Improvements in Lubricating the Cylinders, Pistons, and Valves of Gas Engines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Sept., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 16th June, 1897-Accepted, 31st July, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lubricating the Cylinders, Pistons, and Valves of
Gas Engines.
DANIEL SMITH Castle Iron Works Raglan Street Wolverhampton Staffordshire
Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
It has for its object the purpose of more effectually lubricating the interior of the
cylinder, the surfaces of its piston and the valves of Gas Engines, or such Motors, that
are driven by explosive or combustable gases.
At present the piston and its cylinder are generally lubricated from the front or
crank end by drops of oil falling through a suitable aperture on to the piston during
its reciprocating motion.
Its chief defect is one of Insufficiency.
:
The rear end of the cylinder & piston gets no oil excepting that which is conveyed
by the piston during its return stroke.
The continual explosions and combustion of the gas and air every alternate stroke,
as in the "Otto Cycle" is sufficient to overheat the back end of the piston, and since
the combustion is going on during the entire outward stroke, it not only unduly
heats the piston, and so decomposes the oil thereon, but burns off that previously
distributed by the piston over the interior of the cylinder by the last inward
stroke.
The effect is that the rear end of both cylinder & piston are not kept in a proper
state of lubrication and this soon causes the piston rings to wear & so become partially
ineffective, and in consequence the impulse of each explosion tends to sweep the oil
forwards away from the rear end of both piston & cylinder aggravating the difficulty
in keeping up efficient lubrication or to do so necessitates much larger quantities of
lubricant than is really necessary. Moreover the air, exhaust, & ignition valves are
always working in a heated & unlubricated condition.
The difficulties are effectually & economically overcome by the following means:
Into the air pipe as near to the air valve as possible I introduce a tube preferably
to project into the interior to about the centre of its diameter.
On the outer end of this tube which preferably extends upwards, a lubricator is
connected, which is constructed so that the oil can run, or fall, in intermittant drops
into a small receptacle (yet to be described) in the air pipe below. As the consecutive
drops present themselves or accumulate and the air valve rises, the piston draws in
its air or charge of explosive mixture, the current of air or mixture serves to carry the
lubricant forward through the air valve into the back end of the cylinder and so
lubricates the rear end of the interior of the cylinder & valves.
I will now describe the form & detail of the aforesaid receptacle in which the oil
collects.
In order to secure effectual distribution of the oil for insertion into the air pipe, I
prefer to construct a form of nozzle into which the oil runs.
This nozzle has its sides cut away, and on the side nearest the air valve I cover with
fine gauze (metallic preferred). On the opposite side of the said nozzle to the air

page_text: valve I also cover with a similar gauze, but of a coarser mesh, of say about 3 to 1.
These two gauze sides form a small chamber for the lubricant to drop or fall into.
The forward current of air freely passes through the coarser gauze into the oil
chamber & forces the lubricant through the finer gauze thereby splitting or dividing it
up into molecules for its better and more uniform distribution over the interior of
the cylinder and parts.
I may prefer to place these two gauzes so close together as to assist in the more
effectual spreading ont of each drop of oil into a flat layer so that the current of air
would the more easily produce a finer spray of oil for distribution.
The exterior vessel to contain the lubricant is constructed with means to adjust the
number of drops say per minute as they descend by an aperture, that their rate of
fall can be seen.
The sight aperatures may be covered with glass or other transparent material.
Beneath this aperature a small valve is inserted which is preferably kept open by its
own weight so that the lubricant can pass by it into the air pipe; but in case the air
valve should at any time become leaky the force of the escaping gases would close this
valve thereby preventing the lubricant from being blown about or wasted.
I may mention that this means of lubrication may be inserted in the gas supply pipe
but it would not be so effectual as in the air pipe.
I may modify this application by inserting it into the piston. In this case the oil
vessel would preferably be on the crank end of the cylinder, and a tube would convey
the lubricant along the top of the interior of the piston, and discharge it through a
hole, or holes, near to or between the piston rings. The quick reversal of the piston
and the momentum of the oil in the tube would serve to inject it between the working
surface of the piston and cylinder.
