US950155A - Gas explosion-engine. - Google Patents

Description

W. S. KELLOGG, JR.

GAS EXPLOSION ENGINE. APPLIGATIOHIILED JAN. 22. 1907.

950, 1 55 7 Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

l l n l l l l W. s. KELLOGG, JR.

GAS EXPLOSION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22, 1907.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W. s. KELLOGG, JR. GAS EXPLOSION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN .22 1907. 950, 1 55, Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

SSHEETS-SHEET 3.

I Q l I E L 710364464. v fir/i/i' mil lam 5. fillqy di WILLIAM S. KELLOGG, JR., OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

GAS EXPLOSION-ENGINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be known that I, WXLLIAM S. KnLLocG, J r., citizen of the United States, residing at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas :Ex losion- Engines; and I do hereby declare t at the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip tion of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it apperta1ns to make and use the same.

This invention pertains to gas explosion engines.

It has for one of its-objects to produce an. engine of the gas explosion type whose cylinder and piston cannot become excessively heated. i

A further object is to construct an engine in which the burned gases are prevented as much as possible from reaching the contacting or working surfaces of the piston and c linder. i

A urther object is to provide in a gas explosion engine a structure in which the working surfaces of the piston and cylinder are kept free of all abrading or cutting substances that may enter the explosion chamber or that may be created therein.

A still further object of the invention-is to invert the piston of the common form of gas explosion engines and use the cavity. thereof in which to both compress and ignite the gases. 1 r

The invention also relates to certain details of construction by which to obtain certain advanta geous results to be pointed out herein. F

-In the ordinary type of gas engines, as is well known, the burning gases by contacting with the wearing surfaces of the piston and cylinder heat these members to a very high degree rendering it necessary to employ a cooling agent, usually a Water jacket, in order to keep the heat down to a reasonably low point. The reasons for thus holding the heat in check are too well known to require lengthy explanation, one important reason, however, is that the intense heatgenerated by the explosions burns the-lubricating oil and thus carbonizes it, thus forming a. grit which is very injurious to the wearing surfaces of the cylinder and piston.

' The extent of cutting and abrading of this material is'so great as to make it necessary to bore out the cylinder from t1me to time and replace the piston by a new one or to pro- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 22, 19M). Application filed January 22, 1907. Serial No. 353,418.

vide for placing it in proper condition for further use. y

In my engine the gases are kept away from the metal wearing surfaces when in working contact there being some distance between these surfaces and the explosion chamber so that the lubricant employed between the said. surfaces cannot become-carbonized by the heat ofexplosion, and, in addition, the lubricant cannot collect dust particles or carbonized matter entered into or created in said explosion chamber.

In the drawings presented herewith, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my new type of engine. Fig. 1 is aside elevation of the cylinder-head reduced in size from that shown in Fig. 1, showing the cylinder in section. Fig. 1 is an elevation of parts of the engine showing slight modifications. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section, of the engine on line X X, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a portion of the engine on line Y Y, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the piston. Fig. 5 is plan of the engine. Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of a ortion of the engine in a slightlymodified orm.

A indicates the engine cylinder mounted upon a crank-case B.

O is the shaft of the engine supported in the crank-case or by any other method ordinarily employed.

D is the crank, and E the connecting rod.

F is the piston of substantially. the same form as those in common use although peculiar in the respect that its position is inverted from that of other engines so that its cavity F, within which the connecting rodis usually pivoted, is presented for the reception of the gas and serves as both the compressionand the explosion chamber, the other end of the iston having proper attachment to the said connecting-rod E.

Extending downward into the cylinder I is a hollow cylinder-head G, as shown, whose outer diameter is substantially equal to that of the cavity of the pistonv thus leavingan,

annular recess between it and the cylinder wall, and the amount of downward extension withinfihe piston is a little less than the depth of the piston-cavity leaving a space within the latter for holding gas. The cylinder-head thus constructed and -positioned is provided at its top with a flange H by means of which itis secured to the top of the cylinder as by suitable bolts J, Fi e. 3 and 5. The piston is bored out and the res - respectively operated through spring heldsurface 1 of the cylinder head is turned off true to fit therein. The cylinder is also bored out as usual so that the piston will snugly work between it and thefihead G within the annular space described. 'A packing-ring K is provided at the lower extremity of the cylinder-head and similar rings L are provided at the bottom of the piston, which, as will be noted are positioned elow the piston cavity and thus away from the intense'heat, though I prefer to lace the rings at the top of the piston as indicated at L in Figs. 1 and 6 and similar rings may also be carried on the inside of the piston as at L in Fig. 1". In placing the rings at the top of the piston they are kept'entirely away from the vicinity of the explosion chamber.

