IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS ENGINES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Linford, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS ENGINES."
Sealed the 1st August 1879, and dated the 17th April 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Linford at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th April 1879.
CHARLES LINFORD, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Engineer.
PROVEMENTS IN GAS ENGINES."
86
$
IM-
This Invention relates to improvements in gas engines, in which the power is
obtained by the igniting whilst under condensation of combustible gases mixed
with common or atmospheric air.
In carrying out this Invention I use a cylinder and piston, with crank or lever as
in an ordinary steam engine, but of greater length of stroke than is usual in
proportion to the diameter. The cylinder is also provided with a space beyond
where the piston travels to be used as a burning and condensing chamber, wherein
the charge of gas and air is admitted through suitable mixing valves, that when
the piston has made its return or instroke the charge is ignited by an electric spark
or gas flame, and by the expansion caused by the burning of the charge. The piston
is impelled outwards, and when the piston has gone the distance the charge will
expand, an ejection valve being then opened to form a connection with the atmo-
sphere and the burning chamber before mentioned, the momentum given to the fly
wheel carries the piston forward. Connected to the ejection valve is a second valve,
which prevents the atmospheric air from supplying the void caused by the travel of
the piston, but the slide and mixing valve is now suddenly opened (by suitable
cams), and a fresh charge of combustible gas and air is drawn into the before
mentioned chamber until the piston completes its out stroke. When the piston has
completed its out stroke, the mixing valve is closed; the piston then makes its return
or instroke, and compresses the residues of combustion upon the charge drawn into
the chamber during the latter part of the previous outstroke, and upon the com-
mencement of the next outstroke the charge thus compressed is ignited, and the
piston again impelled outwards.
By this system I am able to ignite, draw in a fresh charge, and compress the
charge admitted in one revolution of the crank, and by making the cylinder double

page_text: acting can have two impulses to one revolution of the crank, or two single acting
cylinders can be coupled together on the same crank shaft.
For igniting the charge by an electric spark, the electrodes are fixed in the slide
or mixing valve, the current being constantly on. The electrodes are carried by the
slide to the igniting ports in the same manner as an internal gas flame, by which
arrangement a circuit breaker is not required. Another arrangement is to have a
chamber in the slide supplied by gas, but in place of an outside light the gas in the
chamber is ignited by the electric spark; the electrodes can then be fixed in the
cover plate of the slide.
In governing the engine I use two valves, one a gas valve, the other an atmo-
spheric valve; these valves are actuated by cams upon the slide of the governor
The gas valve is a round conical plug fitted into a hole drilled in the gas supply
to the mixing chamber, and as near to the chamber as convenient; it is kept in
position by a spring, which also keeps it closed, the cam on the governor slide lifting
the valve when required. The gas valve is so arranged that when the gas is
admitted, always a full charge is allowed. When the speed of the engine increases
as to cause the governor slide to rise, the cam is brought out of gear and no gas can
pass into the engine.
When the cam that actuates the gas valve is out of gear, the cam acting upon the
atmospheric valve is brought into action and the valve is lifted. The atmospheric
valve is attached to the cover of the slide valve, with ports through the slide valve
leading into the cylinder, through which ports, when the governor spheres are up
and the gas valve closed, the air can pass freely into and out of the cylinder, the
charge of combustible gas to be always the same.
I wish it to be distinctly understood that in no position of the governor slide,
when the cam acting upon the gas valve is in gear, can there be less than a full
charge of gas; there can be no diminishing of the gas charge.
I propose to connect the pipes leading from the air supply in the mixing chamber,
and from the atmospheric valve in the slide valve cover, to the pipe leading from
the ejecting valve. By this means the noise of air is avoided in the engine
room.
To assist in starting engines whose cylinders are of large diameter I allow part of
the air in the cylinder during the return or instroke of the piston to escape.
This
I do in the following manner :-The piston rod is hollow, and passes over a fixed
pipe in the cylinder, an aperture at the bottom edge of the piston being in connec-
tion with the hollow piston rod. The pipe that passes into the piston rod has one
end connected to a small escape valve; a sliding cam in any suitable position gives
motion to the before mentioned escape valve, and allows during the in or return
stroke of the piston a portion of the air between the piston and the charge to
escape, thereby reducing the compression, and allows the engine to be turned easier.
