Improvements in Motive Power Engines Actuated by the Firing of Inflammable Gas or Vapour in Admixture with Air.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 8th July, 1889-Accepted, 10th Aug., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Motive Power Engines Actuated by the Firing of
Inflammable Gas or Vapour in Admixture with Air.
I CHARLES EDWARD HEARSON of No. 31 Coburg Road in the County of Surrey
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
:-
My invention relates to such notive power engines as are actuated by the explosion
or firing of a mixture of coal gas and air or the vapour of a volatile liquid hydro-
carbon and air and my said invention consists of the improvements hereinafter
described in the method of and arrangements for effecting the charging of the
cylinders of such engines with explosive mixture and the ejection of the spent or
exploded charge the object of my said improvements being to cause the charge of
explosive mixture to so enter the cylinder after the explosion or firing of a charge
therein that the entering charge shall displace or drive out the exploded chargo
without mingling or escaping therewith.
According to my said invention I form the exhaust port of the cylinder in or near
the axial portion of the end or cover thereof and preferably at the end or cover
farthest from the crank shaft and I form the inlet port preferably in or near the same
end of the side or body of the cylinder and I make the said inlet port of such form
and so arrange the passage through which the explosive mixture travels on its way to
the said port that the said mixture is caused to enter the cylinder at a considerable
velocity and in a tangential direction. That is in such a direction that the stream of
the said mixture entering the cylinder sweeps around the sides thereof. The entering
charge thus drives the exploded or spent charge towards the axial portion of the
cylinder from which the said spent charge escapes by the exhaust port hereinhefore
referred to as it is replaced by the fresh charge. I provide for the opening and closing
of the exhaust port and the inlet port at the required times by valves or otherwise
actuated by suitable means.
Dated this 6th day of October 1888.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Motive Power Engines Actuated by the Firing of
Inflammable Gas or Vapour in Admixture with Air.
I CHARLES EDWARD HEARSON of No. 31 Coburg Road 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:―
My invention relates to such motive power engines as are actuated by the explosion
or firing of a mixture of coal gas and air or the vapour of a volatile liquid bydro-
carbon and air and my said invention consists of the improvements hereinafter
described in the method of and arrangements for effecting the charging of the
cylinders of such engines with explosive mixture and the ejection of the spent or
exploded charge the object of my said improvements being to cause the charge of
explosive mixture to so enter the cylinder after the explosion or firing of a charge
therein that the entering charge shall displace or drive out the exploded charge
without mingling or escaping therewith.
According to my said invention I form the exhaust port of the cylinder in or near
the axial portion of the end or cover thereof and preferably at the end or cover
farthest from the crank shaft and I form the inlet port preferably in or near the same
D

page_text: end of the side or body of the cylinder and I make the said inlet port of such form
and so arrange the passage through which the explosive mixture travels on its way to
the said port that the said mixture is caused to enter the cylinder at a considerable
velocity and in a tangential or approximately tangential direction. That is in such a
direction that the stream of the said mixture entering the cylinder is caused to sweep
around the sides thereof. The entering charge thus drives the exploded. or. spent
charge towards the axial portion of the cylinder from which the said spent charge
escapes by the exhaust port herein before referred to as it is replaced by the fresh
charge. I provide for the opening and closing of the exhaust port and the inlet port at
. the required times by valves or otherwise actuated by connection with any convenient
moving parts of the engine or by other suitable means.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a central longitudinal section of a
portion of the cylinder of a gas engine to which my said improvements are applied
and Figure 2 is a transverse section taken on the line A Figure 1. In the following
description of the said drawings the several parts are referred to by. the letters and
figures marked thereon. The same letters and figures of reference indicate the same
parts in both the said Figures.
a is the cylinder of the engine and b. is the piston. c is a casting secured to the
end of the cylinder a farthest from the crank shaft in place of the ordinary cylinder
cover which casting constitutes a cap to the said end of the cylinder. In the side of
the said casting next the cylinder a cavity is formed in which cavity is secured a hoop
of sheet metal d having an aperture e formed in it. As shown in the drawings 'the
inner face of the hoop d within the cavity in the cap c is cylindrical and of the same
diameter as the cylinder and its inner face virtually forms an extension of the inner
face of the cylinder but the said cavity and hoop are beyond the traverse of the
piston. is a chamber formed in a portion of the casting c which chamber communi-
cates with the interior of the cylinder by means of a passage g formed in the said
cap c the inner wall of a portion of the said passage being formed by a portion of
the hoop d the aperture e in which hoop constitutes the inlet port of the cylinder.
