Improvements in Gas and Petroleum Engines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Jan., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 14th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 1st Jan., 1898
Improvements in Gas and Petroleum Engines.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents, 45
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
These improvements mainly refer to the following features :-
(1) The general construction of the engine;
(2) The connection of the escape valve with the governor, for regulating or
controlling purposes;
(3) The electric contact arrangement for ignition, by means of an electric spark ;
(4) The provision of petroleum feeding vessels and their combination with a
constant level reservoir;
(5) The provision of carburetting apparatus to be employed when the engine is to
be worked by petroleum ; and
(6) The provision of a distributing device for enabling the engine to be operated
either with petroleum or with ordinary (lighting) gas, and, in the latter case, ensuring
the admission of the air required to form the explosive mixture.
In order to leave no doubt as to these several points of my invention, reference is
made to the following description of the vertical "four-stroke "motor engine provided
with the improvements we have named.
DESCRIPTION.
The vertical "four stroke" engine comprises: a driving cylinder, fitted with a
jacket for water-circulation; a suction or inlet valve and an escape or exhaust valve;
a piston connected by a connecting rod to the driving crank-shaft, supported by
bearings one of the ends of which crankshaft carries a fly-wheel and a driving pulley,
while the other end carries the governor; the mechanism connecting the escape
or exhaust valve with the governor; transmission gearing from the driving shaft
co-operating with the connecting or intermediate mechanism just mentioned in
setting in operation both the exhaust valve and the contact device for passing the
electrical ignition spark; a receiver arranged at the lower part of the engine for
the reception of the feeding vessels adapted to maintain a constant level therein; a
carburizer communicating with the said receiver; a distributor for controlling the
delivery of carburretted air, or effecting the mixture of gas and air; and a hollow
pedestal or support, doing duty as a concussion or sound deadening chamber into
which the products of combustion are conveyed. It further includes an oil bath,
fed by the lubricator, for lubricating the parts of the motion-transmitting gearing
before referred to.
We will now deal with the points peculiar to this engine.
The suction or inlet valve and the exhaust valve are enclosed in the saine case
or chest secured by bolts to the top-part of the cylinder. Between these two valves.

page_text: working in opposite directions there.is situated the ignition device facing the orifice
which opens into the interior of the cylinder. The suction valve is connected by
a channel with the distributing device presently to be described. The exhaust valve
is subjected to the action of a spring which tends constantly to keep it closed; and
below such valve there is situated the exhaust jet, connected, by a pipe to the
hollow base or concussion-chamber, provided with a pipe, opening to the atmosphere.
In a line with the rod of the exhaust valve there is arranged a second rod
accurately guided both above and below. At its upper part the latter rod is
axially traversed by an inner rod, under the action of a repelling spring, the lower
portion of which, fitted with a hook, engages in a slot provided in the second rod.
This second rod rests upon a knife-edge forming part of a lever which is pivotted to
second lever, the fulcrum of which is near its middle and the other end of which
embraces the sliding sleeve of the ball-governor. When the normal speed, which is
regulated by the spring of the said sliding sleeve, is exceeded, the said sleeve causes
the second lever to swing round, and thereby to shift the knife-edge so that it no
longer offers the inner rod any support.
At its lower part the second rod is fitted with a roller resting upon a cam which is
keyed on an intermediate shaft and receives motion from the driving shaft through
the medium of the transmission wheels in the ratio of 1 to 2. The cam raises the
second rod and, with it, also the inner rod, when this last-mentioned rod is struck by
the knife-edge, so as to act upon the exhaust valve. When the said inner rod is no
longer in contact with the knife-edge, the second rod still continues in the raised
position, in which it is held by the cam; but it compresses the repelling spring
which is far less powerful than the spring of the exhaust valve, which, owing to this
fact, is not raised.
The exhaust is accordingly cut off and a fresh charge of mixture cannot be drawn
in. This condition is maintained until the engine has attained its normal speed
again. Next to the cam there is placed a second cam, adapted to act upon a flat spring,
or spring-blade, and thus to bring about the electrical contact necessary for producing
the spark for igniting the explosive mixture. A second knife-edge is mounted in a
support of insulating material and placed in cominunication with one of the poles
of a battery, the opposite pole of which is connected to the body of the engine.
The peculiarity of this latter knife-edge is, that it may be displaced longitudinally,
so as to regulate, or determine, the time when electrical contact or the closing of the
circuit should occur, so as to cause the ignition to take place more or less in
advance.
