Improvements in Gas Engines Operated by Gas Generated from Petroleum or other Liquid Hydrocarbon.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 1st Oct., 1890-Accepted, 13th Dec., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas Engines Operated by Gas Generated from
Petroleum or other Liquid Hydrocarbon.
We, JULES DHEYNE Mechanical Engineer of Schaerbeck and COUNT DE NYDPRÜCK
Gentleman, and FREDERIC DE LA HAULT Banker, both of 37 Rue Philippe le Bon
Brussels all in the Kingdom of Belgium, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows :-
This invention relates more particularly to engines or motors worked by explosive
gases produced by the vaporisation of hydrocarbon and other like liquids.
The following may he mentioned as the chief advantages resulting from our
invention namely (1) Without necessarily employing more than one cylinder, the
burned gases or products of the explosion are expelled from the combustion chamber
by the air supplied on the same side of the one piston. (2) The richest part of the
explosive mixture is brought opposite the igniter at the moment of the explosion.
(3) The expansion is practically perfect. (4) When two cylinders are employed they
can both be ignited by one and the same lamp or burner and complete combustion of
the gases is produced.
In an engine arranged to work with petroleum vapour for example according to
this invention the petroleum is placed in a chamber under the bed plate combined
with an air chamber for supplying the air required for the explosive mixture employed
in the engine cylinder and a compressed air chamber supplying air under pressure
which is used for starting the engine this compressed air chamber communicates
with the cylinder through tubes and passages provided with suitable valves operating
as hereinafter described.
A force pump draws oil from the oil chamber and forces it into an accumulator or
compression chamber provided with an overflow pipe and a delivery pipe leading
to the vapour generator. A weighted piston applies pressure to the oil in the chamber
of the accumulator and the petroleum is forced into a supply pipe connected with
two branches provided with stop cocks and safety valves and communicating with a
vaporising apparatus or generator such as that described in the Specification
accompanying our application for a Patent dated 17th July 1889 No. 11459. The
oil supply pipe is provided with a cock or valve constructed with two passages and
combined with a needle valve or stopper adjustable by a screw so that by closing one
of the passages the liquid is caused to lift a spring non-return valve from its seat
and pass direct to the accumulator. This apparatus after supplying liquid to the
vaporisers allows the gas to return after the petroleum is vaporised even when the
stop cock is closed.
When the petroleum is vaporised the spring valve prevents the gas from blowing
back through the passages. By turning the screw of the needle valve the petroleum
is allowed to pass to the worm of the igniting burner. The vapour being generated
as described in our former Specification No. 114598 then enters a passage com-
municating with a burner in the form of a taper nozzle or cone the aperture of
which is regulated by a needle valve adjustable by hand or by an automatic expanding
and contracting device composed of a flexible diaphragm for example acting through
a lever on the stem of the valve. For starting the engine the driving shaft is
provided with a cam which acts temporarily through a lever and connecting rod on
a valve admitting air from the compressed air chamber to the cylinder through a
passage, provided with a non return valve. The said lever is jointed so that it can
be thrown out of action after the engine has been started. In order to start the
engine the fly wheel must be turned by hand until the projection on the cam raises

page_text: the lever so as to admit air through the valves to the cylinder a retaining valve
remaining closed whilst this takes place. When the engine has been started the lever
is put out of action. The air furnished by the explosion is admitted to the com-
pressed air chamber through a suitable valve and passage or a hand pump may be
employed to force air into the air chamber under the engine.
When the engine is in operation the cock is opened which admits, petroleum to
an auxiliary worm or other vaporizing chamber contained in the explosion chamber
and which being heated directly by the combustion assists in vaporising the liquid.
This worm is placed in an explosion chamber of peculiar construction constituting an
important part of the invention being constructed with two parts or passages arranged
at an angle to one another. One part communicates with the cylinder and the other
contains the worm with the exhaust valve. This arrangement has the effect of keeping
the explosive mixture freshly drawn into the chamber separate from the burned gases
or products of the preceding explosion. The petroleum after undergoing a preliminary
heating in the auxiliary worm or other heating or vaporizing chamber with thin
walls in the explosion chamber enters the worm heated by the fame of the lamp or
burner of the igniting apparatus where it is finally converted into vapour which
is admitted to the supply passage or mixing chamber during a certain period of the
stroke by the action of an admission valve worked by a cam and lever combined with
a rod whose action is controlled by the governor. The piston draws vapour from
the said supply passage during one part of its stroke and during the other part it
draws in air from the air chamber under the engine through a passage provided
with valves.
After the piston has made an outstroke produced by the explosion it makes an
instroke during which the exhaust valve is retained in the closed position by the action
of a spring and the burned gases are compressed in the passages of the explosion
chamber wherein owing to the peculiar form of the said passages the fresh mixture
and burned gases are prevented from mingling. The piston then makes another
outstroke and draws in a fresh mixture which is exploded later on in front of the
passage communicating with the exhaust. On the return of the piston the exhaust
valve is opened the products are expelled and the fresh mixture is compressed. An
orifice admitting the mixture from the explosion chamber to a highly heated tube is
then uncovered by the action of a cam thereby causing an explosion to take place
which drives forward the piston.
