7 
1826.} 
ascent Would form a vacuum under it ; this 
is prevented by opening the air valve which 
supplies the cylinder with ‘common air, 
until the piston reaches the pipe from the 
preparing vessel ; it: then closes, and the 
vapour valve supplies the remainder of the 
cylinder, through: the preparing vessel, with 
explosive air, and just before the piston is 
up}. say: about 4 of an inch, the vapour 
valve: closes at the same time that the in- 
flaming valve: opens and shuts, the piston 
Deing then’ still rising, draws or turns the 
flame of'the lamp at the firing valve, though 
the opening into the pipe, inflames the trail, 
fand ‘it’ is instantly communicated to the 
charge in the cylinder; the explosion that 
erisues drives out the air from within the 
eylinder, through the perforated arched 
plate and leather valve at) bottom, which 
valve’ instantly collapses and prevents the 
return of the air. ‘The steam, formed by 
the explosion and formation of the vacuum, 
is condensed, by keeping the lower part of 
the cylmder cool by surrounding it with 
water, and suffering the vacuum to inject a 
small stream of cold water near the bottom, 
which also! keeps: the arched) plate and 
leather! valve: cool. A: vacuum under the 
piston instantly follows the explosion, which 
descends by) the> pressure :of: the atmo- 
sphere, and carries the: crank with it, while 
the same :protess jis repeated»in the, second 
eylinder,::and) the ‘power-is taken from the 
eratik-shaft, or piston-rod,:as in the steam- 
engine. «When ‘the temperature ‘is low; 
smaller’ charges: will; produce: the same 
effect,-ifva thin: metallic: plate of the same 
diameter of the opiston be introduced into 
the oeylinder,: called; the \charging, piston. 
It as fitted with a small rod, which moves 
through \a;stuffing-box in the main piston, 
80 tight thaf)the friction will support its 
weight. This charging piston is prevented 
from rising higher than the vapour-pipe, by 
its end striking against a stationary point in 
its ascent, and forming a partition between 
the compound air in the cylinder and the 
common atmospheric air, thereby prevent- 
ing so great a mixture of atmospheric air in 
the cylinder as to lessen the effect of the 
explosion. 
| “ When the temperature of the box is so 
high as to give off too great a proportion of 
» the engine works better by stopping 
entirely the working of the charging piston, 
but not. with so good economy. This 
‘charging ‘piston should be fully perforated 
with small holes, lest by accident it should 
not rise with the working piston, as well as 
to let the explosion pass freely through it to - 
clear the:cylinder,, Wire gauze should also 
be placed between the vapour and inflaming 
walve; to prevent explosion in the box, 
Should: the yapour valve not close in time. 
When hydrogen gas is intended to be used, 
aneapparatus, similar to, Professor Hare's 
compound. blow-pipe, may be, attached to 
the engine; to throw the air and gas into 
the preparing box. 
Varieties. 
439 
* A box of the form and size*béefore:men- 
tioned appears to be: sufficient) to prepare 
air fast enough, with a small lamp, to fur- 
nish from fifty to: one hundred charges) per 
minute, for a cylinder of ‘sevem ors eight 
inches in diameter, having atwo foot stroke, 
the box being in use only: one-quarter: part 
of the time; it of coursé would supply four 
such cylinders if the air was: constantly 
blown or drawn through it. To keep up 
the temperature of the box would, iin: that 
case, probably require more heat;| but. it 
does appear that the more rapidly the air is 
made to pass over the liquors, the more 
rapidly it takes up vapour at the same tem- 
perature. 
‘* The following are’ some of the methods 
I have successfully adopted, in producing a 
power from this same source. 
“‘ T have caused the air, by the effect of 
the explosion, to be compressed) over a 
column of water, to such a; degreesas. to 
throw it to a great height and distance.) 
“ ¥ have, in a measure, reversed it, and 
by forming a vacuum in a vessel above, the 
water would be driven up by the pressure 
of ‘the atmosphere. 
“I have caused the explosion to. com- 
press, in'a reservoir, a quantity ofatmos- 
pheric air, and made use of that compressed 
air for working’ an engine; similar to a 
double-stroke high-pressure stedm/ engine, . 
‘© This mode will make: it perfectly safe 
on: account : of fire; as the compressed) air 
may be Jed; in tubes, any distance, belore 
it works the engine; « 
“ Sometimes I have made a valve jin the 
piston to open upwards; and fill the cylinder 
below the piston with the prepared air, and 
when the piston is about half-way up the 
cylinder it is at the height of its working 
stroke; the explosion then takes place ;.the 
effect is, that the quantity of air above) the 
piston is nearly doubled; its elasticity, or 
force is also greatly increased, by,a great 
increase of its temperature; it now re-acts 
on the piston, while a vacuum: below adds 
greatly to the effect... This mode’ acts) with 
great energy in a small space. ha a oly) 
“ T have attached to the working piston 
thin tubes, about 3 of an inch if diameter, 
open at top, each ¢ one of which is directly 
over, and enters one of the tubes of a con- 
denser attached to the bottom of the 
eylinder, which tubes are }.of an inch in 
diameter. The prepared air, as usual, is 
let into the cylinder near the upper.end; as 
the piston rises it fills with the: prepared 
air the upper part of the tubes and the 
spaces around them, and when the. piston 
is'nearly up the explosion takes effeet, but 
the tubes prevent all violence. .. |.) 
‘* At or near all of those ‘springs: which. 
are constantly giving-off, hydrogen, gas, en- 
gines may be erected (substituting the gas 
fon at, of the vapour, of the, liquors), to 
constantly, for every, desired mechani- 
bs purpose. The engines, can be placed 
in any chosen situation, by only conducting 