The sliding cam is moved in and out of gear by a small hand lever. To reduce the
friction on the bearings of the fly wheel and crank shafts in the place of a bottom
bearing, I fix rollers working in a box of oil, by which means the friction is con-
siderably reduced. In very large engines it may be necessary to have two shafts,
one for the cranks termed crank shafts, another for the fly wheels termed fly wheel
shafts, the shafts to be coupled together by geared wheels or any convenient
arrangement, whereby the speed of the fly wheel shaft will be greater than that of
the crank shafts.
The form of these engines can be varied to carry out the same system and effect;
they can be made horizontal or vertical, or as beam, as lever engines, and of various
types, as in steam engines. They can be made with two pistons working in the
same cylinder, but travelling in opposite directions, the charge being admitted and
ejected in the centre. They can be, if desired, mounted upon wheels, and have
attached to them a reservoir of compressed gas, or a portable gas making apparatus,
for instance, the "Alpha" apparatus, can be used as portable traction and tram car
engines.
The second part of my Invention refers to Patent No. 942, granted to me March

page_text: 8th, 1878, wherein a modified form of piston is used, but instead of a valve piston
I use an ordinary piston working in a chamber behind the main piston, and
connected by suitably arranged valves. In place of a piston valve I use a fixed
valve, the charge being ignited as before mentioned by an electric spark or by a gas
5 flame.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Linford in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th October
1879.
CHARLES LINFORD, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Engineer.
PROVEMENTS IN GAS ENGINES."
"IM-
The object of this Invention is a special construction of gas engines, by which a
charge can be admitted into, compressed, and ignited within the cylinder during one
revolution of the crank.
The object of the second part of the Invention is construction of gas engines to
admit separate charges of air and air and gas, compress the same, and ignite it, said
engine having beams working separate pistons specially arranged and made to
balance each other to produce perfect equilibrium.
According to the third part of my Invention I employ a pipe within the explosion
cylinder of a gas engine, for the escape of the residues of discharged gases after
each explosion without interfering with the fresh charge when admitted.
According to the fourth part of my Invention I employ a hand lever capable of
lifting the exhaust valve and closing the gas valve by one movement, whereby the
compression is relieved and the engine capable of being started in an easy
manner.
My Invention will be clearly understood by the annexed Drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a part sectional elevation of a gas engine before referred to.
A is the cylinder, with a water jacket B secured to two upright standards C, C,
fixed to or forming part of the base plate D, to give rigidity and to prevent oscil-
lation while the engine is at work.
E is a partition in the cylinder, so that the lower part of same is used as a com-
pression chamber. The piston F within this chamber is linked by a rod G to a
beam H rocking upon the axis I, the opposite end of the beam being connected by
the link J to one of the cranks of a two throw crank shaft K, which passes through
and binds the two uprights C, C, as a support. The other crank has the link L
attached to connect the upper beam M, by which the working piston N is operated
by the links P, the positions of the two beams H and M being under the control
of the two pistons and the cranks, as to produce a kind of equilibrium and ease of
motion, that the sudden shock of the explosion of the gas within the cylinder A is
scarcely discernible.
Q, R, are other rock beams affixed to the uprights C, C, and are operated by an
eccentric S on the shaft K through the connection rods T, T; one of these beams Q
actuates the valve U of the mixing passage V, and the other R the ignition valve
W, this valve having an electrode a permanently fixed within it, with the current
from a battery always on to ignite the charge in the cylinder, when the port b is
uncovered, as will be understood by the transverse sectional view, Figure 2.

page_text: .
The working piston N is hollow, and has a capping c to permit of its moving up
and down over a pipe X fixed at its lower end to the cylinder A, as shown. This
pipe is provided with a valve Y capable of being lifted by a tappet (not shown)
when desired to open the passage d for the escape of the residue of the former
combustion at the instance previous to the entry of a fresh charge into the
cylinder A.
