US578112A

US578112A - Lewis hallock nash

Info

Publication number: US578112A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1897-03-02
Anticipated expiration: 1914-03-02

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1, NASH.

GAS ENGINE.

(No Model.)

. Patented Mar. 2, 1897.

THE NORRIS man; 60., Pnorauma. wAswNc'rou. o. z.

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L. H. NASH. GAS ENGINE.

Patented Mar. 2, 1897.

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"m: uomus PETERS co. wuorauma. vmsnmumn. n, c

UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS HALLOCK NASH, OF SOUTH NORWALK, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL METER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

GAS-ENGIN E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,112, dated March 2, 1897.

Application filed June 17, 1891. Serial No. 396,561. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEWIS HALLOCK NASH, of South Norwalk, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gas-Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention consists of certain novel parts and combinations of parts constituting an improved gas-engine and parts of a gas-engine.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section through a gas-engine involving my present invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the engine, partly in section, through the exhaust-valves. Fig. 3 is a similar view from the opposite side, partly in section, through the mixing and admission valves. Fig. 4 is an end view of the fly-wheel, showing parts of the governing device. Fig. 5 shows modification of a part of the governing device. I

I will now describe the construction of the engine shown in the accompanying drawings, which contains in total combination all the novel features of my present invention, each in one of the many forms in which it may. be practically embodied, and that the form which I at present prefer to employ.

2 is the base of the engine supporting the

cylinders

3 and 3.

5 is a double-ended piston, one end, 5, working in the cylinder 3, and the other end, 5, Working in the cylinder 3.

4 is a shaft set in suitable journals, about which the rocking arm 6 oscillates. This rocking arm at one end is connected with the crank-pin 8 by means of the link ,9.

10 is the power-shaft.

11 is a fiy-wheel.

12 is the weight of the governing device operated by centrifugal force, occupying a position determined by the speed of the engme.

14 and 14 are the clearance-spaces at the with the clearance-spaces 14, and 15 is a chamber connected with the clearance-spaces 14. 16 and 16 are the valves controlling communication between the chambers 15 and the 5 5 air and 15 and the air. Through the ports controlled by the

valves

16 and 16 the waste gases after combustion are exhausted, pass? ing through the ports 17 and 17 to the open air. These

valves

16 and 16 are each attached to a guide or stem 18 and 18, carried in guides 19 and 19 and surrounded by

springs

20 and 20, constantly operating to keep said valves down upon their seats. 21

is a crank-disk, to which the

rods

22 and 22 are attached. The outer ends of these rods travel in the guides 19 and 19 and alternately abut against the stems 18 and 18, forcing the

valves

16 and 16 away from their seats. I eccentric 39, attached to a stud 40, set in suitable bearings. This stud 40 carries the gearwheel 60, which meshes with the gear-wheel 42, of one-half its size, which is attached to the main shaft 10.

Referring to Fig. 3, which is a side view of the engine from the opposite side, 27 and 27 are passages connecting, respectively, with the clearance-

spaces

14 and 14, Fig. 1. 28 and 21 are valves set upon stems 29.and 29, and constantly forced toward their seats by

springs

30 and 30. 31 and 31 are perforations through which atmospheric air may pass to the valves 28 and 28 through the passages 27 and 27, when said valves are raised 8 3 and there is a partial vacuum present in the power-cylinder. 32 and 32 are valves provided with stems 34 and 34 and with springs 33 and 33 constantly tending to force said valves on their seats. The ends of the stems 9o 34 and 34 are provided with

inclined pieces

35 and 35. 36 is a rocking arm pivoted at 37. 38 and 38 are rods connected with said rocking arm 36 and alternately abutting against the inclined stem ends 35 and 35. 5 The ends of these rods are also shown in the drawings as inclined, the inclination of the rods corresponding substantially with the inclination of the stem ends 35 and 35. The rocking arm 36 is connected with eccentric 23, attached to the stud 24, to which is attached the gear-wheel 25, meshing with the teeth of The crank-disk 21 is connected to an 70 the gear-wheel 26, of one-half its size. Gearwheel 26 is connected with the main shaft 10 of the engine. 43 is a rod carrying the

fingers

44 and 44,radially projecting therefrom. The

arms

38 and 38 respectively rest on the

fingers

44 and 44*, and when the rod 43, carrying these fingers, turns in its

bearings

45 and 45 the ends of the

rods

38 and 38 are more or less raised, so that they sooner strike against the beveled stem ends 35 and 35 and remain in contact therewith for a longer period of time, thus holding the valves 32 and 32 open a longer or shorter time. The openings 46 and 46 communicate with a suitable reservoir containing gas or other fuel, the admission of which to the power-cylinders is thus controlled. The shaft 43 is by anysuitable mechanism attached to the governor de- Vice.

Fig. 4 shows one form of connecting mechanism which maybe employed. 47 is asleeve sliding along the power-shaft 10, in or out, to a position corresponding with the position of the governor-weight 12 by connection common in engines. The sleeve 47 is connected with the shaft 43 by bell-crank lever 49 and link 48. On the end of the bell-crank lever is a pin 50, working in a groove on the sleeve 47. By this connection the position of the rod 43 and its

fingers

44 and 44 is determined, and by said fingers the elevation of the ends of the

rods

38 and 38" is controlled.

The operation of the engine illustrated may thus be described: The engine shown is of what is commonly known as the four-cycle type. In these engines an explosion occurs in the power-cylinder at one stroke, the waste gases are discharged at the next stroke, the new charge is drawn in on the following stroke, and the charge is compressed by the last stroke. In this type of engine as heretofore constructed there has been but one impulse at every double revolution of the crank. In the engine illustrated, however, although of the four-cycle type having a single crank, there is an impulse at every revolution of the crank.

