IMPROVE- MENTS IN GAS ENGINES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Atkinson, of 47, Marquis Road, Finsbury Park,
London, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN GAS ENGINES"
+
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Atkinson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th September 1882.
JAMES ATKINSON, of 47 Marquis Road, Finsbury Park, London, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS ENGINES
"
This Invention relates to improvements in Gas Engines in which the power is
obtained by the ignition and subsequent expansion of a combustible mixture of gas
and air and is chiefly applicable to Engines required to give regular turning, or of
considerable power, also to means for starting them.
.
I propose to construct engines having three vertical or horizontal cylinders, con-
sisting by preference of liners fixed in one water tank, and pistons, piston rods and
connecting rods attached to cranks forming by preference angles of 120° with each
other In these cylinders the ends furthest from the cranks are used for developing
power and the crank ends for compressing air only, or gas and air; if air only,
then, separate pumps are used in any convenient manner, but by preference I
employ three pumps arranged to deliver the compressed gas coincident with the
delivery of the compressed air. The air and gas pumps deliver through self acting
retaining valves into one pipe or main which forms a communication between the
delivery valves and the valve or valves that admit the compressed mixture to the
power end of the cylinder. As the compressed gas and air will be delivered into
the main and passed on to the cylinders practically continuously and uniformly,
the size of the main need not be larger than is requisite to transmit them, so that
only a small quantity of compressed gas and air is contained in the main and if an
accidental ignition should take place in it there will be no material prejudicial
effect, and any alteration in the proportions of gas and air in the mixture will have
immediate effect. The compressed gas and air are admitted to the power end of
the cylinder by a three way distributing valve or cock, which may be a flat disc,
conical plug, or cylinder, and it is rotated at a uniform rate by suitable connections.

page_text: with the working parts of the engine; it delivers to the power end of each cylinder
from about the termination of the exhausting stroke until the piston has made a
short portion of the working stroke, when communication is cut off, the charge
ignited and the working stroke made; the engines operating in a similar manner
to that described by me in the Specification of my Letters Patent N° 4086 AD
1881.
The igniting slides and the exhaust valves are driven by suitable connections with
a shaft running near the cylinders, parallel to the crank shaft, and driven from it
by means of two pairs of skew spur wheels. When the engines are required to
reverse, this shaft has attachments to it for the purpose of turning it round about
half a revolution as regards the main shaft, and locking it in its new position.
The distributing valve is allowed to assume a slightly new position in relation to
the main shaft, or is moved into it. If it should be desired to use the separate
compressed admission valves described by me in the previously quoted Specification
and illustrated in Fig: 6 Sheet 2 thereof, the cams operating these valves may be
fixed on the shaft which operates the slides and exhaust valves in non-reversing
engines, and in reversing engines on a separate parallel shaft.
I start these engines to work by means of compressed air from a compressed air
reservoir in which it has been compressed and stored by means of a pump driven
by a small gas engine, by the main engines, or by hand. Connected to the power
end of each cylinder I attach a small valve, by preference closed by a spring ;
working gear is connected to each valve so that they can be operated from a con-
venient position, and compressed air admitted as required on to any piston necessary
to start the engines in the required direction; the exhaust from the power end of
the cylinder is provided for by the ordinary exhaust, and the compressing pumps
may be allowed to work to enable the engines to commence to drive themselves.
A waste valve may be attached to the compressed air and gas main which may be
opened when the engines will not start freely.
In some instances when separate compressed admission valves are used, these
valves may be opened by hand to start the engines and no other separate starting
valve required, the compressed air being admitted to the compressed gas and air
main through a suitable valve which may also be arranged to close self actingly
against any gas or air passing from the main to the compressed air reservoir.
A valve for use with the compressed air receiver may be constructed as
follows: An elastic diaphragm is fitted to one side of a plate having holes or ports
in it; one of these holes, or one set of them, communicates with the compressed air
reservoir and the other with the admission or delivery pipe; when closed a disc
screwed up presses the diaphragm against the plate closing the holes, but by
unscrewing it a short distance the air is allowed to pass. The edges of the disc and
of the ring that secures the diaphragm are rounded so as not to cut it, and the air
pressure being always on the plate side of the diaphragm it cannot be forced into
the holes by this pressure.
In another modification, the igniting slides may consist of circular plates having
one or more ports in them revolved by gearing at a speed bearing an inverse
proportion to the speed of the engines, and the number of ports; thus if there are
four ports for igniting in the plate it will revolve at one fourth of the speed of the
engines; these plates may be connected by gearing or gear into each other and any
one of them being driven will drive the rest.
Four or more cylinders may of course be used instead of three.
