IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTIVE POWER ENGINES
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Edwin Irish at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th June 1879.
WILLIAM EDWIN IRISH, of No. 30, Greenwood Road, Dalston, in the County
of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTIVE POWER ENGINES."
This Invention relates to apparatus comprising, 1st, a specially contrived pump
with or without valves, the plunger of which is worked by means of electricity;
2nd, an accumulator into which the fluid is pumped under pressure; 3rd, a
cylinder or cylinders working the ordinary piston and imparting power in the
usual manner; 4th, a reservoir into which the cylinder empties itself and from
which the pump is fed; 5th, a regulator for controlling or regulating the speed;
Gth, an arrangement by which means the electrical path is changed automatically.
In a more simple form, 2nd, the condenser, and 4th, the reservoir, are dispensed
with, the pump, 1st, working the piston or pistons direct through or not the speed
regulator 5th. It is thus briefly described:-1st is a hollow cylindrical vessel or
pump containg a plunger, to the rod of which is attached the armature of electro
magnets between the poles of which it is placed. A fluid is introduced into this
pump, and the electro magnets alternately attracting the armatures force the
plunger in and out, and thereby the fluid is forced into or drawn from the working
cylinder, which may or may not contain air or gas to form a cushion. One stroke
of the piston is effected by the pressure of the plunger while the other is performed
by suction and reaction of the compressed air.
2nd. The accumulator is a suitable vessel fitted with pipes having respectively
inlet and outlet valves; it may be fitted to work a weighted piston to compress air
or gas, or other fluid, or springs. The fluid pumped into the vessel lifts the weighted
piston, or compresses the fluid or springs. In working, the fluid is allowed to
escape from the accumulator into the working cylinder, forcing out the piston
which is caused to close automatically by means of a valve or stop cock, the flow
from the accumulator at the same time and by the same means opening an outlet
from the cylinder to the reservoir into which the fluid passes, the return of the
piston again automatically closing and opening the outlet and inlet pipes.
3rd is a cylinder carrying a piston; it requires but one pipe, which answers the
double purpose to conduct the fluid in and out; this pipe is preferably placed at
the bottom of the cylinder.
4th. The reservoir is a suitable vessel containing the necessary supply of fluids j
it is fitted with receiving and discharge pipes in addition to a feeding inlet.

page_text: 5th. The regulator is for increasing or decreasing the speed. The valve or stop
cock which is preferably placed between the pump and cylinder in the main is
deflected, and the main thereby opened or closed in proportion, and according to
the deflection the speed is regulated. It is provided with a pointer and scale and
is protected in the ordinary way with a glass cap.
6th. The current of electricity which is employed to give power to the electro
magnets for working the plungers is caused to change the course through which it
flows automatically. The contact bar which is free to move is pushed forward
by the attracted armature until the latter is suddenly arrested, when the bar
moves forward with the force imparted to it until it reaches the other armature,
and by its contact therewith changes the electrical circuit and thereby causes the
action of the plungers to be reversed and so on. Or the working of the piston is
sometimes caused to change the electrical circuit in a similar manner as above. Or
by means of a toothed wheel, which having motion imparted to it revolves with its
teeth rubbing alternately against two contacts, thereby intermittently changing
the electrical circuit.
The power of the engine is multiplied where necessary by a combination of
pumps and electro magnets, the pumps having their admission and exhaust pipes
connected cach to their respective mains through the regulator to the working
cylinder or cylinders.
Engines are constructed with one or two or more outlet and inlet ways, and with
one or two or more sets of electro magnets and armatures.
The pump engine is preferably a short cylindrical vessel with either one or two
or more plungers or pistons with connecting rod or rods attached thereto, working
through a collar or collars at one or each end of the cylinder. Each of the plunger
rods has secured to it at a convenient point a piece of soft iron (armature) which
is always retained within the influence of the electro-magnets. The pump cylinders
are generally provided with a suitable main hole or holes through which the fluid
is admitted, and a connecting pipe or pipes to conduct the same to the working
cylinder when the engine is in action.
To work the engine, liquid, gas, air, or any fluid first put into the cylinder,
which is divided by and according to the number of plungers employed into two or
more compartments, each of which may or may not be filled or partly filled with
the fluid according to the requirements of the engine. By the action of the
plungers the capacity of the compartiments are varied and the contents thereby
forced into or drawn from the working cylinder.