US491403A - Gas-engine - Google Patents

Description

(No Mam.)

J. S. BIGGAR.

GAS ENGINE.

Patented Feb. 7, 1893,

Unities Santas Farmaci einen@ JOHN STUART lllGGAR, OF VVIAIITESBQROUGH, CALIFORNIA.

GAS-ENGlN'E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 491,403, dated February "i, 1893.

Application filed October l2, 1891. Serial No. 408,431. (No modell.l

To cti/Z whom t riz/ay concern.-

le it known that I, JOHN STUART Bide-AR, of llhitesborcngb, in the county of Mendocino and State et California, have invented a new and Improved Gas-Engine, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming a part thereof, in which- Figure l is a side sectional elevation of a gas engine built acording to my improvement; Fig` i3 is a plan view of a portion ot thel engine, showing the contact breakers, the crank shaft, and the cam movement; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre spending parts in` all the views.

The object ot my invention is to construct a gas engine provided with a donbleacting piston adapted to take in the combustible mixture and compress it npon either side of the power piston; also to provide an electric ignitor for igniting the combustible charge,

all as will be hereinafter more fully described.

In the present case I have shown the application of my improvement to a locomotive, but I do not limit or contine myself to this ose. l

The frames, supported upon the axles B, I', of the drive wheels C, C', supports the cylinder I), and the Ways E, which guide the cross-head l?. The axle B is provided with a crank G, which is connected by the rod a with the cross-head F, and the said cross-head F is attached to the outer end of a tubular piston rod h, the inner end of which is secured to the piston II. Upon opposite sides of the said piston II, are arranged pistons I, l, which draw in the combustible mixture into the cylinder preparatory to its being compressed by the piston l-l. The piston I, is connected by a tnbnlar piston rod c with the rectangular frame d, which is acted on by the quadrant cam K on the axle B. The piston I, is provided with two piston rods d, d', the piston rod d being tubular. These rods pass through snit-able stuffing boxes in the cylinder head, and are connected with the rectangnlartrame J, which incloses the quadrant cam It' secured to the axle B.

At the top ot the cylinder D is placed a valve chest L, furnished with ports c, e', en tering the cylinder I), passages f', communicating with the gas supply pipe g, and furnished with check valves 7L, 7L', opening toward the cylinder D, also with air passages j, j', opening into the passages f, f. In a cavity underneath the passages f, f', is arranged a T- pipe 7c, which communicates with the passages f, f', and with a gas pump M, by means of which gas may be taken from the supply pipe g, and torced into the said passages f, f.

In the underside ot the cylinder D, are formed ports Z, Z', covered by the valve chest N, in which is placed a double valve O, capable ot opening and closing the said ports in alternation. The rod m of the valve O is connected by a connecting rod n,-with a bell crank lever o, which in turn is connected with an eccentric rod p, embracing the eccentric q on the aXle B.

On the frame A, is located a battery P, one pole ot which is connected with the contact plates fr, i", the other pole being connected with the switch S, which in turn is connected with the commutator Q, which directs the cnrrent alternately to the contact springs t, t', the said springs being connected electrically with the contact plates u, u.

The piston rod l) is provided with two contact springs o, o', connected with the contact points w, w', in opposite sides of the piston H, and otherwise insulated from the working parts of the engine. The piston rod CZ is provided with a contact spring a', capable of touch ing the plate fr', when the piston l makes its ont-stroke, and the said spring is connected electrically with the contact point b', in the inner tace of the piston l. The piston rod e carries a spring c', capable of contacting with the contact plate r, at every out-stroke of the piston I. The said spring c is connected with the contact point d2 in the inner face of the piston I. The pistons I, l, are furnished respectively with valves c2, c3, opening inwardly toward the piston Il.

The operation of my improved gas engine is as follows: The combustible charge having been exploded in the cylinder, and the piston l IMI having been forced to the extremity of its stroke, as shown in the drawings, the valve 0 opens the port Z', and allows the products of combustion to escape, and while the piston Il is moved toward 4the position shown, the

IOO

piston I, is made to follow it by the cam K, thereby drawing in the combustible mixture through the port e, taking the gas from the passagef, and the air from the passage j, so that at the time the exhaust port Z is opened by the movement of the valve O, the space between the piston I and the head of the cylinder D will be filled with the combustible mixture. As soon as the products of combustion have been exhausted, the exhaust port Z is closed, and the piston I, is drawn toward the head of the cylinder by the cam K, thereby transferring the combustible mixture to the space between the said piston I, and the piston II. The explosion of the combustible mixture on the opposite side of the piston H, forces the said piston forward and compresses the combustible mixture between the pistons H, I, so that as the piston II completes its return stroke, the contact point w touches the contact point (l2, thereby completing the electric circuit, the spring c having by this time reached the contact plate fr. Just as the crank G passes the center, the contact points 10,622 separate, thereby causing a spark which ignites the charge and moves the piston II forward to the point of starting. Vhat has already been described upon one side of the piston takes place in precisely the same way upon the other side of the piston, the two operations proceeding in alternation.

Then it is desired to start the engine from a state of rest, gas is drawn by the pump M from the supply pipe g, and forced into the cylinder which already contains sufticientaair to form an explosive mixture, and the charge thus introduced ignited as soon as the electrical contact is made and broken in the manner already described. To cause the axles B,

B', to rotate together, they are connected by tact to engage those of the power piston, and 5o the electrical connections, substantially as set forth.

2. In a gas engine, the combination of the power cylinder, the power piston provided with a tubular piston rod, and electrical contact points, the transfer pistons provided with check valves and furnished with tubular piston rods and contact points, and the electric generator and electrical connections, substantiall;7 as specified.

3. In a gas engine, the combination of the power cylinder provided with inlet and exhaust ports, a power piston, two transfer pistons, said three pistons each having a tubular piston rod, contact points on both sides of the power piston, a contact point on the inner face of each transfer piston to respectively engage the contacts on the power piston, electric connections leading from said contact points through the piston rods to the outside of the cylinder and there connected with contacts on the rods, contact plates in the paths of the piston-rod-contacts and means for operating the transfer pistons, substantially as specified.

JOHN STUART BIGGAR.

Witnesses:

W. J. BIGGAR, FRED C. STODDARD.

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