Improvements in Vapourizing Arrangements for Oil or Inflammable Vapour Engines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 5th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 8th May, 1897
Improvements in Vapourizing Arrangements for Oil or Inflammable
Vapour Engines.
I, WALTER ROWBOTHAM, of 27 Vittoria Street, in the City of Birmingham,
Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to oil or inflammable vapour engines in which the engine
is started when cold by means of a vapouriser, which vapouriser is electrically
heated.
In the use of such vapourisers I find that if a current sufficient to heat when the
engine is cold is kept on during the succeeding explosions then the electrically
heated body is liable to become incandescent, and the oil instead of being
vapourised is ignited at once, and even in some cases the wire may become so
highly heated as to fuse.
The object of my present invention is to so regulate the electrical current applied
to my vapourisers as to supply sufficient heat for the required purpose when the
engine is cold, while automatically varying to reduce the current passed when the
engine becomes hot.
In carrying my invention into effect in accordance with one modification I attach
to the ends of the piston projecting fingers or rods, which rods at a certain point of
the piston stroke make contact with a centrally situated insulated rod in such
manner that when contact is made the current passes through the vapourising
body and, by heating up the wires or surfaces, puts that body in a state fit
for vapourising. When the engine starts the movement of the piston makes and
breaks contact with the insulated rod, and thus diminishes the time during
which the current flows through the vapourising wires. As the speed of
the engine increases the current passing thus decreases, and the heat added by the
explosions succeeding each other takes the place of the heat at first generated by a
powerful electric current. By this device the temperature of the vapouriser
wires or vapouriser body is kept sufficiently low to avoid ignition of the oil when
it is injected on the vapouriser and also, of course, sufficiently low to secure the
wires from any danger of fusion.
I wish it to be distinctly understood that the objects of this invention are to
complete the circuit for vapourising purposes to be used in ignition, and also to
automatically reduce the vapourising current when the engine has started.
When starting the engine the maximum current is needed to electrically heat the
vapourising body, but the said current is in no case to be strong enough to render
the vapourising body or any part of it incandescent.
It is obvious that after the first few explosions the heat generated will be such
that if the current is not reduced the electrical vapourising body will become
incandescent, and cause the hydro carbon or spirit to fire before it is vapourised.
By my device above described-that is the contact fingers I prevent the
incandescence, and break the vapourising circuit in proportion to the speed of the
engine. This is equivalent to automatically putting resistance in the circuit.
an example I may state that an engine running from 200 to 300 revolutions per
As

page_text: minute will decrease a current passing when stationary from 12 amperes to about
2 amperes.
Instead of reducing the current by means of fingers attached to the piston,
contact making and breaking devices may he attached to any moving part of the
engine outside of the cylinder to effect the same purpose. The contact making and
breaking device may also be regulated in combination with the speed governor
when it is desired to regulate with extreme accuracy.
Instead of making and breaking contact as hereinbefore described I may
automatically introduce a resistance or resistances by means of the movement of
the engine or by a governor controlling the movement of the engine.
Suitable ignition arrangements are made to be operated in conjunction with the
herein before described devices.
Dated this 3rd day of T... 1000
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in Vapourizing Arrangements for Oil or Inflammable
Vapour Engines.
I, WALTER ROWBOTHAM, of 27 Vittoria Street, in the City of Birmingham,
Electrical 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 oil or inflammable vapour engines in which the engine is
started when cold by means of a vapourizer, which vapourizer is electrically
heated as described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me No. 22793
of 1895.
In the use of such vapourizers I find that if a current sufficient to heat when the
engine is cold is kept on during the succeeding explosion then the electrically
heated body is liable to become incandescent, and the oil instead of being
vapourised is ignited at once, and even in some cases the wire may become so
highly heated as to fuse.
The object of my present invention is to so regulate the electrical current applied
to my vapourizers as to supply sufficient heat for the required purpose when the
engine is cold, while automatically varying to reduce the current passed when the
engine becomes hot.
The accompanying sheet of drawings illustrate the carrying into effect of my
invention.-
Figure 1 is a part horizontal section through an oil engine cylinder showing one
modification.
Figure 2 is a part sectional elevation, showing another modification.
Referring to the first modification shown in Figure 1, I attach to the ends of the
pistons, B B projecting fingers or rods bb, which rods at or about the end of each
piston's stroke (as in the position shown in Figure 1) make contact with a centrally
situated insulated rod M such contact completing the circuit through the battery D
(or other source of electrical supply) and the wires E E of the vapourizing body;
and by heating up the wires and surfaces, puts that body in a state fit for
vapourizing. When the engine starts, the movement of the pistons B B make and
break contact with the insulated rod M at each reciprocation, and thus as the speed
increases the time during which the current flows through the vapourizing wires E E
diminishes. As the speed of the engine increases the current passing thus decreases,

