IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Paul Niel at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd March 1882.
PAUL NIEL of Millwall in the County of Middlesex
ENGINES"
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS
My Invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangement of
gas engines or hydro carbon motors and has for its object to utilise the heat
produced by the explosion of the gas mixture instead of allowing it to be blown
out with the products of combustion and lost, as in the present form of gas engines.
My Invention consists in the application and use of two cylinders, one a sinaller
cylinder in which the explosion takes place, and the other of larger size in which
the air works by expansion after being heated by the products of the combustion
blown out from the small cylinder. The pistons of both cylinders are connected
with the same crank shaft.
"
In the small cylinder at the part where the ignition is made, I place a regene-
rator (or heat accumulator) made of thin metal sheets, or a series of tubes or
wires, or other suitable conductor of heat arranged so as to present a great surface
and which whilst allowing the air and gases to pass, divides them into several
parts. At the moment of ignition a portion of the heat produced is absorbed by
the "regenerator" thereby steadying the pressure of the gases during the completion
of the stroke.
When the inner stroke of the small piston is nearly completed both cylinders are put
in communication by the slide valve, the piston of the large cylinder at this moment
commencing its outer stroke. Previous to this however, the large piston during
its inner stroke has drawn in air its outerside through a slide or other form of air
or shifting valve placed at the outer end of the cylinder. This air is forced by the
large piston during its outer stroke through the piston of the small cylinder into
the latter on its inner or ignition side the result being, Firstly, to blow out the

page_text: products of combustion through the " regenerator" which receives a great portion
of their heat before they enter the large cylinder.
Secondly, by the continued accession of fresh air after the passage of the gases of
combustion through the regenerator, this air is more or less heated and so expands
on entering the large cylinder and causes pressure on the piston of the latter.
Thirdly, The communication between both cylinders being closed before the
completion of the inner stroke of the small piston, the air is compressed in the
regenerator which imparts the remainder of its heat to increase the temperature of
the air as well as the gas mixture then introduced thereby rendering the next
ignition more productive with a weaker mixture of gas.
For adapting the regenerator to the engine, my improvements consist in the
arrangement of the small piston which is made hollow and open on its inner
surface (where the explosion takes place). Its hollow part is by a suitable
arrangement of ports and valves put in communication with or shut off from the
outer side of the large piston which acts in that direction as an air pump.
In a double single acting cylinder gas engine two equal and similar cylinders
may be used the explosion taking place on the inner side of the piston, and the
outer side of the piston acting as an air pump to blow out the products of
combustion and supply the air from one to the other cylinder respectively. The
rod or trunk of the piston supplied with the same arrangement of ports and valves
as the small piston in the compound engine the annular space around the trunk
acting as the outer side of the large piston.
In both engines the blowing of fresh air through the inner surface of the piston
keeps the cylinder and piston at a reasonable temperature and dispenses with the
necessity of outside cooling water.
Another improvement consists in an arrangement for regulating with accuracy
the amount of gas to be exploded according to the speed of the engine. For that
purpose I use circular slide valves or pistons working in a cylinder. One of these
pistons is acted on by a cam of suitable form so as to open and shut the ports for
the inlet and exhaust of the gas or mixture and ignition at the proper times.
Against the inner surface of the piston and in the same cylinder is fitted another
piston which by the action of a spring or compressed air is forced to follow the
first piston in its outer stroke but is stopped in that motion by a wedge acted
on by the governor and when so stopped the other piston continuing its stroke
leaves an empty space between the two pistons, which space is filled by the gas
and may be increased or diminished according to the position of the wedge.
The mode of ignition is similar to that in ordinary gas engines.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Paul Niel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st September
1882.
PAUL NIEL of Millwall in the County of Middlesex.
ENGINES."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS
My Invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangement of
gas engines or hydrocarbon motors and has for its object to utilise the heat
produced by the explosion of the gas mixture instead of allowing it to be blown