By my peculiar form of engine the explosions are confined within the piston cavity entirely, the wearing surfaces between the cylinder and piston being remote from and" out of reach of the gases. The heat conveyed to the wearing surfaces is only by conduction through the metals and the cooling by air currents is sufficient to prevent over heating at those parts.

Oil placed within the cavity F for lubricating the piston and cylinder-head surfaces when carbonized by the heat of the burning gases, is prevented entering the cylinder proper by the packing rings L in the piston or the rings K in the said cylinder-head of,

which, however, there may be more than one if desired and the gases are likewise prevented from .entering. The carbonized matter is retained entirely within the piston and can be removed therefrom at long intervals by removing the head of the cylinder,

or by other more simple means.'

At M is the inlet pipe for conducting gas into the explosion chamber down into and through the cylinder-head and N is the exhaust pipe leading from -the latter, these pipes being controlled by valves 0 and P 'rods Q and cam-shafts R all of which is common, in one form or another, in explosion engines and "notfully described herein for that reason. The pipes or conduits just described may be screwed into the head G or may be cast therewith these. being removed from the engine along with the head it being only necessary .to disconnect the valve mechanism so as to allow this to be accomplished. However, in the event of an accident and as enters the annular space or. the carbonized material finds its way thereto I have provided a ring L inthe piston as in Fig. 1, several of thmfl being shown in Fig. 6, whereby the gas or abradin matter cannot pass down between the cy inder and said piston, i

- Since there is no pressure upon the cylinder as mother types of engmes the metal thereof can be made thin as compared with the thickness ofthe wall of the piston, so that it can be easily keptcool, My construction provides also for cooling the cylinder both inside and out and the heat is conducted away from 'the piston by contact with the cooled cylinder. In the common form of engine the cylinder receives the greatest amountof heat hecause it forms the explosion chamber and has the largest surface, while in my engine the inverted piston receives the bulk of the heat which is conveyed away by the continuously cooled cylinder. Also the head of the piston in this case is inside the en 'ne and takes part of the heat of the exp osions but the actual wearing surfacesare far removed therefrom and remain at a safe temperature. An advantage arises in carrying the gas inlet pipe 0 through the heated cylinder-head in that said pipe is. kept hot and the vapor passing ther'ethrough cannot therefore condense and thereby reduce the amount of gas necessary for the explosion. Sincethe limb of the piston occupies the space between. the cylinoccurs, 'very little heat can be communicated thereto, and the only heatcontacting with the limb is the hot gas as it expands and which on the return stroke is expelled there being but a short interval between the explosion and expulsion of the gas.

My engine has an exceedingly large cooling area by reason of its ecuhar construction and by having the p1ston of the form shown and described I am enabled to keep all wearing surfaces out of direct contact with the burned or burnin provide an engine of long ife and of great efficiency. It is not the intention in using gas engines to keep their cylinders cold or cool the use of the-word cool in gas engine practice being a comparative term. An

the piston within the space at the top of the cylinder alternately raises oil into the piston-space 1n the cylinder.and then expels it thereby keeping the piston and cylinder perfectly lubricated while also gaining by the cooling effect that the oil may impart. It being understood that the pipes are filled with the oil in anyway foundmost convenient so that its action can be maintained gases and thus in as will be understood. Even though the pipes merely admitted airto the space a great advantage would be gained by the.

cooling effect upon the metals and in fact this may be done also by'providing a series 'of openings through which the air could be drawn and expelled for the cooling purposes as indicated'in Fig. 1 at T.

I am aware of several engines of the gas explosion type that are' constructed some-' what after the manner of mine. In one or two of these the piston travels in an annular space between the cylinder and the cylinder head,and this annular space constitutes the explosion chamber, the expansion Ofith burning gases actingupon the end of the piston. Since the cylinderaids in forming this explosion chamber the wearing surface.

between the piston and said cylinder receives the carbonized substances so detrimental to engines of this type as I have hereinbefore brought out.

In. my engine the cylinder is exposed to the cooling action=of*the outside air, as shown in Fig. 1, and as constructed, the piston is in intimate working contact with it so that its heat is readily conducted away.

