Improvements in Cooling Devices for Gas, Oil, Steam and similar Engines.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cooling Devices for Gas, Oil, Steam and similar
Engines.
I, HUDSON MAXIM, of Thurlow Lodge, 377, Norwood Road, London, S.E.,
Chemist and Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates particularly although not exclusively to gas engines, and
especially to that kind of engines which are double-acting. It has for its object
the cooling of such working or other parts of the engine that may become unduly
heated during the working of the engine.
To accomplish this result, I provido means for passing water into and through
the piston rod and piston of each cylinder of the engine, at the same time sur-
rounding the cylinder itself with a jacket of water. I prefer to connect the said
jucket with the interior of the piston and piston rod, so that I may establish the
circulation of water through all parts of the cooling apparatus, and water jacket
of the engine, and through an outside cooler or tank which may or may not be
used. In accomplishing my object, the piston rod is preferably made hollow, and
preferably extends beyond and through the crosshead of the engine, if such exists
in the construction, to a closed chamber, into which it may slide through a gland
or stuffing box. The said chamber is connected or placed in communication, by a
pipe or other suitable means, with the water jacket around the cylinder as
aforesaid.
At the rear side of the piston, there is attached a hollow rod, extending through
the cover of the cylinder to a separate chamber or receptacle on the outside of
the cover,
so that there may be a free passage for water from the last above
mentioned chamber or receptacle, through the rear piston rod, through the
piston, thence through the piston rod proper to the chamber or receptacle first
above mentioned, and thence to the other cooling parts of the engine.
The chamber or receptacle next to the cylinder cover is preferably connected to
the other end of the above mentioned cooling system so that while the engine is
working, and the piston is reciprocating, the water is forced by its friction on the
reciprocating parts backwards and forwards through the system as above
mentioned.
In order to secure a positive circulation of water through the system, I may
provide at one portion of the water circuit a check valve, which, being allowed.
to open at one motion of the piston, closes at the reverse motion, thus allowing the
water to pass through the reciprocating parts of the engine, such as the piston
and piston rod, as above mentioned, without moving relatively to the stationary
parts of the engine or causing any circulation therein, or in any other parts of
the system while, on the other hand, at the return stroke of the piston, the water
in the reciprocating parts will be carried, or will tend to be carried, in the
direction of its motion, thus causing the valve to open and circulation to be
established through the system. Thus, it is obvious that the valve permits a

page_text: circulation in one direction only, and provides for a constant supply of cool water
in the working parts of the engine.
By a modification of my invention I may employ a check valve in the said
reciprocating parts of the engine, and I can thus avoid relying solely on the
friction of the water to cause circulation in the cooling system.
I preferably make the piston with a partition between its forward and rear
portions. Perforations or openings are preferably formed around the edge of
the partition, so that the water, in passing through the piston rod passes out to
the periphery, or near the periphery of the piston, thence through the perfora-
tious, again to the centre of the piston on the opposite side of the partition and
finally through the hollow rod on that side of the partition. This secures a large
surface for cooling which would not be otherwise had if the water were passed
through the piston directly from one piston rod to the other.
Dated this 4th day of February 1897
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Cooling Devices for Gas, Oil, Steam and similar
Engines.
1, HUDSON MAXIM, of Thurlow Lodge, 377, Norwood Road, London, S.E.,
Chemist and Mechanical 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 particularly, although not exclusively, to gas engines,
and especially to that kind of engines which are double-acting. It has for its
object the cooling of such working or other parts of the engine that may become
unduly heated during the working of the engine.
To accomplish this result, I provide means for passing water into and through
the piston rod and piston of each cylinder of the engine, at the same time
surrounding the cylinder itself with a jucket of water. I prefer to connect the
said jacket with the interior of the piston and piston rod, so that I may establish
the circulation of water through all parts of the cooling apparatus, or water jacket
of the engine, and through any outside cooler or tank which may or may not be
used.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a
cylinder and surrounding parts of an engine.
Fig. 2 is a similar view but in horizontal longitudinal section, and
Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line X-X of Fig. 1.
Referring to the drawings the piston rod 2 is preferably made hollow, and
preferably extends beyond and through the crosshead 3 of the engine, to a closed
cylinder 4, into which it may slide through a gland or stuffing box 5. The said
cylinder is connected or placed in communication by a pipe 6 or other suitable
means with a tank or reservoir 7.
At the rear side of the piston 15 there is attached a hollow rod 8 extending
through the cover 9 of the cylinder 1 to a separate chamber or receptacle 10 on
the outside of the cover, and preferably made in one piece with the cover, so that
there may be a free passage for water from the chamber or receptacle 10, through
the rear piston rod 8, through the piston, thence through the piston rod proper
to the chamber or receptacle 4, and thence to the tank 7 or other cooling parts of
the engine.

