US651741A

US651741A - Explosive liquid-air engine.

Info

Publication number: US651741A
Application number: US73983099A
Authority: US
Inventors: James C Anderson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1899-12-09
Filing date: 1899-12-09
Publication date: 1900-06-12
Anticipated expiration: 1917-06-12

Description

No. 65l,74|. Patented lune; L2, L900.

J. C. ANDERSON.

EXPLOSIVE LIQUID AIR ENGINE.

Application filed Dec. 9, 1899.)

(No man.) 7 SheetsSheet l.

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J. C. ANDERSON. EXPLDSIV'E LIUUID AIR ENGINE.

(Application filed Dec. 9, 1899.) (No ModeL, 7 SheetsSheet 2.,

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N0. 65l,74l. Patented June I2, |900Q J. C. ANDERSON.

EXPLUSIVE LIIlUIIJ AIR ENGINE.

A i nmion filed Dec. 9, law.)

(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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Patented luhe l2, 1900a J. C. ANDERSON.

EXPLOSIVE LIQUID AIR ENGINE.

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No. 65l,74|.

(Application filed Deg. 9, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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(Application filed Dec, 9, 1899.) (No Model.) 7 Sheets8heet s.

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No. 65|,74|. Patented lune I2, 1900; J. C. ANDERSON.

EXPLOSIVE LIQUID AIR ENGINE. (Application filed Dec. 9, 18 99.) :(No Model.) 1 SheetsSheet 1.

UNIT D STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES C. ANDERSON, OF HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS.

EXPLOSIVE LIQUID-AIR ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters' Patent No. 651,741, dated June 12, 1900. Application filed December 9, 1899. Serial No. 7 39,830. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES C. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Highland Park, in the county of Lake and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Explosive Liquid-Air Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willienable others skilled I the construction referred to the reciprocating and rotative or oscillatory movements of the piston are secured by the admission of steam or other motive agent at full pressure on each side of a wing extending radially from the periphery of the piston and also alternatelyat each head of the piston, the resolution of reciprocating and rotative or four-way movements causing a radial or peripheral shaft on the piston to describe a circular path.

My invention is designed to utilize liquid air as one of the agents for driving an engine such as above described and to use said agent both explosively and expansively in order that the same maybe utilized in the most economic and efficient manner. Y

My improved engine, as stated, being de signed to be operated by liquid air as one of the motive agents, it is important that the characteristics of such agent should be fully described.

Liquid air, as is well known, is produced from ordinary atmospheric air, the principal. components of which are nitrogen and oxygen, with alarge preponderance of the former.

\Vhen air has been liquefied, it is brought back to its original condition by heat, and consequently when confined in a vessel and subjected even to the temperature of the ordinary surrounding atmosphere it becomes highly expanded and correspondingly dangerous to use expausively as a motive agent. In the conversion of liquid air to its original atmospheric condition the process is exceedinglysluggish and requires substantially the same number of heat units as would be required to convert a given quantity of water into steam by the process of evaporation. In other words, a given power secured in either case would require substantially the same number of heat unitsapplied for substantially the same length of time.

Liquid air, as before stated, being composed of nitrogen and oxygen, will, if placed in an open or unsealed vessel, under the action of the surrounding temperature first give up the nitrogen and leave the oxygen in concentrated form, which is the best form in which it can be used in conjunction with hydrocarbon to be ignited and utilized as an explosive force, and consequently my invention contemplates the employment of an open or unsealed reservoir for containing the liquid air.

My invention has for its object to provide anengine adapted to be driven both explosively and expansively by liquid air supplied from an unsealed reservoir and in the form of concentrated oxygen and in which both the explosive and expansive force of the motive agent are utilized at each half-stroke to drive the engine.

