US1343693A - Internal-combustion-engine pump - Google Patents

Description

C. C. THOMAS.

INIERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE PUMP. APPLICATION FILED APR. 2, 1915.

RENEWED APR. 30, 1920.

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C.C.THOMAS. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE PUMP. APPLICATION FILED APR. 2, I915. RENEWED APR- 30, I920. 1,343,693. PatentedJune 15 1920.

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C. C. THOMAS. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE PUMP. APPLICATION FILED APR. 2, 1915.

RENEWED APR. 30, 1920.

Patented June 15, 1920.

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UNITED. STATES CARL C. THOMAS, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION-ENGINE PUMP.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jun 15 1'920 Application filed April 2, 1915, Serial No. 18,817. I Renewed April 30, 1920. Serial No. 378,018.

To all whom it may concern 1 Be it known that I, CARL C. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Im rovemcnts in Internal Combustion Engine Pumps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an internal combustion engine pump and to processes of converting heat energy into work and of pumping liquids, fluids, &c.

It is a primary object of the present invention to utilize the highly compressed gases of an internal combustion engine immediately afterignition, or early in the working stroke of said engine, for pumping, Water or other liquids or fluids, by discharging part of such gases into or against a column of liquid or fluid in a pump conduit while cutting oil such discharge before the end of the working stroke and permittinp the remaining gases to do work in said engine for operating the same. It is another presse( gases in an air-lift or gas-lift pump, whereby the liquid or fluid will be elevated and heated by such gases. It is a further object of the invention to utilize the heat energy of the internal combustion engine for pumping and heating liquids, whereby a high efliciency in the operation of said enpine is obtained. Further objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the following detail description The internal comlmstion engine used in the pump of the present invention may. be of any suitable or preferred construction such as a two or torn-cycle engine provided with the usual inlet and outlet connections and valves. Such engines may operate upon any suitable combustible charl e such as mixture of compres--r l air and combustible tluid, among ivhiih lluids alcohol, grasoleno, hero-- eerie and doc. may be mentioned. t'luch cu in provide with a supplemental or auxiliary outlet together with suitable 'alve means for discharging therethrouuh oi the working}; ition or early in n oi said engine. The also vary considerably he invention in the present ap" obiect of the invention to utilize such complication the pump conduit is arranged to be operated upon the air-lift or gas-lift principle, the discharge. from said engine being introduced into the pump conduit near the lower level of the water column therein or at a suitable place below the water level therein for elevating 0r pumping such water or other liquid or 'fiuid.

I will now proceed to describe my invent1on more in detail, and with particular reference to the accompanying drawings illustrative of certain embodiments thereof, but it is intended and understood'that the invention is illustrated by but is not limited to the specific embodiments thereof so illustrated and described except as defined in the appended claims. l will describe my invention as applied to the pumping of water but it will be understood that the 'invention is also applicable for the pumping of other liquids or fluids or in some cases even solids suitably carried by or suspended 'in liquids or fluids.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an internal combustion engine pump embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section showing the specific construction of the cylinder and pump connections of Fig. 1.

Fi 3 is an indicator diagram illustrative of the operation of the internal combustion engine pump of the present inve ltion.

Fig". 4 is a central vertical section of a modified construction somewhat similar to that of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a partial end elevation, with parts broken away, of the structure oi Fig. l.

Fig. i3 is a view taken on the line 6-l3 ot l 'ip'.

Fig. ,7 illustrates somewhat diagrammatically a modified .lOlHl of the invention.

l is a detail view showing a modification of the structure of ldipr. 7,

Fig". 9 illustrates a further modification invention.

".10 illustrates still a further modifiof the injector nozzle.

ll shows a l urther modified form invention, and

12 illustrates diiuriammaticall v a ll further modiiication.

Referring: first to the mbodii ents o i invention illustrated in l and the cylinder 1 of a suitable internal combustion engine has a piston 2 of suitable construction connected to a fly wheel 3, the engine as a whole being mounted upon a suitable base 4. The cylinder and engine construction can bevaried within rather wide limits as can also-the support and arrangement of the engine with respect to the water or other liquid or fluid to be pumped. The engine is not primarily intended for doing external work other than in pumping the liquid and in performing its own engine functions, but the engine can be used for doing such Work when desired and in some cases it may be used only for doing such work. Where no external work is desired the fly Wheel and connecting rod can be made of lighter construction since the primary function of the engine is to act as an ignition cylinder, or a compression and ignition cylinder, for the explosive charge utilized in the pumping operation while only enough power need be utilized in the engine cylinder to make it perform its engine functions. The engine illustrated has its inlet and outlet connections and valves arranged at the side so that the head of the cylinder is left free. In place of the usual cylinder head, a head 5 is shown applied to the cylinder 1, said head being provided with an integral extension 6 and with an opening leading from the cylinder to said extension, said extension terminating in a head 7 suitably attached thereto. I

