Improvements in and relating to Gas and Petroleum Engines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 19th Mar., 1898
Improvements in and relating to Gas and Petroleum Engines.
I, HENRIK AUGUST BERTHEAU, of Bibliotheksgatan No. 1, Stockholm, in the
Kingdom of Sweden, 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:—
Hitherto gas and petroleum engines have not been generally used for propelling
boats, partly owing to the difficulty of putting such engines in motion and of
reversing their direction of movement.
To facilitate the putting in motion it has been proposed to connect a receiver
containing compressed gas with the motor cylinder in such way, that the
compressed gas could be used as motive power in the same way as the steam in a
steam engine. When the engine by means of the pressure gas, contained in the
receiver, has attained a sufficient number of revolutions, the momentum of the flying
wheel has been used for the compression of the first explosive charges whereafter the
engine resumes its normal motion. To use the same process, when putting the
engine again in motion, it is of course requisite to refill the receiver with gas,under
pressure, with the engines hitherto used this has been effected by means of a special
pump or in another similar manner.
According to the present invention the receiver is filled automatically by the.
engine itself, part of the gases of combustion, produced at the explosions, entering
from the cylinder into the gas pressure receiver by a specially regulated valve.
Further, such arrangements are made, that the outlet valve of the cylinder by a
single inanual movement can be opened for every stroke of the spindle, so that the
motion of the motor can easily be changed from a fourstroke cycle into a twostroke
cycle.
The invention relates further to an arrangement for reversing the rotary direction
of the engine, so that also by a single manual movement, it may at pleasure be
changed from forwards to back.
The arrangement intended for putting the engine in motion is illustrated in
Figs. 1 and 2 of the annexed drawing as applied at a fourstroke cycle engine, so
arranged, that only the outlet valve is guided while the inlet valve for the explosive
gas mixtion operates automatically, that is to say, it opens inwards the vaporizer
when the pressure in the same is lower than the atmospheric pressure.
A is the working cylinder of the engine and a is the outlet valve for the explosive
gases. B is a cylinder which surrounds the vaporizer (shown, in dotted lines) and b
is a valve situated at the top of the vaporizer and provided with a spring or weight,
which valve opens as soon as the pressure in the vaporizer becomes lower than the
atmospheric pressure. A tube or pipe 61 connects the vaporizer with the working
cylinder A. C is a pipe passing to a receiver (not shown on the drawing) containing
the pressure gas required for putting the engine in motion.
In this pipe there is a valve c provided with spring c¹. The chamber above the

page_text: valve is connected with the engine cylinder A by means of a pipe C¹. The device
may also be arranged in such a way, that the pipe c' opens into the pipe b¹. d is a
spindle moved up and down by an eccentric or cam secured to the shaft of the
machine. This spindle is provided with a cylindrical ferrule g secured firmly to the
same, which in its turn is embraced by a cylindrical shell gi firmly connected with
the frame of the machine, which shell below is formed as a sector-shaped disc g².
The ferrule below this shell is embraced by a ring h¹ connected with a rod
provided with a handle h.
Higher up on the spindle, there is a piece n screwed to the same, whose side,
turned towards the cylinder, at the top is provided with a projection e and about
on the middle with an elevation j so that inclined planes are formed on both
sides of this elevation.
Finally the spindle d is at the top provided with an arm m projecting in the hori-
zontal direction, the free, downwardly curved end of which in the position of the
spindle, shown on the drawing, is situated vertically above the spindle a¹ of the
outlet valve a. This spindle carries a collar a² provided with flanges, between which
the bifurcated end of a two armed lever f enters, the other arm of which has such
an extension, that its end at the movement of the spindle & will come in the way of
the piece n secured to the same. A spiral spring f¹ strives to keep the lever in the
position shown on the drawing, that is, to keep the valve a closed. Below this lever
there is a rod k guided in bearing boxes ¹ the one end of which provided with a
roll 2, is also situated in the passage of the piece n at the movement of the spindle d,
while the opposite end of the rod actuates the one arm of an angle arm p pivotable
around a point p¹. The bifurcated end of the other arm embraces a collar, secured
to a spindle situated above the inlet valve c and provided with flanges q. A spiral
spring fastened to the end of the first named arın strives to keep the angle arm
in the position shown on the drawing, so that the valve c is shut. By carrying the
handle to the side the spindle d can be turned so that the arm m and the
elevation will come out of gear with the valve spindle a¹ and the rod k.
