velocity and spreads out over the wall of
the space. The flange y, however, prevents the current from diverging upward
and forces it to spread out downward and toward the sides. The cold gaseous
mixture being, moreover, heavier than the hot residual combustion gases, will thus,
while displacing the latter, be brought to a state of rest, in the space c, or become
localized in the same, without commingling to any greater extent with the hot
gases floating above it, than is unavoidable on account of the diffusion of the gases.
In the measure as the fresh mixture is introduced into the cylinder, an equal
volume of combustion gases is thereby expelled through the exhaust valve, until,
when the working piston is about at the middle of its inward or downward stroke,
the said valve is closed. A distinct layer of residual combustion gases is then
enclosed between the piston and the explosive gas mixture. Hereafter a com-
pression of the gases takes place, which is caused on one hand by the further
descent of the working piston, and on the other hand by the continued introduction
of fresh gas mixture from the pump, the piston whereof is also still descending.
By this compression the localization of the explosive charge is, however, not
prejudiced.
When the working piston has arrived at the bottom end of its stroke or soon
after, the charge is fired by means of the igniting device f. By the combustion of
the charge the neutral gases above the same are heated, and by the expansive
force of the entire contents of the cylinder the working piston is driven upward.
Fig: 4 shows a modification of the manner of introducing the current of gas-
mixture, the inlet-channel x being in this case extended to about the middle of the
space c and bent downward at its end. By means of this arrangement also the
current of gaseous mixture is caused to impinge against the wall of the space c
and to completely lose its speed at the place where the localization is to be
effectuated.
The improved igniting device which forms the second part of the invention, is
shown by Fig: 5 with its moveable parts in the position they occupy previous to
the ignition of the charge, and by Fig: 6 with these parts in their position at the
moment of the ignition. The apparatus consists in the first place of a fixed
barrel i open at the bottom and projecting with its lower part into the gas-mixture
to be ignited. By preference it is inserted into the channel x as shown by the
drawing. This barrel has one or more lateral ports 8 opening out into the gas-
mixture, and another port, p, situated above the former, and by which a com-
munication is established between its interior and the outer air. In front of the
port the permanent gas jet q burns. In the lower part of the barrel there is a
movable tube, k, the inside of which forms at the bottom end a cone o having at
its apex a very small hole o'. The side of the tube is provided with apertures 1,
which, when the tube is in its lowest position communicate with the port or
ports 8. In the upper part of the barrel there is a plunger m constituting a
valve and operated by any suitable means from the main shaft of the engine.
When the said plunger is depressed, it closes the port p as shown in Fig: 6.
When it is lifted and the port p thereby opened, the compressed gas-mixture
contained in the cylinder acting on the bottom of the tube k, raises the latter and
thus causes the apertures 7 to be closed. Simultaneously a small quantity of gas-
mixture passes through the hole at the bottom of the tube into the interior
A small flame fed
thereof and ignites at the permanent jet or lighting flame q.
with gas from the cylinder will then continue to burn inside of the tube k. The
plunger being hereupon depressed and the port p thereby closed, the tube k is cut
off from communication with the atmosphere, the pressure inside of the same will
therefore speedily become as great as on its outside, and this will cause it to drop
into the position Fig: 6. By preference the tube is so arranged that upon the
descent of the plunger, the latter will strike against it and thus accelerate its
downward motion. The tube having come into its bottom position, its lateral
apertures are in register with the ports 8 of the barrel, and establish free

page_text: communication between the inside of the tube and the inlet channel x, or other
part of the cylinder to which the igniting device is attached. This causes the
mixture in the cylinder to take fire from the flame in the tube. In order to make
the tube close tight on the outside when lifted, it is provided below the apertures r
with a shoulder 7 fitting in the manner of a valve against an offset arranged in
the barrel above the ports 8. In a like manner the plunger m closes with its
bottom edge n against an offset n¹ below the port p.
To the plunger m motion may, with advantage, be imparted by means of an
eccentric j, keyed on the main shaft of the engine and operating by its rod upon
a cam t oscillating on a fixed pivot f¹. This cam during the greater part of every
oscillation presses by the medium of a bar t' and a roller pivoted thereto, against
the plunger m and keeps it down on its seat n. But when the recess u of the
cam comes opposite to the said roller, the pressure of the cam ceases and the
plunger is lifted by the force of the two springs v. The motion of the cam t is so
timed that it will allow the plunger m to be raised soon after the exhaust valve h
has closed, and that it will press down the plunger and thereby cause ignition to
take place when the piston is at the end of its stroke or shortly after.
The plunger m may, however, also be operated in other manner, for instance by
a cam keyed directly on the main shaft or on an auxiliary shaft. Moreover the
ignition may be brought about by known means, such as a slide valve, a red-hot
bar, or an electric spark.
