US871508A - Gas-engine. - Google Patents

Description

` PATENTEDNOV. 19, 1907. J. HOULBHAN & w. o. MAYO.

v GAS ENGINE.A APPLIGATION FILED snPT.1o.19oe

2!v SHEETS-SHEET 1'.

n f L QN lmzrmff E N EWEI N .Q NN uw NN N www. w uN N.-- QQN N @wm un w1@ um. www 1f o o/ m. QR, NN\\ MQW@ iM-zy NVENTORS d f Y T7 ORNE V5 No. 871,508. l y PATBNTBD Nov. 19, 19o?. J. HOULBHAN &-W.-G. MAYO.

"GAS ENGINE. APPLIOATION FILED 51211110.1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W/TNESSES A Troie/VE YS JOHN HOULEHAN ,AND WILLIAM C. MAYO, OF EL PASO, TEXAS.

GAS-ENGINE Speeication'of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov.V 19, 1907.

Application tiled September lO. 1906. Serial No. 334.002.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it` known that we, JOHN HOULEHAN -'and WILLIAM C. Maro, citizens of the .United States, residing at El Paso, in the county'of El Paso and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Gas-Engine, of lWhicli`^the following is a specification.

'This invention relates to starting devices for internal combustion engines, and has for its `principal o'bject to ,provide an engine especially adapted for use on automobiles and other vehicles, wherein the momentum of the vehicle may be utilized for the purpose of compressing air to be afterwards used in starting the en `ne, but the starting means ,are equally app icable `to stationary engines Where the momentum of the fly wheels is utilized to pump up the air supply for starting.

vide Ian engine of such construction as to permit its instant conversion into an internal combustion engine7 an air pump, or an air. engine.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character in which the various attachments which are necessary to convert the engine into a pump or air engine are of such construction as not in any manner to interfere with the operation of the engine when running under the impulse of the exploded charges, and without any increase whatever either in friction or load.

A still further object of the invention is to )rovi'de a device of this character which mayA 'sion chamber and the usual inlet and exhaust orts and the igniter of the engine.

Wit these and other objects in view, as

"willZmore fully hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter `fully describe ,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the a pended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form,

proportions, size and minor details ofthe structure may be made without departing lA further object of the invention is to prov from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advant-ages o the invention.

In the accompanying drawings z--Figure 1 is a side elevation of an internal combus-` tion engine constructed in accordance with the-invention, arts being broken away in order to more c early illustrate the construc- Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view .I

tion` on an enlarged scale through the counter shaft which carries the eccentrics and other mechanism. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the clutching sleeves; Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the compressed air tank valve; and Fig. 5 is a' similar view of the main air valve.

Similar numerals of reference are em-I arts IaW- ployed to indicate corresponding throughout the several figures of the ings.

The engine is provided with a suitable base 10 that has bearings for a main shaft 11, and on the latter is secured a balance wheel 12 of any ordinary construction. 1

The engine inay be rovided with any of the usual connections or im arting motion to the vehicle, but as these orm no part of the. resent invention, they have been omitt'ed rom the drawings for the sake of clearness and the engine is shown as of the ordinary stationary type instead of the marine type ordinarily employed on motor vehicles.

Mounted on the engine frame is a cylinder 15 that is open at one end and receives a piston 16 of the familiar trunk type usually employed in gas engines, the piston being connected to the crank shaft 11 in the usual manner. In the explosion chamber 17 of the cylinder is a spark plug 18, and at'one side is shown a valve 'casing 19 and a port 20, which, in the present instance may be considered as representing both the inlet and the exhaust ort for the explosive charges, the charge bemg supplied from a carbureter 20 through a pipe 21, and gasolene or other hydrocarbon emg forced into the carbureter by an engine.

operated pump 22 that is connected to the-l carbureter or mixing chamber by means of a pi e 23. The products of combustion are de ivered through an escape pipe 24 andany suitable valve mechanism is arranged within -the valve chamber 19, the' construction Aof formed of a movable piston 28 that isarried;

ioo

, by a rod 29 preferably ing boxatl the rear en ber. casting, and this fromthe full line position shown in Fig. 1 to 36l and 37.

