A New or Improved High and Low Pressure Gas Generator.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Feb., 1895
10th Ont 4905 Accented 23rd Nov. 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved High and Low Pressure Gas Generator.
I, JOHAN MATHIAS KAREL PENNINK, of 9 Kenaustraat, Haarlem in the
Kingdom of Holland, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a new or improved apparatus, into which a compressed
explosive mixture, say of combustible gas and air or a similar mixture, is con-
tinually fed, whereupon the mixture is successively exploded in certain chambers
of revolving drums and the explosion products are discharged partly into a first
line of pipes and partly into a second line of piping. The products of the
explosion being nearly continually fed into the said two pipe systems, a stream of
high pressure gas is obtained by the first pipe line and a stream of low pressure
gas by the second pipe line. These two kinds of gas are separately conducted in a
similar manner as steam or compressed air to sundry engines, injectors and so on for
the purpose of driving or acting the same.
On the ground plate of the apparatus is a cooling box filled up with water or
some suitable fluid. The cold fluid enters the box at the bottom and the warmed
fluid leaves it at some place near the top edge.
Inside the cooling box is a casing having an inlet piece for the compressed
explosive mixture and three outlet pieces for high pressure gas, low pressure gas
and rest of explosion products respectively. The casing is also provided on both
sides with annular faces each baving four lengthy openings leading into the said
inlet and outlet pieces. The casing is so arranged as to allow of the cooling finid
flowing through between the said pieces and the annular faces. At the casing
between inlet piece and first outlet piece an igniting chamber is arranged and in
every annular face of the casing at a distance different from that of the four
lengthy openings is an opening leading into the igniting chamber. A tap with two
imbedded wires is introduced into the igniting chamber and some suitable
arrangement of any kind is provided for, whereby electrical sparks are kept
passing over at the ends of the wires in the igniting chamber.
A shaft is arranged across the cooling box and adapted to run in suitable
bearings with stuffing. boxes. This shaft is to be driven from some engine, pulley,
gear wheel or other source.
It
On the shaft inside the cooling box are mounted on both sides of the casing
two drums, that are movable on the shaft and obliged by feathers to partake in the
revolution of the shaft. The drums are pressed against the annular faces of the
casing by means of springs placed and secured on the shaft. Each drum is
provided externally with annular ribs to increase thereby its cooling surface.
is internally divided by partition walls into a suitable number, say two, of gas
chambers and about as many cooling spaces. On the face in contact with the
casing each drum is provided with openings leading into the gas chambers.
These openings correspond to the four lengthy openings at the casing and are
increased by curved cuts that correspond to the opening at the annular face of the
casing, which leads to the igniting chamber. Suitable openings are provided at
each drum leading to the cooling spaces, so as to enable the cooling fluid to enter
these spaces, flow through and leave them during the revolution of the drum.
When assuming the two drums to have cach two gas chambers, they are so placed

page_text: on the shaft, that the openings of the one drum leading into its gas chambers are
at right angles to those openings of the other drum.
The apparatus is worked in the following manner :
In some compressor of any kind a mixture of combustible gas and air or another
explosive mixture is compressed up to a certain pressure, say 3 or 4 atmospheres.
The compressed mixture is then conducted to the apparatus and enters the inlet
piece of its casing. For the sake of clearness only one gas chamber of the one drum
is now taken into consideration. When during the revolution of the drum the
opening of the chamber comes over that of the inlet piece, the gas chamber is filled
up with compressed explosive mixture. The drum moving on, the communication
between the chamber and the inlet piece is intercepted and the curved cut of the
chamber opening soon comes over the opening leading to the igniting chamber.
In this moment some of the mixture enters this chamber and is there ignited by
the electrical sparks, when an explosion will occur. Then the products will have a
very high pressure, say 10 or 15 atmospheres. As the drum is revolving further,
the communication between the drum chamber and the igniting chamber is inter-
rupted and that between the drum chamber and the first outlet piece established.
Then a part of the explosion products will be discharged from the drum chamber
into the outlet piece and the adjoining first line of piping, until the communication
is again intercepted. Soon after this the chamber opening comes over that of the
second outlet piece, when the other part of the explosion products will be
discharged into the outlet piece and the adjoining second line of piping, until the
communication is intercepted. Afterwards the said chamber opening comes over
that of the third outlet piece, when the rest of the explosion products is exhausted
from the drum chamber into that pieee and its piping. When the drum again attains
its original position, the whole of the occurrences will be repeated over during the
following revolution. The same is the case with respect to the other gas chambers
of the one druin and also to the gas chambers of the other drum.
