IMPROVE- MENTS IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES
Year: 1882

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 GAS MOTOR ENGINES Communicated to him from abroad by Carl
Beissel of Ehrenfeld near Cologne in the German Empire.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th July 1882.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL of N° 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in
the County of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES" [Commu-
nicated to him from abroad by Carl Beissel of Ehrenfeld near Cologne in the
German Empire.]
One part of the present invention has for its object the effectual removal of the
gaseous products of combustion from the cylinder of a gas engine before the intro-
duction of the next combustible charge, so that the former may not have a
prejudicial effect on the action of the latter. For this purpose a gas engine
constructed according to this invention is arranged to operate as follows:-
First. A combustible charge being introduced into the cylinder and compressed,
it is ignited and the piston makes its outstroke by the expansion of the gaseous
products of combustion. Near the end of the out stroke an exhaust valve is opened
so as to allow the products to escape while at the same time a charge of compressed
air is introduced so as to drive off the whole of such products after which the fresh
combustible charge is introduced.
Second. The piston performs its instroke compressing the charge, which is then
fired. Thus each outroke of the piston is a working stroke.
For effecting the above operations, there is provided near the outer end of the
working cylinder, an exhaust opening leading to the outer air which opening is
uncovered by the piston during the latter part of its outstroke so that the products
of combustion escape into the atmosphere. A reservoir of compressed air charged
by a pump worked by the engine or otherwise, communicates with the rear end of
Ponies G21

page_text: the cylinder by a passage having a check valve. As soon as by the escape of
the products, the pressure in the cylinder has sunk below that existing in the air
reservoir the valve of the latter is forced open by the air pressure, and the air
rushes into the cylinder, expelling the remainder of the gases and filling the
cylinder with pure air, and this operation takes place so rapidly as to be completed
almost immediately after the piston has uncovered the exhaust opening and while
it has still some part of its outstroke to perform. While the above operation is
being performed a charge of combustible gas and air has been drawn into the
cylinder of a pump worked by the engine, so that on the return stroke of the pump
piston, which commences immediately after the working cylinder has been charged
with air, the combustible charge is driven from the pump into the working
cylinder through a passage at the rear end provided with a check valve, thereby
driving the air contained in the working cylinder out through the exhaust opening,
which is still open owing to the working piston completing its outstroke and com-
mencing its return stroke very slowly during this time. By the time the combustible
charge has been entirely introduced so as to arrive near the exhaust opening, the
working piston has performed so much of its instroke as to close that opening and
thus prevent any escape of the charge, and on the piston now completing its
instroke this charge is compressed. The pump is provided with suitable valves or
slides worked by cams cranks or eccentrics froin the engine shaft for regulating the
proportions of gas and air required for each charge. For preventing the flame of
the ignited charge in the working cylinder from flashing back into the pump
cylinder, the passage connecting the two has an enlargement or chamber which is
filled with metal bullets or pellets which rapidly absorb the heat of any flame
that may flash backward, and effectually prevents it from passing beyond such
chamber.
When the compression of the air in the before mentioned reservoir is effected by
a pump worked by the engine, one and the same pump is by preference made to
effect this operation and the introduction of the combustible charge into the cylinder,
the one end of the pump being employed for the one operation and the other end
for the other operation.
Another part of this invention has for its object an improved construction of the
slide by means of which the ignition of the charge is effected, so as to render such
ignition perfectly certain and independent of any looseness or leakage in the
working faces. For this purpose the slide has a recess, open on both sides and
partially divided by a thin partition into an upper and a lower compartment.
When the slide is in the position closing the cylinder port, the said recess is
situated opposite a gas jet which burns continuously on one side of the slide casing,
and it is also opposite a small passage on the other side of the slide casing through
which combustible gas flows into the lower compartment of the recess while at the
same time atmospheric air enters the upper compartment through another opening
in the casing. Thus the gas entering the lower compartment is ignited by the
permanent gas flame, and as the slide travels so as to bring the recess opposite the
cylinder port the burning of such gas is kept up by the air in the upper compart-
ment. The slide has a second small transverse passage, which, before the said
recess with the igniting flame comes opposite the cylinder port establishes a com-
munication between the latter and a cavity formed in the opposite face of the slide
casing, whereby the latter will become filled with a small portion of the combus-
tible charge at the same pressure that exists in the cylinder. When now on the
further motion of the slide, the recess containing the igniting flame is brought in
front of the cylinder port the flame will be situated between the combustible
mixture in the cylinder port and that at equal pressure in the cavity of the casing
and in being thus surrounded by combustible mixture, it will not fail to ignite the
charge.
In order to reduce the speed of the slide the recess containing the igniting
flame may be duplicated, together with its permanent gas jet and gas supply
passage, on each side of the small passage that effects the communication between

