Improvements in Gas Engines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 18th Nov., 1891-Accepted 18th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas Engines.
1, FRANK HUGHES, of the firm of Hughes, Eli and Hughes, 76 Chancery
Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention (a communication to me from abroad by Frederico Cordenous of Padua,
Italy, Teacher,) to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in gas engines and refers to a rotary engine
consisting of three cylinders having a circular motion around the shaft and
furnished with pistons receiving the usual to and fro motion, the whole engine
being so arranged and constructed that two strokes are produced at each explosion
instead of four strokes such as occurred in the gas engines hitherto constructed.
The rotary motion of the whole of the engine with the exception of the frame-
work is produced by the six explosions of the three cylinders and is communicated
to the motor shaft with the aid of centrifugal force, the three cylinders and their
valve gears acting as a fly wheel. Upon the two pedestals arranged on each
side of the engine are rigidly bolted two stop pieces of suitable shape against
which the heads of the connecting rods abut in turn so that as the explosion occurs
at this moment the corresponding cylinder receives an impulse and is caused to
rotate while the piston remains momentarily a fixture.
The motor shaft carries two cams firmly fixed together one of which actuates
the slide valves distributing to the cylinder the charge exhausted from a suitable
gas conduit and from the atmosphere, by a valve actuated by the other cam.
The products of combustion are allowed to escape through a suitable pipe and
the ignition is effected by an electric spark produced when the electric circuit from
a battery is completed by means of suitable contacts, between the two pointed ends
of two rods separated at the time.
Dated this 18th day of February 1891.
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
76, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas Engines..
I, FRANK HUGHES of the firm of Hughes Eli and Hughes 76, Chancery
Lane, London W.C. Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion (a communication to me from abroad by Frederico Corderous of Padua,
Italy, Teacher) 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 a new or improved rotary engine wherein the expansion
of the gas or petroleum vapor which is used as motive power causes the motor
cylinders to move backward and as these cylinders are fixed to the fly wheel
the latter transmits a rotary motion directly to the motor shaft.
To obtain this action when expansion takes place in the cylinders, the pistons
bear upon brackets or supports fixed to the frame of the engine and which prevents
them from coming out, this taking place in turn in each cylinder.
It will be therefore sufficient to follow the cycle of movements in one of the
three cylinders, as it is obvious that the other two cylinders will act similarly when
passing through corresponding points.
Fig. 1 is a front view of my improved rotary engine actuated by gas and
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same.

page_text: There are three cylinders A. B and C divided internally by the corresponding
pistons A, B, C¹ in two parts, the rear part a which is the combustion chamber
and the fore part which is an exhausting as well as a compressing chamber and is
accordingly closed hermetically. We shall now follow the motion of the
cylinder A. Fig. 1 which is marked A" in Fig. 2.
It is shown at the moment that the expansion takes place and the end of the
connecting rod D of its piston A is already bearing by means of its roller against
the fixed support E and rests against the latter until owing to the rearward motion
of the cylinder the piston arrives close to the mouth of the cylinder that is to say
at the end of its stroke.
During this motion the charge which is composed of air and gas and was located
in the fore end of the cylinder wherein it had been exhausted during the previous
motion in a reverse direction to that of the piston is forced under pressure along
the pipe into the cylinder B. when the expulsion of the burnt gases is terminated
therein. The expulsion of the burnt gases and the exhaust of the gaseous mixture
are effected during the rearward motion of the pistons.
The alternate rearward motion of the pistons is obtained by means of the levers L
actuated by the eccentric H, rivetted with the other eccentric J which actuates the
slide valve to the fixed frame of the engine.
It is thus possible to combine without exaggerating the eccentric curves, two
explosions for each cylinder at each rotation of the engine, so as to reduce the
motions of the piston to two for each explosion instead of the four motions
required in ordinary compressive gas engines, that is to say that as there are
three cylinders, there are six active impulsions following one another nearly unin-
terruptedly so that when one has acted the next has already commenced acting, and
so on. The second explosion takes place when the ends of the connecting rods
come before the second fixed support M which has the same curve as the former
for the rollers of the connecting rods to run against but is arranged upside
down on account of its position being diametrically opposite that of the former
support.
