IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS ENGINES
Year: 1884

page_text: We ROBERT STEEL gas engineer and HENRY WALTON WHITEHEAD of the firm
of Taylor Wordsworth and Company Machine Makers both of Water Lane Leeds
in the County of York do hereby declare the nature of our invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS ENGINES and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to improvements in gas engines and consists
Firstly. In a novel arrangement of valve for preventing the explosive charge
igniting before the crank bas passed its centre, by letting out a portion of the
compressed mixture during a part of each instroke, after which the valve closes
and keeps the pressure up in the cylinder until the engine arrives at its proper
speed. The valve is then thrown out of action by convenient mechanism. The
valve is actuated by an incline segment or scroll fixed by preference on the cross-
head of the piston rod. By this arrangement of starting valve the engine is much
more easily set in motion than heretofore.
Secondly. Our invention consists in drawing in first a portion of the products
of combustion from the exhaust chamber or pipe at the end of the cylinder nearest
the crank shaft during a part of the first instroke of the piston, but during the
remainder of the stroke the proper mixture of gas and air is drawn in. These
products of combustion and the mixture of gas and air having been drawn in
through suitable ports in the slide valve, the products of combustion are displaced
first then the mixture of gas and air follows (by the first outstroke) from the outer
to the inner side of the piston, through a check valve in the piston which is forced
open by compression during the displacement of the charge, the slide valve being
closed. The charge is then compressed by a second instroke and ignited giving
thereby motion to the engine during a part of the second outstroke and during
the remainder of the second outstroke, part of the products of combustion are
exhausted through the exhaust valve, which is closed at the end of the stroke, then
the next instroke draws in a fresh charge and during the time that the fresh
charge is being admitted the products left in the cylinder are being cooled down to
prevent any back ignition When the charge has been drawn in the exhaust
valve is then opened the piston returns on its out stroke and displaces the chargo
through the check valve to the opposite (inner) side of the piston as before.
And in order that our invention may be more completely understood reference
is given to the accompanying sheet of drawings and to the letters and marks
thereon.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation and Fig. 1 is a sectional plan of a part of a gas engine
with our improvements applied thereto. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section of a part of
our improvements to be described hereafter.
a is the cylinder on which we provide the valve box b within which is fitted the
outlet valve c having the long spindle d. On the spindle is provided a lever e
having a runner f thereon. In order that the lever e may be pushed forward and
also held in or out of action we provide the slot hole and rod having the pin
holes therein. A pin being inserted there the lever e is held either in such a
position as to come in contact with the incline segment or scroll j during part of
the inward stroke thereby opening the starting valve c and letting out a portion
of the compressed mixture, or held in a position clear of the incline, segment or
scroll j. We by preference use what is known as Watson's igniter for which
Letters Patent were granted to him dated 20th April 1881 Number 1723.
For the purpose of drawing in at first a portion of the products of combustion
to the outer end A of the cylinder from the exhaust chamber or pipe la during the
first part of the instroke of the piston and also afterwards the mixture of gas and
air we employ suitable ports in the slide valve . These gases then pass through
the check valve n in the piston m (see enlarged view Fig. 3) such check valve
being opened by the pressure, of the gases at the outer end A of the cylinder. The
charge is then compressed by the second instroke and ignited giving the required
motion to the engine.
The cylinder is of such a length that a compression space is left between the
cylinder cover and the piston, when the latter is at the end of its inward stroke.
When preferred we dispense with the ingress of the products of combustion
during the first part of the instroke and draw in at once an explosive mixture of
gas and air.
The other parts of the engine not described in this specification are similar to
those described and shewn in the drawings of the specification of Letters Patent
granted to us and dated 1st March 1883 and numbered 1116.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is―
1 In a gas engine:-drawing in a charge of explosive gases at the outer end A
of the cylinder by the first instroke-and transferring the same to the inner side of
the piston (m) through the check valve (n) during the first outstroke-and
compressing the mixture by the second instroke-followed by ignition-the
explosion moving the piston during the first portion of the second outstroke and
the products of combustion being partially exhausted during the latter portion of
the second outstroke-drawing in a fresh charge of the explosive mixture during
the third instroke-transferring the same to the inner side of the piston and
completing the expulsion of the products of combustion during the third
outstroke compressing the mixture by the next instroke followed by ignition.
2° The arrangement and application of the starting valve c and parts connected
therewith for actuating the same substantially as and for the purpose herein set
forth.
3° The application of the check valve (n) in the piston substantially as and for
purposes herein set forth.