When it is necessary to quieten the noise of the exhaust I pass the exhaust from
the cylinders into an intermediate receiver from which I supply one or more larger
compounded cylinders large enough to expand the pressure down to atmospheric
pressure, or below it, and if below I allow these cylinders to draw air in through
self acting valves so as to prevent back pressure.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Atkinson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th March
1883.
JAMES ATKINSON of 47 Marquis Road Finsbury Park London in the County of
Middlesex Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS ENGINES."
This invention relates to improvements in gas engines in which the power is
obtained by the ignition and subsequent expansion of a combustible mixture of
gas and air, and is chiefly applicable to engines required to give regular turning, or
of considerable power, either for stationary or marine purposes. The improvements
also relate to means for starting and reversing them.
On the accompanying two Sheets of Drawing I have shewn my improvements
in their application to horizontal engines but they are equally applicable to vertical
or inclined engines.
It will be seen that I construct these engines with three cylinders. These
cylinders 1 consist by preference of three liners fixed in one water jacket or tank
4 and have pistons 2 piston rods 3 and connecting rods attached to cranks 5 forming
angles of 120° with each other.
In these cylinders 1 the ends 6 furthest from the cranks 5 are used for developing
power, and the crank ends 7 are used for compressing air only, or air and gas; if
air only, then separate gas pumps are used in any convenient manner (such as that
shewn in the Specification of my Letters Patent No. 4086 A.D. 1881) delivering
their compressed charges coincident with the delivery of the compressed air. The.
air and gas pumps 7, deliver through self acting retaining valves into one pipe or
main 8, being passed on to and admitted (practically continuously and uniformly)
successively to the power developing ends 6 of the cylinders. The size of the main 8.
is only made large enough to transmit the compressed gas and air, so that its.
contents is small and if any accidental ignition should take place in the main 8
there will be no material prejudicial effect; also, any alteration in the proportions
of gas and air in the mixture caused by the governor or regulating valve will have
immediate effect. The compressed gas and air are admitted to the power ends 6 of
the cylinders by a three way cock or valve, which may be a flat disc 9 (as shewn
in Figure 2 Sheet 1 in combination and in detail in Figures 4, 5, and 6 Sheet 2) a
conical plug, or a cylinder; the disc 9 (or other kind of valve as described) is
rotated at a uniform rate and making one revolution for each revolution of the
engines by means of the bevel wheels 10, through the valve shaft 11, or other
suitable connection, with any other working part of the engines. The combustible
mixture of air and gas is admitted to the power ends 6 of the cylinders 1, in
succession by the distributing valve 9, from a little before the termination of the
exhausting stroke until the piston has made a short portion of the working stroke,
when communication is cut off, the charge ignited, and the power thus obtained for
the working stroke, in the manner similar to that described by me in the Specifica-
tion of my Letters Patent No. 4086 A.D. 1881.
The igniting slides 12, are similar to those described by me in the Specification
of my Letters Patent No. 4378 A.D. 1882 and may be made to ignite only, or also
to admit as well as to ignite, in which case the admission port may also cut off the
supply of combustible mixture; the cut off being dependent solely upon the slide
or to supplement the cut off by the valve or cock 9.
The igniting slides 12 and the exhaust valves 13 are driven by suitable connec-
tions on a shaft 11 running near the ends of the cylinders parallel to the main

page_text: shaft and driven from it by means of two pairs of skew spur wheels 14; or it may
be driven by two eccentrics fixed on the main shaft at right angles to each other
coupled to eccentric rods and small crank pins on shaft 11.
When the engines are required to be reversed, the shaft 11 (which drives the
eccentrics 15, working the slide 12, and the cams 16 which work the exhaust
valves) has attachments on it. for moving it round into a proper position in which
it may be locked; in some instances the eccentrics 15 may be loose on the shaft 11
and be driven by suitable stops in a wall known manner commonly adopted in
steam. engines; or the slide 12 and exhaust cams 16, may be so arranged that the
eccentrics 15 and cams 16, may both be fixed on the shaft 11, as they are shown
in Figures 4, 5, 6. Sheet 2. The distributing valve 9 requires to assume a slightly
altered position in relation to the main shaft to suit the reversed direction of the
engines; it is driven by stops 17 and does not require locking in this fresh position.
In some instances I may use a separate compressed admission valve for each
cylinder in place of the distributing valve 9; and when the engines are required to
reverse they may be driven by a separate shaft parallel to shaft 11 and driven from
.it. The valve described in the Specification to my Letters Patent No. 4086 A.D.
1881 and illustrated in Figure 6 Sheet 2, or the modifications thereof described in
the Specification to my Letters Patent No. 4378 A.D. 1882, is a suitable valve for
this purpose.
i
I start these engines to work by means of compressed air from a compressed air
reservoir. in which it has been compressed and stored by means of a pump driven
by a small gas engine, by the main engine, by hand, or any other convenient source.
