fill the crank-chamber with fresh air preparatory to compressing the same and forcing it into the working chamber.

At the same time the piston during the major portion of its upward stroke greatly compresses the gaseous fluid previously conveyed from the evaporator through the valve-chest chamber to the compression-chamber of the cylinder-and which substantially filled both the cylinder compression-chamber and the valve-chest chamber when the piston was at the end of its downward stroke-back into the valve-chest chamber alone, thereby bringing it under great compression, the valve having been closed by its spring when the piston practically reached the end of its down stroke, and when the piston reaches a predetermined point in its upward movement and adjacent to the top of the cylinder and also practically simultaneously with the closing of the exhaust-valve the eccentric on the crankshaft is rotated into position and actuates the rod which operates the valve-actuator to release the valve so that the pressure of the gaseous fluid opens the valve against the pressure of its low power spring, and thereby permits the fluid to flow into the passages, where it is ignited and exploded in the working chamber to force the piston downward and again draw in a fresh supply of gaseous fluid, whereby the operations just stated are continued.

574,818. Wheeled Vehicle.-Edward J. Pennington, Chicago Heights, Ill., assignor to the Motor Cycle Company, Chicago, Ill. Filed March 21, 1893. Serial No. 467,043. Patented in England Dec. 11, 1895, No. 23,771.

The inventor states that his object is to avoid the special compression cylinders and other devices hitherto employed, which have rendered explosive engines too heavy to be used on light vehicles, such as bicycles and tricycles. To accomplish this, he claims to compress the explosive mixture through the momentum of the load (or rider) on the vehicle. Apart from this load the vehicle will not run, "for the compression of the explosive mixture acts as a brake, but when the rider mounts and starts the vehicle, the additional weight stores the power and furnishes the momentum for overcoming the resistance opposed by the compression."

R

The usual pedals are retained on the bicycle to assist in hill climbing and starting.

The piston of the motor is coupled direct to a crank fast to one (or a pair) of the wheels of the vehicle.

An elastic tire is said to be necessary under the rider's weight in order to give the wheels sufficient adhesion.

The cylinder of the motor has a rear head only, the front being unclosed and provided with an extension having an eye which fits loosely over the axle of the wheel so as to act as a support. The rear end of the cylinder is secured to the rear standard of the frame by means of a brace.

The gasolene is admitted to the branch to which the exhaust pipe is attached through a pipe, the admission being controlled by means of a valve and provision being made (as by one or more openings into the pipe between the valve and the branch) for the admission of air to form the explosive charge. The admission of the explosive mixture to the rear end of the cylinder and the exhaust resulting from the explosion of the gases are controlled through a tapering valve-barrel, made with ports in the usual manner. The valve-barrel is provided with an arm, attached to the long arm of a valve-lever or bell crank by means of a link, the short arm of said valve-lever or bellcrank being provided with a device, which enters the groove of a valve-operating cam, mounted upon the axle of the rear wheel. In the revolution of this axle the necessary movements of the tapered valve-barrel are given to control the admission and exhaust of the explosive and exploded mixture.

The connecting-rod is attached to the piston by means of a ball-and-socket joint, which admits of the oscillation of the connecting-rod necessary in view of its connection to the crank, mounted fast upon the axle of the rear wheel.

The electric battery, to ignite the mixture, is mounted upon the frame of the vehicle, and a wire passes from one pole thereof through the rear head of the cylinder, the inner end of the wire being furnished with a contact-piece for engaging a similar contact-piece on the outer end of the piston at the termination of its back stroke. The circuit is completed by means of a third contact-piece, bearing against the axle of the rear wheel, and a wire reaching from this last contact-piece to the opposite pole of the battery, the current passing through the metal of the cylinder, connecting-rod, etc. The arrangement is such that the charge of air and gasolene or other fluid is exploded by the separation of the contact-piece of the piston from the contact-piece at the rear head of the cylinder.