I am not aware of a tubular cylinder- I head extending with the cylinder and within the piston after the manner of mine and having the gas inlet and exhaust passage carried therethrough and which holds the burning ga'es within the piston as the explosion chamber, and whose bod serves to convey away the heat from the interior of the engine. Neither am I apprised of an engine whose cylinder-head is .bodily re-' movable in order to reach the explosion chamber or piston cavity.

Having pointed out the differences between my engine and others of which I am aware, I claim:

1. In a gas explosion englne the combination of a cylinder partially air cooled, a water jacket surrounding part of said cylinvder, a piston having a single cavity to constitute both the compression and the ignition chamber, a cylinder-head depending into the piston cavity to close the same and provided ;with a cavity open to the outer air, a packing-ring carried by the cylinder-head adjacent to theinner surface of the piston,

a packing ring carried by the outer surface of the piston next to the wall of the cylinder,

a gas inlet conduit extending through the said depending cylinder-head and opening into the piston cavity an exhaust conduit also opening through said head into the piston cavity, valves to govern the openings of the conduits, and means to positively operate said valves.

2. In a gas explosion engine, a cylinder;-

a piston therein of tubular form open at one end and closed at its other end and constituting an explosion chamber, the piston having slidable contact throughout its length with the cylinder, a tubular pistonhead closed at one end and extending within the cylinderinto the piston and concentric with both, there being an annular space between said head and the cylinder, the piston space between said tubular head and the cylinder, a tubular piston having a cavity constituting the ignition, compression and explosion chamber, its open end adapted to enter and travel within the said annular space, andin the region surrounded by the water jacket, the said piston adaptedforsliding contact with both the cylinder and the cylinder-head, a packing ring between the' said piston and the said cylinder-head, there being a gas inlet and a gas outlet passage opening throu h the cylinder-head into the explosion cham er, and a valve for controlling each said passage substantially as set forth. I i

4. In a gas explosion engine, a cylinder adapted to be air coo-led, a water jacket surrounding the same at one end, a tubular cylinder-head closed at one end and extending within that end of the cylinder having said water jacket, there being an annular space between said tubular head and the cylinder, a tubular iston having a cavity constituting the ign1tion,'compression and explosion chamber, its open end adapted to enter and travel within the said annular space, and in the region surrounded by the water jacket, the said piston adapted for sliding contact with both the cylinder and the cylinder-head, a packing ring between said piston and the said cylinder-head, a packing ring between the piston and cylin'der, there being a gas inlet and a gas outlet passage' opening through the cylinderhead into the explosion chamber, and a valve for controlling each said passage substantially as set forth.

5. In a gas explosionengine, a cylinder adapted to be air cooled for the greater portion of its length and having a water jacket at one end surrounding the same, a tubular cylinder-head removably attached to the cylinder and closed at one end'said 1 closed end extending within that end of the cylinder having said Water jacket, there being'an annular space between said tubular head and the cylinder, a tubular piston open at one end and closed near its other end, its open end adapted to enter and travel within the said annular space, there being a cavity Within the piston for, together with the cylinder-head, constituting the explosion chamber, the said piston providing for a sliding contact throughout its length with the cylinder for the purposes set forth, a packing ring between said piston and cyllnder, a packing ring between the piston and cylinder-head, there being a gas inlet and a gas outlet passage opening through.

the-cylinder-head directly to and from the explosion chamber, and a valve in each said passage substantially as set forth.

6. In a gas explosion engine, a cylinder, an annular inclosed space at the outer end of the cylinder for containing water and constituting a water jacket for cooling purposes at that end, the opposite end of the cylinder adapted to be air cooled, a tubular piston closed at its inner end and open at its outer end within the cylinder and constituting an explosion chamber, the air cooled portion of the cylinder being substantially equal in length to the length of the piston and having a straight bore of a diameter equal to that of the piston, and with which the entire surface of the piston contacts, atubular cylinder head extending within the cylinder and closed at its inner end and 0 en at its outer end into the air for the introduction of outer air proximate to the ex losion chamber, said head being concentrlc with the cylinder there being an annular space between the cylinder and said head for receiving the piston during its reciprocations, there being relief openings from said recess for the purposes described, there also being a gas inlet and a gas outlet passage communieating with the interior of the piston through the cylinder-head. a valve for controlling each and means for operating and timing the valves.

In testimony whereofI aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses,

\VILLIAM S. KELLOGG, Jn.

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