An Improved Gas Engine.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 13th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 19th Oct., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Gas Engine.
SAMUEL WITHERS No. 7 Arthur Road Holloway London, N. Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In carrying out this invention I employ the vertical type of engine, having the
cylinder inverted and supported on a suitable bracket or standard, preferably I
employ two standards suitably fastened to, or cast with the base or bedplate which
carries the crank shaft.
The gaseous mixture is admitted to the cylinder through an automatically acting
valve situated in the top or inner end of the piston the air is drawn in through a
longitudinal recess in the side of the piston communicating with the valve just
mentioned, the gas is admitted to this recess (in order to mix with the air to form
a gaseous mixture) through a passage in the side of the cylinder, the piston with
the recess in the side thereof being of sufficient length to always slide in register
with the gas passage during the whole and any part of the stroke of the piston, the
air and gas may also be both drawn through the passage in the side of the cylinder,
but I prefer to employ the first mentioned method of supplying the air and gas.
I employ a gas valve for controlling the supply of gas suitably situated in relation
to the passage through the side of the cylinder, and an exhaust valve situated near
the end of the cylinder for discharging the products of combustion. For the
operation of these valves I employ a rod situated in the same vertical plane as
the cylinder, and at the side thereof, and carried in suitable guides affixed to the
standards and cylinder as may be found most convenient, said rod being free to
move up or down and having tappets or strikers attached to it or made in one with
it for operating the valves, the required motion is imparted to said rod by a cam
revolving on a pin or bearing attached to one of the brackets or standard and
operated from the crank shaft by tooth wheel or other suitable gear in the
proportion of two to one thus giving it the cycle of operations known as the
Beau Rochas "said rod having a friction roller attached to its lower end which
bears on the periphery of the cam, and caused to follow the curves on said cam by
means of a spiral or other spring suitably placed to effect same.
66
The cycle of operations is as follows; on the piston commencing to make its
downward or outward stroke for drawing in a charge of gaseous mixture the valve
in the piston before mentioned acts automatically and admits air, at the same time
the cam, by means of a suitable curve allows the valve rod to slide in the direction
for opening the gas valve, the striker on the rod for operating the gas valve
engages with the spindle of the gas valve and opens same, allowing gas to mix
with the air which is being drawn into the cylinder (the method of regulating
the supply of gas according to the power required from the engine is described
later on) at the end of the outstroke or at any part thereof the cam so operates the
rod that the gas valve is closed and remains so until the next charging stroke; the
piston now returns on the in or up stroke and compresses the charge, the valve in
the piston being closed and kept so by the pressure in the cylinder, at the highest
point of compression the charge is ignited, preferably by an ordinary ignition tube,
or it may be ignited by electricity, the next out stroke is the power or explosion
stroke, near the end of this stroke the cam moves the rod in the direction of the
exhaust valve, the striker on the rod provided for the purpose engages with the
spindle of the exhaust valve and holds it open during the return or exhaust
stroke the opening of the exhaust valve at or near the end of the power stroke

page_text: and the consequent release of the pressure in the cylinder causes an influx of fresh
air through the automatic valve in the piston to act as a scavenging or scouring
charge or stratum to expel the products of combustion which would otherwise be
retained in the compression space in the end of the cylinder, at the end of the
exhaust stroke the cam so operates the rod that the exhaust valve is closed, a
further purging of the cylinder can be effected by holding open the exhaust valve
at the commencement of the compression stroke, by means of the cam and valve
rod, during which the piston travels inwards through a space approximating to the
capacity of the compression space.
For the purpose of regulating the supply of gas to the cylinder the striker for
operating the gas valve is pivoted or hung from an arm which projects from the
side of the valve rod in a manner and position suitable for suspending the gas
valve striker in vertical line with the gas valve spindle which is vertical or parallel
with the valve rod, so that when the valve rod moves in the direction for opening the
gas valve, the striker presses endways on the spindle of the gas valve and opens it,
the end of the striker opposite to that which engages with the gas valve spindle is
extended for a short length beyond the pin upon which it is pivoted, to this end
is attached preferably at a right angle, a vane or blade of thin sheet metal, but
any other material suitable may be used, this vane may be of any suitable shape,
I prefer to make it a rectangle. It acts as follows.
