Improvements in Engines Actuated by the Explosion or Burning of Combustible Mixtures.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application 27th June, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 25th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 29th Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Engines Actuated by the Explosion or Burning of
Combustible Mixtures.
We, JAMES WILLIAM HORNSBY, ROBERT EDWARDS and WILLIAM EDWARD
GIBBON, all of Spittlegate Iron Works, Grantham, in the County of Lincoln,
Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to engines operated by the explosion or burning of
mixtures of combustible vapour or gas and air.
In constructing such engines a vaporiser or chamber is arranged communicating
with the end of the cylinder, and in order to keep the heat of this chamber more
or less uniform we jacket it either wholly or partially and cause the exhaust gases
of the engine to pass through the jacket. When the jacket only partially envelops
the vaporiser we can use the part not enveloped for applying external heat for
initially heating the vaporiser. When the vaporiser is completely enveloped we
pass the heat for initially heating the same through a hole or passage which passes
through the vaporiser, or we connect a part of the jacket to the vaporiser by
contact or distance pieces so that external heat applied to the jacket will pass to
the vaporiser.
We also in some cases put another jacket over the exhaust jacket and through
this we draw or pass the atmospheric air before it is taken into the vaporiser or
cylinder. We can inject oil or oil vapour into this jacket so that it is heated by
the contact with the exhaust jacket and we then draw or pass air through the said
jacket so as to mix with the oil vapour and then go into the cylinder or vaporiser.
The jacket through which the oil or oil vapour is drawn or is forced through with
air can be again jacketted and the exhaust gases exhausted also through this
jacket. We also sometimes arrange that air that is drawn in by the piston as is
usual.can either be drawn through the jacket around the vaporiser or direct from
the atmosphere and we provide a regulating damper or valve which allows the
amount of air drawn in around the vaporiser to be increased or decreased, and
the air that is drawn direct from the atmosphere can be decreased or increased in
a proportionate manner by a regulating damper or valve. For opening and closing
this damper we connect it to a rod or column of mercury in contact with the
vaporiser so that as the vaporiser gets hot its expansion or the increase in length
of the said rod or column will regulate the valves by being connected to the samé,
or the valve or valves can be regulated by hand.
In starting an engine, in order to obtain a mixture which will readily explode
on being admitted to the cylinder or chamber at the end of the cylinder, we cause
some air to be compressed by any suitable means into a receptacle and we inject a
suitable quantity of oil into this so that on opening a communication between this
receptacle and the cylinder, vaporiser, or chamber, the air rushes in taking the
oil with it and if sufficient heat has been imparted to the chamber or vaporiser
an explosion will take place and by acting on the piston will start the engine;
sometimes more than one receptacle is provided which can be opened to the cylinder
as required.
In cases where the valve box is jacketted and attached to a vaporiser and
connected to the cylinder jacket or circulating pipes we sometimes connect it to
only one circulating pipe or some other external water supply and run water through
it to waste.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Engines Actuated by the Explosion or Burning of
*Combustible Mixtures.
We, JAMES WILLIAM HORNSBY, ROBERT EDWARDS and WILLIAM EDWARD
GIBBON, all of Spittlegate Iron Works, Grantham, in the County of Lincoln,
Engineers, 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 engines operated by the explosion or burning of
mixtures of combustible vapour or gas and air, and it comprises
(!) Means for maintaining the vaporizer or combustion chamber at a uniform
heat, and
(2) Improved means for obtaining an explosive mixture when starting the
engine.
In the accompanying drawings,—
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 are sectional views shewing different arrangements which
may be employed for maintaining the vaporizer at a uniform heat; and,
Figure 5 is a sectional view shewing the means which are employed for obtaining
an explosive mixture when starting the engine.
In order to keep the heat of the vaporizer or combustion chamber more or less
uniform it is jacketted and the exhaust gases of the engine are caused to pass
through the jacket. The jacket can envelop the combustion chamber entirely or
only partly, in the latter case the part not enveloped is used for heating up the
vaporizer by external heat applied by any suitable means, or if completely enveloped
the heat for heating up the vaporizer is passed through a hole or passage through
the vaporizer, or a part of the jacket is connected to the vaporizer by contact or
distance-pieces so that external heat applied to the jacket will pass to the
vaporizer.
In some cases another jacket is put over the exhaust jacket and through it the
atmospheric air is drawn or passed before it is taken into the vaporizer or cylinder.
Sometimes oil or oil-vapor is injected into this jacket so that it is heated by contact
with the exhaust jacket, and air is then drawn or passed through the jacket and
mixed with the oil-vapor, the combustible mixture thence passing into the cylinder
or vaporizer. The jacket through which the oil or oil-vapor is drawn or forced
with air can be again jacketted and the exhaust gases exhausted also through this
jacket.
