Improvements in Motor-engines Actuated by a Mixture of Gas or the Vapour of a Hydrocarbon or Hydrocarbons and Atmospheric Air.
Year: 1888

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Motor-engines Actuated by a Mixture of Gas or
the Vapour of a Hydrocarbon or Hydrocarbons and Atmospheric
Air.
I JOHN FREDRICK SCHNELL of 14' Gray Street off Fairfield Street Manchester in the
county of Lancaster Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
My invention relates to motor-engines actuated by a mixture of gas or the vapour
of a bydrocarbon or hydrocarbons and atmospheric air and consists in improvements
which render motor engines more particularly adapted for being actuated by means of
a mixture of atmospheric air and the vapour of a hydrocarbon or hydrocarbons.
Motor-engines constructed according to my invention are also adapted for being
actuated by a mixture of "gas" and atmospheric air. For convenience of description
I shall hereinafter refer to the mixture of atmospheric air and the vapour of a hydro-
carbon or hydrocarbons and the mixture of atmospheric air and gas employed for
actuating the engine, as gas.
According to my invention I employ a cylinder which is provided with an extended
part or chamber or cavity.
The air and gas are drawn into the said chamber or cavity and the cylinder of the
engine by the out-stroke of the piston and to enable air and gas to be so drawn into
the chamber or cavity and cylinder of the engine I provide pipes one for the admission
of air and the other for the admission of gas and I provide each of the previously
mentioned pipes with a valve.
The valves allow air and gas to pass into the cavity or chamber and cylinder but
prevent by becoming closed, air or gas which had previously been drawn into the
cylinder from escaping therefrom.
I provide the chamber or cavity above mentioned with a tube a portion of which
when heated in any convenient manner will serve to ignite the mixture of gas and air
employed to actuate the engine.

page_text: I form through the side or sides or top or bottom of the cylinder an opening or
openings one or more or all of which may be provided with a valve or valves by which
air is at times drawn into the cylinder and which at other times forms or form an
exhaust port or exhaust ports through which "the exhaust" takes place. An outstroke
of the piston draws into the aforesaid cavity or chamber and the cylinder a mixture of
gas and air and in the next instroke a portion of the residual gases produced by the
combustion of a previous charge of gas and air escapes by the exhaust opening
or exhaust openings until the piston has passed over such exhaust opening or
openings.
The gases then remaining in the cavity or chamber and the cylinder will be
compressed, a portion of such gases passing into the tube before mentioned which is
closed at one end.
As the piston makes the next outward stroke the gases which had previously been
compressed into the tube before mentioned being ignited therein and issuing thero-
from will ignite the mixture of gas and air contained in the cavity or chamber and
cylinder so that the piston will be propelled. As soon as the piston passes beyond the
exhaust opening or exhaust openings some of the gases resulting from the explosion
will escape through the said exhaust opening or exhaust openings and on the next
instroke of the piston some of the gases resulting from the explosion will be expelled
through the exhaust opening or openings until the piston has passed over such exhaust
opening or openings when the gases remaining in the cylinder will be compressed
until the piston has completed such instroke. Upon the next outstroke taking place
the compressed gases will again expand and a further supply of air and gas will be
drawn into the cavity or chamber and cylinder when the cycle of operations above
described will be repeated.
I have above referred to a motor engine in which one end only of the cylinder is
employed but I also propose to in some cases apply my invention to each end of the
cylinder so as to make the motor-engine "double acting."
Although motor-engines constructed according to my invention can be actuated by
-means of ordinary "illuminating gas," motor-engines constructed according to my
invention are particularly adapted for being actuated by means of a mixture of
atmospheric air and the vapour of a hydrocarbon or hydrocarbons.
2000

