1867 Otto Langen Atmospheric Engine

For a more current video use this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85HkJCqjbrA
1867 Otto Langen Atmospheric Non-Compression Engine. Located in Kinzers, Pa. This is the oldest operational internal combustion engine in this Hemisphere. Open flame ignition fueled by Hydrogen. This engine is thought to have been brought to the USA by Washington Roebling ( builder of the Brooklyn Bridge). The engine spent decades in a storage building at the Stevens Institute in New Jersey until it burnt to the ground. From there it was acquired by a private collector in the 1950's and later restored by the well known engine authority John Wilcox. It resides at the Rough and Tumble Engineers assn. (Kinzers Pa). It was willed to the Museum upon the collectors death in the 1990's. This engine is run several times each year - during their show events. Video taken on VHS by Woody Sins New Hartford, NY August 1999

Visit http://wgrenning.googlepages.com/home to see detailed information on other Otto Langen engines

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Hit
• miss
• engine
• otto
• langen

[FusilliJerry82]

I'm having trouble even wrapping my head around what's even happening. Are there any pictures and explanations of the the action of the engine? Like I have no idea what is happening when that notched bar ratchets down and then is driven back up.

[wgrenning]

@FusilliJerry82

The expanded description of this video has a web page link with more details about its history and operation

[DodgeDyke]

Is that Rough and Tumbles Engineer's engine house?

[wgrenning]

Yes !

[homskoult]

Was the camera invented about the same time?

[Polybun]

@FusilliJerry82 basically the fuel burns and drives the piston up, the weight of the piston stalls it. When the piston starts it's free fall down the ratchet engages and turns the fly wheel. The piston is only engaged into the crank when a power stroke is needed, otherwise the flywheel spins without the drag of the piston moving up and down.

[SittingMooseShaman]

... i think it works near as like those flammenfresser engines... torque developes when cooling gasses in the cylinder contract- thus pull down upon the ratchet bar- transferring torque to the flywheel for sustainability and the flame/heat drawing cycle whereas it 'flings' the piston/ratchet upwards to initiate the contraction cycle... Those 'flammenfressers'(flame-licker­) engines are cool too... Don't underestimate the power in these older engines! Speed wasn't the intent- torque was...

[Dwhee18216]

Google Otto Langren engine and there is a link to one in a Paris exhibit that explains the operation. I studied it an still didn't get it. Apparently a 3HP enigine is huge and very inefficient compared to engines today.

[XELA2T]

These engines were called in Germany "Flugkolbenmotor" , something like "the flying piston engine". One of 1. combust. engines ever.

They had no crankshaft. Pist.+toothrod=1piece. Pist. was fired up free, no contakt to other mech. only when fall.down your "headwrapping" (lol) mech. caught it and forced the falling pist. to change its gravity power into turn. pow. to the flywheel shaft.

Was done so to beware this beauty. mech. from power pitch due to the combustion.

Regards

[JayJayChaCha]

wuhahaha!!

[Trailltrader]

Nice- but could you reflim it in 2010 and get it in focus? Great subject, great close ups, just can't see anything cause its out of focus! Thank You

[douro20]

These things were made to run on wood gas or coal gas, not pure hydrogen. The original one at Deutz is plumbed into a system which mixes methane, carbon monoxide and hydrogen- a so-called "Manufactured Gas" which is a suitable substitute.