Improvements in Hydro-carbon Engines.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Aug., 1887
Complete Left, 25th May, 1888
Complete Accepted, 29th June, 1888
Improvements in Hydro-carbon Engines.
We, PAUL NIEL of 5 West Bank Place, Hillhead, in the County of Lanark,
Engineer, and JAMES MOSS BENNETT, Saint Mungo Chemical Works, Ruehill, in the
County of Lanark, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention which relates to improvements in gas, petroleum and other hydro
carbon engines has for its object so to construct and arrange such engines as to give
an explosion at each revolution and to cause the products of combustion from each
explosion to be expanded to or almost to atmospheric pressure or to vary the expansion
automatically according to the work done thus obtaining a regular speed.
The engine constructed in accordance with the Invention has two cylinders or it
may have one cylinder with two different diameters in its length the smaller one or
that wherein the expansion takes place being closed at its end whilst the larger one
or that into which the explosive mixture is first drawn or sucked and compressed is
open ended. The larger diameter is of such capacity that the volume of mixture
near the
sucked into it shall when expanded in the smaller diameter be at or
atmospheric pressure. A common piston having two diameters fitting respectively
the greater and lesser diameters of the cylinders acts at its smaller end as a motor
piston and at its larger end as a pump plunger the wider part of the cylinder or that
constituting the pump barrel being placed in communication with the narrower or
power generating part through ports made in a smaller cylinder or valve casing in
which an equilibrium piston valve is situated this valve whilst regulating the
communication at the same time acting to admit the explosive mixture to the
pump. The valve consists of three pistons connected together by a central spindle or
rod and so arranged that between the adjacent ends of the central and one of the end
pistons there is a space of sufficient capacity to contain a large part of the mixture
compressed by the pump whilst between the adjacent ends of the central and the other
end piston there is a smaller space which during the action of the valve uncovers the
end of the pipe or passage through which the explosive mixture passes or is drawn
into the pump. The port leading to the pump or larger end of the cylinder has two

page_text: openings in the valve face one communicating with the admission or smaller space
of the valve, the second communicating with the compression or larger space
whilst the port leading to the smaller end of the cylinder also communicates
with the compression or larger space. When the piston is at the end of its
inner stroke the piston valve, which is connected to the crank shaft, uncovers the
communication between the pump and the source of supply of the explosive mixture
so that during the outer stroke à volume of such mixture is drawn into the pump,
expansion of the hot gases due to the previous explosion at the same time taking place
in the smaller end of the cylinder. When the outer stroke is completed communi-
cation between the pump and the explosive mixture inlet is cut off and a valve in the
closed end of the smaller part of the cylinder is, by a lever and eccentric or its
equivalent connected to the crank shaft, opened to the atmosphere so as during the
instroke to permit of the products of combustion being exhausted or forced out: At
the commencement of the instroke the larger space between the pistons constituting
the valve opens for a short time communication between the larger and smaller ends
of the cylinder in order that the pump may force a sufficient quantity of fresh mixture
through the said space to displace the products of combustion contained in it and
blow them out into the narrower end of the cylinder. The valve then closes such
communication but still remaining open to the pumping end the charge of mixture is
compressed into the said larger space between the pistons till nearly the completion of
the inner stroke at which time the valve re-opens communication with the working
end of the cylinder permitting the compressed charge to pass thereinto immediately
before or at the closing of the exhaust valve so that the fresh charge blows out any
small volume of products of combustion that may remain between the working piston
and the cylinder end. At the completion of the inner stroke of the pistons communi-
cation between the pump and large or compression space of the piston valve is cut off
and the said valve then uncovers a small hole having a red hot tube in communication
with it which ignites the mixture contained in the valve and working part of the
cylinder and propels the piston outwards during the expansion of the gases.
