Improvements in Internal Combustion Engines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application; 10th Jan., 1895
Complete Specification, Left, 10th Oct., 1995-Accepter, 4th: Jan.; 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Internal Combustion Engines.
1, CHARLES WILLIAM PINKNEY, of 77 Raglan Road, Smethwick, in the
County of Stafford, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide internal combustion engines with
a starter of sufficient, power to start the operation of the engine against a load say
about equal to half its full working power-and to prevent damage to the engine by
the sudden, application of the pressure usually required to start the engine from a
state of rest against a moderate load. According to my invention 1 provide
'n receiver or reservoirtinto which a mixture of gas and, air is stored at the requisite
pressure. The proportion of gas and air should be such as will not constitute
ou explosive mixture until the charge passed from the receiver or reservoir to the
combustion chamber has mixed with the air, therein. The gas and air may be
compressed in the receiver or reservoir by any suitable means, for example,
by means of a pump such, as is described in the 'Specification of Letters Patent
No. 3203, of 1892 granted to me. The ignition, tube holder and the valve
controlling the passage thereto may be arranged as described in the Specification of
Letters Patent No. 7313 of 1891 granted. to me, and the ignition valve may be
operated by a lever and cam as therein described but according to my present
invention I make the end of the arm of the said lever which acts on the said valve,
and also a guide bush (which is caused to act thereon by the return spring), hollow
or tubular to allow a spindle to pass through to act on the stem or spindle of the
ignition valve. At the outer end of the box of the ignition valve I provide
a supplementary lever the one end of which is made hollow and contains a stem
with a head which is pressed outwards by a spring to an extent controlled by a nut
at the end of the stem. This head bears against the aforesaid spindle which passes
through the hollow bush and the end of the ignition valve lever as aforesaid to keep
the ignition valve closed. The other arm of the supplementary lever is arranged
so that it can come in contact with a projection which can be on the
cam which
operates tlie ignition valve lever. The supplementary lever can be centered to a
bracket from the ignition valve box and it is provided with a stop which limits the
motion of the lever in one direction. The said lever and bracket are also provided
with holes into which a pin can be inserted to retain the lever in position for com-
mencing starting and for liolding it out of position during the normal working of-the
engine. When the supplementary lever is fixed in the first position the crank can
be moved into its most advantageous position for starting and the pin which fixes the
supplementary lever can then be removed and then the tail of the said lever will
rest on the aforesaid, projection from the can or the like, and when the engine
moves forward the supplementary, lever is, released, by the movement of the said
projection and, the said lever will fall into such a position that it is inoperative,
and can be retained in this position by. the said pin during the working of the
engine. The mixture of gas and air from the receiver or reservoir is admitted to
the combustion chamber for the starting charge by means of an arrangement of
valves which can be opened for admitting the starting charge-and-will be closed
when the charge has entered the said chamber. To start the engine the ignition
tube is heated and the crank is moved to the most advantageous. position-for
starting and communication is then opened between the receiver or reservoir and

page_text: the combustion chamber the ignition valve being closed. The gas and air under
pressure will pass through the valves and passages into the combustion chamber
the pressure moving the crank slightly forward and the projection which held
the supplementary lever in position for keeping the ignition valve closed will be
moved out of position so that the lever falls and the ignition valve opens and the
charge is ignited and a powerful starting impulse is given the engine afterwards
taking the ordinary charges and operating in the usual way. It is preferable to
use a duplex arrangement of check valves between the receiver or reservoir and
the combustion chamber so that there is not danger of back-firing.
Dated this 10th day of January 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
:
Improvements in Internal Combustion Engines.