The receiver, which is situated at the lower part of the engine, is divided into two
compartments placed one on each side of the oil-bath and communicating with each
other through a channel. In each of these compartments there is a feed vessel
containing hydrocarbon and constructed as follows: it is simply a prismatic vessel of
any desired capacity, within which there is arranged a tube extending from the top,
where it has an aperture, while its opposite end, projecting through and opening
outside, is whistle-shaped or bevelled. second length of tube arranged at the
bottom and communicating with the interior, projects for a greater distance than the
first tube. Between the two tubes there is interposed the filling plug. Towards
the top of the vessel there is provided a collar with a handle. The feeding vessels,
filled with hydrocarbon, are supported in the interior of the receiver on apertures
provided for the purpose at the upper part of such receiver, so that their collars and
handles make a joint with the receiver. The hydrocarbon which these vessels contain
is discharged through the first tube until the level of the liquid in the receiver closes
the second tube, which consummation is arrived at gradually owing to the bevelled
extremity of the said tube. The level thus restored will remain constant, or
practically constant, the hydrocarbon consumed being immediately replaced by a
corresponding fresh supply. A further advantage of this arrangement resides in the
fact that the manipulation of the hydrocarbon is unattended with any danger, all the
attendant, or engine-driver, has to do, being to substitute fresh feeding vessels for
those which are exhausted; so that the liquid need not be transferred from one vessel

page_text: to another, since the vessels inserted in the chamber provided for their reception in
the engine are charged beforehand. It will be observed that in order to fill them, it
is only necessary to place them in the erect position on the floor, with the filling
plug at the top; to unscrew such plug and to put it back in its place after charging.
The hydrocarbon contained in the receiver-with its unvarying level-passing
through a conduit or channel, situated at the bottom of the said receiver, flows towards
the carburetting apparatus, the arrangement of which is as follows:-
The said carburetting apparatus consists of a bath or tank into which hydrocarbon
is delivered through the channel at the bottom of the receiver. and in which there
dips a bundle of metallic wires compressed in a plug surmounted by a screw which,
by means of its gradually deepening triangular grooves, enables the supply to be
accurately controlled.
It will at once be seen that the bundle of wires, where it dips in the bath draws in
the hydrocarbon by capillarity, and that the liquid thus drawn up always comes from
the bottom of the bath, so that the formation of a deposit of heavy oil is precluded.
On the other hand the level of the liquid may at all times be ascertained, as may be
likewise the condition of the bundle of wires, the bath being provided for the purpose
with two glazed apertures or windows, on opposite sides.
Above the said bath is located the body of the carburetting apparatus, wherein a
bent tube conducts the atmospheric air, entering through an inlet, towards the
controlling or adjusting plug. The aperture of this inlet is adjusted by means of a
rotary shutter or damper, fitted with a pointer which indicates the different positions
of the said damper or shutter on a properly graduated scale. The atmospheric air
becomes carburetted by contact with the hydrocarbon discharged by means of the
adjusting screw and it rises to the top of the carburetting apparatus, whence there
branches off a pipe, which joins the distributor, more fully described further on. It
will be observed that the plug, with its adjustable screw at the upper end of the
bundle of wires is provided with a small aperture, through which the portions of the
hydrocarbon, which have not been utilized in carburetting the air, drop back into
the bath.
The distributor which is here employed comprises, as an essential part, a cock the
plug of which has three ports, one opens into the pipe leading from the carburetting
apparatus while the second communicates with the chest of an auxiliary valve and
the third, with the atmosphere. The plug of the cock is so perforated that, in one
position, it makes a direct connection between the pipe leading from the carburetting
apparatus and the chest of the auxiliary valve, while in the other position, it
connects such valve-chest with the atmosphere. A handle enables the plug to be
moved to either of these two extreme positions, or to intermediate positions such as
may be indicated by a dial. In the former case, the engine will be operated by
carburetted air, in the latter, by ordinary gas. Where gas is the motor fluid, it is
supplied through a pipe provided with a cock and passes-when the auxiliary valve
is lifted from its seat through the ports of a bush or sleeve for the purpose of
mixing with the atmospheric air supplied at and delivered by the three-way cock, or
tap. It will be noticed that the engine, from a gas-operated one, may instantaneously
be converted into a petroleum engine, or vice-versa, by simply operating the handle.
In either case the explosive mixture passes through the channel to the inlet, which
is raised from its seat, whenever the driving cylinder acts by suction, as explained.
Such is, substantially, the general construction of the improved engine. Its size
may vary at will, and each constituent part thereof be employed separately in
connection with any engine other than the one here shown.
