IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS-ENGINES
Year: 1885

page_text: We, CHRISTOPHER THOMAS WORDSWORTH and JOHN WOLSTENHOLME both of
Albert Works Radcliffe in the County of Lancaster Engineers, do hereby declare
the nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS-ENGINES' to be as
follows:-
"
The first part of this invention relates to that class of gas engine wherein a
homogenous mixture of gas and air, or other combustible vapour and air, is
compressed by the action of a piston moving in a cylinder (such cylinder herein-
after shall be termed the compressing cylinder) into a pipe, reservoir or chamber
previous to its admission into another cylinder (hereinafter termed the working
cylinder) and is afterwards further compressed up to or near, the point of ignition
in the working cylinder and by this increase of pressure due to the combustion of
the said gaseous mixture therein contained causes a piston moving in the working
cylinder to move outwards until the piston which is connected to a crank and
fly-wheel shaft, is thus imparting motion until nearly the full throw of the crank
in its stroke outwards thereby giving off work at every revolution.
The residuum of exploded gases are expelled through a suitable port or ports or
exhaust valve placed in or on the cylinder by the influx of the new and fresh
entering combustible charge from the chamber or reservoir as partly shown in
Patent No 432 (1872) and patent N° 703 (1882).
For this purpose we prefer to modify the construction of the various parts as
shown and described in patent 3568 (1883) and thereby add to its efficiency.
We arrange the working and compressing cylinders with their respective pistons
in line as shown in patents 432 (1872) and 3568 (1883).
The working and compressing pistons are cast together or otherwise suitably
secured by a piston rod or rods which move simultaneously in one direction having
a pin through the waist of the pistons and connected by two side rods to two
separate single throw cranks set together on the same crank shaft as shown in
Patent 3568 (1883) or we may apply the double throw cranks as shown in
patent 703 (1882) by so timing the compressing crank to suit the circumstances
of these improvements, but we prefer to have the piston in line as hereinbefore
mentioned.
For the admission of gas and air into the compressing cylinder we may use a
common lift valve having a perforated seat precisely as shown in patent 4337,
(1879) or we may use a valve as shown in patent N° 703 (1882) for the same
purpose.
"
We also place a small rectangular slide or charge inlet valve similar to the one
shown in patent N°, 3568 (1883) suitably placed on the working cylinder and in
close proximity to a back pressure valve.

page_text: This charge inlet valve is periodically pressed from a moving part of the engine,
with knife-edged contact pieces on the slide and suitable levers, the position of
these contact pieces being entirely under the control of the governor for regulating
the speed of the engine. This charge inlet valve when the engine is working full
power, and not under the control of the governor is so timed to move as to allow
a suitable volume of combustible mixture to pass through a cavity on its face and
cause communication to be made with a port or passage leading from the chainber
or reservoir and through a port and back pressure valve into the working cylinder.
This charge inlet valve is held up to a neutral position by the action of a spring
on a spindle and stop piece or a small air dash-pot may be used for the purpose of
relieving the said slide and spindle of any metallic impact and all communication
between the working cylinder, pipe reservoir or compressing cylinder is cut off in
this particular position. The compressing cylinder has also attached to it a valve
casing having a retaining or check valve and connected to the pipe or chamber
through suitable ports and passages, this valve casing also contains a spring relief
valve with suitable passages or ports leading to the pipe or chamber, into the
compressing cylinder precisely as shown and described in patent N° 3568 (1883).
This spring relief valve serves to regulate the pressure in the pipe or chamber
and allow any excessive pressure to pass from there into the compressing cylinder,
when the charge inlet valve is in a neutral position and at rest under the operation
of the governor, or through the excessive speed of the engine.
The second part of the invention refers to that class of gas engines described in
patent 3568 (1883) wherein a charge of combustible gas and air are used in a
working cylinder during the outstroke of the working piston and afterwards the
residuum of hot gases are transferred to another cylinder of larger diameter or a
number of other cylinders may be substituted for the purpose of further expanding
the hot gases down to a lower pressure and temperature and giving off work in
the next instroke.
