IMPROVED MACHINERY OR. APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER BY EXPANSION OF AIR
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of the Firm of John Gedge
and Son, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middle-
sex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY OR.
APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER BY EXPANSION OF AIR."-A com-
munication from abroad by Abraham Désiré Cherfils, of No. 15, Passage
des Petites Ecuries, Paris, France.
Sealed the 6th April 1866, and dated the 9th October 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Gedge:
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the.
9th October 1865.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of
No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER BY EXPANSION OF AIR,'
(a communication to me from abroad by Abraham Désiré Cherfils, of No. 15,
Passage des Petites Ecuries, Paris, France,) to be as follows:-
The apparatus, the subject of this Invention, is composed of two cylinders,...
in each of which moves a full piston having an optional measured stroke at the-
lower part of the combustion chamber. Above the lower limit of the stroke
of the full piston is a vacant space intended to fulfil the office of a sucking.
and force pump. The rod of this piston is directed in its movement by a
slide bar, and is united by an arm to the end of the connecting rod of the

page_text: horizontal shaft, to which it will transmit the movement it receives from the
piston. These connecting rods are so arranged as to avoid the dead point.
Against the outer surface of each cylinder is fixed a round box pierced in its
two faces by two openings corresponding with two others pierced in the upper
part of the cylinder, and permitting the introduction into the part left free
above the full piston of atmospheric air and bicarbonated hydrogen or
illuminating gas. Inside this box moves a disc, exactly filling it, and which
obeys the motion transmitted to it by an éccentric fixed on the horizontal
shaft. This disc is also pierced with two openings corresponding with those
of the boxes and cylinders, so as to permit the introduction of the air and
the gas once in each revolution. The opening intended for the introduction
is only the size of that intended for the air. The disc further carries a third
opening, intended for the passage of azote after the combustion, and of the
same size and diameter, and at the same distance from the centre as the
opening intended for the passage of the air. In the upper and vacant part
of the cylinder are fixed two small copper balls, each furnished with a point
or needle, which are brought within an inch of each other. One of these
balls is in communication with the positive pole of a small pile, composed of
tivo elements of Bunsen's and a strong Rhumkorff bobbin or spindle. The
other ball is in communication with a point herein-after described. The
needles of the copper balls should be brought sufficiently near each other to
permit the passage of an electric spark when the current is established. A
toothed pinion placed on the horizontal shaft, or in connection with it, com-
municates the rotary motion to a regulator vertically supported and held by a.
piece fixed to the framing of the apparatus; this régulator carries an isolating
wheel of lignum vitæ or porcelain, which follows its rotary movement. This
wheel is furnished with a small plate of copper, a good conductor, which will
serve to establish an electric current twice in a rotation, once for each of the
cylinders. For this purpose on each side of the wheel on the piece carrying
the regulator is fixed an ear or carryer containing two electric wires, which
are at a distance apart about equal (rather less than more) to the breadth of
the small conducting plate of the wheel. One of the wires communicates
directly with the ball placed in the cylinder, as above stated, while the other
wire communicates with the pole contrary to that with which the ball is in
communication, consequently negative for the left cylinder, to which this
description applies. The right. cylinder is submitted to a similar arrange-
ment. The apparatus works as follows:-The upper part of the cylinder is
full of the following. mixture, two volumes of gas and eight of air.. The
conducting plate is brought against the left ear or carryer, where it puts the

page_text: two electric wires in communication, a current passes, a spark sets the mixture
in a flame, and one piston accomplishes its downward journey, the shaft
makes half a turn, and the other piston effects a contrary movement. The
disc enclosed in the box also accomplishes a half turn, and in consequence the
upper free part of the cylinder has filled itself with the inflammable mixture.
At the same time the shaft has caused the regulator to make half a revolution,
and consequently the conducting plate which establishes the current has
caused the re-union of the two wires of the right ear or carryer, which causes
the passage
of a spark, and sets the mixture in a flaine. Under the influence.
of this second combustion the second half of the revolution of the shaft is
accomplished, and the apparatus comes back to its primitive position after
having caused a complete rotation of the regulator, the horizontal shaft, and
the eccentrics. Another spark then passes into the cylinder, and the same
movement recommences in the same manner, to continue constantly.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Gedge in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 7th April 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of No. 11, Wellington
Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for 'Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Edward Gedge, Her special licence that I, the said Williani
Edward Gedge, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
1, the said William Edward Gedge, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER
BY EXPANSION OF AIR," a communication to me from abroad by Abrahanı
Désiré Cherfils, of 15, Passage des Petites Ecuries, Paris, France, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Gedge,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or'

