IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDROCARBURETTED AIR_ ENGINES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, JOHN JOSEPH REVELEY HUMES of 18 Lilford Road Camberwell Mechanical
engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN HYDROCARBURETTED AIR_ ENGINES to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements on a former Patent N° 2135 dated
January 25 1884 in the name of Eugène Etève and Jean André de Braam for An
improved petroleum or hydro carbon engine.
The improvements consist 1st in the regulation of the admission of air for the
proper combustion of the Hydro-carbon, this is effected in the following manner.
An air inlet is fixed on the receiver containing the pulverized mineral oil, and
at the entrance to this inlet a valve is placed opening freely from the outside so
that when the passage between the receiver and the cylinder is opened, and the
piston is making the outward stroke, a partial vacuum is made by the piston in
the cylinder, and the pressure of the atmosphere opening the valve, air rushes into
the vessel, and on its passage to the cylinder takes with it the pulverized mineral
oil, by this means completely mixing the charge previous to its entry into the
cylinder.
The temperature of the air thus admitted is by preference raised, for which
purpose the exhaust pipe is taken through the receiver containing the pulverized
mineral oil, and the air is passed through a passage surrounding the cylinder, this
serves the double purpose of heating the ingoing air in its passage and also assists
in cooling the cylinder.
2ª In regulating the supply of mineral oil to the pulverized oil receiver in the
following manner.
In the pipe carrying the mineral oil to the pulverized oil receiver a valve is
placed or some equivalent mechanical contrivance for the purpose of regulating the
supply of the oil; this valve is opened by a cam or other contrivance so as only to
allow of the flow of the oil at the time the charge of the hydrocarburetted air is
being admitted to the cylinder of the engine.
In connection with this valve for opening and closing the passage of the oil, is a
governor which acts on the valve in such a manner as to admit of entirely shutting
off the flow of oil should the engine be working too rapidly, or the speed is kept up
beyond the required number of revolutions, or in the event of the speed of the
engine falling below its. normal rate, then the governor admits of the opening of
the valve to supply a charge of oil as often as the main valve opens to admit it to
the cylinder.
.

page_text: Improvements in Hydro-carburetted Air Engines.
I, JOHN JOSEPH REVELEY HUMES, of 18 Lilford Road, Camberwell, in the
County of Surrey, 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:—
This invention relates to: motor engines operated by the combustion of liquid-
hydro-carbon, such for example as benzoline, and has special reference to means for
mixing or diluting hydro-carburetted air with atmospheric air to form the
combustible charge, and to means for automatically and otherwise varying the
relative proportions between the hydrocarbon and air composing the mixture.
In order that my invention may be fully understood, I have represented in
the accompanying drawings a motor engine adapted for working with hydro-
carburetted air and embodying my improvements. Figures 1 and 2 are side and
end elevations respectively and Figure 3 a plan view of such an engine. Similar
letters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in all these
Figures. A is the motor-cylinder, which, by preference, is water-jacketted with a
view to preventing its becoming too greatly heated by the combustion of the
gases which takes place in its interior, as hereinafter described. The cylinder is
fitted with a piston which is connected by means of the rod B to the crank C of
the crank-shaft D. The latter is carried in bearings E E and is provided with á
fly-wheel F. Upon the crank-shaft D is secured a spur-pinion G, which, through
the intervention of a spur-wheel H, drives the shaft J at half the speed of the
crank-shaft D. The outer face of the spur-wheel H is furnished eccentrically
with a pin, from which by means of the rod K, a pump L is operated. This pump
is employed to compress air which is conveyed by the pipe to a tank M, which
may be conveniently arranged within the engine bed-plate and which serves as a
reservoir for the hydro-carbon liquid, assumed in the present instance to consist of
benzoline. The air in the upper part of the tank M and the benzoline in the
lower portion thereof are, under these circumstances, subjected to practically the
same pressure per unit of area. Air passes from the tank M by way of a pipe m
to a vapouriser or mixing apparatus Ñ. The benzoline passes from the tank M by
way of a pipe m² which reaches nearly to the bottom of the liquid and also
communicates with the vapouriser N. To this pipe may be applied the apparatus
for controlling or regulating the flow of the benzoline, as hereinafter more fully
explained with reference to Figures 4 to 7. The air and benzoline, issuing from
the mixing apparatus N in the form of air charged with liquid hydro-carbon in a
finely divided state are received in a vapour-chamber O, to which an additional
quantity of air is admitted by the valve o, as illustrated in the enlarged view
Figure 8. The inflammable mixture passes thence by the pipe o¹ to the valve-
chamber a of the motor-cylinder A. In this valve-chamber are arranged a
self-acting inlet valve a¹ and an exhaust valve a²; the latter being operated in
the present instance from the shaft J. Electrical appliances are provided for
igniting the inflammable charge in the motor-cylinder A, but other means may be
employed for this purpose.

