Improvements in Gas or Combustible Vapour Engines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 14th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 11th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas or Combustible Vapour Engines.
I HORACE ROBINSON 78 Great Bridgewater Street Manchester Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in engines in which the piston is propelled
by the expansion of an explosive mixture of gas or vapour and air. Parts of
which improvements are more especially applicable to engines as described in my
Patents Nos. 14787 A.D. 1890 and 1083 A.D. 1891. In place of holding open
the exhaust valve to govern the engine in the manner described in my Patent
No. 1083 A.D. 1891 I may in some instances where a very steady action is
required, employ a governor acting upon the gas supply and I prefer a centrifugal
governor driven by the engine. I prefer to use a mixing valve through which the "
gas or vapour and air are drawn into the cylinder at each alternate out stroke of
the engine. The engine works on the cycle known as the Otto cycle. The said
mixing valve I prefer to be of the disc form with a number of even sized holes
some of which supply the gas or vapour and the remainder the air into the
cylinder. The gas valve upon which the governor acts may preferably be formed
cylindrical for part of its length and conical at its end, the said conical part being
moved by the governor into and out of the position in which it fills the hole through
which the gas or vapour passes and it thus gradually increases or diminishes the
supply of gas or vapour. A light spring may bear against the end of the said
valve and a plug or its equivalent bears against the spring in such a manner
that the speed of the engine can be thus varied by the adjustment of the said
plug. The governor I prefer to be of the centrifugal type and may be constructed
preferably as follows; a light steel flat spring may be formed of such a length
that it fits into a groove or recess formed in a revolving head of the governor.
Weights are attched to the spring in such a mauner that there centrifugal force
bows or deflects out the spring at the centre and this acts upon a light spindle
which acts upon the before mentioned gas or vapour valve. To keep the said
flat spring in position and yet to allow of its being deflected it is held in position
at its ends being placed in the before mentioned groove or recess in which it can
slightly slide. The revolving head can be formed in two parts of ring or chamber
form which can be screwed together the groove being formed between them so
that by taking off one part the spring can be removed or replaced by a new one
if necessary. Another mode of governing my engine is as follows; the rod of the
eccentric or cam upon the engin shaft may be connected to a small rocking lever.
The rocking lever may be prolonged to the other side of the axis upon which it
moves. Upon one end of this lever is or may be pivoted the rod with projection
action upon the toothed wheel and the exhaust valve as described in my said
Patent No. 14787 A.D. 1890 and upon the other end of this lever another rod may
be pivoted this rod acts upon the gas or vapour inlet valve and may be moved into
or out of position for acting upon the gas or vapour valve by its own inertia or by
a centrifugal governor which may be preferably constructed as herein before
described. The valve upon which this governor or rod acts may have a stepped
projection or the rod may be stepped at its end so that the charge may be varied
in strength by the governor where great regularity of speed is necessary. The
said rocking lever may be used simply in connection with the cam or eccentric rod
when the last mentioned governing arrangement is not used. To oil the piston of
the engine and the parts in connection herewith a cup of oil may be placed over
the end of the cylinder and the piston on its outward motion as it projects from the

page_text: cynnder raises a small lever or suitably formed spring and lowers it again at each
revolution of the engine, upon the lever or spring or suitably coupled to it a
projection preferably of flat steel or wire gauze, extends down into the oil and is
moved in contact with the end of an oil pipe which conducts the oil down onto the
piston and other parts in connection with it as the flat steel or wire gauze dips
into the oil at each stroke of the engine and brings a small quantity up into the
before mentioned oil pipe but when the engine is not working the oil ceases to be
supplied.
Dated this.13th day of May 1892.
HORACE ROBINSON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas or Combustible Vapour Engines.
to be
I, HORACE ROBINSON 78 Great Bridgewater Street Manchester Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention relates to improvements in engines in which the piston is propelled
by the expansion of an explosive mixture of gas or vapour and air. Parts of
which improvements are more especially applicable to engines as described in my
Patents Nos. 14787; A.D. 1890 and 1083, A.D. 1891.
exhaust valve to govern the engine in the manner described in my Patent
In place of holding open the
No. 1083, A.D. 1891 1 may in some instances where a very steady action is
required, employ a governor acting upon the gas supply and I prefer a centifugal
governor driven by the engine. I prefer to use a mixing valve through which the
gas or vapour and air are drawn into the cylinder at each alternate out stroke of
the engine. The engine works on the cycle known as the Otto cycle. The said
mixing valve I prefer to be of the disc form with a number of even sized holes,
some of which supply the gas or vapour and the remainder the air into the cylinder.
The gas valve upon which the governor acts may preferably be formed cylindrical
for part of its length and conical at its end, the said conical part being moved by
the governor into and out of the position in which it fills the hole through which
the gas or vapour passes and it thus gradually increases or diminishes the supply
of gas or vapour. A light spring may bear against the end of the said valve and
a plug or its equivalent bears against the spring in such a manner that the speed
of the engine can be thus varied by the adjustment of the said plug. The governor
I prefer to be of the centrifugal type and may be constructed preferably as follows;
a light steel flat spring may be formed of such a length that it fits into a groove
recess formed in a revolving head of the governor. Weights are attached
to the spring in such a manner that their centrifugal force bows or deflects
out the spring at the centre and this acts upon a light spindle which acts upon the
before mentioned gas or vapour valve. To keep the said flat spring in position
and yet to allow of its being deflected it is held in position at its ends being placed
in the before mentioned groove or recess in which it can slightly slide. The
revolving head can be formed in two parts of ring or chamber form which can be
screwed together, the groove being formed between them so that by taking off one
part the spring can be removed or replaced by a new one if necessary. Another
mode of governing my engine is as follows; the rod of the eccentric or cam upon
the engine shaft may be connected to a small rocking lever, the rocking lever may
be prolonged to the other side of the axis upon which it moves. Upon one end of
this lever is or may be pivoted the rod with projection acting upon the toothed
wheel and the exhaust valve as described in my said Patent No. 14787 A.D. 1890
and upon the other end of this lever another rod may be pivoted, this rod acts upon
the gas or vapour inlet valve and may be moved into or out of position for acting
upon the gas or vapour valve by its own inertia or by a centrifugal governor which
or