By means of the peculiar arrangement of the combustion or explosion chamber with
two ports or passages and its combination with the admission and exhaust valves and
also owing to the fact that the piston during the first part of its stroke draws in
explosive mixture only and during the other part draws in pure air which on the
return of the piston sweeps out or clears the passage where the explosion takes place
the burned gases or products are completely driven out of the cylinder and the richest
mixture is brought opposite to the igniter.
The engine may according to another arrangement be constructed with two cylinders
each provided with an igniter and an arrangement for exerting pressure on the liquid
as hereinafter described. Each cylinder is provided with an explosion chamber.
These two chambers with a suitable partition between them form a body connected to
the two cylinders. Each chamber being constructed on the same principles as that
herein before described communicates with an igniter and these two igniters are com-
bined with one common burner also similar to that hereinbefore described.
One of the explosion chambers communicates through a pipe provided with a double
or two way cock with a tank or vessel containing naphtha or hydrocarbon liquid.
In one open position of the cock air is forced by the piston through a check valve
into the oil vessel. This takes place during the feed period of the burner.
When the engine is started a cock or valve is regulated by hand so that the pipe
communicates with the oil chamber through a fine orifice in the plug and a very
small quantity of air is delivered into the oil vessel or reservoir at each explosion.
The invention also comprises an arrangement of a tube or passage heated by the
burner and provided with an orifice in the side so arranged that a piston on a stem

page_text: or rod worked by a cam alternately closes and uncovers the said orifice through which
the gas from the coils is admitted to the explosion chamber.
The engine may be provided with an expansion apparatus in which the expansion
of a rod or strip attached to a fixed point and connected to the vaporising apparatus
regulates the jet of vapour serving to heat the said vaporiser in such a manner that
the latter cannot be excessively heated when the consumption of vapour is diminished.
An arrangement is employed for adjusting the effective length of the rod working
the admission valve so as to modify the admission and consisting in dividing the rod
into two parts or lengths connected by a spring in combination with a taper or
wedge shaped block which regulates the interval between the extremities of the said
parts or lengths the said taper or wedge shaped block being adjusted by means of a
handle combined with a graduated plate or scale.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas Engines Operated by Gas Generated from
Petroleum or other Liquid Hydrocarbon.
We, JULES DHEYNE, Mechanical Engineer, of Schaerbeck, and COUNT DE NYDPRÜCK,
Gentleman, and FREDERIC DE LA HAULT, both of 37 Rue Philippe le Bon, Brussels,
all in the Kingdom of Belgium, 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 motive power engines in which the piston is propelled
by the explosion of a mixture of gas and air the gas being generated by exposing a
hydrocarbon liquid such as petroleum to an elevated temperature in a generator such
as is described in the Specification accompanying Letters Patent No. 11459 granted to
us and dated 17th July 1889.
The petroleum is drawn from a tank (which may be conveniently formed in or
under the bed of the engine) by the action of a force pump worked by the engine and
capable also of being worked by hand in starting the engine and the said petroleum
is forced into an accumulator or chamber provided with a loaded piston or plunger so
as to deliver the petroleum to the generator in quantity as required and under
considerable and uniform pressure. The accumulator is provided with suitable over-
flow and relief pipes and valves through which the liquid is returned to the tank
when the quantity delivered by the pump is in excess of that admitted to the
generator.
The petroleum passes from the accumulator through a pipe communicating with
two branches provided with suitable valves or cocks.
One of these branches conducts the petroleum to the coil or coils in which the
gas is generated for producing the flame for heating the generator and the other
branch conducts the petroleum to the coil or coils, heated by the same flame, in which
the petroleum is converted into gas for working, in admixture with air, the engine
by the explosion of the mixture.
Before entering the latter coil or coils the liquid is caused to flow through a coil
or equivalent extended way in the explosion chamber of the engine where it undergoes
a preliminary heating before entering the coil or coils of the generator.
The jet of flame employed to heat the generator is automatically regulated so as
to give a uniform temperature by means of a piece of metal which is exposed to the
heat of the said flame and is connected with a needle valve controlling the escape of
gas at the burner in such a manner that when the flame becomes too hot the piece
of metal expands and diminishes the flame by reducing the escape of gas and when
the heat of the flame falls below the proper temperature the piece of metal contracts
and reduces the escape of gas.
And in order that our said invention may be fully understood we shall now proceed

page_text: more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several
figures on the annexed sheets of drawings the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing illustrates in side elevation the general
construction of an engine according to this invention. Figure 2 illustrates in
vertical section the device for automatically regulating the supply of gas to the
jet of flame in the generator. Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the arrangement of the
coil in the explosion chamber in vertical and horizontal section respectively and
Figure 5 shews separately the valve by which the supply of petroleum to the gas
generating coils is regulated.