For this purpose we place three cylinders in line (two upper and one lower
cylinders). The two upper cylinders have pistons respectively moving in them in
the same line which may be cast together or otherwise secured with rods etc, and
a pin through the waist of the pistons and connected by side rods to the cranks
and crank shaft exactly in the same manner as hereinbefore described in the first
part of this invention and moving simultaneously in the same direction.
The under or lower cylinder is of about the same capacity as the working
cylinder and placed directly under it.
.
The lower cylinder is for the purpose of compressing a gaseous mixture of gas
and air previous to its admission into the working cylinder and in this case shall
be termed the compressing cylinder.
This compressing cylinder has a piston moving in it which is secured by a rod
leading from it to just below or at right angles to the waist pin in the pistons of
the upper cylinders (ie, the high pressure and low pressure cylinders) and con-
nected with links to the eye of a cross-head on the rod and stayed in any suitable
position.
All the three pistons in this case move together in one direction.
The gaseous charge is drawn into the compressing cylinder during this out
stroke and compressed in the next instroke and afterwards admitted into the high
pressure cylinder and there ignited or expanded on the next outstroke and is
afterwards still further expanded in the low pressure cylinder during the most of
the next instroke of the piston in the high pressure cylinder.
When the piston, which has passed over a port in the cylinder leading to an
exhaust valve or slide there placed, the pent-up gaseous charge is then liberated
from the compressing cylinder to the high pressure cylinder to be afterwards
ignited.
The valve which transmits the gaseous charge from the compression cylinder
may be of the slide valve form or a rotating disc and receive its motion from any

page_text: moving part of the engine, it may also be placed in close proximity to a back
pressure valve as hereinbefore referred to.
The compression cylinder has in this case an arrangement for admitting the gas
through a valve which is under the control of the governor.
The exhaust port and valve on the high pressure cylinder is in direct communi-
cation with the low pressure cylinder by a pipe leading from one to the other and
this low pressure cylinder has a separate or final exhaust valve suitably placed
and actuated by some suitable means from a moving part of the engine.
The piston in the low pressure cylinder may move over a port leading to the
final exhaust valve and so cut off communication with the atmosphere, before it
has completed its stroke, and the further motion presses up a body of air therein
contained and prepares it better to receive the impact residuum or hot gases from
the high pressure cylinder, which are further expanded in the low pressure
cylinder.
For the purpose of igniting the combustible charge in the working or high
pressure cylinder we may use the firing slide as shown in Patent N° 4340 (1881)
or a heated tube, as shown in patent No 3568 (1883) or a small rectangular slide
actuated from any moving part of the engine, such slide may have a cavity in its
body which is in communication inside the working cylinder, when the said
cavity is opened to the atmosphere through a small hole or passage leading into
the cylinder.
The said hole or passage may be further restricted by means of a regulator or
tap fixed on the side of the cylinder so as to allow a very fine stream of pressed
up gases to escape through a hole leading into the cylinder through the cavity of
slide and back plate, and impinge upon the body of a flame exposed to the
atmosphere, or some suitable material heated sufficiently in a bunsen burner so as
to cause ignition for the same purpose.
The third part of our improvements consists in a method of starting gas
engines
To this end we employ a reservoir or receiver with an air chamber on its upper
part, which will be open to the atmosphere through an inlet valve and tap, for the
admission of air.
This air-chamber also communicates through a pipe and a suitable tap or valve
to the under side of the back pressure valve which is in close proximity to the
charge inlet valve.
The underside of this reservoir or receiver is in communication also with a pipe
or tap to any well known hydraulic main or town's water pressure or other
suitable column of water so that when the water is allowed to pass into the
receiver through the pipe or hydraulic main etc., there is an increase of pressure
in the air chamber corresponding to an unrestricted colump of water brought to
bear upon it.
The now pressed up atmosphere in the air-chamber may be utilized for the
purpose of giving one or more impulses to the working or high pressure pistons in
the air cylinder as in the manner before described.
If deemed necessary the water after entering the receiver may be permitted to
act onto a diaphragm or other elastic body in order that the water will not come
into direct contact with the air and thereby keeping the air free from moisture
when under compression..