By this Invention sufficient quantity of gas and air are drawn through the inlet
port e into the chamber by the downward sucking action of the lower piston F, the
valve U then covering the inlet port e. On the return or up stroke of the piston
F, the gas and air become compressed within the chamber, and when the motion of
the fly wheel Z has through the shaft and eccentric and slide valve opened the
passage f, the compressed mixture of gas and air rushes through the passage g into
the cylinder A, into which it is partially sucked by the now up travel of the piston
N, the passage g being suddenly shut off by the further movement of the valve W.
The piston N then returns and compresses the charge within the cylinder A. The
piston then rests again, and the valve W is lifted, which brings the electrode a level
with the port b and the cavity j to fire the charge, which forces the piston to
about th of its upstroke, the exhaust valve Y being then opened for the escape of
the spent gases; the piston F is then in position for forcing the charge last compressed
within it into the cylinder A by the passages b, g, f. During this moment of
time, the exhaust valve Y to open to allow the escape of the residue of the previous
charge from the cylinder A. by the pipe X.
The fixed pipe within the cylinder and within the working piston is applicable
to other kinds of gas engines besides that shown in the annexed Drawings, and in
most cases the piston so formed can replace an existing solid rod piston, to enable
the pipe X to be fitted within an existing cylinder.
An example of an existing gas engine cylinder is shown at Figures 3 and 4,
with my fixed pipe X and hollow piston head c arranged therein, the branch d
having a "fall too" valve h, in addition to the tappet Y before referred to.
Sheet 2 of the annexed Drawings shows views (complete and in detail) of a much
improved gas engine, constructed similarly to that shown on Sheet 1, especially as
regards the beams and links, and the fly wheel shaft on two uprights.
In Figure 5 I show a part sectional elevation; and Figure 6, a part sectional
transverse view of an engine last referred to, the same letters of reference as far as
they go being the same. In this construction the partition E in the cylinder is
made moveable, as to slide to and fro under the action of a lever k, operated from
the outside by a cam upon the rotating shaft l, the slide having passages through
it, as in the detached view, Figure 7, to form a single chamber between the two
pistons F, N, when the pistons approach each other to compress the charge, also
while the charge is ignited, and when the residues are being expelled by the exhaust,
the partition being closed only while the charges of air into one portion of the
cylinder, and air and gas into the other portion of the cylinder, are being drawn
into it. The two pistons have the same amount of travel by the arrangement of
the beams, links, and cranks.
The gas and air inlet valves of this engine, and also the firing valve, are not
worked direct from the crank shaft, as in the engine shown on Sheet one, but by a
distinct shaft l, which is operated by spur gearing m, m, as shown, by which means
I am enabled to obtain one discharge or firing operation for every two rotations of
the crank shaft.
Figures 8 and 9 are detail views of a governor regulating apparatus to be applied
to gas engines, especially to those running at high speeds.
This governor apparatus is composed of a spindle carrying the usual spheres n, n,
and the lever p, whose lower end, in contact with a collar q, causes the rod r to
move and release the tappet s from the cam t fitted upon the shaft 7, which regulates
the admission of gas into the mixing chamber V, seen in Figures 6, and in Figures
10 and 11, which are detached views.

page_text: The movements of the slide valve U, W, which in this arrangement is the admis-
sion and the igniting valve, is obtained from the rotating shaft through the
intermediation of the crank pin l, rod u, beam v, and link w.
is a tappet, one leg y of which bears against the cam z on the rotating shaft 1,
to press up the end a¹, which lifts the exhaust valve Y for the oscape of the residue
combustion from cylinder A..
of
B¹ is a lever which can be shifted over by hand from the position shown in
Figure 6 to the positions represented by the dotted lines, to act upon the end y of
the tappet to lift the exhaust valve when the engine is to be started; the rod b¹, on
which the lever B' is fitted, has on its other end two projections c¹, d¹, (Figures 6,
8, and 9).
