US1194479A - Speed control for engines - Google Patents

Description

H. C. 11 A. T. CLAY.

SPEED CONTROL FOR ENGINES.

APPucATloN man MM2?. :915.

Patented Aug". 15, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l "nii H. C. 6I A. T. CLAY. SPEED CONTROL FOR ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED MAI/27. IsIs.

Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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HARRY C. CLAY AND ALBERT T. CLAY, 0F COLUMBUS, INDIANA, ASSIGNORS TO EMERSON-BBANTINGHAM COMPANY, 0F ROCKFOBD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OIIE ILLINOIS.

SPEED coN'rNoL ron ENGINES. i

risalire..

ratentea Aug. i5, rare.

Application led. May 27, 1915. Serial No. 30,842.

To all 'whom t may concern.:

Be it known that we, I-IARRY C. CLAY and ALBERT T. CLAY, citizens of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Bartholomewand State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Speed Controls for Engines, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to speed controlling devices for steam or internal combustion engines, and is designed more particularly for application to and use in connection' with engines of that type wherein the engine shaft is connected by a clutch to a transmission or'similar shaft, such engines beingcommonly employed on automobiles, l'motmr vehicles, tractors, and the like.

Our present improvement has, furthermore, been cation to governor controlled engines Such, for'instance, as internal combustion engines extensively used on tractors. The method heretofore employedfor changing the speed of a gas tractor has been to change the adjustment of the governor by means' of a sector located in the vicinity of the steering wheel.. A. t

Cnc of the main obj ects of the present 1nvention is to provide a mechanism whereby the speed of the engine can be. changed by the same 'lever which .operates the ,transmission clutch, so that when the clutch is engaged the governorwill be adjusted so that the speed of the engine will be held normal for doing work, and when the clutch is dise engaged, the speed of the engine will be reduced.

A further object of the invention is to save fuel and wear on the engine when running idle.

rIhe above stated objects of the invention are preferably accomplished through a governor adjusting or controlling mechanism, in turn actuated in one direction by the clutch lever and in the reverse direction by a spring, but the broad principle of the invention is applicable to throttle-valvey control of engines having no governor, or it may be embodied in a mechanism that is employed with, butis independent of, the governor.

One practical-and working embodiment of our inventlon as applied to agoyernor controlled internal combustlon engmeis illus'- designed principally for applclutch lever and its associated parts shown at'the extreme left of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of' a portion of lite governor control mechanism shownin Referring to the drawings, 10 designates as an entirety a four cylinder internal combustlon engine of a type extensively used on gas tractors. 11 designates the en e shaft, and 12 and 13 the relatively mova le parts of the usual transmission clutch by which the engine shaft 11 is connected to and disconnected from the transmission shaft 14.

15' designates the clutch-operating lever fulcrumed on a suitable bracket 16 and at its lowerl end 'connected by a link 17 to the outer end of a clutch-engaging lever 18 that is suitably fulcrumed at 19 on a fixed frame piece (not show-n).

20 .designates the fuel supply pipe of the engine in which is pivoted the throttle valve 21 on the spindle of which is an arm 22 that is connected by a link 23 to one end of a governor-actuatedg lever 24, said lever being fillcrumed at 25 in a manner more particularly described later, and at its other end being suitably articulated to the lower end of the sleeve 26 of an ordinary centrifugal governor 27.

Referring nowv to those features wherein our present invention more particularly resides, 28 designates an arm pivotally mounted by a pin 29 on the bracket 16, said arm 28 having a tail-piece 30 that is 'adapted to swing across the path of movement bf the clutch-lever 15, said tail-piece 30 being normally held against the lower or inner edge of the clutch lever 15 by a spring hereinafter described. Pvoted to the arm 2 8 is a i the engine.

clevis 31 through which extends the threaded end of aconnecting rod orlink 32, the other end of which is connected to the lower end of a bell crank lever 33, this latter being pivoted at its elbow as shown at 34 to a bracket 35 secured to one o f the cylinder jackets or any lsuitable frame member of The rod 32 is conveniently and adjustably connected to the clevis\ 21 by suitable nuts 36 and 37. To the short arm of the bell crank lever 33 is -fulcrumed the governor-actuated lever 24 at the point 25, before referred to. To the lower end of the l bell crank lever 33 or to the end of the rod `32 connected thereto is secured one end of a tension spring 38, the other end of which is anchored at 39 to the crank case or any other suitable frame member' of the engine.

