IMPROVE- MENTS IN MOTOR ENGINES WORKED BY COMBUSTIBLE GASES OR VAPOURS AND STEAM
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MOTOR ENGINES WORKED BY COMBUSTIBLE GASES OR VAPOURS
AND STEAM." A communication from abroad by Johannes Spiel, of Berlin,
in the German Empire.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th September 1881.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTOR ENGINES WORKED BY
COMBUSTIBLE GASES OR VAPOURS AND STEAM." [A communication from abroad
by Johannes Spiel, of Berlin, in the German Empire.]
This Invention relates to improved motor engines worked by combustible gases
or petroleum vapour with or without admixture of steam, of the following
construction:-
Two upright cylinders have pistons connected to opposite cranks on the engine
shaft, the strokes of the pistons being such that when at end of instroke a space
exists between the piston and the end of the cylinder. In arranging the engine
for working with a mixture of petroleum vapour and air an opening in each
cylinder bottom leads by a passage to two branches of a vertical pipe, the upper
end of which terminates in a closed receptacle charged from time to time with
petroleum, which flows in a thin stream down the pipe and through the branches
into the cylinder, it being during its passage transformed into fine spray by
admixture of air entering through lateral apertures in an enlargement of the pipe,
such mixture being rendered more intimate by causing it to pass through wire
gauze diaphragms in the branches before entering the cylinder. A charge of the
mixture being drawn into the one cylinder it is ignited by an external flaine drawn

page_text: in through a lateral passage as the piston commences its upstroke, the opening of
the said passage being governed by a cylindrical slide actuated by a crank on the
engine shaft. When the said piston arrives at the top of its stroke it uncovers the
opening of a passage leading from the top of its cylinder to the lower part of the
second cylinder, so that the flame of the burning mixture then passes through such
passage into the second cylinder, so as to ignite its charge, causing its piston to
make its working up stroke. The charge in this second cylinder has been compressed
before ignition, inasmuch as after drawing in a combustible charge during one
upstroke of the piston this makes its downstroke, compressing its charge while the
piston of the first cylinder is performing the working upstroke above described.
To allow of this compression of the charge and yet prevent compression of the
products of combustion remaining in the cylinder during the downstroke following
the working upstroke the second cylinder has at its lower part a lateral passage
governed by a cylindrical slide worked by gearing from the engine shaft so
proportioned as to cause the slide to make one up and down stroke for every two,
three, or more up and down strokes of the piston.
The passages and pipes connecting the two cylinders are provided with check
valves for preventing the pressure from passing back from the second cylinder to
the first one.
For working the above described engine with steam in combination with the
combustible charge there is provided in the bottom of each cylinder a pipe
reaching up a short distance within the cylinder and terminating in a perforated
-spherical-enlargement;-these-perforated-spheres-become-highly-heated at each
explosion, so that if a small stream of water be forced in through the said pipes
by a pump worked by the engine it will in issuing through the perforations
immediately flash into steam, the pressure of which will operate together with the
explosive charge in propelling the piston.
According to another modification instead of constructing the engine with two
single acting cylinders one double acting one is employed, the one end of which
operates in the same way as the one cylinder of the first described arrangement,
while the other end acts as the second cylinder, that is to say, the two ends aro
connected by a pipe or passage through which the flame from the one end is
transmitted to the other end in order there to ignite the charge which has been
previously compressed.
In this arrangement of engine, which is by preference constructed with its
cylinder horizontal, the pipe from the petroleum receptacle leads into a horizontal
perforated pipe enclosed in a second pipe into which air enters through a perforated
spherical enlargement, so that as the petroleum issues through the perforations of
the inner pipe it comes in contact and becomes intimately mixed with the entering
air in the outer pipe, from which the mixture then passes to either end of the
cylinder through check valves.
Instead of governing the admission of the igniting flame to the one end of the
cylinder by a piston slide, as described in the first arrangement, the ignition may
be effected by a flame opposite a small hole in the cylinder's side, with which a
passage formed through the piston is made to communicate when this is at end of
instroke. In this arrangement the passage with piston slide first described may
be retained for allowing the free exit of the gases when the piston makes its return
stroke.
