US864877A - Explosive-engine. - Google Patents

Description

17 4 77. PATENTED SEPT. s 1907.

0 86 E. J. WOOLP.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5. 1906.

2 SHEETS-8HEET 1.

Ina onion i w/z No. 864,877. PATENTED SEPT. 3, 1907. E. J. WOOLP.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

uruouron FILED JAN. 6. 1906.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wM/M/ 1 UNI ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' ELLIS I. WOOLF, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, .ASSIGNOR TO THE WOOLF VALVE GEAR COMPANY, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF nrNNEso'm.

mLOBIVI-INGIHI.

No. 864,877. Specification of Letters Patent. Sept. 8, 1907.

Application M January 0.1m. Serial Io. 294,862.

To all whom it may concern: open to the atmosphere, at or near its upper end, as

Be it known that I, Ems I. Wootr, a citizen oi the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Explosive-Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description oi'the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to explosive agent machines, and was especially designed for use in explosive engines. The invention, however, is capable of use in other forms of machines employing explosive agents,

devices such as heavy ordnance. The especial object is to render these machines more eificient by the provision of a simple and reliable mechanism for the injection of water into the explosion cylinder in such a way so as to get both the cooling effect therefrom and the additional power resulting from the vapor or steam generated from the water.

'To these ends, my invention consists of the novel and combinations of devices hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an explosive engine of the two'cycle type equipped with my 'present invention, and the particular engine illustrated is of the general design disclosed in my prior patent, 683,886 of date October 1, 1901.

In the said drawings, like notations refer to like. .parts throughoutthe several views.

In said drawings, Figure l is an end elevation of the engine, looking from the right with respect to Fig. 2, with some of the parts shown in cross section,

' at right angles to the crank shaft; and Fig. 2 is a central ential cylinder, the larger member of which opens' into the compression chamber 5. In this differential cylinder is mounted a corresponding differential piston 7 connected, by rod 8, with the crank of the shaft 4. The smaller member of the differential piston is of trunk-like form, and the lower end thereof opens into the compression chamber 5. The differentialspacebetween the cylinders and pistons is shown in Fig. 2and marked with the numeral 9.

The crank shaft compression chamber 5 receives its supply of explosive mixture under the control of a generating inlet valve, 10, of a well-known type; The mixture, when compressed within the chamber 5, by the larger member of the differential pistons, is ad mitted into the explosion chamber of the engine under the control of a charging valve 11, shown as seated.

in the head of the smaller member of the differential pistons and also shown as subject to a light spring 12, for insuring a quick closing action, but which valve 11 may be mounted to operate by gravity and the motion of the piston, without the use of any spring.

The main portion of the working cylinder of the engine is afforded by the upper casting 3, but a portion of the working cylinder is cast integral with the central outing 2; and these castings 2 and 3 are of such construction, and so related, when united, as to afford between said upper and said lower portions of the Working cylinder walls, a full circleannular exhaust port oropening 13, controlled by the smaller or working member of the differential piston 7.

The above outlined engine being of a well known type, and its cycle of operations being fully set forth in my said prior patent 683,886, it is not deemed necessary, for the purposes of this case, to trace the same herein in detail. It will be sufiicientto refer thereto only insofar as may be desirable to make clear the application of the invention herein disclosed and claimed.

In carrying out my invention, as herein illustrated, I apply water as the cooling agent, and supply the same by a suitable pump, run by the engine.

Referring to Fig. 1, a represents the pump cylinder by check valve 1), and a suitable discharge pipe b controlled by check valve b The discharge or delivery pipe b from the pump taps a valve casing c, shown as screwed into the cylinder casting 3, which is fitted with a double acting check valve 0, controlling inlet duct 0 to the explosion cylinder of the engine, and outlet duct or by-pass c to the overflow or discharge pipe c. p

p The inlet duct from the valve casing c taps, the explosion cylinder of the engine, at a point intermediate of the two extremes of the travel of the piston which works in the explosion chamber of the engine, and is so located that the piston will control the timing of the water admission to said explosion cylinder. Otherwise stated, the water cannot be admitted tothe cylinder until the piston uncovers the duct 0 on the pistons hence, under the continued action of the pump, the