Dated this 15th day of January 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Gas and Petroleum Engines.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, Co., Patent Agents.
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the naturė
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 relates to the improvements in gas and petroleum engines.
These improvements mainly refer to the following features:-
(1) The general construction of the engine;
(2) The connection of the escape-valve with the governor, for regulating or
controlling purposes;
(3) The electric contact arrangement, for ignition by means of an electric spark ;
(4) The provision of petroleum feeding vessels and their combination with a
constant level reservoir;
(5) The provision of a carburetting apparatus, to be employed when the engine is to
be worked by petroleum; and
(6) The provision of a distributing device for enabling the engine to be operated
either with petroleum or with ordinary (lighting) gas, and, in the latter case, ensuring
the admission of the air required to form the explosive mixture.
In order to leave no doubt as to these several points, of the invention, reference is
made in the following description to the accompanying drawings showing by way of
example, the vertical "four-stroke" motor engine provided with the improvements
above named.
In the said drawing
Figure 1 is a vertical section in the axial plane of the driving shaft;
Figure 2 is a front elevation viewed from the governor side and showing some of
the parts in section ;
Figure 3 is a vertical section of the carburettor and Figs 4 and 5 are vertical
and horizontal sections, on lines 4-4 and 5-5 respectively, of the carburettor ;
and
Figures 6, 6 and 7 show one of the main parts of the distributor.
The vertical "four-stroke" engine as shown in the drawing comprises: a driving
cylinder, fitted with a jacket for water-circulation; a suction or inlet valve a and an
escape or exhaust valve a¹; a piston B connected by a connecting rod b to the
driving crank-shaft C, supported by bearings D D¹, one of the ends of which crank shaft.
carries a fly-wheel F, and a driving pulley F, while the other end carries the
governor G; the mechanism connecting the escape or exhaust valve a¹ with the
governor; transmission gearing from the driving shaft C co-operating with the connect-
ing or intermediate mechanism just mentioned in setting in operation both the exhaust
valve and the contact device for passing the electrical ignition spark; a receiver H
arranged at the lower part of the engine for the reception of the feeding vessels I
adapted to maintain a constant level therein; a carburizer J communicating with
the said receiver H; a distributor K for controlling the delivery of carburetted air,
or effecting the mixture of gas and air; and a hollow pedestal or support L, doing
duty as a concussion or sound deadening chamber into which the products of
combustion are conveyed. It further includes an oil bath fed by the lubricator x,
for lubricating the parts of the motion-transmitting gearing before referred to.
I will now deal with the points peculiar to this engine.
The suction or inlet valve a and the exhaust valve a¹ are enclosed in the same
case or chest secured by bolts to the top parts of the cylinder A. Between these
two valves working in opposite directions there is situated the ignition device facing
the orifice o which opens into the interior of the cylinder. The suction valve is

page_text: connected by a channel c with the distributing device presently to be described.
The exhaust valve is subjected to the action of a spring d which tends constantly to
keep it closed; and below such valve there is situated the exhaust-jet, connected, by
a pipe M, to the hollow base or concussion-chamber L, provided with a pipe N,
opening into the atmosphere.
In a line with the rod of the exhaust valve a' there is arranged a second rod e,
accurately guided both above and below. At its upper part the latter rod e is
axially traversed by an inner rod e' under the action of a repelling spring r, the lower
portion of which, fitted with a hook, engages in a slot provided in the second rod e.
This rod e' rests upon a knife-edge f, forming part of a lever, which is pivotted to
a lever g, the fulcrum of which is at g, and the other end of which embraces the
sliding sleeve h of the ball-governor G. When the normal speed,-which is regulated
by the spring of the sleeve h,-is exceeded, the said sleeve causes the lever g to
swing round, and thereby to shift the knife-edge f so that it no longer offers the
inner rod e¹ any support.
At its lower part the rod e is fitted with a roller i resting upon a cam which is
keyed on an intermediate shaft and receives motion from the driving shaft C
through the medium of the transmission wheels ; and j¹, in the ratio of 1 to 2.
