Improvements in Engines Actuated by the Explosion of Combustible Mixtures.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 28th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 11th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Engines Actuated by the Explosion of Combustible
Mixtures.
We, WILLIAM HORNSBY and ROBERT EDWARDS, both of Spittlegate Iron
Works, Grantham, in the County of Lincoln, Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to engines operated by the explosion of mixtures of
combustible vapour or gas and air.
In constructing a piston or cylinder for such engines we make a recess in or
about the middle of the length of one or both of them, of any length and depth
that may be found convenient. In some cases this recess extends around the whole
of the circumference but at other times only half or a little more or less of the
circumference is recessed so that the side of the piston or cylinder not recessed has
more surface than the other part, which surface can be utilized for carrying the
weight of the piston or supporting the pressure caused by the action of the
connecting-rod. An outlet is sometimes made in the cylinder to connect the recess
with the atmosphere of the exhaust pipe so that any vapour or oil that may force
itself into the recess will pass away through the outlet and be carried by a suitable
pipe to the atmosphere or the exhaust pipe.
In engines where a space is left in the cylinder at the end between the cover and
the piston when the latter is at the end of its in-stroke, and such space is divided
by a partition having a port-hole in it so as to form two chambers, and the chamber
farthest away from the piston is adapted to have oil injected into it for causing
explosions therein, we arrange a series of plates perforated or made of wire-gauze
or the like in the chamber or space next to the piston and by drawing the air in
near the piston it can be compressed through these plates into the chamber at the
other side of the partition and as these plates will be heated by the explosions, the
air in its turn will be heated by being forced through them. In some cases we also
draw a portion of the air through the chamber in which the explosions take place
and sometimes heat it after being drawn in by causing it to pass through a long
pipe or the like heated by the explosions or through a pipe or the like coiled inside
the explosion chamber.
In apparatus employed for injecting oil into the vapouriser of the engine, we
employ a valve-box which is attached to the vapouriser, and in order that the oil
that lies in the valve-box may not become heated and thereby vapourised owing to
the immediate contact of the valve-box with the hot vapouriser, we jacket the
valve-box with water, an inlet and outlet pipe being connected to it and also
attached to the water-jacket or water pipes of the cylinder.
Dated this 29th day of April 1892. -

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Engines Actuated by the Explosion of Combustible
Mixtures.
We, WILLIAM HORNSBY and ROBERT EDWARDS, both of Spittlegate Iron
Works, Grantham, in the County of Lincoln, Engineers, 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 :-
This invention relates to engines operated by the explosion of mixtures of
combustible vapour or gas and air, and it comprisos-
(1) Improvements in the pistons and cylinders of such engines.
(2) Improved means for heating the air necessary for the formation of the
combustible mixture; and,
(3) Means for preventing the oil-inlet valve from becoming overheated.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figures 1 and 2 are sectional views illustrating the improvements relating to the
pistons and cylinders:
Figure 3 is a sectional view illustrating one method of heating the air for the
formation of the combustible mixture; and,
Figure 4 is a sectional view illustrating another method :
Figure 5 is a sectional view shewing the arrangement for preventing the oil
valve from becoming overheated.
In constructing a piston or cylinder we make a recess in or about the middle of
the length of one or both of them, of any length and depth that may be found
convenient. In some cases this recess extends around the whole of the circumference
but at other times only half or a little more or less of the circumference is recessed
so that the side of the piston or cylinder not recessed has more surface than the
other part, which surface can be utilized for carrying the weight of the piston or
supporting the pressure caused by the action of the connecting-rod. An outlet is
sometimes made in the cylinder to connect the recess with the atmosphere or the
exhaust pipe so that any vapour or oil that may force itself into the recess will
pass away through the outlet and be carried by a suitable pipe to the atmosphere
or the exhaust pipe.
In Figure 1 a piston a is shewn with a recess b around it, a pipe c attached to
the cylinder connecting the recess with the atmosphere or with the exhaust; whilst
in Figure 2 the cylinder is represented as being recessed at d.
In order to heat the air for the formation of the explosive mixture a partition is
sometimes placed between the explosion chamber and the working part of the
cylinder, the said partition being formed of a series of perforated plates or of wire
gauze or the like (or in some cases, only a portion of the partition is made of wire
gauze or the like) which readily take up the heat of the explosions so that when the
air which is drawn in through the cylinder is pressed into the vaporizer at the back
of the partition it is more or less heated by passing through these plates or the like.
This arrangement is shewn in Figure 3 where e is the cylinder, the vaporizer or
combustion chamber, g the air admission valve, h the exhaust valve, i the oil inlet,
and j, j the wire gauze or the perforated plates.
In some cases all or a portion of the air required is drawn through the chamber
in which the explosions take place and heated in its passage by causing it to pass
through a long pipe, either straight or coiled which is placed in the combustion
chamber or vaporizer and becomes heated by the explosions. In Figure 4 the
combustion chamber g has the air-inlet at k, the air having to pass through the
pipe before it can enter the chamber g, thus being heated by the heat contained
in the gases remaining in the said chamber.
In apparatus employed for injecting oil into the vaporizer of the engine, we
employ a valve-box which is attached to the vaporizer, and in order that the oil

page_text: that lies in the valve-box may not become heated and thereby vaporized owing to
the immediate contact of the valve-box with the hot vaporizer, we jacket the valve-
box with water, an inlet and outlet pipe being connected to it and also attached to
the water-jacket or water pipes of the cylinder.
In Figure 5 m indicates the valve-box and n, o the valves therein the former of
which allows the oil to pass into the vaporizer or combustion chamber whilst the
latter is operated by the governor and allows the surplus oil to escape.
In order to keep the valve n cool, the valve-box is provided with a jacket pas
shewn baving an inlet and outlet connected to the water-jacket or water pipes of
the cylinder. Or water can be run through it from any external source.
In some
cases the jacket may be filled with oil from the oil-pump that supplies the vaporizer
or combustion chamber, the oil circulating round the jacket and then entering the
valve-box.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In an explosion engine recessing the piston or cylinder at or about the middle
of its length so as to arrest any products of the explosion that may pass the piston
rings and allow them to be passed away through a hole or pipe, substantially as
described by reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
2. In an explosion engine a partition of wire gauze or like material dividing the
combustion chamber from the cylinder, substantially as described by reference to
Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.
3. In an explosion engine heating the air drawn into the vaporizer or combustion
chamber by causing it to pass through a pipe placed inside the said vaporizer or
combustion chamber, which pipe is heated by the explosions, substantially as
described by reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.
4. In an explosion engine having a valve-box of the kind herein before described
jacketting the said valve-box which is attached to the vaporizer or chamber with
water or oil so as to keep it cool, substantially as described by reference to Figure 5
of the accompanying drawings.
Date Oɩ1 J.-
1000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.