Improvements in Gas Engines, in part applicable to Oil and similar Engines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 5th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 19th Dec., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas Engines, in part applicable to Oil and
similar Engines.
We, FREDERICK BAMFORD of 49 Enbridge Street, Salford, Lancashire
Engineer and WILLIAM WADSWORTH of 122 Plymouth Grove, Chorlton-on-
Medlock, Manchester, Lancashire, Estate Agent do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
Our improvements consist of an arrangement of cams or other equivalent means
for operating and regulating the exhaust, admission, gas and ignition valves,
whereby an absolutely invariable speed may be maintained, whatever the load on
the engine may be and an arrangement in the cylinder or piston whereby the space,
(in which the mixture of air and coal gas or other gases or hydro-carbons is
compressed before ignition), can be varied so that a high or low compression can
be obtained at will; both of these actions are controlled by a specially constructed
governing arrangement. Also a method whereby the remaining products of
combustion left at the end of the exhaust stroke can be cleared out, thus ensuring a
clean, pure mixture to be fired at each cycle.
The advantages of these improvements are that an invariable speed is maintained
under varying loads, that the volume of the mixture used varies with the load on
the engine, the initial pressure remaining practically constant, that in every case a
less amount of gases or other explosive mixture is consumed than in other
engines and at the same time an impulse is obtained at each cycle under all
conditions.
We will now proceed to describe a mode of carrying our invention into effect.
In the cylinder of the engine there are two pistons, one being the ordinary piston
as used in other gas engines, while the other is at the back of the ordinary piston
and can be moved backwards and forwards by means of a screw which is attached
to it and which works in a nut fitted into the back cover of the cylinder. The
screw is actuated by the governor in the following manner, the rising or falling of
the governor throws one or other of two bevil-wheels into gear with a bevil wheel
on the side shaft of the engine; these two bevil wheels ride on the same shaft as a
worm which gears into a worm-wheel keyed onto the end of the screw which moves
the piston. The pieton is thus moved backwards and forwards accordingly as one
or other of the bevil wheels is thrown into gear with the wheel on the side shaft
and so either increases or diminishes the compression space. This arrangement is
applicable to oil and other similar engines.
The regulation and opening of the exhaust, admission, gas and ignition valves
On the side shaft of
are controlled also by the governor in the following manner.
the engine, which is driven from the crank shaft in the usual manner, conical cams
are placed, which are free to slide along the shaft over fixed keys.
These conical cams actuate small discs which are attached by means of levers to
the various valves and thus control the opening of the valves. These cams receive
their lateral motion by means of a series of levers connected to the rear end of the
screw, which works the additional piston.
It will be seen that the driving movement of the additional piston regulates the
extent to which the valves are opened or closed, but if this action is not quick
enough, the governor itself by means of a series of levers directly actuates the

page_text: discs on the ends of the valve levers, causing them to travel up or down along
the surface of the conical cams and so controls the extent of the opening and
closing of the valves.
The action of the governor thus varies both the extent of opening of the valves
and the amount of compression used. The rising of the governor causes the
compression space to be diminished and the valves to be opened to a small extent,
while on the other hand the fall of the governor increases the compression space
and opens the valves to a greater extent.
The clearing out of the remaining products of combustion at the end of the
exhaust stroke is accomplished in the following manner: An annular space is made
in the front portion of the cylinder and the piston is made of the trunk shape;
a diminished portion of the piston or trunk passing through a packed stuffing
.gland.
:
Into this annular space a quantity of air is drawn at each inward stroke of the
piston; and it is compressed and delivered into a resevoir fixed in the bed of the
engine at each outward stroke, this resevoir is kept at a constant pressure and at
the end of each exhaust stroke a small quantity of air is delivered to blow
through the combustion chamber so as to sweep or clear out before it the old
products of combustion.
In starting the engine I provide a connection, which can be opened to allow the
compressed air to mix with the pre-admitted charge of gases in the cylinder of
the engine; this is fired by means of a hand-lever thus obviating the turning of
the flywheel by hand to start the engine.
The improved arrangements are applicable to oil and other like engines in so far
as regards the regulation of compression space by 'means of the two pistons.
Dated this 6th day of February 1896.
E. J. ECKERSLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.
$
Improvements in Gas Engines, in part applicable to Oil and
similar Engines.