I, CHARLES WILLIAM PINKNEY, of 77 Raglan Road, Smethwick in the
County of Stafford, Engineer, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide internal combustion engines with a
starter of sufficient power to start the operation of the engine against a load say
about equal to half its full working power and to prevent damage to the engine
by the sudden application of the pressure usually required to start the engine
from a state of rest against a moderate load. According to my invention I
provide a receiver or reservoir, into which a mixture of gas and air is stored at
the requisite pressure. The proportion of gas and air should be such as will not
constitute an explosive mixture until the charge passed from the receiver, or
reservoir to the combustion chamber has mixed with the air therein. The gas
and air may be compressed in the receiver, or reservoir, by any suitable means for
example by means of a pump. such as is described in the Specification of Letters
Patent No. 3203 of 1892 granted to me. The ignition tube holder and the valve
controlling the passage thereto may be arranged as described in the Specification
of Letters Patent No. 7313 of 1891 granted to me and the ignition valve may be
operated by a lever and eam as therein described but according to my present
invention I make the end of the arm of the said lever which acts on the said valve,
and also a guide bush (which is caused to act thereon by the return spring) hollow, or
tubular, to allow a spindle to pass through to act on the stem, or spindle, of the ignition
valve. At the outer end of the box of the ignition valve I provide a supple-
mentary lever, the one end of which is made hollow and contains a stein with a lead
which is pressed outwards by a spring to an extent controlled by a nut at the end
of the stem. This head bears against the aforesaid spindle which passes through
the hollow bush and the end of the ignition valve lever as aforesaid to keep the
ignition valve closed. The other arm of the supplementary lever is arranged so
that it can come in contact with a projection, which can be on the cam which
operates the ignition valve lever. The supplementary lever can be centered to a
bracket from the ignition valve-box, and it is provided with a stop which limits the
motion of the lever in one direction. The said lever and bracket are also provided
with holes into which a pin can be inserted to retain the lever in position for
commencing starting and for holding it out of position during the normal working
of the engine. When the supplementary lever is fixed in the first position the
crank can be moved into its most advantageous position for starting and the pic
which fixes the supplementary lever can then be removed and then the tail of the
said lever will rest on the aforesaid projection from the cam, or the like, and when

page_text: the engine moves forward the supplementary lever is released by the movement of
the said projection and the said lever will fall into such a position that it is
inoperative and can be retained in this position by the said pin during the working
of the engine. The mixture of gas and air from the receiver, or reservoir, is.
admitted to the combustion chamber for the starting charge by means of an
arrangement of valves which can be opened for admitting the starting charge, and
will be closed when the charge has entered the said chamber.
In order that my invention may be well understood I will describe with
reference to the accompanying drawings the manner in which it may be performed.
Figure 1 shews the receiver or reservoir A and the valves connected therewith.
Figure 2 is a transverse section and Figure 3 is a horizontal section shewing
the mechanisms connected with the igniter and other parts as hereinafter
described.
In the receiver or reservoir A a mixture of gas and air is stored at any desired
pressure the pressure being produced by any suitable means for example as before
stated by means of a pump such as is described in my Specification of Letters
Patent No. 3203 of 1892. X is the inlet pipe for the gas and air and Y is the inlet
valve. The valve Y can be on the opposite side of the tee piece Z, or a valve
can be used on each side for retaining the compressed charge. The proportion of
gas to air is so great that it constitutes an inexplosive mixture but when a charge
of this mixture is let into the combustion chamber B it will mix with the air therein
and form an explosive mixture.
The ignition valve, valve box and ignition tube holder are shewn as being like
those described in my Specification of Letters Patent No. 7313, 1891, with
reference to Figures 5 and 6 the ignition valve being operated by a lever H and
cam 1. The upper end C of the said lever H and also the guide bush are cach
bored out or formed with an orifice to allow a spindle G to pass freely through
to act on the head of the ignition valve spindle E. At the outer end of the
ignition valve box. J provide a supplementary lever K centered at to the
bracket the upper end of the said lever being hollow and containing a spindle L
and spring M pressing it outwards the nut on the end of the spindle keeping it in
position. The lower end of the said lever K is arranged to come in contact with
a projection N on the boss of the cam. I when desired. The lower end of the
bracket at and the lever K at k² form stops which come together when the
lever takes the position shewn in dotted lines in Figure 2. Holes and u
are made in the lever K and a hole at sis made in the bracket to enable the
attendant to fix the lever K in the proper position for starting by lifting the lower
end of the lever K a little higher than the position shewn in full lines in Figure 2
when the hole t will come opposite the holes and by then inserting the cottero
the ignition valve is forced against, its seat and the engine can then be barred into
the proper position, for starting without the projection N coming in contact with the
lower end of the said lever K. After barring round the engine to the starting
position, the pin or cotter is removed when the lower end of the lever K will rest
on the projection N on the cam as shewn and when the lever K falls into the position
shewn in dotted lines owing to the engine going forward and moving the projec-
tion N in the direction of the arrow W, the hole will then be opposite the hole s
and the cotter is then inserted to prevent the lever K from being lifted out of its
inoperative position while the engine is at work. The receiver or reservoir A
being stored at the desired pressure of gas and air which enter through the pipe X
and valve and the ignition tube being heated to start the engine the crank pin of
the engine is moved into the position marked A' in the diagram Figure 1 the
cock A being closed. The check valve A (Figure 2) and the valve Y on
the receiver A are then opened and the ignition valve E is closed the levers Hand K
being in the position shewn in full lines in Figure 2. The cock A³ is then opened
and the gas and air will pass out of the receiver or reservoir A through the
passage A check valve A check valve A' and passage A' into the combustion
chamber B.of the engine the pressure of the mixture moving the engine forward

page_text: .