water will be-iorced into the working cylinder of the engine, and will so continue until the pump completes its working stroke. Otherwise stated, the parts as shown are so timed in respect to each other, that the working stroke of the pump piston begins and ends with the working stroke of the engine piston subject to the explosion. Hence follows that, until the engine piston uncovers theinlet duct 0 that the water delivered from the pump is wasting back through the bypass 0 and the overflow or waste-pipe 0,- but, as soon as the duct 0 is uncovered, the water is forced into the working cylinder, as above noted, thereby being instantly converted into steam by the heat within the cylinder, thus taking up a large amount of heat, cooling the cylinder and the piston, putting out the flame, and rendering it impossible for back explosions, premature explosions, or exhaust pipe explosions, to occur, and permitting the utilization of the gases and heat generated by-the explosion to their full capacity, or nearly so. The reason for this must be obvious from the statements already made, but will be understood from the further statement that, in actual practice, I have found that, under this process, water-jacketing is not necessary for any of the parts of an explosive engine. An engine, such as here illustrated, but with jacket walls, developing over ten horse-power in the incandescent lamps of an electric light plant, was run for many hours without any provision whatsoever, beyond that shown in the drawings, for cooling the engine. Otherwise stated, there was no water-jacketing, although the cylinder was fitted with water jacket, and hence the conditions for large and speedy radiation, such as are ordinarily present in air-cooled engines, were not present, and no provision whatever was present for forcing any air through the water jacket space or about the explosion cylinder of the' engine. According to my tests so far made, I believe that the process herein disclosed is capable of being applied to cool any engine, regardless of the size of the explosion or working cylinder or piston.

It'will be seen, of course, that the cooling agent, ac-

cording to my invention, comes directly in contact with the metallic surfaces exposed to the flames from the burning gases under pressure in the explosion chamber. I

On principle, it must be clear that the efficiency of the engine is greatly increased by this process. The great quantity of heat units which go to waste in waterjacketed or air-cooled engines of the standard construction, is a fact universally known and recognized. 'it is generally conceded that nearly fifty percent of the heat units are lost in the standard engines, through. the walls of the cylinder, largely because of the necessary provisions, in the nature of water-jacketing, or radiating ribs, or forced applications of air, for cooling purposes. With the use of water as herein disclosed, little or no cooling takes place until the greater portion bf the press sure generated by the explosion has taken effect on the cooling, lubrication becomes comparatively easy.

Steam is itself more or less of a lubricant, and, by killing the flames, enables the ordinary lubricating oil to be 'utilized, on the piston and cylinder surfaces, to the best possible advantage, or, in other words, without being burned up.' Deposits of carbon are also avoided by this process, thereby making it easier to keepthe contact points of the sparking plug clean, and avoiding accumulation about the packing rings, charging valve,

It will, of course, be understood that the quantity and temperature of water or other cooling agent to be introduced, must be properly proportioned to the kind and size of the engine, and the amount of the charge exploded. This can be regulated in any suitable way. As shown in the drawings, the water supply pipe to the pump is provided with an ordinary hand valve 6, preferably of the globe type, and can be opened more or less so as to regulate and determine the quantity of water which will be introduced into the cylinder of the engine.

The by-pass, in the delivery connections from the pump, with the double acting check valve-controlling the same, is highly desirable, in some points of view, especially for preventing the introduction of any water into the cylinder of the engine when starting the en-. gine or upon a stroke of the engine piston occurring under the eflect of momentum, without any explosion in the explosion chamber of the engine. It must be obvious that to introduce water at any other-time, than when the engine is operating under the direct effect of an explosion, would be detrimental. If 'the engine be so organized that explosions will never fail, it would and other parts exposed to the results of the explosion. 1

be possible to dispense with the by-pass and the double livery of the water to the working cylinder of the engine at the proper time, in the working stroke of the engine piston.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

' 1. In an explosive engine, the combination with means for introducing and exploding an explosive agent within the explosion chamber, of a water pump operated by the engine and having a delivery connection to the explosion cylinder, a bypass and a double acting check valve, in the connections from said pump, subject to the pressure from the working cylinder of the-engine for closing the by-pass. and permitting the water to be forced by the pump into said cylinder, substantially as described.

2. In an explosive engine, the combination with means dexoi! the engine for closing the apy-pass and permitting 10 for introducing and exploding an explosive agent within the water to be forced by the'pumpfinto said cylinder, sub the explosion chamber, of a water pump, operated by the stantially as described. engine and having a delivery connection tapping the work- In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of ingcylinder of said engine, intermediate of the limits of two witnesses; lheengine piston's travel, for timing the admission of ELLIS J. WOOLF. water thereto under the control of said piston, 11 by-pass Witnesses:

and a double acting check valve in the connections from H. D. KILGORE, said pump, suliject to the pressure from the working cylin- F. D. MERCEANT.

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