page_text: Improvements in Gas Engines.
We CHRISTOPHER THOMAS WORDSWORTH and JOHN WOLSTENHOLME both of
Albert Works Radcliffe in the County of Lancaster Engineers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention & in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described & ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The first part of this invention relates to that class of gas engines wherein a
homogenous mixture of gas and air, or petroleum or other combustible vapour and
air, is compressed, by the action of a piston moving in a cylinder, hereinafter
termed the compressing cylinder, into a pipe, reservoir, or chamber, previous to its
admission into another cylinder hereinafter termed the working cylinder, and is
afterwards further compressed up to, or near, the point of ignition in the working
cylinder. The increase of pressure due to the combustion of the said gaseous
mixture therein contained, causes a piston, which is connected to a crank and fly
wheel shaft, to move outwards in the working cylinder, thus imparting motion
until nearly the full throw of the crank, thereby giving off work at every revolu-
tion. The residuum of exploded gases are partly expelled by the influx of the
fresh entering combustible charge and partly by the instroke of the working
piston through a suitable port or ports or valve, placed in or on the cylinder, as
partly shown in Patents N° 432 (1872) and N° 703 (1882).
The object of this part of our invention is to modify the construction of the
various parts as shown and described in Patent 3568 (1883) and thereby add to
its efficiency. For this purpose we may arrange the working and compressing
cylinders in line with their respective pistons. The working and compressing
pistons are cast together or otherwise suitably secured by a rod or rods, and
move simultaneously together in one direction, having a pin through the waist of
the pistons, and connected by two side rods to two separate single throw cranks
set together on the same crank shaft, as shown in Patent 3568 (1883). Or we may
have the working and compressing cylinders in line with their pistons, cast together
and moving therein, the compressing cylinder and piston being of larger diameter
than the working cylinder, and thus forming an annular chamber round the body
of the working piston when moving into the compressing cylinder. The com-
pressing piston leads. outwards, and is connected by suitable means to a crank,
which may be suitably placed. The cylinder may have on, or attached to it,
suitable faces for the purpose of receiving the position of a slide or slides, and a
port to admit the working or combustible charge, to and from the compressing
cylinder, through a pipe or reservoir, and through a charge inlet valve and another
slide previous to its admission into the working cylinder. The working cylinder
has also a port which leads to an exhaust valve, and allows the products of com-
bustion to escape into the atmosphere, when not needed for expansion in another
cylinder of larger diameter.
For the admission of gas & air into the compressing cylinders we may use
a common lift valve having a perforated seat precisely as shown in Patent N° 4337

page_text: (1879) or we may use a valve as shown in Patent N° 703 (1883) for the same
purpose. We may also place a small rectangular slide or charge inlet valve similar
to the one shown on patent N° 3568 (1883), suitably placed on the working
cylinder, and in some cases in close proximity to a back pressure valve. This
charge inlet valve is periodically pressed from a moving part of the engine with
knife-edged contact pieces on the slide and suitable levers: the position of the
contact pieces being entirely under control of the governor for regulating the speed
of the engine.
When the engine is working at full power and not under the control of the
governor, this charge inlet valve is so timed to move as to allow a suitable volume
of combustible mixture to pass through a cavity on its face, and cause communi-
cation to be made with a port or passage leading from the chamber or reservoir &
through a port and back pressure valve into the working cylinder.
This charge inlet valve is held up to a neutral position by the action of a spring
on a spindle & stop piece, or a small air dash-pot may be used for the purpose of
relieving the said slide and spindle of any metallic impact, when in a vertical
position, and all communication between the working cylinder pipe, or reservoir,
is cut off in this particular position.
The compressing cylinder has also attached to it a valve casing having a retaining
or check valve, and connected to the pipe or chamber through suitable ports and
passages; this valve casing also contains a spring relief valve with suitable ports or
passages leading to the pipe or chamber and into the compressing cylinder precisely
as shown and described in patent N° 3568 (1883). This spring relief valve serves
to regulate the pressure in the pipe or chamber, and allow any excessive pressure
to pass from there into the compressing cylinder, when the charge inlet valve is in
a neutral position, and at rest under the operation of the governor, through the
excessive speed of the engine. We do not consider it in all cases necessary to use
the spring relief valve previously referred to.