According to another modification two double acting cylinders are employed
having their pistons connected to opposite cranks on the engine shaft, the ends of
each cylinder being so connected with their other ends and also with the one end
of the other cylinder by means of passages that after once igniting the charge at
the one end of the one cylinder by means of an external flame such flame is no
longer required, the ignition of the several charges of the two cylinders being
effected as follows:-
The charge at the one end of cylinder No. I. being ignited by the flame the

page_text: flame of such charge is at the end of the stroke transmitted through a passage to
the charge at the other end of the same cylinder. From this the flame of the
charge is then transinitted to the same end of the cylinder No. II., from which it
then passes to the other end of this cylinder, and lastly it passes back to the first
named end of cylinder No. I., which meanwhile has received a fresh charge, each
charge being compressed before ignition. The several communicating passages are
provided with check valves for preventing the pressure from passing back from
the one cylinder end to the other. Two such pairs of cylinders may be connected
to one and the same crank shaft, the cranks of the one pair being placed at right
angles to those of the other pair, whereby a more uniform distribution of the
power over the whole revolution of the engine shaft is obtained.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th March 1882.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTOR ENGINES WORKED BY
COMBUSTIBLE GASES OR VAPOURS AND STEAM." A communication from abroad
by Johannes Spiel, of Berlin, in the German Empire.
This Invention relates to an improved construction of motor engines worked by
petroleum vapour or combustible gas mixed with air so as to produce an explosive
compound.
An arrangement is provided whereby the heat produced by the combustion or
explosion is caused to highly heat a perforated metal sphere into which water is
then forced, so that in becoming at once-converted into steam this is caused by its
expansive action to assist in working the engine. The water supply may be
effected either-by-means-of_a_natural head of water from pressure pipes, or by
-means-of a force pump, in which case the supply is of course-regulated by suitable
valves.
The accompanying Drawings show the construction of the said engine in several-
modified forms. Fig. 1 shews a longitudinal section through the engine on line
a, b, Fig. 5; Fig. 2 shews a front view; Fig. 3, a side view; Fig. 4, a section on
line c, d, Fig. 5; Fig. 5, a plan; Fig. 6, a longitudinal section of the engine with
appliance for production of steam; Fig. 7, a cross section of Fig. 6; Figs. 8, 9,
and 10 shew details of the valve gear; Fig. 10 shews a diagram of the consecutive
action of the explosive charges; Fig. 11 shews a longitudinal section of a horizontal
engine in which the mode of operating indicated at Fig. 10 is applied, steam being
at the same time employed for increasing the power and for blowing off the
products of combustion; Fig. 12 is a plan of the engine; Fig. 13 shews a section
on line A, B, Fig. 11; Fig. 14, a back view of the engine with section through the
igniting slide; Fig. 15 shows a longitudinal and transverse section of the slide M;
Fig. 16 shows a longitudinal and transverse section of the igniting slide.
The engine shewn in Figs. 1 to 5 has two cylinders A, A', with plunger pistons
B, B, connected by rods C, C', to the crank shaft D, the cranks of which are
situated at 180°. The cylinders A, A', are cooled by circulation of water through
an elliptical casing E, which is made sufficiently strong to carry the beurings of the
crank shaft D. The cylinders and casing E rest upon a base plato F, serving as
foundation to the whole machine, and in which at the same time the passages for
the explosive gaseous mixture are formed. The small cylinder a is-connected gas
tight to the cylinder A and casing E, and serves for the introduction of the igniting
flame and the exit of the products of combustion. In it works a plunger 6 con-
nected by rod c with the crank pin d on the plate e of the shaft D. The
cylinder A has a similar cylinder in which works a long plunger g connected by
rod with the crank pin on the spur wheel, which receives rotary motion from
the shaft D through the wheel m, the proportions of k and m being such that the
plunger g make ou stroke for every two or more revolutions of the shaft D. The
cylinder A has in its side a narrow opening n (Figs. 2 and 7), at such a height
that it is only uncovered when piston B is at top stroke, being closed at all other
times. This opening is connected by a pipe o with a similar opening p in the
cylinder A', which latter opening is in such a position as to be below the lowest
position of piston B', so that it is never closed (Figs. 2, 6, and 7). The pipe o has a
valve chamber having a flap valve g which is kept closed either by its own weight

page_text: or by a spring (Figs. 7 and 10). For the escape of the products of combustion
from cylinder A an opening S is provided which, as shewn in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, is
only uncovered by piston B¹ when this is at top stroke (Fig. 1).