At the end of an instroke preparatory to an explosion, the valve closes the port by which both inlet and exhaust communicate with the interior of the cylinder. The explosive charge is supposed to have been compressed in the end of the cylinder during the previous instroke of the piston. As the piston moves outward the contacts are separated, the spark passes, an explosion takes place, and the piston is forced out, turning the wheel and propelling the vehicle. As the piston finishes its outstroke and returns the cam acts through lever and link to shift the valve and opens the communication between the port and the exhaust. The valve being held open by the cam the piston on its instroke forces out the products of the explosion. After the piston has finished its instroke the cam shifts the valve and puts the port in communication with the inlet.

The forward motion of the piston sucks in the air and gasolene vapors, and at the end of the outstroke the cam shifts the valve back into the closed position. The instroke of the piston (under the momentum of the rider or load of the vehicle) then compresses the explosive mixture while the valve is closed, and the ignition and explosion of the compressed

ignition-tube, which it heats sufficiently to ignite the charge in the working cylinder. After each explosion the igniting-tube will be filled with spent gases, so there is no danger of the discharge of a fresh charge when first admitted when the piston is in its forward position; but as the piston moves backward it compresses the previously-admitted charge and the spent gases in the ignition-tube, so that the fresh gases are forced into the tube to the ignition-point. All liability of premature explosion may be obviated by moving the furnace longitudinally of the igniting tube to direct the flame against the tube at the desired point. This is effected by adjusting nuts upon the screwthread rod, it being apparent that the farther the ignitionpoint is removed from the cylinder the greater the time between the compression and explosion of the charge in the cylinder, and vice versa.

The vaporizer is in the form of a tube, which is preferably filled with a suitable heat-absorbing material, such as gravel, metal turnings, etc. This vaporizer is arranged in such close proximity to the heater or blast furnace as to be heated sufficiently to vaporize the oil before it reaches the burner, thus dispensing with the use of a separate heater for the vaporizer.

To effect the adjustment of the furnace longitudinally of the igniting tube, a vertical series of vapor nozzles and mixing chambers are so arranged that a flame may be directed through any one of the nozzles. Again, the casing may be fixed stationary upon the cylinder and be provided with a longitudinal slot in which the heater, which in all the constructions may be either a blast furnace or an ordinary gas or oil flame, may be adjusted to bring it opposite any point of the igniting tube. 575.639. Vehicle Motor.-George W. Foye, Philadelphia, Pa. Filed April 28, 1896. Serial No. 589,421.

This invention is intended chiefly for bicycles to be used as an auxiliary power or not, as preferred. The operation is de

plunger-valves inward against the action of the springs, causing the passages through said valves to register with the compartment in which the motor-wheel is journaled, thereby admitting the expanded gas to this compartment, when the gas acts upon the blades, causing the motor-wheel to revolve after the manner of a turbine.

Two cylinders are provided, one a working cylinder and the other an air-feeding cylinder, the function of the latter being to force air into the working cylinder. A mixing or explosion chamber is provided, which communicates with the end of the working cylinder through a passage of constricted area, the gas or oil vapor being admitted to the mixing or explosion chamber and subsequently mixed with the air just before explosion takes place. The air cylinder communicates with the working cylinder through a duct which opens into the working cylinder at its end. The exhaust-port is situated near the middle of the cylinder and the dead or exploded gases are expelled from the cylinder by the joint action of the returning piston and the fresh air admitted at the opposite end of the cylinder. When the returning piston reaches a predetermined point of its travel, the exhaust-valve is closed and compression begins, the fresh air being forced through the constricted passage into the mixing-chamber, where it commingles with the vapor or gas which has been admitted to the mixing-chamber. The fresh air is forced into the mixing-chamber by the joint action of the returning piston of the working cylinder and the advance of the piston of the air-cylinder forcing air through the duct into the working cylinder. The mixture may be exploded in any of the usual ways. The exploding gases pass from the explosion-chamber into the working cylinder and impel the piston forward. The oil or gas is forced into the mixing-chamber by means of a pump, the stroke of which is regulated to govern the engine.

