US3597A - Improvement in the engine to be operated by the explosive mixtures of inflammable gasea - Google Patents

Description

SI I NIANNER 0F UONSTRUCTING AN INFLAMMABLE GAS 0R VAPOR ENGINE. Nn. 3,597.

Patented May 25; 1844.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STUART PERRY, OF NEWPORT, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE ENGINE TO. BE OPERATED BY THE EXPLOS VE MIXTURES 0F INFLAMMABLE GASES (IR VAPORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 3,597, dated May 25, 1844.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, STUART PERRY, of Newport, in the county. of Herkimer andState of .New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manner of Constructing an Infiammable Gas or Vapor Engine; and Ido hereby declarethat the followingis a full and exactdesoription thereof.

In myinflammable gas or vapor enginethc power which. is to be obtained from it for the driving of machineryis to be produced by the expansion consequent upon the combustion of the vapor of spirits of turpentine or of other evaporable inflammable liquids, or of gas or vapor, or gas and vapor combined, ob-

tained from undistilled ti1rpentine, or from rosin or such othersubstanoes as will pro-' duce inflammable vapor, carbureted hydrogen, or other inflammable air bythe aidof' atmospheric. air within a cylinder similar to that used in the steam-engine. Itis wellknown to engineers that'various attempts have been made toigenerate power by the combustion of explosive compounds within a cylinder, the

expansive force of such compounds when ignited being 1n some cases allowed to act directly upon a piston, while in other cases the compounds have been exploded for the purpose of obtaining a vacuum int-o whichthe piston might be forced by pre'ssu'reinduced on the opposite side of it; but such-attempts have not resulted in the production of a machine which could be practically used with advantage. In my engine, however, I have,

as I verily believe, fully succeeded in obtainng a large amount of power more economically than in the ordinary steam-engine andunder an arrangement" of parts, which renders it readily manageable, employing, as above indicated, the expansive force of the ignited compound to operate upon the piston.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is aperspective representation of my machine, and Fig. 2 an elevation of that side of it not shown in'Fig. 1. The other figures show in .detail certain parts to be hereinafter fully explained.

In each of the figures where the same parts are represented they are designated by the same letters of reference.

, Aisthe main cylinder, which i similar to that of the double-acting steam-engine.

B is a reservoir, which is to contain the spirits of turpentine, naphtha, orevaporable liquid the vapor of which is combustible; but this reservoir will not be used when the inflammable gases are employcd,as the rosin or other substances from which this gas is obtainedfwill require a vessel to which a'higher degree of heat may be applied than is necessary for the simple evaporation of liquids,

.as is well understood. .1 will here remark,

however, that it is my intention, in general,

.to use liquids of the, above description instead of carbureted hydrogen, although this latter may be substituted by a slight change in the generati ng apparatus or wherever there are gas-works, in combination with my other improvements in the engine; but by the employment-of the kind of liquids herein designated my engine may be applied to the purposes of locomotion and may be used, also, in

other situations where the gaseous hydrocarburetsare not readily obtainable. In describing my engineI shall therefore suppose the apparatus for generating the inflam mable vapors to constitute a component part of it.

(J is the vapor-generator, retort, or .evaporating-vessel, into which a portion of the liq uid contained in B is to'be admitted through] the connecting-tube D, which is governed by a-cock. The retort Ois shown as having tubular openings through it toincrcase its surface and as surrounded by'a case E E, soas to leave a space between the two for the passage of heated air for'warming thefretort.

, F is a small furnace, lamp,.or other heating.

apparatus, which is placedunder the center of the-retort,where the outer case E is perforated to admit the heat directly to the bottom of the retort. This heating apparatus, al-

though necessary in the commencement of the action of the machine, may be dispensed with afterward by allowing the heated air discharged from the cylinder to be brought into contact with the retort in a manner to bepresently described, or the retort maybe placed- -in contact with the main cylinder or so near to it as that the heat radiating therefrom will.

be communicated to the retort. This mode I otheating it I have essayed and have found it efficient without using the heated aindischarged from the interior of the cylinder.

G is avalve-box connected with the-cylin der A, so as to give a supply of the combustible gas or vapor and of atmospheric air at each end of the cylinder alternately in the same manner in which steam is ordinarily applied in the steam-engine. Sliding or other valves constrpcted in known modes may be used in govcrniugthis supply, and as these are well known they do not require to be described; but as I have represented the revolving cylindrical valve. in the drawings Iwill pi'oceetl to describe its particular construc tion.