The above described device operates in the following way:-
Supposing that in the receiver, from which the pipe C leads, air, or another gas
under pressure is contained (the necessary pressure in this receiver can firstly be
produced by a hand air pump) further, that the spindle d occupies the position
shown on the drawing and that the machine crank is turned to its upper centre.
soon as the cock on the pipe C is opened compressed gas enters in the cylinder and
operates the piston, so that it puts the machine in motion.
As
Each time the spindle d actuated by the eccentric or cam on the shaft of the
machine, moves upwards, the roll on the rod k glides up on the inclined plane
below the edge j, in order to slide again down on the other side of the same, imme-
diately after having passed the edge. Hereby the rod k will be moved to and fro,
which motion by means of the angle arm p is transmitted to the valve spindle c, so
that the valve is opened and a quantity of compressed air is let into the cylinder
and the same is again shut.
Immediately hereafter the projection e hits the one end of the two armed lever f,
so that this end is elevated and thus the other end is lowered, whereby the outlet
valve a is opened. The arm m occupies the position shown on the drawing.
As soon as the spindle d begins to move again downwards the outlet valve a is
shut, while the inlet valve c is again opened and shut by means of the rod k and
the angle arm p in the same manner as before described, and when the spindle d has
again arrived at its lowermost position the outlet valve a is again opened by means
of the angle arm m and then the same operation is repeated. Both the inlet and
the outlet valves are thus opened once for every revolution of the machine, when the
machine operates in twostroke cycle.
When in this way the machine has attained such rapidity that a compression of
the gas mixture can be produced by the same, the handle h is turned from the posi-
tion 1 to the position 2 (Fig. 2) and then, as before said, the elevation will come out
of gear with the rod k and the arm m with the valve spindle a¹.

page_text: Thus when the valve spindle is moving upwards it is only the projection e that
hits the end of the lever f whereby the outlet valve a is opened. At the next down-
ward stroke no pressure gas will thus enter from the pressure receiver but instead
thereof the cylinder piston sucks in explosive gas mixtion from the vaporizer through
the inlet valve. At the next stroke this mixture is compressed, ignited, and
explodes, and the gases thus generated will actuate the piston in the common way.
At the explosion the valve a, which opens inwards to the explosions chamber, is
pressed still more against its seat, but the valve c opens, the spring weight of which
is thus adjusted that it resists the compression pressure, but not the higher
pressure, which arises at the explosion whereby part of the gases of combus-
tion rush through the pipe C to the receiver, thus increasing the pressure in the
same.
In this way part of the power of the machine is used during the movement of the
same to store up energy in the pressure receiver and this energy is later employed
for putting the machine in motion, after the same for any reason has stopped.
It is to be observed, that the same valve is used for introducing explosive gas
in the receiver, when the machine works as explosion engine and for introducing
pressure gas from the cistern when the engine operates as a common compressed air
engine.
The principle of this device for putting the engine in motion may be clearly
understood from the above and consists therein, that the engine having been put in
motion by means of pressure gas from a receiver by using the twostroke adjustment
and having attained the wanted rapidity by a single manual movement is changed
from a twostroke cycle to a four stroke cycle.
In order that the machine might be used for propelling boats it is however as
above said, necessary that it can be rapidly reversed from forwards to back and
vice versa.
The rotary direction of the motor depends upon the position of the eccentric
pulleys or cams with relation to the crank, which regulates the valves, or of the so
called lead. By changing the same the direction of rotation of the engine thus can
be changed. With explosion engines, which work in fourstroke cycle the eccentrics,
which operate the valve spindles are commonly secured to a shaft, which by means of
toothed wheels screw wheels and such like co-operate with the machine shaft in
the relation 1:2, so that they will make half as many revolutions as the machine
shaft.
The reversing device is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing as applied to
such a machine a³ is a lever, which is guided by and may be moved along a
slide A, B, C and is secured to a piece at which in the upper and lower end is
provided with cylindrical bearing boxes. In the upper of them a shaft b² is
journalled, on which there is a cylindrical toothed wheel c¹ and an eccentric disc d¹,
the rod of which by means of a coupling is connected with the spindle d, which in
the above said manner is connected with the outlet valve a. In the lower bearing
box a prolongation e of the machine or crank shaft enters and between the box and
the crank bearing there is a toothed wheel f2 co-operating with the before named
toothed wheel c¹. When the lever a³ and piece at are turned around the shaft e from
A¹ to C¹ the eccentric d' will thus change its place, so that the same will be situated
on the opposite side of the vertical line, which is supposed to be drawn between the valve
rod and the middle of the crank shaft, or in other words the lead of the eccentric
with relation to the crank is changed, while the gearing is maintained.
