Improvements in Starting Gear for Gas and like Engines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 27th June, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 27th Apr., 1893—Accepted, 27th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Starting Gear for Gas and like Engines.
I, DUGALD CLERK, of Driffold Villa, Manor Hill, Sutton Coldfield, in the
County of Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
22
This invention relates to improvements in "self starters for gas engines, and
consists in detail arrangements of that type of starter in which the explosion or
combustion of a combustible mixture is caused to compress explosive or combustible
mixture and the said compressed explosive or combustible mixture is ignited so as
to give a powerful compression explosion and so start the engine.
In one modification of a self starter of this kind explosive mixture is formed in
or passed into a chamber or space outside the cylinder separated from the cylinder
by a check valve and mixture is also formed in or introduced into the cylinder.
The mixture is ignited in such manner as to fill the cylinder with compressed
combustible gases which compressed gases are fired to produce a powerful explosion.
The chamber may consist of a long pipe and part of this invention consists in
adapting the air supply pipe of the engine for this purpose. To enable this to be
done a check valve is applied above the gas and air inlet valve or below it and
the air inlet valve is held open while the engine piston is set a little forward on
its working stroke. The air pipe and combustion space are then charged with
combustible mixture by a pump or other means and the mixture is ignited at a
point distant from the check valve by a flame igniter or other means, the end of
the air pipe being closed by a cock or check valve. The cock closing the pipe
may be adapted as an igniter. To enable the engine to take a charge of air
immediately on starting without displacing the contents of the air pipe, 1 sometimes
attach a check valve near the engine air valve to admit air direct from the
atmosphere and I close this check valve when the engine has started. The exhaust
pipe may be similarly utilized as a starting chamber and either exhaust or inlet
valve of the engine may be so connected to its respective valve actuating gear as
to serve instead of the check valve communicating with the cylinder.
Instead of using a long pipe as the said chamber, according to another modifi-
cation of my invention, I arrange the chamber as a cylinder having in it a piston
which piston is propelled by a low pressure explosion on one side of it and
compresses a charge of gas or vapour and air on the other side of it into the
engine cylinder or combustion space there to produce a high pressure explosion to
start the engine when ignited by any known means. This piston in the said
cylinder may be operated by a hand lever so as to act as a pump to charge both
engine cylinder or combustion space and the chamber cylinder in which it acts
with a mixture of gas and air, suitable lift or other valves being applied to enable
the charge to be taken in. The ignition of the charge propelling the loose
piston may be effected by causing the piston to pass over a hole and drawing in a
Hame and when the piston has risen to the top of its stroke and compressed gas
and air through the check valve it may overrun a port or channel which permits
the flame under it to extend above it passing into the engine cylinder through the
check valve and igniting the compressed mixture therein to give a high pressure
starting explosion.
The above described loose piston may be arranged to compress air instead of
mixture into the engine cylinder and the engine may be started by the ignition of
gas as a flame jet ignited by incandescent tube or other means.
A flame ict may also be adopted to propel the said piston without explosion to

page_text: compress air or combustible mixture so that compressed air or combustible mixture
may be produced for starting the engine.
In arranging a lever to operate the loose piston I lift the said piston by a rod on
which the piston rests or is otherwise connected so that when explosion takes place
the piston rises clear without affecting the hand lever..
Instead of a single chamber or long tube I sometimes arrange a number of
chambers in series with check valves between each so that the explosion in the
first passes to the next, compressing from chamber to chamber, until a very high
pressure is attained in the engine cylinder and a high pressure explosion is there
produced. Tube or other igniters may be applied to these chambers if desired.
This device is useful when a very high pressure explosion is desired as a starting
explosion. The chamber or chambers and cylinder may be charged with gas by
the pressure of the mains, the gas flowing through jets at suitable distances to
produce a sufficiently uniform mixture.
One pump suitable for injection consists of an air cylinder and a gas cylinder
so proportioned that sufficient gas is injected with air to form explosive mixture.