Instead of the red hot tube the valve may have provided in conjunction with it a
chamber one end of which is closed by a valve operated by a lever and link from the
equilibrium valve spindle whilst its other end communicates with the compression
space of the valve through a port which saving when an explosion is to take place is
closed by one of the pistons constituting the valve. In communication with the said
compression space there is also made another port through which and through a
passage connected to the said port, and provided with a regulating screw or other
means for varying its area, a volume of the mixture passes into the before mentioned
chamber. When the valve closing the end of the said chamber is opened the gas
contained in the chamber is ignited by a constant flame provided for that purpose
which being effected the valve again shuts thereby enclosing the flame in the chamber
until on the motion of the equilibrium piston valve the port in the end of the
chamber is opened to the compression space and to the bottom of the working
cylinder.
The engine constructed as hereinbefore described may be governed in several ways;
First, by admitting a full volume of a constant mixture and when the engine races
cutting off the admission of gas or vapour leaving air only to be compressed and
expanded without explosion; Second, by or partially opening the gas or vapour supply
valve so varying the mixture and producing a weaker or stronger explosion or none
at all, and, Third, by sucking or drawing in air and gas or vapour together through
a common valve and opening that valve more or less whilst the pump is in operation
so as to have a larger or smaller volume of a constant mixture to explode at every
revolution and produce a greater or lesser expansion.
Under any of these modes the same arrangement of apparatus is employed the
said apparatus consisting of a catch secured to and moving with the piston valve.
The catch has upper and lower projecting heels or is formed in two separate parts and
.on the lower one there rests the end of one arm of a bell crank lever having upon it
an. adjustable weight. The lever is centred on a bracket cast on or secured to the

page_text: casing of the gas supply valve or of the combined gas and air supply valve and its
other arm has connected to it one end of a bar or lever whose other extremity is
acted upon by the upper heel of the catch. At a point between its ends the said bar
rests or bears upon the upper end of the supply valve spindle and the action of the
apparatus is as follows. By the motion of the piston valve the weighted arm of the
bell crank lever is raised and causes the bar or lever resting on the supply valve to
move laterally until its point comes from under the path of the upper heel of the
catch. The weighted arm of the bell crank lever is raised to a constant height by
the catch and allowed to fall freely which it always does in a constant period of time.
This period is so adjusted by shifting the weight according to the desired speed of
the engine that when the engine is working regularly the fall of the lever brings
the point of the bar acting on the supply valve into position to be acted on at each
siroke by the upper heel of the catch but when the engine is racing the bar does not return
to position in time to be so acted upon and consequently does not open the supply valve.
Instead of the heel the catch may have a series of steps at its upper end or the end
of the bar may be so formed the extent of opening of the supply valve being varied
according as the bar or the catch is acted upon by one or other of the steps; and in
lieu of the governor being actuated by the motion of the piston valve it may be
operated from a cam or eccentric secured on the crank shaft the said cam at the
proper times acting on a lever connected by a link to the weighted arm of the bell
crank lever or the weighted bell crank lever itself may be centred upon the rod of the
eccentrics or its equivalent operating the piston valve in which case the rod or lever
actuating the supply valve has no lateral motion communicated to it but has its free
end depressed to open the valve by the end of the unweighted arm of the bell crank
coming in contact with it. Under this modification a heel or third arm on the bell
crank lever comes in contact with a fixed point during the outstroke of the valve
which has the effect of raising the weight and producing the action before set forth,
the point of the bell crank lever when the engine is racing either entirely missing
the end of the bar actuating the supply valve or acting on one of a series of steps
on the end of the said bar, or instead of any of these arrangements the motion of the
bar actuating the supply valve may be effected by any other suitable form of
governor.
When petroleum or other liquid hydrocarbon is to be employed in the engine
constructed as hereinbefore described the supply valve is regulated by the same
governing arrangements and the liquid being projected through an adjustable aperture
into the smaller space of the equilibrium piston valve whilst the pump is sucking, air
and liquid in spray is sucked together into the pump during the outward stroke. At
the inward stroke the said air and liquid is compressed into the compression space of
the piston valve where owing to the heat generated by a previous explosion combined
with that due to the compression itself the liquid is vaporized and forms with the air
an explosive mixture.
