Improvements in or connected with Combustible Vapour Engines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Sept., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 21st June, 1890-Accepted. 26th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Combustible Vapour Engines.
I JEAN CHARLES DIEDERICHS of Bourgoin (Isère) in the Republic of France
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved motor worked by bydrocarbon vapour and
capable of utilising the lightest essences such as gasolines essence of petroleum and
the like as well as the heaviest oils including schists refined or crude petroleum
naphthas and the like. This improved motor or engine is characterised by the general
arrangement and construction of the parts and in particular by the construction and
action of the carburetter and igniter as hereinafter described.
The cylinder being provided with a jacket for the circulation of cooling water is
provided at the front end with a combustion chamber containing the igniter and at
the upper part with a small cistern containing petroleum essence.
A piston working in this cylinder transmits motion by means of a connecting rod
to a crank shaft and carrying bevel gear driving a valve motion shaft and an eccentric
working a double acting air pump.
Above this pump and supported by the bed plate there is a cistern containing the
carburetting liquid or hydrocarbon. This cistern is arranged to maintain a constant
or. uniform level of the liquid being constructed on the principle of two compartments
connected at the lower part.
One of these compartments is hermetically closed and forms a reservoir but the
other is open at its upper part and is supplied with liquid at the lower part. "When
all the liquid is drawn off from this compartment one or more air bubbles enter the
connecting tube and enter the upper part of the reservoir thereby enabling the liquid
to run afresh.
A double acting hand pump is employed when starting the engine. The air pumps
are connected with a regulating receiver or air chamber which communicates through
a pipe with the small cistern containing the volatile hydrocarbon or essence.
The carburetter is constructed with a cylindrical chamber connected on the one
hand with the exhaust pipe which is constructed with a cone extending into the
chamber and on the other hand with a pipe which conducts the hydrocarbon .liquid
to an annular trough at the upper part of the cone. On coming in contact with
the tube heated by the exhaust gases the volatile portions of the liquid are
immediately converted into vapour whilst the heavier parts flow down, towards the
lower end and by means of this prolonged contact with the heated surface are like-
wise ultimately converted into vapour. In the interior of the exhaust pipe there is
a cone which contracts the area of the passage for the gases. The supply of liquid
to the carburetter is regulated by a needle valve controlled by the governor. The
air to be carburetted enters through a number of holes or orifices arranged at the
upper part of the carburetter so as to obtain a homogeneous mixture and after being
thoroughly carburetted by traversing the carburetter from top to bottom this air is
drawn into the cylinder.
The induction and exhaust pipes are severally provided with a valve worked by an
eccentric or cam on the driving or crank shaft. To facilitate starting the engine and
for use until the carburetter is properly heated by the exhaust ordinary essence is
employed to carburet the air being contained in a tube at the side of the main oil
cistern and likewise communicating with the pipe leading to the carburetter.
The carburetted air drawn into the cylinder when the piston retires is afterwards
compressed when the piston returns before being ignited in order to produce by
expansion the force. which reacts upon the piston. This air or vapour is ignited
by means of a metallic cap or tube preferably of platinum heated by means of a

page_text: blow pipe supplied with carburetted air. This igniter is enclosed in a chamber
communicating with the combustion chamber of the cylinder through an orifice or
port which is closed by a plug or piston whilst the carburetted air or vapour is
heing compressed in the cylinder. When the plug or piston uncovers this port the
carburetted air compressed in the cylinder flowing into the chamber becomes ignited
on coming in contact with the cap and explodes in the cylinder.
The burnt gases exhaust through the inlet orifice passing through the exhaust.
valve and flowing to the carburetter.
The carburetted air which supplies the blowpipe of the igniter is produced as
"follows:-
"The air pump draws in air and delivers it into the regulating receiver hereinbefore
referred to where its pressure is regulated. A pipe conducts. this air to the small
cistern containing the essence of petroleum and a branch on this pipe conducts a
portion of the air to a connection with the vapour pipe communicating with the
igniter.