575,502. Gas Engine.-Walker L. Crouch, New Brighton, Pa., assignor to the Pierce-Crouch Engine Co., same place. Filed Nov. 22, 1895. Serial No. 569,829.

This is one of a series of patents which the inventor is now

bringing out. It is a valve device for gas engines. Some of the gas engines now upon the market have a great many

ignition-tube, which it heats sufficiently to ignite the charge in the working cylinder. After each explosion the igniting-tube will be filled with spent gases, so there is no danger of the discharge of a fresh charge when first admitted when the piston is in its forward position; but as the piston moves backward it compresses the previously-admitted charge and the spent gases in the ignition-tube, so that the fresh gases are forced into the tube to the ignition-point. All liability of premature explosion may be obviated by moving the furnace longitudinally of the igniting tube to direct the flame against the tube at the desired point. This is effected by adjusting nuts upon the screwthread rod, it being apparent that the farther the ignitionpoint is removed from the cylinder the greater the time between the compression and explosion of the charge in the cylinder, and vice versa.

The vaporizer is in the form of a tube, which is preferably filled with a suitable heat-absorbing material, such as gravel, metal turnings, etc. This vaporizer is arranged in such close proximity to the heater or blast furnace as to be heated sufficiently to vaporize the oil before it reaches the burner, thus dispensing with the use of a separate heater for the vaporizer.

To effect the adjustment of the furnace longitudinally of the igniting tube, a vertical series of vapor nozzles and mixing. chambers are so arranged that a flame may be directed through any one of the nozzles. Again, the casing may be fixed stationary upon the cylinder and be provided with a longitudinal slot in which the heater, which in all the constructions may be either a blast furnace or an ordinary gas or oil flame, may be adjusted to bring it opposite any point of the igniting tube. 575.639. Vehicle Motor.-George W. Foye, Philadelphia, Pa. Filed April 28, 1896. Serial No. 589,421.

This invention is intended chiefly for bicycles to be used as an auxiliary power or not, as preferred. The operation is de

plunger-valves in ward against the action of the springs, causing the passages through said valves to register with the compartment in which the motor-wheel is journaled, thereby admitting the expanded gas to this compartment, when the gas acts upon the blades, causing the motor-wheel to revolve after the manner of a turbine.

Two cylinders are provided, one a working cylinder and the other an air-feeding cylinder, the function of the latter being to force air into the working cylinder. A mixing or explosion chamber is provided, which communicates with the end of the working cylinder through a passage of constricted area, the gas or oil vapor being admitted to the mixing or explosion chamber and subsequently mixed with the air just before explosion takes place. The air cylinder communicates with the working cylinder through a duct which opens into the working cylinder at its end. The exhaust-port is situated near the middle of the cylinder and the dead or exploded gases are expelled from the cylinder by the joint action of the returning piston and the fresh air admitted at the opposite end of the cylinder. When the returning piston reaches a predetermined point of its travel, the exhaust-valve is closed and compression begins, the fresh air being forced through the constricted passage into the mixing-chamber, where it commingles with the vapor or gas which has been admitted to the mixing-chamber. The fresh air is forced into the mixing-chamber by the joint action of the returning piston of the working cylinder and the advance of the piston of the air-cylinder forcing air through the duct into the working cylinder. The mixture may be exploded in any of the usual ways. The exploding gases pass from the explosion-chamber into the working cylinder and impel the piston forward. The oil or gas is forced into the mixing-chamber by means of a pump, the stroke of which is regulated to govern the engine.

575,502. Gas Engine.-Walker L. Crouch, New Brighton, Pa., assignor to the Pierce-Crouch Engine Co., same place. Filed Nov. 22, 1895. Serial No. 569,829.

This is one of a series of patents which the inventor is now

bringing out. It is a valve device for gas engines. Some of the gas engines now upon the market have a great many