Improvements in Engines Worked by Mineral Oiis.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left. 9th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 11th Jan., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Engines Worked by Mineral Oiis.
JOHN HENRY KNIGHT of Barfield Farnham Surrey Landowner and Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
An improved vaporising chamber for engines burning the vapour of mineral oil in
the cylinder, especially such oils as are known as Paraffin or Kerosine oils.
In my patent No. 2783 A.D. 1887 I describe a vaporising chamber for such.
engines, when such a chamber is arranged on a horizontal engine I find that when
the lamp used for starting the engine is turned down the lower part of the chamber
cools down and will not always generate sufficient vapour to keep the engine running;
I therefore arrange in the lower part of the vaporising chamber one or more tubes,
open to the cylinder at one end and closed at the other, into which the flame of the
explosion will rush, and these tubes radiate the heat to the lower part of the
vaporising chamber.
The tubes may be circular, oval or flattened, and with or without radiating
plates.
The heating tube, or tubes, may be continued through the vaporising chamber and
forin the passage to or from the exhaust valve.
In a double acting engine, that is, in which the explosion acts on both sides of the
piston, I arrange a vaporising chamber at the after end of the cylinder only; this
chamber supplying both forward and after ends of the cylinder; when the engine is
first started, the engine is worked as a single acting engine for a short time, and
when the cylinder is somewhat warmed, and the vaporising chamber is more rapidly
producing vapour, the communication with the forward end of the cylinder is opened
and the engine works as a double acting engine.
In mineral oil engines in which the charge of vapour and air is forced, or su kef
into the cylinder, such engines having a working stroke each out stroke. Í find there
is a liability of the charge being fired prematurely by some of the flame of the
previous explosion still remaining in the cylinder, and so firing the incoming charge,
to avoid this, 1 make the charging or displacing pump of considerably greater
contents than the cylinder and compression space; for instance one fourth or more
greater than the volume swept by the piston together with the compression space, so
that a quantity of pure air is first forced through the cylinder and into exhaust,
clearing out any flame that might remain in the cylinder, and after that the explosive
mixture is admitted.
Dated thi00_1 .. of Anmil 1080
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Engines Worked by Mineral Oils.
I JOHN HENRY KNIGHT of Barfield Farnham in the County of Surrey Engineer and
land owner 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 first part of my invention consists of an improved vaporiser for engines using or
burning in the cylinder the vapour of heavy mineral oils such as Paraffin or Kerosine
oils.
In my patent Number 2783 A.D. 1887 I describe a vaporising chamber for such
engines; find that when such a chamber is arranged on a horizontal engine that
when the lamp used for starting engine is extinguished the lower part of the chamber

page_text: will sometimes cool down and will not always generate sufficient vapour to keep
engine running; I therefore arrange in the lower part one or more tubes open to the
cylinder at one end and closed at the other, into which the flame of the explosion will
rush and the tube or tubes radiate the heat to the lower part of the vaporising
chamber, the tubes may be circular, oval, flattened or rectangular in section; and
with or without radiating plates attached to them.
In my drawing Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the vaporiser, Fig. 2 a transverse
section of the same.
The vaporiser is heated by a lamp placed beneath it not shewn in the drawing,
but described and illustrated in the above named patent Number 2783 A.D. 1887.
A is the after part of the cylinder.
B vaporiser fitted with plates or grids d as described in my previous above named
patent.
The air passes over the horse shoe shaped plate and through it by means of holes
or nicks cut in the lower part, (not shewn in the drawing) and so mixing with the
vapour of oil in the chamber, enters the cylinder by the valve E.
C is a tube fixed into the plate H, which closes the cylinder. This tube is open to
the cylinder at one end and so increases the heating surface in the vaporiser at the
place where it is most required, the tube is closed at the after end.
Fig. 3 is a transverse section of a vaporiser with an oval tube.
The heating tube may be prolonged through the vaporiser and form a passage to
the exhaust valve-see Fig. 4. A cylinder. B vaporiser. H plate closing cylinder;
into this plate is fixed the tube J passing through the vaporiser and terminating in
the exhaust valve casing X.
Or the exhaust valve may be placed at. K in the cylinder.
Another part of my invention is as follows:-In a mineral oil engine which is
double acting i.e. in which the explosion or pressure arising from the combustion of
the vapour, acts on both sides of the piston-1 arrange a vaporising chamber at the
after end of the cylinder only, this chamber supplying both forward and after ends of
the cylinder.
When engine is first started engine can be worked as a single acting engine for a
few strokes, and when cylinder is somewhat warmed, and the vaporising chamber
getting hotter, and consequently producing vapour more rapidly communication with
the forward end of the cylinder is opened and engine works double acting.
Such an arrangement is shewn in Figs. 5 and 6; Fig. 6 is a transverse section
at 11-12 see Fig. 5: and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section following lines 7. 8. 9 of
Fig. 6.
IISCOD.
m. Passage leading to forward end of cylinder A¹.
L Inlet valve taking vapour from vapour chamber to front end of cylinder by
passage m.
n. n. ports leading to slide-face for firing charge.
slide carrying piatinum wire, or any suitable refractory substance and heated by
a flame as described in my Patent Number 13555 A.D. 1887.
This slide by an alternate motion to right or left fires the mixture of vapour and
air, in the after and forward ends of the cylinder respectively.
R is the cover for slide.
The valve L is clamped by suitable mechanism to permit engine to work as a single
acting engine.
In the drawing the exhaust valves, air valves &c. are omitted.
Another part of my invention as follows. In mineral oil engines in which the
charge of vapour and air is forced or sucked by a separate pump or displacer, into the
cylinder, such engines having a working stroke cach out stroke, I find there is a

page_text: liability of the charge being fired prematurely, from some of the flame of the previous
explosion still remaining in the cylinder, and so firing the incoming charge, to avoid
this I make the charging or displacing pump of considerably greater contents than
the cylinder and compression space, for instance one fourth or more greater than the
volume swept by the piston, and the compression space together so that a quantity of
pure air is at once forced through cylinder and into exhaust clearing out any flame
that might remain in the cylinder and then the explosive mixture is admitted.
Having now described my invention-I declare that what I claim is.
Claim 1. Fitting a tube or tubes into the lower part of a vaporiser fitted to the end
of the cylinder, such tube being open to the cylinder at one end only and receiving
the inrush of hot gas of explosion, or combustion so as to keep vaporiser at a high
temperature.
Claim 2. Using such a tube as passage leading to exhaust valve.
Claim 3. Using such tube for taking exhaust gases from cylinder.
Claim 4. The double acting engine as above described, that is using a vaporiser at
one end of cylinder to supply both sides of the piston.
Claim 5. In a mineral oil engine firing each out stroke, using a scavenging charge
of pure air before admitting the working charge as described.
Dated this 9th day of December 1889.
JOHN HENRY KNIGHT.