The pressure of the air in the sumall cistern causes the essence to flow out through
a pipe provided with a needle valve which controls its delivery with precision so that
the liquid falls in drops precisely at the connection with the air pipe where: the air
becomes saturated with the essence.
This carburetted air then proceeds to the blow pipe whence it is projected as flame
against the cap of the igniter which it heats to incandescence.
The waste heat of the igniting cap is utilised for heating the carburetted air which
circulates in a worm or coiled part of the supply pipe in a chamber communicating
with the cap before entering the blow pipe. The end of the blow pipe is provided
with very thin leaves or slips of platinum cut out in the form of long fine teeth
or with gauze made of very fine platinum wire so as to facilitate the combustion of
the carburetted air.
Dated this 21st day of September 1889
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields. London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Combustible Vapour Engines.
I, JEAN CHARLES, DIEDERICHS of Bourgoin (Isère) in the Republic of France,
Manufacturer 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 an improved motor worked by hydrocarbon vapour and
capable of utilising the lightest essences such as gasolines essence of petroleum and
the like as well as the heaviest oils including schists refined or crude petroleum
naphthas and the like.
This improved motor or engine in which explosion and compression take place in
the cylinder is characterised by the general arrangements and construction of its
parts and in particular by the construction and action of the carburetter and igniter
as hereinafter described the former producing an explosive mixture, well adapted to
produce the best effect with the engine and the latter ensuring the ignition of this
mixture at the proper period.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several
'figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
•
:
Figure of the accompanying drawings represents in longitudinal or side eleva-
tion an engine constructed according to my invention and
Figure is an elevation viewed from the cylinder end.
Figure 3 illustrates in section drawn to a larger scale the carburetting, apparatus
in your

page_text: Figure 4 represents the igniter in section.
Figure 5 represents the combustion chamber in horizontal section on the line 1-2
figure 4 and
Figures 6 and 7 are details hereinafter described connected with the oil supply.
General arrangements of the motor. The motor cylinder A. provided with a
jacket for the circulation of cooling water is fixed on a bed or stand B of suitable
form and dimensious. This eylinder is provided at the front end with a combustion
chamber communicating with the igniter figures 4 and 5 and at the upper part
with a reservoir or cistern containing a combustible liquid such as petroleum
essence which is employed in generating vapour for use in the igniting arrangement
hereinafter described. At the side of the cylinder there is a centrifugal governor R.
and at the lower part of the combustion chamber an inlet valve and an exhaust
valve are provided (fig. 4).
A piston working in this cylinder transmits motion by means of a connecting rod
to a crank shaft supported in suitable bearings and carrying at one end a fly wheel
and pulley and at the other end bevel gear (driving a valve motion shaft D) and an
excentrice working a double acting air pump E situated at the side of the bed plate
or support.
Above the pump E and supported by the bed plate there is a cistern Q containing
the hydrocarbon or carburetting liquid (schist refined or other petroleum, gasoline
essence of petroleum or the like) employed in generating the vapour which is to be
exploded in the cylinder. This cistern is arranged to maintain a constant level of
the liquid being constructed as represented in vertical and liorizontal sections
respectively in ligures 6 and 7.
The cistern Q contains a smaller cistern Q hereinafter referred to likewise arranged
to maintain a constant level.
The two cisterns Q and Q being constructed on the same principles the following
description is applicable to either of thein. The cistern Q (or Q') is provided at one
side with a tube 9 (or q) communicating at the upper end with the atmosphere and
at the lower part with the cistern through an orifice .
This orifice is shown in
figure 6 in connection with the cistern Qand its tube q¹. When the cistern is filled
with liquid through a charging hole at the top the liquid rises to the same level in
the main part of the cistern and in the tube. The charging hole is then closed
with a tightly fitting stopper and the liquid in the tube is drawn off through a tap y
until it descends to the level of the connecting orifice. This level cannot be
exceeded owing to a small overflow pipe connected to the top y
Under these conditions let us consider what takes place when the cock in the pipe
leading to the carburetter is opened. As the level of the liquid falls in the tube'
(or) one or more bubbles of air pass through the opening and rise to the upper
part of the cistern thus enabling a corresponding quantity of liquid to pass from the
cistern into the said tube. A constant or uniform level of liquid is thus maintained
in the latter and a regular supply ensured.
