Improvements in Gas or Vapour Engines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 28th July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 14th Apr., 1891-Accepted, 23rd May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas or Vapour Engines.
We, JOHN RICHARDSON, of the firm of Robey & Co., and WILLIAM NORRIS
of 20, Altham Terrace, both of Lincoln, in the County of Lincoln, Engineers, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our improvements refer to the igniting, starting, governing, and exhaust valve
arrangements of gas motor engines, and are specially applicable to compression gas
engines acting on the "Beau de Rochas or four cycle. They may be applied
however to compression gas engines of other types.
""
The first part of our invention refers to the igniting device or devices, and is
intended to meet a difficulty experienced in adjusting the time of ignition for
different speeds, when slow action igniters-such as the hot tube igniter-are
adopted. With a hot tube igniter utilizing a valve to open communication between
the hot tube, and the compressed explosive mixture, it is necessary to open the
valve somewhat before the instant at which ignition is required; that is, it is
necessary to give the valve a certain amount of "lead." When the engine is
working at high speed, more "lead" is required than when at low speed in order to
accomplish ignition at the proper time. In consequence of this, if the valve be
adjusted to act properly at high speed, then at a low speed, such as is common when
starting, the ignition will take place at too early a point, and so tend to back the
piston instead of driving it out to cause normal revolution. To meet this difficulty
we provide the igniting valve with an adjustable connection, so that the lift or
opening may be varied from, say 3" to 3".
3
When the engine is being started, the lift is made, say ": and when running at
speed it is increased to ", and so by a simple contrivance, the time of ignition is
arranged to suit low and high speeds.
Our igniting valve, opening communication to the hot tube, consists of a pin or
spindle, having two seats one of which opens and closes the port leading to the hot
tube while the other forms a cushion, and is held hard against its face by the
explosion so as to prevent exit of the gases under explosion pressure to the atmo-
sphere. The connection between the actuating lever and the pin or spindle valve is
so arranged that should the explosion occur before the external seat is pressed
home, the spindle yields without communicating any excessive pressure or strain to
the lever. The connection between the lever and the pin valve is made yielding
or elastic by spiral, flat or other spring. To reduce compression so as to start
easily by hand we provide the exhaust valve cam sleeve with a quick thread screw
and allow the sleeve to slide on a feather." On the valve motion shaft we
provide another sleeve with a screw internal or external as required to work on the
first mentioned screw, and this second sleeve has a suitable disc or projections to
enable it to be turned round by hand. It is free to be rotated round the shaft ;
but is constrained longitudinally by pin and groove or other device.
When it is desired to reduce compression, in order to start we rotate this sleeve
by hand, and it pulls the ordinary cam off the roller on the exhaust valve lever, and
brings into action with the said roller the starting cam which is arranged to hold
open the exhaust valve for a longer period than usual.
When the engine is started the disc is seized, and this causes the cam sleeve to
assume its normal position, opening and closing the exhaust valve at the times
required for the full compression.
In governing the engine we prefer to use the governor described in the Specifica-
tion No. 14753 1885 granted to one of us; but we sometimes modify the arrange-
ment there shown in the following manner :- -We provide the driving spindle with

page_text: an inner spindle connecting suitably to the sliding sleeve, which carries the governor
balls. On the lower end of the inner spindle we attach a cone, which cone acts
upon a shaped piece on the end of the gas valve roller, and thrusts the roller to and
fro while a light spring acts so as to keep the shaped piece always in contact with
the conc.
When the speed increases, the balls tend to fly upward and outward and
the internal spindle is raised so that the cone pushes over the gas valve roller, and
so either reduces the supply of gas or cuts it off altogether.
When the speed falls the balls close, and fall, and the inner spindle and cone also
fall, the gas valve roller then returns to its former position and opens or increases
the opening of the gas valve.
In order to make the exhaust valve box more compact and independent of the
exhaust valve lever, we hold the valve to its seat by a spring which is surrounded
by a water jacket formed in the exhaust box. This preserves the spring from the
action of the heat, and makes the arrangement neat and self contained.
