An Improved Construction and Arrangement of Gas Engine.
Year: 1885

page_text: An Improved Construction and Arrangement of Gas Engine.
I RICHARD SIMON of 300 Alfreton Road, Nottingham, Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of my said invention for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION AND
ARRANGEMENT OF GAS ENGINE" to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is the construction of a gas engine in which it shall
be practicable to explode a compressed inflammable mixture in a receiver or chamber
interposed between two cylinders (one of which is used to draw in and compress
the mixture and the other to give power to the crank shaft of the engine) in such
a way as to produce pressure in the latter.
For this purpose the two cylinders may be placed side by side, or end to end, or
one above the other both being connected in the usual manner with the crank shaft
and so placed that the pistons in both work in the same direction at the same time.
The receiver can be placed across the lower ends of the two cylinders or by the
side of either of them. It is in communication with the compression cylinder by
means of a clack or other valve delivering from that cylinder into the receiver and
closing towards the former when there is pressure in the latter.
At the moment of explosion a suitably placed slide or a piston valve opens
making a free communication between the receiver and the power cylinder.
The mode of working is as follows.
Gas or other combustible vapour and air are drawn into the compression cylinder
(through suitable valves opening by suction or through a slide or a piston valve
actuated by a cam or excentric) by the outstroke of the piston therein On the
pistons return stroke the inlet valve being closed, either automatically or by
mechanism the contents of the cylinder are compressed and forced into the receiver.
When the compressing piston has reached the end of its stroke inwards the
receiver will be full of the compressed mixture. At the same moment the piston
in the power cylinder will also have reached the end of its stroke inwards. At
this moment the compressed mixture in the receiver is exploded and a free com-
munication with the power cylinder at the side or end thereof simultaneously
established through the movement of the slide or piston valve already mentioned
by means of a cam or excentric, consequently the effective force of the explosion
acting in the direction of the least resistance drives the piston in the working
cylinder outwards thus giving power.

page_text: To explode the compressed mixture I use a travelling light carried in a sliding
valve or piston which is relighted at each inward stroke by a stationary outside
fame. This travelling light is carried into a chamber filled with an explosive
mixture at about atmospheric pressure, where it causes an explosion the force of
which lifts a small clack valve through which the flame strikes into the compressed
mixture in the receiver, to a wall of which the box or cylinder, in which the
travelling light works, is fixed.
The chamber referred to is charged with a small quantity of the compressed
mixture by means of a supply entering from the compression cylinder or from the
receiver through a pipe furnished with a non return valve which is regulated by
means of a small cock or conical plug or pin, by which it can be wire drawn' to
decrease the pressure to near that of the atmosphere.
'
In order to clear out the products of combustion from the chamber a suction pipe
from it may be connected with the inlet valve into the compression cylinder or to
a separate small cylinder and piston added for the purpose which may also be used
to charge the chamber or sometimes I prefer to close one end of the small cylinder
in which the sliding piston in case one is used, works and let the sliding piston
itself in its onward motion, draw the products of combustion out through a passage
(furnished with suitable valves) in its wall by creating a vacuum behind it and to
expel them on its return stroke.
The sliding piston may also be constructed so as to effect communication between
the receiver and working cylinder.
The products of explosion are expelled from the power cylinder by the return
stroke of the piston through any suitable exhaust valve.
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said R. Simon.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Construction and Arrangement of Gas Engine.
I RICHARD SIMON of 300 Alfreton Road, Nottingham, 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:-
The object of my invention is the construction of a gas engine in which it shall
be practicable to explode a compressed inflammable mixture in a receiver or
chamber interposed between two cylinders (one of which is used to draw in and
compress the mixture, and the other to give power to the crank shaft of the
engine) in such a way as to produce pressure in the latter.
For this purpose, the two cylinders may be placed side by side, or end to end,
or one above the other, both being connected in the usual manner with the crank
shaft and so placed that the pistons in both work in the same direction at the
same time.
The receiver can be placed across the lower ends of the two cylinders or by the
side of either of them. It is in communication with the compression cylinder by
means of a clack or other valve, delivering from that cylinder into the receiver,
and closing towards the former, when there is pressure in the latter.
At the moment of explosion a suitably placed slide or a piston valve opens,
making a free communication between the receiver and the power cylinder. The
mode of working is as follows:-Gas or other combustible vapour and air are
drawn into the compression cylinder (through suitable valves opening by suction
or through a slide or a piston valve actuated by a cam or eccentric) by the
outstroke of the piston. therein. On the piston's return stroke the inlet valves
being closed, either automatically or by mechanism, the contents of the cylinder
are compressed and forced into the receiver. When the compressing piston hias
reached the end of its stroke inwards, the receiver will be full of the compressed
mixture. At the same moment the piston in the power cylinder will also have
reached the end of its stroke inwards. At this moment, the compressed mixture
in the receiver is exploded and a free communication with the power cylinder at
the side or end thereof, is simultaneously established through the movement of
or eccentric.
the slide or piston valve already mentioned by means of a cam
Consequently the effective force of the explosion acting in the direction of the
least resistances, drives the piston in the working cylinder outwards, thus giving
power.
To explode the compressed mixture, I use a travelling light, carried in a sliding
valve or piston, which is relighted at each inward stroke by a stationary outside
flame. This travelling light is carried into a chamber filled with an explosive
mixture, at about atmospheric pressure, where it causes an explosion, the force of
which lifts a small clack valve, through which the flame strikes into the compressed
mixture in the receiver to a wall of which the box or cylinders in which the
travelling light works, is fixed. The chamber referred to is charged with a small