My invention has also forits object to provide an explosive-engine which shall be readily reversible and which may be started and stopped at any point in the movement of the piston and the speed controlled directly by controlling the supply or quantity of motive agent, and consequently the explosive and expansive force exerted; and with these ends in view my invention consists of an engine having the characteristics adapting it to be run through the medium of the expansive and explosive force of denitrogenized air and hydrocarbon mixed in suitable proportions and injected and exploded in chambers adjacent and leading to the piston, all as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may fully understand the same, I will proceed to describe the construction and operation of my improved engine and the manner in which liquid air is used as one of the motive agents for operating it, referring by letters and numerals to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an engine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2 2 of Fig. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 6. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 6, showing the piston to the extreme right. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 6, showing the piston in the position as shown in Figs. 2 and 10. Fig. 6 is a section on the line (3 6 of Fig. 2, the piston being in the position shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section of the cylinder broken away at each end. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view showing the means for regulating and controlling the supply of liquid air and hydrocarbon. Figs. 9, 10, 11, and 12 are horizoutal sectional views showing, respectively, the position of the radial wing and box-valve at the time of explosive impact, extreme left throw, second or reverse impact, and extreme right throw. Fig. 13 is a top or plan and partial section on two horizontal planes, the first being through the box-valve and its seat and the second lower down and centrally through the cylinder and piston, the latter being shown partly in plan and with the supplypipes omitted at one side. Fig. 14: is a vertical section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 13, and Fig. 15 is a'similar section on the line 8 S of Fig. 13.

Similar letters and numerals of reference denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

A is the bed of the engine, and it is adapted to-be bolted or secured in place in any suitable manner.

B is the cylinder, formed with or secured to the bed A, and O O are the cylinder-heads, secured in place upon the flanges of the ends of the cylinder by bolts D. The cylinder B is formed with an exhaust-port E at the bottom communicatin with an outlet F through the bed A.

G G are lateral openings or wells surrounded by circular walls 11 H, and I I are screw-caps for closing the wells G and constituting bearings for diametric shafts J J.

K is an upwardly-projecting box inelosed by a cover L, secured to the box by bolts M. The interior side walls of the box K are inclined or converge, as shown at Fig. 6, and constitute a seat for the inclined sides of a wing-valve box N, the sides of which are each formed with a port or passage 0, adapted to register with ports P in the side walls of the box K, which ports P lead to or communicate with explosion-chambers Q in the said box.

R R are two valve carriers or seats, which are screwed into the box K on opposite sides and communicate with the two explosionehambers Q. These valve-seats are each provided with two longitudinal channels S to constitute conduits for liquid air and hydrocarbon, respectively, as will be presently described, and stem-valves T, with beveled valve-heads, are located in the channels S and held in operative position by spiral springs U, washers V, and scrmv-nuts W, as clearly shown at Fig. 6.

Lateral projections a (shown in vertical section at Fig. 3) extend on each side from the box K and are formed with right-angled or curved liquid-air conduits or chambers l) and hydrocarbon chambers or conduits c, which communicate when the valves T are open with the longitudinal channels S in the valve-carriers R in an obvious manner.

