Improvements relating to Hot-air Engines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Feb., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 13th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 17th Jan., 1891
PROVIDIUNAL DI MULTIQATION.
Improvements relating to Hot-air Engines.
1, WILLIAM DE LA TOUCHE, of 23, Boulevard de Strasbourg, Paris, in the Republic
of France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to an engine worked by the gradual expansion of air which
is heated directly by means of vaporized petroleum-oil is, in the first place, based
upon the employment of common petroleum oil as its heating material which is or is
not vaporized before the introduction; and in the second place upon the mode of
introducing the heating material, and upon the respective pressures at which the
material is introduced into the engine cylinder.
The fundamental principle upon which this invention is based may be stated -as
follows, that is to say:-For producing by the ignition the gradual dilatation of an
expansive material, a gaseous mixture, or a gas heated by any heating material, it is
necessary that the heating material, when it is introduced into the engine cylinder,
shall be at an equal pressure to that which is produced in the interior of this cylinder
at the moment when the ignition takes place, and that the air shall be introduced
before the heating material. Hence it follows that the pressure to be given to the
air or gas which is to be expanded by the heat disengaged from the heating material
is only a question of effect and of mechanism.
An advantage may be obtained by introducing the said air or gas at a certain
pressure according to the mode of construction of the engine, and in order to pass the
dead point; but it must be observed that the higher this pressure the smaller will
be the effect of the engine. It will be understood that the quality of the external
pressure and of the pressure in the cylinder at the time of the ignition is necessary
only for the heating material.
All the engines wherein the heating is effected directly in the cylinder have hereto-
fore operated by the sudden ignition of the material introduced, which is an absolutely
essential condition for their operation. With the improved engine worked by the
gradual expansion of the air it is possible to produce in the cylinder any pressure
which may be desired for if the petroleun oil is vaporized prior to its introduction
into the cylinder it is for producing an external pressure equal to that which is pro-
duced in the cylinder after the expansion of the heated air, and for obtaining a more
intimate with the air; if therefore the maximum pressure in this cylinder shall be
5 kilogrammes the pressure-gauge on the vaporizing apparatus must at least indicate
5 kilogrammes of pressure.
It would be possible to introduce petroleum in the liquid state for ignition at the
same maximum pressure of 5 kilogrammes in the cylinder, on condition that this oil
is itself at a pressure of 5 kilogrammes, which it is possible to obtain by various well-
known means. The petroleum-oi! introduced into the engine cylinder must be
regarded as a heating material before or after its introduction. Any other heating
material introduced under the same conditions will give the same results as regards
the gradual expansions.
1 make use of pumps for the gradual injection of the heating material at the above
stated pressures.
Below the engine cylinder is placed a reservoir containing a certain quantity of
liquid petroleum oil and connected with injecting pumps.
An air-recuperating apparatus cast in one piece with the cylinder, and having a
valve balanced for 2 kilogrammes, receives the compressed air from a small hand

page_text: pump before the engine is set in motion, whilst during the motion it is fed by a
pump secured to the cylinder and actuated by the engine.
The air is introduced into the cylinder through valves in the valve chests in com-
munication with the said recuperating apparatus; and the products of combustion
escape through valves placed in the said valve chests and pass into the open air
through a chimney.
The introduction of the air, and then that of the petroleum, is effected by means
of a rod actuated by a link motion. This rod actuates at the same time (1) the
introduction of air, by acting for a certain time upon two levers through the medium
of the small tappet which allows the said valves to fall back when the angle for the
lift has been described; (2) the pumps for the injection of petroleum, by means of an
arm sliding along their piston rod which acts upon small tappets fixed to this rod
and adapted to be adjusted according as the time necessary for the introduction of
the petroleum is longer or shorter; (3) the outlet valves, by means of a cam turned
by the rod in its to and fro movement through the medium of a knob.
a
The ignition is produced in the cylinder by a continuous spark leaping through
small cavity provided in the side of the cylinder and arranged at the orifice of the
pipe through which the petroleum is injected.
This continuous spark is produced by an electric current generated by small
dynamo-electric machine preferably set in motion by the fly-wheel of the engine.
It traverses a Rhumkorff coil and next small accumulators which retain only a
small portion of the current. These small accumulators enable the engine to be
instantly set in motion with the charge of the electricity which they have retained
since the previous movement of the engine.
The double wall of the cylinder enables the circulation of water produced by
small water-pump.
The length of time required for the injection of petroleum during the stroke of
the engine piston depends upon the angle at which the eccentric for the distributing
device is placed.
If the injection of petroleum is to be effected during one-fifth part of the stroke of
the engine piston the eccentric is keyed so as to be one-fifth of a revolution behind
the crank.