` the dotted line position shown in the same figure, and when in the latter position the eX- vplosion chamber will be cut off from commu- 1 nication with the inlet and exhaust port, and the spark plug will also be cut on' from the chamber. While the parts are in the full line position, the device is adapted to operate in the manner commonly racticedin internal combustion engines eit er of the two cycle or four cycle type, and when the piston 28 is moved to the dotted line position the engine is? converted 'into either an air compression pump or an air driven engine, as thev case may be.

At a point above the explosion chamber is a valve casing 31 which communicates with the cylinder of the engine through a port 32, the latter being opened at all times to the cylinder without regard to the osition to which the piston 28 is 'adjuste In this vvalve casing is arranged a valve 33 of a 4construction` more fully described hereinafter, this valve serving in connection with a valve 34 to establish communication between the cylinder 'of the engine and the compressed air reservoir 35 through the medium of pipes Leading from the valve casing is an exhaust haust air is ischarged when 'the device is operating as an air driven engine, this port serving'also for the admission' of-.air to the cylinder when the engine is operating as an air compressing pump.

- It may be vhere noted that whenl the piston 28 is adjusted to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1 and certain other adjustments are m'ade, as hereinafter described, the device may operate as an air pumpfand air will be forced from the cylinder into the tank 35, the .air being stored up and subsequently utilized in the cylinder for the purpose of starting the engine into motion, sothat cranking will not be necessary.

Extending upward from the bearmgsof the shaft 11 are standards 40 at the upper ends of which are arranged bearings for the `reception ofa counter shaft 41 that is driven by a train of gears 42 from the main shaft 11'. Extending between the two standards 40 is a cross bar 43 that carries `the shaft 41,

sleeve or hollow shaft 45 rotate freely, and without undue friction.

The sleeve or hollow shaft 45 carries a pair of eccentrics 46 having straps which are connected to the opposite ends ofwa link 48 forming part of a link motion of ordinary construction. The link is supported by a bell cranlir lever 4 9' mounted on la tumbling Aand the latter carries for the reception of ort 38, ythrough which the eX- Ap being fulcrumed on driven engine,

I ofV the .operating lever bearings 44 for a4 shaft 50 said. bell crank lever being connected by a rod 51 to an operating lever 52 a latch bolt 53 'of the j usual construction, said latch bolt being ad-Ur justable'to the central position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 where the device is to as a gas engine. The lever may be adjusted be used 'to the dotted line p osit'ion when the device and tothe dotted is to be used as an air pump,

to be used line position y when the device is as an air driven engine.

Extending from the valve 33 is a stem to which is connected a ro'ckerarm ,f said arm being connectedl which latter is connected in the usual Inanner to the link block. the mid-position, Fig. 1, no motion will valve 33, and said valve will, therefore, not interfere in any manner with' the `operation of the device 'as an internal combustion engine. When adjusted to' either the-full up or the full down positions,the valvev 33 will beoperated and air to and from the main cylinder.

The operating lever 52 is pivoted on/a stud or shaft 58 and downwardly extendedl arm 59 having a slot from a rocker arm 61. on the .stein ofthe valve 34 for the purpose of controlling vthe osition of said valve.

is provided l,with a,

by a' rod 56 to a lever 57 When the link is in as .shown .by full lines inv be impartedto the' will control the passage of a pinv 6 0 thatvprojects The lever also carries an arm 62 carrying a sector 63 which engageswith afgear 64 inountedon a shortshaft or pin 65. Secured to this shaft or pin is an arm 67 to the upper end cfa lever 6 8, the latter a stationary.r .bracket 69. When the operating lever is moved 'from the central position to either the position x or the position y, the gear 64"'will be turned, and movement will be transmitted to the piston to effect its adjustment to the dottedline position .shown in Fig. 1.A the ltwo positions mentioned, Vthe apparatus 66 that is connected by. a'link Wheng moved'to '110. will operate either as an air pumpor an air and :as the sparler is "..n'o longer necessary, provision is made for cutting 1t out ofcircuit, indicated rat 70, by/

placing therein a pair of contacts 71 that Aare, engaged by a projection 7 2 onthe'lower arm when the latter is'in When the operating the lsparker to either of the central position. lever is in the central position, circuit is intact.. When ymoved thel other positions, broken, v

