Improvements in the Vaporizer and Ignition Tubes of Oil Engines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Sept., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 4th June, 1894-Accepted, 7th July, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Vaporizer and Ignition Tubes of Oil Engines.
I JAMES ARTHUR DRAKE Engineer 3 Wellington Place Guildford in the
County of Surrey do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates firstly to the back cover of the combustion chamber of the
cylinder being cast hollow, and also with a tube cast vertically through this said
hollow and used as a chimney for an ordinary parafin lamp, and having cast on the
outside of the said tube or chimney and inside of the said hollow cover a spiral
gutter into which the oil drops and runs into the said spiral gutter, and during its
passage round the outside of the said tube or chimney becomes vaporised from the
heat of the said parafin or other lamp.
Secondly. The ignition tube fixed to hang downwards may be placed inside of
the aforesaid tube or chimney and heated by the said parafin or other lamp, or the
said ignition tube can be fixed to hang downwards separately on another part of
the combustion chamber or cylinder. This said ignition tube is placed inside the
said tube or chimney to receive the heat from the same lamp used for heating the
said vaporiser, or the same ignition tube may be fitted to any part of the com-
bustion chamber that will be found convenient, and secured to hang downwards so
that it may enter the top of the chimney of a parafin or other lamp and passing
downwards to any distance suitable to the requirements of the lamp.
Dated this 2nd day of September One thousand eight hundred and ninety-
three.
JAMES ARTHUR DRAKE,
3, Wellington Place, Woodbridge Road, Guildford.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Vaporizer and Ignition Tubes of Oil Engines.
I, JAMES ARTHUR DRAKE, of 3 Wellington Place, Woodbridge Road,
Guildford, in the County of Surrey, 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, that is to say :-
This invention relates, firstly, to casting the back cover of the combustion
chamber of the cylinder hollow so as to form a vaporizing chamber and with a tube
cast vertically through the said chamber to form a vaporizer and a chimney for an
ordinary paraffin or other heating lamp, the said vaporizer and chimney having
preferably cast on its outside, but inside the aforesaid vaporizing chamber, a spiral
gutter or rib into or on to which the oil drops and becomes vaporized as it
runs down the said gutter or rib by the heat of the aforesaid paraffin or other
lamp. Secondly, to the ignition tube which is fixed to hang downwards inside of
the aforesaid vaporizing tube and chimney, and is heated by the paraffin or other
lamp; or the ignition tube may be fixed on any other suitable part of the
combustion chamber or cylinder and arranged to hang downwards so that it may
enter the chimney of a paraffin or other suitable lamp arranged to heat such
tube.

page_text: And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I will now proceed
to describe the same with the aid of the accompanying sheet of drawings, in
which
Figure 1 is an end view of the back cover of the combustion chamber of an oil
engine with its cover plate removed,
Figure 2 a sectional elevation taken on line 1-1 of Figures 1 and 3 of the said
back cover and the rear end or combustion chamber of the working cylinder,
Figure 3 a sectional elevation taken on line 2-2 of Figures 2 and 4, and
Figure 4 a sectional plan taken on line 3-3 of Figures 1, 2 and 3.
A is the combustion chamber of the working cylinder of an oil engine. B is the
hollow cover of the said combustion chamber, forming the vaporizer and secured to
the end of the cylinder by any suitable well known means. C is the aforesaid
vaporizer tube cast vertically through the hollow space or vaporizing chamber in
the cover B, and forming the chimney for the paraffin or other suitable lamp D.
The tube C has cast round its outer surface a spiral gutter or rib E on to
the upper end of which the oil is delivered through the inlet F. G is an opening
for the admission to the vaporizing chamber of the required quantity of air, H is an
outlet for the withdrawal of any surplus oil that may fail to be vaporized, and
which falls to the bottom of the vaporizing chamber; this outlet may be normally
closed by a screw plug or by a suitable tap or valve. I is the valve for admitting
the mixture of vapour and air from the vaporizing chamber to the cylinder; it may
be operated by any suitable mechanisin actuated by the engine, preferably regulated
by the governor. J is the ignition tube fixed so as to hang vertically in the tube
or chimney B. It is provided with a bossed part K, one side of which containing
a passage L, is adapted to fit gas-tight against the end of the igniting passage M
leading to the combustion chamber A, being pressed thereto by the set screw N.
