US899842A - Internal-combustion engine. - Google Patents

Description

S. A. REEVE. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

" APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 11. 1905. Patented Sept 29 1-908 4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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' s. A. REEVE.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLIOA'IIOH FILED AUG. 11, 1905.

899,842.- Patented Sept. 29 1908.

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S. A. REEVE- INTBRNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11. 1905. 899,842, Patented Sept. 29, 1908. 4 SHEETS-SHEET s.

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S. A. REEVE.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

urucnxon FILED we. .11, 1905.

Patented Sept. 29, 1-908.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIDNEY A. REEVE, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES F. BROWN, TRUSTEE, OF READING, MASSACHUSETTS.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE s ecification and accompanying drawings il ustrate the invention in a form Which I now regard as the best out of the various forms 1n which it may be embodied.

' This invention relates to explosive englnes operating on the Lenoir cycle modified by 1n1t1al compression and there are therefore one or more pumps for compressing the charge outside of the combustion-cylinder,

and the valve and igniting organs of the combustion-cylinder are such that the compressed charge is drawn into the cylinder during the first part of the stroke, is cut off and exploded, and finally expanded during the remainder of the stroke. Exhaust occurs during the back-stroke and the cycle is then repeated.

Formerly it has been proposed to time the ignition with the cut-off, but owing to variations between the piston speed and the rate of flame propa ation, difierences occuring in the combustibi ity of the charge, varying degree of compression, and other factors which are constantly changing during the running of the engine, I find that any rigid relation between cut-ofi and ignition gives inferior results since usually the ignition will either be too early. and cause a blow-back or it will be too late and not give the maximum pressure which the particular charge is capable of. I have therefore devised means for effecting the final cut-off of the entering ex.- plosive charge by means of the pressure of the explosion. The igniter may therefore have either a fixed or variable point of operation with relation to the piston-stroke but this point will be more or less independent of the point of cut-off since the cut-ofi is effected by the explosion itself. In carrying out this idea I provide a certain novel form of valve mechanism for the explosion-cylinder and new combinations of igniter and valves, a preferred embodiment of which is hereinafter set forth, and furthermore, since it becomes possible with this new arrangement to secure a wider variation in the composition of the charge and in its rate of mix- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 11, 1905.

Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

Serial No. 273,710.

ture and rate of inflammation I provide novel means for varying these factors.

Of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of an explosion motor constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 represents an end elevation thereof. Fig. 3 represents a top plan view. Fig. 4 represents a top plan view of the explosion-cylinder. Fig. 5 represents a vertical section of the upper end of the latter on the line 55 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 represents a view similar to Fig. 5, showing the cut-off valve open. Fig. 7 represents a horizontal section taken through the inlet and exhaust valves. Figs. 8 and 9 represent views of the igniter in different operative positions. Figs. 10 to 15 inclusive represent detail views of the admission distributing-valve for the air and gas pumps, Fig. 10 being a plan, Fig. 11 a horizontal section, Fig. 12 a rear elevation, Figs. 13 and 14 vertical sections with the valve in two different positions, and Fig. 15 a section on the line 1515 of Fig. 14.

In the drawings, 1 is the engine-shaft, 2 is the motor-cylinder, 3 is the air-compressor cylinder, and 4 is the gas-compressor cylinder, all of these being double-acting and having the usual pistons (not shown).

5 is the motor-crank, and 6 is the crank for the two compressors set behind the motor-crank by something less than a quadrant so that the pum s are completing the compression of the c arge while the motor-piston moves away to form the combustionspace as usual in engines of this type. The compressors may be provided with any of the usual types of valves.

9 is a distributing device controlling the induction of the compressor cylinders so as to provide any degree of mixture of the air and fuel in each compressor short of an exlosive mixture. An explosive mixture is liighly undesirable owing to the extreme danger of back-firing, but by a certain amount of premixture the speed of inflammation is increased and it is obvious that when this is done by means of the device 9 as I shall hereinafter explain, the increased inflammability, which in an engine with a normally-fixed relation of the ignition and cut-off would require a readjustment of this relation, is in my engine automatically taken care of because cut-ofi is effected by the explosion.

10 is the air-supply pipe leading into the casing of the distributer 9, and 11 is the gassupply pipe leading in at an opposite point.