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Motor-engines Actuated by a Mixture of Gas or
the Vapour of a Hydrocarbon or Hydrocarbons and Atmospheric
Air.
I JOHN FREDRICK SCHNELL of 14 Gray Street, off Fairfield Street Manchester in
the County of Lancaster Mechanic 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 :-
My invention relates to motor-engines actuated by a mixture of gas or the vapour
of a hydrocarbon or hydrocarbons and atmospheric air and consists in improvements
which render motor-engines more particularly adapted for being actuated by means of
a mixture of atmospheric air and the vapour of a hydrocarbon or hydrocarbons-
Motor-engines constructed according to my invention are also adapted for being
actuated by a mixture of "gas" and atmospheric air-For convenience of description
I shall hereinafter refer to the mixture of atmospheric air and the vapour of a hydro-
carbon or hydrocarbons and the mixture of atmospheric air and gas employed for
actuating the engine as gas.
According to my invention I employ a cylinder which is provided with an extended
part or chamber or cavity-The air and gas are drawn into the said chamber or cavity
and the cylinder of the engine by the outstroke of the piston and to enable air and
gas to be so drawn into the chamber or cavity and cylinder of the engine I provide
pipes one for the admission of air and the other for the admission of gas and I provide
each of the previously mentioned pipes with a valve-The valves allow air and gas to
pass into the cavity or chamber and cylinder but prevent by becoming closed air or
gas which had previously been drawn into the cylinder, from escaping therefrom.
I provide the chamber or cavity above. inentioned with a tube a portion of which
when heated in any convenient manner will serve to ignite the mixture of gas and air
employed to actuate the engine.-I form through the side or sides or top or bottom of
the cylinder an opening or openings one or more or all of which may be provided with
a valve or valves by which air is at times drawn into the cylinder and which at other
times forms or form an exhaust port or exhaust ports through which the "exhaust"
takes place An outstroke of the piston draws into the aforesaid cavity or chamber
and the cylinder a mixture of gas and air and in the next instroke a portion of the
residual gases produced by the combustion of a previous charge of gas and.air escapes
by the exhaust opening or exhaust openings until the piston has passed over such.
exhaust opening or openings-The gases then remaining in the cavity or chamber and
the cylinder will be compressed a portion of such gases passing into the tube before
mentioned which is closed at one end-As the piston makes the next outward stroke
the gases which had previously been compressed into the tube before mentioned being
ignited therein and issuing therefrom will ignite the mixture of gas and air contained
in the cavity or chamber and cylinder so that the piston will be propelled-As soon as
the piston passes beyond the exhaust opening or exhaust openings some of the gases