My method of producing the ignition of the charge is by means of a piece of
platinum fixed in the valve, the incandescense of which is effected by taking fire
from the explosion of each charge, and the maintainance of the incandescense by a
current of mixed gas and air forced into contact with it by the pump C¹ through
the pipe D¹, which terminates in a fine aperture in the valve seat e¹. This pump
can be supplied with gas and air, either by apertures in the slide valve V, or by a
slide attached to it, the pump being operated direct from the fly wheel shaft K
through the connecting rod f¹. The ignition may however be effected by a gas
flame in the usual manner.
Figures 10 and 11 represent a special form of valve, particularly adapted for gas
engines, in the cylinder of which a compressed charge of gend air is ignited.
Figure 12 is a plan of the valve seat e¹.
The valve cover g has a gas supply pipe h¹ affixed; this pipe supplies the passage
with gas for an inside flame at 1, the jet being ignited by a fixed flame which is
within the chinney k¹, and supplied by the pipe h. The action of the valve is as
follows: In the position shown the passage is in line with the cavity j, which is
charged with compressed gas and air, being a part of the charge that is within the
cylinder, by the port b, and the passage m². On the valve being moved the passages
6 and m' partially close, a chamber m³, shown in dotted lines, opens to the passage b
to admit the pressure from the cylinder into the chamber n'. The flame burning
in the passage jignites the mixture in j at the same moment a communication is
made between n¹ and 6; the passage m¹ closing causes the flame to be injected into
the cylinder for firing the charge.
The passage V takes its supply of air through the port p¹, and of gas through
the port q', the supply of gas being regulated by the valve r¹ under control of a
tappet 8, 81, being the main gas supply pipe to the port q¹ by the passage t¹.
Figure 13 is a detached view of a gas engine cylinder in section, b is the inlet
port, and d the exhaust.
In working the two pistons in this cylinder similar appliances are employed, as
in Figures 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 before described.
Instead of drawing separate charges of air, and air and gas, I draw in a charge
of air and gas mixed throughout the stroke. The action is as follows:-The two
pistons receding from each other draw in a charge of mixed gas and air, which
on their return becomes compressed within the enlarged space t, the firing of this
compressed charge taking place as the pistons commences their next outstroke, and
the exhaust on their again approaching each other. By this it will be understood
that at every alternate out travel of the piston a charge is fired, as described, with
reference to Figures 5 and 6.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First. The construction and arrangement of appliances forming a gas engine, as
described and shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the annexed Drawings.
Secondly. I claim the special construction and the arrangement of the various
parts forming a gas engine, as described and shown in Figures 5 and 6 of the annexed
Drawings.

page_text: Thirdly. I claim the employment of rock beams, levers, and rods, for working
between the pistons and the crank shaft of a gas engine, said shaft having independent
bearings or supports apart from those from which the valves are worked, whereby
an equilibrium of power is given to the crank shaft, and a steady running of the
engine is secured, as set forth, the appliances being also applicable to steam
engines.
Fourthly. I claim a fixed pipe within a gas engine cylinder, in combination with a
piston capping, as described, and substantially as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, of
the annexed Drawings, whether said pipe and piston capping be affixed to the engine
above set forth and shown, or to any other form of gas engine.
Fifthly. I claim the moveable partition or diagrapham within a gas engine cylinder
for dividing said cylinder into two chambers for holding distinct quantities of air,
and gas and air, previous to their combination or mixing, as described.
Sixthly. I claim the special arrangement of governor valve apparatus shown in
Figures 6, 8, and 9 of the annexed Drawings, when applied to a gas engine.
Seventhly. I claim the starting lever B¹ and parts connected therewith_to a gas
engine, whether to the engine shown in Figures 6 and 9 of the annexed Drawings,
or to any other kind of gas engine to which it may be applicable.
Eighthly. I claim the pump C¹ worked by an engine for reviving the incandesence
of a platinum wire after the charge has been exploded within the cylinder of a gas
engine, as described.
Ninthly. I claim the special arrangement of ports or passages in a slide valve, as
shown in Figures 10 and 11 of the annexed Drawings, and the application of said
valve to a gas engine, as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Linford, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy nine.
Witness,
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent,
40, Fleet Street,
London.
CHARLES LINFORD. (L.S.)