Improvements in Oil and Gas Engines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 9th July, 1896-Accepted, 19th Sept., 1896
[Communicated from abroad by JEAN JACQUES HEILMANN, of 19 Rue Cambon, Paris
in the French Republic, Engineer.]
Improvements in Oil and Gas Engines.
I, WILLIAM GEORGE HEYS of 70 Market Street Manchester in the County of
Lancaster, 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 ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to gas and oil engines of the four cycle type and has for
its objects to secure the equilibrium of the moving parts, and a inore uniform
motion without employing a very heavy fly-wheel.
The desired equilibrium is obtained by employing six cylinders arranged sym-
metrically two and two, with reference to a perpendicular plane through the middle
of the crank shaft. The pistons in these cylinders act upon cranks constructed or
arranged at an angle of 120° between them.
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, shew, in plan and cross section respectively, in the accom-
panying drawings, two forms of the arrangement of the cranks, both of which give
equilibrium. As shewn by Figures 1 and 2, the cranks 1 and 6, 3 and 4, and
2 and 5 are arranged in the three planes as indicated. As represented by
Figures 3 and 4, the cranks are arranged, 1 and 6, 2 and 5, and 3 and 4, as
shewn.
Figure 5 is a sectional side elevation and Figure 9 is a vertical cross section of
a complete engine constructed according to this invention. It will be obvious that
a similar arrangement may be employed for all engines of the four cycle type, of
whatever system. C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, and C6 are the cylinders, the piston rods of
which act upon the cranks 1... 6. A, Figure 6, is a shaft which is geared to
rotate at one half of the speed of the crank shaft, and which operates the
valves. In each cylinder, there is one explosion after every two revolutions of
the crank shaft which thus receives three impulses for each complete revolution, and
these impulses succeed each other in the manner which gives the most uniform
movement.
In the case of the arrangement of the cranks illustrated by Figures 1 and 2,
which are supposed to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow Figure 2,
the explosions occur in the following order, the cylinders being numbered to
correspond with the cranks :-1-2-3-6-5-4. Or, in other words, the explosion
in cylinder 1 is succeeded by that in cylinder 2, then in cylinder 3 during the
first revolution of the crank shaft. During the second revolution an explosion first
occurs in cylinder 6, then in cylinder 5, and lastly, in cylinder 4.
repeated in the following revolutions, so that for each rotation of the
120° there is one impulse. If the explosions follow each other in
orders given below, the result will also be the same.
The cycle is
shaft through
either of the

page_text: The six excentrics are arranged at 60° apart, and the order in which they succeed
each other is determined by the order in which the explosions in the cylinders are
to follow each other.
The valve shaft to be used for the arrangement of the crank shaft represented by
Figures 1 and 2, for explosions having the order 1-2-3-6-5-4, is shewn in
plan and cross section respectively by Figures 7 and 8. The shaft is supposed to
rotate in a direction contrary to that of the crank shaft. In the same way, the
'valve shaft corresponding with the crank shaft illustrated by Figures 3 and 4, and
explosions having the orders above given with relation to that shaft, is illustrated by
Figures 9 and 10.
In explosion engines where the explosive mixture is electrically ignited, the
arrangement indicated by Figure 11 may be employed. An insulated disc D, is
arranged upon the valve shaft, and carries an insulated ring C, which is electrically
connected by a brush or rubbing contact with the secondary wire of an induction
coil B. There is a contact piece on the ring or connected therewith, which touches
successively in one revolution all the fixed contact pieces P 1 to P 6. Each of these
is in electrical communication with the ignition chamber of one of the cylinders, in
which a spark is thus produced at the proper instant. The chambers are also
connected to the secondary coil. It will be understood that the primary circuit of
the induction coil will include a source of electric current.
It will be understood that the use of a separate valve shaft is not essential, and
that other well known methods and arrangements may be employed in such a
manner as to determine the order of explosions as hereinbefore described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me from
abroad, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. An explosion engine of the four cycle type, in which equilibrium of the
reciprocating parts is obtained by the use of six cylinders and cranks, and in
which uniform motion is secured by a succession of six explosions at regular
intervals during two revolutions of the crank shaft, constructed and arranged
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. In an explosion engine of the four cycle type, and in which the rate of
explosions is determined, the hereinbefore described method of and means for
obtaining one impulse or explosion for every 120° of angular motion of the crank
shaft, substantially as set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 7th day of July. A.D. 1896.
WILLIAM GEO. HEYS.