In the engine constructed according to this invention as illustrated in Figure 1
A is a petroleum tank situated under the engine from which tank the petroleum is
drawn by a pump B through the pipe band forced through the pipe 62 into a vessel C
containing a weighted plunger C. This vessel C communicates with a pipe D having
two branches D' D2 provided with stop cocks d¹². The branch D₁ communicates
with the coil in the explosion chamber L and thence through a sliding valve E
with a coil G in which the petroleum is converted into gas for working the engine,
and the branch D² communicates with the coil H in which the petroleum is converted
into gas for supplying the flame for heating the coil G and the igniter. The coil G
supplies gas to the engine cylinder through a pipe G₁ and gas inlet valve I worked
by the engine the gas being mixed with a suitable proportion of air admitted through
a pipe K the mixture of gas and air being drawn into the cylinder and compressed
into the explosion chamber L by the action of the piston in the usual manner.
the overflow by which excess of petroleum pumped returned to the container A.
The valve employed to control the injection of petroleum into the gas generating
apparatus is illustrated in enlarged view in Figure 5. e is the passage through which
petroleum passes to the valve, and e2 is the passage through which the petroleum
passes from the valve to the generator these passages and the way through the valve
constituting virtually a continuation of the pipe D. The sliding valve is formed
by a plate provided with a recess e and retained in contact with its seat by a
spring e. A spring e moves the valve into the position for closing the commu-
nication between the passages e and e².
C² is
When the valve is moved from right to left by the action of the reciprocating
push rod worked by the engine and controlled by the governor the recess et puts
the passages e and e in communication and petroleum is supplied to the coil G during
the period this communication exists.
When the pressure of the push rod E' is removed the spring moves the valve
in the opposite direction and shuts off the communication between the passages e
and e³.
The rod E is connected by a lever E² to a rod E3 the bowl on the end of which is
acted upon by
a cam X once for every two revolutions of the engine which is done
by driving the cam disc from the engine shaft by reducing gear as shewn. The
action of the rod E' on the valve E is controlled by the governor operating on the
rod E by the levere and arm e as shewn and is further regulated by an adjustable
wedge piece E which being driven down between the parts of the rod E' vertically
lengthen and shorten it the said parts being connected by the spring allowing of
the pressing of the parts of the rod away from each other when the wedge piece is
forced down but drawing them together when the wedge is drawn up.
pressure
The action is as follows: The petroleum is drawn by the pump B from the tank A
and forced into the accumulator C whence it is supplied under uniform
through the pipe 1) and branch pipes D1 D2 to the coils G and H. In the coil H
the liquid is heated at starting which may be done by burning a sinall quantity of
spirit under the coil and is thus converted into gas which escapes from the turned in
end of the pipe constituting the coil as described in our aforesaid former Specification
and by the combustion of this gas the coils G and H are maintained at the proper
temperature for completely converting the whole of the petroleum into gas. The gas
and air drawn at the pipes G' and K mix and are drawn into the cylinder by the

page_text: outstroke of the piston which on its return stroke compresses the explosive mixture
in the explosion chamber L where it is exploded by the action of the igniter which
consists of a tube hº (Figure 4) heated by the flame which heats the generator and
placed in communication with the explosion chamber at the proper moment by a
sliding or other valve (such as the tube Figure 4) worked by the engine. The
piston then makes an outstroke and on its return expels the products of combustion.
A fresh charge of the combustible mixture is drawn in by the next outstroke and the
same cycle of operations is repeated as the engine continues to work.
The automatic device for regulating the action of the generator is constructed as
represented in Figure 2. The gas generated in the coils H is conducted by the lower
end of the coil to a taper or contracted orifice ³ provided with a needle valve 4×
connected to a rod which is automatically regulated by an expansion apparatus
consisting of a rod e fixed at its upper extremity y and acting through a lever z
centered at 2 on a nut which it moves vertically along with the rod ² and valve h'.
The rod a being in proximity to the coil G Figure 1 expands when the heat exceeds
certain limits in such a manner as to contract or close the orifice ³ by acting on the
lever 2, nut v and rod h².
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In a petroleum, or like gas, engine in which the gas is generated by heating
petroleum, or like liquid hydrocarbon, in a generator, as herein before described, a
coil, or equivalent extended way, for the petroleum or the like through the explosion
chamber of the engine by which the temperature of the petroleum, or the like, is raised
before it enters the said generator substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In a petroleum, or like gas, engine, in which the gas is generated by heating the
petroleum, or like liquid hydrocarbon, in a generator, as hereinbefore described, an
automatic device operating by expansion and contraction, due to the heat of the
generator, for regulating the flame employed to heat the said generator substantially
as hereinbefore described.
3. In a petroleum, or like gas, engine, the combination with a petroleum, or like
liquid hydrocarbon tank, or container, of a pump and an accumulator having a
weighted piston, or plunger, and a pipe, or pipes, conducting petroleum, or like liquid
hydrocarbon, from the accumulator to the coils generating the gas for working the
engine and to the coils generating the gas for heating the generator and igniting device
substantially as herein before described.
4. A valve E constructed and operated substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described.
5. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the petroleum, or like
gas, engine, substantially as herein before described an illustrated in Figure 1 of the
accompanying drawings.
1000
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.