h is a pipe by which the explosive mixture is conveyed to the chamber fand his a
valve carried by a rod 2 the seating of which valve is formed on the end of the said
pipe is the outlet or exhaust port of the cylinder by which the exploded gases
escape therefrom into a box j secured over the said port which is provided with a
valve carried by a rod k. " is the seating of the said valve and m is the exhaust
pipe by which the exploded gases passing into the box j from the cylinder are conveyed
from the engine. The rods 2 k¹ which carry the valves ¹k are so connected with
suitable moving parts of the engine as to cause the said valves to be opened and closed
at the required times as hereinafter described.
By reference to Figure 2 of the drawings it will be seen that the sectional area of
the passage g decreases toward the inlet port and that the said passage is approxi-
mately tangential to the cylindrical inner face of the hoop d which constitutes the
lining of the cavity in the cylindrical cap c and which hoop as herein before stated
also constitutes a prolongation of the cylinder although the piston does not enter it.
The effect of the contraction of the said passage g towards the inlet port is to cause
the explosive mixture to enter the cylinder at a high velocity and the effect of the
said passage g being formed in the direction stated is to cause the mixture on entering
the cylinder to whirl round within it in contact with the walls thereof and to approach
the axial portion of the cylinder in a spiral direction the part of the cylinder into
which the mixture so entering last arrives being its axis. Consequently the exploded
gases with which the cylinder is filled prior to the entry of the said mixture are
displaced by the entering explosive mixture and driven out therefrom through the
exhaust port i the dilution of the charge of explosive mixture in the cylinder to an
appreciable extent by the gases resulting from the explosion of the previous charge
being thereby avoided.
The connections between the valves ¹ and k and the moving part or parts of the
engine are so made or arranged that the said valves are actuated simultaneously and
are pressed against their seatings during the whole time of explosion of the mixture
1

page_text: in the cylinder and while the gases produced by the explosion are actuating the
piston and are removed from their seatings during a portion of the return stroke of
the piston.
An air pump worked by any convenient means may be used for preparing the
explosive mixture and forcing it into the cylinder on the acting side of the piston.
Or the end of the engine cylinder nearest the crank shaft may be connected with the
gas supply and provided with means for admitting air for mixing with the said gas
and be connected with the pipe h the connections being fitted with valves so arranged
that the gas and air will be drawn into the cylinder on the rod side of the piston and
be forced therefrom by the action of the piston into the cylinder on the other side of
the piston at the required times. In this case the engine cylinder and piston do the
work of the said air pump.
Where the engine cylinder is thus connected with the supply of gas and air the
action of the whole of those parts hereinbefore described and referred to is as
follows:-
During the instroke of the piston air and gas are drawn into the cylinder at the
end through which the piston rod works and during the outstroke of the piston the
mixture of air and gas so drawn into the cylinder are subjected to an increasing
pressure which attains its maximum when the piston reaches the end of its outstroke.
At this moment the valves A¹ and k open and the charge or mixture of gas and air
which is under pressure in the outer end of the cylinder passes therefrom by the pipe /
passage g and port e into the other or working end of the cylinder driving the gases
resulting from the previously exploded charge out through the port the chamber j
and the exhaust pipe m. The said valves h¹ and k then close and during the
remainder of the instroke of the piston (which begins to move inward before the
said valves are closed) the fresh charge which has thus entered the cylinder is
compressed therein by the piston preparatory to being fired on the next outstroke
of the piston.
Where an air pump is used the valves ' and hereinbefore referred to are opened
and closed at the same times relatively to the traverse of the piston as in the case
where the mixture is prepared in the cylinder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I wish it to be under-
stood that my invention is not limited to the precise details hereinbefore described as
they may be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention but I declare
that I claim as my said invention of "Improvements in motive power engines
actuated by the firing of inflammable gas or vapour in admixture with air ":—
First The improvements hereinbefore described in arrangements for effecting the
charging of the cylinders of such engines with an explosive mixture and the
ejection of the spent or exploded charge therefrom which improvements consist
essentially of means by which the explosive mixture is caused to enter the cylinder of
the engine in a tangential or approximately tangential direction and the said mixture
after explosion is caused to pass from the cylinder at or near the axial portion
thereof.
Secondly The arrangement of the inlet and outlet ports of the cylinders of
engines of the kind herein before referred to and the construction and arrangement
of the passage leading to the inlet port substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.