AN IMPROVED GAS ENGINE
Year: 1885

page_text: I, FRANCIS WILLIAM CROSSLEY, of Openshaw, Manchester in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for " AN
IMPROVED GAS ENGINE" to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a compact construction of gas motor engine, operating in
the manner of what is known as the Otto engine, but with its cylinder arranged
vertically and with an overhead crank shaft. The shaft by bevil or helical gear
drives a vertical spindle at half the speed of the shaft.
On the lower end of this
spindle is a cam which works the exhaust valve, and a crank which works the
slide. The exhaust valve is held by a spring in a seating formed in a small recess
at the side of the cylinder near its bottom, this recess being only large enough to
hold the valve and give passage around it, so that there is no waste space or
needles cooling surface such as occurs when the valve is in a passage of some
length leading from the cylinder. This valve and seating can be removed with the
greatest facility and without uncoupling the exhaust pipe. The cam on the vertical
spindle unseats the valve during the period of exhaust. The slide governs ports
formed at the side of the cylinder close to its bottom these ports being arranged for
admission of air and gas and for ignition of the charge in the manner usually
adopted in gas engines of the Otto kind. For the purpose of governing the engine,
I mount on the slide a pendulous lever carring a weight that can be adjusted
nearer to or farther from the vertical line of suspension. This lever has an arm
which, when the weight remains in a certain position in each instroke of the slide,
meets the stem of the gas supply valve and opens it, allowing gas to enter the
cylinder; but when the engine moves faster than the rate to which the weight is
adjusted, the inertia of the weight causes it to shift its position, and the lever arm
in that case misses the stem of the gas valve which is held closed by a spring.
Then when the speed of the engine exceeds that to which the weight is adjusted
the supply of gas is cut off until the engine becomes retarded.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, FRANCIS WILLIAM CROSSLEY, of Openshaw, Manchester in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, 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 :—
My invention relates to a compact construction of gas motor engine, operating in
the manner of what is known as the "Otto "Engine, but with its cylinder arranged
vertically and with an overhead crank shaft. The shaft by bevil or helical gear
drives a vertical spindle at half the speed of the shaft. On the lower end of this
spindle is a cam which works the exhaust valve, and a crank which works the
slide. The exhaust valve is held by a spring in a seating formed in a small recess
at the side of the cylinder near its bottom, this recess being only large enough to
hold the valve and give passage around it, so that there is no waste space or
needless cooling surface such as occurs when the valve is in a passage of some
length leading from the cylinder. This valve and seating can be removed with the
greatest facility and without uncoupling the exhaust pipe. The cam on the
vertical spindle unseats the valve during the period of exhaust. The slide governs
ports formed at the side of the cylinder close to its bottom, these ports being
arranged for admission of air and gas and for ignition of the charge in the manner
usually adopted in gas engines of the "Otto" kind. For the purpose of governing
the engine, I mount on the slide a pendulous lever carrying a weight that can be
adjusted nearer to or farther from the vertical line of suspension. This lever has
an arm which, when the weight remains in a certain position in each instroke of
the slide, meets the stem of the gas supply valve and opens it, allowing gas to enter
the cylinder; but when the engine moves faster than the rate to which the weight
is adjusted, the inertia of the weight causes it to shift its position, and the lever
arm in that case misses the stem of the gas valve which is held closed by a spring.
Then when the speed of the engine exceeds that to which the weight is adjusted
the supply of gas is cut off until the engine becomes retarded.
Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings are front and side views of a gas
motor engine according to my invention, Fig. 3 is a sectional plan. The single
acting cylinder A situated within a hollow column B which forms a water casing,
is fitted with a piston connected to a crank on an overhead flywheel shaft C which
revolves in bearings at the top of the column B. By helical gear D the crank
shaft C drives at half its speed a vertical spindle E at the lower end of which is a
crank F that by means of a connecting link G works the slide H for admission
and ignition of the cylinder charge. On the shaft E is a cam K which acting on a
roller on a lever L opens in opposition to a spring the exhaust valve M.
valve and its seating and a bent passage from it to the exhaust pipe N are
accomodated in a segmental block O which can readily be removed for giving
access, without disturbing the joint of the pipe N. The gas supply valve in the
valve box has a projecting stem terminating in a knife edge P. On the slide H
is mounted a lever R carrying a weight S which by means of a screw nut can be
This

page_text: adjusted nearer to or farther from the vertical line drawn from the fulcrum r of
the lever R. The horizontal arm of the lever is a knife edged spring blade T
directly facing the valve stem P. So long as the slide H reciprocates at such a rate
that the weight S reciprocating with it remains relatively stationary, the edge of T
meets the edge of P, and the valve stem is pressed inwards in opposition to an
internal spring, opening the gas valve and allowing gas to pass to the slide port.
But when the slide H reciprocates so fast that the inertia of the weight S causes it
to hang a little behind, then the edge of T being thus depressed fails to meet the
edge of P and consequently the gas valve is not opened. This may occur during
several successive strokes, the engine receiving no supply of gas until its speed
becomes so far reduced that the inertia of S no longer operates to move T out of
its horizontal position. By adjusting S nearer to or farther from the vertical line
from the normal speed of the engine may be regulated, the speed being greater
the farther S is from the vertical line of suspension. It is to be understood that
the cylinder and piston, the slide and its facings and ports, the arrangements for
ignition, the gas valve in Q, and generally those parts of the engine which are not
shewn in detail on the accompanying drawings are similar in construction to the
corresponding parts as they are commonly used in "Otto" gas motor engines.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
:―
1. The construction of vertical gas motor engine having its cylinder within the
lower part of a column which at its top has bearings for the crank shaft this shaft
working by helical gear at half its speed a vertical spindle which, by a crank, gives
reciprocating movement to the admission and ignition slide and by a cam opens
the exhaust valve, substantially as described and illustrated by the drawings.
2. Arranging the exhaust valve M and its seating and passage in a removable
segment block O as herein described.