Thus during a revolution of the shaft with the drums the compressed explosive
mixture is admitted successively into the several drum chambers and there
exploded, whereupon the explosion products are discharged from each chamber one
after the other, so that a nearly uninterrupted supply of high pressure gas is
obtained by the first line of piping and equally a nearly uninterrupted supply of
low pressure gas by the other line of piping.
The pressure inside the igniting chamber being very high (10 or 15 atmospheres)
after each explosion requires to be reduced in order to enable some of the
compressed explosive mixture (of say 3 or 4 atmospheres) from the following drum
chamber to enter the igniting chamber. For this reason a narrow pipe is inserted
between the igniting chamber and the third outlet piece to enable the explosion
products in the igniting chamber to at once escape. This pipe may be provided
with a cock or valve to regulate the emission of the gases.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved High and Low Pressure Gas Generator.
1, JOHAN MATHIAS KAREL PENNINK, of 9 Kenaustraat, Haarlem in the
Kingdom of Holland, 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:-
This invention relates to a new or improved apparatus, into which a compressed
explosive mixture, say of combustible gas and air or a similar mixture, is continually
fed, whereupon the mixture is successively exploded in certain chambers of revolving

page_text: Irums and the explosion products are discharged partly into a first line of pipes and
partly into a second line of piping. The products of the explosion being nearly
continually fed into the said two pipe systems, a stream of high pressure gas is
btained by the first pipe line and a stream of low pressure gas by the second pipe
me. I nese two kinds of gas are separately conducted in a similar main
A
r compressed air to sundry engines, injectors and so on for the purpose of driving
r acting the same.
I will now proceed to describe my invention, reference being had to the figures
nd letters marked on the two sheets of drawings accompanying this my Complete
Specification, in order that this invention may be fully understood and readily
arried into effect.
е. Inese two kinds or gas are separater
or compressed air to sundry engines, injectors and so on for the purpose of driving
or acting the same.
I will now proceed to describe my invention, reference being had to the figures
and letters marked on the two sheets of drawings accompanying this my Complete
Specification, in order that this invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into effect.
Fig.
is a vertical longitudinal section of the apparatus, taken in the plane of the
line mn in Fig. 8;
Fig. 2 a horizontal section taken in the plane of the line o-p in Fig. 1 ;
Fig. 3 a vertical cross section on the line q-r in Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 a vertical cross section on the line 3-t in Fig. 1 ;
Fig. 5 a vertical cross section on the line u-v in Fig. 1;
Fig. 6 a vertical cross section on the line w-x in Fig. 1;
Fig. 7 a vertical longitudinal section, the middle part of which is taken in the
plane of the line y-z in Fig. 3 and the end parts in the plane of the line m―n in
Fig. 8; finally
Fig. 8 is a top view of the apparatus.
On the ground plate A of the apparatus is a cooling box B filled up with water
or some suitable fluid. The cold fluid enters the box at the bottom, say at B¹, and
the warmed fluid leaves it at some place near the top edge, say at B².
I
Inside the cooling box B is the casing F, having an inlet piece G for the
compressed explosive mixture and three outlet pieces M N O for high pressure
gas, low pressure gas and rest of explosion products respectively. The casing Fis
also provided on both sides with annular faces F1 (Fig. 4), each having four
lengthy openings G2 M N O² leading into the said inlet and outlet pieces GM NO.
These openings are set at equal distances from the centre and at certain angles, here
90 degrees, to each other. As Figs. 1 to 4 show, the casing F has spaces or cavities
between the pieces G M N O and the annular faces F1 F1, so as to allow the cooling
fluid flowing through. At the casing F between the inlet piece G and the first
outlet piece M the piece H is arranged, the cavity K of which serves as an igniting
chamber. In every annular face F¹ of the casing F at a distance different from
that of the four lengthy openings G² M² N³ O² an opening K (Figs. 4 and 7) is
made, which leads into the igniting chamber K. A tap H' with two imbedded and
isolated wires II is introduced into the piece H, and some suitable arrangement in
any of the known manners is provided for, whereby electrical sparks are kept
passing over at the ends of the wires I l¹ in the igniting chamber K. This
chamber at the same time communicates with the outlet piece by means of a
narrow pipe K, the purpose of which will be explained later on. For draining off
any oil or grease that may get into the chamber K, the pipe L is employed.