12 is the air-induction pi e of the air-com pressor 3, and 13 is a simi ar induction-pipe for the gas-compressor, these pipes leading out of the distributer-casing above the corresponding pipes '10 and 11. The distributer valve or plug 900 is adjustable through a quadrant and it has two longitudinal surface ports 30 to connect the pipes 10 and 12 and the pipes 11 and 13 so that only air goes to the air-compressor and gas to the gas-compressor, and also four aperture ports 31, for connecting all .the pipes with the central chamber of the valve and completely mixing the air and gas for both compressors. By

adjusting the valve plug between the two.

extreme positions "represented respectively in Fig. 13 on the one hand and in Figs. 11, 14, and 15 on the other, any desired degree of mixture may be secured so that the aircompressor, for example, will obtain a mixture with too much air to be explosive, and the gas-compressor one with too much gas to be explosive.

14 are the air-com ressor discharge-pipes connecting by a trun r-pipe 15 with the airinduction pipes 16 of the motor-cylinder, and 19, 20, 21 are similar pipes for the compressed gas.

17 and 22 represent air and gas induction pipes containing reservoirs 18 and 23 and connecting with the compressed-air and gas lines respectively between the com ressors and the motor. Suitable air stop- valves 24, 25, and gas stop- valves 26, 27 are inserted in the piping, and the resulting arrangement is such that the compressors may deliver direct to the motor or may deliver to the motor with reservoirs in lateral branch connection so as to store the compressed fluid and equalize pressure fluctuations, or the motor may receive air and gas direct through the branch pipes 17 and 23 from any suitable source. Furthermore these branch pipes may obviously conduct away to some external destination a part of the compressed air and gas delivered by the compressors.

28 and 29 are water-jackets or intercoolers to be used if desired for reducing the temperature of com ression of the fluids fed to the motor-cylin er.

Turning now to the automatic valve and igniting arrangements for the motor-cylinder, it will be seen that the compressed air and gas first reach two piston- valves 32, 33 mounted upon a common stem 34 which is actuated in a valve-closing direction by spring 35. The valve arrangements and the igniter arrangements are duplicated at opposite ends of the cylinder so that a description of one end will sufiice. 36 is the air-inlet passage for the motor controlled by valve 32, and 37 is the gas-inlet passage controlled by valve 33, these passages becoming eoncentric at the entrance to the motor-eylimler with a gas-entrance port encircled by an annular air-entrance port, as seen in Figs. 5 and 6, whereby the air andv become effectively mixed at their entrance; and the two ports are controlled by a single puppet check-valve structure including an annular air-valve 38 and a gas-valve 39 connected therewith by somewhat flexible arms to in sure proper seating of both valves. This valve structure has two posts or stems -10, as best seen in Fig. 4, connected above the cylinder-head by a cross-bar 41 Said crossbar is embraced by the slotted short arm 42 of a lever on a shaft 43 and the long arm 44 of this lever has a slot in its end occupied by a pin 46 on a pivoted rock-arm or link 45 which I term a triplinl the function thereof being to arrest the closing move ment of the valves 38, 39 without shock and lock these valves whenv seated. When the valves are open as shown in Fig. 6, link 45 is extended parallel to the lever-arm 44, and when the valves are closed the link is brought into a position at rightrangles or normal to the lever-arm as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5-the link in this latter position locking the lever against any opening movement of the valves 38, 39 due to ressure behind the valves. Fixed to the shaft of the trip-link 45 is a toe 47 adapted to be engaged by a beveled spring-latch 43 on the stem 34 of the piston-valves and thus to swing the link 45 in an unlocking direction. when the piston-valves move to the lel't as viewed in Figs. 5 and 6. When the pistonvalves move to the right the latch 48 will be depressed by the toe 47 if the latter is in its vertical position (Fig. 5) and assume a reengaging position behind said toe.

Piston-valve-stem 34 is drawn out against the tension of spring 35 by the rolling of a wiper-cam 49 which is pivoted to the valve stem, against a fixed abutment 50, and the cam is oscillated to effect this valve-opening movement by the upward thrust of a rod 56 operated by the eccentric and link motion to be presently described.

52 is the puppet exhaust-valve closed by a spring 53 and operated by a wiper-cam 54 which is pivoted to its stem and acts against a fixed abutment 55. The exhaust-valve is unseated by the downward pull of a rod 56 which oscillates cam 54 and thrusts the exhaust-valve stem" inwardly. As it is con venient to actuate the inlet- valves 32, 33 and the exhaust-valve 52 by the same valve motion the respective rods 51 and 56 are connected through suitable rockers and in termediate rods 86, S7 with a rock-shaft 85, but the exhaust-valve might obviously be operated by an independent mechanism worked shoulder on a cam-plate 60 oscillated by the The electrodes are set incontact by the enthe igniter at the upper end of the cylinder the initial-upward movement of cam-plate cam-plate detent 63 yields to pass the catch from the cam-shaft and not subject to the same variable control as the inlet-valves, which I shall now describe.