Returning now to the counter shaft 41, it will be seen that one end ofthe hollerT shaft 45 is cut away to form aclutch, and that vthis clutch engages the clutch vend of a sleeve 45 that is feathered' on the shaft 41, and nor the sp arker circuit is mally held in inoperative position by acoilcd spring 72 that is arranged within' the sleeve and bears at one end againstla flange 7 3 on' lshaft41.. Theclutching sleeve is under the control of an' endwise movable operating .'sleeve ,76 that is mountedl in suitable bearlings ,77 independent of the shaft 41. This sleeve 76 is provided with an annular groove ifor the reception ofa bell crank lever 78, and

. the second arm of thel bell crank lever is connectedby a rod 79 to a pin 80 on the arm 66.

- y.'So lonvas the operating lever remains in the ,ifnioved to either the centra position, the clutch is inoperative, but

osition or the posi- 4, tion y', the sleeve 76 will) be moved against the sleeve 45,`moving the latter into clutchingvengagement with the sleeve 45, so that movement will be transmitted directly from the shaft 4l, andthe linkmotion will be -started into operation, .transmitting the 1 movementto the valve 33. In this connec- .I tion it is to be noted that the shape'of the clutch faces is such that they cannot be improperly engaged. When it is desired to -disengage the clutch faces thelever 52 is moved to the central osition and the spring 72will` then'cause t e sleeve 45 to move away from the sleeve 45 and thus disengage ythe clutch.

When the parts` are in the position illus- .i l trated in full lines in Fig. 1, the engine may operatein1the usual manner, taking in charges- Whiclr are exploded, -and subsequently exhausting them. When it is desired to stop the engine, or when on. a vehicle to stop the latter l or tocheck its'speed, as on descending grades, the operating lever 1s moved backward to the dotted `line position y. This movement is transmitted through sector 63 and gear 64 to line position shown in Fig. 1. The piston 28 thereupon cuts ofi or closes the gas inlet .and

I. exhaust port of the engine, and also the rercess in whichthe spark plug is arranged.l Aft the same time the projection 72.`mov'es from engagement 'with the contacts 7] of the ls arker circuit, and the latter is broken.

'lhelmovementistransmitted from the arm 66 to the rod 79, and the clutch is thrown over to engage. thehollow shaft or sleeve 45 of the counter shaft 41, whereupon the eccentrics are locked to the shaft and the link motion is set into operation. At the same time the link is lowered and movement is immediately transmitted to the valve 33, the latter being so adjusted as to control communication f between the main cylinder, the air inlet port 38, and thepipe 36 which leads to the, valve- 34. This valve 34 -is adjusted through the arm 59 of theoperating lever into position to establish communication between the pipes 36 and 37, and therefore with the tan 35.

At "the, Asame time the link 82 that is lconnected to a valve 83 on'the gasolene supply ypipe 23 is moved to close the valve, thus preventing ,the flooding of the carbureter or with la Asing mixer. The momentum of the vehicle or of the fly wheel of the engine then causes the engine to operate as an air pump, air being drawn in through the port 38 andport 32 to the cylinder during the movement of the piston in the direction of the crank shaft, and this air being compressed as lthepiston returns, and being forced outV to the tank 35,'

28 inward to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1. The valve 83 is closed, the valve -34 is turned to again establish communication between the pipes 36 and 37, the clutch is 0 erated to en age the sleeve 45 of the sha t 41, the link is raised, and the position of the valve 33 is thereby so adjusted as 'to convert vthe engine into an ordinary fluid pressure engine. Thecompressed air from the reservoir 35 is now directedthrough the pipe 37, valve-34, pipe 36, valvel 33, port 32 to the main cylinder, forcing the piston outward and then-as the piston returns, the air is driven out through the exhaust port 38. The operation may be successfully carried on le cylinder engine, but with a multiple cy inder engine, the operation is, of course, more certain, owing to the fact that 35 through which gases 4or air4 in the, maincylinder may escape during the adjustment `of the piston 28, inasmuch as itV would be at tim'es extremely difficult tomove the piston where the main piston 16 is travelin rapidly.

-As the engine need make but a gew turns before itspmomentum will enable it to receive and compress an explosive charge, a com aratively small compressed air tank Will e suflicient. l

AIn any case the engine may be disconnected from the car or other vehicle and allowed to run idly as usual.

