Improvements in and relating to Gas-engines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Nov., 1892-Accepted, 31st Dec., 1892
PROVISIONAL
DI LAIPTUATION.
Improvements in and relating to Gas-engines.
I, AIMÉ ROBERT, of Gilly, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to gas-engines.
The principal feature of the improved engine constructed according to my said
invention consists in the cylinder being divided into three compartments, the first
of which serves as a compressor, the second as a piston and engine cylinder, and the
third as a piston and compound cylinder.
In this engine there are, properly speaking, two cylinders of different diameters,
which are both cooled by a current of water, passing first into the jacket of the
first cylinder, and then into the jacket of the second cylinder.
The front part of the first cylinder is provided with a stuffing box for the passage
of the piston rod, which is connected to the engine shaft by a slide block and an
ordinary connecting rod.
The distributing gear comprises: -
(1) A mixing valve communicating with a regulating valve through which the
gas is admitted, and with an air suction pipe; the mixing of the air and gas is
effected in the valve box into which the air comes from above and the gas through
small holes.
(2) A valve serving for the passage of the compressed gaseous mixture into the
combustion chamber. An automatic igniting device having an igniting tube is
placed upon the combustion chamber.
(3) A valve enabling the communication between the combustion chamber and
one side of the piston.
(4) A valve connecting the aforesaid second compartment through a passage
with the third compartment.
(5) An escape valve.
The third, fourth, and fifth valves are actuated by a lever of T-shaped form
which receives its motion from the driving shaft through the medium of a rod and
an eccentric.
When the engine piston is at the end of its forward stroke and is then caused to
perform its rearward stroke, the above-mentioned first compartment will be filled
with the mixture drawn through the first or mixing valve. All the valves of the
distributing gear being at this moment closed the gas will necessarily be compressed
by the return movement of the piston and forced into the combustion chamber in
which it will attain the maximum compression, say 45 atmospheres, when it will be
ignited by the igniting device. At the moment when the ignition takes place the
third valve opens and allows the gas to act upon the annular surface of the piston
during this time the second valve is closed and prevents all communication with the
first compartment. The pressure acting upon the annular surface of the said piston
being say 14 atmospheres this piston will be compelled to move rearwards to the
end of its stroke, whereupon the fourth valve opens and the third valve closes. The
gas contained in the second compartment will now pass to the third compartment
and act upon the rear side of the piston so as to cause its forward movement. The
following stroke serves for the escape of the burnt gas contained in the third
compartment through the fifth valve.
I regulate the engine by partially cutting off the gas through the medium of the
regulating valve hereinbefore referred to.
During the suction period the gaseous mixture enters the first compartment of
the cylinder through the first valve, while the expansion of the gas takes place

page_text: which is ignited in the combustion chamber. This gas passes through the third
valve and acts in the second compartment upon the annular surface of the piston so
as to cause the latter to move to the rear. The piston at the same time forces the
burnt gas from the third compartment of the cylinder. Therefore during the
backward stroke of the piston three operations take place namely the suction,
expansion and escape.
When the piston is at the end of the backward stroke the fourth valve opens in
order to allow the gas under pressure in the second compartment to pass to
the third compartment in which it will act upon a double surface and cause the
piston to advance. In the first compartment the admission is terminated, the first
valve is closed and the compression commences.
This compression of the gas becoming greater in proportion as the piston advances,
causes the second valve to rise and the gaseous mixture will enter the compression
and combustion chamber. The fourth valve is now quite open and the expansion
of the burnt gases continues in the third compartment. When the piston is at the
end of its forward stroke the suction commences at this moment the compression has
reached its maximum and the explosion takes place by the aid of the igniting device.
The third and fifth valves have a little lead for facilitating the communication
between the combustion chamber and the second compartment and also the discharge
of the gas contained in the third compartment.
It will be seen that not only is the four-phase cycle substituted by a two-phase
cycle through the medium of a piston and a differential cylinder but that the burnt
gas when still at a high pressure acts upon a third surface thus providing for
a double acting engine..
Dated this 23rd day of February 1899
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Gas-engines.
I, AIME ROBERT, of Gilly, in the Kingdom of Belgium, 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:-
My invention relates to gas engines.
The principal feature of the improved engine constructed according to my said
invention consists in the cylinder being divided into three compartments, the first
of which serves as a compressor, the second as a piston and engine cylinder and the
third as a piston and compound cylinder.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section partly in elevation of an engine constructed
according to iny invention.
g
Figure 2 is a cross section on the line of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan of the same.
Figure 4 is a cross section taken on the line de of Figure 1 and
Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 are diagrammatic views illustrating the working of my
improved engine.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures of the
drawings.
As above stated the cylinder is divided by the pistons into three compartments,
A being the part which serves as a compressor, B the part which serves as a
piston and engine cylinder, and C the part which serves as a piston and compound
cylinder.

