improvements in Motor Engines to be Worked with Gas or Vapour, such as Petroleum Vapour.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 14th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 13th Apr., 1895
PROVISIONAL STEI
improvements in Motor Engines to be Worked with Gas or Vapour,
such as Petroleum Vapour.
We, JAMES COMPTON MERRYWEATHER, and CHRISTOPHER JOHN WALLACE
JAKEMAN of the Firm of Merryweather and Sons Limited, of Greenwich Road,
Greenwich, in the County of Kent, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in motor engines to be worked with gas
or vapour such as petroleum vapour.
The engine is of rotary type with vanes or pistons arranged tangentially in a
centre or drum located eccentrically within a cylinder or case so as to be able to
rotate therein; the said centre or drum being of such a diameter that between
the periphery of the centre or drum and the interior of the cylinder or case where
they are nearest to one another there is provided sufficient space for a compressed
Inlets are provided at suitable positions in the cylinder
charge of air and vapour.
or case for the admission of air and vapour, and emission of exhaust, the arrange-
ment being such that as the centre or drum rotates the space of greatest capacity
enclosed by and between the centre or drum, the cylinder or case and two pistons
will be filled with an explosive mixture of air and vapour and as rotation continues
the charge thus enclosed will, as the capacity of the enclosed space becomes
gradually reduced, be compressed until it arrives at the point of least volume; the
charge being then ignited by suitable means such as the- vapouriser or an ignition
between each two
tube. Each piston in turn acts as a timing valve for the explosion, preventing
premature explosion of the compressed charge. The
pistons is charged alternately so that if there be three pistons there will be three
explosions in two revolutions. In this case the exhaust valve can be driven by
a shaft geared three to two on the engine. The oil to form the vapour is admitted
5 to the vaporiser and through it to the cylinder by a measuring slide capable of
adjustment, the oil being supplied by gravity or under pressure.
space
be
may
We do not confine ourselves to the use of three pistons, as four or more
used; and although we have described the nature of the invention as applied in an
engine working with petroleum, engines according to this invention may be
30 constructed to be worked with coal gas or other explosive gas or vapour. The
pistons may be fitted with shoes.
11001

page_text: Improvements in Motor Engines to be Worked with Gas or Vapour,
such as Petroleum Vapour.
We JAMES COMPTON MERRYWEATHER, and CHRISTOPHER JOHN WALLACE.
JAKEMAN of the Firm of Merryweather and Sons Limited, of Greenwich Road,
Greenwich, in the County of Kent, 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 improvements in motor engines to be worked with gas
or vapour such as petroleum vapour.
+
The engine is of rotary type with vanes or pistons arranged tangentially in
a centre or drum located eccentrically within a cylinder or case so as to be able to
rotate therein; the said centre or drum being of such a diameter that between the
periphery of the centre or drum and the interior of the cylinder or case where they
are nearest to one another there is provided sufficient space for a compressed charge
of air and vapour. Inlets are provided at suitable positions in the cylinder or case
for the admission of air and vapour, and emission of exhaust, the arrangement
being such that as the centre or drum rotates the space of greatest capacity
enclosed by and between the centre or drum, the cylinder or case and two pistons
will be filled with an explosive mixture of air and vapour and as rotation continues
the charge thus enclosed will, as the capacity of the enclosed space becomes
gradually reduced be compressed until it arrives at the point of least volume; the
charge being then ignited by suitable means such as the vapouriser or an ignition
tube. Each piston in turn acts as a timing valve for the explosion, preventing
premature explosion of the compressed charge. The space between each two
pistons is charged alternately so that if there be three pistons there will be three
explosions in two revolutions. In this case the exhaust valve can be driven by
a shaft geared three to two on the engine. The oil to form the vapour is admitted
to the vaporiser and through it to the cylinder by a measuring slide capable of.
adjustment, the oil being supplied by gravity or under pressure.
We do not confine ourselves to the use of three pistons, as four or more may be
used; and although we have described the nature of the invention as applied in an
engine working with petroleum, engines according to this invention may be
constructed to be worked with coal gas or other explosive gas or vapour.
The appended drawing shows a vertical section of a motor engine according to
this invention.
I is the cylinder surrounded as usual with a water jacket 2. 3 is a shaft of
triangular cross section for a part of its length; it is supported in bearings at the
respective sides of the cylinder so as to rotate therein. 4 is the drum, it is mounted
upon and rotates with the shaft 3 which, after the drum has been placed upon it,
has forced thereon a cylindrical sleeve, thus leaving both ends of the shaft
cylindrical for the bearings, pulleys and so forth. 5, 5, 5, are cavities in the
drum ;
the direction of each is parallel to a tangent to the drum. In each
cavity is a piston 6 having at its free end a shoe 7 connected to the piston by
a knuckle joint and curved at its outer surface to conform to the interior of the
cylinder. The pistons are plain flat hollow slides, as shewn, into which springs
of limited length are fitted. These springs only come into operation as the pistons
are passing the space 1 (hereinafter referred to), and are intended to keep the
shoes 7 in contact with the cylinder during compression and explosion. The
pistons are moved out by blocks running in annular grooves 1* in the cylinder
covers at the ends of the shoes. The tangential arrangement of the pistons as will
be seen affords them a longer stroke than would obtain if they were radial to the
axis of the druin.

