Improvements in Engines for the Propulsion of Road Carriages.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 24th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1896
Improvements in Engines for the Propulsion of Road Carriages.
We, ERNEST JOHN CLUBBE and ALFRED WILLIAM SOUTHEY, both of
16, Elm Street, Grays Inn Road, in the County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineers,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to engines actuated by the combustion of gasoline,
petroleum, or other liquid hydrocarbon used for the propulsion of locomotive
carriages, and it has principally for object to render the engine self-staiting so that
it is unnecessary to keep the engine running during temporary stoppages of the
carriage. This object is accomplished by storing part of the power developed by
the oil engine during the running of the carriage by the compression of air to be
expended in re-starting the engine or in assisting the propulsion of the vehicle
when necessary, the application of the power thus stored being controlled by means
of valves.
The invention also comprises such a combination and arrangement of the engine
as will enable the engine to start under full load from any position and will ensure
a perfect balance of the moving parts and consequently an almost entire absence
of vibration when running.
The engine is provided with a plurality of explosion cylinders whose pistons
are coupled to as many cranks on the same shaft, the number of cylinders being
such that more than two impulses per revolution will be obtained so as to avoid
the occurrence of dead points, each piston receiving only one impulse in the same
direction during two revolutions of the crank shaft. The preferred number of
explosion cylinders is six, the cranks being arranged in two similar sets, of three
cranks placed at 120 degrees to each other so that an impulse will be obtained at
every third of a revolution, an explosion occurring in each cylinder once only in
every two revolutions. With these cylinders are combined a corresponding number
of double-acting air cylinders whose pistons are coupled to the same cranks, certain
of these cylinders, say three, being pumps and the others motor cylinders. The
former serve to accumulate the reserve store of pressure by pumping air into a
receiver the power for operating them being derived either directly from the motor
cylinders or through the vehicle for which they act as a brake either in stopping
or running downhill. The remaining air cylinders are used for motive purposes
either at starting or as auxiliary means of propulsion when required and being
three in number and double-acting will give six impulses per revolution.
The explosion cylinders are water-jacketted to keep them cool and provision is
made that any steam generated in the jacket can be utilized to increase the power
developed by the air engine. The heat of the walls of the explosion cylinders is
utilized to complete the vapourization of the oil by causing the oil vapour coming
from an ordinary vapourizer to pass through tubes in the back of, or around, the
explosion cylinders which when sufficiently hot may alone fulfil the function of a
vapourizer for the oil before it enters the cylinders.
Dated this oond of No 100%
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Engines for the Propulsion of Road Carriages.
We,
ERNEST JOHN CLUBBE and ALFRED WILLIAM SOUTHEY both of
16, Elm Street, Grays Inn Road, in the County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineers,
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 engines actuated by the combustion of gasoline,
petroleum, or other liquid hydrocarbon, and it has principally for object to render
the engine self-starting so that it is unnecessary to keep the engine running during
temporary stoppages of the carriage propelled by the engine. This object is
accomplished by storing part of the power developed by the oil engine, by the
compression of air to be expended in re-starting the engine or in assisting the
propulsion of the vehicle when necessary.
The invention also comprises such a combination and arrangement of the engine
as will enable the engine to start under full load from any position and will ensure
a perfect balance of the moving parts and consequently an almost entire absence of
vibration when running.
The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings
forming part of this specification wherein
Figure is a plan shewing the general arrangement of the engine and
Figure 2 is a detail of the cranks.
The same letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.
two
The engine is provided with a plurality of explosion cylinders A¹ to A° whose
pistons are coupled to as many cranks C¹ to C on the same shaft B the number of
cylinders being such that more than two impulses per revolution will be obtained
so as to avoid the occurrence of dead points each piston preferably receiving only
one impulse in the same direction during two revolutions of the crank shaft. The
preferred number of explosion cylinders is six the cranks being arranged in two
similar sets of three cranks placed at 120 degrees to each other, as shewn in
Figure 2, so that an impulse of the crank shaft will be obtained at every third of
a revolution an explosion occurring in each cylinder once only in every
revolutions when the engine works on the four-phase cycle. With the pistons of
these cylinders are combined the pistons of a corresponding number of double-
acting air cylinders certain of these cylinders, say three D1 D2 D³, being pumps
and the others F1 F2 F' motor cylinders. The pumps D¹ D' D³ serve to accumulate
the reserve store of pressure by pumping air into a receiver E with which they
are connected the power for operating them being derived either directly from the
motor cylinders A¹ to A or through the wheels of the vehicle for which the
pumps then act as a brake in stopping or running downhill. The remaining air
cylinders F F F are also connected with the receiver of stored power and are
used for motive purposes either at starting the vehicle or as auxiliary means of
propulsion when required or when an excess of power is stored in the receiver.
Being three in number and double-acting they will give six impulses per
revolution.
The explosion cylinders are water-jacketted to keep them cool except at the back
ends which form explosion chambers, the heat of the walls of the explosion chambers
being utilized to completely vapourize the oil injected therein. The explosion
cylinders are provided with the usual valves to control the admission and exhaust,
and with the usual means of ignition preferably an electric sparking device for
firing the explosive charge.
The pumps are double-acting, of the ordinary type, and water-jacketted, and
they are worked continuously whilst the engine is running, the compressed air

page_text: motor cylinders also running continuously so that the balance of the engine is
always maintained. The pumps deliver compressed air through a check valve e to
the receiver E which is provided with a safety valve I and other necessary adjuncts
and the air engine cylinders F are supplied with compressed air through a stop
valve G under control of the driver, the cylinders being provided with distribution
valves of the usual type worked from eccentrics (not shown) on the crank shaft B.
An automatic air inlet valve (not shewn) is provided to admit air to the cylinders F
when the stop valve G is closed the pistons of these cylinders then running idle.
The effective capacity of the air pump or pumps should not exceed say one-ninth
of the effective capacity of the compressed air engine in order that the latter may
develop sufficient power to start the carriage, oil motor, and pumps simultaneously.
The explosion cylinders of the engine described are supposed to work on the
usual four-phase cycle, but engines working on the two-phase cycle may be used in
combination with air pumps, receiver, and compressed air motor cylinders as herein
described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inveu-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The combination, with an internal combustion motor comprising a sufficient
number of explosion cylinders to avoid dead points, of an air pump or pumps
worked continuously therefrom whilst the engine is running, a compressed air
engine constantly coupled to the explosion motor and comprising a sufficient
number of cylinders to avoid dead points, and of a compressed air receiver
intermediate of the compressed air pumps and motor substantially as specified.
2. The herein described engine for the propulsion of road vehicles, consisting in
the combination of six single-acting explosion cylinders respectively actuating
cranks set so as to avoid dead points, air pumps actuated directly thereby,
compressed air motor cylinders actuating the engine shaft, and a receiver for
compressed air stored by the pump and supplying the compressed air motor
cylinders substantially as shewn in the drawings annexed.
Dated this 24th day of August 1896.
A. M. & W M. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.