page_text: the cylinder port and the cavity in the slide casing, so that each single movement
of the slide will effect the ignition of a charge instead of each double movement as
heretofore. The above construction of slide may either be made flat as is usual
with such slides, or it may be of cylindrical form, working in a cylindrical casing.
In order to insure that the cylinder port shall be always charged with pure
combustible mixture, the passage through which the beforementioned compressed
air and afterwards the combustible charge enter the cylinder is directed at an angle
towards such port so that the air and combustible charge in impinging at an angle
against the cavity of the port, will effectually clear the same of all products of
combustion from the previous charge.
Another part of the invention has reference to apparatus for governing the speed
of gas engines that either have a full supply of combustible mixture when working
at the normal speed or have such supply entirely cut off when working above that
speed. For this purpose a horizontal rod receiving a reciprocating motion from the
engine has jointed to its end a short chisel edged piece, which when raised into a
certain position comes in contact with the notched end of the gas admission valve
so as to push open the latter and admit a gaseous charge into the cylinder, but
which when not so raised, passes underneath the valve rod and fails to open the
valve. The said reciprocating rod has also a fixed arm which comes in contact
with the one arm of a bell crank lever whose other arm is formed as a spring
blade having a U shaped bend in it, and carrying firstly a weight at its end and
secondly an adjustable pin situated underneath the beforementioned jointed piece
of the reciprocating rod. Thus when the engine is moving at its normal speed the
reciprocating rod in acting on the bell crank lever raises its spring arm so as to
cause its pin to lift the jointed part of the rod and cause it to act upon the valve
rod as described. When however the rod imparts a quicker motion to the bell
crank lever, owing to the engine running above its normal speed, the inertia of
the weight on the spring arm prevents this from being raised in a corresponding
manner, and the pin fails to raise the jointed piece of the rod, and thus prevents
the gas valve being opened, so that no combustible charge is admitted into the
cylinder.

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
18th January 1883.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL of No 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in
the County of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS MOTOR ENGINES" A commu-
nication to me from abroad by Carl Beissel of Ehrenfeld near Cologne in the
German Empire
One part of the present invention has for its object the effectual removal of the
gaseous products of combustion from the cylinder of a gas engine before the
introduction of the next combustible charge, so that the former may not have a
prejudicial effect on the action of the latter. For this purpose a gas engine
constructed according to this invention is arranged to operate as follows:
First, A combustible charge being introduced into the cylinder and compressed,
it is ignited and the piston makes its outstroke by the expansion of the gaseous
products of combustion. Near the end of the outstroke an exhaust valve is opened
so as to allow the products to escape, while, at the same time, a charge of
compressed air is introduced so as to drive off the whole of such products, after
which the fresh combustible charge is introduced.
Second, The piston performs its instroke compressing the charge, which is then
fired. Thus each outstroke of the piston is a working stroke.
For effecting the above operations, there is provided near the outer end of the
working cylinder, an exhaust opening leading to the outer air which opening is
uncovered by the piston during the latter part of its outstroke, so that the products
of combustion escape into the atmosphere. A reservoir of compressed air charged
by a pump worked by the engine or otherwise, communicates with the rear end of
the cylinder by a passage having a check valve. As soon as, by the escape of the
products, the pressure in the cylinder has sunk below that existing in the air
reservoir, the valve of the latter is forced open by the air pressure, and the air
rushes into the cylinder, expelling the remainder of the gases and filling the
cylinder with pure air, and this operation takes place so rapidly as to be completed
almost immediately after the piston has uncovered the exhaust opening and while
it has still some part of its outstroke to perform. While the above operation is
being performed a charge of combustible gas and air has been drawn into the
cylinder of a pump worked by the engine, so that on the return stroke of the pump
piston, which commences immediately after the working cylinder has been charged
with air, the combustible charge is driven from the pump into the working cylinder,
through a passage at the rear end provided with a check valve, thereby driving
the air contained in the working cylinder out through the exhaust opening, which
is still open owing to the working piston completing its outstroke and commencing
its return stroke very slowly during this time. By the time the combustible charge
has been entirely introduced so as to arrive near the exhaust opening, the working
piston has performed so much of its instroke as to close that opening and thus
prevent any escape of the charge, and on the piston now completing its instroke
this charge is compressed.
The pump is provided with suitable valves or slides worked by cams, cranks or
eccentrics from the engine shaft for regulating the proportions of gas and air
required for each charge. For preventing the flame of the ignited charge in the
working cylinder from flashing back into the pump cylinder, the passage
connecting the two has an enlargement or chamber which is filled with