The second part of our invention refers to that class of gas engine described in
Patent No 3568 (1883), wherein a homogenous charge of combustible gas and air,
petroleum, etc, are used in a working cylinder during the outstroke of the working
piston & afterwards the residuum of hot gases are transferred to another cylinder
of larger diameter, for the purpose of further expanding the hot gases down to a
lower pressure & temperature & giving off work in the next instroke. For this
purpose we place two upper, and one lower, cylinders in line having pistons
respectively moving in them in the same direction which may be suitably secured
with rods &c., and a pin through the waist of the pistons connected by side rods to
the cranks exactly in the same manner as herein before described in the first part
of this invention.
The lower cylinder is for the purpose of compressing a gaseous mixture of gas
and air &c. previous to its admission into the working cylinder, & in this case shall
be termed the compressing cylinder.
The gaseous charge is drawn into the compressing cylinder during the outstroke
and afterwards compressed into a pipe or reservoir before its admission into the
working cylinder, & there ignited, thus giving off work in the working cylinder
during the outstroke, and the products of combustion after passing through an
exhaust port or valve, are admitted into a low-pressure cylinder of larger diameter,
and further expanding the hot gases down to a lower pressure & temperature, the
said products being finally ejected through another exhaust valve suitably placed
on the low pressure cylinder as similarly described in patent N° 3568 (1883).
For the purpose of igniting the combustible gas contained in the working
cylinder, which is also well adapted to other types of gas engines, we may use
a heated tube as shown in Patent N° 3568 (1883) in connection with a small
rectangular slide, having a cavity or chamber in its body, and is so timed to move
as to cause communication to be made by means of a small hole and passage
between the inside of the working cylinder, heated tube & cavity, or a smaller
valve may be substituted which may be formed on the end of a spindle and pressed
1 J

page_text: against a small hole or seating, by the action of a spring, leading through the tube
and into the cylinder.
The said valve may be actuated from any moving part of the engine.
And in order that our invention may be fully understood we have caused to be
appended hereunto one sheet of drawings marked with letters of reference to which
we will now refer and indicate the manner in which our invention may be carried
into effect, though we wish it to be understood that we do not confine ourselves
to the exact arrangement of detail shown, as the same may be modified without
departing from the principle of our invention.
Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section & Fig. 2 a plan of one type of engine
which is set upon a base in line to crank shaft, after any well known method,
in which cylinders a and a¹ have long sleeve pistons 6 & 6¹, moving in them with
waist pine connected by two side rods d, d, to cranks c, c. When the pistons b, b¹
have been moved inwards, by revolution of the cranks towards the engine, a
homogenous mixture of gas and air is drawn through lift valve f¹ into cylinder a¹
and on its return stroke outwards it compresses the volume of the mixture down
port or passage 1, lifting up the check valve 2, and passing into pipe or reservoir h
where it is held until charge inlet valve g allows it to pass into working cylinder a
through ports 3, (Fig. 3) through a cavity on its face, 4, and thence through
another port 5, under back pressure valve j, and into cylinder a through port 6.
Charge inlet valve g is so timed to move by reason of being pressed by knife-
edge contact piece k, through the medium of an eccentric which may receive its
motion from any shaft and rocking shaft, marked at centres l and 1, the levers
marked 7 at centres being attached to governor m, so that when the speed becomes
excessive the pivots in centres marked 8 cause the governor m to raise and move
weight 9 upon lever 7 to go down, thus throwing knife-edge k out of line & action
with charge inlet valve g, and leaving it at rest, so that the accumulated charge in
reservoir does not pass into the cylinder.
