Patent GB-746530-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to a vehicle propelled by a supercharged internal combustion engine
IPC: F02B39/06
Filed: 1954-01-15
Abstract: 746,530. Supercharger drives and controls; cooling cylinders; treating charge. AUTOMOBILES M. BERLIET, and GLAMANN, W. Jan. 15. 1954. No. 1259/54. .Class 7(2) [Also in Groups XXVI and XXXI] ,In a vehicle driven by a supercharged engine 1, Fig. 1, and having mechanism 3 for distributing the engine power to the driving wheels and to engine auxiliary apparatus including one or more superchargers 8, and a step-up mechanism driving the latter, means for controlling the vehicle comprising a clutch 42. Fig. 2, interposed between the mechanism 3 and the auxiliary apparatus and controlled by pedals, such as 49, 50 or 51, Fig. 3, and a member 54 adapted to inject water in the engine air supply, there is provided an exhaust-actuated turbine 14, Fig. 1, which assists in driving the vehicle, and coupling elements for example a centrifugal device 29, 30, Fig. 2, between the turbine and the main transmission shaft 4 to the driving wheels for preventing the turbine from overspeeding by causing a change in the transmission ratio when the vehicle attains a given speed. Arrangement. The engine 1, Fig. 1, is 'coupled by a shaft 2 with the distributing mechanism 3 that has output shafts 4, 7, 40 and 45, Fig. 2. which drive the rear axle 6, Fig. 1, via the normal change speed gear 5, the supercharger 8, a braking compressor. not shown, and an air fan 56. respectively. The supercharger 8 draws in air through an inlet 9, a filter 10 and a pipe 11 whilst the supercharger output is distributed as described in Specification 734,003 to a pipe 13 connected to the turbine 14 and conduits 15, 16 leading, respectively, to the exhaust pipe 17 under the control of a braking device 18 and the engine intake. The water injector 54 is located in the supercharger output conduit 12 or in the supercharged inlet where the supercharger is of the centrifugal type Whilst a fuel injection combustionchamber, not shown, may be provided in the pipe 13. A torsion bar, spring, magnetic, friction or hydraulic coupling 55 may be arranged on the supercharger shaft 7; this coupling may consist of a hydraulic torque-convertor the adjustment of which is effected in response to variations in atmospheric pressure. or differentially by the latter and the accelerator pedal, under which circumstances two tandem super. chargers driven from shafts 7 and 45 through different gear ratios may be provided Power distributing mechanism. This mechanism is similar that disclosec in Specification 746.681 but includes the spring-loaded centrifugal blocks 30 on the shaft 4. Below a given speed the carrier 24 and hence shaft 4 are driven through teeth 25 and pinion 26 whilst at or above this speed the shaft 4 is driven by the pinion 28 and the annulus 29, the blocks 30 coupling the shaft 4 and the annulus 29, and the free-wheel 27 permitting overrun of the pinion 26. The reduction gear 24, 26 and 28, 29 may be replaced by a friction drive, and the mechanism casing or the mechanism itself may be resiliently suspended by rubber pads or dash pots. Control mechanism. The full power pedal 49, Fig. 3, economy pedal 50 and the brake pedal 51 act through springs 52 upon a servo-motor 53 connected to the clutch lever 48, the latter being in its neutral position shown in Fig. 2 when all the pedals are inoperative. Upon depressing pedal 50 for a part of its stroke the lever 48 is urged leftwardly; a similar result is obtained by depressing pedal 51 if a braking compressor is not fitted. The ]ever 48 is moved rightwardly upon operating pedal 49 and the three pedals are interlocked so that pedal 49 will only be released when the other two pedals are in the inoperative positions; conversely the pedals 50 and 51 can only be actuated when the pedal 49 is in the inoperative position. Movement of the pedal 49, in addition to effecting a drive to the supercharger. also increases the fuel, up to an intermediate point of its stroke, to a value corresponding to the maximum supercharging of the engine. In its fully depressed position the pedal 49 may cause an additional feeding of the turbine. The pedal 50 provides an increase in fuel supply up to a value sufficient to enable the engine, when it is not supercharged, to yield its maxmium output. An emergency accelerator, not shown, which controls the water injector and the fuel combustion-chamber is provided. Another pedal, not shown, may control the coupling 55 at starting only. The clutch 42 is utilized in connection with the accelerator pedal which in this case will be used as an ordinary clutch pedal when changing gear; an interlocking mechanism, not shown, is arranged to connect the clutch pedal and pedal 49 so that the braking device 18 cannot be closed before the clutch 42 is engaged and the pedal 49 cannot be moved beyond a given position as long as the device 18 is open. Operation. With the operating lever 48 of the clutch 42 in the position shown a shaft 34, Fig. 2, can rotate freely and the engine started or stopped. Upon moving the lever 48 to the right a wheel 41 is clutched to the shaft 34 so effecting a drive to the shafts 7 and 45. Leftward movement of the lever 48 locks the shaft 34 to the casing so preventing rotation of the shaft 34 and an intermediate annulus 32 whereupon the supercharger rotates freely or is driven by a gear 46. Locking of the shaft 34 enables the engine to be used as an auxiliary brake as well as resulting in the same effect as a change of speed with a conventional change-speed gear.