When the engine is running light or without a load the impact of air on the side
of the vane towards the direction in which the striker moves to open the gas valve
causes it to deviate from the vertical line with the gas valve spindle so that it does
not engage with the spindle to open the gas valve, but passes by the side of it so
long as an excess of speed is maintained by the engine; when the normal speed of
the engine is reached either by a decrease of momentum, or by a load being put on
it, the striker does not deviate enough from the vertical plane to disengage with
the valve spindle, and gas is admitted at each charging stroke, until sufficient
impulses have been delivered to again raise the speed to that point at which the
striker disengages with the gas valve spindle.
Dated this 13th day of December 1894.
SAMUEL WITHERS.
An improved Gas Engine.
SAMUEL WITHERS, Mechanical Engineer, late of 7 Arthur Road, Holloway
London N. and now of 6 Eade Road, Finsbury Park, London, N. 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 this invention is to secure (by the arrangement and combination of
parts, peculiarities of construction and principles of operation) the expulsion of
burnt gases from the combustion chamber in the cylinder so that each fresh charge
of explosive gases shall be clean and uncontaminated by the products of the
preceding combustion, also that the parts shall be few and simple, easily constructed,
and occupying small space, and that the governing device shall be effective and
simply operated, all of which will be herein first fully described and then indicated
in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings forming part of this Specification
Fig. 1 is an elevation (half in section) of the improved engine.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the rod and cam arrangement for operating the gas
and exhaust valves.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the piston and side of cylinder and gas and air
passages.

page_text: Similar letters indicate like parts in each of the three figures.
In carrying out this invention I employ the vertical type of engine having the
cylinder inverted and supported on a suitable bracket or standard, preferably I
employ two standards A. A' see Fig. 1 bolted to the base B which carries the crank.
shaft C.
The gaseous mixture is admitted to the cylinder D Figs. 1 & 3 through an
automatically acting valve E situated in the top or inner end of the piston F.
Figs. 13., the air is drawn in through a longitudinal recess G in the side of the
piston F. open at the lower end to the atmosphere and communicating with the
automatic valve E in the top of the piston, the gas is admitted to this recess
(in order to mix with the air to form a gaseous mixture) through a passage H in
the side of the cylinder the piston with the recess in the side thereof being
of sufficient length to always slide in register with the gas passage H during the
whole and any part of the stroke of the piston, the air and gas may also be both
drawn through the passage H in the side of the cylinder but I preferably employ
the first mentioned method of supplying the gas and air.
I employ a gas valve I for controlling the supply of gas situated at and com-
municating with the passage H in the side of the cylinder, and an exhaust valve J
situated near the top end of the cylinder and communicating with the interior of
same, for discharging the products of combustion.
For the operation of the gas and exhaust valves I employ a rod K situated
vertically at the side of cylinder and carried in suitable guides, the upper one being
part of the casting carrying the gas valve and the lower one affixed to the
standard A', or they may be otherwise arranged as preferred, said rod K being free
to move up or down and having tappets or strikers K' K2 preferably attached to it
for operating the valves, the required motion is imparted to said rod K by a cam M.
Figs. 1-2, revolving on a pin N or bearing attached to the standard and operated.
from the crank shaft C by tooth wheel O or other suitable gear in the proportion.
of two to one thus giving it the cycle of operation known as the Beau Rocha's, said
rod Khaving a friction roller O₁ attached to its lower end which bears on the
periphery of the cam M and caused to follow the curves on said cam M preferably
by means of a spiral spring situated at P keeping said friction roller O' always
pressed down on the periphery of cam M.