(Z d are branch tubes which extend from the opposite sides of the valve-carrierR. A liquid-air-supply pipe e extends from a suitable liquid-air reservoir or receptacle and connects with one of the branch pipes cl, and another supply-pipef extends from a hydrocarbon reservoir or receptacle and connects with the other branch pipe (Z. These branch pipes at are formed with two vertical pistonehannels adapted to receive reciprocating pistons or valves g g. The partition or wall between the piston-channels is provided with a communicating passage It, (clearly shown at Figs. 3 and 8,) and the outer pistons g are formed with a passage or channel through the upper end, adapted when in proper position to register with the channel 7t, so that the charge of liquid air and hydrocarbon, received respectively within the upper end of the pistons g, may be forced through the channels it into the chambers 11 and c. This action is produced through the following instrumentalities: The upper ends of the pistons g are bored out to receive a solid platen or disk 2', having a stem rigidly connected therewith and passing through a suitable stufling-box in the upper side of the branch pipe, and is threaded at Z in order that it may be adjusted within the thread in the seat 072. The extreme outer end of the stem 7; is provid ed with an operating-handle or hand-wheel n. The upper bored-out end of the piston g is closed by a screw-plug 0, through which the stem 7.: passes, and by means of the handle a the platen or diskt' is so adjusted with reference to the under side of the plug 0 as to leave the space or channel 17, before referred to, of any suitable proportion in cross-section, which will when the pistons are in their elevated position register with and receive a charge of liquid air and a charge of hydrocar-' bon, respectively, from the cond uit-pipes e and f. As the pistons descend the solid or plugged heads will first cut off the flow of air and hydrocarbon and then, approaching the immovable platen or disk 71, the air and hydrocarbon will be squeezed between the plugs o and the platens 11 and forced through the channel h into the chambers Z) and 0 over the heads of the pistons g g. By this construction I am also enabled to control the quantity or supply of liquid air and hydrocarbon injected into the explosion-chamber, because by the rotation of the stem 7t through the threaded seat on the space between the plug or head 0 and the upper face of the disk i may be decreased orincreased or entirely closed. Consequently when traveling slowly and when comparatively small power is required the supply of liquid air and hydrocarbon may be reduced by contracting the space between the disk vi and plug 0, and in traveling downgrade, where power may be entirely dispensed with, the space between the plug and disk may be e11- tirely closed and the supply of air and hydrocarbon entirely cut off. In order that this action may take place simultaneously in all of the supply-pipes, I provide each of the stems 7a with a fixed lever or arm 5 and connect the several levers or arms by link-rods 6, so that by operating the hand wheel or lever before referred to, and which may be secured to any one of the stems 7c, all of the stems may be rotated simultaneously, and consequently the supply from the liquid-air and hydrocarbon tanks or reservoirs may be obviously controlled or entirely cut off. The lower ends of the pistons g g are secured, as shown, in the upper face of a cross-head 1), having an elliptical opening q, adapted to receive an eccentric r on each of the shafts J, and, as will be obvious, when the cross-head p is raised by the eccentric r the pistons g will be raised and when the cross-head is drawn down by the eccentric the pistons will be lowered into the position shown at Fig. 3, in which position, as will be seen, communication between the chambers b and c and the liquid-air and hydrocarbon pipes c and f is absolutely cut off. After the chambers 19 and e have been loaded to a sufficient extent by the described movement of the pistons g the action of the pistons g g in their upward movement against the air and hydrocarbon will cause the valves T to open against the action of the coil-springs U and permit a charge of air and a charge of hydrocarbon to enter the explosion-chamber Q, and as the pistons descend the coil-springs U will cause the valves to close the communication between the channels S and the explosion-chamher. At the same time that the pistons descend through the action of the shaft J and eccentric and have established a perfect cutoil": a radial arm 5, secured to the shaft J, passes between and contacts with insulated plates it, which are connected by suitable wires a with an electrode secured within the box K and projecting into the explosionchamber, and consequently a spark will be made and the air and hydrocarbon exploded. It will be seen that the radial arms 3, which complete the circuits and cause the sparks, are diametrically arranged on the two shafts J, and consequently explosions will be made alternately in the chambers Q on opposite sides of the box K.

The diametrie shafts J are caused to rotate through the medium of diametric peripheral arms 22, secured to the reciprocating and rotative piston A and cranks 20 with an intermediate universal joint, such as described in the pending application hereinbefore referred to. Either or both of said shafts may be utilized as driving shafts. The piston A is formed with a central diametric web 13, having a pocket therein to receive one end of a radial wing O, which is housed within the box-valve N, as clearly shown at Figs. 2, 4, and 6, and a spring D, located between the bottom edge of the wing and bottom of its pocket, holds the upper edge of the wing in close gas-tight contact with the inner side of the top of the box-valve.

The motions of the piston, wing, and boxvalve are all such as fully described in the application herein referred to- -viz., the piston reciprocates longitudinally and oscillates upon an imaginary longitudinal axis accordin gly as the motive agent exerts its force upon the heads of the piston or on each side of the radial wing O, and the relation of the ports and the reciprocating and rotative action of the piston are such that the piston may be started from any point of rest and no deadcenters have to be overcome, all as fully described in the application referred to.

To start the engine, I provide a sprocket wheel 7, journaled on a short shaft 8, extending from a bridge or bracket 9, and the sprocket-wheel is'provided with a suitable handle 10 for rotating it. On another shaft 11, journaled in a lower bridge or bracket, is located a sprocket-wheel 12 and a mutilated gear-wheel 13 in fixed relation to each-other, and upon the collar of the eccentric 0' is secured a gear-wheel 14, adapted to mesh with the teeth upon the mutilated gear 13. A sprocket-chain 15 traverses the upper and lower sprocket-wheels '7 and 12.

