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1. A short description of the "New Type Gas Engine"
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The New Type Gas Engine appeared on the market in the year 1913. The design is remarkable in many aspects:
- "The engine is of a strong, well propotioned design, and is of handsome appearence", according to the contemporary Crossley literature.
It is not a coincidence, that exactly the same phrase is used also many years later for the horizontal oil and diesel engines. Indeed their designs are based on this New Type Gas Engine, which will become more clear in the following.
- This engine was designed in a large number of sizes and variations in a kit system, that was so brilliant and conclusive, that it could be transferred with adaptions to all engine sizes from 7hp to 260hp and used for different kinds of gases, benzine and later different grades of oil and diesel.
- engine types:
-- Type "S" stands for suction gas
(gas with low pressure below atmospheric pressure is produced by a suction gas producer,
the gas is succed by the engine through a typical arrangement of gas pipes and an expansion box)
-- Type "G" for gas
(Town gas, natural gas or gas from a pressure producer with a gas pressure above atmospheric pressure
enters the engine through a typical arrangement of gas pipes with a gas bag, that is different from the type S),
-- Type "B" stands for benzene / petrol,
a combustable gas mixture is converted from air and benzene vapour in the carb.
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The small engines of the sizes 110 to 114
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A small gas engine for Town's gas with hot tube ignition.
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A small suction gas engine with high voltage ignition, type S110 and S112
- The geometries of the engines for gas and benzene/petrol were identical, only the fuel supply was different: the benzene engines were equipped with a carburettor and fuel tank.
- Small engines of the sizes 110 ... 114 can have 1 or 2 flywheels.
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Note:
- The small Gas Engine on the left shows an unusual mechanical lubricator box driven by a rope.
- The small Petrol Engine on the right looks identical to a small Gas Engine with electric ignition.
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The larger Gas Engines of size 115 and upwards:
- equipped with only one large flywheel,- low tension magneto and contact breaker spindle,
- the patent "variable admission" governing gear is a characteristic and tricky lever device at the inlet valve. Due to this the valve acts as a throttle, controlled by the governor.
According to the original engine concept this device was designed only for sizes of 115 upwards, but later it was delivered also for small gas engines instead of the throttle.
The power data on the right give a rough idea of the power range of these engine sizes.
A lever and rack is supplied for the sizes 120 to 123 for turning the flywheel into position for starting, the flywheels have holes in the flywheel rim.
A hand-wheel turning or barring gear and a toothed ring at the flywheel are provided on sizes 124 to 130.
Again the power data on the right indicate roughly the power range of the large engine sizes:
The largest engines have split flywheels: type S 130 and SE 130
Double cylinder engines are specially adapted for driving electrical generators, flour mills, spinning mills and for all purposes, where specially steady driving is required:
The split flywheel is available also with straight and curved spokes.
The largest gas engine is the double cylinder type SE 230:
The largest gas engine is the double cylinder type SE 230:
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The mechanical lubricators, that were desiged for the gas engines at 1913, can be found also many years later at oil and diesel engines. The restriction of the use according to the engine size was given up quite soon, so that the central mechanical lubricator can be found in different sizes with 2 or 3 pumps also at small and medium-sized engines.
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An early edition of the instructions for working of about 1914. The engine numers on the cover are not given.
It covers too many pages for this place, but if someone needs it, I can send a copy.
The "Instructions for Erecting" are not part of this instruction book, they are given on a separate and detailed drawing with exact dimensions (here for engines of size 122):
The expansion box for the suction gas of this S122 can be seen below the floor and below the flywheel at Fig. 1. The fuel tank at the wall is for benzene engines only.
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The "Patent Suction Gas Plant" is supplied by Crossleys as well, consisting of
- the gas generator for burning coke etc. (on the left),
- the rectangular vaporizer for the steam production,
- the tall coke scrubber for cleaning and purifying the gas:
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Over the years and decades the engine design changed a little bit and some of the changes were similar to oil and diesel engines:
A nice Spanish Crossley advert of the year 1922 (with translation) showing:
- the Crossley Patent Suction Gas Plant with the expansion box below the floor,
- a large Crossley Suction Gas Engine type 124 or larger with a split flywheel:
- the Crossley Patent Suction Gas Plant with the expansion box below the floor,
- a large Crossley Suction Gas Engine type 124 or larger with a split flywheel:
- the gas generator for burning coke etc. (on the left),
- the rectangular vaporizer for the steam production,
- the tall coke scrubber for cleaning and purifying the gas:
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Over the years and decades the engine design changed a little bit and some of the changes were similar to oil and diesel engines:
- variable admission governing gear for all small gas engines,
- round air filter box at the breach end for small gas engines,
- the circular-shaped splash guard was replaced by the longitudinal fully enclosed one,
- central mechanical lubricator also for small engines.
But besides of this the characteristic strong and well proportioned design stayed the same for all engine sizes.
Here are some examples of real gas engines.