Connected to the power end of each cylinder I attach a small valve 20 (a convenient
place to attach it being on the exhaust valve as shown Figure 1 Sheet 1) closed by
an adjustable spring 21 (see detailed illustration Figures 8 and 9 Sheet 2); working
gear is connected to each valve so that they can all be operated from any convenient
position, and compressed air be admitted as required on to any piston necessary to
start the engine in the required direction. The exhaust from the power end of the
cylinders is provided for by the ordinary exhaust valves. The compressing pumps
may be allowed to work so as to enable the engines to commence to drive them-
selves. When the engines do not start freely owing to the presence in the starting
reservoir being too low, a waste valve 22 (see Figure 3 Sheet 1 and Figure 7
Sheet 2) by preference loaded by a readily adjustable spring 23 may be eased, the
handle 24 with the pin holes 25 forming a ready means of adjusting it.
Should I use separate compressed admission valves for each cylinder (such as
those shown in the Specification to my Letters Patent N° 4086 A.D. 1881) in lieu.
of the distributing valve 9, I may dispense with the starting valves 20, and by
operating these compressed admission valves by hand start the engines in the
desired direction; the compressed air for starting. being admitted to the main 8 by
a valve which may also close self-actingly against any gas or air passing from the
main to the compressed air reservoir.
The valve shown in Figure 10 Sheet 2 is used to shut off the compressed air in
the starting reservoir from the cylinder starting valves 20; it is constructed as
follows: An elastic diaphragm 26 is fitted to one side of a plate 27 having holes
or ports. in it, one of these holes, or one set of them, 28, communicates with the
compressed air reservoir, and the other, or others, 29, with the delivery pipe to
valves 20; when closed, a disc 30 is screwed up by the screw 31 and presses the
diaphragm 26 against the plate 27 closing the holes; but by unscrewing it a short
distance the compressed air is allowed to pass. The edges of the disc 30 and of the
ring 32 that secures the diaphragm 26, are rounded so as not to cut it. The air
pressure being always on the plate side of the diaphragm 26 it cannot be forced
into the holes by this pressure.
I may use a modification of the igniting slide consisting of circular plates having
one or more ports in them revolved by gearing at a speed having an inverse pro-
portion to the speed of the engines and the number of ports; thus, if there are 4
ports for igniting in each plate they will revolve at one fourth of the speed of the

page_text: engine; these plates may be connected by gearing, or be geared into each other, and
any one of them being driven will drive the rest.
In my improved gas engines as above described four or more cylinders may of
course be used in place of three.
When it is necessary to quieten the noise of the exhaust from the cylinders I pass
it into one or more larger compounded cylinders, large enough to expand the
pressure down to or below atmospheric pressure; these cylinders are provided with
self acting valves that admit air to them when the pressure would otherwise fall.
below atmospheric pressure, so as to prevent back pressure. As this arrangement is
easily understood I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate it.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention and in
what manner the same is or may be performed
I Claim as secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent :-
Firstly The use of Gas Engines having three or more single acting cylinders,
when constructed, combined and working substantially as hereinbefore described
and shown on the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly -In Gas Engines having' three or more single acting cylinders and
operating substantially as herein before described, dispensing with a receiver for the
compressed gas and air to be used as the explosive mixture and having the
necessary distributing communications or pipes throughout of the smallest prac
ticable capacity, as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth and illustrated
in the Drawings.
Thirdly-In Gas Engines having three or more single acting cylinders, the use
of a valve or cock rotating at a uniform rate, and so combined and arranged in
connection with the compressing pumps as to receive and distribute the compressed
gas and air continuously, or almost continuously, to the three or more cylinders,
substantially as hereinbefore described and shown on the Drawings.
Fourthly In Gas Engines having three or more single acting cylinders
arranged and working as hereinbefore described, the combination of a spring
loaded valve with the power end of each cylinder in such a manner that it shall
be only necessary to open any one of these valves to admit compressed air onto
any one of the pistons, and so on successively, thereby.starting the Engines in the
desired direction without the aid of any other mechanism than the gearing for
operating said valves, substantially as hereinbefore described as illustrated in the
Drawings.
Fifthly-In Gas Engines generally, the use of a valve having an, elastic
diaphragm operated substantially as herein before described and shown in the
Drawing, for the purpose of retaining the compressed air to be used for starting
gas Engines as set forth.
Sixthly In Gas Engines generally, the use of compounded cylinders provided
with self acting valves which open inwards to admit air when the pressure in these
cylinders falls below atmospheric pressure, for the purpose of preventing noise from
the exhaust, substantially as hereinbefore described.
In Witness whereof I the said James Atkinson have hereunto set my hand
and seal this fourteenth day of. March in the year of Our Lord One
thousand Eight hundred and Eighty three.
JAMES ATKINSON (L.S.)