40 designates a iXed stop on the bracket 16 that is designed to coperate with an adjustable contact screw 41 mounted in the free end of the arm 28 so as to limit the eX- tent of swinging movement -of said arm 28 under the impulse of spring 38.

The operation and advantages of the described mechanism will be readily apparent. l

Assuming that the clutch is engaged and the clutch lever15 is in its forward position, as indicated by dotted lines -in Fig. 3, and the engine is running at normal working speed, when the engine is disconnected from the work by shifting the clutch lever 15 to the full line position (Figs. 1 and 3) the lever 15 through engagement with the tail-piece 30 of the pivoted arm 28 swings the latter outwardly and thus through the clevis 31, rod

32 and bellV crank lever 33, shifts`the fulcrum 25 of the governor-actuated lever 24 upwardly to the full line position shown in Figs. 3 and 5, thereby effecting a movement of the throttle valve 21- in a closing direction and instantly adjusting the governor controlu to the free running condition of the engine. When the reverse operation takes place and the clutchis thrown into engagement by shifting the lever 15 to its forward position as shown in Fig. 2 and by dotted lines in Fig. 3, spring 38 acts to draw the several parts of the governor control mechanism in the reverse direction until the contact screw 41 strikes the fixed stop 40. ThisV shifts the fulcrum 25. of the governor-actuated lever 24 downwardly, thereby i'nstantly effecting a movement of the throttle valve 21 inan opening direction. By the time the f lever 1'5 has been thrown forward to such a point as will permit the movement of arm 28 to be arrested 'by the stop 40, the clutch is not engaged, which allows the engine to reach full speed before the clutch is applied. This mechanism allows the clutch lever 15 to move in clutch-engaging direction the required amount toengage the clutch without any interference, and should this movement of the lever 15 vary, it does not at all affect.

v far enough to the adjustment of the governor control mechanism.'` Another advantageous feature is found in the fact that the clutch lever 15 can move in clutch-disengaging direction partly pass the tail-piece 30 of the swinging arm 28 after the required movement of said swinging arml is accomplished. This holds the swinging arm in position while thisl eXtra movement of the clutch lever 15 is going on. Thus, no accurate adjustment of clutch lever 15 is required to securel the accurate adjustment of the swinging arm 28, which is very important. By means of this device the engine is controlled by the governor at both its normal working speed and its reduced 'idle running' speed. The nuts 36V and 37 are for the purpose of adjusting the throttle valve for the slow or idle running speed by adjusting the length of the connecting link 32, which adjustment shouldfbe made first. The screw 41 is for the purpose of adjusting the throttle valve for the fast or Working speed.

While we have shown and described our improvements as applied to a governor controlled engine, it will be manifest that if the governor were omitted or were independent of the described mechanism for controlling thethrottle valve by the movement of the clutch lever, said mechanism would still operate in the manner described to instantlyy throttle the engine when the y clutch is disengaged and thus prevent racing vwhere much starting and stopping is required and it is also useful in general traction work.

We claim:

1. The combination of an engine, a transmission clutch a clutch-actuating lever and connections therefrom to said clutch, a governor and connections therefrom to the throttle valve of the engine, a spring, and

means actuated in one direction by said lever v and in the reverse direction by said spring or varying the adjustment of said governor-actuated' connections to the throttle- 2. The combination of an engine, a transmlssion clutch, a clutch-actuating lever and connections therefrom to said clutch, a governor and connections therefrom to the throttlef valve of the engine, means actuated by said lever when thrown'to clutch-disengaging position for shifting said governoractuated connections in a direction to effect ideama a movement of said throttle valve in a closing'direction, and a spring normally tending to shift said governor-actuated connections in the reverse `direction to effect a movement of said throttle valve'in an opening direction.

` 3. The combination of an engine, a transmission clutch, a clutch-actuating lever and connections therefrom to said clutch, a governor and connections, yincluding a i lever,

therefrom to the throttle valve of the engine,

a spring, and means actuated in one direction by said clutch lever for shifting the fulcruin of said governor-actuated lever in one direction and actuated in the reverse direction by said spring for shifting the fulcrum of said governor-actuated lever:y in the opposite direction.