page_text: metal bullets or pellets, which rapidly absorb the heat of any flame that may flash
backward, and effectually prevents it from passing beyond such chamber.
When the compression of the air in the beforementioned reservoir is effected by
a pump worked by the engine, one and the same pump is by preference made to
effect this operation and the introduction of the combustible charge into the
cylinder, the one end of the pump being employed for the one operation and the
other end for the other operation.
Another part of this invention has for its object an improved construction of the
slide by means of which the ignition of the charge is effected, so as to render such
ignition perfectly certain and independent of any looseness or leakage in the
working faces. For this purpose the slide has a recess, open on both sides and
partially divided by a thin partition into an upper and a lower compartment.
When the slide is in the position closing the cylinder port, the said recess is situated
opposite a gas jet which burns continuously on one side of the slide casing, and it is
also opposite a small passage on the other side of the slide casing through which
combustible gas flows into the lower compartment of the recess while at the same
time atmospheric air enters the upper compartment through another opening in the
casing. Thus the gas entering the lower compartment ignited by the permanent
gas flame, and as the slide travels so as to bring the recess opposite the cylinder
port, the burning of such gas is kept up by the air in the upper compartment. The
slide has one or more other transverse passages, which, before the said recess with
the igniting flame comes opposite the cylinder port establish a communication
between the latter and a cavity formed in the opposite face of the slide casing,
whereby the latter is kept charged with a small portion of the combustible mixture
at the same pressure that exists in the cylinder. When now, on the further motion
of the slide, the recess containing the igniting flame is brought in front of the
cylinder port the flame will be situated between the combustible mixture in the
cylinder port and that at equal pressure in the cavity of the casing, and, in being
thus surrounded by combustible mixture, it will not fail to ignite the charge.
In order to reduce the speed of the slide the recess containing the igniting flame
may be duplicated, together with its permanent gas jet and gas supply passage, on
cach side of the small passage that effects th, communication between the cylinder
port and the cavity in the slide casing, so at each single movement of the slide
will effect the ignition of a charge instead of each double movement as heretofore.
The above construction of slide may either be made flat as is usual with such slides,
or it may be of cylindrical form, working in a cylindrical casing.
In order to ensure that the cylinder port shall be always charged with pure
combustible mixture, the passage through which the beforementioned compressed
air and afterwards the combustible charge enter the cylinder is directed at, an
angle towards such port so that the air and combustible charge, in impinging at an
angle against the cavity of the port, will effectually clear the same of all products
of combustion from the previous charge.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shews a part sectional side elevation of the
cylinder, reservoir and slide of the before described improved construction of
engine. Fig. 2 shews a sectional plan, Fig. 3, shews a part cross section and part
end elevation and Figs. 4 to 7 shew detached details and modifications.
The working cylinder 1 is connected by passage 5, port 18 and passage 9, firstly with
the reservoir 4 for compressed air through check valve 8 and passage 7 and secondly
with the compressing pump 2 for combustible mixture of gas and air, through
check valve 11 and passage 10. As before explained, the pump draws in a
charge of combustible gas and air through valve 3, and discharges the mixture
through pipe 10 valve 11 and passages 9 and 5 into cylinder 1, while the piston
hereof is beginning its return stroke. The escape opening 6 being still open, the

