IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, of the Firm of Harris
and Mills, of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER."
A communication from abroad by Joseph Lunant, of Lyons, in the Republic of
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard
Mills at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th June
1881.
"
BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of the Firm of Harris and Mills, of 23,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. IMPROVE-
MENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER." A communication from abroad by Joseph
Lunant, of Lyons, in the Republic of France.
The Invention consists of improvements in obtaining motive power by expanded
air, and is based on the two following principles:
First. Compression of the air to a high pressure.
Second. Heating and consequently expanding the air by the combustion of
petroleum in such compressed air and introducing it into the working cylinder.
Two effects are thus obtained, first, considerable increase in the power of the
engine of the same size as compared with existing hot air engines.
2nd. An economy in the cost of the power produced which renders its employment
possible in all industries requiring motive power.
And in order that the Invention may be clearly understood, I will proceed aided
by the accompanying Drawings fully to describe the same.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of the engine; Figure 2
is a horizontal section on the line A, B, and Figure 3 is a vertical section on the
line C, D.
A pump a worked by the crank shaft compresses air into a reservoir b with two
compartments c and c¹; each of these compartments is alternately placed in commu-
nication with the regenerator d by means of the disc e, to which a rotary motion
is given by the axis ƒ worked by the pinions g and g', the latter of which is keyed
Pain A71

page_text: upon the crank shaft. The regenerator communicates with the valve box h of the
cylinder of the engine through the cock j carrying a burner & fed with petroleum
contained in the reservoir by means of the tube m; a small tube n maintains in
the reservoir a pressure equal to that of the valve box, thereby permitting the
liquid to descend by its own gravity. The escape passes by the tube o, traverses
the tubes of the regenerator, and thence passes into the open air through the
tube g.
The engine works in the following manner:- -When commencing to work the
cock j is closed and the burner stands opposite the opening q. With a hand air
pump fixed to the three way cock on the tube n compressed air is introduced
into the valve box, into the working cylinder, and into the petroleum reservoir.
By the action of this pressure the petroleum flows through the burner, it is then
lighted and the cock is turned, air is continued to be compressed until the piston
has completed its course, the engine is then put in motion since the pump having
itself made one. stroke of the piston lias filled one compartment of the reservoir b;
the disc makes a half turn, this compartment is placed in connection with the
regenerator, is first heated by the tubes of the regenerator which have taken a
part of the caloric from the escape of the expanded air from the previous stroko of
the piston, then by the flame of the petroleum burner, and, lastly, works the piston
of the working cylinder, and so on.
To slacken speed it is only necessary to diminish the quantity of the petroleum
burnt, and for total stoppage it is only necessary to close the cock j, which thus
stops all supply of air and consequently effects the stoppage, the cock on the
petroleum supply tube is then closed.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and the mode in which
the same is carried into effect, I would have it understood that the means employed
may be considerably varied, that is to say, that the form of the reservoir, of the
regenerator, of the pump, and of the other parts may be varied according to
requirements, circumstances, or applications without departing from the nature of
the said Invention, but what I claim is,-
First. The employment of air compressed to a high pressure before being
expanded for its introduction into the cylinder of a motive power engine,
substantially as herein described.
Second. The employment of petroleum as heating agent for the compressed air
employed in obtaining motive power, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
D. J. D. MILLS. (L.S.)