IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTOR ENGINES WORKED BY GAS OR COMBUSTIBLE VAPOUR AND AIR
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Clayton, of Bradford, in the County of York,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTOR ENGINES WORKED
BY GAS OR COMBUSTIBLE VAPOUR AND AIR."
Sealed the 23rd January 1880, and dated the 4th August 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Clayton at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th August 1879.
SAMUEL CLAYTON, of Bradford, in the County of York, Engineer. " IMPROVE
MENTS IN MOTOR ENGINES WORKED BY GAS OR COMBUSTIBLE VAPOUR AND AIR."
My Invention relates to further improvements in gas motor engines for which
Letters Patent were granted to me dated the Twenty second day of May, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy eight, No. 2037, and my present improve-
ments consists in controlling the supply of gas by an extremely sensitive arrange-
ment which greatly assists the steady working of the engine.
For this purpose in the centre of the rotatory valve and through the boss on
which the driving wheel is keyed I fit a loose spindle, hanging or supported by a
Jever which is in direct communication with the engine governor; within the
rotatory valve I fit loosely two, three, four, or more small spindles, which work in
and out of the valve horizontally, the spindles when forced out depress a lever in
direct communication with the gas supply valve; near the bottom of the fixed
spindle and opposite the horizontal spindles the spindle is cut out to form an
eccentric projection, and when the horizontal spindles come in contact with this
projection it causes the gas valve to open and give a supply of gas by means of a
lever in connection with the gas supply valve.
On the outside of the valve casing I fit a guard, which forces in the horizontal
spindles after having worked the gas supply valve until the rotatory valve brings
the horizontal spindles in position with the eccentric projection to open the gas
valve again.
Above and below the eccentric projection are cut grooves, so that if the governor
from excess of speed lifts up the vertical spindle on which the eccentric projection

page_text: is formed the horizontal spindles will be in the valve and continue to move round
with the rotatory valve without opening the gas supply valve; but if the engine
should be pulled up from any cause the vertical spindle would fall or rise as the
case may be, and the horizontal spindles would not come in contact with the
eccentric projection but keep the supply of gas closed.
To alter the engine without stopping I employ curved grooves cut in a cap which
works on a boss fixed to the governor, and by turning the cap halfway round causes
the lifting up of the cap on the boss, which forces up a spring fitted between a cap
and a collar on the governor spindle, placing pressure in opposition to the governor
balls, causing the engine to increase its velocity, and which velocity overcomes the
resistance of the spring. I may obtain similar results by placing a weight or ball
on the top of the vertical spindle.
Or instead of using a lever from the vertical spindle of the rotatory valve to the
governor I fit the governor direct over the vertical spindle and connect them
together, also using the spring and weight herein before described, and remove the
pressure by fitting in the vertical spindle a peg and cutting in the length of the weight
a groove or slot, and by lifting the weight from below the peg and slightly turning
it causes the weight to rest upon the peg, adding weight to be overcome by the
governor. When the engine is required to run slowly the weight is turned back,
bringing the groove or slot of the weight in contact with the peg, which allows the
weight to drop down and rest on the top of the rotatory valve, and which liberates
the governor.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Samuel Clayton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th February
1880.
SAMUEL CLAYTON, of Bradford, in the County of York, Engineer. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MOTOR ENGINES WORKED BY GAS OR COMBUSTIBLE VAPOUR AND AIR."
The said Invention relates to further improvements in gas motor engines for
which Letters Patent were granted to me dated the Twenty second day of May,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy eight, No. 2037, and my present improve-
ments consist in controlling the supply of gas by means of an extremely sensitive
arrangement which greatly assists the steady working of the engine. For this
purpose in the centre of the rotatory valve, and through the boss on which the
driving wheel is keyed, I fit a loose spindle, hanging or supported by a lever which
is in direct communication with the engine governor; within the rotatory valve I
fit loosely two, three, four, or more small spindles, which work in and out of the
valve horizontally, the spindles when forced out depress a lever in direct communi-
cation with the gas supply valve; near the bottom of the fixed spindle and opposite
the horizontal spindles the spindle is cut out to form an excentric projection or cam,
and when the horizontal spindles come in contact with this projection it causes the
gas valve to open and give a supply of gas by means of a lever in connection with
the gas supply valve.
On the outside of the valve casing I fit a guard, which forces in the horizontal
spindles after having worked the gas supply valve until the rotatory valve brings
the horizontal spindles in position with the eccentric projection or cam to open the
gas valve again.
Above and below the excentric projection are cut grooves or spaces, so that if
the governor from excess of speed lifts up the vertical spindle on which the excen-
tric projection or cam is formed the horizontal spindles will be in the valve and
continue to move round with the rotatory valve without opening the gas supply
valve; but if the engine should be pulled up from any cause and the governor balls
be down the vertical spindle would fall or rise as the case may be, and the hori-
zontal spindles would not come in contact with the eccentric projection or cam, but
be either at the top or bottom of the projection and keep the supply of gas closed.
To alter the engine without stopping I employ curved grooves cut in a cap which
works on a boss fixed to the governor, and by turning the cap half way round
causes the lifting up of the cap on the spindle, which forces up a spring fitted
between the cap and a collar on the governor spindle, placing pressure in opposition
to the governor balls, causing the engine to increase its velocity, and which velocity
overcomes the resistance of the spring. I may obtain similar results by placing a
weight or ball on the top of the vertical spindle.
Or instead of using a lever from the vertical spindle of the rotatory valve to the
governor I fit the governor direct over the vertical spindle and connect them
together, also using the spring and weight hereinbefore described, and remove the
pressure by fitting in the vertical spindle a peg or pin and cutting in the length of
the weight a groove or slot, and by lifting the weight from below the peg or pin
and slightly turning it causes the weight to rest upon the peg or pin, adding weight
to be overcome by the governor. When the engine is required to run slowly the
weight is turned back, bringing the groove or slot of the weight in contact with the
peg or pin, which allows the weight to drop down and rest on the top of the
rotatory valve, and thus liberate the governor.
But in order to enable my improvements to be better understood I will proceed
to describe the same by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which
Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of the rotatory valve, shewing the position
of the small spindles for working the gas supply valve.