At the front of the motor there is a carburetter G'connected to the cistern by:
the pipe y and to the motor cylinder by the pipes T T¹.
A double acting hand pump El is employed in place of the pump E when starting
the engine. The two air pumps E and E are connected with a regulating receiver
or compressed air chamber F which being enclosed in the interior of the stand or
support communicates through a pipe with a cistern containing the volatile hydro-
carbon or essence which is consumed in the igniter.
I
The carburetter or vapouriser G is constructed in the form of a cylindrical chamber
connected with the exhaust pipe T' the extremity of which is connected to a hollow
cone or taper tube T figure 3 in the chamber G. The pipe y conducts the liquid
from the cistern Q to an annular space w surrounding the upper part of the hollow
one T and arranged to distribute the liquid over the external surface of the said
cone as indicated in the drawing.
"
On coming in contact with the cone or tube T which is highly heated by the

page_text: exhaust, gases from the tube T¹ the volatile portions of the liquid are immediately
converted into vapour whilst the heavier parts flow down towards the lower part of.
the apparatus and by means of this prolonged contact with the heated surface of the
cone or tube T are likewise, ultimately converted into vapour. In the interior of
the part T of the exhaust pipe there is a metal cone which contracts the area of the.
passage for, the hot exhaust gases and prevents waste of their heat by expansion.
These gases after they have done their work in the carburetter are discharged through
pipe . The supply of liquid to the carburetter is regulated by a needle valve e
controlled by the governor R by means of suitable connections such as those iudicated
in figure for example. The air to be carburetted enters through a number of holes
or orifices o (figure 3) arranged at the upper part of the carburetter so as to obtain
a homogeneous mixture and after being thoroughly carburetted by Howing down-
wards through the chamber G of the carburetter this air is drawn into the cylinder
of the engine through the pipe T. The induction and exhaust pipes are severally
provided with a valve worked by an excentric or cam on the shaft D.
"
A supply, of volatile liquid or essence is provided in the cistern Q situated in the
interior of the cistern Q This liquid is employed for carburetting air in order to
obtain a supply of explosive vapour for starting the engine and running it until the
carburetter is sufficiently heated by the products of the explosions to enable the less
volatile bydrocarbon contained in the cistern Q to be employed. The cistern Qis
provided with a tube q' in which a uniform level of liquid is maintained and the
pipe g supplying liquid to the carburetter is connected to a branch leading to the
cistern and is provided with stop cocks as indicated in figure 7 which enable it to
be placed in communication with the cistern Q or with the cistern Q. When the
engine has been started by means of the liquid in the cistern Q, the communication
with this cistern is closed and the communication with the cistern Q.is opened.
The igniter. The carburetted air or explosive vapour drawn into the cylinder by
the action of the piston is afterwards compressed when the piston returns before being
ignited in order to produce by expansion the force which reacts upon the piston.
This vapour is not ignited either by a flaine or by an electric spark but by means of
a metallic cap or tube c (ügure 4) preferably of platinum heated by means of a blow
pipe supplied with carburetted air or vapour. This igniter is enclosed in a
chamber cominunicating with the combustion chamber C of the cylinder through an
orifice or port m Figure 5.which is closed by a piston valve a whilst the gas or vapour
is being compressed in the cylinder. When the piston valve uncovers this port the
gas or vapour compressed in the cylinder and flowing into the chamber becomes
ignited on coming in contact with the cap and explodes, the explosion being
communicated to the gas in the cylinder. After propelling the piston the products
or burned gases exhaust through the orifice m passing through the valve
which
is opened at this period and flowing through the pipe T to the carburetter. The
action of the piston valve must be so regulated as to cause the port to be covered
and uncovered at suitable intervals in order to obtain the compression or the ignition
and exhaust of the gases at the proper times.
The carburetted air which supplies the blow pipe is produced as follows.