Figure 1 shews a vaporizer or chamber a with a partial jacket b, the exhaust
from the cylinder passing by the pipe c into the jacket 6 and out at d to the
atmosphere; heat can be externally applied to the bottom e of the vaporizer as
required.
Figure 2 shews the vaporizer a completely surrounded by a jacket b, the exhaust
from the cylinder passing from the pipe into the jacket and out at d to the
atmosphere. A pipe fis used for heating the vaporizer or chamber by external
-means.
It is to be understood that this invention is not confined to any particular shape
of chamber or vaporizer or shape of jacket or tube through it.
As shewn in Figure 3 the chamber a is provided with a double jacket, viz., one
jacket 6 for the exhaust gases to pass through and another 6° for air or air and
oil or oil-vapor to be drawn through. Sometimes the portion of the jacket b
outside the jacket & is dispensed with. 9 is the inlet for the exhaust gases, and
h the outlet. is the inlet for air, and the pipe leading to the air-inlet valve on
the cylinder. k is the oil or oil-vapor inlet. The exhaust gases exhaust through

page_text: the jacket ↳ to the atmosphere and when this jacket extends outside the jacket 6.
(as shewn) also through this part of the jacket.
:
Provision is sometimes made whereby the air drawn in by the engine piston or
the air-pump as is usual in such engines can either be drawn through the jacket
or through a passage direct from the atmosphere and, in order to regulate the
quantity of air that is drawn through one or the other, a regulating damper or
valve is employed which causes the amount of air that is drawn in around the
vaporizer to be increased or decreased by the opening or closing of this valve and,.
at the same time, the air that is drawn direct from the atmosphere to be decreased
or increased in a proportionate manner.
The opening and closing of this damper is effected by connecting it to a rod
or a column of mercury in contact with the vaporizer so that as the vaporizer
becomes hot the expansion of itself, or of this rod or column of mercury, causing
an increase in length, will regulate the valve by being connected to the same; or
this valve can be regulated by hand.
leads to
Figure 4 shews one plan by which this can be arranged. The jacket which
surrounds the vaporizer is open at the top and bottom and a pipe
the air-suction valves of the engine. is the valve which, as shewn, closes the
opening m at the bottom of the jacket but which can close the opening n' of the
pipe as indicated by dotted lines. This valve p is actuated by the expansion of
the army and the vaporizer, which expansion causes the said valve to be opened
when the arm and the vaporizer get hot, as the lever, which is connected to.
the valve, is held at its upper end by the arm 8. With this arrangement, when the
vaporizer becomes too hot, the valve opens to admit cool air through the jacket
and thus cool the vaporizer, and when sufficiently cool the contraction causes the
closing of the valve. Any other suitable arrangement of rods, valves, or levers
may be used, and a column of mercury may be used in place of the arm q.
In starting an engine in order to obtain a mixture that will readily explode on
being admitted to the cylinder or chamber at the end of the cylinder some air is.
caused to be compressed by any suitable means into a receptacle and a suitable.
quantity of oil is injected into this air so that on opening a communication between
this receptacle and the cylinder, vaporizer or chamber, the air rushes in taking-
the oil with it and if sufficient heat has been imparted to the chamber or vaporizer
an explosion will take place and by acting on the piston will start the engine..
Sometimes more than one receptacle is provided which can be opened to the
cylinder as desired.
Figure 5 shews a receptacle into which oil is introduced at and then.
compressed air through the pipe so that when the cock w is opened the air will
rush with the oil into the vaporizer or chamber a.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-.
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. In an explosion engine jacketting the vaporizer or combustion chamber-
wholly or partially and passing the exhaust gases through the jacket, substantially
as described by reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings.
2. In an explosion engine jacketting the vaporizer or combustion chamber with
a jacket open to the atmosphere and arranging a valve that allows more or less of
the air required in the cylinder to be drawn through it, the expansion or con-
traction of a rod or column of mercury under variations of the temperature of
the vaporizer or combustion chamber serving to open or close this valve to allow
air to be drawn around the vaporizer or combustion chamber or to shut off the
supply of air through the jacket, substantially as described by reference to
Figure 4 of the drawings.
3. In an explosion engine pumping and compressing air into a receptacle con--
taining oil so that the oil can be taken with the air, on opening a cock, into the
vaporizer or combustion chamber and thus form a suitable explosive mixture for

page_text: starting the engine, substantially as described by reference to Figure 5 of the
drawings.
Dated the 25th day of March 1893.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.