The ignition when liquid hydro-carbon is used may be effected by a red hot tube
heated externally by a bunsen burner supplied with liquid vaporized by carrying the
pipe supplying the jet to the burner through a coil heated by the products of combus-
tion inside the funnel of the burner the jet being regulated by an adjustable aperture
in the coiled pipe.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Hydro-carbon Engines.
We, PAUL NIEL of Gravigny, Eure, in the Commonwealth of France, Engineer,
and JAMES MOSS BENNETT, Saint Mungo Chemical Works, Ruchill, in the County of
Lanark, Chemist, 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 which relates to improvements in gas, petroleum and other hydro-
carbon engines has for its object so to construct and arrange such engines as to
give an explosion at each revolution and to cause the products of combustion from
each explosion to be expanded to or almost to atmospheric pressure or to vary
the expansion automatically according to the work done thus obtaining a regular
speed.
b
The engine constructed in accordance with the Invention may have two cylinders
or as illustrated in vertical section at figure 1 and in end elevation at figure 2 of
the accompanying drawings it may have one cylinder a with two different diameters
in its length the smaller one a¹ or that wherein the expansion takes place being
closed at its lower end whilst the larger one a² or that into which the explosive
mixture is first drawn or sucked and compressed is open ended. The larger
diameter a is of such capacity that the volume of mixture sucked into it shall
when expanded in the smaller diameter a¹ be at or near the atmospheric pressure.
A common piston having two diameters fitting respectively the greater and
lesser diameters a², a¹ of the cylinder acts at its smaller end as a motor piston
and at its larger end as a pump plunger the wider part a² of the cylinder or
that constituting the pump barrel being placed in communication with the narrower
or power generating part a¹ through ports made in a smaller cylinder or valvo
casing in which an equilibrium piston valve d is situated this valve whilst
regulating the communication at the same time acting to admit the explosive
mixture to the pump a². The valve consists of three pistons d, d', d², connected
together by a central neck e the pistons being so arranged that between the
adjacent ends of the central one and of the end one there is a space f of
sufficient capacity to contain a large part of the mixture compressed by the pump 12
whilst between the other end of the central piston d and the other end piston d
there is a smaller space g which during the action of the valve uncovers the end
of the pipe or passage through which the explosive mixture passes or is drawn
into the pump a. The port leading to the pump a² has as seen by figure 1 two
openings in the valve face one communicating with the admission or smaller space g
of the valve, the second communicating with the compression or larger space, the
port leading to the smaller end a¹ of the cylinder also communicating with the
compression or larger space f. When the piston bis at the end of its inner stroke
the piston valve d, d, d², which is connected to the crank shaft j uncovers the com-
munication between the pump a² and the pipe / supplying the explosive mixture so

page_text: that during the outer stroke of the piston ba volume of such mixture is drawn into
the pump a, expansion of the hot gases due to the previous explosion at the same
time taking place in the smaller end a' of the cylinder. When the outer stroke is
completed communication between the pump a and the explosive mixture inlet pipe /
is cut off and a valve k in the closed end of the smaller part a¹ of the cylinder is, by
a lever and eccentric m or its equivalent connected to the crank shaft opened to
the atmosphere so as during the instroke of the piston to permit of the products of
combustion being exhausted or forced out. At the commencement of the instroke
the larger space between the pistons d', d, of the valve opens for a short time
communication between the larger and smaller ends a², a, of the cylinder in order
that the pump may force a sufficient quantity of fresh mixture through to displace
the products of combustion contained in the said space and blow them out into the
narrower end a¹ of the cylinder. The piston valve then closes such communication
but still remaining open to the pumping end a the charge of mixture is compressed
into the said larger space till nearly the completion of the inner stroke at which
time the piston valve reopens communication with the working end a¹ of the cylinder
permitting the compressed charge to pass thereinto immediately before or at the
closing of the exhaust valve k so that the fresh charge blows out any small volume of
products of combustion that may remain between the working piston b and the cylinder
end. At the completion of the inner stroke communication between the pumpa² and large
or compression space of the piston valve is cut off and the said valve then uncovers
a small hole seen at a figure 3 which is a vertical section of the piston valve arrange-
ment at right angles to figure 1. The said hole has a red hot tube o in communication
with it, the tube being situated in the pipe n and heated by a gas jet from the pipe p.