The charging may be conducted from either end of the chamber, the cylinder end
or the igniter end, and the check valve may be held open slightly by a spring or
weight so as to close only when explosion takes place.
Lanchester's igniting and testing nozzle may be applied for ignition as described
in Lanchester's Patent No. 5479 of 1890, but any other convenient igniter may
also be adopted.
The chamber and cylinder may be charged by means of a gasometer containing
air or gas or gasometers containing air and gas, the gasometer or gasometers
being of sufficient dimensions.
The chamber may be bored out to contain a pump pistou which is used for
charging and sometimes for igniting. The piston is caused to press against a cover
when full out and when so pressed the explosion is caused by a flame or other
means.
For hydrocarbon engines I arrange a pipe or chamber between the cylinder and
a starting chamber and opening to the cylinder by a check valve with a check
valve opening from the said starting chamber to the pipe or chamber but having a
small aperture through the check valve. Oil or hydrocarbon is pumped into the
pipe and vaporized by heat suitably applied; the vapour discharges through the
aperture described into the starting chamber and mixes with the air there contained
to form explosive mixture which may be fired when rich enough by a Lanchester
igniter hereinbefore referred to so that the explosion forces the vapour into the
engine cylinder and a 'compression explosion or combustion results.
Dated this 25th day of June 1892.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Starting Gear for Gas and like Engines.
1, DUGALD CLERK, of Driffold Villa, Manor Hill, Sutton Coldfield, in the
County of Warwick, 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 :-
j
"
This invention relates to improvements in "self starters for gas engines and
consists in detail arrangements of that type of starter described in the Specification
of Patent No. 18788 of 1891 granted to me, in which the explosion or combustion
of a combustible mixture is caused to compress explosive or combustible mixture,
and the said compressed explosive or combustible mixture is ignited so as to give a
powerful compression explosion and so start the engine.

page_text: Referring to the three accompanying sheets of drawings:
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic section showing the application of the air inlet with
its silencer or the exhaust discharge pipe with its silencer, for the purpose of
starting the engine.
Figure 2 is a section showing the application of a loose piston to the purpose of
starting, also diagrammatic.
Figure 3 shows in section, the arrangement of combustion chambers in series to
produce a very high pressure explosion in the terminal vessel.
Figure 4 is a gas and air supply pump with chamber so arranged as to be
suitable for a number of purposes when a high pressure explosion is desired.
In one modification of a self starter of the above kind as described in the before
mentioned Patent, explosive mixture is formed in or passed into a chamber or space
outside the cylinder separated from the cylinder by a check valve and mixture is
also formed in or introduced into the cylinder. The mixture is ignited in such
manner as to fill the cylinder with compressed combustible gases which compressed
gases are fired to produce a powerful explosion. The chamber may consist of a
long pipe and part of my present invention consists in adapting the air supply pipe
of the engine for this purpose, and one arrangement is shown at Figure 1 of the
drawings. To enable this to be done a check valve B is applied above or below
the gas and air inlet valve C, below it as shown at Figure 1, and the said air inlet
valve C is held open by a pin acting on the lever E or other known means, while
the engine piston is set a little forward on its working stroke. The air pipe D
with its silencing chamber D' and the combustion space A. are then charged with
combustible mixture by a pump or other means and the mixture is ignited at a
point I distant from the check valve by a flame igniter l' or other means, the end
of the air pipe being closed by the cock or check valve I¹ which also serves for the
purpose of ignition. The cock closing the pipe may be separate or it may be
adapted as an igniter as described. To enable the engine to take a charge of air
immediately on starting without displacing the contents of the air pipe D and
silencer D I sometimes attach another check valve near the engine air valve C to
admit air direct from the atmosphere, and I close this check valve when the engine
has started. This valve would be quite similar to B and would open directly to
the atmosphere. The exhaust pipe may be similarly utilized as a starting chamber
and either exhaust or inlet valve as C of the engine may be so connected to its
respective valve actuating gear E as to serve instead of the check valve communi-
cating with the cylinder. As shown at Figure 1 for example, the valve C would
serve instead of the valve B, if the spring holding it to its seat be not too strong.
