IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH GAS ENGINES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Louis Simon and Richard Simon, of Wilford Road Works,
in the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham, Engineers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH GAS ENGINES,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Louis Simon and Richard
Simon at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st February
1878.
LOUIS SIMON and RICHARD SIMON, of Wilford Road Works, in the Town and
County of the Town of Nottingham, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED.
WITH GAS ENGINES."
-
Our Invention consists,-
Firstly. In the introduction of steam into the cylinders of gas engines, either
through the same valves as and with the gas, or air, or both, or through a seperate
valve on either or both sides of the piston and into the same or into a second
cylinder. The steam is expanded by the heat of the cylinder and by the heat
developed by the explosion or combustion of the mixture of air and gas and adds to
the power gained, thus economising gas. It may also be previously heated to high
pressure, and then also adds to the power of the engine.
It also serves the purpose in some instances of avoiding to some extent, or
altogether, the necessity now incidental to most gas engines of surrounding the
cylinder with an outer casing containing water to keep the cylinder cool.
The second part of our Invention refers to the economical production of steam for
that purpose.
The steam may be produced by boiling water in a suitable vessel by means of gas,
heat, or otherwise, but we prefer to utilize the heat generated by the explosion or
combustion of the gas and air in the cylinder. For this purpose, we surround the
cylinder with an outer casing containing water, and filled either by means of a
pump or through a tap before starting, or in any other suitable manner. This
water being heated by the combustion or explosion of the gas and air in the
:

page_text: inner cylinders develops steam, which is conducted into the cylinder by means of
suitable pipes and valves.
We also place in or surround with worms, piping or suitably-shaped vessels
containing water, the exhaust pipes which convey. the burned gases from the
cylinder.
The heat of the burned gases develop steam from the water, and that steam is
also, if required, led into the cylinders by means of suitable valves and pipes.
We claim the introduction of steam into the working cylinders of gas engines,
and the utilization of all or part of the heat of the explosion or combustion, and of
the burned gases for the generation of steam.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Louis Simon and Richard Simon in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st August 1878......
LOUIS SIMON and RICHARD SIMON, of Wilford Road Works, in the Town and
County of the Town of Nottingham, Engineers. “IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED
WITH GAS ENGINES."
The object of this Invention is the employment of steam (produced, preferably,
entirely or in part by the waste heat of the combustion and the exhausted products
of combustion) in the cylinder of a gas engine as an additional force or power
acting on the piston at the same time, and on the same side as the force or power
produced by the expansion of a mixture of previously compressed gas and air, or
of either gaseous or liquid hydro-carbon and air, when such mixture is burned by
being passed through a permanent internal flame.
The Invention will be clearly understood by reference to the annexed Drawings.
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is an elevator or side view; Figure 2, an end view; and
Figure 3, a plan of one form of gas engine, in accordance with the foregoing
description.
The following letters are the same for the same parts in all the 3 Figures.
A is the pumping cylinder or compression pump; B, the piston working therein;
C, the connecting rod of B to the beam D, which rocks on the centre E, and by
means of the connecting rod F actuates the crank shaft G, whereon is keyed the fly
wheel H. The other end of the beam D is connected by means of the connecting
rod J to the piston K in the working or combustion cylinder L. M is the inlet for
air, and N that for gas, which pass through a valve O, of which P' is the spindle,
into the compression cylinder.
When the fly wheel H is turned by means of a handle, the piston B on its down
stroke draws a quantity of gas and air through the valve O into the cylinder A.
On its upstroke (the valve O being now closed) this gas and air are compressed,
and thus intimately mixed and discharged through the back pressure valve k into
the receiver Q, which is arranged to form the cover of the cylinder A,