From the construction it will be seen that when the upper sprocket-wheel 7 is rotated it will through the medium of the chain 15 cause the lower sprocket-wheel 12 to rotate, and with it the mutilated gear 13, and when the teeth of the latter mesh with the gear-wheel 1% said gear-wheel will rotate and carry with it the shaft J and eccentric r, and such movement of the shaft and eccentric, as hereinbefore explained, will cause the liquid air and hydrocarbon to be supplied to the explosionchambers and ignited by a spark from the electrodes. The rotation of the shaft J will cause the piston to move, and with it the wing C and box-valve, into such position that the several ports will be in proper relation, and the engine will thus be set in motion. The purpose of forming the gear 13 with a mutilation is in order that when the engine has been started the gears 13 and let will run out of mesh, and consequently the starting mechanism will come to a state of rest. I of course do not wish to be confined to this particular mechanism for starting the engine, as any other suitable means may be employed for securing the initial supply of air and hydrocarbon to the explosion-chambers and cansing the spark to be made in said chambers.

I will now proceed to describe the particular arrangement of ports through the medium of which the rotative and reciprocating motions are imparted to the piston and its fourway motion is converted into the rotary movement of the driving shaft or shafts J.

Assuming that the engine is at a state of rest and that the piston and box-valve are in the positions shown in Figs. 6 and 9 and that it is desirable to start the engine forwardly or in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1 and 9, the engineer grasps the lever 10 and turns it to the right or in the reverse direction to the desired movement of the pis ton. The sprocket-wheel 7 will through the medium of the chain 15 cause the sprocketwheel 12 and the mutilated gear 13 to rotate to the right, and consequently the mutilated gear when meshing with the sprocket-wheel 14 on the driving-shaft J will cause the latter to rotate to the left or in the reverse direction, and by reason of the connection between the crank in on the shaft J and the radial arm 1) on the piston A the latter will be moved in the direction of the arrows referred to, and at the same time, as hereinbefore explained, the movement of the cross heads 19 through the action of the eccentrics 1" will cause the reciprocation of the pistons g g on both sides of the engine, and consequently the liquid air and the hydrocarbon will be forced into the explosion-chambers Q, and the electrodes will alternately spark at each half-revolution of the shafts J, and obviously the charges of liquid air and hydrocarbon will be exploded. Should the first charge of air and hydrocarbon forced into either of the explosion-chambers Q fail to explode by reason of the temperature of the chambers or from any other cause, the continued movements of the shaft J will cause additional charges of airand hydrocarbon to be introduced and sparks to be made until the conditions are such as to secure the desired explosion, and as soon as an explosion takes place on either side of the valve-box N the port P .from the explosionchamber Q and the port 0 in the side of the valve-box will be in suitable register and the wing G will bear the relation to said ports as shown in Figs. (3 and 9. The explosive force will thus be exerted against the side of the wing O and cause it to be vibrated toward the center of the valve-box, and when it has reached the center line, carrying with it the piston A, as shown at Fig. 10, the piston will have reached the limit of its reciprocating stroke, as shown at Fig. 5, this initial reciprocating movement of the piston being offected through the medium of the crank w on shaft and its connection with the shaft 1), extending radially from the piston. The wing C, it will be understood, extending radially from the periphery of the piston, (which latter has been partially rotated on an imaginary longitudinal axis and reciprocated to the end of its stroke,) will have as a resolution of the stated movements of the piston traveled in a path represented by one-fourth of a true circle. Just as the wing C reaches the center line, as shown at Fig. 10, and the piston has completed its reciprocating stroke the degree of rotative movement of the said piston has brought the port 16 of the piston into initial register with the space in the valve-box between the wing O and the side of the box from which the said wing has traveled, as shown at Fig. 10, it being understood that the valve-box is open at the bottom, as described in the pending application hereinbefore referred to. The force of the explosion and the expansion of the gases generated continue to vibrate the wing 0' into the position shown at Fig. 11, and as the piston A is correspondingly rotated the port 16 is progressively brought into full register with the space in the valve-box, and from the time of the initial register of the port 16 with the valve-box until full and complete register is made and during its continuance the expansive force of the gasestraverses through the said port and thence through the longitudinal passage comin unicating with port 16 to the space between the head of the piston and the head 0 of the cylinder and causes the piston to travel coincidently with and in the same direction as the valve-box, as shown at Fig. 11. During the rotation and reciprocation of the piston,which takes place While the wing 0' moves from the position shown at Fig. 10 to that shown at Fig. 11, it has traveled a path similar to that made in traveling from the position shown at Fig. 9 to that shown at Fig. 10, and con sequently has completed a movement of half a true circle. Then the wing O has reached the position shown at Fig. 11, (which is exactly reverse to that shown at Fig. 9,) and the piston A has moved accordingly, as described, the port 0 on the opposite side of the valve-box is in register with the port P of the explosion-chamber Q on the opposite side of the box K, and this chamber having been supplied with charges of liquid air and hydrocarbon said charge is exploded by the spark from the electrode in said chamber, and the explosive force is exerted against the wing to force it in a reverse direction and to the center, as shown at Fig. 12, in which position the wing G has traveled a path equal to three-quarters of a circle, the piston at such time having completed a full half-stroke and brought the port 17 of the piston into initial register with the space between the wing and the side of the valve-box N and in the same relation thereto as the port 10 occupied to the valve-box when the parts were in the position shown at Fig. 10. As the port 1'7 of the piston communicates with a longitudinal passage leading to the head of the piston opposite that to which the passage from the port 16 leads, it will be seen that the piston will be forced in the reverse direction, While the wing O continues its vibrating movement until it reaches or returns to the initial position illustrated at Fig. 9 and completes a path of movement represented by a full circle.

