Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 1st Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 1st Apr., 1895-Accepted, 6th June, 1896
I, PAUL AURIOL of 23 Rue Godot de Manroi, Paris, France Civil 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 present invention relates to a four-stroke gas engine in which these four
periods are accomplished in a single revolution by giving to the exploded gases a
much greater expansion than in the best engines heretofore used, and I obtain
moreover by the arrangements of this engine the suppression of vibration by the
equilibrium of the driving forces and of the forces of inertia of the parts in
motion.
Referring to the drawings which form part of this Specification,
Fig. 1, shows an elevation and vertical section of my engine.
Fig. 2, is an end view of the same, the casing E' and fly wheels B being broken
off to show the rolling path E.
Fig. 3 is a sectional plan on the axis a-y of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a sectional plan on the axis 2-2 of Fig. 2, showing the arrangement of
the casing E and of the rolling path.
Fig. 5 is the diagram of the rolling path.
Fig. 6 shows a front view of the valve face G.
The engine is composed of a cylinder A furnished with journals at a right angle
to its axis and supported by standards C, C.
In this cylinder moving in opposite directions are two pistons P, P, which are
each provided with a roller D, D¹. These rollers may be arranged upon balls as
shown in Fig. 1 or arranged so as to occasion but little friction.
These rollers bear continually against a rolling path of elliptical form or of an
approximate curve. This elliptical form constitutes an integral part of my
invention, inasmuch as it enables me to perform in a single revolution the four
periods of the cycle of gas engines, that is to say the suction, compression,
explosion and expansion, and exhaust.
The cylinder being in the line a, c, Fig. 5 when it is in the line e, f, the pistons will
have traversed one e, g and the other h, f, (suction) the cylinder turning through
an angle of 90 degrees the pistons will have returned the same distance to the
centre (compression); the mixture is ignited, the pistons by their rollers exert
their action upon the rolling path and give rise to a rotary movement which will
permit the pistons to traverse the paths g, e, and h, f, (explosion), and lastly in a
turning movement through an angle of 90 degrees more the pistons and the
cylinder will return to their original position (exhaust).

page_text: In order to permit of an important expansion of the exploded gases the
rolling path is composed of two symmetrical curves, one of which serves for
the suction and compression, and the other for the explosion, expansion and
exhaust.
These two curves are as shown in Fig. 5 a, e, e, f, a, and a, b, c, d, a, in which the
suction takes place during the movements a, e, and c, f, the paths traversed by the
pistons being a, e and h, f; the compression takes place during the movements e, c,
and, a, the paths traversed by the pistons being e, g, and f, h, the explosion takes
place during the movements a, b and c, d, the paths traversed by the pistons
being g, b, and h, d; the exhaust takes place during the movements b, c and d, a,
the paths traversed by the pistons being b, g, and d, h; and if I make for
example g, e, equal to e, b, it will be seen that the suction equals 2 g, e, and the
explosions equals 4 g, e.
For the practical realization of this principle I have placed the curve a, e, c, so
as to form a projection on the curve a, b, c, and the curve a, d, c a recess in the
curve a, f, c. One of the rollers being exactly of the length of the receding curve
will be able to roll only upon the curve a, e, c, d, a, and the other being wide and
furnished with a groove for allowing the passage of the projecting curve will be
able to roll only upon the curve a, b, c, f, a.
The driving forces or momenta are here balanced, inasmuch as the pistons
always transmit their actions to lever arms of equal length both being always
at equal distances from the centre of rotation, which has moreover the effect of
compensating for the momenta or forces of inertia of the parts in motion.
Moreover there will be no force exerted uselessly, because the pistons are guided
to their extremity which has necessitated the formation of a recess (in the plane
of rotation) at the two extremities of the cylinder for the passage of the rolling
path (see Fig. 1). Without this arrangement for guiding the pistons there would
be wedge actions preventing the proper operation in practice.