We claim 1. In an internal combustion engine having a ower cylinder provided with an explosion clliarnber and, means for introducing the explosive mixture and exhausting the burned gases, a compressed air reservoir, means for establishing and cutting oii' communication between the said reservoir and the explosion vchamber of the engine, a movable member forming the rear wall of the explosion chamber, andmeans for adjusting said movable member to cut oi communication between 10o' yall of the cranks cannot stop on dead centerv at the same time.

. cylinder' andfthe intake andexliast,n ieans,

a.compressed'air'reservoirymeans connecting cnain-befandwith intake and exhaust means,

' mfnltaneously Imovingthe piston and setting the valve-operatin means inmo'tion.-

"ei'voir, c onnectingJ-means-between said" cyl'- :'inder and -thef4 reservoir'v pijo'vided with ai rwaived ,passagecfmtrollingcommlmiati'on l :between the cylinderj and saidreservoir, .la normally idleinechanisni for operating the valve -inthe waivedassage,` land:-\-. a"singletaf- Operating lever for .a j usangqthe iemand mechanismv normally disconnected vfrom thev ing an` explosive-.agent supply `p1 e, -a valve-- therein, an electric- 'gniter, -ane ectric `cir-. enit connected therewith'and having spaced'- termina1s,f.a'lever,a contactcarried thereby the explosion chamber and the `intake 'andi exhaust means. l A

2 'In an' internal combustion engine havingfa cylinder provided 'fwith an explosion a movable 4piston forming the rear Wall of the explosion chamberandadjustable to a posi- Jion to out" 'of't communication between the said'reservoirjwith .the cylinder, a valve in:

'said-'connection', a normally idle@ operating.'

kmeans for the valve, andmechanism-for si- 3'. Ingan interna v.comlfiustion engine having a cylinder.- and angadjstable explosionchamber head, therein, 1a compressed air res.-

atjthe .Sametime connecting; the valve-oper: ating mechanism 'to-.a moyable part ofthe.;

engine. v

munication between the cylinderof, the en- 1,. gine vand the intake ,and exhaust means-,of an auxiliary air .portin the cylinder, avalve for controlling said port, a valveoperating engine'for operating saidv'alve, a compressed- 1r reservoir ,with which said valved airport .der the control of said lever foradjusting-t e explosion chambervhead, a'djiisting the va ve.' mechanism, and connecting-said .valve mech# -anism t0 the .genuine- 'i -5. An .internalA combustion 'engine includ-L andarranged to'engage saidterininals When the lever. is in l'oneposition 'and movable to 1 combination with'an .internal ccmb ustion enginehaving ariadjustable explosion chamber head movable to; cut off .comj break the. ignit'er'ciifcuit and-tqgclose the'- valve, an: auxiliary airport in the cylinder, van anreservoir, communicating means ber tween the air reservoir and the auxiliary port, a valve 1n said communicating means'.Y 55

a 'normally idle valve-operating mechanism for said valve, and'means under the control lof said lever'for connecting thelvalve-cperv' -ating mechanism'to a movablepalrt of the enfrine'r v Y t flan-internat.combustion engine includ.-

.a movablel piston which forms. the 'head of the. explosion'chamber, a rod 'Toa said piston, a lever for. moving said-ro l ,ani exp los`iv.eagentv 'supply pipe, a valve l'alf-H65 .ranged therein and yconnected to s aidlever,` a compressed air reservoir, aport in 'the cylinder, meansv connecting. said port to the air reservoir, a valve 'for controlling 'said o rt .a normallyidle operating :mechanism- 70- or thevalve, azclutch: 'fo'rconnectin'gY said valvewperatingmechanism to a .movable part of `the engine', an electric.l igniter,. an

4 same to*` the pistonadjusting lever,"Inie'an'e -for connecting said second lever .to th e'clntch mechanism, A means undeiith control of saidlever for'Inal;img; and-br ealging` the ig- 8o the burned gases, Ea) movableipistonfrming 85)' the rear head of. the vc xplesion'cham b er,"' an air reservoir-, connections between-"the air reservoir and theexplosionichamber, a valve

Images