COMPLETE SPE
ATION.
Improvements in Lubricating the Cylinders, Pistons, and Valves of
Gas Engines.
DANIEL SMITH Castle Iron Works Raglan Street Wolverhampton Staffordshire
Mechanical 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:-
This invention has for its object the purpose of more effectually lubricating the
interior of the cylinder, the surface of its piston, and the valves of the Gas Engines
or such Motors that are driven by explosive or combustible gases.
At present the piston & its cylinder are generally lubricated from the front or
crank end, by drops of oil falling through a suitable aperture into the piston, during
its reciprocating motion. Its chief defect is one of insufficiency the rear end of the
cylinder & piston gets no oil excepting that which is conveyed by the piston during
its return stroke.
The continual explosions & combustion of the gas and air every alternate stroke,
as in the "Otto Cycle," is sufficient to overheat the back end of the piston, & since
the combustion is going on during the entire outward stroke, it not only unduly heats
the piston & so decomposes the oil thereon; but burns off that previously distri-
buted by the piston, over the interior of the cylinder, by the last inward stroke.
The effect is that the rear end of both cylinder & piston are not kept in a proper
state of lubrication, & this soon causes the piston rings to wear, & so become partially
ineffective, & in consequence the impulse of each explosion tends to sweep the oil
forwards away from the rear end of both piston & cylinder, aggravating the difficulty
in keeping up efficient lubrication, or to do so necessitates much larger quantities of

page_text: lubricant than is really necessary. Moreover the air exhaust & ignition valves are
always working in a heated & unlubricated condition.
The difficulties are effectually & economically overcome by the following means:-
Into the air pipe, as near to the air valve as possible, I introduce a tube preferably
to project into the interior, to about the centre of its diameter. On the outer end of
this tube, which preferably extends upwards, a lubricator is connected, which is con-
stricted so that the oil can run or fall in intermittent drops, into a small receptacle,
(yet to be described) in the air pipe below. As the consecutive drops present them-
selves, or accumulate, and the air valve rises, the piston draws in its air, or charge of
explosive mixture, the current of air or mixture serves to carry the lubricant forward
through the air valve, into the back end of the cylinder, & so lubricates the rear
end of the interior of the cylinder & valves. I will now describe the forin & detail of
the aforesaid receptacle in which the oil collects :-In order to secure effectual distri-
bution of the oil for insertion into the air pipe, I prefer to construct a form of nozzle
into which the oil runs. This nozzle has its sides cut away, & on that side nearest
the air valve, I cover with fine gauze (metallic preferred.) On the opposite side of
the said nozzle to the air valve, I also cover with a similar gauze, but of a coarser
inesh of say about 3 to 1. These two gauzed sides form a small chamber for the
lubricant to drop or fall into. The forward current of air freely passes through the
coarser gauze into the oil chamber, & forces the lubricant through the finer gauze,
thereby splitting or dividing it up into molecules for its better and more uniformi
distribution over the interior of the cylinder & parts.
I may prefer to place these two gauzes so close together as to assist in the more
effectual spreading ont of each drop of oil into a flat layer, so that the current of air
would more easily produce a finer spray of oil for distribution.
The exterior vessel which contains the lubricant is constructed with means to adjust
the number of drops, say per minute, as they descend by an aperture that their rate
of fall can be seen. The sight aperture may be covered with glass or other transparent
material.
Beneath this aperture a small valve is inserted which is preferably kept open by its
own weight so that the lubricant can pass by it into the air pipe; but in case the air
valve should at any time become leaky, the force of the escaping gases would close
this valve, thereby preventing the lubricant from being blown about or wasted.
I may mention that this means of lubrication may be inserted in the gas supply
pipe, but it would not be so effectual as in the air pipe.