The cycle of operations is as follows-On the piston F commencing to make its
downward or outward stroke for drawing in a charge of gaseous mixture, the
valve E in the head of the piston Facts automatically and admits air, at the same.
time the cam M by means of a suitable curve allows the rod K to slide in the
direction for opening the gas valve I the tappet or striker K' engages with the
spindle of the gas valve I and opens same, allowing gas to mix with the air which
is being drawn into the cylinder through the recess G (in the side of the piston F)
and the valve in the head thereof, at the end of the out stroke or at any part thereof
the cam M so operates the rod K that the gas valve I is closed and remains so until
the next charging stroke, the piston F now returns on the in or up stroke and com--
presses the charge, the valve E in the head of the piston being closed and kept so
by the pressure in the cylinder, at the highest point of compression the charge is
ignited preferably by an ordinary ignition tube suitably situated or it may be ignited
by electricity, the next out stroke is the power or explosion stroke, near the end of
this stroke the cam M moves the rod K in the direction of the exhaust valve, the
tappet or striker K2 on the rod K engages with the spindle P¹ of the exhaust
valve J and holds it open during the return or exhaust stroke, when the exhaust
valve is opened at or near the termination of the power stroke the release of the
terminal pressure in the cylinder causes an influx of fresh cold air through the
recess G in the side of the piston F and the valve E in the head thereof which air
acts as a scavenging and scouring charge to expel the products of combustion which
would otherwise be retained in the compression space at the upper end of the
cylinder D, at the end of the exhaust stroke the cam M so operates the rod K that
the exhaust valve is closed and remains so during the out or charging stroke.

page_text: '
A further purging of the cylinder is effected by the cam again lifting the rod K so as
to open the exhaust valve J at the commencement of the compression stroke while
the piston travels inwards through a space approximating to the capacity of the
compression space at the upper end of the cylinder D thus expelling any products
of combustion that may still remain in the compression space.
For the purpose of regulating the supply of gas to the cylinder the striker K for
operating the gas valve I is pivoted or hung from an arm R which projects from
the side of the valve rod K in a manner and position suitable for suspending the
gas valve striker K' in vertical line with the gas valve spindle I' which is vertical
with the valve rod K so that when the valve rod K moves in the direction for
opening the gas valve, the striker K¹ presses end ways on the spindle of the gas
valve I and opens it, the end of the striker K¹ opposite to that which engages which
engages with the gas valve spindle I is extended for a short length beyond the pin
upon which it is pivoted at R. Fig. 2., to this end is attached preferably at a right
angle, a vane or blade S preferably of thin sheet metal, this vane is preferably
rectangular in shape. It acts as follows-when the engine is running light or
without a load, the impact of air on the side of the vane towards the direction in
which the striker K¹ moves to open the gas valve I causes it to deviate from the
vertical line with the gas valve spindle so that it does not engage with the spindle
to open the gas valve I but passes by the side of it so long as an excess of speed is
maintained by the engine; when the normal speed of the engine is reached either by
a decrease of momentum or by a load being put on it, the striker K¹ does not deviate
enough from the vertical plane to disengage with the valve spindle and gas is
admitted at each charging stroke until sufficient impulses have been delivered to
again raise the speed to that point at which the striker K' disengages with the gas
valve spindle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. An explosion engine having a cylinder provided with a piston in which is
contained a recess and passage communicating with an automatic valve in the end
thereof for the purpose of admitting air and explosive mixture to the cylinder sub-
stantially as described.
2. In an explosion engine the combination of a cylinder provided with a piston in
which is contained a recess and passage communicating with an automatic valve in
the end thereof for the purpose of admitting air and explosive mixture to the
cylinder, and a passage through the side of said cylinder for admitting gases to said
recess in the side of piston, substantially as described.
3. In an explosion engine, the combination of a cylinder provided with a piston
in which is contained a recess and passage communicating with an automatic valve
in the end thereof for the purpose of admitting air and explosive mixture to the
cylinder a passage through the side of said cylinder for admitting gas or gases to
said recess in side of piston, a valve rod for actuating the gas valve (controlling the
supply of gas to said cylinder) and the exhaust valve, said valve rod being operated
by one cam for actuating both valves substantially as described.
4. In an explosion engine the combination as claimed in Claim 3 together with a
governing device (for regulating the supply of gas to said engine) affixed to the
valve rod and actuated by one and the same cam substantially as described.
Dated this 19th dox of Santambor 1905
SAML. WITHERS.