page_text: and the beat added by the explosions succeeding each other takes the place of the
heat at first generated by a powerful electric current. By this device the
temperature of the vapourizer wires or vapourizer body is kept sufficiently low to
avoid ignition of the oil when it is injected on the vapourizer, and also, of course,
sufficiently low to secure the wires from any danger of fusion.
I wish it to be distinctly understood that the objects of this invention are to
complete the circuit for vapourizing purposes to be used in ignition and explosion
when starting, and also to automatically reduce the vapourizing current when the
engine has started.
When starting the engine the maximum current is needed to electrically heat
the vapourizing body, but the said current is in no case to be strong enough to
render the vapourizing body or any part of it incandescent.
It is obvious that after the first few explosions the heat generated will be such
that if the current is not reduced the electrical vapourizing body will become
incardescent, and cause the hydro carbon or spirit to fire before it is vapourized.
By my device above described-that is the contact fingers bb Figure 1, I prevent
the incandescence, and break the vapourizing circuit in proportion to the speed of
the engine. This is equivalent to automatically putting resistance in the circuit.
As an example I may state that an engine running from 200 to 300 revolutions per
minute will decrease a current passing when stationary from 12 amperes to about
2 amperes.
Referring now to Figure 2. This is a modification in which the contact
fingers bare dispensed with and where the current regulator is combined with
the engine governor. The engine governor F is driven from the shaft G and has
at one end a flat disc H fixed on the sleeve I; the said sleeve having a sectional
commutator 1, 2, 3 and 4, formed on it, and riding between the contact brushes J, K
which complete the electrical circuit through the battery D and vapourizer
wires E E at certain times. The oil supply valve L is driven from the cam M
through the hit and miss wheel N, rod O, and lever P, at the proper moment. The
operation is as follows-The governor F is in the position it would be when starting
and the brushes are on section 1 of the commutator, this allows the current to pass
without interruption; on a slight increase in speed, section 2 is pulled under the
brushes J, K, and the circuit is made and broken a few times per revolution; the
speed still further increasing section 3 comes under the brushes and still less current
is passed owing to shorter durations of contact; on a further increase section 4
comes under the brushes simultaneous with the disc H pulling the hit and miss
wheel N out of the path of the oil supply cam M and both current and oil are cut
off simultaneously; until the speed becomes normal again. Contact making and
breaking devices may be attached to any moving part of the ergine outside of the
cylinder to effect the same purpose.
Instead of making and breaking contact as herein before described I may
automatically introduce a resistance or resistances by means of the movement of
the engine or by a governor controlling the movement of the engine.
Suitable ignition arrangements are made to be operated in conjunction with the
hereinbefore described devices.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is-
(1.) In oil engines where the oil is vapourized initially by an electrically heated
body of metal, refractory material, or other suitable substance; automatically
controlling the supply of electricity to the body so that it is kept at a constant
working temperature independent of the heat supplied to it from the engine
explosions, substantially as described.
(2.) The automatic regulation of electric current to a vapourizer substantially
as herein before described and illustrated with reference to Figure 1 of the
drawings.

page_text: (3.) The automatic regulation of electric current to a vapourizer substantially
as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 2 of the drawings.
Dated this 2nd done of Amuil 1907
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.