US716792A - Gas-engine. - Google Patents

Description

N0. 76,792. Patented Dec; 23, vi992.

F. E. & M. E. VAUGHN.

'GAS ENGINE.

(Application filed June 29, 190].

`(ne Model.) 5 sheets-sheet l.

e. :MM-My No. 716,792. Patented Dec. 23, |902.

F. E. & M. E. VAUGHN.

GAS ENGINE.

(Application led J'une-29, 1901.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

MTA/55555 INVENTUM' y.

Patented Dec. 23, i902. F. E. M. E. VAUGHN.

GAS ENGINE..

Application :ned June 2s, 1901.;

5 Sheets-Sheet 3 (No Model.)

WHA/55555 Patented Dec. 23, |902'.I F. E. & M. E. VAUGHN.

GAS ENGINE.

Appicntonled June 29, 1901.)

@No Modem 5 Sheets-Sheet' 4.

a .a im /A 6 8 o 8 i. 1 e.. 1 7

No. 7|B,792. Patented Dec. 23, |902. F. E. 8. M.E. VAUGHN.

GAS ENGINE.

(Applicatog filed June 29, 1901.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

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' WTNESSES I l v z N71/5N TOS( g 7k Wam/MM. @WLM yg/@ 21a/#www m ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATESV PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS E. VAUGHN AND MARION E. VAUGHN, OF PENDLETON, INDIANA.

GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,792, dated December 23, 1902.

Application iiled .lune 29, 190i.:- Serial No. 66,467. (No model.)

To all whom, it' may concern.:

Be it known that we, FRANCIS E. VAUGHN and MARION ETAU GHN of Pendleton,county of Madison, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Gas-Engine; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts.

The object of our present invention is to improve the construction and operation of gas or gasolene engines.

Our invention consists in a reversible gas or gasolene engine, and to accomplish that object one new feature lies in the automatic operation of the fuel-inlet valve by the crank on 'the crank-shaft or any part connected with or controlled by the piston, whereby the engine can be reversed.

Another feature of the invention coperating with the foregoing to produce the result mentioned consists in a double cam for controlling the sparker-actuating mechanism, so that it will be equally operative when the engine is reversed or in whichever direction the engine may he operated. 1

These features of our invention will appear more fully from the accompanying drawings and the followingdescription and claims.

Figure l is a plan of the engine. Fig. 2 is vertical section onthe line 2 2 of Fig. l, being a side elevation of the major part of the engine. Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section of the engine. Fig. 4. is a vertical cross-section through the engine on line with the crank-shaft. Fig. '5 is a vertical cross-section of the crank-shaft, showing in side elevation the iy-wheel on which the governor is mounted, parts being broken away. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-section on the line 6 6 of Figs. 1 and 7, showing the gasolenemixer. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6, showing it arranged for gas. Fig. 8 shows the cam for controlling the sparker-actuating device, said cam being shown in said gure in elevation and also in plan. Fig. 9 shows the inlet-valve for the fuel after the piston has made its forward movement. Fig. 10 shows the fuel-inlet-valve mechanism altered when the engine is reversed from the position of the parts in Fig. 3.

:for mounting the sparker.

larged section of the top front part of the piston at thelimit of its inward stroke and,

Fig. 13 is Fig. 1l is a longitudinal section of the means Fig. 12 is an enthe adjacent part of the cylinder. a plan of the cam for actuating the sparker mechanism and the adjacent parts, parts being broken away to show the position of the sparker-actuating rod on the cam after an ignition.

Referring now to the details of construction ofthe horizontal engine which we have shown in the drawings for the purpose of illustrating the general nature and principles of the various improvements we have made and hereinafter claim, the bed-plate 1 is mounted upon a suitable base, and upon that bed-plate and integral with it is the casing 2, which incloses the piston-rod 3 and piston 4 and is integrally connected with the cylinder 5. In fact, the chamber formed by the casing 2 and the cylinder 5 are all one chamber when the piston is out. 6 is the cylinder-head, which is removably secured to the cylinder. A water-jacket 7 surrounds the combustion end of the cylinder. The water iows intoit th rough the pipe S below and out through the pipe 9 above. A

10 is the inlet-port for the fuel to the coinbustion end of the cylinder, and the fuel is conveyed to said port through the passage 1l from thechamber formed by the casing 2. The inlet 10 is on the upper side of the cylinder when the engine is horizontal, and the Y exhaust-port 12 is on the lower side, the pipe 13 leading from said exhaust-port.