The cam raises the rode and, with it, also the inner rod e, when this
last-mentioned rod is struck by the knife-edge f, so as to act.
upon the
exhaust valve a. When the said rod e¹ is no longer in contact with the
knife-edge f, the rod e still continues in the raised position, in which it is held by
the cam ; but it compresses the spring r, which is far less powerful than the
spring d of the exhaust valve, which, owing to this fact, is not raised. The exhaust
is accordingly cut off and a fresh charge of mixture cannot be drawn in. This
condition is maintained until the engine has attained its normal speed again. Next
to the cam there is placed a second cam k, adapted to act upon a flat spring, or
spring-blade, (Figure 2), and thus to bring about the electrical contact necessary
for producing the spark for igniting the explosive mixture. The spring blade is
mounted in a support of insulating material and placed in communication with one
of the poles of a battery, the opposite pole of which is connected to the body of the
engine. The peculiarity of this spring blade is, that it may be displaced
longitudinally, so as to regulate, or determine the time when electrical contact
or the closing of the circuit, should occur, so as to cause the ignition to take place
more or less in advance.
The receiver H, which is situated at the lower part of the engine, is divided into
two compartments placed one on each side of the oil-bath and communicating with
each other through a channel m. In each of these compartments there is a feed vessel I
containing hydrocarbon and constructed as follows: It is simply a prismatic vessel
of any desired capacity, within which there is arranged a tube n extending from the
top, where it has an aperture y, while its opposite end, projecting through and
opening outside, is whistle-shaped or bevelled. A second length of tube, n¹, arranged
at the bottom and communicating with the interior, projects for a greater distance
than the first tube n. Between the two tubes n¹ n there is interposed the filling
plug o¹, towards the top of the vessel there is provided a collar with a handle p. The
feeding vessels, filled with hydrocarbon are supported in the interior of the receiver H
on apertures provided for the purpose at the upper part of such receiver, so that their
collars and handles p make a joint with the receiver. The hydrocarbon which these
vessels contain is discharged through the tube n² until the level of the liquid in the
receiver closes the tube n, which consummation is arrived at gradually owing to the
bevelled extremity of the said tube. The level thus restored will remain constant,
or practically constant, the hydrocarbon consumed being immediately replaced by a
corresponding fresh supply. A further advantage of this arrangement resides in the
fact that the manipulation of the hydrocarbon is unattended with any danger, all the
attendant, or engine-driver, has to do, being, to substitute fresh feeding vessels for
those which are exhausted, so that the liquid need not be transferred from one vessel
to another, since the vessels inserted in the chamber provided for their reception in

page_text: the engine are charged before hand. It will be observed that in order to fill them,
it is only necessary to place them in the erect position on the floor, with the filling
plug o' at the top; to unscrew such plug and to put it back in its place after
charging.
The hydrocarbon contained in the receiver H-with its unvarying level-passing
through a conduit or channel q situated at the bottom of the said receiver H, flows
towards the carburetting apparatus J, the arrangement of which is as follows:-
The said carburetting apparatus as shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5, consists of a bath or
tank s into which hydrocarbon is delivered through the channel 9 and in which there
dips a bundle of metallic wires t compressed in a plug surmounted by a screw u which,
by means of its gradually deepening triangular groove, as shown in Fig 3 enables the
supply to be accurately controlled.
It will at once be seen that the bundle of wires, where it dips in the bath s, draws
in the hydrocarbon by capillarity, and that the liquid thus drawn up always
comes from the bottom of the bath, so that the formation of a deposit of heavy oil is
precluded. On the other hand the level of the liquid may at all times be ascertained
as may be likewise the condition of the bundle of wires t, the bath & being provided
for the purpose with two glazed apertures or windows 8¹ 8², on opposite sides.
Above the said bath is located the body of the carburetting apparatus, wherein a
bent tube J¹ conducts the atmospheric air, entering through an inlet v, towards the
controlling or adjusting plug. The aperture of this inlet v is adjusted by means of a
rotary shutter or damper v¹, fitted with a pointer which indicates the different
positions of the said damper or shutter on a properly graduated scale. The atmospheric
air becomes carburetted by contact with the hydrocarbon discharged by means of the
adjusting screw u and following the direction of the arrows, it rises to the top of the
carburetting apparatus J, whence there branches off a pipe O, which joins
the distributor K, which shall be more fully described further on. It will be observed
that the plug u, with its adjustable screw at the upper end of the bundle of wire is
provided with a small aperture z, through which the portions of the hydrocarbon which
have not been utilized in carburetting the air, drop back into the bath s.