Dated this 26th day of July 1890.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas or Vapour Engines.
We, JOHN RICHARDSON, of the firm of Robey and Co., and WILLIAM NORRIS
of 20, Altham Terrace, both of Lincoln, 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-
Our improvements refer to the igniting, starting and governing arrangements of
gas motor engines, and are specially applicable to compression gas engines acting
on the well known "Beau de Rochas" cycle. They may be applied however
to compression gas engines of other types.
The first part of our invention refers to the igniting device or devices, and is
intended to meet a difficulty experienced in adjusting the time of ignition for
different speeds when slow action igniters such as the hot tube igniter are
adopted.
With a hot tube igniter utilizing a valve to open communication between the hot
tube and the compressed explosive mixture, it is necessary to open the valve some-
what before the instant at which ignition is required, that is, it is necessary to give
the valve a certain amount of "lead." When the engine is working at high speed
more "lead" is required than when at low speed in order to accomplish ignition at
the proper time. In consequence of this if the valve be adjusted to act properly
at high speed, then at a low speed, such as is common when starting the ignition
will take place at too early a point, and so tend to back the piston instead of
driving it out to cause normal revolution. To meet this difficulty we provide the
igniting valve with an adjustable connection, so that the lift or opening may be
varied. When the engine is being started, the lift is reduced and when running at
speed it is increased and so by a simple contrivance the time of ignition is arranged
to suit low and high speeds.
In governing the engine we prefer to use the governor described in the
Specification No. 14753 of 1885 granted to one of us but we sometimes modify
the arrangement there shown.
In the four accompanying sheets of drawings
:-
Figure 1 is a section through our improved igniting valve and connections, and
Figure 2 is an elevation of the same. Figure 2 is a device applied to the Bunsen
burner. Figure 3 shows one mode of applying our improvements in governing, and
Figure 4 illustrates another modification of governor and gear. Figure 5 shows

page_text: the application of the governor described in Specification No. 14753 of 1885 to our
gas engines.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, our iguiting valve opening communication to the
hot tube B consists of a pin or spindle Chaving two seats D and E one of which D
opens and closes the port or passage A leading from the engine cylinder or
compression space to the hot tube while the other E forms a cushion and is held
hard against its face M by the explosion, so as to prevent exit of the gases under
explosion pressure to the atmosphere. The connection between the actuating lever
and the pin or spindle valve C is arranged that the explosion may occur before the
external scat E is pressed home to M. This is accomplished by causing the lever F
which controls the ignition valve to act in one direction only against the end of a
screw G leaving a gap O between the lever and the stirrup piece P so that the pin
valve is free to move outwards to press against the exterior seat M resisted only by
the spring Qin the spring case L.
When starting the engine we reduce the lift of the igniting valve C by screwing
back the screw G and we find by experience that a lift of inch is very convenient.
The lift at starting may be varied within limits the point requiring to be observed
being, that little or no lead is required until the engine has attained its speed when
the screw G is readjusted to give an increased lift and therefore an earlier opening
of the igniting valve.
In Figure 2 it will be noted that a relief chamber J is provided connecting by a
passage to the space above the valve seat D in order to allow the compressed
explosive mixture to readily gain access to the hot portion of the interior of the
tube B by clearing out the burned gases by the action of the compressed combustible
mixture.
The tube H is the end of the Bunsen burner applied to heat to incandescence
the tube B, and K is a cover and valve seat arranged conveniently to allow of ready
access. The other parts are well known and are fully illustrated at. Figures 1 and 2.
Sometimes we dispense with the timing or mechanical valve C and leave the interior
of the igniter tube permanently open to the cylinder regulating the movement of
explosion in the now well known automatic manner by the relative position of the
hot part of the incandescent tube. We change this position conveniently by the
contrivance shown at Figure 2ª where the Bunsen burner H is held by the piece R
and the pointed screws S S. By swivelling the burner H we direct the flame to a
higher or lower point of the tube B and so determining the position of the incan-
descent portion of the tube we determine the ease of access of inflammable mixture
to that part and therefore the period of ignition.