With the object of providing a greater regulating mass for the cylinder I
have inserted the latter etween two crowns B, B, of cast metal forming a fly
wheel.
a fixed
During the operation the rollers D, D¹, of the pistons always bear upon the
rolling path E, being kept there by the centrifugal force, the compression and
explosion of the gases, but in the starting the rollers D, D', are caused to bear
upon the rolling path by springs M, arranged at the two extremities of the axes
of each of these rollers. The distribution in this engine is effected by
valve, face G pierced with two ports i, j, for the admission and exhaust; upon this
face bears a disc H, which is under the action of very weak springs h, and is
pierced with a passage K which passes successively in front of the parts i, j. This
passage K, is formed by a tube made in one piece with the disc H.
This tube is cylindrical exteriorly and engages with little friction with the
massive part p, of the cylinder; the tightness of this tube is ensured by metallic
segments or asbestos packing; the passage K then communicates with the cylinder
through the chamber 7.
By reason of this arrangement the pressure upon the valve face G and
consequently the friction will be insignificant, because in the first place the springs
are only designed for ensuring contact without having to counterbalance any
pressure, and because during the period of compression and explosion the pressure
upon the valve face G is equal only to the pressure exerted upon the edge of the
tube K. The springs h, might therefore be dispensed with without injuriously
affecting the operation of the engine, for during the compression and explosion
there would be no escape, because the pressure exerted upon the edge of the
tube K, would force the disc H, upon the face; and the surface of the edge of the
tube may be made as large or as small as desired according to the mass of the parts
and the tightness to be obtained.
The ignition of the mixture may be effected by an electric spark in the
customary manner or by an incandescent tube; in this case the face G. is furnished

page_text: with an opening n, wherein the incandescent tube (indicated in dotted lines Fig. 3)
terminates, and when the orifice K, passes in front of this opening the mixture will
be ignited.
For the lubrication of the cylinder the oil passes from the fixed reservoir R into
a chamber L, which turns with the cylinder, and from which extend pipes for
conducting the oil to the places to be lubricated.
The engine may be provided with any regulating apparatus.
I might arrange two cylinders one by the side of the other, having their rolling
paths placed parallel and similarly situated; in this case the same distributing
device might serve for the two cylinders, the disc H, requiring only to have a
second passage K, diametrically opposite and terminating in the second cylinder;
I should thus have two explosions per revolution, separated each by one of the
inactive periods;-suction, compression or exhaust.
It is evident that without altering the principle of the motor, the rolling path
could be made movable, the cylinder being fixed. Moreover by adding a suitable
distributor the motor could be driven by steam or by fluids under pressure. The
addition of a distributor would not constitute an improvement of my invention,
but rather a special patent for distribution. The motor with a movable rolling
path and fixed cylinder, could be placed at the centre of the wheel of a vehicle,
instead of the usual place thus making the wheel itself the motor, the axle
supporting the cylinder and serving at the same time to furnish ports for the
entrance of the steam or other fluid.
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 gas engine characterised by the accomplishment, in a single revolution,
of the four periods of the cycle of compression gas engines, the third period
comprising an expansion the volume of which, according to requirements, may
become from 1 to 2 of the volume of admission, the whole being realised by the
action of two pistons moving in opposite directions in a single cylinder and
provided with rollers D, D', moving upon a rolling path of elliptical form profiled
for obtaining the expansion as herein before described and set forth.
(2.) The balancing of the driving forces or momenta and of the momenta or
forces of inertia of the parts in motion by the diametrically opposite actions of
the rollers acting upon lever arms of equal leugth, the whole as hereinbefore
described and set forth.
(3.) A distributing device with an automatic exterior joint, with automatic
compensation for the wear, and with moderate friction proportional to the tightness
to be obtained, consisting of a fixed valve face G, a disc H provided with a
passage K which can slide in the mass p, with little friction and with a tight joint,
the whole as hereinbefore described and set forth.
(4.) The application of my motor as a driving wheel by placing the said motor
at the centre of the wheel of a vehicle substantially as herein described.
Dated this 30th day of March 1896.
S. S. BROMHEAD,
97 Newgate Street, E.C., Patent Agent.