page_text: Figure 2 represents a front view of the rotatory valve and section of the gas
supply chamber and valve and gear; Figure 3 represents a side view of the rotatory
valve and section of the gas and air chambers and gas supply valve; Figure 4 is a
plan. Similar letters of reference are used to represent similar parts.
A is the rotatory valve, having a projecting spindle B made hollow, and in which
is fitted a loose spindle C hung or supported by a lever D in direct communication
with the spindle E of the engine governor F; on the spindle B is keyed the driving
wheel G; near the top and within the rotatory valve A I fit loosely two, three,
four, or more small spindles H, which work horizontally in and out, and each
spindle is forced out in turn to actuate and depress a lever I which is in direct
communication with the gas supply valve J; the spindles H are forced out by a
projection, eccentric, or cam K, formed on a rod L made by cutting out the spindle C,
and which connects the spindle C with a plunger guide M. The rotatory valve in
revolving brings at a given point and in turn a spindle H in contact with the
projection, eccentric, or cam K, thereby forcing out the spindle H, which coming in
contact with a projecting lug N formed or secured on an arm 0 of the lever I
depresses the arm O and lifts up the arm P, which, by means of a fork made on the
end of the arm P actuates a spindle Q fitted to the gas supply valve J, opening the
valve and admitting gas, which passes through small holes S and mixes with
atmospheric air passing in the chamber T; the mixed gas and air then pass through
an opening U to the rotatory valve and from there to the cylinder, as described in the
Specification of my said former Letters Patent herein referred to. A cap V is screwed
on the top of the gas supply chamber, and a spring W is fitted between the cap and
the valve to bring back the valve and stop the supply of gas; the lever I works in
a bracket X secured to the flange Y of the rotatory valve casing, and the rotatory
valve is made with a spindle Z, over which is fitted a spring A¹ to keep the valve
in working position.
The small spindles H after having worked the gas supply valve are brought in
the rotatory valve by coming in contact in revolving with a spring B¹ secured on
the top of the valve casing C, and the spindles H remain in the valve until they
arrive in turn in contact with the projection, eccentric, or cam K, to open the gas
supply valve. A space D¹ is left in the spindle B, so that if the governor from
excess of speed lifts up the spindle C and brings the projection, eccentric, or cam K
above the small spindles H, the latter would then remain in the valve and would
continue to move round with the valve without opening the gas supply valve J;
but should the engine be pulled up for any cause and the governor balls fall the
spindle C would fall or rise as the case may be, and the small spindles H would not
come in contact with the projection, eccentric, or cam K, should the projection,
eccentric, or cam be either at the top or bottom of the spindles H, and the supply
gas would be closed.
of
To alter the speed of the engine without stopping I employ a cap E¹, in which I cut
grooves F, in which works a pin G' secured to the spindle E of the engine governor; the
cap works on a plate H³, and is fitted with a handle F" to turn the cap half way round,
and which lifts up the cap and forces up a spring J₁ against the collar K¹ of the
spindle E, which places pressure in opposition to the governor balls, causing the
engine to increase its velocity and overcome the resistance of the spring.
I obtain similar results by placing a weight, or ball on the top of the vertical
spindle.
Or instead of employing a lever E I fit the governor direct over the spindle C
and connect them together; and I also employ the spring and weight herein before
described, and remove the pressure by fitting a pin or peg in the spindle C and
cutting a groove or slot in the length of the weight; by lifting the weight from
below the pin or peg and slightly turning it the weight is caused to rest upon the
pin or peg, adding weight to be overcome by the governor. When the engine is
required to run slowly the weight is turned back, bringing the pin or peg in cou-
tact with the groove, whith allows the weight to drop down and rest on the top of
the rotatory valve, which liberates the governor.

page_text: Having thus described my improvements, and the best means I am acquainted with
for carrying the same into effect, would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise details shewn and described, as these may be varied without
departing from the peculiar character of the Invention, but what I do claim is,--
Firstly. The general arrangement, construction, and employment of machinery or
apparatus for controlling the supply of gas to gas engines, and which is actuated by
small spindles H, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and
represented in the accompanying Drawing.
in
"Secondly. The construction and employment of the gear for placing pressure
opposition to the governor balls, causing the engine to increase its velocity, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and represented in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Clayton, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Second day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
Witness,
WALTER JAS. TURNER, C.E.,
Patent Agent,
Bradford.
SAMUEL CLAYTON. (L.S.)