page_text: resulting from the explosion will escape through the said exhaust opening or exhaust
openings and on the next instroke of the piston some of the gases resulting from the
explosion will be expelled through the exhaust opening or openings until the piston
has passed over such exhaust opening or openings when the gases remaining in the
cylinder will be compressed until the piston has completed such instroke-Upon the
next outstroke taking place the compressed gases will again expand and a further
supply of air and gas will be drawn into the cavity or chamber and cylinder when the
cycle of operations above described will be repeated.
In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a side view partly in section of a motor-
engine constructed according to my invention.
"
a is a foundation or bed on which is formed a frame b to which is bolted tho
cylinder A-Around the sides and end of the cylinder A is formed a water
jacket" c.
Water is supplied to the "water jacket" c by means of the pipe d and the heated
water is conducted away from the "water jacket" c by a pipe e Carried by the
foundation or bed a is the crank-shaft connected by a connecting rod B to a frame
or block C capable of being slidden in guides formed in the frame b.-The frame or
block C is secured to a piston g-The piston g is shown by the dotted lines D in the
position which it occupies when it has completed its inward stroke and by the dotted
lines D' in the position which it occupies when it has completed its outward stroke-
When the piston g has completed its inward stroke there is a cavity or chamber k
between the piston g and the end h of the cylinder A. jis the air supply pipe leading
into the chamber k and provided with a valve 7 which at times rests upon a seating
and while allowing air to pass into the interior of the cylinder A will not allow air to
pass from the cylinder A into the pipe j-The pipe j at times communicates with a
passage which communicates with the interior of the cylinder A-m is a pipe by
means of which gas is at times supplied to the cylinder A.
The pipe m is shown in the detached view Fig. 2 which is a cross section taken at
right angles to Fig. 1-The pipe m is provided with a valve m-The valve m' while
at times permitting gas to pass to the interior of the cylinder A prevents air or gas
from-passing-from-the-interior-of-the-cylinder-A-into-the-pipe-m-]
-I-form-through tho
side of the cylinder A openings n. o into which are secured pipes n' o'―The pipes n³, of
by which the exhaust gases from the interior of the cylinder A at times escape from
the interior of the cylinder A are provided with valves n² o respectively which
prevent air from passing through the openings n. o. into the interior of the cylinder A
The valve n² is shown mora.clearly in Fig. 3-Communicating-with-the-chamber-or
cavity is one end of a tube p the end p² of which tube p is closed-The portion of
the tube p which is outside the cylinder A is surrounded by a guard or funnel p³-
Carried by the guard or funnel p³ is a bunsen burner pt to which gas is supplied by
means of a pipe p-The tube p is by means of the bunsen burner pt heated to a bright
red heat:
The cycle of operations is as follows: An outward stroke of the piston g in the
direction indicated by the arrow E draws air into the chamber or cavity & through the
pipe and draws gas into the chamber or cavity k through the pipe m-So long as
the piston g is moving in the direction indicated by the arrow E air and gas will be
drawn into the interior of the chamber or cavity k and cylinder A-Upon the piston g
moving in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow E a portion of the
residual gases produced by the combustion of a previous charge of gas and air will
escape by the exhaust openings n. o until the piston g has passed over the said exhaust
openings n. The gases remaining in the interior of the cylinder A will by the
movement of the piston g in the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow E,
be compressed a portion of such gases passing into the tube p. As the piston g makes
the next outstroke in the direction indicated by the arrow E the gases which had
previously been compressed into the tube p become ignited by the beated portion of
the tube pand issuing from the tube p will ignite the mixture of gas and air contained
in the cylinder A. The expansion of the mixture of gas and air caused by the ignition
of such mixture of gas and air will cause the piston g to be propelled in the direction

page_text: indicated by the arrow E. As soon as the piston 9 passes beyond the exhaust
openings n, o some of the gases resulting from the explosion will escape through the
openings n. o. the valves n², o permitting such gases to pass through the pipes n', o'.
On the next instroke of the piston g in the direction opposite to that indicated by
the arrow E some of the gases resulting from the explosion will be expelled through
the exhaust openings n. o until the piston y has passed over such exhaust openings n. o.
when the gases remaining in the cylinder will be compressed until the piston b has
completed its inward stroke. Upon the next outward stroke of the piston y in the-
direction indicated by the arrow E taking place the compressed gases will again
expand and a further supply of air and gas will be drawn into the chamber or cavity
and into the interior of the cylinder A when the cycle of operations above described
will be repented. I provide the pipe j with a tap 9 by which the supply of air to the
cylinder A may be controlled and I provide the pipe m with a tap r by means of
which the supply of gas to the cylinder A may be controlled. By moans of the
taps and the proportions of air and gas admitted to the interior of the cylinder A
may be adjusted relatively to each other.
น
r
I have above referred to a motor engine in which one end only of the cylinder is
employed but I also propose in some cases to apply my invention to each end of the
cylinder so as to make the motor-engine "double acting."
29
:6
Although motor-engines constructed according to my invention can be actuated by
means of ordinary "illuminating gas" motor-ongines constructed according to my
invention are particularly adapted for being actuated by means of a mixture of
atmospheric air and the vapour of a hydrocarbon or hydrocarbons.
I have shown the valves l, m, n², o² as "mushroom ог button valves" but if
desired clacks or valves of other suitable forms may be employed.
I have above described my invention as applied to a horizontal engine" but
motor-engines constructed according to my invention may be provided with horizontal,
vertical or inclined cylinders as may be desired.
In motor-engines constructed according to my invention cams, excentrics and slide-
valves are dispensed with.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
A motor-engine constructed, arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore
described in reference to and indicated in and by the accompanying drawing and
actuated by a mixture of gas or the vapour of a hydrocarbon or hydrocarbons and.
atmospheric air.
Dated this Twenty-coventh day of February 1889