page_text: The chamber or receptacle 10 next to the cylinder cover is preferably connected
by openings 11 around the cylinder cover to a water jacket 12 around and in
front of the cylinder 1 which is in turn connected by a pipe 13 with the other
end of the above mentioned cooling system so that while the engine is working,
and the piston is reciprocating, the water is forced by its friction on the recipro-
cating parts backwards and forwards through the system as above mentioned.
Any number of cylinders may be similarly connected each separately with the
tanks or may be connected in series with each other and the fanks.
In order to secure a positive circulation of water through the system, I may
provide at one portion of the water circuit, preferably in the pipe 6, a check
valve 14, which, being allowed to open at one motion of the piston, closes at the
reverse motion, thus allowing the water to pass through the reciprocating parts
of the engine, such as the piston and piston rod, as above mentioned, without
moving relatively to the stationary parts of the engine or causing any circulation
therein, or in any other parts of the system, while, on the other hand, at the
return stroke of the piston, the water in the reciprocating parts will be carried,
or tend to be carried, in the direction of its motion, thus causing the valve to open
and circulation established through the system. Thus, it is obvious that the valve
secures a circulation in one direction only, and provides for a constant supply of
cool water in the working parts of the engine. Any suitable means for igniting
the gaseous charge in the cylinders may be provided such as electric igniters 18
and the gaseous charge may be conducted to and removed from the cylinders
through the pipes 19.
By a modification of my invention I may employ a check valve in the said
reciprocating parts of the engine, and I can thus avoid relying solely on the
friction of the water to cause circulation in the cooling system, or this valve may
be situated in the pipe 13.
I preferably make the piston 15 with a transverse partition 16 between its
forward and rear portions. Perforations or openings 17 are preferably formed
around the edge of the partition, so that the water, in passing through the piston
rod passes out to the periphery, or near the periphery of the piston, thence through
the perforations, again to the centre of the piston on the opposite side of the
partition and finally through the rod on that side of the partition. This secures
a large surface for cooling which would not be otherwise had if the water were
passed though the piston directly from one piston rod to the other.
It is obvious that the invention may be applied to any construction having a
cylinder and piston and piston rods needing to be cooled-such as heated valves,
air compressors and the like.
In engines using steam or any expansive gas or vapour at high temperatures
my invention is used for keeping the working parts of the engine at a moderate
temperature and may be applied preferably by means of the above described
construction with the omission of igniters and the like and the addition of any
necessary valves for the admission and exhaust of the expansive vapour.
In using steam the water jacket 12, the ports and pipes 19 and the igniters 18
may be dispensed with. In this case the chamber 10 is made cylindrical and con-
nected with the tank 7 by a pipe 20 see dotted lines Fig. 1. A piston valve or
preferably a slide valve 21 (see dotted lines Fig. 2) of ordinary construction
operated by a piston rod 22 is provided for admission and exhaust of the heated
expansive vapour. The valve may be cooled in a manner similar to that by which
the main piston and piston rod is cooled.
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 herein described method of providing for the cooling of the cylinders
and other parts of gas and other engines, which consists in connecting a water-
jacket around the cylinder with the interior of the piston-rod and piston, all

page_text: being in series (with or without a reservoir), so that the water will ho circulated
through them by the reciprocating motion of the piston and piston-rod, with or
without the aid of one or more check-valves placed in the series.
2. The improved apparatus constructed substantially as described with refer-
ence to the drawings, for cooling the cylinders and other parts of a gas or other 5
engine.