In starting the engine the compression is reduced by regulating the action of an
exhausting cam in any well known and usual manner.
In Figure 3 we have shown our improved governor hereinbefore referred to, which
we arrange for gas engine governing in the following manner-We provide the
driving spindle with an inner spindle k which is connected to the weight by the
pin d or other suitable connection. When the balls expand, the levers c raise band
so also lift k. On the lower end of the inner spindle k we attach a disc which
acts on a cone roller m carried in the end of the gas valve lever n.
The cone
roller m is pushed outwards by the spring o, and the gas camp in the position
shown in Figure 3 moves the lever to its maximum range and so opens the gas
valve fully. When the speed increases the disc is raised and rolling on the
conical surface of the roller m permits the spring o to thrust it forward and so
cause the edge of the roller to miss the gas cams, or come in contact with a shallow
step admitting little gas or cutting it off altogether. The usual second motion or
valve shaft is seen at a and it carries the gas cam p.
We provide means of adjusting the compression of a spring acting on the upper
part of the spindle k so as to enable the speed of the engine to be adjusted while
running without interfering with the governing action. The arrangement is shown
at the upper part of Figure 3 where a screwed sleeve g connects to the rotating
spindle by groove and pin so that when the milled portion e is held, the sleeve

page_text: remains stationary although the governor rotates. An upper sleeve h screws upon
the lower one and compresses the governor spring by the loose pivot cap i. To
regulate the governor therefore, the milled surface e is held and the sleeve / is
screwed on or off without preventing the governor from acting while adjusting.
Figure 4 shows another modification of our governing gear. Here also when the
governor balls fly outward the internal spindle is raised so that, the disc l'
permits the cam roller m² mounted on the valve or second motion shaft,a to be
thrust outward by the spring o' along the feather or key a². This cuts off or
diminishes the gas supply by the action of the roller cam on the end of the gas
valve spindle n¹.
The same spring adjusting contrivance is used as we have described referring to
Figure 3.
Figure 5 illustrates the governor described in the Specification of Patent
No. 14753 of 1885 granted to one of us as applied to governing our gas engine.
The bell crank lever connects to the governor sleeve and one end rises and falls with
it. The other end moves a thin wheel or roller t upon a pin on the end of the
gas valve lever v. The position of the roller t is thus determined by the governor
and so the gas cam w actuates the gas valve spindle u to supply gas as required to
maintain the speed of the engine. The can we is rotated as usual by the second
motion shaft a. The spring sis controlled by the screws and serves to adjust the
speed of the engine while running.
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) A double seat igniting valve as C in which an actuating lever as F moves
the valve in one direction only so that when explosion occurs the pressure freely
seats the valve on its outer seat substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and illustrated, reference being had to Figures 1 and 2 of the accom-
panying drawings.
(2) In ignition timing valves the use of an adjusting screw as G Figures 1 and 2
to diminish the opening of the valve when starting the engine substantially as
described and illustrated in the drawings.
(3) Swivelling a Bunsen burner heating an incandescent tube so as to change the
point of application of the flame and so vary the position of the incandescent part
of the tube substantially as described and illustrated with special reference to
Figures 2 and 2 of the drawings.
(4) The combination of a disc as 1, a cone roller arranged as mand gas cam as p
forming a gas engine governor gear substantially as described and illustrated at
Figure 3 of the drawings.
(5) The combination of a disc as l', a cam arranged as m² and gas valve-spindle
arranged as n' forming a gas engine governor gear substantially as described. and
illustrated at Figure 4 of the drawings.
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(6) The governor spring adjusting contrivance as hereinbefore described and
illustrated at Figure 3 of the drawings.
(7) The combination of governor with lever as-r, roller ast, gas valve lever as-r,
and governor adjusting spring as substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated with reference to Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 13th day of April 1891.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for Applicants..