+
The distributor K which is here employed comprises, as an essential part, a cock
the plug of which has three ports, one of which m¹ opens into the pipe O while the
second m², communicates with the chest of an auxiliary valve b, and the third m³,
with the atmosphere. The plug of the cock is so perforated that, in one position
(Figure 6) it makes a direct connection between the pipe O and the chest of the
auxiliary valve 61, while in the other position (Figure 6) it connects such valve-
chest with the atmosphere. A handle q¹ enables the plug to be moved to either of
these two extreme positions, or to intermediate positions such as may be indicated
by a dial, as shewn in Figure 7. In the former case, the engine will be operated by
carburetted air, in the latter, by ordinary gas. Where gas is the motor fluid, it is
supplied through a pipe P provided with a cock at c¹, and passes when the auxiliary
valve b¹ is lifted from its seat-through the ports d¹ of a bush or sleeve ¹ for the
purpose of mixing with the atmospheric air supplied at m³ and delivered by the
three-way cock, or tap. It will be noticed that the engine, from a gas-operated one,
may instantaneously be converted into a petroleum engine, or vice-versa, by simply
operating the handle q¹. In either case the explosive mixture passes through the
channel c and the inlet valve a, which is raised from its seat whenever the driving
cylinder acts by suction, as explained above. Such is, substantially, the general
construction of the improved engine. Its size may be varied at will, and each
constituent part thereof be employed separately in connection with any engine other
than the one here shown.
'
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The above-described four-stroke gas or petroleum, comprising in its complete
state a driving cylinder with a jacket; a piston connected to the driving shaft by a

page_text: link; a valve for the admission of the explosive mixture and an exhaust valve for
the escape of the burnt gases; a connection between the said exhaust-valve and the
governor, the exhaust being cut off whenever the engine exceeds its normal speed;
a contact device for producing the electric igniting spark; a constant level
hydrocarbon receiver; a carburizer for carburetting the air when the engine is to be
operated by petroleum, and a distributing device enabling the engine to be used (at
will) either as a carburetted air engine or as a gas engine; all arranged and
operating as and for the purpose specified.
2. In gas or petroleum engines, the combination with the exhaust valve (a¹)
subjected to the action of a powerful spring and with a ball governor (G), of a cam (¿¹)
driven by the main shaft (C); a rod (e) adapted to be raised by the said cam; a
rod (e') carried by the rod (e) and adapted to come into contact with a knife-edge (f),
connected by a set of levers (f, g) to the sliding sleeve (h) of the governor; a
spring () interposed between the rods eel, the tension of which, however, is not so
powerful as that of the spring (d) of the exhaust valve (a¹); such combination
being intended to arrest the rising of the exhaust valve whenever the engine
exceeds the normal speed controlled by the tension of the spring (r¹) of the
governor, as specified.
3. In petroleum or hydrocarbon engines, the provision of feed vessels (I), fitted
with 2 tubes (n, n¹) projecting for an unequal distance; one of which pairs of
tubes (n) plunges into the interior,--in combination with a receiver H, in such a
manner that, owing to the influence of the said vessels, there may be maintained a
constant level in the receiver, as specified; the said feeding vessels enabling, more-
over, the hydrocarbon to be manipulated more readily than it could otherwise be, and
removing any cause of danger that might otherwise result from such manipulation.
4. In petroleum or hydrocarbon engines the arrangement of an air carburizer
consisting of a bath (s) which the hydrocarbon enters, so that a series or bundle of
wires (t), surmounted by an adjusting screw (u), may plunge therein; and of a
body (J) containing a tube (J¹) for the supply of the air to be carburetted; such
body being situated above and in the axial plane of the bundle of wires (t); such
tube or pipe J comprising a damper (v v') enabling the admission of air to be
controlled and opening just above the screw controlling the delivery of hydrocarbon;
such hydrocarbon being adapted to act by suction and producing a thorough and
perfect mixture of the hydrocarbon and air, as specified.
5. In an air carburizer, such as is referred to in the 4th. claim, the combination
with the bath (s) containing the liquid and the bundle of wires (t), of glazed
apertures (8182) enabling the level of the liquid and the condition of the wires
plunging into the lower part of such liquid, to be readily ascertained, as specified.
6. In petroleum or hydrocarbon engines, the combination of a constant level
receiver (such as H) with the curburizer referred to in the 4th claim, as and for the
purpose set forth with reference to the accompanying drawing.
7. In gas and petroleum engines, a distributor consisting of a three-way cock (K)
serving either to afford a passage for the carburetted air, when the engine is worked
by petroleum, or to admit the air to be mixed with the gas, when gas operation is
contemplated; such cock being adapted to co-operate with any carburizer and with
a gas supply pipe (c¹), the mixture of such gas with air taking place whenever an
auxiliary valve (6¹) is lifted off its seat, as specified with reference to the drawing.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.