The petroleum spray or vapour or combustible gas is produced as follows:-The
petroleum is enclosed in the spherical metal vessel u, and flows through the cock v
of the pipe y into the pipe w, from which the passages x, x¹, in the plate F are
supplied. The perforated sphere Z allows of the entrance of atmospheric air which
mixes with the finely divided petroleum spray in the pipe w, forming thus an
explosive mixture which is drawn into the cylinders by the pistons B, B', as will bo
presently described. In order that the entering petroleum may be as finely divided as
possible and intimately mixed with the air, the elbows a' of the pipe w are pro-
vided with a number of fine wire gauze diaphragms 62, so that the mixture passing
through becomes very greatly divided. If requisite one elbow a¹ (Figs. 2, 4, 9),
can be entirely filled with wire gauze or coiled inetal wire. The elbow a' has also
a metal flap valve c¹ kept closed either by a spring d² or its own weight, in order
to prevent the explosions in the cylinders from passing backwards (Figs. 4 and 9).
Furthermore, in order to lead off small quantities of the explosive mixture that
may escape both at the cylinder a and at a small chimney c² may be provided,
but which may be omitted in certain cases (Fig. 1b).
The mode of operating is as follows:-Assuming the machine to be in the
position shewn at Fig. 1, and that the space under piston B is charged with
explosive compound, then on the piston B moving upward the igniting flame will
be drawn in and the charge fired. The said flame burns above the small cylinder a,
and the firing port is at once closed by the piston b when the charge has been
fired. The piston B having arrived at top stroke (Fig. 2), the explosion flame will
pass through opening n and valve q into pipe o, and will thenco pass through
opening into the cylinder A' charged with explosive mixture, which it conse-
quently ignites, thereby causing the piston B' to perform its upstroke. When B¹
has arrived at top stroke the products of combustion will escape through the piperl
into the atmosphere. This pipe is situated at such a height on the cylinder A'
that it is only opened when the piston B' is at top stroke. On starting the engine
the flywheel is turned by hand a few times, whereby the pistons B, B', draw the
explosive mixture into the cylinders; the explosion in the cylinder A then follows,
from which the flame passes to the cylinder A¹ so as to ignite its charge on the
completion of a half revolution of the shaft D.
From the foregoing it will be seen that the explosions in the cylinders A, A¹
can only take place at every second revolution, as otherwise a sufficient quantity
of explosive mixture would not have entered below the pistons. The piston g is
made to perform its stroke in the proportion of 1 to 2, or 3 to 4, that is to say,
it makes one stroke while the crank shaft makes two revolutions. By this means,
firstly, the charge drawn in by the stroke of B' following the explosion is
compressed by the next down stroke as the piston g closes the side opening, which
is only possible with the above named proportion of the strokes; secondly, the
gases drawn in during the idle stroke of the engine cannot be uselessly forced out
of the cylinder again. The so compressed charge explodes with a much greater
effect, and it is further to be observed that after the discharge of the products of
combustion under pressure, the remaining gases at atmospheric pressure in the
cylinders A, A', escape through the cylinders a and f, the pistons band g of which
leave a small opening for this purpose.
21
Figs. 6 and 7 shew the same engine in combination with means for working
with steam. For this purpose the lower part of each cylinder A, A', has a hollow
perforated metal sphere which is continuously heated by the explosion of the
charges. Each sphere h¹ is connected separately to a pipe through which water
can be forced into them, such water being instantaneously converted into steain
which assists materially in driving the engine. It will be readily seen that this
water supply must take place simultaneously with the ignition of the charge in the
cylinders A, A', for which purpose the injection of the water can be effected by a

page_text: As will be readily seen, the connecting pipes a³ that effect the transmission-of-
the igniting flame from one chamber to the other must be provided with suitable
check valves, to prevent the backward passage of the exploding gases. Thus a
cycle of automatic ignitions is set up which continues after once firing the
chamber I, so that a special igniting flaine is unnecessary. The igniting dame
may, however, be retained for chamber I. if the products of combustion from
chamber IV. are discharged into the atmosphere. Furthermore, by arranging such
double acting engines on a crank shaft an explosion can be effected at cach quarter
of a revolution of the shaft, so that a constant uniform action is obtained, in which
case of course each two of the said cylinders must have their own separate cycle
of ignitions. Each pair of the said four cylinders must of course be connected to
cranks that are placed at an angle of 90° to each other.
The engine shewn at Figs. 11 to 16 shews the system of circulation of the
igniting flame in combination with steam in such inanner that not only is the steam
admitted immediately after the explosion of the gases, so as to increase the
effectiveness of the engine, but also it is made use of to expel the products of com-
bustion remaining in the cylinder and combustion chamber. The explosion cylinder
consists of two parts A and B, situated one behind the other, and separated by a
stuffing box which in place of ordinary packing has metal packing ring (Fig. 11).