For the purpose of regulating the speed of the engine an auxiliary chamber z,
which we have termed "receiver," is put in commnnication with the feed pump
and the cylinder by suitable channels, and in these channels valves are arranged
which are controlled by the governor, and which operate to conduct the gas-
mixture from the feed pump, either to the cylinder or to the receiver. Figs 7
and 8 show an arrangement for this purpose. K is a valve-box communicating
by the channels b₁, c and d respectively with the pump, the receiver and the
cylinder. C is a valve adapted to close the channel c¹ and D a valve by which
the channel d' may be closed. These valves are connected to the ends of the
double armed lever B operated by the centrifugal governor w through the medium
of suitable connections such as shown in the drawing, and the crank A. When
the speed of the engine is too great, the balls of the governor flying out, will close
the valve D of the cylinder channel d', and thereby cause the pump to force the
gas-mixture into the receiver, and to aspire therefrom. When on the other hand
the speed decreases, the valve C closes, so that then the entire quantity of mixture
delivered by the pump, is forced through the open channel d¹ into the cylinder.
Considering that during the period of aspiration of the pump-piston, the valves C
and D are completely equilibrated, the regulation takes place without frictional
resistance, excepting the slight amount thereof arising in the stuffing-box of the
lever-axle. The pump under this system of regulation, always works with a'
uniformly constituted gas-mixture, which it draws in either through the mixing
valve d or from the receiver. A great certainty of ignition is hereby attained
under the different conditions of the regulation.
Instead of two separate valves a single valve with two faces may be employed,
which, according as it is moved one way or the other, will close either of the two
channels c and d while it opens the other one. There are, however, besides these
various other arrangements of valves and combinations of channels which will
answer the same purpose, and instead of the drop valves shown, slide valves or
cocks may be used.
In order to prevent waste of the oil required for lubrifying the cylinder, the
arrangement shown by Fig: 9 may be employed. In the same E is the gas-cock
of the engine, and G an oil reservoir from which oil is conducted through the
cock F and the pipes H. H to the cylinders. The plugs of the cocks E and F are
so connected by a rod I that both cocks will be opened and closed at the same time
and by one operation. According to the relative position of the two cocks the
connection of the plugs of the same may be carried out in other manner, for

page_text: instance by means of levers, toothed wheels, pulleys or by a flexible shaft, as
will easily be understood by any competent person. With this arrangement the
lubrification begins with the working of the engine, and stops when the engine is
stopped, all waste of oil from the reservoir G during such stoppage being thus
precluded.
I am aware that beretofore gas-engines have been carried out in which an
inflammable gas or gas-mixture is brought to combustion in a cylinder containing,
in addition thereto, air or incombustible gases, as is the case in the engine
described in the specification of the English patent No 2081. A.D. 1876. But in
this engine the charge of inflammable gas and air is introduced subsequent to a
charge of air or incombustible gases in such a manner that the inflammable gas or
gas-mixture is to a considerable extent diffused in the air or gases admitted first,
for the purpose of rendering combustion gradual, whereas in the engine herein-
before described there is no separate charge of air, the incombustible gases present
are residual gases only, and the explosive mixture is so introduced that it will
practically be maintained distinct from the latter and that combustion will take
place instantaneously.
Having thus described the nature and object of this invention and the manner
in which it is to be carried out in practice as communicated to me by my
correspondents, I hereby claim as new and important features of the same:
1, In a gas-motor, the combination with a main cylinder a having exhaust
orifices g¹ and a space c at the bottom, of a supply pump b for the mixture of gas
and air arranged to supply fresh gas-mixture to the space c and the cylinder, while
the cylinder-piston is moving downward or inward, this mixture being
compressed within the cylinder together with a superposed layer of residual
combustion gases after the exhaust passages have been closed, substantially as
herein before described.
2, In a gas-motor the combination with a main cylinder a having at one end a
space c with curved walls, of an inlet channel arranged to direct the current of the
mixture of gas and air against said curved walls, whereby it is localized in said
space c, as and for the purpose set forth.
3, The combination with the cylinder a of a space c of hemispherical or
spheroidal form and having a flange y as and for the purpose set forth.
4, In the described gas-motor, the igniting apparatus consisting of the barrel i
having valve-seats l' and n', port p with lighting flame q, and communicating by
a port or ports s and by its open bottom end with the gas-mixture to be ignited,
in combination with the tube k being inside conical at o, and having ports 7,
hole o' and valve-surface l, and with the valve m operated from the main shaft of
the motor, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
5, In combination with the valve m of the described igniting apparatus, the
oscillating cam t operated from the main shaft and actuating the said valve as
herein before set forth.
6, The combination with the piston a and the pump b of a receiver z, and of
channels connecting the pump with the cylinder and the receiver, together with a
valve or valves or their equivalent, controlled by the governor of the engine and
operating to close either the channel from the pump to the receiver or the one from
the pump to the cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose stated.
In Witness whereof I the said Carl Pieper have hereunto set my hand and
seal this nineteenth day of November in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty-three.