Part of the explosive mixture contained in the space of the valve and in the working
part a of the cylinder passing through the small orifice a to the red hot tube serves
to ignite the whole and propel the piston outwards during the expansion of the
hot gases.
q
Instead of the red hot tube the piston valve may as seen in vertical section at
figure 4 have provided in conjunction with it a chamber pone end of which is closed
by a valve operated by a lever and link from the piston valve spindle whilst its
other end communicates with the compression space of the valve through a port a
which saving when an explosion is to take place is closed by the piston d² of the valve.
In communication with the said compression space there is also made another port v
through which and through a passage connected to the said port, and provided with
a regulating screw 2 or other means for varying its area, a volume of the mixture
passes into the before mentioned chamber p. When the valve 7 is opened the gas
contained in the chamber is ignited by a constant flames provided for that purpose
and communicating with the chamber through a hole in the side of it which being
effected the valve again shuts thereby enclosing the flame in the chamber until on
the motion of the piston valve the port e in the end of the chamber is opened to the
compression space and to the bottom a¹ of the working cylinder.
The engine constructed as hereinbefore described may be governed in several ways;
First, it may be governed by admitting a full volume of a constant mixture and when
the engine races cutting off the admission of gas or vapour leaving air only to be
compressed and expanded without explosion; Second, it may be governed by opening
or partially opening the gas or vapour supply valve so varying the mixture and pro-
ducing a weaker or stronger explosion or none at all; Third, it may be governed by
sucking or drawing in air and gas or vapour together through a common valve and
opening that valve more or less whilst the pump is in operation so as to have a larger
or smaller volume of a constant mixture to explode at every revolution and produce a
greater or less expansion.
Under any of these modes the same arrangement of apparatus is employed the said
apparatus as seen at figures 2 and 3 of the drawings consisting of two catches t, t',
one formed on the piston valve and the other on the rod or link connecting the valve
to the eccentric. On the lower catch there rests the end of one arm of a bell crank
lever u having upon it an adjustable weight u'. The lever is centred on a bracket w

page_text: cast on or secured to the casing of the supply valve and which valve may supply
gas only or as arranged on the drawings it may act as a combined gas and air supply
valve. The other arm of the lever has connected to it one end of a bar or lever y
whose outer extremity is acted upon by the upper heel or catch t¹. At a point between
its ends the said har y rests or bears upon the upper end of the supply valve spindle w²
and the action of the apparatus is as follows:-
By the motion of the piston valve d, d', d² the weighted arm of the bell crank
lever is raised so causing the bar or lever y resting on the supply valve spindle w²
to move laterally until its point comes from under the path of the upper heel or
catch t. The weighted arm of the bell crank lever is raised to a constant height by
the catch t and allowed to fall freely which it always does in a constant period of time.
The period is so adjusted by shifting the weight according to the desired speed of
the engine that when the engine is working regularly the fall of the lever brings the
point of the bar y into position to be acted on at each stroke by the upper heel or
catch so compressing the spring w³ and opening the valve w¹ but when the engine
is racing the bar y does not return to position in time to be so acted upon and con-
sequently does not open the supply valve w'. The outer end of the bar
y may have a
series of steps upon it as shewn or the catch may be so formed, the extent of
opening of the supply valve being varied accordingly as one or other of the steps of
the bar or the catch is acted upon.
