Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1921-02-27
WHAT IS MODERN
CYLINDER DESIGN

We hear SO much of standardization
in these days that the uninitated might
jump 10 the conclusion that there were
few but minor differences among fun
daInentalS OF motor car design. As a
Ehatter of fact standardization does not
| aim at reducing all cars to the same
mold, for it is in the differences among
engineers that we motorists are able to
find the varying ideas that enables us
to get car suited to individual tastes
and needs. The real meaning of stand
ardization is the elimination of some
of the myriad minor divergences that
produce waster effort and reduplication
of manufacturing.
However, / did not start out to dis
cuSs standardization, but the general
misunderstanding of the term was sug-
gested to me by a question OF one of
my readers as to whether the manufac-
turers would ever attain standard cyl
inder design. The only answer is no.
There are few parts of the mechanism
where the engineers and designers dis
play such catholicity of mechanical
ideals as in the cylinder design. While
the average car owner may not sus-
pect it, there are great many different
types of cylinders in use today, and
each one has something to recommend
| it. To begin with the cylinder may be
| made of any one of a considerable va
riety of materials. Gray iron is, of
course the most popular material, be-
cause it is the cheapest, but steel, semi
steel and aluminium in various COM
positions are employed for this casting.
| The methods of casting the cylinders
are even more varied. We have block
castings, that is, all the cylinders being
formed in a single piece of metal, but
casting in pairs, threes, tours and skies
! is common practice. The old fashioned
method of casting each cylinder sep
arately has almost disappeared.
Futher, we have horizontally placed
cylinders as we'll as the conventional
upright casting. We have castings in
which the cylinders are tilted at angles
| of so or 80 degrees. In some cylinders
provision is made for cooling by air
while of course the conventional design
provides water jackets for that purpose
| So it will be seen that there is no Ques-
| ton of variety in cylinders.
presume that the average car own
| err never gives a thought to the cylinder
block of his engine. He may know thai
! it is there, or he may not even have
gone so far as to think about it at all
Nevertheless, this is a fundamentally
important part of the engine. Any vet
eran motorist who drove one of tbs
early productions will testify to tht
fact that faulty cylinder blocks cal
cause very real trouble and very FIRE
quent.
In the upper portion of the cylinde,
is contained the combustion chamber
in which the explosion of the fue
charge takes place. The cylinder ais
houses the valve system, the breathin;
apparatus of the engine. The cylinde.
also must provide for the attachment o
the manifolds, the fan bracket an.
various other parts, according to tn
design.
Cylinders are usually classified &C
cording to their shape and the location
of the valve system. The most popula
type is the L-head, named for its re
semblace to that letter, wherein, tn
valves are located in an annex or 81
juting off from the main body of tn
cylinder. Then there is the T-head, il
which two chambers, one on each sid
of the cylinder, are provided for tn
valves. Next comes the valve lin -hea
cylinder, which is accurately describes
| by the name and finally the sleev
valve cylinder. There are other types
the rotary valve engine, etc. but a
these are not used in automobile con
struction in America today, we shal
omit them from consideration.
In the L-head cylinder all the valve
are on one side and only one camshaf
is necessary. In the T-head engin,