IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS ENGINES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Blackett Haigh and John Nuttall, both of
Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
GAS ENGINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Blackett Haigh
and John Nuttall at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th
May 1880.
WILLIAM BLACKETT HAIGH and JOHN NUTTALL, both of Oldham, in the County
of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS ENGINES."
The object of our Invention is so to simplify the construction of gas engines that
the excentrics or cams usually employed for working the valves, covering the ports,
and other external gear may be dispensed with, and the cost of producing this class
of engines will be consequently greatly reduced.
In carrying out our Invention we adopt the oscillating principle of engine, that
is to say, we mount the motive power cylinder or cylinders in trunnion bearings in
the main frame, so that they may be capable of receiving an oscillating motion, and
this oscillating movement we make use of to actuate all the working parts,
thus avoiding the use of excentrics, cams, or other complicated gear for that
purpose.
The single engine consists of two cylinders, which may be either cast or bolted
together side by side. One of these cylinders will act as a compressing cylinder,
and the other as a motor cylinder. The casting or the combined cylinders are
formed with two trunnions, that on the compressor side being intended for the
admission of air and gas to that cylinder, and that on the motor side for exhaust
purposes. These trunnions are divided longitudinally by a central partition, and
the spaces thus formed are placed in connection with the opposite ends of their
respective cylinders. The trunnions are also provided with openings which come
into connection with ports in the trunnion blocks (which are also hollow), as the
cylinders oscillate.

page_text: The cylinders communicate with one another by passages placed one at either
end of the casting or combined cylinders, and in each of these passages is placed a
valve, preferably of the slide form, which serves to open or close its respective
passage as the cylinders oscillate. These valves we prefer to connect together, and
to a fixed point on the framing of the engine.
In each of these passages we also place a slide which is connected with a governor,
and is worked by the action of the governor and the oscillation of the cylinders
combined, and serves to cut off the admission of the compressed mixture to tho
motor cylinder when the speed of the engine exceeds the requirements.
Each cylinder is provided with a piston and piston-rod, that of the motor cylinder
being connected direct to a crank on the main driving shaft, and that of the
compressor being provided at its end with a link to receive a sliding block in
connection with a second crank on the main driving shaft.
The working of our improved engines is as follows:-The gas and air in suitable
proportions are conveyed through the trunnion block, trunnion, and a passage
formed in the walls of the compressor cylinder to one end of that cylinder, where
the mixture is compressed previous to passing into the passage at that end between
the cylinders where it is ignited by a gas jet. The force generated acts on the piston
of the motor cylinder and drives it forward, causing a partial rotation of the crank
This motion of the
shaft, and consequently one oscillation of the cylinders.
cylinders opens one of the exhaust ports in the motor cylinder trunnion, and allows
the escape of the exhaust from that cylinder, and at the same time opens the inlet
port to the other end of the compressor cylinder in the trunnion of that cylinder,
and allows air and gas to flow into the vacuum caused by the movement of the
piston in the same cylinder.
The mixture of the air and gas which will be compressed by the return motion of
this piston passes into the passage at that end between the two cylinders, and is
there ignited as before described.
This action continues during the working of the engine, the mixed air and
gas being admitted to, and the exhaust allowed to escape from, opposite ends of
the cylinders alternately through their respective trunnions at cach oscillation of
the cylinders.
The above described arrangement we prefer to employ for ordinary engines, but
for smaller engines we may dispense with the compressor cylinder, and introduce
the mixed air and gas direct into the motor cylinder. This cylinder will in this
case be lengthened to allow space between the cylinder ends and the piston for the
explosion of the mixture therein. In this case the slide or other valves will be
dispensed with, though the slide in connection with the governor must be retained
or an equivalent employed.
The supply passages will be provided with valves to prevent the return outwards
of the mixture while the compressing is taking place in the cylinder or during
ignition.
We also propose to place in the passages between the two cylinders, or in the
supply passages, a piece of wire gauze to prevent the ignition of the mixture
of air and gas remaining either in the compressing cylinder or in the supply
passages.
The motor cylinders, which it will be seen are double acting, may be used singly
or in pairs, and may be placed in any desired position.
For large engines we prefer to make the compressor and motor cylinders
separate, and mount them in separate frames, the communication between the
two cylinders being effected through the trunnions, as before, in any convenient
manner.