Under a modified arrangement illustrated by figure 5 of the drawings the
governor in lieu of being in part actuated by a catch or heel on the piston valve
may be operated from a cam or occentric secured on the crank shaft the said cam
at the proper times acting on a lever connected by a link to the mid arm of
the bell crank lever a which may have an adjustable weight upon it as before set
forth or as shewn the said weight may be on the lever .
Under another modification illustrated at figure 6, the weighted bell crank lever u
may be centred upon the rod A of the eccentric or its equivalent operating the
piston valve d, d¹, d², in which case the rod or lever y actuating the supply valve has
no lateral motion communicated to it but has its free end depressed to open the valve
by the end of the unweighted arm of the bell crank coming in contact with it. Under
this modification a heel or third arm ³ on the bell crank lever comes in contact with
a fixed point during the outstroke of the piston valve which has the effect of raising
the weightand producing the action before set forth, the point of the bell crank lever when
the engine is racing either entirely missing the end of the bar y actuating the supply
valve or acting on one of a series of steps on the end of the said bar.
Under another modification illustrated at figure 7 the bell crank lever u may be
centred upon a bar B, one end of which is connected to the piston valve and to the
rod A whilst its other end is attached to a bracket C, on the supply valve casing.
With this arrangement the bar B, is depressed with the arm of the bell crank lever
acting direct upon the upper end of the valve spindle w² whilst its arm acts against
a stop made on the bracket C. The spindle w has an inclined side and is stepped at
its upper end. When the engine is working regularly the arm of the lever acts
on the step of the valve spindle to compress the spring which in this instance is at
the interior of the casing and open the supply valve, but when the engine is racing
the point does not come opposite the steps of the spindle in time and the supply
valve is not operated.
When petroleum or other liquid hydro-carbon is to be employed in the engine
constructed substantially as hereinbefore described the supply valve is regulated by
the same governing arrangements and the liquid being projected, through an adjustable
nozzle such as that shewn at D figure 8, into the smaller space of the equilibrium
piston valve whilst the pump is sucking, air and liquid in spray is sucked together
into the pump during the outward stroke. At the inward stroke the said air and
liquid is compressed into the compression space of the piston valve where owing to
the heat generated by a previous explosion combined with that due to the compression
itself the liquid is vaporized and forms with the air an explosive mixture.
The ignition when liquid hydro-carbon is used may be effected by a red hot tube o

page_text: heated externally by a bunsen burner supplied with liquid vaporized by carrying the
pipe E, supplying the jet to the burner through a coil E heated by the products of
combustion inside the funnel F of the burner the jet being regulated by an adjustable
nozzle in the coiled pipe.
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. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the improved
hydro-carbon engine hereinbefore described with reference to figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8
of the accompanying drawings.
2. In a hydro-carbon engine an equilibrium valve composed of three pistons having
two spaces between them one communicating between the supply valve and the pump and
the other which constitutes the storage chamber and is of sufficient capacity to contain
a large part of the mixture compressed communicating between the pump and the
power generating end of the cylinder twice during each instroke of the piston b,
substantially as and for the purposes described, with reference to the drawings
annexed.
3. In a hydro-carbon engine the combination of an equilibrium piston valve
constructed as set forth with an exhaust valve the valves being relatively so arranged
that at the commencement of the instroke after each explosion and again prior to the
closing of the exhaust valve a quantity of explosive mixture is admitted to the
compression chamber and to the cylinder to drive out the residue of the products of
combustion substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
4. The several arrangements of apparatus for governing the admission of the
hydro-carbon or of the hydro-carbon and air, substantially as described with reference
to figures 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7, of the annexed drawings.
5. The arrangement for effecting the ignition of the explosive mixture consisting of
the chamber P and apparatus in conjunction therewith, substantially as described with
reference to figure 4 of the annexed drawings.