page_text: may be preferably constructed as herein before described. The valve upon which
this governor or rod acts may have a stepped projection or the rod may be stepped
at its end so that the charge may be varied in strength by the governor where
great regulaty of speed is necessary. The said rocking lever may be used simply
in connection with the cam or eccentric rod when the last mentioned governing
arrangement is not used. To oil the piston of the engine and the parts in con-
nection therewith a cup of oil may be placed over the end of the cylinder and the
piston on its outward motion as it projects from the cylinder, raises a small lever
or suitably formed spring and lowers it again at each revolution of the engine,
upon the lever or spring or suitably coupled to it a projection preferably of flat
steel or wire gauze extends down into the oil and is moved in contact with the end
of an oil pipe which conducts the oil down onto the piston and other parts in
connection with it as the flat steel or wire gauze dips into the oil at each stroke of
the engine and brings a small quantity up into the before mentioned oil pipe but
when the engine is not working the oil ceases to be supplied.
Refering to the drawings Figs. 1. 2 & 3 show the mixing valve and governor.
A Fig. 2 is the valve the seat of which having the ring of holes consisting of gas
holes, one of which gas holes is shown, at B opening into the annular space C
Figs. 2 & 1 and one of the air holes is shown at D Fig. 2 opening into the air
space. The gas valve upon which the governor works is shown at E Fig. 1. It
will be seen Fig. 1 is a section through line X X Fig. 2 and the axis of the
governor, and Fig. 2 is a section through Y Y Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section at Z Z
Fig. 1. F Fig. 1 is a cylindrical part of the valve E and a spring G bears against
it. H is the plug which adjusts the tension of the spring G and the speed of the
engine is thus regulated. K. Figs. 1 & 3 is the flat spring fitting into the groove
in the rovolving head L which is driven by the engine. M M are the weights
attached to the spring K. N is the light spindle which is moved in the diriction
of the arrow Fig. 1 by the deflection of the spring K. and closes the valve E when
the speed is excessive. P is a ring formimg part of the rovolving head of the
governor and holding the spring K in the groove but allowing it to slightly slide
to allow of its deflection. Refering to Fig. 4 the rod R of the eccentric or cam
upon the engine shaft is connected to a rocking lever S which oscillates upon the
centre T. U is the rod with projection V acting upon the wheel W and the
exhaust valve U₁ as in my Patent No. 14,787. A.D. 1890 and A' is the rod which
acts upon the gas or vapour valve A' closing it or partially closing it. So long
however as the speed of the engine is below the normal the valve is held open.
A shows a spring for that purpose. B¹ is the stop which is fixed and acts upon
the projection B causing A' to operate as described, or B₁ may be moved by the
centrifugal governor & the rod Ai formed parallel as shown in dotted lines so that
the centrifugal governor vaires the position in which the rod A' moves so as to
cause it to act on the valve A2 as described. The lever S may be formed as shown
by the dotted lines S¹ Fig. 4 when the governing arrangement as shown in Fig. 4 is
not used. Fig. 5 shows the oiling device C is a cup for oil, C is the piston of the
engine, D' is a light spring or lever. When the piston advances to the position
shown in dotted lines C³ it raises D₁ and by means of the piece D' brings up a
small quantity of oil which is fed down the oil pipe E' and this lubricates the
piston and parts in connection therewith.
Having now particularly described the nature of my said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
First The combination of parts constituting the improved governor in com-
bination with the mixing valve all constructed as described and illustrated by
Figures 1. 2. & 3.
Second-The construction of the governor as shown at Figures 1 & 2 the said
governor having the spring K, held in the head L by the ring P in the manner
described and illustrated.
Third The construction of the governor consisting of the weights M M

page_text: spring K, gas valve E, spring G, and adjustable plug H as described and
illustrated.
Fourth-The combination of the rod U acting upon the exhaust at alternate
revolutions of the engine by means of the wheel W in the manner discribed with
the rocking lever S¹ and eccentric or cam rod R working direct from. e engine
shaft substantally as described and illustrated at Figure 4..
Fifth The mechanism consisting of the rod U acting upon the exhaust and
being guided into and out of action in the manner described, the rocking lever S
worked by the rod R and the rod A' acting upon the valve A' combined
substantly as described and illustrated at Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Sixth-The combination of the rocking lever S' oscillating upon the centre T
and being worked by the rod R which is driven direct from the centric or cam
on the engine shaft, the trip bar. U and exhaust valve U and the wheel W
substiantly as described and shown at Fig. 4.
Seventh-The construction and combination of parts constituting the oiling
device substantly as described and illustrated at Figure 5 being operated directly
by the piston.
Dated this 10th day of February 1802
HORACE ROBINSON.