The arrangement shown at Figure 1 serves equally well to illustrate the use of
the exhaust pipe and its silencing chamber for starting, and in that case C would
be the exhaust valve actuated by the lever E and cam F, and D the exhaust pipe,
while D' would be the exhaust silencing chamber.
.
Instead of using a long pipe as the said chamber, according to another modifica-
tion of my invention, I arrange the chamber as a cylinder G (Figure 2) having in
it a piston G', which piston G¹ is propelled by a low pressure explosion on one side
of it and compresses a charge of gas or vapour and air on the other side of it into
the engine cylinder or combustion space A, there to produce a high pressure
This piston G
explosion to start the engine when ignited by any known means.
in the said cylinder may be operated by a hand lever L L L so as to act as a pump
to charge both engine cylinder or combustion space and the chamber cylinder in
which it acts with a mixture of gas and air, suitable lift or other valves being applied
to enable the charge to be taken in. Ports are shown at G2 and G³ respectively
under and above the piston G' having lift valves respectively G G which admit gas.
and air beneath and above the said piston. When it is desired to charge the
cylinder G and the space A, gas is shut off from the lower valve G and turned on
the upper valve G*.
mm
The combustion space A is opened to atmosphere or exhaust as described in
18798 of 1891 and the lever L is operated to raise the
Patent A

page_text: piston G. Air enters under it and the gases above it are expelled through
the valve B and through the space A. On lowering the piston gas and air is
taken in at the upper valve G and fills the cylinder so that on another up stroke
gas and air passes through the valve B into the combustion space A.
When a
sufficient amount of gas and air has been pumped into G and A, the piston Gis
allowed to fall to the bottom of its stroke. The plunger H has a recess H¹
opening at the bottom of its stroke to the aperture 12 and this aperture serves to
discharge the contents under G¹ when required. When the piston in G is moved
up again gas and air is 'admitted under it and ignited.
The ignition of the charge propelling this loose piston may be effected by
causing the piston to pass over a hole. K² controlled by a flap valve K and
drawing in a flame from the bunsen K', and when the piston G' has risen to the
top of its stroke and compressed gas and air through the check valve B it may
overrun a port or channel in the side of the cylinder which permits the flame under
it to extend above it, passing into the engine cylinder through the said check
valve B and igniting the compressed mixture therein to give a high pressure
starting explosion. It will be readily understood that the cylinder or space A is
closed to atinosphere before causing the explosion under G¹ to force compressed
mixture into the cylinder.
A tube igniter M may be caused to explode the charge when compressed.
The above described loose piston may be arranged to compress air instead of
combustible mixture into the engine cylinder A and the engine may be started by
the injection of gas as a flame jet into the said compressed air, igniting the flame
jet by incandescent tube or other means. The apparatus fully described in my
Patent No. 18788 of 1891 with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of that Specification
is adapted to force a flame jet into the compressed air.
A flame jet may also be adopted to propel the said piston G without explosion,
by the said apparatus, to compress air or combustible mixture so that compressed
air or combustible mixture may be produced for starting the engine.
In arranging a lever to operate the loose piston Gi lift the said piston by a
rod H on which the piston rests or is otherwise connected so that when explosion
takes place the piston G' rises clear without affecting the hand lever L.
Instead of a single chamber D or long tube I sometimes arrange a number of
chambers as D D³ in series (see Figure 3) with check valves B1 B2 between each
so that the explosion in the first passes to the next, compressing from chamber to
chamber until a very high pressure is attained in the engine cylinder or other
cylinder or vessel and a high pressure explosion is then produced. Tube or other
igniters may be applied to these chambers if desired. This device is useful when a
very high pressure explosion is desired as a starting explosion. The chamber or
chambers and cylinder may be charged with gas by the pressure of the mains, the
gas flowing through jets at suitable distances to produce a sufficiently uniform
mixture.