Arranged in the connection from said cylinder to the extension is the valve seat 8 against which a suitable spring-pressed valve 9 seats, said valve being carried or supported by a stem 10 and being springpressed against its seat by a spring 11, the tension of which can be varied by means 0t sleeve 13 acting upon a plate 15 at the end ofthe spring. The'sleeve 13 acts in a screwthreaded bushing 13 and can be locked in adjusted position by the nut 14%. Surrounding the valve stem and the spring is a protecting flange or cylinder 12 which protects the parts of the valve from injury. The

' valve illustrated and described may be taken as a type of suitable spring-pressed valve of suitable construction, and it will be understood that the construction of this valve can be varied and valves oi different construction and similar-operation substituted. The tension of the spring which holds the valve to its seat canbe adjusted. in accordance with tension. Elinee maximum pressure ivithin cylinder immediately after ignition or early the working strolre ot the engine erated instead of being nsaaees it will be clear thatthe spring-pressed valve will open at suchtime and will remain open until part of the workinggases have escaped and the pressurehas been reduced to permit.

the valve to close. When the valve closes the remaining gases will continue to do work in the cylinder and cause it to perform 113$ engine functions. Thus in a iour-cycle enextension 6 is upwardly into a Water casing 16,- provided with a lateral inlet 17 leading from a water supply pipe 18, suitable check valves 19 and 20 being provided in the conduits 16 and l8'to prevent reverse fiow of the water. In Fig. 1 the gases are discharged upwardly through a suitable injector nozzle 21 so that these gases act to lighten and raise the water on the principle of the air-lift pump, while the gases also act because of their high pressure and velocity, as in an injector. In Fig. l the flow of Water is indicated by the arrows and the discharged gases are also illustrated, but it will be understood that such illustration merely diagrammatic and that the relative amount of gas discharged can be. varied within rather wide limits. With pump conduits into which the gasesare discharged against a high head or": water the gases will remain in a highly compressed state near the bottom otthe conduit but will expand as they rise and as the pressure dec eases. "'l he admission of the compressed gas es should be below the normal water level of'the water to be pumped so that this water'will flow in without suction, although the invention is also applicable where suction means are provided for priming the pump and supplying the water thereto. in Figs. 1 and 2 a bypass 22 is shown leading from the inlet 17 to-the casing 6 below the valve, this lay-pass being provided with a cutoff valve 23 and check valve 2%, and the outlet 2 5 of said bypass being arranged-to he acted upon by the escaping gases so that later can be drawn in to cool the valve, en .5". water being vaporized and the resulting steam cooling the valve and escaping with the gases.

ln the embodiment the invention illus trated in lligs; 4ito similar arrangement of engine and pump conduit is illustrated. but the valve 9 of F l is positively op era as a pressed against the is operated by with respect its end to a rocker sure relief valve spring seat. This valve 9 of l a valve stem 10 arm 22" operated the 528 from a hell cran ated by a can upon th i (-1) Elected to of opening and closing of the valve 9 can the air li be varied, operation of this sleeve being eflected by'the rod 33 and handle 34. The inlet and exhaust valve connections and operating rods are also shown in Figs. 4 to 6. the exhaust cam sleeve acting upon a connecting rod'36 operating upon the exhaust valve 37 while an inlet cam sleeve 38 acts upon a connecting rod 39 operatively connected to the inlet valve, the casing of which is indicated at 40. The cylinder is surrounded with a water jacket 41 of any suitable construction.

ln Fig. 7 the invention has been illustrated as applied to a pump conduit arranged to pump water from below ground, such as in a well. The engine is illustrated diagrammatically and may be similar to that of Fig. 1. The high pressure gases are discharged through the conduit 45 past the check valve 46 and down through the central pipe 47 from the bottom of which they escape, control of the operation being effected by the valve 48. The pipe 47 is shown as centrally arranged within the pump conduit 50 arranged within the well casing 51. The operation of the pump will be clear from the diagrammatic illustration of Fig; 7. The water and gases rising in the conduit 50 are shown as being discharged through a lateral discharge connection attached to the conduit 50 by means of the connection 49. In the modification of Fig. 8 the injector outlet M for the gases is arranged to discharge into the pipe 45 and to entrain air through the pipe 43, the casing 42 being the surrounding casing for the air and gas injector. The highly compressed gas together with the air drawn in with it is forced past the check valve t6 and thence-into the pump conduit.