The interior of the valve-b0'x G, I make truly cylindrical, and into it I accurately fit "a cylindrical tube H, Fig. 3, which is to revolve within the box. I is a bevel-wheel on its shaft, which isdriven by gearing connected with the shaft of the fly-wheel J. The tube H is closed at its ends, and its interior is divided into three chambers by partitions. (Shown by the dot-ted line a a.) Into the middle chamber 1) there are two openings, (shown at c 0,) and intoeach of the end chambers there are likewise two openings (1 (Z and e e. The tube II is represented in such a position as to show about one-half of each of these openings.

K is a chamber on the under side, and L one on the upper side, of the valve-box. M, Fig. l, is a tube furnished with a cock and forming a communication bet-ween the retort andthe lower chamber K for the passage of the vapor and air from the retort. From the chamber K there are two-small openings 0 0' corresponding with those marked 0 c in Fig. 1-3. The interior of this chamber is shown at K,

Fig. 4. In the upper chamber .Tl there is-a' partition dividing it into two parts, as shown at f, Fig.5, and on each side of this partition there are two openings, one of which in eachdivision is represented by'dotted lines. These are covered by clapper valves, which close them bytheir own gravity. These openings, like those 111 the lower chamber K, correspond with theopenings 0 c ,in Fig. 1. The others (marked g g) lead into the air-passages opening into the two ends of the cylinder in the same manner with steamways. The openings (1 (Z andy c in Fig. 3 are exhaust-openings, e c admitting the residuary contents of the cylinder to passaltcrnately fromthe'ends of the cylinder into the chambers between the partitions a (if and the ends of the revolving tube H. I

The tubes N N, Fig. l, are exhaust-tubes leadingfl'rom the exhaust-openings d (1 into the space which surrounds the retort. The air and vapor resulting from the combustion of the inflammable compound within the cylinder is highly heated, and as it passes through the above-named space it will communicate sufficient heat to the retort to evaporate the liquid admitted into it from the reservoir 13,

- thus rendering the further use of the furnace or lamp F unnecessary. I hate already mentioned that the heating of the retortat'ter the engine is at work maybe eilected by placing the retort in contact with the cylinder. When this is done, its shapemustbe so altered as to adapt it to its situation. Its nature and operation will not be otherwise changed. partition fin the upper val ve-chamberand the clapper-valves, which close the openings in said chambers, serve to prevent the explosion or combustion of the in flammable compound in one end of the cylinder from extendingbeyond said partition, and immediately after such explosion has taken place the revolving valve-cylinder II will have passed around so far as to cut oif' all communication with the opposite end of the cylinder. 7

0, Fig. 2, is an escape-tube leading from the upper part of the space which surrounds the retort into a flue or elsewhere for conducting oif the heated air and vapor after they have performed their office.

I have spoken above of the production of the ignitible vapor which is, in conjunction with the atmospheric air, to supply the combustible mixture in the cylinder, and I will now proceed to describe the manner of supplying the atmospheric air, which must be made to commingle with-the gas or vapor.

P is the cylinder of a pump, which is intended to force atmospheric air into the retort. This pump is double-acting, having a valve in each end for the admission of air, and being in other respects constructed in a manner resembling that of many blowingmachines. The air from this pump passes through a trunk Q, Fig. 2.

R is an air-tube leading from the trunk Q into the retort. Within said retort there may be an agitator made to revolve by motion communicated to it from the current of air entering the retort and acting upon its wings in a manner well known for the purpose of intimately mixing the air and vapor, or the air may be made to enter the retort through numerous small openings for the same purpose. As the pressure of the air is to be nicely regulated, I place an air-regulator S upon the airtrunk, its sides being formed of leather or other elastic material, or it may be otherwise constructed in any of the wellknown modes of forming such regulators. In the top of it there is a valve, through which the air escapes when the pressure becomes too great.