The process
is shown by the diagrams shown on Pl. III -
Diagrams 1 to 4 represent successive positions during forward motion, 5 to 8
corresponding positions during rearward motion.
Diagrams 1 and 5 Exhaust begins.
Do. 2 do. 6 Suction begins.
Do. 3 do. 7 Compression begins.
Do.
4 do. 8 Explosion.
The valve shown in these diagrams is the outlet valve.

page_text: If the lever occupies the position shown in the position 1 the engine will rotate in
the direction shown by the arrow in the same figure. If, on the contrary, the same
is carried over into the position 5, the engine will rotate in an opposite direction to
before. The rotary direction of the machine can thus be changed by reversing a
lever a³. If the toothed wheels c¹ and fare of the same size the arrangement is
especially adapted for a twostroke cycle machine. Also if other valves than the
outlet valve are regulated and have the eccentric or cams which operate them secured
to the shaft 62, the opening and shutting of these valves in the different positions of
the lever a³ are changed in the way required, in order that the machine shall rotate
in the one or other direction.
If it is desired with the above described engine to go back from forwards the
following course is to be followed :-
(1) The machine is stopped for instance by closing the petroleum or air inlet.
(2) The lever a³, Fig. 3 is reversed to the position, shown in the diagram 5.-
(3) The crank is adjusted on the centre and the device for putting the engine in
motion is adjusted for regulation in twostroke cycle.
(4) As soon as the machine driven by the pressure gases from the receiver
has attained the required rapidity (after some revolutions) the fourstroke cycle is
again coupled in and then the motor works again as explosion motor but in the
opposite direction to before.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In gas and petroleum engines working in fourstroke cycle and which for the
purpose of being put in motion are connected with a pressure receiver, an arrange-
inent by which when the pressure air is introduced the fourstroke cycle is changed
into a twostroke cycle, which is retained until the machine has attained the rapidity,
that is wanted for the compression of the gas mixture whereupon the fourstroke cycle
is again employed.
2. A special arrangement of the device described in Claim 1 whereby the spindle d
passing to and fro that opens the outlet valve is pivotable, and partly provided with a
projecting part () which when the spindle is turned in a certain position is brought
to co-operate with the inlet valve of the gas receiver in such a way, that this at every
stroke of the spindle is opened, partly with an arm (m) or such like which at the afore-
said turning of the spindle co-operates with the outlet valve of the cylinder, so that
the latter at every stroke of the spindle is opened this arrangement being for the
purpose by turning the spindle in different positions of putting the cylinder in or out
of communication with the gas receptacle and of changing at the same time the
movement of the machine from a fourstroke cycle into a twostroke cycle.
3. In gas and petroleum engines of the kind stated in Claim 1 and 2 the
arrangement, that the inlet valve, placed between the motor cylinder and the receiver
for the compressed gas, is provided with a weight, spring, or such like, so fitted that
the valve is opened by the explosion pressure, generated in the working cylinder, in
order that part of the gases of combustion being under this pressure, may enter from
the cylinder into the gas pressure receptacle and during the movement of the machine
fill up the same automatically with pressure gas.
4. A device for reversing the direction of rotation of gas and petroleum engines,
whereby the eccentric, which regulates the gas inlet, is secured to a shaft (b) which
relatively to the crank shaft is adjustable in several positions and co-operates with the
same in a suitable manner, in order that by adjusting the eccentric in several
positions at both sides of the middle line of the crank shaft, this will give a lead
either to left or to right and thereby the direction of rotation of the engines at
pleasure be reversed.
5. A special arrangement for the execution of the adjustment of the eccentric
relatively to the crankshaft, wherein the shaft of the eccentric (b) is journalled in a

page_text: lever (a) pivotable around the shaft of the machine, on which a toothed wheel ƒ is
secured, engaging in a toothed wheel on the shaft of the eccentric.
Dated this 10th day of January 1898.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant, 18, Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C.