I will now redescribe this invention having reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of this invention, showing it as applied to the air pipe
of a gas engine, or such motors that are driven by explosive or combustible gases."
Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1.
I will now proceed to describe the means used to give effect to this invention.
Beginning with Fig. 1 A is a sight feed lubricator, which is secured to the down
tube B by the socket C, the whole of which is preferably connected to the most con-
venient part of the engine, the other end of the tube B is connected to the nozzle D,
which is inserted into the air pipe M, of the engine; the end f of the nozzle D which
projects into about the middle of the diameter of the air pipe M, is made preferably
bell-mouthed, into which a coarse meshed wire gauze l, & a fine ineshed wire gauze m
are placed.
1 also fix a check valve S, preferably in the socket C, the use of which is yet to be
described. I will now explain the action of this invention. The chamber of the
sight feed lubricator A, is filled with oil & its outlet at the bottom is regulated by
the vertical adjustment of the plug t, this is adjusted by the cam action on the
ever s and the nut p, so as to allow the oil or lubricant to drop at the rate required.
As the oil drops, it accumulates in the lower part of the tube B & runs therefrom into
the air-pipe M, but in case the nozzle is used and constructed according to this
nvention, the oil runs into the end of the nozzle D, then, as the air is drawn through
he air pipe into the cylinder in the direction of the arrow y, by the outward stroke

page_text: which
of the piston, it enters the gauze & drives the oil through the wire gauze m,
splits the oil up into a fine spray, & carries it with the air into the cylinder,
causing the whole of the interior of the cylinder & the valve faces to be efficiently
lubricated.
The object of the check valve S is for the purpose of preventing any back pressure
which may escape from the cylinder, from coming up the tube B, thus preventing the
oil being forced back into the lubricator, but this can only occur when the air valve
is in a defective condition.
In this invention the wire gauze on the nozzle may be dispensed with, but for the
more effective division & distribution of the lubricant its use is obvious. A tube
projecting into the air pipe would be a crude equivalent to the nozzle without
the gauze. In the place of the wire gauze mentioned throughout I may prefer to
substitute perforated discs or other suitable equivalent.
Although I prefer to connect this lubricator to the air pipe through which the
supply of air is made, it may be affixed onto any other pipe that communicates to the
interior of the cylinder having a current of air or gas or both combined, driven along
with sufficient force to carry forward the lubricant into the cylinder. The object to
be aimed at, is the rear end of the interior of the cylinder, where the chief combustion
occurs, this being the part that gets dry & becomes cut or worn away, & any binding
of the piston in the cylinder that retards its forward movement, as the explosion
occurs & combustion proceeds, leads to great waste of energy, therefore unnecessary
consumption of gas.
Having now described & ascertained the nature of this invention what I do claim
is as follows:-
1. The introduction of a suitable lubricant into the air pipe, the same to be carried
forward with the air as it is drawn into the interior of the cylinder by the outward
stroke of the piston, as herein described & shown, having reference to the accom-
panying drawings for the purpose set forth, either with the gauze m in, or out of the
nozzle D.
2. The nozzle D with one or more wire gauzes, or otherwise perforat ddiscs, for
the oil to drop, or otherwise run, or collect in front of such disc, so that the force of
the air or other mixture drives such collected lubricant through the gauze or per-
forated disc, thereby splitting up into a fine spray so as to be the more effectually
carried forward, intermingled with the air & distributed over the interior of the
cylinder & on the valve faces.
3. Constructing & fixing the nozzle D at the back of the air valve or on the inlet
side so that its orifice of discharge is in or about the centre of the air, or other pipe
to which it is inserted.
4. The check valve S fixed anywhere, intermediate between the falling lubricant
and the escaping orifice, so as to prevent any back pressure from forcing back the
lubricant, in case there should be a leakage at the air valve, at the time when the
explosion of the gas & air occurs.
5. The combination of the sight feed lubricator A with the nozzle D, as herein
described & shown.
Dated T TELL 1005