page_text: Figure 1 is a vertical section of the engine along the line a, b Figure 2.
Figure 2 is a horizontal section. Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line c d
and Figure 4 shows the lighting arrangement.
The pistons A and B in the cylinders C and D are coupled by connecting rods to
the same or equal cranks of the driving shaft and are drawn outwards, when
starting the engine by turning the flywheel. C is the compression cylinder, and D
the power cylinder. By the outward stroke of the piston A, gas and air are drawn
into the cylinder C, through the clack valves at E, in place of which I may some-
times use a piston shaped valve or a slide valve having two suitable openings for
gas and air respectively, one or both of which may be controlled by a governor in
the usual manner. On the return stroke of the piston A. the gas and air mixture
are forced through the port e and the ways communicating therewith into the
reservoir or receiver F which is of less capacity than the cylinder C. When there-
fore the contents of that cylinder (the piston A having completed its return stroke)
have been forced into F, they are in a state of compression, which may be had of
any degree desired by varying the proportionate capacity of F. From F the
compressed mixture passes through the port f and ways communicating therewith
into the cylinder D. At the moment when communication is free between the
receiver F and the cylinder D, the compressed mixture is fired by a contrivance
afterwards described, and the resulting expansion acts on the piston B propelling
it outwards and yielding power to drive the engine by means of the usual arrange-
ment of connecting rod and crank shaft. On the return or inward stroke of the
piston B the effete products of combustion are expelled through the port and
Ways x.
In order to open and close the different communications between the two
cylinders C and D and the receiver F, I use a valve H working in a small
cylinder G, which valve H consists of 3 small pistons h, h¹ h, each furnished with
a metallic ring which is a little more than twice the width of the port it is to
cover.
The valve H is worked by an eccentric, on the crauk shaft. In Figure 2 the
position shown is, that in which the piston A is about to move outwards. At this
moment the valve H is moving in the opposite direction and continues to do so
until the piston A has passed over half its stroke outwards. At that moment the
course of the valve H is reversed by the eccentric which actuates it and when the
piston A has completed its outstroke and is reversing, the valve H, is again in
the position shown in Figure 2. During the whole period of the outstroke of the
piston A, the movement of the valve H has by means of the piston h closed

page_text: communication between the cylinder C and the receiver F and by means of the
piston h¹ has opened communication between the receiver F and the cylinder D and
by means of the piston h¹¹ has closed the exhaust x.
On and during the return or inward stroke of the piston A, the opposite
action takes place. The piston h opens and maintains communication between the
cylinder C and the receiver F. The piston h³ closes communication between
the receiver F and the cylinder D. The piston h¹¹ opens the exhaust x.
When it is remembered that the pistons A and B move in the same direction at
the same time, it will be evident that while a new charge is entering the cylinder C,
(the piston h keeping the port e closed) the previously compressed charge having
been exploded while the piston h¹ has opened free communication between the
receiver F and the cylinder D is there exerting its driving power, and that while
the piston A is forcing a new charge into the receiver F, the piston B is expelling
the products of combustion.
Figure 3 shows an igniting arrangement to explode the compressed mixture
I use a travelling light N, carried in a sliding valve or piston H, which is relighted
at each inward stroke of the piston by a stationary outside flame L. This
travelling light N may be supplied with gas by means of an india rubber or
flexible tube connection or in any suitable manner and is carried into a chamber I
filled with an explosive mixture at about atmospheric pressure, where it causes an
explosion, the force of which lifts a small clack valve P through which the flame
strikes into the compressed mixture in the receiver F to a wall of which the box or
cylinder G in which the travelling light N works, is fixed. The chamber I is
charged with a small quantity of the compressed mixture, by means of a supply
entering from the compression cylinder C or from the receiver F, through a pipe Q
furnished with a non-return valve R which is regulated by a small cock S by
which the supply can be wire drawn to decrease the pressure to near that of the
atmosphere.
The lighting arrangement shown at Figure 4 is a modification of the above. The
valve H comprises the pistons h h¹ and h¹¹. In the thickness of the wall of the
valve-containing cylinder G I form one or more slots or grooves as shown at I or
a pipe J through which the ends being uncovered by the motion of the piston h¹
some of the contents of the receiver For rather of the space or chamber between
the pistons and h¹ (which space at the moment of firing is in free communication
with the receiver F that has itself just been filled by the new charge from the
cylinder C) pass over into the space or chamber K between the two pistons h¹
and Here this portion of the inflammable mixture comes in contact with
a flame at the burner L, is thus ignited and the ignition travels back through the
groove or grooves I or equivalent pipe J and lights the mixture in the space
between the pistons h and h¹ and thence that in the receiver F. The motion of
the valve h¹ has meanwhile closed the way through the groove or grooves I and
has opened the port f leading into the cylinder D.
The flame at L being blown out at each ignition, it is relighted by a jet outside
the port or window M, during the return stroke of the valve H. The jet L is
supplied with a compressed mixture of gas and air through the pipe leading from
the receiver F. The quantity and pressure of this supply are regulated by the
conical plug m, and back ignitions are hindered by layers of wire gauze interposed
between two perforated brass plates shown at u.
The arrangement of the cylinders as shown in the annexed drawings is only
a type of one of the many ways in which my invention may be carried out, and
I do not therefore bind myself to the exact details.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination of two cylinders, a receiver, and a distributing valve,
arranged in such manner that the inflammable mixture compressed from the one or

page_text: pump cylinder and passed into the receiver may be exploded there or mainly there
or between the receiver and the other or power cylinder as and for the purpose or
purposes described.
2. In a gas engine the distributing valve piston and the mode of ignition
described when employed in combination with an intermediate reservoir or receiver
in which the ignition is effected while said receiver is in direct communication with
the power cylinder substantially as described.
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said R. Simon.