In each of these compartments a piston b, b' works, both being connected to the
same piston rod c, and therefore performing their strokes together. The piston rod c
is connected by rod d to the crankshaft C. Below each of the cylinders A and B
are two explosion chambers, indicated by 1, 2, 3, and 4, and of which each one com-
municates with one of the four spaces of the cylinders A, B, formed on each side of
their pistons (Figs. 11 and 13). These explosion chambers, 1, 2, 3, 4, are surrounded
by a casing, into which water is forced for the purpose of producing steam, as
will be presently described. The annular spaces in these casings are all in com-
munication with each other through separate passages dat top and bottom, so that
the water stands at the same level and the saine steam pressure exists in all of
them. In the bottoms of the explosion chambers 1, 2, 3, 4, are valves g, 9', 9², I³,
that are opened or closed by means of a lever arrangement i actuated by a
shaft h, driven from the engine shaft (Figs. 13 and 14). These valves when raised
establish a communication between the explosion chambers and the atmosphere,

page_text: through the escape pipe k. The water jacket of the explosion chamber 1 is provided
with a second casing m, into which opens the supply pipe from a bellows F
supplying coal gas or petroleum vapour, so that by igniting this steam may be
generated within the jacket f when the engine is not in action (Figs. 11 & 14).
The supply of petroleum vapour or spray mixed with air is effected through the
chambers I, I, I, I, having double seated valves, and into which opon supply
pipes 0, 0, 0, 0, provided with regulating cocks which are all fed from the
reservoir K. Furthermore, the cock p is so regulated by the governor L that only
a certain quantity of petroleum can flow to the chambers I, I, I, I'.
Instead of petroleum vapour and air coal gas may be supplied through a pipe r,
Fig. 11, opening between the valves.
It is to be particularly observed that the mixture of the gases is not effected in
the cylinder, but before they enter the same.
The explosion cylinder A has the necessary valve gear for the ignition as also for
the transfer of the flame to the other chambers, and the hollow piston valves at the
same time effect the distribution of the steam to the cylinders in such manner that
at each explosion steam enters the cylinder and expands therein, and when the
piston has performed about 3/,the of its stroke a fresh supply of steam is admitted
in order to blow off the products of combustion (Figs. 11, 13, & 14.) When the
products are to be blown off the valve g, g', g³, or g³, of the respective explosion
chamber is raised so as to establish the communication with the atmosphere.
The ignition slide, shewn in detail at Fig. 16, is a piston slide t, actuated by
rod u and eccentric v. The cylindrical slide casing has an opening w corresponding
to a similar opening w' in the slide, so that when they face each other the igniting
flame X (Figs. 11, 14,) can enter the slide casing, and the flame can pass thence
through the hole y of the slide and through the passage Z (Figs. 11, 16) to the
explosion chamber 1. On the further movement of the slide to the right (Fig. 16)
the opening a communicates with the steam pipe b*, supplied from the steam at
high pressure in the casing f, which steam consequently also enters the explosion
chamber 1, such steam supply being cut off again by the continued motion of the
slide. The steam in the chamber 1 now expands, and when the slide moves back
again a fresh supply of steam is admitted, which blows off the products of combustion
froin the chamber 1, the valve g being at that time open. At the same time the
slide & also supplies the explosion chamber 3 with steam in the following manner:
The pipe communicating with the steam jackets opens close to the pipe d
leading to the explosion chamber 3, and the slide t has a groove e' of such a length
as to establish a communication between c' and d' at the corresponding position of
the slide. As will be seen from the dotted position Fig. 16, the slide t closes this
steam supply twice in each to and fro motion in a similar manner to chamber 1,
whereby there will be effected firstly expansion of the steam in the chamber 3 and
then blowing off of the products. Lastly, the slide t effects the ignition of the
charge in chamber 1, as already described.
The igniting flame X enters the hollow side t and ignites the jet g' supplied as
follows (Fig. 16):-The rod u has next the slide a passage having a very fine
opening, so that the gas issuses therefrom in a long jet. The pipe supplies
petroleum vapour or gas mixed with air to the casing at the front end of the
slide t, and when the slide t has arrived at its extreme position to the right steam
is admitted to this combustible charge, and drives it through the opening it, and
as the jet is at that moment ignited by the flame X forming a blow pipe flame g
the communication with the flame X is cut off, and the explosion is effected by
the flame g' in the chamber 1.
