US1232777A - Hydrocarbon-engine. - Google Patents

Description

A. DOBLE.

HYDROCARBON ENGINE.

APPLICATION man ocT.1,1912.

Patented July 10, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

INVENTUR.

WTNESSES:

ATTORNEY.

A. DOBLE.

` HYDnocARBoN ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- I. 1912.

19239;? 7% Patented July 10, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTO/CNBV.

.ABNER DOBLE, OF WALTI-IAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ENGINEERING COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

I-IYDJRJOCALRBON -ENGIN E.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application led October 1, 1912. Serial No. 723,417.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ABNER DOBLE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Waltham, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydrocarbon- Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hydrocarbon engines and more particularly tov improved mechanism for economically feeding variable quantities and compositions of fuel to the engine.

It has been proposed heretofore to force a large lquantity of mixture into the engine cylinder and thereby get great power. The result sought has been attained, but the efiiciency of engines utilizing large quantities of fuel is very low because much fuel is wasted by the devices at present used for this purpose.

It is one of thel objects of this invention to increase the efficiency of hydrocarbon engines so that an increased power may be economically obtained where desired, as in climbing hills, racing or accelerating quickly.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device in which the proportion and pressure of the mixture may be varied,

and one in which a more homogeneous mix-` 'ture may be obtained than is ordinarily obtained in high power engines.

The above and other objects and the novel features of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the drawing in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, parts being in section, showing a well known type of engine embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is an enlarged-,.section'al view of the vaporizing and mixing tube.

In the drawing the improvement is shown asembodied in the well known Knight engine. However, it is to be understood that the yinvention is not limited to such an engine, but may be applied to any ordlnary internal combustion engine. y

rIhe numeral 10 designates the cylinder casing which has a dome shaped head 11 Vproviding a dome shaped ignition chamber 12 on the interior communicating with the piston chamber 13. 14 designates the ordinary spark plug or other lgnrtmg arrangement and 15 and 16 are sleeve valves conwhich is placed in communication with the chamber 13 when the ports in the cylinder valves 15 and 16 are in proper relation. An admission opening 21 is likewise placed in communication with the chambers 12 and 13 when the relation of the valves 15 and 16 is such as to place the ports therethrough in alinement.

A mixing chamber is provided on the exterior of the cylinder and comprises a substantially U-shaped tube 22 which is secured to the cylinder wall 10 by means of a flange 23 at one end thereof. As indicated, the tube 22 is formed in one piece with the flange 23 andv also is formed integral with a manifold one opening of which is indicated at 22. It is to be understood, of course, that the mixing tube 22 may be applied toa single cylinder or a plurality of cylinders. The tube -22 iares outwardly at lits other end 24 and means may be provided to more rigidly support said end on the cylinder head. The tube or mixing chamber is provided with one or more contracted sections 25 near the flaring end. The.

shape of the tube near its inlet in longitudinal cross section, therefore, corresponds to the shape of the well known Venturi meter. The contraction of the cross sectional area of the tube changes the velocity of the incoming air and hydrocarbon and has the effect of producing a more homogeneous mixture than is ordinarily obtained.

A conical spider 26 having a plurality of radially arranged air admission inlets 27 is A tank 34 is provided which is'suitable for containing the uid hydrocarbon and an air pump 35 operated from the engine shaft or other suitable driving means has its cylinder connected to the tank 34 by means of the pipe 36 and maintains the hydrocarbon in the tank under a certain pressure, preferably about 50 pounds.

To conduct the hydrocarbon to the mixing chamber a pipe 37 is provided which has a nozzle 38 at its end Where it discharges into the mixing tube 22. The spider 26 and shutter 28 have central hubs 261 and 281 arranged to receive and support the pipe leading to the nozzle and the nozzle at the center of the flaring inlet 24 so that the stream from the nozzle will spray through the contracted section 25. Between the nozzle 38 and the tank 34 there is a needle valve 39 which serves to regulate the amount of the gasolene or other fuel supplied from the tank34. The valve 39 is preferably controlled from the steering column by means of the levers 40 and 41 and the rod 42, as in the case of the air admission, but it Will be obvious that these valves may be controlled from other positions about the vehicle or engine, if desired. y