The ignition tube J is heated by the lamp D, and its lower end is shaped, when
necessary or desirable, so as to act as a deflector or regulator for the flame of the
said lamp. The lower end of the vaporizing tube and chimney C is preferably
-shaped at C' so as to form the dome of the lamp D, and at C2 so as to form a
combustion chamber for the same. The ignition tube J is preferably prolonged
upwards as shewn at J' to form on the one hand a ready means of holding it in the
tube or chimney C while it is being secured in place by the set screw N, and on
the other a chamber to relieve the passages L M from products of combustion
which might otherwise remain there and prevent contact of the explosive mixture
with the hot part of the ignition tube.
Instead of placing the ignition tube inside the vaporizing tube or chimney C it
may be applied to the side or other suitable part of the combustion chamber A, as
shown at Figure 2 for example, in which P represents a paraffin or other suitable
lamp separate from, and independent of the lamp D, the ignition tube J* passing
down into the chimney P¹ of the said lamp where it is heated by the flame in the
same way as the ignition tube J by the lamp D.
QQ are two chambers or jackets formed round the sides of the hollow cover B
for heating up the latter quickly, before starting the engine by means of additional
lamps placed at the lower ends of such chambers or jackets. These additional
lamps are not required when the engine is once started, the lamp D
being then sufficient to maintain the required heat in the vaporizing tube and
chamber.
When it is desired to start the engine, paraffin or other suitable lamps are placed
at the lower ends of the chambers or jackets Q, and the lamp D is placed in position
at the lower end of the tube or chimney C as shown in Figure 2 below the ignition
tube J. When the hollow cover B, vaporizing tube and chimney, C and ignition
tube J have become sufficiently heated, the lamps may be removed from below the
chambers or jackets Q, and the oil admitted at the inlet F. This oil runs down the
spiral gutter or web E and is vaporized by the hot tube or chimney C, which, as
before explained, is kept hot by the lamp D. The vaporized oil mixes with the
atmospheric air drawn in at the aperture G, and the mixture of vapour and air is

page_text: admitted to the combustion chamber A of the cylinder, through the valve I, and
fired by the hot ignition tube J in the usual way.
In some cases the spiral gutter or rib E round the vaporizing tube and chimney C
may be dispensed with, and any other suitable means for bringing the oil into
contact with the hot tube C may be employed; for example the oil may be
introduced through a distributing pipe perforated with small holes and surrounding
more or less the upper part of the said tube. The oil flows through these small
holes on the surface of the tube or chimney, or on to ribs, corrugations or other
projections formed on or connected therewith."
It will be seen that the vaporizing tube C and the ignition tube J form in reality
parts of a heating lamp which are separated from the reservoir and wick holder of
the said lamp, and that by this separation of the parts there is no conduction of
heat from the chimney to the reservoir, and there is a free passage of air between
the separated parts, whereby the said reservoir is kept cool.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
First. In an oil engine the back cover of the cylinder cast hollow to form an oil
vaporizing chamber, and with a tube cast through the same forming the oil
vaporizer and also the chimney of the paraffin, or other suitable heating lamp,
substantially as described.
Second. In an oil engine the back cover of the cylinder cast hollow to form an
oil vaporizing chamber, and with a tube cast through the same forming the oil
vaporizer, and also the chimney of the heating lamp, the said tube being provided
with a spiral gutter or rib, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.
Third. In an oil engine the chimney of the heating lamp and the ignition tube
combined and arranged substantially as described.
Fourth. In an oil engine the combination of an oil vaporizing tube forming also
the chimney of the heating lamp with the reservoir and wick-tube of such lamp, the
said reservoir and wick-tube being separated from the said chimney, substantially
as described, and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 4th day of June 1894.
J. A. DRAKE,
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, Agent.