65 and 66 are two eccentrics on the motorshaft 1 adapted for forward and reverse running respectively and connected by rods 67, 68 with the opposite ends of a Stephenson link 69 which is guided by a rocker-arm 70. In the link are mounted two blocks 81, 82 in guide-ways side by side so as to be capable of sliding past each other, the block 81 being connected with the rook-shaft 85 by .means of a rod'83 and rocker 84 so as to operate the admission and exhaust valves, while the block 82 is connected by a rod 88 and rockarm- 89with a rock-shaft 90 which operates the igniters as hereinafter described.- For shifting the valve block 81 to vary the amount of opening of the valves and also to time them for reverse running when desired by throwing the block to the opposite end of the link 69, I have shown a rod 101 connected with a bell-crank lever 102 which has a rod 105 connecting with a hand-lever 106, the latter having a suitable latch which cooperates with a fixed toothed segment 107 for maintaining thelink-blockiri a desired adjustment. For shifting the igniterblock 82 there is a rod 112 connected through a bellcrank lever 113 and a rod 115 with a handlever 118 which latches in a fixed toothed segment 1070. By this means the ignition may also be timed to-occur earlier or later in the working stroke andshifted to one side or the other of dead-center for either forward or reverse running. A- rock-shaft 90 connects by a vertical rod 64 with the igniters whose construction is indicated in Figs. 8 and 9.

57 is a fixed electrode within the cylinder, and-58 is a sliding electrode adapted to contact with the fixed electrode and form the spark by separating therefrom, the stem of the movable electrode being connected with a pivoted lever 59 which is moved outwardly by a spring 61 to separate the electrodes.

gagement, with a projection on this lever, of a rod 64. When thus set the lever 59 isheld' in position by a latch 62 adapted to be tripped by a detent 63 on the cam-plate 60. or

trips the catch 62 and causes the spark to be formed between the electrodes 57, 58 by the retreat of lever 59, and the continued u ward movement of the cam-plate resets t e lever. On the downward movement of the 62 without actuating the latter. This form of igniter is merely illustrative and any other suitable type can be substituted.

' 127 is a rod actuated by the hand-lever 106 and connecting with a stop-valve 128 in l the compressed-gas pipe 20, whereby, when the motor is reversed, the gas may be shut off and the motor started on the reverse with compressed air alone from the reservoir 18 and the piping, after which the continued movement of'the hand-lever 106 into the fullgear position will re-open the valve 128 and allow the motor to resume the explo -ive cycle.

200 and 201 indicate the stems of two valves operated by suitable connections from the hand-lever 118 and adapted to be shifted by the same movement which varies the time of ignition. This device represents any standard mechanism for varying the output of the compressors to accord with variations in the load on the motor and the power delivered by the motor.

In the operation of this engine the air and gas compressors 3 and 4 deliver their output to the motor-cylinder 2 under control of the piston admission- valves 32, 33 which are timed with the piston and adjustable in timing by shifting the link-block 81.. The piston-valves preferably open at or near dead center and-in doing so a latch 48 on the leftwardly-moving valve-stem engages the toe 47 and trips the link 45 so as to unlock the lever 44, 42 which controls the cut-off valves 38, 39, thus enabling the pressure of the air and gas to unseat said valves and admit the charge into the working-cylinder. At any suitable time determined by the adjustment of the igniter-block 82 a spark is formed in the combustible mixture and an explosion takes place. The rise in pressure due to the explosion permits and assists in the closure of the cut-off valves 38, 39 and by the resulting downward movement of lever arm 44 the tri -link 45 is pulled or forced into its vertica locking-position, indicated in Fig. 5. Expansion of the exploded charge takes place during the remainder of the working stroke and on the return stroke the exhaust valve 52 is opened and the burned gases expelled. The cycle is then repeated. By a preponderant weighting of the longer lever-arm 44 or by 'an equivalent spring arrangement the cut-off valves 38, 89 may be predisposed to close as soon as the pressures become equalized, and if the explosion is a relatively rapid one, as in most cases, its force will assist the closing movement. It is very important that this closing movement be arrested with as little shock as possible and this I accomplish by the positive mechanical cushioning effect imposed by the link 45 moving into its vertical position of greatest mechanical advantage over the lever and valves, this effect being somewhat like that of a crank and pitmanin bringing an engine piston to rest at the end of its stroke, the said link also furnis'hing an automatic lock which prevents premature opening of the valves 38, 39.