The use which I make of the Stephenson link motion enables me to key two
eccentrics symmetrically upon the shaft so as to keep one-fifth of a revolution, behind
the crank.
If now
To describe the operation of this improved engine I will suppose that the petroleum
reservoir is full, that the air reservoir is at a pressure of 2 kilogrammes, that the
engine is stopped, the link in the position for the stoppage, and the engine piston on
the point of commencing its downward struke for the forward movement.
the operating lever is pulled the eccentric rod in front acts upon the tappet of the
distributing device which consequently is only one-fifth part of its stroke from the
upper end. But in order to arrive in this position the valve rod has in its ascending
movement caused the air-admission valve first to rise and then to fall; it has also
displaced the electric commutator and caused the passage of the spark; it has more-
over moved the pump for the injection of petroleum through the distance of one or
two millimetres. Accordingly it has produced in the cylinder a first expansion which
has been determined by calculation as being sufficient for the unfavourable case con-
sidered, the engine is set in motion, the injection of petroleum has continued, and the
same phases occur at the identical moments on the other side of the engine piston.
In the case of a new engine, or one which has not operated for a long time, it will
be necessary to effect the filling of the recuperating apparatus by the hand pump and
the filling of the petroleum pipe as far as the orifice through which the petroleum
passes into the engine cylinder.
Dated this 13th day of February 1800
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Hot-air Engines.
I, WILLIAM DE LA TOUCHE, of 23, Boulevard de Strasbourg, Paris, in the Republic
of France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
imanner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to an engine worked by the gradual expansion of air which
is heated directly by means of vaporized petroleum-oil. It is, in the first place,
based upon the employment of common petroleu'n oil as its heating inaterial, which
is or is not vaporized before its introduction; and in the second place upon the mode
of introducing the heating material, and upon the respective pressures at which the
material is introduced into the engine cylinder.
The fundamental principle upon which this invention is based may be stated as
follows, that is to say:-For producing by ignition the gradual dilatation of an
expensive material, a gaseous mixture, or a gas heated by any heating material, it is
necessary that the heating material, when it is introduced into the engine cylinder
shall be at an equal pressure with that which is produced in the interior of this
cylinder at the moment when the ignition takes place, and that the air shall be
introduced before the heating material. Hence it follows that the pressure to be
given to the air or gas which is to be expanded by the heat disengaged from the
heating material is only a question of effect and of mechanism.
An advantage may be obtained by introducing the said air or gas at a certain
pressure according to the mode of construction of the engine, and in order to pass
the dead point, but it must be observed that the higher this pressure the smaller will
be the effect of the engine. It will understood that the equality of the external
pressure and of the pressure in the cylinder at the time of the ignition is necessary
only for the heating material.
All the engines wherein the heating is effected directly in the cylinder have
heretofore operated by the sudden ignition of all the material introduced, which is an
absolutely essential condition for their operation.
With the improved engine worked by the gradual expansion of the air it is possible
to produce in the cylinder any pressure which may be desired, for if the petroleum
oil is vaporized prior to its introduction into the cylinder it is for producing an
external pressure equal to that which is produced in the cylinder after the expansion
of the heated air, and for obtaining a more intimate mixture with the air; if
therefore the maximum pressure in this cylinder is to be 5 kilogrammes the
pressure gauge on the vaporizing apparatus must at least indicate 5 kilogrammes
of pressure.
It would be possible to introduce petroleum in the liquid state for ignition at the
same maximuin pressure of 5 kilogrammes in the cylinder, on condition that this oil
is itself at a pressure of 5 kilogrammes which it is possible to obtain by various
well-known means. The petroleum-oil introduced into the engine cylinder must be
regarded as a heating material before or after its introduction. Any other heating
material introduced under the same conditions will give the same results as, regards
the gradual expansion.
I make use of pumps for the gradual injection of the heating material at the above
stated pressures.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a marine engine constructed according to my
invention.
Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a front elevation, and
Figure 4a section on the line x, x, showing the petroleum valve gear drawn to an
enlarged scale.
In carrying my said invention into practice a reservoir is placed around the

page_text: air-pump above the engine cylinder F for containing a certain quantity of liquid
petroleum designed for supplying the injecting pump h. A A' denote air suction
valves, and B B¹ air force valves. The air forced in is conveyed through the collecting
pipe D into the reservoir R.
This air-recuperating apparatus R provided with a pressure gauge M is cast in
one piece with the engine cylinder F and has a valve i balanced for, two kilo-
grammes; it receives the air compressed from a small hand pump g actuated by the
lever e before the engine is set in motion whilst during the motion it is fed by a
pump secured to the cylinder and actuated by the engine shaft P" through the
medium of the eccentric and rod m. J designates the valve-piston of the balancing
device, and the spring lever bears upon this valve-piston.