By observing the ports 16 and 17 and their IIO relation to the spaces each side of the wing C it will be seen that the gases between the wing and the sides of the valvebox are alternately exhausted through said ports as they alternately change from live to exhaust ports in an obvious manner, and at the same time that they become exhaust-ports the reciprocation and rotation of the piston brings the longitudinal passages communicating with the ports 16 and 17 alternately into register with the port E of the cylinder, so that the exhaust from the valve-box, as well as from the spaces between the piston-heads and the heads of the cylinder, may escape and be discharged through the outlet F. By special reference to Figs. 10 and 12, which represent the extreme reverse reciprocating movement of the valve-box and accordingly also the extreme reciprocating movements of the piston, as shown at Figs. 5 and 4, respectively, it will be seen that just as the exhaust of the motive force between the cylinder and the approaching piston-head has been completed the ports 17 and 16, respectively, close and the gases remaining between the wing and the side of the box-valve toward which the wing is traveling are confined and compressed slightly and until the ports 0 and P begin to register, and when communication is established with the ex plosion-chamber Q and the partially-compressed gases then mingle with the gases arising from the admixture of the hydrocarbon and liquid air in the explosionchamber the combined gases are then all further compressed and until the ports 0 and P are slightly past the central line of register, thus giving greater etteetive force to the explosion.

. As will be readily seen by reference to the drawings, the ports 0 and P and the explosion-chambers Q on opposite sides of the engine hear such relation to the movements of the piston and the valve-box, as well as the devices which operate to charge the explosionchambers, that the supply of liquid air and hydrocarbon is forced into said chambers sufficiently in advance of the tim e when the spark is made to secure the proper conditions for successful and effective explosion.

After the engine has been started and continues to run the successive and alternate explosions which take place in the chambers Q on opposite sides will raise the temperature of said chambers to such a degree as to facilias clearly shown in Figs. 14 and 15.

the disks 28 have been properly located they with great economy. It will also be seen that the instrumentalities employed for controlling the supply are such that all accidental explosions, either within or outside of the explosion-chambers, are prevented, because the igniting-spark cannot be made until the explosion-chambers have been properly loaded and absolutely and positively cut off from the supply-chambers Z) and c and all communication between the latter and the supplypipes e andf and the liquid-air and hydrocarbon tanks or reservoirs have likewise been positively closed.

The engine may be readilystopped at any time by either shutting off the supply of oxygen and carbon in the manner described or by cutting the-electrodes out by a suitable switch.

Having described the construction and operation of my improved engine from the standpoint of continuous movement in one direction and of controllin g the speed and power of the same, as well as a complete stoppage thereof, I will now explain the manner in which it may be promptly and readily reversed.

The box-valve N is provided with lateral ports 2t and 25 (see Fig. 13) on each side adapted to register, respectively, with pas-.

sages

26 and 27 alternately, which

passages

26 and 27, as shown, are in the cylindrical wall of the piston and diametrically opposite each other and lead, as clearly shown in Fig. 13, to the center of each head of the piston, which is bored or countersunk to receive a rotative disk 28, provided with a radial wing 29, adapted to be vibrated within a chamber lateral to the space occupied by the disk 28, After are secured in position by plugs 30, which are secured by screw-bolts 31, which constitute the pivot or axis upon which the disks 28 retate. The countersink in the heads of the piston is stepped, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, to form an annular shoulder against which the plugs are held by the screw-bolts 31, While leaving the disks 28 free to rotate. The plugs are formed with passages 32 to register with and form continuations of the passages 16 and 17, and the disks 28 are formed with diametric-passages 33, designed to alternately register with said passages 16 and 17 and the passages 32, accordingly as said disks are rotated in one or the other direction.