Between the needle valve and the nozzle the supply pipe 37 is formed in a conical spiral 43 to lie in contact With the dome shaped cylinder head 11. The spiral 43, nozzle 38 and flaring end of the tube 22 are therefore supported from the cylinder head. The spiral is for the purpose of utilizing y,part of the waste heat of the motor to 'vaporize the hydrocarbon and thereby obtain a more homogeneous mixture of the air therewith When the vapor issues from of the ordinary engine.

the nozzle 38 into the mixing tube 22. The spiral being mounted on a portion of the cylinder which is not Water-j acketed receives considerable of the bWaste heat of the cylinder and due to this heating and vaporizing, the hydrocarbon makes an excellent mixture and greatly increases the pressure in the mixing tube and at the inlet motor cylinder. When the inlet `valves opening into the cylinder or cylinders are operated, a much greater amount of ydrocarbon tmixture is introduced than by atmospheric pressure due to the comparativelyL feeblezuction Such an arrangement as herein described affords al simple means of economically obtaining a maximum amount of ower from a relatively smallV engine, owing to the greatly augmented volume of the charge, and provides an engine which is very flexible as the proportions of the mixture as well as the pressureand amount introduced into the cylin- -der or cylinders may be varied Within Widel limits. f Y' The operation of the device will be understood from the foregoing description. When vaporized before its projection into the mix-A ing tube. f f

In case difficulty is experienced in starting the'engine by means of fuel supplied by the nozzle 38 When the engine is cold, fuel mixture for starting may beV supplied by means of the usual carbureter. This carbureter, however, is merely an auxiliary to the mixing tube as the latter will supply a suitable mixture When the engine becomes hot enough to vaporize the fuel. The hydrocarbon pressure from tank 34 is supplied to the heating and vaporizing coil 43 by means of a pipe 37 and the gasolene discharging from the nozzle 38 expands and With the incoming air creates a high pressure in the mixing tube 22.

It Will appear that the arrangement herein shown is capable of various modications Within the scope of the invention and I therefore do not intend to be limited to the exact details as shown and described.

I claim-- 1. In ahydrocarbon engine, the combination with the cylinder having a mixture inlet, of a mixing tube communicating at one end withl said inlet and having an air vinlet and a hydrocarbon inlet at its opposite end, a pipe for supplying hydrocarbon to the latter inlet, a spiral in the line of said pipe supported upon and in contact with the outside of the head of the cylinder, and means for controlling the admission of air and hydrocarbon to saidmixing tube.

2. In a hydrocarbon engine, the combination of a cylinder having a valve controlled fuel inlet, a U-shaped mixing tube having one end communicating with the fuel inlet, the other end of said U-shaped tube having an air inlet and a hydrocarbon inlet, a hydrocarbon supply tank, a spiral pipe connected'to said hydrocarbon inlet and the hy-v drocarbon supply tank and supported on lthe cylinder in contact with the Walls of the head of'said cylinder, means for maintaining the hydrocarbon in thesupply tank at a predetermined pressure, means for varying the amount of hydrocarbon supplied to the s iral pipe, and means Ifor varying vthe effective area of the air inlet. v

3.In a hydrocarbon engine, the combination of a cylinder having a fuel inlet,'a U- shaped mixing tube having one end thereof communicating with the inlet, the lother end of said tube flaring outwardly and being -supported on the cylinder, there being a contracted section intermediate the ends of the tube, a conical member mounted on the 1'30 Haring end of the tube and having a plurality of air inlets therein, a shutter slidable on said member to vary the effective area of said air inlets, a nozzle mounted in said conical member and shutter and adapted to discharge into the tube, a tank adapted to contain a liquid hydrocarbon, means adapted to maintain said hydrocarbon in the tank at a predetermined pressure, a pipe for delivering hydrocarbon to the nozzle, a spiral in said pipe resting in contact With the head of said cylinder, a valve for varying the amount of hydrocarbon delivered to the nozzle, a steering column and means for operating the valve and shutter from the steering column.

In testimony whereof I ailiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ABNER DOBLE. Witnesses:

EDITH M. WATERS, J oHN T. BURNS, J r.

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