37.
The shaft T is arranged across the cooling box B and adapted to run in suitable
bearings C and D, the one bearing D being provided with a stuffing box E. This
shaft is to be driven from some engine, pulley, gear wheel or other source and its
speed should be determined by trials or experience.
On the shaft T inside the cooling box are mounted on both sides of the casing F
the two drums P P, that are movable on the shaft T and obliged by the
feathers T T to partake in the revolution of the shaft. The drums P. Pare
pressed against the annular faces F1 F1 of the casing F by means of the
springs U U placed on the shaft T. The several flat pieces of the springs U U
are held together in the centre by the locks V V each secured and pressed
forward on the shaft T by two nuts W W. The ends of the springs UU are
placed between, suitable projections P² P² (Fig. 6) on the drums P P to prevent
them froin shifting.

page_text: Each drum is provided externally with annular ribs P1 (Figs. 1 and 5) to
increase thereby its cooling surface. The drum P is internally divided by the
partition walls P3 P4 (Fig. 5) into the two gas chambers QR and the cooling
spaces S S. On the face in contact with the casing F each drum P is provided
with openings Q' and R' leading into the gas chambers Q and R respectively.
These openings Q'R' register with those G M² N2 O at the casing F and are
increased by the curved cuts Q₁ R' (Fig. 5) of such a shape, that the latter
correspond more or less to the opening K (Fig. 4) leading into the igniting
chamber K, as is indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 4. The cooling spaces S S
communicate with the spaces or cavities of the casing F by means of the
openings SS and with the outside by the openings S2 S2 S3 S³ (Fig. 1, 2 and 6).
Thus the cooling fluid is enabled to enter the cooling spaces SS through the
openings S¹ S2, flow through and leave them at the openings S³ during the revolution
of the drums. The two drums P P are so placed on the shaft T, that their
partition walls P*P* are at right angles to each other. Then the openings Q2 R2 of
the one drum leading into its gas chambers are at an angle of 90 degrees to those
of the other drum, as Figs. 1 and 2 show.
Then
The apparatus is worked in the following manner :
In some compressor of any kind a mixture of combustible gas and air or another
explosive mixture is compressed up to a certain pressure, say 3 or 4 atmospheres.
The compressed mixture is then conducted to the apparatus by means of the
piping G (Fig. 3) and enters the inlet piece G. For the sake of clearness only
the gas chamber Q of the left drum P (Fig. 1) is now taken into consideration.
When during the revolution of the drum P the opening of the chamber comes
over that G2 (Figs. 4 and 5) of the inlet piece G, the gas chamber Q is filled up
with compressed explosive mixture. The drum P moving on, the communication
between the chamber Q and the inlet piece G is intercepted and the curved cut Q
of the chamber opening soon comes over the opening K' (Fig. 4). In this
moment some of the mixture from the chamber Q enters the igniting chamber K
and is there ignited by the electrical sparks, when an explosion will occur.
the products will have a very high pressure, say 10 or 15 atmospheres. As the
drum P is revolving further, the communication between the drum chamber Q and
the igniting chamber K is interrupted and that between the drum chamber and
the first outlet piece M established. Then a part of the explosion products will
be discharged from the drum chamber Q into the outlet piece M and the adjoining
first line of piping M¹, until the communication is again intercepted. Soon after
this the chamber opening Q2 comes over that N2 (Fig. 4) of the second outlet
piece N, when the other part of the explosion products will be discharged into the
piece N and the adjoining second line of piping N', until the communication is
intercepted. Afterwards the said opening Q (Fig. 4) comes over that (2 of the
third outlet piece O, when the rest of the explosion products escapes from the
drum chamber Q through the piece O and its piping O₁ into the atmosphere.
When the drum again attains its original position, the whole of the described
occurrences will be repeated over during the following revolution. The same is the
case with respect to the other gas chamber R of the drum P and also to the two
gas chambers Q R of the other drum.