Looking at Fig. 13 and assuming that an explosion has taken place in the upper explosion-chamber Q, and the impact and expansive force of the gases has forced the wing G into the position shown and the piston A has traveled to the end of the cylinder, the box-valve N has reciprocated accordingly, and the port 24in passing the passage 26 permitted the gases to enter the latter and travel to the end of the piston and against the wing 29 of the disk 28, rotating the latter into the position shown at Fig. 14 and establishing free communication between the IIO passages 16 in the piston and the space between the head of the piston and the adjacent end 0 of the cylinder B, and at the same time the vertical portion of the passage 16 of the piston begins to register or open 'into the space between the wing (J and the side wall of the box-valve, while at the same time the passage 17, which has been the exhaust, is being closed and remains closed when the wing O is moving from the position indicated at Fig. 11, and until it assumes the position shown in Fig. 12 after it has been subjected to the action of the explosion which has occurred in the second or opposite explosivechamber Q, when said passage 17 becomes live and the passage 16 is the exhaust. As the piston continues its reciprocation in the direction indicated by the position of the boxvalve, as shown at Fig. 12, the port 25 of the Valve-box registers for a time with the passage 27 on the same side and the force of the gas is admitted against the wing 2.) to rotate the disk 28 into the position shown at Fig. 15, thus establishing the proper relation between the several ports and passages heretofore described to secure the continuous movement of the engine in the direction in which it was started. Now if it be desired to reverse the movement of the engine after it has of necessity been brought to a stop the hand-lever 10 is turned in a direction reverse to that which was given it for the movement heretofore described, and as a consequence the piston is reciprocated and rotated so that the initial explosion occurs on the opposite side of the wing to that previously described, and c'onsequemly the disks 28 are reversely operated upon to set the ports and passages in proper relation for the continuous reverse movement of the engine. It will thus be seen that after the piston is started in either direction desired by the starting-lever 10 the relations of the parts are established automatically to secure the continuous movement of the engine in the desired direction, and as I am not aware thatithas ever before been suggested to reverse the ports of an engine by the direct action of the motive force employed to run the engine I do not wish to be confined to the specific means shown and described for accomplishing this result, as many changes in construction may be devised and suggested without departing from the spirit of my invention, which in this particular rests in the generic idea of utilizing the motive force to change the relation of the ports of the engine, and through such change to automatically establish the direction of movement.

While I have shown and described mech anism for causing a spark from an electrode in the explosive-chamber at a timewhen it has fully been charged and all communica tion with the supply chambers, pipes, and reservoirs has been absolutely cut off, I desire it to be understood that I prefer that the spark should be made just after the piston has passed the exact central pointof its movement, and it will be obvious that the positive and negative contactavires u u may be duplicated and the insulated plates 15' i may be divided vertically and insulated and either division of the said plates put in circuit by an automatic switch, so that as the contact-arm s traverses its path it will not make electrical contact until it has passed the vertical insulated center line of the plates t t. Many other ways may be devised for accomplishing the same result without departing from the spirit of myinvention, which in this particular does not relate to the means by which the spark is made at any given time, but in thegeneric idea of sparking, through any instrumentality, at a predetermined time with reference to the movement of the piston.

I desire to call particular attention to the fact that the engine is provided with two shafts J J, the rotation of which through the medium of their connections with the piston causes the proper charging and explosion of the gases in the explosion-chambers Q on opposite sides of the piston-wing, and consequently either or both of said shafts may be utilized as a driving shaft or shafts, and that when both are used as drivers power may not only be applied economically on each side of the engine, but such application of power will steady and hold the engine firmly in all its bearings and thoroughly balance the same.

To avoid confusion in the drawings, 1 have omitted showing any reservoirs connected with the supply-pipes c and fand do not deem it necessary to do so, as they may be connected in any suitable manner and be of any de sired construction so long as provision is made to unseal or leave the liquid-air reservoir open in order that, as hereinbefore explained, the nitrogen may be liberated to leave the oxygen in concentrated form and to also avoid the dangers incident to the expansive force of the liquid air produced by the higher temperature of the surrounding atmosphere. I desire to lay special stress upon the fact that I am enabled to take from the reservoirs predetermined quantities of liquid air and hydrocarbon, and consequently am enabled to use them with great economy and safety.

