[Gasification] making pellets

[Jeff Davis]

Hi Daniel,

> I must have missed the mention of what a Bisschop engine is (and can't
> find it on Wikipedia, etc).  Is there a ten-cent description of what it
> is/how-it-works?

I will add more information later.

Be forwarned that this engine is a fuel hog.

Just because it needs some tar for lubrication doesn't mean you can pour the 
tar to it. I'm sure we still would need a good gasifier.

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Picture:
http://www.oldengine.org/members/diesel/GasEngine/Gas21.htm
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About 2/3 of the way down the page.
http://www.pykett.org.uk/hope-jones_and_the_dry_cell.htm

A Bisschop town gas engine of 1882 (Museum of Science and Industry in 
Manchester).  This delivered "1.5 man power" and could be "managed by any boy 
or girl".  A chilling echo of those dark, Satanic mills.  Note the dual 
belt-drive pulleys, one of which could have been used to drive a low voltage 
dynamo as at St John's, Birkenhead, while the other worked the bellows crank.  
It is believed this is the only surviving example of a Victorian gas engine, 
and it was still in service in the mid-twentieth century working a large wood 
turning lathe for the production of wooden mangle rollers.  Those unfamiliar 
with mangles will need to know they were hand operated machines used for 
squeezing water out of newly washed garments prior to hanging them out to 
dry.

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http://www.gasenginemagazine.com/complete-archive/3608/

Bills Bisschop
By Bill Santos

8315 Amber Lane Newcastle, CA 95658

The Bisschop engine was first patented in 1871 by Alexis De Bisschop of 
Prussia. The engine produces 2 man-power or 1/3 HP at 110 RPM. It has a 4" 
bore with a 9" stroke. It has flame ignition and is a two cycle engine.

I first became interested in the Bisschop engine when I saw it in Wendel's 
book where it is listed as a Sombart. Going through my mind was the regret 
that I would never see one in iron. Then, on a tour to the British Isles and 
Scotland, I saw a five man-power Bisschop in a museum in Edinburgh. I was all 
over it, checking out its operation and taking pictures.

I then found some drawings in a book, on a two man-power, 4" bore, 1/3 HP 
Bisschop. The drawings only gave me one measurement to work with.

On my next gas engine trip to the East, I went to the Ford Museum in Dearborn, 
Michigan. There I found a two man-power, 1/3 HP Sombart.

Again I took pictures and measurements. With these measurements, I converted 
the drawings in the book to the dimensions I would need to make a full size 
engine some day.

In the spring of 1990, I started work on the wooden patterns. I have some 
knowledge of casting and pattern making. With this knowledge, a pattern 
maker's shrink ruler, and help from reading and asking questions, I was able 
to build sixteen pattern pieces, three core boxes and four back up plates to 
cast the metal components for my engine.

While showing my 1889 Regan engine at an engine show in Amador County (part of 
California's Gold Country) an engine buff named Scott Overstreet stopped by.
The "Bisschop" Patent Gas Engine

THE "BISSCHOP" PATENT GAS ENGINE.

During our conversation about various engines, England and the Bisschop engine 
came up. Scott said that he and a friend, John Rex from Massachusetts, had 
seen one working in Manchester, England, and they had taken measurements to 
make a working model. I told him I had almost completed my pattern for a full 
size engine, but did need some help on some dimensions. Scott said that John 
was coming out west soon, and they might want to stop by and see my project 
in November. They came and brought some patent articles, pictures and 
measurements that helped me to complete my project. (Thanks John).

The first part of December, I took the patterns to the Knight Foundry in 
Sutter Creek, California. This foundry was built in 1873. They did work for 
the gold mines and railroads in the Mother Lode country. They also made a 
water wheel for powering equipment. The foundry is water powered and has the 
first lathe in the U.S., and it still runs as it did in 1873. The proprietor 
is Carl Borgh, who gave me a lot of help. I picked up the castings in 
January.. (Note: Carl closed operation of the foundry shortly after he did my 
castings.)
Wooden pattern

Wooden pattern.

Now I had to machine and assemble the engine.

First I had to locate a lathe big enough to turn the 31" flywheel. I checked 
with a friend, John Manzinali, who lives a couple of miles from my place in 
the old gold mining town of Ophir. He said he had a big lathe in the back of 
his shop and for me to go check it out. I made my way past many projects in 
progress to the back of the shop. His lathe came from the street car shop in 
Oakland, California. It can swing 36" and has 10 ft. centers. John said to 
help myself, but when I brought the flywheel over, I could see he wanted to 
be involved in the project. Besides, his old lathe had its tricks-it had a 
pipe fitting hanging on the cross feed clutch to hold it in neutral. "Best 
let John help," I thought.
Wooden pattern Wooden pattern

I had lunch with John, and he gave me two bottles of home brewed wine. I paid 
him, which he reluctantly accepted, and I went away happy. Another step in my 
project completed.

Next came boring the tower for the cross head. I took the part to two machine 
shops to get an estimate. At one place the set up time was too costly, and I 
still haven't heard from the other one.

So I took it back to my shop to look it over again, and decided to do it 
myself. I had to take off the chuck and make a special boring bar as my lathe 
only has 32" centers, and I needed to travel 36".
Turning the fly wheel

Turning the fly wheel

All my tools are very experienced. I have a Lodge and Shipley lathe, a Hendey 
and Norton mill, and an old Buffalo drill press, all flat belt equipment. The 
old drill press came from the Pino Grand saw mill, an old steam mill in the 
Sierras. The drill press had to be repaired by a blacksmith before it was 
ever used, as it fell off the wagon and got broken when it was delivered.

The Pino Grand had many Shay steam engines working in the woods. It was famous 
for its large cable across the American River canyon, which was used to ship 
finished lumber to the rail head in Placerville. The cable was of special 
twisted steel rods, not wire, imported from Germany.

At last the parts were machined and assembled. Next came the searching to find 
out how the cam on the crankshaft was set for timing the intake and exhaust 
valve. This turned out to be 135 degrees in lead of the crankshaft.

The single spool valve does not close the air fuel intake or the exhaust as a 
poppet valve does, so the 25 to 30 pounds cylinder pressure comes back to the 
air and gas inlet valve, each having a one way rubber flapper valve, no flame 
reaches the rubber flapper valve as they are upstream from the explosion.

I know how Bisschop must have felt when he was building his engine: he had no 
one to follow. All of my knowledge of gas engines did not help me on this 
project. The fixed timing single valve and cylinder pressure back to the 
inlets just did not seem right, but it was.

We must give the early builders a lot of credit for their ingenuity-they were 
truly geniuses of their day.

I finished the Bisschop in June and tried to run it on propane. It would run, 
but not properly. I switched to acetylene and it ran good. It took two days 
to get the smile off my face!
Bill boring the tower

Bill boring the tower.

I took it to the Amador County Fair for its first showing in July. Scott 
Over-street came by (one year after our previous conversation) and said it 
sounded just like the Bisschop they had seen in Manchester.

I then took it to the National Show in Winfield, Kansas; Portland, Indiana and 
Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Had lots of interesting comments.

This has been a rewarding experience thanks to the help of Scott Overstreet, 
John Rex and John Manzanila.
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Later

Jeff


-- 
Jeff Davis
Somewhere 20 miles south of Lake Erie, USA
http://www.velocity.net/~jeff0124