$
The valves a serve for the admission of the mixture into the exhausting chambers.
The slide valve » serves for the admission of the charge into the combustion
chambers and for the escape of the burnt gases.
The valves act automatically, being opened in consequence of the return of the
piston which tends to form a vacuum in the exhausting chamber, and exhausts the
air from the outside and the gas from the gas pipes (Fig. 3), through suitably
graduated ports which remain open during the motion of the valves.
The said valves a act also as governors being so placed that their axis are
parallel to the radius in such a manner as to be subjected to the action of centrifugal
force and tend to remain stuck more or less to their casing according to tlie rotary
speed of the engine. It is thus sufficient to adjust their spiral springs to cause the
engine to turn at the desired speed.
The gas pipes communicate with the gas tanks or with a suitable gas
conduit the gas passing from the respective valves within the hollow motor shaft
and through the ring d, (Fig. 2) fixed to the frame and which surrounds the mouth
of the shaft.
A similar arrangement is used for the burnt gases which pass through the slide
valves n along the pipes y and through the shaft whence they escape through the
discharge pipe y" (Fig. 114). The slide valves n are actuated by the levers
which are operated by the eccentric J rivetted upon the other and larger eccentric
and the diametrically opposite and most eccentric curves of which cause the lever
to open the exhaust parts while the two most eccentric curves cause the admission
parts to be opened and when the rollers move upon the two other parts of the
eccentric all the parts remain closed. A strong spiral spring compels the lever to
bear constantly against the eccentric.
The other larger levers L serve as already stated for the return stroke of the
piston which takes place when the corresponding roller moves upon the ascending

page_text: curve of the large eccentric H. When the roller has reached the summit of the
curve, the return stroke of the piston ceases and the latter is closed so long as the
admission of the charge takes place wherefor the eccentric is furnished with a con-
centric curve following the ascending curve aforesaid. After the admission has
taken place the connecting rod comes to bear against one of the two fixed
supports A or M, the lever ceasing now to operate and abandoning the eccentric
which it takes up again when the expansion is completed and the piston returns to
its normal position.
The compression of the mixture is caused by the power of the explosion which
propels the piston forward. To set the engine in motion it is requisite that the
forward motion of the piston should also take place without expansion. For this
purpose the lever L is furnished with a second arm which in this case or in
that of a stroke being missed comes to bear upon the ascending curve of the
great eccentric.
The ignition is effected by electricity the spark being generated when the circuit
is broken. This circuit is established when the suitably insulated pieces e come in
contact one with the other, and it is broken when the pieces Q (Fig. 2) strike
the pieces (Fig. 2) the points being separated in the combustion chamber and the
spark formed.
The electric current is supplied by a battery as shown in the drawings or by any
other suitable dynamo which may rotate with the engine.
If the above described engine is required to be actuated by means of carburatted
air, it will be sufficient to modify the valve accordingly by dispensing with the
air ports and to add any suitable carburator thereto, or instead of a carburator I
may inject directly into the combustion chamber a thin jet of sprayed or highly
divided petroleum or benzine. The injector may be placed close to the slide
valve.
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 :-
Ist. In a rotary engine, the combination with a hollow shaft of a series of
cylinders fixed equi distantly upon a fly wheel or other momentum accumulator
such cylinders being fitted with pistons the connecting rods of which bear at
certain parts of their revolution against fixed cams or resistance pieces thus com-
pelling the cylinder to rotate around the hollow axis as the motor gases expand
substantially as described & illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2nd. In a rotary engine such as described the combination with the revolving
cylinders and pistons and also fixed cams of eccentric or cam H and levers L
for effecting the return stroke of the piston after the explosion or expansion
of the motor gases such as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
3. In a rotary engine such as described the combination of an eccentric or cam
such as J with levers for operating the slide valves n substantially as described &
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
7'
Dated this 18th November 1891.
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
76, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.