The steam supply is effected through the groove m' in the slide and the channel n
in the casing, as shewn in Fig. 10.
The ignition of the several explosion chambers 1 to 4 is effected automatically,
the burning gases in chamber 1 passing to chamber 2, from which they pass to 3
and thence to 4, such ignition being effected as follows:-When the charge of 1 is
exploded, and there is an explosive charge in 2, the flame passes from the former

page_text: to the latter through the passage o', when the piston of cylinder A has arrived at
the end of its stroke to the right (Fig. 11). The explosion in chamber 2 causes the
piston to make its return stroke, bringing it into the position shewn in Fig. 11.
The ignition of the charge of 3 after that of 2 is effected by the groover in the
piston rod, which permits the flame to pass from 2 to 3 through the stuffing box.
From 3 to 4 the ignition is effected in the same manner as from 1 to 2. The
transfer of ignition between 1 and 4 is effected by means of a pipe connecting the
two openings 8, 8, (shewn dotted in Fig. 11), which pipe has a check valve t' as
shewn at Fig. 15, and passes through the casing of the transfer valve. This
valve M not only serves to regulate the transfer of ignition between 1 and 4, but
also the distribution of steam to the chambers 2 and 4, as follows:-The pipe u*
opening into the slide casing (Figs. 13 and 15) communicates with the steam
jackets of the explosion chambers, so that it always contains high pressure steam.
If now the slide M moves to the right (Fig. 15) the passage thereof will at a
certain moment come opposite the steam pipe u, so that steam will then enter and
will pass direct to chamber 4, and expand therein, as the slide M will then leave
open the transfer pipe. On the opening again coming opposite u* on the return
notion of the slide the entering steam will blow off the products of combustion,
the valve g³ of chamber 4 being at the same time open. When the front edge of
the slide M on motion to the left (Fig. 15) passes over the opening of the pipe u
the steam will enter in front of it, and will pass through the channel w* formed-in
-the-slide-to-the-pipe_x, and thence to the explosion chamber 2, where it expands;
and in the saine planner, as above described, on the slide-again-passing-the-opening
a fresh supply of steam will enter so-as-to-expel-the_products of combustion, the
valve g' of chamber 2 being open.
The motion of the slido M is effected from the shaft h by means of the eccentric y*
and rod t
In order that the movements of the igniting slide, the transfer slide, and the
valves 9, 9, 993, shall be properly timed the shaft is driven from the engine
shaft at a speed of 1 to 2, that is to say, the engine shaft makes 2 revolutions while
the shaft makes one revolution.
At Figs. 15 and 16 are shewn diagrams explanatory of the several operations
taking place in the explosion chambers respectively in connection with the ignition
slide and transfer slide.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent,
I claim,―
First. The construction of motor engines worked by the combustion of a mixture
of petroleum vapour or spray, or combustible gas and air, wherein two cylinders
open at top, and provided with plunger pistons, are so connected that the ignition
of the explosive charges is automatically transferred from the one cylinder to the
other, substantially as herein described.
Second. In motor engines worked by combustible gases or vapours wherein the
ignition of the explosive charges is automatically transferred from one explosion
chamber to another, the use of steam for operating in combination with the
explosive charges in working the engine, and for blowing off the products of
combustion, substantially as heroin described.
Third. The use of a perforated metal receptacle situated in the explosion
chambers of the cylinders so as to become highly heated, and into which water is
led for the production of steam to operate in combination with the explosive gases
in working the engine.
Fourth. Arranging the valve gear for the second cylinder, Fig. 12, so that its
relative speed shall be such as to cause the explosive charge in the cylinder to be
cut off from the atmosphere during every second, third, or fourth revolution of the
engine shaft, during which no explosion takes place, substantially as herein
described.

page_text: Fifth. Arranging two doublo acting cylinders to operate with a cycle of
ignitions and explosions, as described with reference to the accompanying
Drawings.
Sixth. The method of effecting the ignition of the charges in the four explosion
chambers in such manner that the explosion in the one chamber automatically
effects the consecutive ignition of the charges in the other chambers, substantially
as herein described with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Seventh. The construction of motor engines worked by combustible gases or
vapours wherein the ignition of the explosive charges is automatically transferred
from one explosion chamber to another, arranged and operating as herein described
and shewn on the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Denton Abel, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.