page_text: In this engine there are, properly speaking two cylinders of different diameters,
which are both cooled by a current of water passing at a, first into the jacket of the
first cylinder, and then through the passage a¹ and pipe 2 into the jacket of the
second cylinder leaving this jacket through the orifice a³.
The front part of the first cylinder is provided with a stuffing box for the passage
of the piston rod, which is connected to the engine shaft through a slide block and
an ordinary connecting rod.
The distributing gear comprises a mixing valve I communicating with a regulating
valve through which the gas is admitted, and with an air suction pipe H; the
mixing of the air and gas is effected in the valve box I into which the air comes
from above and the gas through small holes T.
The valve I serves for the passage of the compressed gaseous mixture into the
combustion chamber Z.
An automatic igniting device i having an igniting tube is arranged upon the
combustion chamber.
A valve I enables communication to be effected between the combustion chamber
aud one side B of the piston.
I is a valve connecting the aforesaid second compartment B through a passage X
with the third compartment or chamber and I is an escape valve.
The three valves 13, 14 and I are actuated by a T-shaped lever N which
receives its motion from the driving shaft through the medium of a rod R and an
eccentric S.
The operation of the engine is as follows:-
When the engine piston is at the end of its forward stroke and is then caused
to perform its rearward stroke, the above-mentioned first compartment A will
be filled with the mixture drawn through the mixing valve I, all the valves of the
distributing gear being at this moment closed the gas will necessarily be compressed
by the return movement of the piston and forced into the combustion chamber in
which it will attain the maximum compression, say 4.5 atmospheres, when it will be
ignited by the igniting device i.
At the moment when the ignition takes place the third valve 1³ opens and
allows the gas to act upon the annular surface of the piston B; during this time
the second valve I is closed and prevents all communication with the first com-
partment A. The pressure acting upon the annular surface of the said piston B
being say 14 atmospheres this piston will be compelled to move rearwards to
the end of its stroke, whereupon the fourth valve 1 opens and the third valve I³
closes.
The gas contained in the second compartment B will now pass to the third com-
partment C and act upon the rear side of the piston so as to cause its forward
movement. The following stroke serves for the escape of the burnt gas contained
in the third compartment C through the fifth valve I³.
I regulate the engine by partially cutting off the gas through the medium of the
regulating valve I' hereinbefore referred to.
The following is an explanation of the four operations which succeed each other
in the operation of the engine, see Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8, in which I have shown two
eccentrics one for turning forwards and the other for turning rearwards.
Figure 5 shows the motor with the parts in the position they occupy during the
full suction period.
The gaseous mixture enters the first compartment of the cylinder through the
first valve I in the direction of the arrow and enters the cylinder A; while the
expansion of the gas takes place which is ignited in the combustion chamber Z.
This gas passes through the third valve I³ and acts in the second compartment B
upon the annular surface of the piston so as to cause the latter to move to the rear
in the direction of the two small arrows.
The piston at the same time forces the burnt gas from the third compartment
of the cylinder C. Therefore during the backward stroke of the piston three
operations take place, namely, the suction, expansion and escape.

page_text: Two eccentrics A³ and B³ connected by two rods with the slide at the points A¹
and B enable us to see the position of the distributing mechanism during this
period. For the rearward movement, the points A' and B¹ will be at A2 and B².
In Figure 6 the piston is at the end of the backward stroke when the fourth
valve I opens in order to allow the gas under pressure in the second compartment B
to pass to the third compartment C in which it will act upon a double surface and
cause the piston to advance. In the first compartment A the admission is
terminated, the first valve I is closed and the compression commences.
This compression of the gas becoming greater in proportion as the piston
advances, causes the second valve 12 to rise and the gaseous mixture will enter the
compression and combustion chamber Z as shown in Figure 7. The fourth valve I*
is now quite open and the expansion of the burnt gases continues in the third
compartment C.
Figure 8 shows the inverse of Figure 6 when the piston is at the end of its
forward stroke the suction commences, at this moment the compression has reached
its maximum and the explosion takes place by the aid of the igniting device i. The
valves I and I have a little lead for facilitating the communication between the
combustion chamber Z and the second compartment B and also the discharge of
the gas contained in the third compartment C.
If the engine is now turned through a quarter of a revolution the parts will again
be in the position represented in Figure 5.
From the foregoing it will be seen that not only is the four-phase cycle sub-
stituted by a two-phase cycle through the medium of a piston and a differential
cylinder but that the burnt gas, when still at a high pressure, acts upon a third
surface thus obtaining a double acting engine.
The above described motor may be made reversible by applying the Stephenson
link motion.
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 :-
1st. The employment of a cylinder having a double section, the small one of
which serves as a compressor and the large one as an engine cylinder in front and
as a compound cylinder at the rear.
2nd. The employment of a piston having also a double section in conformity
with the cylinders, the part A being connected by a piston-rod cross-head and a
connecting-rod to the driving shaft.
3rd. The employment of valves I, I, I³, 14, for the purposes hereinbefore
specified.
4th. The employment of the lever N which is worked by an eccentric for the
purpose of operating the valves I³, I', I³.
5th. The application of a compound cylinder in gas motors having a single
piston rod for the purpose of obtaining a gas motor which is double-acting as in
certain forms of steam engines.
Dated this 22nd day of November 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.