The piston is hollow to receive the pistonrod, which is pivoted on the pin 14, extending through the piston transversely, and the bearing-block 15 is held against the end of the piston by a set-screw 16, that extends through the head of the piston. The head of the piston is reinforced by the plate 17, which has on its upper-side the forwardly-project ing ip 18, extending .aboutY one-fourth the way around in the arc of acircle, with its upper surface concave in a section longitudinal of the piston, whereby the fuel entering through the inlet-port 10 when the piston is at its rear limit of movement will be deflected upward, as seen in Fig. 12, and away from the exhaust-port at the under side or bottom IOO tures of novelty.

The crank-shaft 2O extends transversely through the casing 2 and about concentric therewith, being mounted in the bearings 21 and 71, bolted to each side of said casing, as appears in Fig. 4. A pair of fly- wheels 22 and 23 are secured on said shaft, one with the handle 24 for starting the engine and the other 22 carrying the governor device.

In the bearing 21 to the left of the engine, as shown in Fig. 4, the fuel-inlet mechanism is provided. The casing 2 on that side is cut away annularly to receive the annular flange 25 on the inner` end of the bearing 2l, as appears in Fig. 7. Through the inner wall of this bearing 2l three passage-ways or openings are provided, as `seen in Fig. 7, a central one 26 for the passage of gas or gasolene, and the opening 27 on each side thereof from the outside to introduce air into the chamber in the casing 2 to conimingle with the gas, and thereby make it combustible. The air-openings 27 are closed when gasolene is used, as the air is previously mixed with the gasolene by what is shown in Fig. 6, and the resultant gas passes through the opening 26. As seen in Fig. 7, the opening 26 leads from the chamber 28, that is supplied with gas through a suitable supply-pipe (not shown) or gasolene through the pipe 38. (Seen in Fig. 6.)

The mixing-chamber 30 is formed by the valve-casing 31, vertically bored out, with the large chamber opening at the upper end and the smaller opening or air-inlet 32 through the lower end. The upper opening is closed by the screw-plug 33 and has in it a guidehole 34 for the stem of the valve 35. The hole 34 is closed at the upper end by the screw 36. The valve 35 by gravity closes the air-inlet opening 32 and also the gasoleneinlet port 37, that leads from the gasolenesupply pipe 38, and is controlled by the needle-valve 39. rlhe valve 35 is raised by suction of the engine to admit the gasolene and air.

The inlet- ports 26 and 27 for the gas and air are closed by a revoluble Valve-plate 40, that surrounds the shaft 20, and also asmall collar 41, extending inward from the bearing 21, as seen in Fig. 4, and lies between said collar 41 and the annular collar 25 from said bearing, as shown in Figs. 4and 7. Said valveplate is a plain disk and has in it a slot 42 in the are of a circle and concentric with the valve-plate, as appears in Figs. 3, 9, and 10. This valve-plate 40 is rotated by the crank of the crank-shaft engaging one of the pins 43 that extend inward from said plate, as appears in Figs. 3 and 4. At each rotation of the valve-plate the slot 42 passes and registers with the inlet- ports 26 and 27 for the gas and air, and during such time the chamber in the casing 2 is charged with fuel. This is while the piston `is moving forward. After the explosion and return movement of the piston the gas and air in the chamber within the casing 2 is somewhat compressed, and when the piston has retreated enough to uncover the inlet-port l0 such gas and air rushes through the passage-way 11 and through said port into the forward end of the cylinder. Just before this is done the forward end of the cylinder is exhausted of the gases resulting from the explosion through the exhaustport 12. The forward movement of the pis- Itou immediately following closes both the inlet and exhaust ports and compresses the gas and air in the forward end of the cylinder ready for and prior to its ignition by the electric spark. By providing two pins 43 in the valve-plate 40 so placed that the crank-shaft can be reversed without the actuation of said plate 40 during the reversal or semirotation of the ily-wheel and crank-shaft. At the end of such reversal or semirotation the crankshaft engages one of the pins 43 and actuates the plate 40 continuously until another reversal of the engine. `Said pins 43 are so placed that the valve-plate by means of the slot 42 will uncover the inlet- ports 26 and 27 for the fuel while the piston is moving forward. By the valve-plate 40 not being actuated during the reversal of the engine such reversal is made possible, because the fuel then does not enter at the wrong end of the stroke of the piston, but when the semirotation of the shaft or the reversal of the engine has been consummated the inlet of fuel will occur at the' proper time-that is, on the forward stroke of the piston-.just the same as prior to the reversal of the engine.