page_text: The pipe R forms a communication between the receiver Q and the combustion
cylinder L, which is opened or closed by the stop valve S. Another smaller pipe
also leads from the receiver Q to the interior of the cylinder L (being opened or
closed by a small stop-cock), into which it opens near the orifice of a channel
leading from the inside of the cylinder L to its exterior. This channel is ordinarily
closed by the plug or handle T.
When the mixture of gas and air (the right proportions of which have been pre-
viously determined) has been accumulated under a pressure of 40 or 50 pounds in
the receiver Q, the engine is placed on the bottom centre (the piston K being at its
highest point), the plug T removed, and the small stop-cock in the small pipo
above mentioned, as leading from Q to the interior of L, is opened. A light now
applied to the orifice from which the plug T has been removed ignites the com-
bustible mixture inside the oylinder, which, if the proportions of gas and air are
right, continues to burn after the plug T has been replaced. This having been done,
the stop-cock S is opened, and the bulk of the compressed mixture in Q, passes
through the pipe R, and through a valve U in the cover of the cylinder L into the
interior of that cylinder to reach which it must pass through the previously described
internal flame supplied through the pipe . In passing through this it is, of course,
ignited, and expansion by heat follows; in consequence of which the piston K in
cylinder L makes a rapid down stroke, and at the same time the piston B of the
cylinder or pump A makes a stroke upwards, discharging the contents of A in a
compressed state into the receiver Q. By means of the connecting rod F a move-
ment is imparted to the crank shaft G.
When the piston K is at the end of its stroke downwards, the momentum of the
fly wheel brings it up again, and the valve W being opened at that instant by a
cam on the shaft X, which shaft is driven by means of bevil wheels Y from the
crank shaft G, the products of combustion pass through the channel Z into the
chamber a. The moment that the piston K arrives at the end of the up stroke a
spring closes the valve W, and a cam on the shaft X opens the valve U, thus
admitting a fresh charge of compressed air and gas into the cylinder L, and the
previously described action is repeated.
To prevent the flame spreading backwards, the combustible mixture is forced
through several layers of perforated brass discs and of wire gauze immediately on
its passing through the valve U. The internal flame previously described being
supplied through an independent pipe l, which is always open, remains constantly
burning.
The chamber a contains a number of field tubes, or other suitable tubes or appara-
tus, which open into the chamber b. This latter chamber b is in communication by
means of the tubes c and d with a water jacket or outer casing containing water
with which the cylinder L is surrounded. The cover of L is also made hollow to
contain water which is in communication with this water jacket. The water is
forced into the jacket by means of an ordinary force pump actuated by an exentric m
on the shaft X."
:
Before reaching the jacket of the cylinder L, the water is made to pass through a
similar jacket round the cylinder A where it is warmed by the heat liberated in com-
pressing the gas and air. A sufficient quantity of water is pumped in to fill the
chamber b about half-way between the level of the pipes c and d.
The heat of the burning gases in the cylinder L heats the water in the water
jacket which rises through the pipe c into b, and colder water flows back through
the pipe d, so that a constant circulation takes place of the water which is quickly
raised to the boiling point. In the meantime the consumed gases pass through the
exhaust valve W and the channel Z into the chamber a, where they play round the
Field tubes before-mentioned, and being of a very high temperature boil the water
in those tubes. The steam produced by the two agencies described, namely, from
the heat of combustion in L, and from the heat of the exhausted gases in
a,
collects
in the upper part of the chamber 6 and in the pipe e.

page_text: By opening the stop valve, the steam passes through a tappet valve t; actuated
by a cam on the shaft X into the interior of the cylinder L at the same time as the
compressed gases are passing through the valve U and the internal flame before
described. The admission of the steam is gradual, as are also the admission and
subsequent ignition of the compressed mixture of gas and air; the steam does not
put out the flame but mingling with it becomes superheated and expands con-
siderably, owing to the high temperature of the flame. The expansion thus
obtained adds materially to the power of the engine. The use of steam has the
further advantage that the steam absorbs a considerable part of the heat of com-
bustion, protecting the sides of the cylinder from injury; it also substitutes a
moist heat for the dry heat which exists in other gas engines, and consequently
reduces very materially the lubrication required, and the wear of the cylinder and
piston.
Again, the unused heat generally carried off and wasted in the exhausted gases.
is by means of the above-described arrangement utilized and made to give its
mechanical equivalent of power.
g is a water gauge to show the height of the water in b, and h is a pressure gauge
to show the pressure of steam in b. A similar pressure gauge is also affixed to the
receiver Q to show the pressure therein.
The steam chamber 6 and the receiver Q are also furnished with suitable safety
valves to prevent so great an accumulation of steam, or of air and gas respectively;
n is the lever actuating the tappet valve U, admitting the compressed mixture of
gas and air into the cylinder L; r is the lever actuating the tappet valve t, admitting
the steam into the cylinder L. These levers have their fulcrum at v, which is a pin
carried by two uprights. 8 is the lever actuating the exhaust valve W. All these
valves are closed by springs and opened by cams on the shaft X, on which cams the
runners at the free extremities of the levers n, r, and s rest. b¹is the lever actuating
the valve O, by which gas and air are admitted into the pump. This valve is closed
by a spring attached to the free end of 6¹. About the middle of the lever b¹ is a
runner C, moving on a cam d¹, which regulates the extent to which the valve O
may open. This cam slides on a key in the shaft X, and is connected with the
governor E¹; it is so shaped and so connected, that when the engine runs to
quickly, and the governors consequently open, the cam is withdrawn, so the runner
c' runs nearer the narrower end of the cam d', and is thus opened for a shorter
time, admitting less gas and air until the engine runs slower again. The reverse
takes place when the engine runs too slowly.
Instead of gas by which ordinary coal gas is generally understood we can by
the above arrangement use the vapour of any hydro-carbon, or any liquid hydro-
carbon suspended in air.
We can also, by a slight modification of some of the parts, use liquid hydro-
carbons, which would be injected direct into the cylinder L, and in that case only air
is admitted into the cylinder A.
Sheet 2, Figure 1, is a sectional view of the gas and air valves and air pump.
Figure 2, a sectional view of cylinder and outlet valve.
In Figure 1, M is the air inlet; N, the gas inlet; P is a small piston valve
admitting the gas which mixes with the air coming in through M, and both pass
through the valve Q into the compression cylinder A; the cam R is conical and is
fixed to the governor, and slides on the shaft X, and lifts the lever S just as the
piston B commences its downward stroke, thus opening the valves Q and P, and
admitting the air and gas into the cylinder A. The bevil side of the cam being on
the drag side allows the lever S to drop sooner or later, according to the position of
the governor, which at once closes the valves Q and P; the lever S is kept in contact
with the cam R by the spring T. Thus it will be seen that these valves are closed
at any percentage of the stroke of the piston B, and only allow sufficient gas and
air to be drawn in to overcome the load on the engine.
Sheet 3 shows another form of gas engines in section. Here A is the pumping or
compression cylinder; B, the piston working therein; C, the connecting rod, con-

