Improvements applicable to Explosion Engines...
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements applicable to Explosion Engines...
I, JAMES LEES, of Union Road, Hurst, Ashton-under-Lyne, in the County of
Lancaster, Pawnbroker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
This invention relates to that class of explosive gas engines having two explo-
sions to each complete revolution, that is, one in each direction..
The invention consists principally in the employment of an improved cycle of
operation consisting of four periods, vizt.:
1st period. The explosive mixture (gas and air for example) is admitted to the
cylinder and ignition takes place.
2nd period. The force thereby produced gives the impulse to the piston which is
continued to the end of the stroke. This occupies one half of the cycle..
.
3rd period. The exhaust valve is opened and the spent gas is drawn out (by a
pump or otherwise) and the inlet gas valve being closed is locked.
4th period. When the return stroke is about half completed the exhaust valve
is closed and the gas inlet valve is unlocked and explosive mixture admitted ready
to be fired again, thus completing the cycle.
4
This cycle of operations is repeated alternately at each end of the cylinder.
The exact point at which the exhaust valve is closed (4th period) may be
altered to suit requirements.
The exhaust gas is drawn out of the cylinder after each explosion by means of a
pump which is directly or indirectly connected to and driven by the engine.
Between the said exhaust pump and the impulse cylinder is placed a cooling
condenser of suitable construction through which the exhaust gas is drawn on
its way from the impulse cylinder to the pump which then forces the exhaust gas
into the atmosphere.
I, JAMES LEES, of Union Road, Hurst, Ashton-under-Lyne, in the County of
Lancaster, Pawnbroker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
[Price 8d.]

page_text: what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to that class of explosive gas engines having two explo-
sions to each complete revolution that is, one in each direction.
The invention consists principally in the employment of an improved cycle of
operations consisting of four periods, vizt.:
1st period. The explosive mixture (gas and air for example) is admitted to one
end of the impulse cylinder (compressed if necessary) and ignition takes place.
2nd period. The force thereby produced gives the impulse to the piston which
is continued to the end of the stroke. This occupies one half of the complete
cycle.
3rd period. The exhaust valve is opened and the spent gas is drawn out of the
impulse cylinder (by a pump or otherwise) and the inlet gas and air valve being
closed is locked.
4th period. When the return stroke is about half completed the exhaust valve
is closed, and the gas inlet valve is unlocked and the explosive mixture admitted
to the other end of the impulse cylinder ready to be fired again, thus completing
the cycle.
This cycle of operations is repeated alternately at each end of the impulse
cylinder.
The exact point at which the exhaust valve is closed (4th period) may be
altered to suit requirements.
The exhaust gas is drawn out of the cylinder after each explosion by means of
a pump or other exhausting device which is directly or indirectly connected to
and driven by the engine.
Between the said exhaust pump and the impulse cylinder is placed a cooling
condenser of suitable construction through which the exhaust gas is drawn on
its way from the impulse cylinder to the pump, or other exhausting device, which
forces the exhaust gas out into the atmosphere.
It will be evident to any practical engineer that the particular construction and
arrangement of the various parts of the engine itself and of the mechanism for
opening closing and locking the valves may be varied to a very considerable
extent without departing from the distinctive features of my invention, so long as
the complete cycle of operations is performed in the four periods hereinbefore
set forth and in the order above mentioned but for the sake of example I have
annexed hereunto a sheet of drawings illustrative thereof and have marked the
same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation thereof:-
Fig. 1 on the drawings is a sectional elevation representing so much of an
explosion engine as is necessary to illustrate my invention, and Fig. 2 is a side
elevation showing an arrangement which may be employed for opening, closing,
and locking the air and gas admission valves.
a is the base plate, b the impulse cylinder, c the piston, d the gas and air admis-
sion valves, and e the mixing chamber at the upper end of the cylinder, d and e*
the valves and mixing chamber at the lower end of the cylinder. f are exhaust
openings from the upper part of the cylinder, f* exhaust openings from the lower
part of the cylinder, 9 exhaust passages common to both, h exhaust tubes passing
downwards through the cooling condenser i which surrounds them, the exhaust
passages g and the impulse cylinder; k are the exit pipes leading to the pump or
other exhausting device.
It will be seen that by this arrangement exhaust valves are dispensed with, the
exhaust openings f and fx being opened and closed by the direct action of the
piston c.
Referring more particularly to Fig. 2, the gas and air admission valves d and d
are weighted so that they open automatically when released.
They are locked by means of bell-crank levers 7 and 1 and these levers are acted
upon at the proper moment by cams or tappets m and m³ which are made adjust-

page_text: able on a vertical sliding bar n to which the requisite rising and falling motion
may be given by a connecting rod o from an eccentric p on the main shaft g of the
engine.
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:.
:-
The improvements applicable to explosive engines consisting principally in
so constructing and arranging the various parts that each complete cycle of
operations shall consist of the four periods above mentioned, one complete cycle
forming one impulse and each cycle of operations being repeated alternately at
each end of the cylinder so that there are two impulses (one in each direction)
to every complete revolution of the engine substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated by the drawings annexed.
Dated this 1st day of December 1897
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
Agents for the Applicant, 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.