The air pump E or E (according as the engine is being started or has been
working for some time) draws.in air and delivers it into the regulating receiver or
compressed air chamber herein before referred to where its pressure is regulated.
A pipe f conducts this air to the cistern containing the essence of petroleum or
volatile liquid and a branch conducts a portion of the compressed air to the liquid
supply pipe at Figures 1 and 4.
i
The pressure of the air in the cistern r causes the liquid to flow out through a
pipe / provided with a needle valve which controls its delivery with precision so that
the liquid, falls in drops precisely at the connection with the air pipe at where the
air becomes saturated with the essence. This carburetted air then proceeds along the
pipe p to the extremity of the blow.pipe where it is ignited and forms a jet
Hame impinging against the cap c which it heats to incandescence.
لأن

page_text: More-
The waste heat generated in the cap is utilized for heating the carburetted air
before entering the blow pipe the said air being caused to circulate in a worm or
oil pl forming part of the supply pipe p in a chamber E. This preliminary heating
enders the mixture more homogeneous and lessens the cooling of the cap.
over the end of the blow pipe is or may be provided with thin leaves or slips of
platinum cut out in the form of long fine teeth or with gauze made of, very fine
latinum wire so as to facilitate the combustion of the carburetted air passing to
he cap.
The general and detail arrangements of the improved motor worked by hydrocarbon
rapour being as hereinbefore described its forms and diinensions are susceptible of
modification according to the motive power to be produced.
It is evident that the relative positions of the constituent parts of the motor may
be changed without in any way affecting its action.
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. A combustible vapour engine comprising a motor cylinder A with a combustion
chamber Ca cistern supplying liquids at a constant level or uniform pressure a
carburetter G supplied with liquid regulated in quantity by a governor R, an igniter c
heated to incandescence by a blow pipe supplied with air carburetted by the aid
of a special reservoir and pamps E or El the said engine being so constructed as
to admit of the employment of the light essences such as gasolines petroleum essence
and the like or heavy oils such as schists refined or crude petroleum napthas
substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
2. In an engine or motor worked by combustible vapour arrangements for causing
the exhaust gases to pass through the carburetter and facilitate the evaporation of
the bydrocarbon or carburetting liquid generating combustible vapour or gases
which are raised to a high temperature by the explosions so as to form a continuous
and automatic cycle and obtain a considerable economy of fuel substantially as herein-
before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
3. In an improved hydro carbon notor as herein before described and claimed the
following arrangements or details of construction namely,
(a) The arrangement of the carburetter G in which the carburetting liquid is
caused to flow over the surface of a cone or taper tube T" containing the
exhaust gases a cone being arranged in the interior of the tube T¹ so as to
retard the expansion of the products and obtain a rapid and effectual evapora-
tion and a perfect and homogeneous mixture of the vapour with the air drawn
in through the orifices o substantially as hereinbefore described with reference
to the accompanying drawings.
(b) The arrangement of the carburetter in combination with a cistern Q
delivering liquid at a constant level and a needle valve e controlled by a
governor R so as to regulate with precision the quantity of liquid supplied to
the carburetter according to the requirements of the engine substantially as
bereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
(c) The arrangement of the igniter c exploding the combustible mixture in the
motor cylinder and formed by a metal cap heated to incandescence by a blow
pipe supplied with carburetted air or combustible vapour substantially as
hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
(d) The arrangement of the cistern r of the double acting air pumps E and E¹
of the regulating receiver or compressed air chamber F and of the needle
valve u for carburetting the air supplied to the blow pipe / heating the igniter c
to incandescence substantially as hereinhefore described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.

page_text: (e) The arrangement of the pipe p p coiled in a helix in a chamber H for the
purpose of utilizing the waste heat of the igniter cap c and rendering the
carburetted air or gaseous mixture supplied to the blow pipe
more
homogeneous and easy of combustion substantially as hereinbefore described
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
4. The arrangements and combinations of parts constituting the improvements
in or connected with combustible vapour engines substantially as hereinbefore
described.