In order to overcome any excessive accumulation of pressure in pipe or
reservoir h, we may place a spring relief valve f (Fig. 1), loaded so as not to allow
an excessive pressure, any excess lifting the valve and passing through port 10 into
the cylinder a¹ thus stopping any further accumulation. When a relief valve is
deemed unnecessary the charge after being pressed from cylinder a¹ into pipe or
reservoir h (Fig. 3) the position of charge inlet valve not being under the operation
of the governor in its highest position as shown, the accumulated pressure in the
pipe or reservoir h, is allowed to pass along port 3 through another or lower
cavity 11 in charge inlet valve g and along another port and pipe 12, under the
lower part of check valve 2, (Fig. 1) and into ports 1 and cylinder a¹ thus relieving
any accumulation of pressure, and taking off further supply.
The charge inlet valve g is held by a spring 13 & bridge piece 14, by stop piece
& spindle as shown, until depressed at k when charge is allowed to pass into
working cylinder. Fig. 4 represents a general plan of our improvements, in
which a is the working cylinder and b is the compressing cylinder forming an
annular space due to the difference in diameter; al is the working piston, b¹ is the
compressing piston connected at pin e by rod d, to crank and shaft c'.
The cylinder a is water-jacketted. When the engine is moving the piston
towards the crank a homogenous mixture of gas and air, &c, is drawn into the
compressing or annular chamber b through ports 1 in slide e & cylinder and mixing
valve f, and on the return stroke the slide e is so timed to move by eccentric j on
crank shaft c¹ as to shut off port 1 in slide e and effect a communication from
compressing chamber b and port 1 in the cylinder into a cavity 2, in slide e and
passage 3, which is in communication with a reservoir or pipe h and passage 3,
(see Fig. 5), and cavity of charge inlet valve g and port 4, and into cavity 5 of
slide e & into working cylinder a through port 6. The piston a¹ baving received
a suitable volume of pressed up gases, the slide e, (Fig. 4), cuts off communication
with reservoir h and the piston immediately uncovers a small hole 7 leading to
a tube / heated in a bunsen burner, & thus igniting the mixture in cylinder a and

page_text: giving off work on the outstroke; during this time a new charge is being drawn
in through ports 1 and valve f, & on the return stroke the products of combustion
are allowed to escape through exhaust valve k and port: this valve is pressed to
its seat by spring m and is actuated by reason of slide e moving lever n during a
portion of its stroke, away from the crank & thus lifting the valve off its seat.
When the engine is working full power and the slide e is moving towards the
crank, the pawl or catch 8 (Fig. 5) falls against a stop piece and engages charge
inlet valve g at points 9 and they move together; during this position of the
charge inlet valve, the charge passes, as hereinbefore described, into the working
cylinder.
On the return stroke of slide e a finger piece 10 securely fixed thereon is so timed
by having clearance between spindle 11 as shown, so as not to move charge inlet
valve guntil the compressing piston b' has drawn a full volume of working
mixture into chamber b. When the speed of the engine becomes excessive the
pawl or catch 8 swings out of contact at points 9 so that the further motion of
slide e towards the crank does not move the charge inlet valve g, & so it remains
at rest, allowing the pressed up charge in pipe or reservoir h to pass through
passage 3 and cavity in charge inlet valve g along passage 12 which leads by a pipe
to compressing cylinder b, thus stopping any further supply therein.
Fig. 5 represents a sectional elevation of slide face with cylinder removed, and
partly of slide e.
Fig. 6 represents a plan & clevation in section of slide e showing the inlet and
outlet ports into compressing cylinder b. 1, 2, also inlet chambers, 5, 5 for the
admission of the pressed up charge from pipe or reservoir h into working cylinder a
as herein before described.
The ignition of the combustible charge in the working cylinder may be effected
in the usual manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we wish it to be
understood that what we believe to be novel & claim, is :-
1st In gas motor engines which receive an impulse every revolution-the
peculiar construction and combination of the various parts substantially as shown
and described in the accompanying drawing, Figs. 1, 2, 3.
2nd The construction and combination of the various parts in gas motor engines
substantially as shown & described in Figs. 4 & 6 of the drawing.
3rd The charge inlet valve g with its ports and passages actuated from any
moving part of the engine when under control of the governor, does not allow the
charge to pass into the working cylinder but allows it to escape through a port or
ports in its faces or through its body into a pipe or passage back into compressing
cylinder, thus regulating the speed of the engine substantially as shown & described.
D
11000