page_text: their, or one of their bands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Gedge, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of
Drawing forming part of this Specification, and to the figures and references
placed thereon:-
و
The apparatus, the subject of this Invention, is composed of three similar
cylinders (two only are mentioned in the Provisional Specification), in each of
which moves a full piston, having an optional measured stroke or journey at
the lower part of the combustion chamber. Beneath the lower limit of the
stroke of the full piston (as shewn, Fig. 2,) is a vacant space intended to fulfil the
office of a sucking and force pump, in order to cool the inner and outer sides
of the cylinder. The rod of the piston is directed in its movement by a slide
bar, and is united by a connecting rod to the end of the cranks of the hori-
zontal shaft, to which the piston will transmit motion. These cranks are 120
degrees from each other, so that there is no dead point. Against the outer
surface of each cylinder is fixed a round metallic box pierced in its two faces
by two openings fand g (see Fig. 7) corresponding with two others pierced in
the upper part of the cylinder and in the combustion chamber, permitting the
introduction into this latter of atmospheric air by g, and bicarburetted
hydrogen gas (ether, alcohol, benzine, petroleum, napthaline, tar, or other
analogus matter) by f (Fig. 7). Inside each box moves a disc, exactly
filling it, and which obeys the motion transmitted to it by an eccentric fixed
on the horizontal shaft at 20 degrees from the crank, the right hand one
forward, and the left one at the back for each cylinder. This disc (Fig. 8) is
also pierced with two openings corresponding exactly with those of the boxes
and cylinders, so as to permit the introduction of the air and the gas
once only in each revolution. For this purpose each cylinder having two
boxes, the openings of these boxes communicate by tubes with the feed
pipe. Each of these tubes is furnished with a cock attached to a same
rod (Fig. 4), and so arranged that the right cock is open when the left one
is closed, and vice versa, as shewn on the Drawing. The opening intended
for the introduction of the gas is only the size of that intended for the air;
further, two compression or force pumps, the one for the gas, the other for

page_text: the air, permit the mixture to be exactly regulated. The disc further carries
a third opening intended for the passage of the azote of the carbonic acid, and
of the water, vapour, or steam produced after the combustion; it is of the
same size and diameter and at the same distance from the centre as that
intended for the passage of the air. In the upper part of the cylinder (con-
bustion chamber) are fixed two small copper balls, each furnished with a.
point or needle brought within about an inch of each other. One of these
balls is in communication with the copper rod or wire carried by the small
vector, ear, or carrier fixed interiorly on each eccentric, while the other ball
commuicates constantly with one of the knobs of a strong "Rhumkorff""
bobbin or spindle; these two communications take place identically for the
right and left eccentric of each cylinder. Above these two vectors, ears, or
rod or wire carriers, fitted to each eccentric of the cylinder, are placed.two
others carried by an arrangement similar to that which regulates the intra-
duction of the mixture, and working at the same time. by the aid of a bent
lever which joins them. These two latter vectors each carry interiorly &
copper rod or wire, which is in communication with the second knob of tho
"Rhumkorff" spindle above mentioned. They are so arranged as to cause
the copper rod which they carry to communicate as exactly as possible once
in each revolution with that of the vectors of the eccentric now on the right;
now on the left, according to the movement which the apparatus has. The
bobbin or spindle is set in activity by two strong elements of "Bunsen's," r
more, so as to produce strong sparks in the combustion chamber each time
that the eccentric places the copper rods in contact with each other. Lastly,
each cylinder is furnished with a pipe communicating with the gas feeding
pipe, provided with a cock, so that for a change of motion gas may be intro-
duced into the combustion chamber. A regulator acting on a cock closing
the gas feeding or supply pipe permits a measurement of the quantity used.. :
The working of the machine is as follows:-All the right hand cocks
being open and the left ones closed, all the vectors or carriers of the right-
hand eccentrics can cause the communication of their copper rod with that
of the fixed vectors once in a revolution, the left vectors or carriers on the
contrary encounter nothing. The combustion chamber of the first cylinder is
filled with the following mixture:-Two volumes of petroleum gas, for
example, and eight volumes of atmospheric air. By the aid of a copper.exciter,
and contact between the copper rod of the right eccentric and that of the
vector, an electric spark is made to pass into the combustion chamber; this
sets the mixture in flame, causes it to expand considerably, and force the solid.
piston on the surface of which it acts to accomplish its downward stroke until