.T is an air-tube leading from the air-trunk directly into thelower chamber K of the valvebox. The air from the pump P maybe made to pass through either or in part through both of the tubes R and T, the openings into which tubes I have sometimes regulated by means of a revolving valve or conical key, like that of a cock within the trunk Q, of which valve,U at the outer end of said trunk represents the handle, andby the turning of this handle one or other of the tubes may be closed, or they may both be left partially open. The quantity of atmospheric air entering theretort may thus be governed, or a portion of it maybe carried immediatelyinto the valve-box should it be desired to mix. a

the admission of atmospheric air into the relarger quantity thereof than usual with vapor.

Fig. 0 is a vertical section from front to back through a part of the machine in the line 00 a: of Fig. 2, showing the manner in which the air-tubes R and T enter the ;retort and the valve-box and convey the air from the trunk Q into them.

The piston of the main cylinder may be made solid and of metal. I prefer, however, to make it expanding in any of the modes used for that purpose. The drawings represent the mannerin which I communicate motion from it to the fly-wheel and to the airpump, which is as follows: The piston-rod V is jointed to'a vibrating rod or bar W, which rod is at its lower end jointed to the vibrating rod X. To the rod IV is also jointed the piston-rod Y of the air-pump, and from the upper end of the rod W the connecting rod or shackle Z extends to the crank A on the fly-wheel shaft. J ointed rods B serve to sustain the rod W in place and to preserve the parallelism of-the piston-rods V and Y. The direction of the engine may be reversed by means of a clutch throwing either of the wheels I or I into gear with the wheel h.

In the various explosive or gas engines which have been constructed one of the greatest ditiiculties'experienced in their management has been to obtain absolute certainty in igniting the explosive mixture, and without this such engines must be valueless. It has been usually attempted to eifect this by drawinga portion of the flame intoopeningsleading into the cylinder; but the result isin this case extremely uncertaiinand that more especially when the inflammable vapors are used, the quantity of air drawn in with the flame appearing, manifestly, to interfere with the production of the intended combustion. The mode that I have adopted has completely obviated all difliculty inthis particular, and is as follows:

By the combined use of the air-pump and air-regulator, and of the cooks which govern the tort or into the valve-box, and of those which govern the admission of the inflammable liquid into the retort and the admission of the mixed air and vapor into the valve-box, I am enabled to adjust the quantity of each and the pressure within the cylinder with great precision. This pressure is but slightlyto transcend that of the atmosphere. At each end of the cylinder there are openings governed by valves, through which openings the ignition is to be efiected, and opposite to and nearly in contact with them is the flame of a burning lamp. The valves which close these openings are removed at a time a little after the crank"ha's passed its dead-centersay when the piston has made about one-eighth of its stroke-and the cylinder has therefore about one-eighth of its capacity filled with r the aeriform gaseous compound, there being i The ignition-openings are seen at '1' i, Fig. 2.

The circular boxes, in whichthey are shown as being made, lead immediately into the 'cyl-i inder, and as the piston passes back and forth it touches a projecting piece or pin, which opens the valve at the proper time, or the valve may be opened by its own gravity or by a slight spring and closed by the expansion consequent on the firing, the firing not taking place until the change of action is produced by cutting off the supply.

WVhen in the construction of this engine the retort is placed in contact with or close to the cylinder, the cylinder is warmed thereby sufficiently to prevent a condensation of the vapor in setting the engine at work. If the retort is not thus placed, the cylinder must be warmed by other means.

I have found that the main cylinder by. the continued operation of the machine is' liable to becolnc too highly heated. It is proper, therefore, to adopt means to prevent this, which may be effected in various ways. That which I prefer is to inclose the cylinder and its immediate appendages in a case, through which cold air may be blown by means of a rotary fan or other blowing apparatus, which may be operated by the engine in any convenient manner.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and. operation of my improved inflammable gas or vapor engine, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The manner in which I have combined and arranged the air-pump, the reservoir, the retort, the air-regulator, and the cooks which govern the admission of atmospheric air into the valve-box, and their immediate appendages, as above described, by which arrangement I am enabled to supply the inflammable vapor or gas in regulated proportions and to produce a pressure within the cylinder slightly exceeding that of the atmosphere at the moment of opening one of the ignitionorifices, which outward pressure is to be immediately succeeded by a draft inward, this being effected in the manner and for the purpose above described.

2. The manner set forth of heating tort by employing the heated air, which escapes through the seduction-tubes, so as to ren (ler such air efiective in converting the coinbustible fluid employed into vapor.

STUART PERRY.

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