IMPROVEMENTS IN CALORIC ENGINES FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER.
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CALORIC ENGINES
FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER.". -A communication from abroad by
Alexis de Bisschop, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
Sealed the 12th November 1872, and dated the 25th May 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 25th May 1872.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CALORIC ENGINES
FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER," to be as follows:
This Invention relates to that class of engines in which motive power
for actuating a piston, and thereby transmitting motion to a driving
shaft, is obtained by the explosion of successive charges of hydrogen gas
mixed with air, which are admitted into the cylinder of the engine
through valves or openings beneath the piston. In engines of this

page_text: class the explosion of the mixed gases in the cylinder has usually been
effected by means of an electric spark. This has complicated the con-
struction and working of the engine, and has been found inconvenient.
By the present Invention all this complication is obviated, and the
mixed gases are ignited by a small gas jet placed outside the cylinder!
At every rise of the piston the flame from the jet is drawn into the
cylinder, and ignites the gases, when they by their expansion act on and
force up the piston. The opening through which the flame is drawn
into the cylinder is furnished with a clack or pendent valve, which
will prevent the jet from being blown out by the return stroke of the
piston.
•
In order to keep the cylinder cool, and to deaden the noise made by
the explosion, the cylinder is surrounded with a jacket, through which
air is forced by the up-stroke of the piston into a chamber below, and
from which it is admitted by jets into the cylinder. The gas jet is
enclosed within a chamber which forms part of the envelope of the
cylinder. The explosive gases are admitted through valves in the
bottom of the cylinder, and the burned gases escape through an excentric
valve also placed at the bottom of the cylinder. The motion of the
piston rod is transmitted to the crank of the main shaft by the crank
pin being made to work in a transverse slot made in a cross piece con-
nected to the piston rod. For the purpose of securing the accuracy of
the motion of the piston rod it is extended from both sides of the piston,
and works in guides attached to the cylinder ends. The lower guide is
plugged to keep it air tight, so that the piston rods do not require
packing. As the piston will always have a cushion of air before it it
will not be liable to concussion produced by the sudden explosion of the
mixed gases.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent 3
Office on the 25th November 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for l'atents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CALORIC ENGINES FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE
POWER," being a communication to me from abroad by Alexis de
Bisschop, of Paris, in the Republic of France, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describo
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):
This Invention relates to the construction and arrangement of a gas
This Invention relates to the construction and arrangement of a gas
motor, which is actuated by means of the gases evolved from explosive
compounds when the latter are ignited underneath the piston. This
motor is in itself simple in construction, and is economical in use; it
makes little waste, and is specially adapted to engines of small power,
and will be particularly useful for actuating sewing machines. The
difference between this system of motor and those hitherto employed is
that it works with two elements only, viz, air and any description of
combustible gas, the ordinary lighting gas, for example. It is therefore

page_text: exempt from all the complications of parts resulting from the employ-
ment of electricity, water, and other motive agents.
The accompanying Drawing shews the improved system of motor.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the machine; Fig. 2 is an horizontal section
of the same taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 1.
8
The motor is composed of a cylinder A cast with a jacket B, in which
works a piston J. This piston is furnished with a rod K, (which is
provided with a slide L) which transmits motion to the crank M and the
motor shaft G. The piston rod K extends above and below the piston,
so as to work in guides at k and k¹. By this arrangement the friction
surfaces are removed as far as possible from the heated parts. Packing
rings or collars g are fitted to the lower end of the rod K in lieu of the
ordinary stuffing box gland, which could not stand such a high tempera-
ture, and by this means an hermetical or gas-tight joint is obtained. O is
a space underneath the cylinder, and valves & allow of the air contained
in this space to pass into the cylinder at the same time that the com-
bustible gas through the pipe x enters by the valves 8¹. The mixture
is therefore effected during a portion of the upward stroke of the piston.
This piston causes an aspiration which draws in the flame from the jet i,
which is supplied with gas from a pipe j. A flame from the jet i is
therefore constantly burning, and this flame being directed towards the
orifice (shewn in detail at Fig. 3) is drawn into the cylinder by the
upward motion of the piston. The orifice is made in a plug or block 7,
which is furnished with a clack valve m, and therefore the orifice is
closed at the moment of the explosion by the pressure of the explosive
gas acting on the back of the valve m, thereby causing it to press
against the inclined part of the plug or block 7. The object of closing
the orifice / is to prevent the pressure of the gases in the interior of the
cylinder from blowing upon the flame of the burner i, and extinguishing
it. In case of the flame being extinguished accidentally another
burner i¹, which is kept constantly alight, will relight it immediately.
The valve m which serves to let in the lighting gas plays an
important part. It consists of a plate of sheet iron, which when at
iest hangs vertically, so that a free communication exists until such
time as the explosion augments the pressure in the cylinder of the
machine. The action of this valve is indispensable. Without it the
gas burner i would be constantly extinguished, and
the
gases
then