The air is introduced into the cylinder through valves in the valve chests S and S¹
in communication with the recuperating apparatus R and the products of combustion
escape through valves placed in the valve chests P and P¹ and pass into the open air
through
a pipe Q.
The introduction of the air and then that of the petroleum are effected by means of
a rod H having a click, which rod is actuated by a link motion y and guided at cand c'.
This rod actuates at the same time (1) the valves S S' for the introduction of air into
the cylinder, by acting for a certain time upon the levers L L' through the medium of
the small tappet which allows the said valves to fall back when the angle for the lift
has been described; U U₁ are guides for the introduction of air (2) the slides T T¹
for the admission of the petroleum, by means of levers K K¹ pivoted at 9, 9', and upon
which act the arms h, h of a lever i pivoted at j to the rod H. Above and below this
lever i are arranged the tappets k, k¹, fixed at the ends of the bell crank levers /
pivoted at mm. By operating the hand wheel n the screw o is caused to turn and
the nut is moved backward or forward as desired thereby effecting the forward or
backward movement of the pins 7, 9' on the bell crank lever . By this means the
tappets k, k¹ are operated, and they are encountered by the arm i. When the arm i
encounters a tappet k or ¹ the corresponding arm or h¹ of the lever i releases the
arm K or K¹.
(3rd) The outlet valves P P¹ are likewise actuated by the rod H by means of the
levers N N¹ pivoted at r, 1, and provided with rollers s,s which are alternately raised
by the projecting parts t, t' on the rod H.
The ignition is produced in the cylinder by a continuous spark leaping through a
small cavity provided in the side of the cylinder and arranged at the orifice of the pipe
through which the petroleum is injected. This continuous spark is produced by an
electric current generated by small dynamo-electric machine not represented which is
set in motion by the engine, traverses a Rulinikorff coil and next small accumulators
which retain only a small portion of the current. These small accumulators enable
the engine to be instantly set in motion with the charge of the electricity which they
have retained since the previous movement of the engine. The cylinder may have a
double wall for enabling the circulation of water to be effected by a small pump.
The rod G of the engine piston extends from the engine cylinder F through a
stuffing box f, it terminates in a cross head a to which the connecting rod b is
articulated. The cross head a slides upon the guide d fixed to the frame V.
The length of time required for the injection of petroleum during the stroke of the
engine piston depends upon the angle at which the excentric for the distributing
device is placed.
If the injection of petroleum is to be effected during one-fifth part of the stroke of
the engine piston the eccentric is keyed so as to be one-fifth of a revolution behind
the crank.
The use which I make of the Stephenson link motion Y enables me to key two
eccentrics W W symmetrically upon the shaft so as to keep one-fifth of a revolution
behind the crank. Z designates the lever for changing the motion and X the guide
for the same.
To describe the operation of this improved engine I will suppose that the petroleum
reservoir is full, that the air reservoir is at a pressure of 2 kilogrammes, that the

page_text: engine is stopped, the link in the position for the stoppage, and the engine piston on
the point of commencing its downward stroke for the forward movement.
If now,
the operating lever is actuated so as to move the slide forwards the eccentric rod wi
in front acts upon the tappet x of the distributing device which consequently is only
one-fifth part of its stroke from the upper end. But in order to arrive in this position
the valve rod H has in its ascending movement caused the air-admission valve S first
to rise and then to fall; it has also displaced the electric commutator and caused the
leaping of the spark; it has moreover moved the pump h for the injection of petroleum
through the distance of one or two millimeters. Accordingly it has produced in the
cylinder a first expansion which has been determined, by calculation as being sufficient
for the unfavourable case considered, the engine is set in motion, the injection of
petroleum has continued, and the same phases occur at the identical moments on the
other side of the engine piston.
In the case of a new engine or one which has not operated for a long time, it will
be necessary to effect the filling of the air recuperating apparatus by the hand pump
and the filling of the petroleum pipe as far as the orifice through which the petroleum
passes into the engine cylinder.
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 :-
First An engine worked by gradual expansion and actuated by the ignition of
liquid petroleum, the heating material employed, when introduced into the engine
cylinder, being at a pressure equal to the pressure in the interior of the cylinder at
the time of the ignition, the air which is to be admitted to the combustible and to be
expanded, being introduced with or without pressure before the heating material, as
hereinafter described.
Second The construction of engines of any kind and size and designed for various
purposes, such construction being in accordance with the principle above set forth.
Dated this 13th day of November 1890.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.