page_text: the horizontal shaft has turned about 180 degrees, but when the piston of the
first cylinder has only described about 120 degrees, the piston of the second
cylinder, which is in relation with it by its connecting rod on the horizontal
shaft, has made a contrary movement, and has risen in an equal degree, the disc
which is enclosed in the box of the second cylinder has accomplished the
same part of a revolution, and consequently the combustion chamber of the
second cylinder, has filled itself with the inflammable mixture, then the vector
or rod carrier of the right eccentric of the second cylinder, in causing the
copper rod which it carries to communicate with that of the fixed vector;
occasions the combustion of this mixture, and another part of the movement
takes place, which brings about the same effect for the third cylinder and 'third
piston; this latter by its movement causes the first piston to recommence the
entire journey which it has previously accomplished, and thus the same
movement constantly perpetuates itself.
Stoppage of the machine.-To stop the machine when in motion, in.
addition to the pressure of the break acting on the horizontal shaft, it is
sufficient to interrupt the electric current created by the "Buusen" elements,
than which nothing can be more simple. Further, the combustion chambers
might be furnished with an escape cock or the gas feeding or supply pipe
might be closed; but in this latter case the stoppage would not be so imme-
diate, the various conduits being always full of gasses, which might continue
the feeding for another revolution, but not more.
Reversing motion. For the back motion close all the right-hand cocks,
and consequently open all the left ones, bring all the left vectors above those
of the left eccentrics, then introduce gas (by the aid of the special tube fitted
to it) into the combustion chamber of the cylinder, the piston of which is
rising, and the crank of which is still at more than 30 degrees from its vertical
axis. Lastly, set flame to the mixture in the combustion chamber by the aid
of the exciter, as when setting in forward motion. All that has been pre-
viously explained for the right eccentrics is now reproduced by the left ones,
and the contrary movement to the preceding takes place in a similar manner.
The special cock should be opened only long enough for the introduction of
about the same quantity of gas as do the eccentrics in working, and care
must be had to reclose them iummediately.
The composition of the mixtures is subordinate to the power required, and
also depends on the bicarburet used in certain cases; it is equally advan-
tageous to use a mixture of bicarburetted hydrogen gas and water, vapour, or
steam, with or without atmospheric air.
This apparatus advantageously replaces steam engines, both as regards.cost,
}

page_text: price, and economy in working. On board of steamers it further suppresses.
the use of the steam boiler, of the condenser, and of the coal, which takes up:
nearly one-third of the tonnage, and permits all this space to be used for
freight.
The bicarburetted hydrogen gasses are produced without any danger for
small machines by the aid of the apparatus shewn, Fig. 5, which is com-
posed of a metal receptacle closing hermetically by a metal screw stopper,
furnished with an elbow pipe and a pipe bent back on itself, and heating its
own tube, which descends to the bottom of the receptacle, raises the tempe-
rature of the contents to the proper degree for producing the gasses, and being
furnished with a small opening at its upper part within the receptacle it feeds
itself with combustible gas. The elbow pipe starting from the stopper con-
ducts the gas produced to the orifices of the cylinder, being provided with a
safety tube or a manometer prevents any excess of pressure of the gas pro-
duced, of which a special cock permits the escape. Further, a cock placed
on the first-mentioned pipe, by moderating the flame, permits the cooling of
the apparatus, and consequently a decrease or even an entire stoppage in the
production of the gasses. For large machines, as on board steam-boats, a
steam conduit coming, for example, from the kitchen (very little is required),
joins on to a worm (see Fig. 3), turning a certain number of times within
a bermetically closed copper recipient, containing the bicarburet to be
vaporized. From this recipient starts a pipe which furnishes the vapours or
gasses produced to the compression or force pump specially destined for them,
which transmits them to the feed pipe of the cylinders. This recipient is also
furnished with a manometer and a waste pipe for the gasses in case of excess
of pressure; this latter case can however scarcely occur, the heating being
produced by a source of caloric constant and of a relatively very low tempera-
ture. The water, vapour, or steam circulates freely without pressure. In
order to avoid condensation within the combustion chamber of the bicarbu-
retted hydrogen gas by contact with the cold air in certain temperatures the
air compression pump is fed by a worm fixed in the hot-water boiler, through
which the air passes and heats itself; but this requirement has not yet
manifested itself.
Figure 1 of the annexed Sheet of Drawing illustrates the arrangement of the
three cylinders above mentioned; Figure 2, the construction of a cylinder ;
Figure 3, one of the above-described generators of bicarburetted bydrogen
gasses; Figure 4, the movement of the cocks and of the vectors or carriers ;
Figure 5, the other form of bicarburetted hydrogen gas generator above
described; Figure 6, the compression or force pump; Figure 7, the round

page_text: metallic box, with the two openings f, g, for the introduction of air and gas;
and Figure 8, the disc.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Gedge, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
W. E. GEDGE. (L.S.)