GB173338A - Improvements in or relating to the transmission of power - Google Patents

Abstract

173,338. Ricardo, H. R. Oct. 5, 1920. Transmitting power.-Apparatus for the transmission of power, for example to the wheels of a motor road vehicle, comprises one or more units each consisting of an air-compressor cylinder between two internal-combustion engine cylinders and a steam boiler heated by the engine exhaust products and delivering steam to the compressed and heated air as it passes to the air motors; the engine fuel supply, air inlet, and water supply are controlled by the air pressure. Fig. 1 shows the general arrangement of apparatus applied to the driving of the wheels of a motor-vehicle. A combined engine and compressor A delivers air through a pipe J to a casing J<2>, from which it flows by pipes J<3> to air motors C; a portion of the air also passes to a reservoir X in shunt with the remainder of the system. The exhaust gases from the internalcombustion engine pass through a pipe within the pipe J, and through the casing J<2>, and are finally used to generate steam in a coil 0 within a casing H<3> which also acts as a silencer; the steam is added to the air in the motors C. The compressor comprises a cylinder disposed between a pair of engine cylinders, the three pistons being connected to a common crank-shaft so that a balance is attained, the weight of the compressor piston being twice that of either engine piston, and the cranks being disposed oppositely. A pair of piston or tubular air inlet valves is provided, one with fixed timing and the other K', Fig. 3, adjustable; they reciprocate oppositely, balancing each other. The valve K<1> is formed as a notched annulus which can be rotated by a forked rod K<7> so as to present varying widths passing across ports L<2> in the valve cylinder L communicating with ports in the compressor cylinder, as the valve is reciprocated by an eccentric K<6>. The rod K<7> is turned by a handle K<9> actuated automatically by the air pressure. A rising torque-characteristic is obtained by the late closing of the engine and compressor inlet valves. The water supply for the steam-generating coil is derived from the water jacket of the combined engine and compressor by a pump actuated by an eccentric on the engine shaft, and a by-pass controlled by a valve is provided in connection with the water system. The combustion engine inlet and outlet are controlled by poppet valves actuated by cams carried on a countershaft driven from the engine shaft and capable of sliding so as to vary the form of the cam face presented to the valve stems, so that the cut-off can be varied and reversal effected. A foot-actuated throttle valve is disposed in the air-inlet passage of the air motors. The compressor inlet valve L<1>, Fig. 9, water bypass valve W, and a throttle valve for the engine are actuated automatically by the pressure of air in the compressor delivery pipe acting on a spring-pressed piston within a cylinder V<1>, through linkwork K<10>, K<11>, W<1>, W<3>, and U<2> respectively.