Thus during a revolution of the shaft T the compressed explosive mixture is
admitted successively into the four drum chambers and there exploded, whereupon
the explosion products are discharged from each chamber one after the other, so
that a nearly uninterrupted supply of high pressure gas is obtained by the first line
of piping M and equally a nearly uninterrupted supply of low pressure gas by the
other line of piping N'.
To equalize the pressures of these two gas streams, they may be first
passed through suitable spacious vessels and the like, ere they are led off to their
destinations.
The pressure inside the igniting chamber K being very high (10 or 15 atmo
spheres) after each explosion requires to be reduced in order to enable some of the

page_text: compressed explosive mixture (of say 3 or 4 atmospheres) from the following drum
chamber to enter the igniting chamber K. For this reason the above mentioned
narrow pipe K is inserted between the igniting chamber K and the third outlet.
piece O to enable the explosion products in the igniting chamber K to at once
escape. This pipe K' may be provided with a cock or valve to regulate the emission
of the explosion products from the igniting chamber K.
Where it is so preferred, a clack or other valve may be inserted between the inlet.
piece G and the piping G' (Fig. 3) to prevent explosion products from entering this
piping and mixing with the compressed explosive mixture.
The drums PP are shown with two gas chambers QR and one opening Q
or R2 leading to each of same. Where it is so preferred, however, the number of
the drum chambers and of the openings leading thereto may be altered. Of the two
drums PP one may be omitted, in which case, of course, only one of the annular
faces Frequires to have the openings G2 M2 N' O' and K. The casing F may
also be provided with one annular face F only, against which the revolving
drum P is pressed by its spring U. To equalize that pressure, the shaft T may
be provided with a disc to rest on the bearing C or on a nave to be arranged at
the casing F.
The openings G2 M² N2 O2 at the casing F are shown to be alike and set
at right angles to each other. They may, however, be made of different sizes
and therefore set at angles different from 90 degrees. In this manner it is
possible to secure for example a greater supply of high pressure gas than
that of low pressure gas and vice versa. The construction of the cooling box B
may be altered to suit the ground plate A, the shaft T and the joints of
the pipes.
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. In a high and low pressure gas generator the combination consisting of an
inlet piece G for receiving compressed explosive mixture, three outlet pieces M N O
for high pressure gas, low pressure gas and rest of explosion products respectively,
an igniting chamber K between the inlet piece G and the first outlet piece M, and
one or two annular faces F1 F having each openings G2 M² N' O³ set at equal
distances from the centre and leading into said pieces G M N O, also an opening K
set at a distance different from that of the openings G' M² N2 O2 and leading
into said igniting chamber K, the whole forming a casing F, substantially as set
forth.
2. In a high and low pressure gas generator the combination with the casing F
described in the first claiming clause, of one drum P revolving at the one face F¹
or two drums P P revolving on both sides of the casing F at the two faces FI FL
and having each gas chambers QR and openings Q2 R2, also curved cuts Q' R¹
or their equivalents, leading into the gas chambers Q R and registering with the
openings GM N' O2 and K² respectively at the casing F for the purpose
of receiving compressed explosive mixture from the inlet piece G, sustaining its
explosion caused by electrical sparks in the igniting chamber K and discharging
the explosion products successively into the outlet pieces M N O, substantially as
set forth.
3. In a high and low pressure gas generator the combination with the igniting
chamber K of two wires II' leading to some source of electricity for the purpose
of keeping electrical sparks running over at the wire ends inside the igniting
chamber K, substantially as shown and described.
4. In a high and low pressure gas generator the combination with the shaft T
to be driven from outside, of one or two drums P P described in the second
claiming clause and having externally annular ribs P' to increase their cooling
surfaces, springs U and nuts V or their equivalents, the said drum P or drums PP
being movable on the shaft T and obliged by feathers T2 to partake in its revolution,

page_text: while they are pressed forward by the springs U or their equivalents against the
annular faces F of the casing F, substantially as shown and described.
5. In a high and low pressure gas generator the combination with the casing F,
the shaft T and the one or two drums P P of the cooling box B for the purpose of
cooling the casing F and the drums P P, substantially as set forth.
6. In a high and low pressure gas generator the arrangement, use and application
of a pipe K between the igniting chamber K and the third outlet piece O for the
purpose of discharging the explosion products from the igniting chamber K and
thereby reducing the pressure in the latter after each explosion, substantially as
set forth.
Dated this 17th day of October 1895.
JOHAN MATHIAS KAREL PENNINK.