In "Fig. 5) a further modification ot the in vention is illustrated generally similar to that of Fig. 1, but. with means arranged for circulating cooling fluid from the pump conduit through the cylinder jacket. The inlet conduit 13 is shown as provided with a by-pass pipe having therein a cut-nit valve ca and check valve 61., said b pzs pipe leading to the water acket oli'the linder from which the water withdrawn bypipe 62 by the injector action oi the escaping gase citing upon ti outlet of this pipe. A valve is shown in I '2 pump conduit to regulate tuc ilou' thcr in Fig. if? a supplcinentai air ini t 1 illustrated dischai into the ii iet 21, the can be drai by the same cam shaft that carries the cam 32 acting upon the valve 9. The arrangement is such that when the valve 9 is open the inlet 17 will be cut ofi to permit upward discharge of the working gases in the pump conduit 16, whilethe valve 64 will open the inlet 17 when the valve 9 is closed. The closing of the gas inlet by the valve 64: also prevents or minimizes the inflow of water into the casing 6. InFig. 12 the usual exhaust port of the engine is shown as having a conduit connected thereto for conducting the exhaust gases in heat interchanging relation with the pump conduit 18 in order to impart heat to said conduit.

The operation of the pump and engine of the present invention will be clear from the above description and from the illustration. The engine if a four-cycle engine, will operate as a compressor and igniter for the explosive charge, and a portion of this charge after ignition will be discharged into the pump conduit, the amount of such dis charge being regulated by the tension of the spring with the spring pressed valve of Fig. 1 or by the adjustment of the cam sleeve 30 and the corresponding variation in the opening and closing of thevalve 9 in the construction of Figs. 4: to 6. Then the discharge is cut oil the remaining gases will do work within the cylinder and cause it to perform its normal engine functions, the fly wheel having the usual steadying effect thereon. When it is desired to use the engine for doing external work other than puniping, the discharge into the pump conduit can be correspondingly reduced or even in some cases entirely cut off. When utilized primarily as a pump the function of the engine will be that of a compre on and ignition cylinder which will be self-operating and which will rru uire a ll'lild'lllll'li o'l supervi sionand regulation. Y it glue it will be unuerstood that the charge is usually introduced under pressure while with a tour-cycle engine the charge will be drawn in by suction and compressed within the c nder before ignitioa'i. in some pun'ip conduits the discharge may t2 place through an injector inlet or nozrle (e. 7.. as in is construction of l l. l) While in others the discharge may talte 'JitMP directly.

against the main portion of the water by tipvs iii he (o ted d h a twocycle en- 13 column (c. 9., as in the j are till

spondingly heated. The circulation of part of the Water through the cylinder acket as illustrated in Fig. 9, results in a further heating of the water and an increase in the efficiency of the pump and engine as a heat engine. The heating action can be further increased by the utilization of the exhaust by bringing the same into heat interchanging relation With the pump conduit in such manner as illustrated diagrammatically in Fi 12.

The process of operating the engine and of pumping Water or other fluid Will be clear from the above description, this process being so carried out that the desired discharge for pumping purposes is effected, While the necessary Work is obtained Within the cylinder for effecting the operation of the engine. It will be understood that this process can be varied Within rather wide limits in accordance With the effect desired in the pump or in the engine or in both. When used for pumping Water the pump may advantageously be placed below the level of the Water so that the Water will flow by gravity into the pump conduit. The engine may however be arranged above the inlet level and this inlet effected by suction or by other means; or again the gas can be discharged downwardly into the pump conduit as indicated diagrammatically in Fi 7. With this arrangement of Fig. '7 there is a further heating of the water by the gases passing downthe central pipe before .such gases are discharged at the bottom of the conduit. The pump of the present invention can be used in pumping against either high or low heads. The height to which the Water can be pumped is materially increased when the air-lift construction is usee, owing to the lightening action of the gases rising with the Water.

The indicator diagram of Fig. 3, is illustrative of the operation of the pumpof the present invention. The shaded portion indicates the Working stroke of the engine. It

Will be understood that this diagramis given for purposes of illustration, and that it Will vary with different types of engines and different conditions of operation.

While l have illustrated and described certain specific embodiments of the invention, yet it Will be understood that the invention is illustrated by, but is not limited to, such embodiments, and that variations and modifications can be made therein with out departing from the spirit and scope of the inventiomas set forth in the accompanying claims.

T claim An internal combustion engine pump and ti Wheel pump conduit i 7 for I naeaees discharging part of the Working gases from said engine into said conduit early in the Working stroke of said engine, and means for cutting off said discharge before the completion of the Working stroke.

2. An internal combustion engine pump comprising an internal combustion engine operatingupon a regular cycle and provided With the usual inlet and exhaust valves and fly Wheel, a pump conduit, a duct connecting said engine With said conduit, and valve means controlling flow through said duct arranged to permit flow from said engine to said conduit early in the Working stroke of said engine, and to cut off such flow before the end of the Working stroke.

