The first gas engine that was actually at work for some years; and was applied to a variety of purposes, was Samuel Buren’s.  His patent was granted in 1823, and in 1826 he built a locomotive carriage with which he made several experimental runs in London; he also propelled a vessel with it upon the Thames, and fitted up a large engine for pumping purposes.  A company was formed to introduce his engine, but it proved too wasteful of fuel, and the company went into voluntary liquidation.  Like almost all engines of this time, the combustion of gas and air was used to produce a vacuum, the piston being driven by atmospheric pressure.

Buren’s locomotive carriage was thus in action three years before the great trial in 1829, from which George Stephenson emerged victorious with his wonderful engine “The Rocket.”  To those curious in the matter, I may mention that S. Buren’s patents are dated 1823, No. 4,874, and 1826, No. 5,350.

From this time on, a continuous series of gas engine patents appear, 20 engines being patented between 1826 and 1860, which is the next date worthy of particular mention.

In this year, 1860, the famous “Lenoir” engine appeared.  The use of high pressure steam engines had long been common, and Lenoir’s engine was analogous to the high pressure engine, as Buren’s was to the condensing engine.  It created a very general interest, and many engines were constructed and used in France, England, and America; it resembled very much in external appearance an ordinary high pressure horizontal steam engine, and it was double acting.

During the following six years, other 20 British patents were granted, and the gas engine passed from the state of a troublesome toy to a practicable and widely useful machine.

From 1791 to the end of 1866, in all 46 British patents were granted for gas engines, and in these patents are to be found the principles upon which the gas engines of to-day are constructed, many years elapsing before experience enough was gained to turn the proposals of the older inventors to practical account.

The most important of these patents are: 

                      No.  Year. 

Robert Street 1,983 1794 Direct-acting engine. 
Samuel Buren 4,874 1823 Vacuum engine. 
Samuel Buren 5,350 1826 Vacuum engine. 
W.L.  Wright 6,525 1833 Direct-acting engine. 
Wm. Barnett 7,615 1838 Compression first proposed.  Barsante & Matteucci 1,072 1854 Rack & clutch engine.  Drake 562 1855 Direct-acting engine. 
Lenoir 335 1860 D.I. engine, electric ignition.  C.W.  Siemens 2,074 1860 Compression, constant
                                    pressure. 
Hugon 2,902 1860 Platinum ignition. 
Millein 1,840 1861 Compression, both constant vol. and
                                    pressure. 
F.H.  Wenham 1,873 1864 Free piston. 
Hugon 986 1865 Flame ignition. 
Otto and Langen 434 1866 Rack and clutch, flame ignition.