page_text: incoming charge of combustible mixture will drive out the products of the previous
explosion through the opening 6, which, by the time this has been completed, will
be closed by the advance of the piston, so that the charge of combustible mixture
will now be compressed by the return stroke of the piston, and, on the completion
hereof, it will be fired, as will be presently explained, thereby causing the working
piston to perform its outstroke.
During the compressing instroke of the working piston, the pump piston will
have drawn in a fresh combustible charge at 2, while at the same time it will force
a charge of atmospheric air, previously drawn in at 2a, through the passage 39 into
the air reservoir at 4, which air will be retained therein at a certain degree of
compression while the explosion and consequent outstroke of the working piston is
taking place in the cylinder 1.
As soon as the working piston uncovers the opening 6, the products of
combustion escape, and the pressure in the working cylinder sinking rapidly, the
compressed air in 4 passing through passage 7, will force open the valve 8, and
rushing into the cylinder, will drive out the remainder of the products of com-
bustion through opening 6, and will in its turn be expelled by the incoming
combustible charge as before explained.
The passage 9 through which both the compressed air and the combustible
charge enter, has an oblique direction towards the igniting port 18, so that this
port will be effectually cleared of products of combustion and filled with combustible
mixture, thus insuring the certainty of ignition of the following charge.
Between the passage 9 and the passage 10 leading to the pump is arranged a
chamber 22 formed of two perforated or wire gauze plates, the space between which
is filled with metal bullets or pellets, which rapidly absorb the heat of any flame
that may flash backward from the cylinder on the ignition of a charge, and thus
effectually prevent the flame from passing back beyond the chamber 22 and igniting
the combustible charge in the pump cylinder.
The slide 12, which in this engine merely serves to effect ignition of the
charge, is for this purpose provided with a recess partially divided by a
thin partition 14 into a large upper compartment 13 and a small lower
compartment 15.
When the slide is in the position shewn at Figs. 1, 2 and 4, this recess is so
placed that its upper compartment 13 is opposite an opening in the slide casing
through which air can enter, so that it becomes filled with atmospheric air, while
the lower compartment 15 becomes charged with combustible gas from a pipe 17*.
At the same time a gas flame 10 on the opposite side of the casing ignites the
combustible gas in 15, where it comes in contact with the air in 13 at the edge of
the partition 14, and owing to the separated supplies of air and gas in the two com-
partments this flame will be continuously fed and effectually kept up while the
slide is travelling towards the igniting port 18.
In the slide cover, opposite the igniting port 18, is formed a cavity 17, and in
the slide are formed two small transverse passages 19, so arranged that while the
igniting cavity 13, 15 is not in communication with the igniting port 18, a com-
munication is always maintained between the latter and the cavity 17 so that this
is always charged with combustible mixture at the same pressure as that existing
in the cylinder 1, so that from the moment when the igniting cavity 13, 15 first
establishes communication between its igniting flame and the port 18, it will
always be surrounded on both sides with combustible mixture at the same pressure,
as shewn at Fig. 3, and there being thus no tendency to force the flame back from
the igniting port 18, it will never fail to ignite the charge.
Instead of forming two passages 19 through the valve a single passage may be
used having its ends extended by grooves on the faces of the slide so as always to
keep up a communication between 17 and 18, while the igniting cavity is not in
communication therewith.
With the above described arrangement the ignition of the charges will always
be effected with certainty, although the engine may be running at a considerable

page_text: speed; thus for example, such an engine has been run at a speed of over
250 revolutions per minute without a misfire occurring.
Fig. 5 shews a section and Fig. 6 a face view of a modification of the slide, in
which there are two igniting cavities, with their corresponding igniting flames
20, 21 and air and gas supplies, one on each side of the passage 19, so that each
single movement of the slide will effect the ignition of a charge, and thus the slide
only requires to work at half the speed at which the first described slide works,
which is of some importance where the engine is required to run at a high speed.
Fig. 7 shews a section of the improved construction of igniting cavity applied
to a slide of cylindrical shape.
Having thus described the nature of the said invention and in what manner the
same is to be perforined, as communicated to me by ny foreign correspondent, I
claim-
First. The use, for preventing the flame from passing back from the cylinder
of a gas motor engine to a reservoir of or pump for combustible gas of a layer of
metal balls or pellets which refrigerate the Hame so as to effectually extinguish it.
Second. The use, for effecting the ignition of the combustible charge of a gas
motor engine, of a recess in the engine slide divided by a partition into an upper
and a lower space communicating with each other, the one space being charged
with a comparatively large volume of unignited combustible gas and the other
with air for supporting its combustion during the motion of the slide, such com-
bustion taking place only at the point where the two spaces communicate,
substantially as herein described.
j
Third. In combination with the recess in the slide referred to in the previous
claim, the use of one or more passages through the slide and a recess in the slide
cover so arranged that the said passage or passages establish a permanent c
munication between the cylinder port and the recess in the slide cover so i Lo
keep the latter charged with combustible mixture at the same pressure as exists
in the cylinder port, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
Fourth. The combination with the passage through the slide and recess in the
slide cover or with two such passages and recesses referred to in the preceding
claim of two slide recesses for the igniting flame such as are referred to in the
second claim so arranged as to effect the ignition of a cylinder charge at each
stroke of the slide, substantially as herein described.
Fifth. The use of a cylindrical slide having either one or two recesses for the
igniting flame such as are referred to in the 2nd claim in combination with either
one or two passages and cover recesses referred to in the 3rd claim.
Sixth. Causing the air or combustible charge entering the cylinder to be
directed against the slide at an angle so as to effectually drive out the products of
combustion from the slide cavity and igniting port and to charge the same with
pure combustible mixture, substantially as herein described.
In Witness whereof, I the said Charles Denton Abel have hereunto set my
hand and seal this eighteenth day of January in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
CHAS. D. ABEL (L.S.)