page_text: .The type of engine represented for the purpose of explaining the application of
ny improvements is single-acting, and of the class in which the motor-cylinder is
also used for compressing the inflammable charge previous to its ignition, as
proposed by Beau de Rochas A.D. 1862. According to this system of working,
the piston at one out-stroke draws a charge of combustible fluid into the cylinder,
and on its return-stroke compresses the charge into the clearance space existing
between the piston and the cylinder-end. The charge being thereupon ignited, the
piston is propelled during its next out-stroke by the expansion of the heated gases.
The exhaust valve is then opened and the expanded gases liberated, the greater
portion of these being swept out of the cylinder during the next return-stroke of
piston. It should nevertheless be understood that my improvements are applicable
to hydro-carburetted-air-engines constructed with separate compressor- and motor-
cylinders, and wherein the crank receives an impulse at each revolution, or two
impulses during the same period if the engine be double-acting.
For mixing or diluting the hydro-carburetted air delivered from the vapouriser N
with an additional quantity of atmospheric air the former is received in a vessel O
from which the motor-cylinder or a pump for compressing the charge before it is
conveyed to that cylinder, draws its supply.
As represented in the enlarged sectional view Figure 8, the vessel O is furnished
with a self-acting valve o, the latter opening against the resistance of a light
spring o¹ on a partial vacuum being created in the vessel O. The quantity of air
admitted may be regulated by altering the tension of the spring by adjusting the
nut o. The application of such a valve prevents the escape of vapour from the
vessel O during those intervals when the inflammable mixture is not being
withdrawn for use in the motor-cylinder.
In some instances, I substitute for the self-acting valve above described an
adjustable shutter whereby the inflow of air may be throttled and regulated to
that adapted to the requirements of the engine.
Wlien it is desired to control the passage of the benzoline from the tank M.
through the pipe m¹ to the mixing apparatus N in such a manner that the flow
takes place intermittently and approximately coincides with the eduction of the
inflammable mixture from the vessel O to the compressor- or motor-cylinder,
I apply to the benzoline pipe m' valve apparatus which may be constructed as
represented in the vertical and horizontal sections Figures 4 and 5 or may simply
consist of a plunger or other suitable cut-off valve worked from an eccentric or
cam on the shaft E and acting to alternately open and close the communication
through the benzoline-pipe m¹. I prefer, however, to subject the action of the
benzoline-regulating-valve to the control of a. governor as indicated in these
Figures and in the sectional elevation Figure 6 and plan view Figure 7 shewing
the governor-standard and driving gear. The governor is mounted in a framing Q
formed on or attached to the bed-plate R of the engine, motion being imparted to
the said governor through the toothed gears 8 8, pulley s¹ and driving rigger 82, from
the crank-shaft D. An eccentric mounted on the shaft J communicates by means
of a rod p¹ a vibratory motion to the link or links r, the latter being pivotted at
their upper ends. Each of the links is formed with a slot in which slides a
block, the latter being traversed by a pin connected by means of the bars 1 1
with the crosshead. This crosshead carries a plunger-valve.³,
and may be
furnished with a guide-stem and spiral spring. The plunger-valve works
in a casing having suitably disposed inlet and outlet passages for the
benzoline. The block sliding in the slotted link or links is capable of being
raised or lowered by means of the spindle acting under the influence of the
governor-balls t¹. Thus when the spindle t assumes its lowest position, aided if
necessary by the weight t2 or spring t³, and the sliding block approaches the lower
end or ends of the slotted link or links r, the stroke of the plunger approximates
the throw of the eccentric; but when, on the speed of the engine becoming
excessively accelerated the governor-weights are extended, the spindle t raised, and
the sliding block moved towards the upper or pivotted ends of the slotted links r,

page_text: the stroke of the plunger is reduced to a minimum and the flow of the benzoline
is partially or wholly cut off, notwithstanding the continued working of the
eccentric.rod p¹ and slotted links r.
A similar method of arranging and working a regulating or controlling valve for
I performing the functions of the plunger is applicable for engines so designed as
to admit of the piston making an effective stroke during each revolution, or two
such strokes if the engine be double-acting. Under these circumstances the
eccentric or cam operating the said valve may be mounted upon, and revolve at
the same speed as the crank-shaft D.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim :-
First: The use in liquid-hydrocarbon-engines of an intermittently acting valve
applied to the pipe conveying the liquid to the vapouriser or mixing apparatus and
operating to intercept the flow of such liquid except when the motor-cylinder or
compressing pump is drawing its charge of inflammable mixture.
Secondly In liquid-hydrocarbon-engines, the improved method of and means
for rendering the operation of the hydrocarbon-liquid-controlling-valve subject to
the action of the governor, substantially as described with reference to Figures 4
and 5.
Thirdly :—In liquid-hydrocarbon-engines, providing the air-inlet to the vapour-
chamber, whence the motor-cylinder or compressing pump draws its supply of
inflammable mixture, with a self-acting valve or equivalent device, the same being
adjustable or otherwise, substantially as and for the purposes herein described.