3. An internal) combustion engine pump comprising a four-cycle internal combustion engine having valve-controlled inlet and outlet, a pump conduit, means for discharging part of the Working gases from said engine into said conduit early in the Working stroke of said engine, and means for cutting off said discharge before the completion of the Working stroke.

4. An internal combustion engine pump comprising a pump conduit, an internal combustion engine operating upon a regular cycle and provided with the usual inlet and exhaust valves and fly Wheel, and having exhaust valves and fly Wheel, and having an outlet from the engine cylinder to said conduit, valve means controlling said outlet ar- "ranged to permit flow from said cylinder to said conduit early in the working stroke of: said engine and to cut off such flow before the end of the Working stroke, and means tor varying the period during Which such valve remains open:

t An internal combustion engine pump comprising an internal combustion engine operating upon a regular cycle and provided with the usual inlet and exhaust valves and "Wheel, a gas lift pump conduit, 1

means for discharging part of the Working gases from said engine upwardly into said conduit early in. the working stroke of said ine, and means for cutting cit said dis-- rge before the completion of the Working combustion ei "ne pump "'ei" combust in engine u war cycle and )rovided ves and nes t. pen a with the u ual i teas fly Wheel; a gas-lift pump conduit of gen eral Ushape, means for admitting liquid to one side of said conduit, a duct connecting said engine with the other side of said conduit and terminating in an injector nozzle in said conduit, and valve means controlling flow through said duct arranged to permit flow from said engine to said conduit early in the working stroke of said engine, and to cut off such flow before the end of the working stroke.

8. An internal combustion engine pump comprising a pump conduit, a four-cycle internal combustion engine having valve-controlled inlet and outlet, and having a separate outlet from the engine cylinder to said conduit, and valve means controlling said outlet arranged to permit flow from said cylinder to said conduit early in the working stroke of said engine and to cut off such flow before the end of the working stroke.

9. An internal combustion engine pump comprising a pump conduit, a four-cycle internal combustion engine having valve-con trolled inlet and outlet, and having a separate outlet from the engine cylinder to said conduit. valve means controlling said outlet arranged to permit flow from said cylinder to said conduit early in the working stroke of said engine and to cut off such flow before the end of the Working stroke, and means for varying the period during which such valve remains open.

10. An internal combustion engine pump comprising a pump conduit, an internal combustion engine operating upon a regular cycle and provided with the usual inlet and exhaust valves and fly wheel, and having an outlet through the cylinder head leading to said conduit. and an outwardly opening spring-pressed valve controlling said outlet arranged to permit flow from said engine to said conduit early in the working stroke of said engine. and to cut off such flow before the end of the working stroke.

11. An internal combustion engine pump comprising a pump conduit, a four-cycle 1nternal combustion engine having valve-controlled inlet and outlet, and having a separate outlet from the engine cylinder to said conduit, and an outwardly opening springpressed valve controlling said outlet ar-. ranged to permit flow from said cylinder to said conduit early in the Working stroke of said engine and to cut off such flow before the end of the working stroke.

12. An internal combustion engine pump comprising a pump conduit, a four-cycle internal combustion engine having valve-controlled inlet and outlet, and having a separate outlet from the engine cylinder to said conduit, and an outwardly opening springpressed valve controlling said outlet arranged to permit flow from said cylinder to said conduit early in the working stroke of said engine and to cut off such flow before the end of the working stroke, and means for varying the period during which such valve remains open.

13. The process of converting heat energy into power and of pumping liquids and fluids with the energy thus converted which comprises igniting an explosive charge in the cylinder of an internal combustion engine, discharging part of the resulting gases from said cylinder early in the working stroke of said engine into a pump conduit to pump the liquid or fluid therein, cutting off such discharge before the end of the working stroke and expanding the remaining gases in said cylinder to operate the engine.

14. The process of converting heat energy into power and of pumping liquids and fluids with the energy thus converted which comprises igniting an explosive charge in the cylinder of an internal combustion engine, injecting part of the resulting gases from said cylinder early in the working stroke of said engine into a pump conduit through a suitable injector inlet to pump the liquid or fluid therein, cutting off such discharge before the end of the working stroke and expanding the remaining gases in said cylinder to operate the engine.

15. The process of converting heat energy into power and of pumping liquids and fluids with the energy thus converted which comprises igniting an explosive charge in the cylinder of an internal combustion engine, discharging part of the resulting gases from said cylinder early in the working stroke of said engine into a pump conduit below the liquid level therein to elevate and pump the liquid, cutting off such discharge before the end of the working stroke and expanding the remaining gases in said cylinder to operate the engine.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CARL U. THOMAS.

Witnesses MARY M. MAGRAW, MARY L. CARR.

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