Improvements in Igniting Apparatus for Gas Motor Engines.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Jan., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 11th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 16th Nov., 1888
Improvements in Igniting Apparatus for Gas Motor Engines.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL of No. 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in
the County of Middlesex Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a construction of igniting apparatus for gas motor engines
described in the specification to my application for a Patent No. 11444 of 1887, in
which a horizontal passage communicating with the igniting port of the engine
cylinder through an igniting slide had at an intermediate point of its length a vertical
igniting tube that was heated externally by the flame of a Bunsen burner which
surrounded it, so that on the said passage and tube being put in communication with
the cylinder port by the igniting slide, a portion of the compressed charge in the
cylinder passed into the said passage and heated tube, and becoming ignited by the
latter effected the firing of the charge. With this arrangement a portion of the com-
bustion gases resulting from such ignition remained in the part of the tubular passage
extending beyond the vertical heated tube, and the present improvements have mainly
for their object to enable such combustion gases to be entirely removed after the firing
of each charge.
For this purpose instead of governing the communication between the cylinder
and the said passage by means of a slide, I close the said Communication by means
of a valve seating on the inner end of the said passage and having a stem passing
back through the latter, such stem being provided with short guiding ribs at the
part close against the valve, and having a piston-like enlargement at the part sliding
in the part of the passage beyond the igniting tube, small longitudinal grooves
being formed in such enlargement whereby the passage can communicate with a
cylindrical chamber formed on the outer end of the passage beyond the said piston,
which chamber has an opening communicating with the outer air and contains a
011

page_text: second piston fixed on an extension of the valve stem. The inner end of this second
piston is situated a short distance from the outer end of the first piston, and has its
face formed as a valve so that when it is pressed inwards so as to force the cylinder
valve, open it closes the end of the passage.
A helical spring bearing against a collar on the outer end of the valve stem holds
the cylinder valve closed, and a lever bearing with a spring stud upon the valve stem
and actuated by a cam on the engine-shaft forces the valve open for firing the
compressed charge in the cylinder.
When the cylinder valve is thus opened a portion of the said compressed charge
enters the passage and firing tube and forces out the combustion gases remaining
from the last charge through the small grooves in the piston-like enlargement of the
valve stem, causing them to escape through the before mentioned opening in the
enlarged extension of the passage. This action only takes place momentarily, as by
the time the charge is ignited by the heated tube, the end of the passage will have
been closed by the valve-shaped end of the second piston, so that the flame of the
burning gases in the passage can only pass inwards through the open cylinder valve,
thus igniting the cylinder charge.
T
1000
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant

page_text: Improvements in Igniting Apparatus for Gas Motor Engines.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare
the nature 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 a construction of igniting apparatus for gas motor engines
described in the Specification to my application for a Patent No. 11444 of 1887 in
which a horizontal passage, communicating with the igniting port of the engine
cylinder through an igniting slide, had at an intermediate point of its length a vertical
igniting tube that was heated externally by the flame of a Bunsen burner which
surrounded it, so that on the said passage and tube being put in communication with
the cylinder port by the igniting slide a portion of the compressed charge in the
cylinder passed into the said passage and heated tube, and becoming ignited by the
latter effected the firing of the charge. With this arrangement a portion of the com-
bustion gases resulting from such ignition remained in the part of the tubular passage
extending beyond the vertical heated tube, and the present improvements have mainly
for their object to enable such combustion gases to be entirely removed after the firing
of each charge.
For this purpose, instead of governing the communication between the cylinder
and the said passage by means of a slide, I close the said communication by means
of a valve seating on the inner end of the said passage and having a stem passing
back through the latter, such stem being provided with short guiding ribs at the
part close against the valve, and having a piston-like enlargement at the part sliding
in the part of the passage beyond the igniting tube, small longitudinal grooves being
formed in such enlargement whereby the passage can communicate with a cylindrical
chamber formed on the outer end of the passage beyond the said piston which
chamber has an opening communicating with the outer air and contains a second
piston fixed on an extension of the valve stem. The inner end of this second piston
is situated a short distance from the outer end of the first piston, and has its face
formed as a valve so that when it is pressed in wards so as to force the cylinder valve
open it closes the end of the passage.
A helical spring bearing against a collar on the outer end of the valve stem holds
the cylinder-valve closed, and a lever bearing with a spring stud upon the valve stem
and actuated by a cam on the engine shaft forces the valve open for firing the com-
pressed charge in the cylinder. When the cylinder-valve is thus opened, a portion of
the said compressed charge enters the passage and firing tube, and forces out the
combustion gases remaining from the last charge through the small grooves in the
piston-like enlargement of the valve stem, causing them to escape through the before
mentioned opening in the enlarged extension of the passage. This action only takes
place momentarily, as by the time the charge is ignited by the heated tube, the end
of the passage will have been closed by the valve-shaped end of the second piston, so
that the flame of the burning gases in the passage can only pass inwards through
the open cylinder valve, thus igniting the cylinder charge.

page_text: Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shews a vertical section, Fig. 2 shews a
sectional plan on line y y Fig. 1, and Figs. 3 and 4 shew cross sections of the valve
stem at 1-2, and 3-4.
Instead of governing the communication between the igniting apparatus and the
cylinder by a slide as in the before mentioned application such communication is in
the present arrangement governed by a valve v which closes the horizontal passage h
formed through the casing D carrying the igniting tuber which is heated by the
Bunsen burner arrangement A c d Ei in precisely the same manner as previously
described.
The valve o has a stem el passing outwards through the horizontal passage h, the
stem being formed with guiding ribs just behind the valve as at Fig. 3, while in the
part of the passage beyond the igniting tube it is formed as a piston o with one or
more small longitudinal grooves as at Fig. 4.
The stem is extended beyond this piston and carries a second piston k sliding in an
enlarged extension of the passage the inner end of which piston, situated a short
distance from piston o, is formed as a valve so that when pushed inwards it entirely
closes the outer end of the passage h. In the extension h¹ an opening n is formed,
communicating with the atmosphere, so that when the two pistons are in the position
indicated, the interior of passage h communicates with the atmosphere through the
channels in the piston o and thus the combustion products remaining in the passage h
after an ignition will partly escape.
The valve v is kept closed by a helical spring p acting against a collar s on the
outer end of the valve stem, and it is forced open at the proper moment by a lever m
actuated by a cam on the engine shaft and having a spring stud ? pressing against the
outer end of the vaive stem, the lever m having to overcome the pressure exercised
by the compressed charge upon the valve and that of the spring p in order to force
open the valve. When the valve is forced open for the ignition of the compressed
charge, a portion of the latter will enter passage h and tuber and will at the same
time force the remaining combustion gases from the former through the channels of
piston o into the atmosphere. This communication with the atmosphere will however
only remain open momentarily, as the valve end of the piston k will almost imme-
diately seat upon and close the end of the passage h so that this will be closed by the
time the combustible charge in passage h and tuber has become ignited, and the
resulting flame will consequently be forced inward through the valve v so as to fire
the charge in the cylinder B.
The lever m recedes again before the next compression stroke, so that the valve v
is closed by the spring p.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
-
Igniting apparatus for gas motor engines having, in combination with a passage
communicating with the engine cylinder and an igniting tube heated externally by
a Bunsen's burner, a valve v closing the said passage and connected firstly, to a
piston o having one or more channels communicating with the atmosphere, and
secondly, to a second piston k acting as valve for closing the outer end of the
passage immediately after the valve has been forced open for igniting the com
pressed charge, substantially as and for the purposes herein described.
Dated this 11th day of October 1888.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.