until the crank pin arrives at the position marked. A³ in Figure 4. The projection N
on the cam will by, then have moved away from the lower end of the lever K in the
direction of the arrow. W and the lever K will fall into the position shewn in
dotted lines in Figure 2 and allow the ignition valve E to open communication so
that a portion of the explosive mixture will enter the ignition tube A8. (Figure 3).
A powerful explosion now takes place in the combustion chamber B and the piston
is driven forward in the cylinder. After this explosion the engine takes the
ordinary charges of gas and air and explosions take place and the engine works in
the usual way. In the diagram Figure 5 from A to Ala shews the pressure from
the receiver putting the engine slightly into motion previous to the explosion which
takes place at A the expansion of which finishes at A" I prefer to work with two
check valves between the receiver or reservoir A and combustion chamber B the
second check valve being placed at such a distance from the combustion chamber B
that any slight rise of pressure inside the said combustion chamber will cause the
said check valve to close before it is possible for the flame of the, explosion to
reach the point where the said second check valve is situated. The starter
described in the Specification of Letters Patent No. 3203 of 1892 will under
certain conditions produce a diagram similar to that shewn at Figure 5 if not held
back by spragging gear, but according to my present, invention, I produce that
diagram mechanically and positively and without damage to the working parts by
putting the engine slightly into motion as herein before described before allowing
the explosion to take place. When the engine is at work the valve A' is locked
onto its seating by the nut A2
·
.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said, inven-
tion and in what manner the same; is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In combination with internal combustion engines a receiver, or reservoir, for
holding a compressed charge of an inexplosive mixture of gas and air for starting
purposes and a communication therefrom to the combustion chamber of the engine,
and a valve, or valves, for controlling, the said communication, all substantially as
and for the purpose, hereinbefore described.
2. In combination with internal combustion engines, a device for keeping the
ignition valve closed at the first starting movement of the engine, and means for
automatically releasing it at the proper time to ignite the charge for the completion
of the starting movement, the said device being retained out of action during
the normal working of the engine, after, starting,, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
3. In combination with internal combustion engines a receiver, or reservoir,
for holding a compressed starting charge of an inexplosive mixture of gas and air,
and a communication therefrom to the combustion chamber of the engine and a
valve or valves, for controlling the said communication and means for keeping the
ignition valve closed at the first starting movement of the engine, and for
automatically releasing the said valve at the proper time for igniting the charge
for completing the starting movement and subsequently free to be operated properly
during the normal working of the engine, substantially as hereinbefore described.
4: In, or for use with, internal combustion engines, for use in starting the
engines, a receiver, or reservoir, for holding à compressed charge of an in-
combustible mixture of gas and air, and a communication therefrom to the
combustion chamber of the engine, and an arrangement of valves for con-
trolling the said communication, as herein before described, and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
.
5. In, or for use with, internal combustion engines, a supplementary lever
provided at one end with a spring stem bearing on a spindle capable of moving
longitudinally in a bush, and in the lever which normally operates the ignition
valve, the said spindle bearing on the stem of the said ignition valve, the said
supplementary lever being acted upon and released at the proper times, by a

page_text: projection on, or operated from, the cam which operates the ignition valve lever,
or other suitable moving part of the engine, and being provided with means for
keeping the said lever out of action during the normal working of the engine,
all as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
6. The arrangement and combination of parts, as a whole, constituting a starter
herein before described, and
for internal combustion engines, substantially as
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th day of October 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.