page_text: necting it direct with the crank shaft G, on which is the fly wheel H and bevil
wheels Y, which by means of the shaft X work the governors O, connected with
which is a sliding cam D sliding on a feather in the shaft X, and connected with
the governors, so as to be drawn upwards when, owing to the increased speed of the
engine, the balls fly apart. The effect of this is to allow the runner at the end of
the slide valve E to fall on the narrower part of the cam D, and thus to open the
air passage F and the gas passage K for a shorter time, thus admitting less gas and
air until the pressure falls; and the speed of the engine is reduced, when the runner
of the slide valve E again rides on the wider part q the cam D. A suitable spring
keeps the runner E always pressing on the cam D. After passing through F
and K respectively, the air and gas pass into the chamber L, whence they are
drawn through the clack valve M into the cylinder A by the down stroke of
the piston B. By the return stroke of the piston B, the gas and air are compressed
and discharged partly through the pipe R into the combustion cylinder, and partly
into a receiver Q, from which the internal constant flame is supplied; N is a back
pressure valve; P is a stop valve. When it is screwed down the compressed
mixture cannot pass into the pipe R, and the motion of the engine is arrested.
R is a tube through which the compressed contents of the air pump A pass to the
slide valve S, which is worked by the rod g, and admits the mixture through the
perforated brass discs and wire gauze at T into the interior of the working or com-
bustion cylinder W. A small pipe Z also proceeds from the receiver to the
interior of the cylinder W, opening at the point a, or other convenient point; bis
the piston in the cylinder W, and c the rod connecting it with the crank shaft G ;
d is the outlet for the exhausted gases to the side valve e, actuated by the connecting
rod f, which admits them to tubing or to a chamber M, or other suitable arrange-
ment lying in the water chamber h, from which they are afterwards led away. The
water in h is in communication with the water in the jacket or casing k, surrounding
the cylinder W. This water is also in communication with a similar casing or
jacket 1, surrounding the cylinder A. The heat of the combustion in the cylinder
and the heat of the exhausted gases generate steam in the chamber
which passes
by the pipe n (opened or closed by the stop valve p) and a channel v in the slide
valve S into the passage r, and thus into the cylinder W.
The mode of action of this engine is in every respect the same in principle as that
of the engine illustrated in Sheet 1, and already described. The pipe Z sustains a
constant flame in the interior of the cylinder W, through which flame the mixture
of gas and air compressed in A passes, and in thus passing is ignited. The conse-
quent expansion causes the piston 6 to make a rapid down stroke imparting motion
to the crank shaft G and to the fly wheel H. At the same time the piston B of the
cylinder A compresses and discharges into the pipe R and the receiver Q a fresh
supply of gas and air.
The momentum acquired by the fly wheel brings the piston 6 of the cylinder W
back to its highest position, and the above-described action is repeated.
The heat of combustion and of the exhausted gases is employed to generate steam
in the manner described; the steam being admitted into the cylinder gives the
advantageous results already indicated. In this form of engine also the vapours of
hydro-carbons other than coal gas, or liquid hydro-carbon suspended in air,
or liquid hydro-carbons injected direct into the combustion cylinder W (in which
latter case only atmospheric air is pumped in the cylinder A), can be employed.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, we declare that we claim,―
The employment of steam (produced, preferably, entirely or in part by the waste
heat of the combustion and the exhausted products of combustion) in the cylinder
of a gas engine as an additional force or power acting on the piston at the same
time and on the same side as the force or power produced by the expansion of a
mixture of previously compressed gas and air, or of other gaseous or liquid hydro-
carbon and air, when such imixture is burned by being passed through a permanent
internal flame, (as set forth,

page_text: Secondly. We claim regulating the quantity of gas and air drawn into the com-
pression pump by means of a valve or valves opened by a cam actuated by a
governor, so as to proportion it to the quantity required in the combustion cylinder
to overcome the varying load on the engine, as described & substantially as shown
in the annexed Drawings.
A
'
We claim also the construction of the gas engines shown in Figure 1, Sheet 3.
In witness whereof, we, the said Louis Simon and Richard Simon, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-ninth day of July, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
LOUIS SIMON.
(L.S.)
RICHARD SIMON. (L.S.)