41. rlhe combination of an engine, a transmission clutch, a vclutch-actuating lever and connections therefrom to said clutch, a governor and connections, including a lever, therefrom to the throttle valve of the en.- gine, means actuated ,by said clutch lever when thrown to clutch-disengaging position for shifting the fulcrum of said governoractuated lever in a direction to eHect a movement of said throttle valve in a closing direction, and a spring normally tending to shift the fulcrum of said governor-actuated lever in the reverse direction to eHect a movement of said throttle valve in an opening direction.

5. The combination of an engine, a transmission clutch, a clutch-actuating lever and connections therefrom to said clutch, a governor and connections therefrom to the throttle valve of the engine, a spring, means actuated in one direction by said lever and in thev reverse direction byy said spring for varying the adjustment of:y said governor-actuated connections to they throttle valve, vand an adjustable stop device for controlling the extent of spring-actuated movement of said adj ustment-varying means.

6. The combination of an engine, a transmission clutch, a clutch-actuating leverand connections therefrom to said clutch, a governor and connections, including a lever, therefrom to the throttle valve of the engine, a spring, means actuated in one direction by said clutch lever for shifting the fulcrum of said governor-actuated lever in one direction and actuated in the reverse direction by saidspring for shifting the fulcrum of said governor-actuated lever in the opposite direction, and an adjustable stop device for controlling the extent of spring-actuated movement ofsaid fulcrum shifting means.

7. Thecombination of an engine, a transmission clutch, a clutclactuating lever and i connections therefrom to said clutch, a governor and connections therefrom to the throttle valve of the engine, and means actuated by said lever upon moving the saine to till:

engage the clutch for adjusting said governor-actuated connection to move the throttle valve in an opening direction prior to engagement of the clutch.

8. The combination of an engine, a transmission clutch, a clutch-actuating lever and connections therefrom to said clutch, a governor and connections therefrom to the throttle valve of the engine, and means controlled upon movement of sai-d lever to clutch-engaging position for effecting movement of said governor-actuated connections so as to move the throttle valve in an opening direction prior to engagement of the clutch.

9. The combination of an engine, a transmission clutch, a clutch-actuating lever and connections therefrom to said clutch, a governor, means operable between the governor and throttle valve of the engine for controlling the engine at either working or idle- 4running speeds, and means coperable between the clutch lever and said throttle-controlling means for so operating the latter that upon moving the` lever to engage the A clutch, the said throttle-controlling means will be moved to working-speed position prior to engagement of the clutch.

10. The combination of an engine, a governor, control connections between the govlernor and connections therefrom to the throttle valve of the engine, means for adjusting said connections so that the governor will control the throttle valve in either a predetermined working or an idle-running speed, a transmission clutch, and means lfor simultaneously operating the clutch and said adjusting means to adjust said connections to working 'speed position prior to the operation of engaging the clutch.

12. The combination of an engine, a transmission clutch, a` clutch-actuating lever and connections therefrom to the clutch, a governor and connections, including a lever therefrom to the throttle valve of the engine, and means actuated by said clutch lever for shifting the fulcrum of said governoractuatedlever. A

13. The combination of anl engine, a transmission clutch, a clutch-actuating lever and connections therefrom to the clutch, a gov- Vernor and connections therefrom to the throttle valve ofthe engine, a lever arrangedto be actuated bythe clutch-actuating lever, and connections between the-second named lever and the throttle-actuating connections for shifting the latter by throwing the clutch-actuating lever into and out of clutch-engaging position.

14. In a speed control for engines, the combination of an engine, a transmission clutch, a clutch-actuating lever and connections therefrom tothe clutch, means for adjusting the throttle valve of the engine whereby to operate the same at any of a plurality of predetermined different speeds, and means actuated upon movement of said clutch-actuating lever from clutch-disengaged to clutch-engaged position, for adjusting said throttle-adjusting means to effect prior to engaging the clutch, a predetermined speed higher than that at which the engine is running.

15. In a speed control for engines, the combination of an engine, a transmission the throttle-adjusting lever in a reverse direction when the clutch lever is moved to clutch-engaging position, and an adjustable stop for limiting movement of the throttle-` adjusting lever in this latter direction while permitting the movement of the clutch lever to be continued to e'ect final engagement of the clutch after the said throttle adjusting lever has been stopped.

HARRY C. CLAY. ALBERT T. CLAY.

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