Improvements in and connected with Petroleum and like Engines for Motor Cars and other Purposes
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Feb., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 19th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 18th Dec., 1897
"Improvements in and connected with Petroleum and like
Engines for Motor Cars and other Purposes."
I, ROBERT MAIR PATERSON. A.M.I.M.E., of 78, Broadhurst Gardens, Hampstead,
N.W. Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows;-
My invention relates to a four cylinder oscillating engine working two crank shafts,
each shaft being rotated by a pair of engines, one operating at each end of the shaft.
The engines are intended to be driven by petroleum or the like, and to work preferably
on the Clerk cycle. Each cylinder gives one explosion per revolution when working at
full power and reduction of speed or power is effected by entirely shutting off the oil
supply to one or more cylinders and working the remainder at full power, thus
attaining great efficiency. If any of the cylinders get damaged, it or they can readily
be taken off, and the car driven by those remaining.
The
The frame of the engine is made of steel tubes, two of which are placed parallel
above one another, with a suitable space between them. At one end the two tubes
are connected by a casting forming four bearings, two to carry the upper crank shaft,
and two the lower one. The cranks are at the ends of the shafts and at an angle of
180 degrees to each other. On each crank shaft (and between the bearings) is keyed
a spur wheel and these two spur wheels gear into another spur wheel on the counter
shaft of the car, by which means both pairs of cylinders act directly on the car wheels.
At the opposite ends of the tubes are angle pieces connected together so that the
whole forms a rectangular frame by which the whole arrangement is carried. Through
these angle pieces are holes through which pass the hollow trunnions on which oscillate
the cylinders, two being on the upper trunnion, and two on the lower one.
cylinders are closed at each end, one end having a suitable stuffing box. At the rear end
of the cylinder is an air-chamber, communication between which and the fore end of the
cylinder is established by an air-pipe running parallel with the cylinder. At the rear
end of the air-chamber is an automatic air valve, preferably a lift one opening in the
direction of the axis or the cylinder, the said valve being kept closed by aspiral spring.
At the rear end of the cylinder is another automatic valve through which air from the
air-chamber can be drawn into the cylinder. The last mentioned valve is so arranged
that as it slides on its spindle, a recess on it works over a piston like end to the
spindle, the intervening space forming an air cushion to prevent "hammering."
Part of the air when drawn towards the valve is caught in a cone terminating in a
passage opening into the cylinder. Into this passage opens one end of a brass spray-
tube, the other end of which opens into the tubular part of the cylinder which
oscillates on the hollow trunnion. The hollow trunnion forms also a chamber from
which the petroleum is fed into the cylinder. A hole in the trunnion establishes
communication between the end of the spray tube and a conical cock in the hollow
trunnion. There are four conical cocks, one at each end of each of the hollow trunnions.
These cocks are opened by crank levers outside the ends of the trunnions, the crank
levers being moved by side levers operated by a cross lever at the top of the engine
frame. The openings in the cocks are so arranged that by an upward movement of
the crank levers the supply of petroleum is admitted to each cylinder, one after the
other, until all are full. By depressing the cross lever, any or all of the cylinders
may be put out of action. At the side of the cylinders are exhaust ports opening

page_text: 6
the two upper cylinders, Fig. 4, is a longitudinal section of one of the hollow
trunnions. Fig. 5, is a side view of the lever arrangement for cutting the cylinders
out of action. Fig. 6, is a longitudinal section of the igniting arrangement.
Similar letters refer to the same parts wherever occuring.
The frame of the engine is made of steel tubes, two of which a b are placed
parallel to and above one another with a suitable space between them. At one end
the tubes a and b are connected by a casting c which forms four bearings, two of
which de are to carry the upper crank shaft f, and two g (and another not shewn)
the lower one h. The cranks are at the ends of the shafts f and hand at an angle
of 180 degrees to each other. On each crank shaft (and between the bearings) is
keyed a spur wheel j and these two spur wheels gear into another spur wheel (not
shewn) on the counter shaft (not shewn) of the car, and by this means both pairs of
cylinders act directly on the car wheels." At the opposite ends of the tubes a and b
are angle pieces / connected together at 1 so as to form a rectangular frame by which
the whole arrangement is firmly carried. In the angle pieces are holes through
which pass the hollow trunnions m on which oscillate the cylinders n, two being on the
upper trunnion and two on the lower one, the trunnion ends being closed by the
caps o.
The cylinders are closed at each end, one end having a suitable stuffing
box p.
At the rear end of the cylinder is an air-chamber q communication between
which and the fore end of the cylinder is established by an air-piper running
parallel with the cylinder. At the rear end of the air-chamber q is an automatic
air-valve 8 (preferably a lift one as shewn) opening in the direction of the axis of the
cylinder, the said valve being kept closed by a spiral spring t; n being the air-holes.
At the rear end of the cylinder is another automatic valve v through which air from
the chamber q can be drawn into the cylinder by the holes w. The valve is so
arranged that as it slides on its spindle x, the recess y works over a piston like end z
terminating the spindle x, the intervening space forming an air-cushion to prevent
'hammering." Part of the air when drawn towards the valve is caught in a cone A
terminating in a passage B opening into the cylinder. Into the passage B opens
one end of a brass spray tube C, the other end of which opens into the tubular part
of the cylinder which oscillates on the hollow trunnion. Each hollow trunnion
forms also a supply chamber from which the petroleum is fed into the cylinders
oscillating on it. A hole D in the trunnion establishes communication between the
end of the spray tube C, and a conical cock E in the hollow trunnion. There are four
of the cocks E, one at each end of each trunnion m. The cocks E are opened by
crank levers F outside the ends of the trunnions, the levers F being moved by side
levers G operated by a cross lever H at the top of the engine frame. The openings
in E are so arranged that by an upward movement of the levers F the supply of
petroleum is admitted to each cylinder one after the other until all are full on, the
various positions of the crank for bringing each cylinder into action being marked
1, 2, 3, 4, (Fig. 5.) all being "off" when the crank is at O. By depressing the cross
lever H any or all of the cylinders can be put out of action. At the side of each
cylinder are exhaust ports I, opening into exhaust cowls J surrounding the pipe r
conveying air from the chamber g to the front of the cylinder. These exhaust cowls
ensure the deadening of the noise and the warning of the air before it enters the
cylinder. Ignition of the charge is effected by a tube K one end of which is screwed
into the combustion part of the cylinder and having at the other end an adjustable
brass plug L. A platinum wire M is embedded in porcelain N filling the plug L,
the wire projecting into K. The outer end of M is connected with one pole of a
source of electricity. To the inner end of M is attached one end of a fine platinum
wire O, the other end being fastened to the plug L which is electrically connected
with the tube K the latter being connected with the other pole of the source of
electricity, by which arrangement the wire becomes red hot. There is no firing
valve, but ignition takes place when the inflammable charge is compressed far enough
up the tube to reach the incandescent. wire. P are the cylinder pistons. the
piston rods, and R the cross heads.
In operation, at the commencement of the instroke, the piston draws air through

page_text: 6. In petroleum and like
engines for motor cars and other purposes, the
improvements provided for and operating substantially as described in the above
specification and exemplified in the accompanying drawings.
Dated thin 10th day of the 1007
HUGHES & YOUNG
23, Coleman Street, London. E.C. Agents for Applicant.