page_text: finding a natural escape, would be wasted, and the greater part of the
effect resulting from the deflagration of the gases would be lost for the
working of the machine.
At the time of the explosion a noise will of course be produced;
and to remedy the evil consequences of this I have endeavoured to
prevent the sound from causing a vibration in the air. To this end
the cylinder A is enveloped with a cast-iron jacket B, in which
spaces b, c, d, e, are left, and the upper part of the piston rod works
in a space closed by a valve a. Beneath the cylinder is a space C filled
with air, into which lead the valves S, which by their number tend to
deaden the sound, so that that part of the cylinder in which the lighting
of the gases takes place is surrounded by an air mattrass contained
within the enclosed spaces, and cannot therefore transmit the vibrations
to the exterior.
The lighting part is surrounded for a like object by a cast-iron
chimney D, which is furnished with a door P and a discharge pipe T
to allow of the escape of the gases of combustion.
The framing of the machine is composed of large thicknesses of sheet
iron, so as to obviate as far as possible all vibration. The machine is
also mounted upon a stone foundation R, which forming, as it were,
part of the machine ensures its stability, and prevents vibration.
In order to regulate the working speed of the machine the stroke of
the piston at its upper part is used, which is not done in ordinary
machines, and it is made to act as an air pump by sucking the air
through the valve a when the piston descends, and by forcing it back
against the orifices o in the chambers b, c, d, e, which communicate
with the space C. The air is therefore compressed within this space to
a certain extent, and the pressure is regulated by means of the orifice f,
which is always open, and is of a sectional area calculated to correspond
to the normal speed of the machine. The burned gases escape at a
given time through a slide valve E, or other equivalent device, which
is actuated by an excentric F keyed upon the shaft G. The escape
opening H, which communicates with the valve E, can be caused to
regulate the speed of the machine either by giving to it a regulated
and determined sectional area for the normal speed or by regulating it
by means of a cock. Bars or arms conveniently placed permit of pipes

page_text: being fitted to the escape and lighting parts for conducting away the
burned gases.
As the combustion of the gases in the interior of the cylinder creates
a great amount of heat it is necessary to cool the machine. To this end
the exterior of the apparatus is channelled or fluted so as to augment
the area of the surfaces in contact with the outer atmosphere. The
arms of the fly wheel V are also arranged at a certain angle, so as to
act as the wings, fans, or blades of a ventilator, and thus prodnce
currents of air to assist in cooling the surface of the apparatus. Upon
the arms of the fly wheel is mounted the driving pulley v, whereby
motion is communicated to any machine.
It may be remarked that the valves employed in this machine are
made of simple sheets of either thin cast iron, sheet iron, steel, or copper
capable of becoming red-hot without being affected thereby. With such
parts it would be almost unnecessary to employ devices for cooling the
body of the machine; this however may be done by the means above
described.
From the foregoing description it will be understood that the
Invention is particutarly applicable in all cases where small force is
required, and especially for actuating sewing machines.
The chief characteristics of this improved system of motor, and the
results attained by its several combinations, are as follows:-
First. To obtain good working results (notwithstanding the necessarily
high temperature of certain parts of the apparatus) by employing parts
which are not liable to become damaged or deteriorated by heat.
Second. Cooling the apparatus without the use of water by means of
the arrangements above mentioned.
Third. Simplifying the parts for the transmission of motion by
adapting a perpendicular slide to the piston rod for the purpose of
-imparting motion to the crank.
Fourth. Igniting the explosive mixture of gases (without the aid of
electricity) by means of an infallible system of ignition, as set forth.
Fifth. Ensuring the mixture of the explosive gases by a suitable
arrangement of valves, and the expulsion of the burned gases through a
valve worked by an excentric, as shewn, or other equivalent device.

page_text: Sixth. Diminishing the noise of explosions by surrounding the
cylinder with an air mattrass, and in so arranging the apparatus as to
prevent vibrations.
Seventh. Regulating the speed of the machine by producing counter-
pressures, which, as the gases expand, will prevent the piston from
acquiring suddenly too great a speed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-fifth day of
November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-two.