Having described the construction, operation, and advantages of my improved engine and the manner in which I employ liquid air and hydrocarbon combined as the motive agent for driving the same, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an explosive-engine, a cylinder provided with a central exhaust-port, a reciprocating oscillating piston arranged within the cylinder and provided with diametric ports communicating with longitudinal passages extending-to each end of said piston, a radial wing secured to the piston, a box-valve inclosing the radial wing, and provided with a port on each side, a valve seat or box inclos- IIO ing the valve-box and provided on each side with an explosive-chamber and ports leading from each chamber to the valve-box, means for introducing air and hydrocarbon into the explosion-chambers and alternately exploding the same, and means for transmitting the reciprocating and oscillating movements of the piston to the rotary driving-shaft, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

2. In an explosive-engine having a reciproeating and oscillating piston confined in a cylinder and provided with a radial inclosed wing, suitable ports leading to each side of the wing andeach head of the piston, explosion-chambers each side of the inclosed wing and communicating through ports with each side of the wing, air and hydrocarbon chambers communicating with the explosion-chambers, valves between the said air and hydro carbon chambers and the explosion -chambers, air and hydrocarbon tanks and supplypipcs communicating with their respective chambers, means for automatically controlling the supply of air and hydrocarbon to their respective chambers and delivering the same to the explosion-chambers, radial shafts extending from the piston and mechanism connected wit-h said shafts for operating the supply devices and exploding the gases in the explosion-chambers, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

3. In combination with the rotative reciprocating piston and its cylinder and the boxvalve and seat constructed and arranged as described; the valve seat or box provided with explosion-chambers on opposite sides, air and hydrocarbon chambers communicating with the explosion-chambers, valves between the air and hydrocarbon chambers and their respective explosion-chambers, reciprocating pistons within the air and hydrocarbon chambers adapted to compress the contents of said chambers and to open the valves between the same and the explosion-chambers, auxiliary chambers adjacent to the air and hydrocarbon chambers and provided with reciprocating pistons having passages in the air and hydrocarbon chambers, supplypipes between the air and hydrocarbon reservoirs and.the auxiliary chambers and means substantially as described for reciprocating the pistons within the air and hydrocarbon and the auxiliary chambers, whereby the air and hydrocarbon are automatically supplied to the respective chambers and communication between the explosion-chambers and the supply-tanks is positively cut off before explosion, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

4. In an engine such as described, the supply-chambers b, c, communicating with the explosion-chambers and provided with intermediate pressure-valves and communicating at their lower extremities with adjacent auxiliary chambers connected with the supplypipes and connected by passage-ways h with the supply-chambers b, c, pistons g, g in the supply-chambers and pistons g, g, in the auxiliary chambers an d havin a closed head and diametric passage-way to register with the passage-way 72., supply-pipes communicating with the auxiliary chambers in a plane above the passage between the auxiliary and supply chambers, and means for reciprocating the pistons g and 9, simultaneously and to the same extent, whereby communication is alternately established and cut off between the supply-pipes c, f, and the supply-chambers b, c, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

5. In combination with the explosion-chambers Q, Q, supply-chambers b, c, auxiliary chambers adjacent to and communicating with the supply-chambers, and the supplypipes c,f, the reciprocating pistons g, g having supply-passages through the heads thereof, and means for increasing or decreasing such passage-ways to regulate the charges delivered to the chambers b, c, whereby the speed and power of the engine is controlled as hereinbefore set forth.

6. In combination with the explosion-chambers Q, Q, supply-chambers b, c, auxiliary chambers adjacent to and communicating with the supply'chambers and the supplypipes e,f, the reciprocating pistons 9 having adjustable supply-passages through the heads thereof and means connected with the several pistons for simultaneously adjusting the said supplypassages, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In combination with the pistons g, g havin g a vertical recess in the upper end and with a transverse passage intersecting said recess, and with a solid head or screw-plug 0, a disk i, located within the recess in the head of the piston and connected to an adjustable stem 74;, whereby the area of the passage through the head of the piston may be increased or diminished or entirely closed, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In combination with the pistons g on opposite sides of the engine and provided with the disks 0 and regulating-stems 7t, levers or cranks 5, connecting links or rods 6 and an operating lever or handle n, whereby all of the disks 1' may be simultaneously acted upon to regulate the charges of air and hydrocarbon as hereinbefore set forth.