2. Some existing gas engines
Type GE111 (1957), Internal Fire Museum
photo: -> http://www.internalfire.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=12795
(website: http://www.internalfire.com/gallery2/main.php )
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photo: -> http://www.internalfire.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=12795
(website: http://www.internalfire.com/gallery2/main.php )
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- variable admission governing gear,
- air filter ad the breach end,
- central mechanical lubricator,
- elongated crank shaft
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Type G111 (about 1913 ?), Auction at Bonhams
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photo: -> http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/11095/lot/131/
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- no. 73847
- throttle governed,
- circular open splash guard (early style)
- according to the engine number a very early example
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Type GE112 (1955), Anson Engine Museum
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photo: -> http://www.enginemuseum.org/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=22&fullsize=1
( website: http://www.enginemuseum.org/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=9&page=2 )
video from "Steamwally" (from 2:54 min ... 3:18 min):
-> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMYEFR-21Ms
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- no. 145396
- 16 hp
- 1 heavy flywheel
- variable admission governing gear
- longitudinal closed splash guard (late style)
- air filter at breach end
- central mechanical lubricator
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Type S116 (1920), Uni Madrid
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photo:
-> http://escurialdelasierra.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/gmanera_carlosiii_041.jpg
( website: -> http://escurialdelasierra.wordpress.com/2011/09/15/el-ltimo-molinero-2/ )
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more photos:
-> https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=6fe1d8499ba07bbb&id=6FE1D8499BA07BBB!281&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos&sff=1&authkey=0owo1m6tPm8%24
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- no. 80754
- with sight feed plunger lubricator
- the display shows also the expansion box, that is normally below the floor
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Type GE119 (1914), Pitstone Green Museum
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photo: -> http://www.pitstonemuseum.co.uk/pictures/engroom1.jpg
(website: -> http://www.pitstonemuseum.co.uk/CROSSL.htm )
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video of "angamoos": -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fodshmiZDXE
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- no. 75213
- 37 hp at 240 rpm
- variable admission governing gear
- sight feed plunger lubricator
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Type GE130 (1915), Kelham Island Industrial Museum
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photo:
-> http://www.geolocation.ws/v/W/File:Crossley%20Gas%20Engine%20-%20Kelham%20Island%20Industrial%20Museum.jpg/-/en
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website, data: http://simt.co.uk/kelham-island-museum/crossley-gas-engine
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- no. 75590
- the biggest gas engine with 1 cylinder
- 130 hp at 160 rpm
- central mechanical lubricator, 5 pumps
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2-cylinder suctiongas engine (1918), Veenhuizen/NL
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website: -> http://www.gevangenismuseum.nl/in-en-rond-het-museum/elektriciteitscentrale.html
video of rtv drenthe: -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onNvH_2DAlw
- air filter ad the breach end,
- central mechanical lubricator,
- elongated crank shaft
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Type G111 (about 1913 ?), Auction at Bonhams
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photo: -> http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/11095/lot/131/
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- no. 73847
- throttle governed,
- circular open splash guard (early style)
- according to the engine number a very early example
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Type GE112 (1955), Anson Engine Museum
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photo: -> http://www.enginemuseum.org/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=22&fullsize=1
( website: http://www.enginemuseum.org/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=9&page=2 )
video from "Steamwally" (from 2:54 min ... 3:18 min):
-> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMYEFR-21Ms
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- no. 145396
- 16 hp
- 1 heavy flywheel
- variable admission governing gear
- longitudinal closed splash guard (late style)
- air filter at breach end
- central mechanical lubricator
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Type S116 (1920), Uni Madrid
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photo:
-> http://escurialdelasierra.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/gmanera_carlosiii_041.jpg
( website: -> http://escurialdelasierra.wordpress.com/2011/09/15/el-ltimo-molinero-2/ )
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more photos:
-> https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=6fe1d8499ba07bbb&id=6FE1D8499BA07BBB!281&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos&sff=1&authkey=0owo1m6tPm8%24
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- no. 80754
- with sight feed plunger lubricator
- the display shows also the expansion box, that is normally below the floor
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Type GE119 (1914), Pitstone Green Museum
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photo: -> http://www.pitstonemuseum.co.uk/pictures/engroom1.jpg
(website: -> http://www.pitstonemuseum.co.uk/CROSSL.htm )
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video of "angamoos": -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fodshmiZDXE
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- no. 75213
- 37 hp at 240 rpm
- variable admission governing gear
- sight feed plunger lubricator
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Type GE130 (1915), Kelham Island Industrial Museum
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photo:
-> http://www.geolocation.ws/v/W/File:Crossley%20Gas%20Engine%20-%20Kelham%20Island%20Industrial%20Museum.jpg/-/en
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website, data: http://simt.co.uk/kelham-island-museum/crossley-gas-engine
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- no. 75590
- the biggest gas engine with 1 cylinder
- 130 hp at 160 rpm
- central mechanical lubricator, 5 pumps
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2-cylinder suctiongas engine (1918), Veenhuizen/NL
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website: -> http://www.gevangenismuseum.nl/in-en-rond-het-museum/elektriciteitscentrale.html
video of rtv drenthe: -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onNvH_2DAlw
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advert of 1913, the engine looks like a gas engine of the size 124 to 128
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