Thus it will be seen that the piston admission- valves 32, 33 after having opened to admit the charge past the check- valves 38, 39, may be closed again either before or after the explosion is complete, and this without either a back-blow or a loss of explosive power, because the final cut-off is effected by the explosion itself and depends upon the relation between the rate of flame propagation and the speed of the pistons retreat. Vith a slow-burning mixture, ignition would be adjusted to occur relatively early in the working-strokeand might even be instituted atpractically dead-center though not completed until a substantial working-charge had entered behind the retreating piston. The admission-distributing-valve 9 controlling the induction of the air and gas compressors gives an opportunity to vary the rate of inflammation by changing the amount of premixture of the air and gas effected in the compressors, and thus enables me in eonnection with the adjustment of admission and ignition to establish any desired conditions to fit the work performed by the motor, the rate of speed at which it runs, the character 0f the fuel, etc.

While I have shown hand-regulation for the engine it Will of course be understood that various automatic devices known in the art for regulating the engine according to load may be provided and these might take the place of the hand- levers 106 and 118 or o erate in conjunction therewith. It will be also apparent to those skilled in the art that the principles of my invention apply to single-acting engines, to non-reversing engines, and to engines using liquid fuel, and also that various wellknown devices may be substituted to accomplish the same functions as the link-motions, igniters and other parts described.

The effect of a premature ignition and blow-back which the cut-off valves 38, 39 are designed to prevent, would not in the case of the engine illustrated, be more serious than to disturb the proper entrance and fur ther combustion of the charge, unless of course the proportions of air and fuel in either supply pipe were such as to cause the charge to ignite in the supply pipe, which might result from faulty adjustment of air and fuel proportions in the compressor induction. When using liquid fuel, a pump is of course substituted for the gas compressor, and in such cases it is customary to mix the air and fuel completely at some distance anterior to the combustion cylinder. In all such situations the cut-off valve timed by explosion of the charge has a useful office in preventing the effects of a blow-back.

I claim 1. An internal-combustion engine comprising a charge-compressor. a combustioncylinder adapted to have its charge admitted during the early part of the working-stroke, an igniter, an automatic cut-oil valve whose closure is timed by the explosion, a combined cushioning and locking device for said valve adapted to absorb the shock of closing movement of said valve and hold the valve locked in closed position, and means operated by the motor for unlocking said valve.

2. An internal-eombustion motor including a combustion-cylimler to which is adlnitted a charge during the early part ofthe working-stroke, an automatic valve operated by the explosion for cutting off the charge, and a pivoted arresting-link for said valve forced into a position of greatest mechanical advantage over the valve by the closing movement of'the valve.

3. An internal-comlmstion engine com prising an explosion-motor, a charge-compressor operated thereby, an automatic cutoff valve closed. by the explosion, a locking device for holding said valve closed, a chargeadmission valve located anterior to said cutoff valve and operated by the motor, and

means whereby the opening movement of said admission-valve unlocks the cut-ell. valve.

l. An internal-combustion engine comprising a motor-cylinder having an. inletport, an automatic cheek-valve controlling said port, a lever actuated by the valve, a valve cushioning and locking trip-link operated by the lever, a charge-admission valve anterior to the check-valve and operated by the motor, and means whereby the opening movement of said admission-valve matuates the trip-link to unlock the lever.

5. An internal-combustion engine comprising a motor-cylinder, air and fuel admission passages for said cylinder terminating in concentric entrance-ports, connected admission-valves controlling said passages and operated by the motor, and a single cutoff valve structure adapted to be closed by the explosion and comprising connected concentric air and fuel valves controlling said. entrance-ports.

6. An internal-combustion engine comprising a 1notor-cylinder, a charge-compressor therefor, an admission-valve timed. by the motor to admit the charge during the early part of the working stroke, an automatic cut-off valve controlling the chargeadmission and closed by the explosion, an. igniter, and means for adjusting said igniter to vary the timing thereof with respect to both the working-stroke and the admissienvalve action.

7. An internal-combustion engine comprising a motor-cylinder, air and fuel pumping devices therefor, admission mechanism. lncluding an automatic cut-oil valve closed by the explosion, an ignlter having means for adjusting its timing with respect to the working-stroke, and means controlling the pump induction for varying the composition and inflammability of the mixture.

5 8. An internal-combustion engine comprising an explosion-cylinder adapted to admit, explode; and expand the charge during its working-stroke, air and gas pumps for initially compressing the charge, and a dis- 10 tributing-valve-device controlling the induction of said pumps and having provision for admitting pureair and fuel to the respective pumps or air-and-fuel mixtures of varying composition.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 15 my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, the first day of June 1905.

SIDNEY A. REEVE.

I Witnesses:

L. T. SHAW, M. A. MODER.

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