page_text: out with the products of combustion and lost as in the present form of gas
engines.
And in order that my Invention may be well understood reference is made to
the accompaning sheet of drawings on which Figure 1 represents a vertical section
of a compound gas engine and Figure 2 a vertical section of a single acting equal
double cylinder engine constructed according to my Invention.
"
My Invention consists according to one arrangement as shewn by figure 1, in
the application and use of two cylinders A. B. one the smaller cylinder A in
which the explosion takes place and the other or larger cylinder B in which the
air works by expansion after being heated by the products of the combustion
blown out from the small cylinder A. The pistons of both the cylinders A and B
are connected with the same crank shaft. In the small cylinder A at the part
where the ignition is made I place a regenerator" (or heat accumulator) C made
of thin metal sheets (as shewn) or of a series of tubes or wires or other suitable
conductor of heat arranged so as to present a great surface which whilst allowing
the air and gases to pass divides them into several parts. At the moment of
ignition a portion of the heat produced is absorbed by the regenerator C thereby
steadying the pressure of the gases during the completion of the stroke of the
piston D. When the outward stroke of the small piston D is nearly completed
communication is made between the cylinders A and B by means of the slide
valve E worked by eccentric rod F from the crank shaft G of the engine, the
piston H of the large cylinder B at the same moment commencing its outward
stroke Previous to this however the large piston H during its inward stroke has
drawn in air on its outer side through the air or snifting valve I placed at the
outer end of the large cylinder B and which may be as shewn or a slide or other
suitable form of valve. The air thus drawn into the cylinder B is forced by the
large piston H during its outer stroke through the piston D of the small cylinder A
into the latter at its inner or ignition end, the result being, Firstly, to blow out
the products of combustion through the "regenerator" C which receives a great
portion of their heat before they enter the large cylinder B, Secondly by the con-
tinued accession of fresh air after the passage of the gases of combustion through
the "regenerator" C, this air is more or less heated and so expands on entering
the large cylinder B and causes pressure on its piston H. Thirdly the communi-
cation between the cylinders A and B being closed before the completion of the
inner stroke of the small piston D the air is compressed in the "regenerator" C
which imparts the remainder of its heat to increase the temperature of the air as
well as the gas mixture then introduced thereby rendering the next ignition more
productive with a weaker mixture of gas.
The small piston D is made hollow or open on its inner side (where the explosion
takes place). Its hollow part J is put into communication with or shut off from
the outer side of the large piston H, by a suitable arrangement of ports K and
valve K' the large piston H acting in its outward direction as an air pump K¹.
In the single acting double cylinder gas engine shewn in figure 2, two equal
and similar cylinders L. L'. may be used the explosion taking place on the
inner sides of their pistons M. M. and the outer sides of the latter acting as air
pumps to blow out the products of combustion through the regenerators N. N¹.
which retain the heat, this heat being given off again to the fresh air supplied by
one cylinder to the other respectively and which is compressed with the gas
admitted ready for the next explosion. The rods or trunks O. O. of the pistons M. M¹.
are supplied with a similar arrangement of ports P and valves Q as the small
piston A in figure 1, the annular spaces around the trunks O. O¹. acting in a
similar manner to the outer side of the large piston B (figure 1). At each stoke of
the pistons M. M'. a small quantity of oil for lubricating the internal working
parts is drawn in automatically through the spindles c of the air or snifting valves R.
In both engines (figures 1 and 2) the blowing of fresh air through their respective
pistons keeps the cylinders at a moderate temperature and dispenses with the
necessity of outside cooling water.

page_text: For regulating with accuracy the amount of gas to be exploded according to the
speed of the engine I use circular (or other suitably shaped) valves or pistons E. E¹.
(figure 1) and S. S¹. (figure 2) working in cylinders or jackets T (figure 1) and U
(figure 2). One of these slide valves or pistons E (figure 1) is acted on by a cam
or eccentric V of suitable form so as to open and close the inlet and exhaust ports a
and b respectively of the gas or gas mixture and those of ignition at the proper times.
Against the inner surface of the slide valve or piston E and in the same cylinder
or jacket T is fitted the other piston E¹ which by the action of a spring W (or
compressed air) is forced to follow the slide valve or piston E in its outer stroke
but is stopped in that movement by a wedge X acted on by the governor of the
engine and when so stopped the slide valve or piston E continuing its stroke leaves
an empty space as shewn between the two pistons E. E¹. into which space the gas
is drawn through a check valve and pipe from the main supply and may be
increased or diminished according to the position of the wedge X and speed of the
engine. The same description will apply to the slide valves or pistons S. S'. and
other analogous parts in figure 2 the mode of ignition and other details being
similar to those in ordinary gas engines
My Invention is equally applicable to horizontal, inclined, or other arrangement
of, gas engine.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said invention
and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that what I consider novel and original and therefore
claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters
Patent, is :-
1. In gas engines utilizing the outer part of each piston as an air pump to blow
out the products of combustion and supply fresh air from one cylinder to the
other respectively through the rods or trunks of the pistons, substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated by figure 2 on the accompanying
drawing.
2. The combination and arrangement of one or more regenerators (or heat
accumulators) with gas engines, substantially as and for the purpose herein before
described and illustrated by the accompanying drawing.
3. The combination and arrangement of circular (or other shaped) slide valves
or pistons operated by cams or eccentrics with pistons acted upon by springs (or
compressed air) and by the governor of the engine for regulating the inlet and
exhaust of the gas or gas mixture and the quantity of gas admitted, substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying drawing.
In Witness Whereof I the said Paul Niel have hereunto set my hand and
seal this thirtieth day of August in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.