Wė, FREDERICK BAMFORD of 49 Enbridge Street, Salford, Lancashire,
Engineer and WILLIAM WADSWORTH of 122 Plymouth Grove, Chorlton-on-
Medlock Manchester, Lancashire, Estate Agent, 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:-
Our improvements consist of an arrangement of cams or other equivalent means
for automatically controlling the extent of opening of the valves for the admission
of gas and air according to the speed at which the engine is running. An
arrangement in the cylinder for increasing or diminishing the area of the space in
which the mixture is compressed before ignition, and a new method of clearing out
the products of combustion left at the end of the exhaust stroke.
The advantages of these improvements are that the initial pressure both of
ignition and compression remains practically constant to whatever extent the
valves for the admission of gas and air may be opened. The mixture always
contains the same percentage of gas and air to whatever extent the admission
valves are opened and the volume of mixture admitted is in proportion to the load
thus ensuring steady and economical governing and at the end of the exhaust
stroke the remaining products of combustion are cleared out, thus ensuring a clean
pure charge to be fired at each cycle. The gas mentioned in the foregoing

page_text: description includes both coal-gas and vapour formed from petroleum oil and other
similar bydro-carbons.
We will now proceed to describe the method of carrying our improvements into
effect with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is an end elevation of the cylinder and governing mechanism.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.
Fig. 3 is a sectional plan along the line a, a.
Fig. 4 is a section of the cylinder and part of the bed showing the method of
clearing out the products of combustion at the end of the exhaust stroke.
We will first proceed to describe the arrangement for keeping the initial pressure.
of ignition and compression constant. In the cylinder, i there are two pistons,
2 being the ordinary piston as used in other gas engines, while, 3 is an auxiliary
piston which can be moved backwards aud forwards by means of the screw, 4.
The screw, is actuated by the governor, 5 as follows: A lever, 6 is keyed to a
shaft, 7 which is carried by the arm, 8 and the bearing, 9; this lever, 6 is made
with a forked end to which two springs, 10, 10 are attached, the other ends of the
springs being fastened to the lever, 11, which is free to rock on the shaft, 7. The
other end of the lever, 11 engages in a clutch, 12 which is free to slide along
the shaft, 13 over a feather koy. The shaft, 13 carries two bevil-wheels, 14 and 15
which are provided with clutches adapted to engage with the clutch, 12 and which
ride loose on the shaft and in gear with the bevil wheel, 16 on the end of the side-
shaft, 17 of the engine. A worm, 18 is also keyed to the shaft, 13 and engages
with the worm-wheel, 19. The action is as follows: When the governor rises, the
lever, 6 is twisted over and throws the clutch, 12 into gear with the bevil-wheel, 14
thus causing the shaft, 13 to revolve. As the shaft revolves the worm, 18 rotates
the worm-wheel, 19 and the screw, 4 is drawn in the direction of the arrow thus
diminishing the compression space by bringing the piston, 3 nearer to the piston, 2.
When the governor falls the lever, 11 throws the clutch, 12 into gear with the
bevil-wheel, 15 and the shaft revolves in the opposite direction, drawing the
screw, 4 outwards and thus increasing the area of the compression space. It will
thus be seen than any movement of the governor varies the area of the compression
врасе.
The opening of the valves for the admission of gas and air is effected as
follows: A small roller, 20 is carried on a spindle, 21 which is attached to the
end of the lever, 22; this roller is kept in a central position by means of the
springs, 23, 23. The lever, 22 is keyed to a pin which is carried by the bearing, 24
and its top end presses against the end of the valve spindle, 25. A second lever, 26
is also keyed. to the same pin as the lever, 22 and its top end presses against the
end of the valve spindle, 27. The cam, 28 which is free to slide along the
shaft, 17 over a feather key is made in a conical shape and as it rotates it presses
against the roller, 20 at the desired time and by means of the levers, 22 and 26
opens the valves, 29 and 30 which admit the air and gas respectively. When the
roller is released the springs, 31 and 32 force the valves back on their seatings.
The ram, 28 is shewn conical for explanation only, but it can be varied in shape to
obtain the same result. In the conical shape, as the roller rises to the top of
the cam the extent of opening of the valves, 29 and 30 is increased as also is
the time during which they are opened. If the cam is made parallel, the extent
of opening of the valves, 29 and 30 remains constant but the time during
which they are open can be varied by making the trailing edge of the cam shorter
or longer.
The regulation of the amount of mixture admitted is effected as follows: A lever, 33
pivoted at, 34 has one end attached to the end of the screw, 4 while the other end
is connected by means of the rod, 35 and spindle, 36 to the conical cam, 28.