9.In combination with the reciprocating and rotative piston, explosion-chambers Q, supply-chambers b, c, auxiliary chambers, and reciprocating pistons g, g, the drivingshafts J, eccentrics r and cross-heads 19, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

10. In combination with the rotative reciprocating piston, the cylinder 13, box-valve N and seat K, constructed as described, and with the explosion-chambers Q, Q, supplychambers 19, 0, supply pipes and reservoirs and means for charging the explosion-chambers, means for automatically producing an ignitingspark in the explosionchambers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

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11. In combination with the rotative reciprocating piston, the cylinder B, box-valve N and seat K, constructed as described and with the explosion-chambers Q, supply-chambers Z), 0, supply pipes and reservoirs and means for charging the explosion chambers, the shafts J, electrodes, entering the explosionchambers and means intermediate of the electrodes and the shafts J for automatically producing sparks in the explosion-chambers, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

12. In an engine such as described, the piston A, formed with the ports 16 and 17, communicating with longitudinal passages leading to each end of the piston, a diametrie pocket between the ports 16 and 17, and a wing 0 located within said pocket in combination with means for adjusting said wing, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

13. In combination with the cylinder B, piston A, box-valve N, seat K, explosionchambers, supply-chambers and means for charging the explosion-chambers and exploding the charges therein, means for primarily reciprocating and rotating the piston, charging the explosion-chambers and exploding the charges to start the engine from a state of rest, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

14:. In combination with the piston A, cylinder B, shafts J, explosioirchambers Q, Q supply-chambers Z), c, and means intermediate of the explosion-chambers and the shafts for charging the explosion-chambers and exploding the charges therein, the sprocketwheels 7, 12, and 14-, mutilated gear 13, driving-chain 15 and hand wheel or lever 10, whereby the shafts J may be rotated and the engine started, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

15. In an explosive-engine provided with ports as described and in combination with the piston and cylinder and means for initially changing the direction of the movements of the piston, means substantially as described operated upon by the explosive force of the gases for automatically reversing the ports, substantially as and for the purpose set fort-h.

16. In combination with the piston and cylinder and box-valve constructed and arranged as described, and means for starting the movement of the piston, the rotative disks 28 provided with the wings 29 and passages 33, and the confining-plugs 30, provided with passages 32, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

17. In an explosive-engine, a reciprocating rotative piston provided with a radial wing and with diametric ports and communicating longitudinal passages leading from said ports to near each head of the piston, a box-valve inclosing the radial wing and provided with a port on each side communicating with explosion-chambers, pockets or channels in the cylinder for establishing communication be tween the ports in the piston and the spaces between the piston-heads and the ends of the cylinder, an exhaust-port in the cylinder, caused to register with the longitudinal passages in the piston by the rotation and reciprocation of said piston, means for charging the explosion-chambers with explosive gases and exploding the same, whereby the force created by the explosion of the gases alternately on opposite sides, operates initially by explosive im pact to rotate and reciprocate the piston during a portion of the stroke and subsequently by expansion, to complete the movements of the piston, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

18. In an explosive-engine, a piston provided with two diametric ports communicating with longitudinal passages leading to each head of the piston, and with a radial wing intermediate of the diametric ports, abox-valve inclosing the wing and having ports on each side leading to explosion-chambers, and mechanical means operated by hand, for adj usting the piston with reference to theexplosionchambers, whereby the piston may be driven in reverse direction as desired, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

19. In combination with the cylinder B provided with the exhaust-port E and with 1011- gitudinal pockets 22 and 23 at each end, and with the valve seat or box K, box-valve N, and the piston A, provided with ports 16 and 17, and passages 20 and 21, extending from a central wall or partition to near the heads of the piston, driving-shaft J connected with the piston and means for rotating the shaft in either direction, whereby the engine may be reversed, substantially as described.

20. In an explosive-engine and in combination with the piston and cylinder and means for initially changing the direction of movement of the piston, substantially as described; means for controlling and causing the explosive force to be exerted in the same direction as that given initially to the piston, whereby the initial movement of the piston is continued, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

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

JAMES C. ANDERSON.

Witnesses:

JENNIE G. Boorn, M. 0. MOINTIRE.