page_text: 8 is the inlet for vapour, 9 the inlet for air, 10 the exhaust outlet.
1 by a pipe 11 through a passage 12 to a cavity 13 in a slide 14 to which
ciprocating motion is imparted; the cavity 13 being opposite the passage 12 when
ceiving petroleum, when hy the movement of the slide the cavity 13 arrives
der the passage 15 air entering by the pipe 16 forces the petroleum by passage 17
The spring
ad pipe 18 past the spring valve 18 to the vaporizer 19, which may be of known
onstruction, heated by a petroleum lamp 20 as well understood.
alve 18 serves to prevent the pressure of the explosion passing up the petroleum
apply pipe, and also to spray the petroleum into the vaporizer which acts also as
igniter, though a separate igniting device may be used if desired.
When the
By means of the screw 13" the size of the cavity 13 in the slide 14 can be
djusted according to requirements. A spiral spring 21 tends to keep the slide 14
n the position in which the cavity 13 communicates with the passage 12. The
lide is moved in the opposite direction by a hit-and-miss device with gravity
governor 22 pivoted at 23 and adjustable by increasing or diminishing the tension
pivoted is operated from one
The part to which this governor
of a spring 24.
arm 25 of a lever pivoted at 26 through a rod 27 jointed at one end to the lever
arm 25 and at the other end to a supporting link 28 pivoted at 29.
speed of the engine accords with that for which the governor is set the nose 30
as to bring the
of the governor will during the movement of the rod 27 from left to right
strike the projection 31 of the slide and move the slide so
cavity 13 opposite the passages 15 and 17, the return movement being effected
by the spring 21 as the nose 30 recedes but in the event of sudden acceleration
of speed the inertia of the governor weight will cause the nose 30 to dip and
miss the projection 31 so that no petroleum will be fed through the vaporizer.
32 is a shaft driven by gear from the engine shaft 3 in the proportion of
3 to 2; 33 is a cam on this shaft which by acting on the lever arm 25" works
the lever arm 25. On the same shaft is another cam 34 that operates one
arm 35 of a lever pivoted at 26, whose other arm 35* at the proper time opens
the exhaust valve 36 in opposition to the spring 37.
The air inlet 9 is furnished with an automatic inlet valve 38.
With the parts in the relative positions shown a compressed combustible
mixture of vapour and air that has been exploded and is expanding and doing
duty in the space 1 so as to drive the drum and pistons in the direction of
5 the arrow, a partially compressed combustible charge in the space 1 is under-
going gradual compression and vapour is being introduced through the vaporizer
into the space 1 to which in due course air will be introduced by the air
inlet 9 as the drum rotates.
When space 1 reaches outlet 10 the exhaust valve 36 will be opened for the
0 escape of the spent products from space 1"; when space 1° is in the position now
1° space 1 will
occupied by space 1 combustion and expansion of the contents of 1° will be taking
place and when space 1 reaches the position now occupied by space
be receiving vapour from the vaporizer; thus it will be understood that whilst one
space is being charged another is exhausting and the contents of the third are
45 acting to propel the pistons and drum.
But although we consider the described arrangement with three pistons convenient
it will be evident that motor engines according to this invention might be constructed
with more than three pistons.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
50 invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare tha
what we claim is :-
1. A motor engine to be worked with gas or vapour such as petroleum vapou
comprising a cylinder or case, a centre or drum located eccentrically within suc
cylinder or case, and vanes or pistons carried by the centre or drum, the arrange
55 ment being such that a mixture of vapour and air entering a space between th
centre or drum, the cylinder or case, and two of the vanes or pistons will

page_text: gradually compressed and after compression will be exploded and will act to drive
the pistons and drum in a rotary sense substantially as described.
2. In a motor engine of the kind referred to, the cycle of operation hereinabove
described with reference to the example illustrated.
3. In a motor engine of the kind referred to, the tangential arrangement of the
pistons substantially as described for the purpose mentioned.
4. The improved motor engine substantially as hereinabove described with
reference to the appended illustrative drawings.
Dated this 14th day of January 1895.
For the Applicants,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.