When the screw, 4 is drawn outwards the cam, 28 is pressed in the direction of
the arrow and the roller, 20 works on a larger part of the cam and the volume of
mixture admitted is increased, while if the screw, 4 is drawn inwards the reverse
action takes place and the volume of mixture admitted is reduced since the

page_text: valves, 29 and 30 are neither opened so far nor for so long a time. Thus it will be
seen that the movement of the governor varies the volume of mixture which is
admitted into the cylinder. When the governor rises the area of the compression
space is diminished and a less volume of the mixture is admitted, while when the
governor falls the area of the compression space is increased and a greater volume
of the mixture ia admitted, so that the initial pressure both of ignition and com-
pression remains practically constant however wide the admission valves are opened
and the volume of mixture admitted is in proportion to the load, thus ensuring steady
and economical running.
Should however the variation of the load be very sudden, the regulation of the
amount of mixture admitted is effected as follows: The spindle, 7 carries at one end
a lever, 37 the other end of which works in a slot made in another lever, 38. This
lever, 38 is attached to a bell-crank lever, 39 which rocks on a pin, 40 and has its
end forked to fit over the roller, 20. When the variations of load are slight the
spindle, 7 is only twisted to a slight extent and the end of the lever, 37 travels in
the slot in the lever, 38 without touching the ends; should however a heavy load
be thrown on the engine, the lever, 37 is twisted over to a greater extent and lifts
the lever, 38 and causes it to push the roller, 20 along the spindle, 21 thus
.opening the valves to a greater extent and allowing a larger amount of mixture to
.be admitted.
If the load on the engine continues to be very heavy for a considerable time, the
-screw, 4 will be drawn outwards until the piston, 3 comes in contact with the worm-
wheel, 19. In order to prevent this, the lever, 11 is provided with an extension, 41
formed at the end in the shape of an inclined plano as at, 42. A pin, 43 is
fastened to the rod, 35 in such a position that as soon as the piston, 3 gets near the
.worm-wheel, 19, the pin, 43 presses against the inclined plane, 42 and forces the
cluteb, 12 out of gear with the bevil-wheel, 15 and so prevents any further
.movement of the piston, 3.
We will now proceed to describe our method of clearing out the products of
combustion left at the end of the exhaust stroke. Referring to Fig. 4, the
piston, 44 is made of the truuk shape, a reduced portion, 45 passing through the
packed stuffing gland, 46. The cylinder is formed with an annular space, 47.
The action is as follows: At the forward stroke of the piston the air in the
annular space, 47 is forced down the passage, 48 through the valve 49 and
pipe, 50 into a chamber, 51 in the bed of the engine and is there compressed.
On the return stroke the air from the atmosphere rushes through the valve, 52
into the annular space and the operation is repeated at the next forward stroke.
At the end of each exhaust stroke the compressed air from the chamber, 51
is admitted into the cylinder by means of a valve, 53, which is controlled by a
cam on the side shaft of the engine, and blows out all the products of combustion
through the exhaust port thus leaving the space ready for a fresh charge of the
+mixture.
The springs, 10, 10 as seen in Figs. 1 and 3 are provided so as to allow of an
excessive movement of the lever, 6 without forcing the clutch, 12 too heavily into
gear with the bevil-wheels 14 and 15.
The engine as herein before described works practically on the automatic expansion
principle, expanding the gas after explosion in direct proportion to the load. The
proportions of gas and air in the mixture remain constant and there is no throttling
of the gas or upsetting of the mixture or cut out charges.
These improvements are applicable to gas, oil and other similar engines as far as
the regulation of the area of the compression space and extent of opening of the
admission valves are concerned.
Having now particularily described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :
1. In a gas, oil or other similar engine the variation of the space in which the

page_text: explosive mixture is compressed operating as and for the purpose specified and in
the manner hereinbefore set forth.
2. In a gas, oil or other similar engine the means of regulating the extent of
opening of the admission valves operating in the manner described and illustrated
with reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
3. In a gas, oil or other similar engine the combination of the means of varying
the area of the space in which the explosive mixture is compressed together with
the means of regulating the extent of opening of the admission valves as and
in the manner described.
4. In a gas engine the apparatus for clearing out the products of combustion left
at the end of the exhaust stroke constructed as described and illustrated with
reference to Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.
5. The apparatus constructed as described and illustrated with reference to
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
Deted this 4th day of November 1896.
E. J. ECKERSLEY,
Registered Patent Agent,
Agent for Applicants.