The igniting device is shown on the cylinder-head in Fig. 3. Extending centrally through said cylinder-head there is a sleeve 50, through which a contact pin or point 51 extends and which is insulated from the sleeve 50, as appears in Fig. 11. To this point 5l an electrical conductor or wire 52 is secured. Within the cylinder a post 49 is mounted on the inner end of the sleeve 50, and in that post a horizontal shaft 53 is mounted, carrying an arm or contact-point 54, which normally is in contact with the inner end of the contact-point 51. When the contact between the contact-point 51 and 54 is broken by the means hereinafter described, the spark is emitted that explodes the gas in the cylinder.

The shaft 53, just referred to and shown in Fig. 3, extends outside the cylinder, as shown in Fig. 2, and on its outer end carries a crank 55, which is operated by the rod 56, that extends loosely through it and is held in place by the nut 57 on one side and the spiral spring 58 on the other side, said spiral spring 58 acting against the washer 73 at one end and against the stationary collar or block 59 at the other end. The rod 56 is guided through an apertured bracket 60, secured to the side of the engine-casing, and is actuated by the IOO IIO

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cam 6l. The opening in the guide-bracket is large enough to permit a slight lateral movement of the rodA 56 toward or away from the engine-casing, as appears in Figs. l and 13, and through the opening in said bracket 60 a flat spring 62 extends, it being curved, with one end secured to the rod 56 and the other end resting against said rod, with the swell bearing against the inner end of the slot or opening in the bracket 60. The object of the spring 62 is to hold the rod 56 at its outerlimit of movement and on the outer periphery or collar of the cam 6l, as appears in Fig. l. Said cam 6l is secured on the shaft 20 and rotates therewith. It is shown in detail in Fig. 8. It has two peripheries, an outer periphery concentric with the center of the shaft on which the cam is mounted and which at one point is cut away to permit the endv of the rod 56, by reason of the action of the spring 5S, to escape from such outer periphery or collar and extend'through such cut-away portion against the inner or secondary periphery 65. The latter is eccentric with the shaft 20 and with the outer periphery of the cam 6l, as appears in Fig. 8. The surface of said eccentric collar or periphery that is nearest the center of the shaft 2O is located adjacent the notch or cut-out portion of said outer periphery, as appears in Fig. 8. The portion of the inner or eccentric periphery of the cam 6l that is farthest from the center of the shaft is ilush with said outer periphery, as appears in Fig. S. As has been explained, the end of the rod 56 is pressed and rides against the outer periphery of the cam 6l until it drops into the cut-out portion thereof, and then the contact-point 54 (shown in Fig. 3) is separated from the contact-point 5l, and the spark occurs. The cut-away portion or recess in the outer periphery of the cam 61 has at both ends of it an inclined surface 65, and as said cam rotates farther each inclined side surface pushes the inner end of the rod 56 toward the casingof the engine, as appears in Fig. 13. During such operation the inner end of the rod 56 abuts against the inner or eccentric periphery7 of the cam. The further rotation of said cam causes the inner end of said rod 56 to ride around to the portion of the inner or eccentric periphery that is flush with the outer periphery of said cam, and when it does so the spring 62 pushes the inner end of said rod 56 out and causes it subsequently to ride upon or against the outer periphery, until it again falls into the notch or recessin the outer periphery, and another spark is emitted. The object of this construction of the cam having the outer periphery notched or recessed with the two oppositelyinclined side faces 65 is to enable the sparking mechanism to operate in the same way When the engine is reversed or regardless of the direction in which the engine is running.