Referring to Fig. 3, gas is admitted through the opening 46 46 and air through the

perforations

31 and 31. lVhenever there is a partial vacuum within one of the power-cylinders caused by the motion of the piston after exhaustion, the valve 28 or 28 will rise from its seat, permitting air to be drawn into the corresponding cylinder through the

port

31 or 31. At the same time the

rod

38 or 38 forces the corresponding gas-inlet valve 32 or 32 open, permitting gases to be drawn in with the air, forming a combustible mixture. As the piston returns this valve is closed and the charge compressed. Explosion of the combustible charge then takes place by any suitable form of igniting device. I have not shown an igniter because it forms no part of my present invention, and several efficient forms are well known to those skilled As the piston after explosion rein this art.

turns the exhaust-

valve

16 or 16 is opened, and the waste gases are forced therethrough and through the port 17 or 17 to the air, these exhaust-valves being controlled by the crank-disk 21. A consideration of the construction will show that these operations occur alternately in the

cylinders

3 and 3, so that while the cylinder 3 is compressing its charge the cylinder 3 is exhausting, and while the cylinder 3 is exploding the cylinder 3 is drawing in a new charge, and while the cylinder 3 is exhausting the cylinder 3 is compressing, and while the cylinder 3 is drawing in a new charge the eylinder3is exploding. Thus it will be seen that the explosions occur alternately and that there is an explosion for every revolution of the crank.

In Fig. 3 I have shown the inclinations of the stem ends 35 and 35 and the rod ends 38 and 38 the same, so that assuming that the

fingers

44 and 44 be of the same length and similarly set both cylinders will at all times work under the same conditions, both increasing and decreasing in power simultaneously. Instead of so arranging, however, these ports I may, and indeed I prefer to, arrange them so that the cylinders will increase and diminish power unequally, and this in any desired proportion or relation. One means of accomplishing this result is shown in Fig. 5. In this figure the stem end 35 is substantially like the stem end 35 in Fig. 3. The rod end 38 in Fig. 5, however, is changed, so that when it has fallen a certain distance it no longer makes connection with the stem end 35", and thus the cylinder 3 is thrown out of work. The stem end 35 is formed with a vertical part above the tapered part, and the rod end 38, connecting therewith, has a vertical part below the tapering part, so that as the rod end 38 falls it continues for a long time to open the valve 32 wide, so that the cylinder 3 receives a full charge; but when the tapering part of the rod 38 comes in contact with the tapering part of the stem end 35 the rise and fall of the rod 38 will increase or diminish the charge under which the cylinder 3 is working. If these parts be properly proportioned, therefore, the cylinder 3 will continue to receive a full charge while the cylinder 3 is receiving a diminished charge. This condition may continue until the engine is working under one-half load, when the cylinder 3 is entirely thrown off and all the work is being done by the cylinder 3. If it is desirable to further diminish the power of the engine, the depression of the end of the rod 38 accomplishes this, as at that time the inclined ends of these parts are in contact, and any change of position of the rod affects the charge delivered to said cylinder. The advantage of this arrangement, among other things, is that a more economical consumption of the fuel is obtained because one of the cylinders is always working with full charge whenever, preferably, the engine is working at half-load or more. This feature of my invention is applicable not only to fourcycle engines, but also to any form of doubleacting or two-cylinder engines operated by any suitable motive power. Any other arrangement of parts may be employed which will cause the cylinder to increase or diminish power at different rates or at different times in any desired manner, as will be readily understood.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the crank-pin and its connections are moving toward the left while the piston and its connections are moving toward the right. The movement of these parts in opposite directions simultaneously balance one another,and assuming that they are the same weight no momentum is communicated to the support of the engine, or if they be of different weights the momentum communicated is only that due to the difference. As gas-engines are very frequently placed in upper stories of buildings, this feature in a horizontal engine is of great value and materially extends the usefulness of the device.

In the foregoing specification I have incidentall y referred to a few of the modifications which might be adopted in practicing my invention, but I have not endeavored to specify all the modifications which might be employed, the object of this specification being to instruct persons skilled in the art to practice the several novel features of my invention in their present preferred forms and to enable them to understand their nature, and I desire it to be distinctly understood that mention by me of a few modifications is not in any way intended to exclude others not referred to, but which are within the spirit and scope of my invention, and that in so far as my invention consists of novel methods these are independent of the mechanism described or of any particular mechanism.

AsI have before remarked,many of the combinations and details illustrated and above described are not essential to the several features of my invention separately and broadly considered. All this will be indicated in the concluding claims, as in any given claim the omission of an element or of the particular features of the elements mentioned is intended to be a formal declaration of the fact that the omitted elements and features are not essential to the invention therein covered.

Having thus described a machine embodying in preferred forms all the several features of my present invention in combination what I separately claim, and desire to secure by these Letters Patent, is the following:

1. In a gas-engine the combination of a plurality of power-cylinders with their respective pistons, a governor and mechanism operated by said governor for automatically varying the power developed when both cylinders are in action by changing the power developed in one cylinder without changing the power developed in another.

2. In a gas-engine,the combination of a plurality of power-cylinders with their respective pistons, a governor and mechanism operated by said governor for automatically varying the power developed when both cylinders are in action by changing the power developed in one cylinder throughout its entire range without changing the power developed in the other.

3. In a gas-engine the combination of a plurality of power-cylinders with their respective pistons, a governor for automatically controlling the power developed in a plurality of said cylinders and mechanism operated thereby for varying the power developed in the different cylinders successively and not simultaneously.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEWIS I-IALLOOK NASH.

lVitnesses:

JOHN H. NORRIS, GEORGE A. MAYLAND.