One pump suitable for injection (see Figure 4) consists of an air cylinder N and
a gas cylinder O so proportioned that sufficient gas is injected with air to form
explosive mixture. The charging may be conducted from either end of the chamber,
the cylinder end or the igniter end, and the check valve B may be held open
slightly by a spring or weight so as to close only when explosion takes place.
The cylinder N has a piston N³ connected to the piston O³ in the cylinder O so
that one lever may move both pistons.
Air is discharged by way of the valve N2 into the chamber D. N' is the air
inlet valve to N2. Gas is admitted and discharged by the valves O' and pipe P to
the aperture Q in the chamber D.
Lanchester's igniting and testing nozzle may be applied for ignition as described
in Lanchester's Patent No. 5479 of 1890, but any other convenient igniter may be
adopted.
In utilizing the exhaust pipe and valve for the charging column and check valve
of my starting apparatus I provide means of relieving the spring ordinarily used to

page_text: hold the valve on its seat, and by means of a spring inserted between the lever and
valve stem, or other suitable position, the valve is retained slightly off its seat. I
also provide a stop valve in the exhaust pipe in such position as to retain a sufficient
volume between it and the cylinder, and at a point near this stop valve I provide a
suitable form of igniter; the action is as follows:-The pipe and cylinder being
charged with explosive mixture ignition is effected, and the pressure rising in the
exhaust pipe forces a quantity of explosive mixture through the exhaust valve into
the cylinder and there ignites it; the ensuing explosion closes the exhaust valve
and the engine starts working. The stop valve in the exhaust pipe should then be
turned on.
I may employ the air feed valve with its attached pipe in a similar manner as
hereinbefore described, but I prefer the following-A rubber flap or other suitable
check valve is placed behind the feed valve so that the incoming air has to be sucked
through both; the pipe to contain the charging column is coupled between these
valves and when charged and ignited the mixture passes through the air valve into
the cylinder, ignition preferably following the same path. When the engine com-
mences to work the air passes through the two valves direct and so is not
contaminated by the products of combustion of the charging column.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I'
claim is :-
1. The method of starting a gas or like engine by the explosion or combustion of
inflammable mixture, the said explosion or combustion being arranged to propel a
free piston, which piston compresses the contents of the cylinder in which it moves
into the engine cylinder or combustion space, and the inflammable mixture so
compressed is ignited and produces a high pressure starting explosion as herein-
before set forth.
2. The method of starting a gas or like engine by means of a gas or vapour jet
or jets injected into air in a cylinder which jets are ignited to produce a flame
impulse and propel a piston, which piston compresses air or inflammable mixture
into the engine cylinder or combustion space and the air or inflammable mixture
so compressed is caused either to give a high pressure flame impulse or a high
pressure explosion starting the engine as hereinbefore described.
3. An arrangement for starting a gas or like engine comprising:-A cylinder
containing a free piston; valves for supplying both ends of the said cylinder
with air or gas and air; a check valve opening from the cylinder into the
engine cylinder or combustion space; a lever and plunger for operating the
free piston; an igniter for igniting the gases to propel the free piston; an exhaust
valve or port to exhaust one side of the cylinder; together with arrangements
for producing ignition in the compressed gases in the engine cylinder, substan-
tially as herein before set forth.
4. The starting apparatus herein before described and illustrated at Figure 2
of the accompanying drawings.
5. The method of adapting the air inlet pipe with or without its silencer or
the exhaust pipe with or without its silencer for the purpose of starting a gas
or like engine substantially as herein before described and illustrated with reference
to Figure 1 of the drawings.
6. Producing highly compressed explosive or combustible mixture by means of
multiple explosion or combustion chambers coupled together in series substantially
as hereinbefore set forth.
יום
וי
1000
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.