The governor in this engine is mounted upon the ily-Wheel 22, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, and it acts as a governor by interrupting the flow of the electric current to the sparking contact-point 54. As will be observed in said figures, we mount upon the shaft aninsulated collar 8O having a groove in its periphery in which lies an electrical conductor 8l, a wire or springI that is held in place by the staples 82 upon the base-piece 85 and insulated therefrom. Conductor Slis connected with a suitable battery or dynamo for generating electricity, which, however, is not shown. In the machine here shown the electric circuit between the wire 83, just mentioned, and the wire V52 at the cylinder-head is established by means of and through the engine-that is, the fly-wheel, shaft, and engine-casing. The circuit between the ilywheel and collar 80, that is connected with the conductor 8l, is completed by the rod 86, which is mounted in the y-wheel, as shown in Fig. 5. It is pressed inward by the spring S7 through the guide 88 against the periphery of the collar 80. As long as there is contact between the rod 86 and the collar S0 the circuit is closed for sparking purposes.

When the speed of the engine becomes great,

the centrifugal force of the ily-wheel 23 will throw the rod 86 outward against the spring 66 and disengage it from the collar 80. This breaks the circuit and stops the sparking and the explosion of gas in the cylinder, and consequently reduces the speed of the engine until the spring 87 overcomes the centrifugal force acting on the rod 86 and pushes said rod back into contact with the collar and closes the circuit, whereupon the sparking and the explosion of the gas will be resumed. While the sparking-circuit is broken by this governor during the high speed of the engine, the introduction of the fuel into the forward end of the cylinder is no greater than usual, because the exhaust-port permits the escape of any surplusage.

The desired speed of the engine can be regulated through means of the screw 89. W'hen it is desired to decrease the speed of the engine, said screw is loosened somewhat to diminish the tension of the spring S7, whereby the centrifugal force of the wheel acting on the rod 86 will more readily overcome the action of the spring and said rod be moved out of contact with the collar 80 to break the circuit. On the other hand, if the screitr 89 be tightened a correspondingly higher speed of the engine would be required to break the circuit. In order to distribute and mix the incoming gas and air, we place diagonally-extending bars 72 across the slot or inlet 42 of the valve 40, as shown in Figs. 9 and l0.

What We claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

IIO

l. A gas-engine including a fuel-inlet, a rotary valve for opening and closing said inlet, a rotary piston-actuated means, and a pair of stops on said valve, one of which is engaged by the piston-actuated means while revolving in one direction, and the other is engaged by said means While revolving in the other direction.

2. A gas-engine including a fuel-inlet, a rotary valve for opening and closing said inlet, a rotary piston-actuated means for actuating the valve, and a connection between the pisL ton-actuated means and valve so located that the piston-inlet will be open While the piston is moving forward and While reversing said valve will not be operated.

3. A gas-engine including a crank-shaft, a fuel-chamber connected with the cylinder of the, engine and through which said crankshaft extends, a fuel-inlet opening in the Wall of said chamber, a valve plate rotatably mounted concentric with the crank shaft adapted to open and close said fuel-inlet, and a pair of stops on said valve-plate that are singly engaged by the crank on the crankshaft, said stops being so placed with relation to each other that the crank on reversal Will make a half-revolution from one of said stops before it engages the other stop, substantially as shown.

4. A gas-engine including la crank-shaft, a fuel-chamber connected with the cylinder and through which said crank-shaft extends, a curved fuel-inlet opening through the Wall of Said chamber concentric With the crank-shaft, a Valve-plate rotatably mounted concentric with the crank-shaft and having a curved opening therein to register with the opening through the Wall of the fuel-chamber, the pins 43 connected with said valve-plate substantially as shown on the same side of a diametrical line through the center of said valveplate, and in position to be engaged by the crank on the crank-shaft, and a piston-rod connected With the crank on said crank-shaft for actuating the same.

In Witness whereof We have hereunto affixed our signatures in the presence of the Witnesses herein named.

FRANoIs E. VAUGHN. MARION E. VAUGHN.

Witnesses:

FLORENCE E. BRYANT, V. H. LocKWooD.

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