Improvements in Gas and other Motive Power Engines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 4th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 5th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 4th May, 1894
Improvements in Gas and other Motive Power Engines.
I, HENRY MARIE LEON CROUAN, Engineer, of 14 Rue Fromentin, Paris, in
the Republic of France, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention for Improvements in Gas and other Motive Power Engines has
for its object to simplify the construction of the engine, to reduce the cost of
maintenance, to facilitate cleaning, to reduce the weight, to completely protect all
the working parts from blows, dust, dampness and the like, to facilitate the taking
to pieces of the engine and the getting at any part without affecting other parts,
to enable any fixed part to be immediately replaced without hand fitting, to
efficiently regulate the speed of the motor and to enable this speed to be readily
varied at will so that the engine can be used in all industries requiring varying
powers, and to ensure a maximum of economy whatever the power exerted by the
engine.
In an engine constructed according to this invention, the working cylinder is
attached to a hollow stand enclosing the crank and connecting rod. The bearing
for the crank shaft is formed in the boss of a loose cover secured in the side
of the stand. The bearing of the shaft is conical and is received in a bush
fitting in the boss of the cover and adapted to be fixed therein in any position
adjustable axially to adjust the position of the crank, and circumferentially to
compensate for unequal wear. The shaft bearing is kept in its position in the
bush by means of a washer preventing from turning on the shaft and a nut
screwing on the smaller end of the shaft and forcing the washer against a flange
on the bush. The valve mechanism is actuated from a small shaft forming a
continuation of the crank shaft and operated by the end of the crank pin engaging
in a loose eye in an arm attached to it. The bearing of this valve shaft is
conical and is received in a bush fitting in the boss of a loose cover secured in
the other side of the stand. A cap rigidly attached to the bush and screwing
on the bush serves to adjust the same, the two bearings are lubricated by means
of tubes passing to the outside of the stand.
404
In order to avoid the use of toothed gearing for operating the exhaust valve it is
operated by an oscillating lever, actuated by an eccentric and rod but which is
forced out of the way at each alternate stroke against the resistance of a spring by
means of a cam working at half the speed so as to obtain a four stroke cycle. The
whole of the work is thus put on the eccentric.
In order to govern the speed of the engine the exhaust is kept closed whenever
the desired speed is exceeded and, consequently fresh explosive mixture is not
drawn into the cylinder as the pressure therein exceeds atmospheric pressure.
When the speed exceeds the normal amount a small lever is forced by a spring in
the path of the oscillating exhaust lever and prevents it from retaking its normal
position from which it has been forced by the cam until the speed falls to the
desired amount. This arrangement gives an exceedingly sensitive governing with
a very short governor spring and also allows the speed to be easily regulated by
adjusting the tension of the governor spring.
The inlet valves are ordinary suction vales automatic in action and the igniting
is effected by an incandescent tube, electric spark or other suitable means. The
compression at starting is regulated by a small orifice in the combustion chamber
closed by a-pointed screw.

page_text: The piston is lubricated by means of a tube passing to the front end of the
cylinder. A tube also passes through the piston to a groove on the pin at the
piston end of the connecting rod and this tube during every stroke comes opposite
the first mentioned tube. This groove is in communication by small holes bored
in the pin with holes opposite the connecting rod end which is thus lubricated.
The excess oil passes by a third tube running along the connecting rod to its crank
end. The excess oil escapes into the hollow stand and is drawn off through a hole
closed by a screw plug.
The power of the engine is regulated by its speed, the speed of the driven shaft
being kept constant by means of suitable gearing. A pulley on the crank shaft
drives by means of a belt a pulley on a shaft situated in the hollow stand and
carrying a cone pulley driving by a belt passing through the stand a reverse cone:
pulley situated on the other side of the stand and mounted on a shaft carrying a
main driving pulley.
In order to enable the engine to be readily started the first driving belt is loose
and is tightened by means of a movable guide roller fixed on the end of a hand
lever that can be fixed in position.
The belt connecting the reverse cones is guided by a fork operated by hand or
automatically by connecting it to a sliding sleeve regulating the tension of the
governor spring so that as the tension of the spring and consequently the speed of
the engine is increased the velocity ratio of the gearing is decreased or vice versa.
Dated this 4th day of May 1893.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas and other Motive Power Engines.
I HENRY MARIE LEON CROUAN, Engineer, of 14 Rue Fromentin, Paris, in
the Republic of France, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention for Improvements in Gas and other Motive Power Engines has
for its object to simplify the construction of the engine, to reduce the cost of
maintenance, to facilitate cleaning, to reduce the weight, to completely protect all
the working parts from blows, dust, dampness and the like, to facilitate the taking
to pieces of the engine and the getting at any part without affecting other parts, to
enable any fixed part to be immediately replaced without hand fitting, to efficiently
regulate the speed of the motor and to enable this speed to be readily varied at
will so that the engine can be used in all industries requiring varying powers,
and to ensure a maximum of economy whatever the power exerted by the
engine.
In an engine constructed according to this invention, the working cylinder is
attached to a hollow stand enclosing the crank and connecting rod. The bearing
for the crank shaft is formed in the boss of a loose cover secured in the side of the
stand. The bearing of the shaft is conical and is received in a bush fitting in the
boss of the cover and adapted to be fixed therein in any position adjustable axially
to adjust the position of the crank and circumferentially to compensate for unequal
wear. The shaft bearing is kept in its position in the bush by means of a washer
prevented from turning on the shaft and a nut screwing on the smaller end of the
shaft and forcing the washer against a flange on the bush. The valve mechanism
is actuated from a small shaft forming a continuation of the crank shaft and
operated by the end of the crank pin engaging in a loose eye in an arm attached
to it. The bearing of this valve shaft is conical and is received in a bush fitting in
the boss of a loose cover secured in the other side of the stand. A cap rigidly

page_text: attached to the bush and screwing on the bush serves to adjust the same. The two
bearings are lubricated by means of tubes passing to the outside of the stand.
In order to avoid the use of toothed gearing for operating the exhaust valve it
is operated by an oscillating lever actuated by an eccentric and rod but which is
forced out of the way at each alternate stroke against the resistance of a spring by
means of a cam working at half the speed so as to obtain a four stroke cycle. The
whole of the work is thus put on the eccentric.
In order to govern the speed of the engine the exhaust is kept closed whenever
the desired speed is exceeded and consequently fresh explosive mixture is not drawn
into the cylinder as the pressure therein exceeds atmospheric pressure. When the
speed exceeds the normal amount a small lever is forced by a spring in the path
of the oscillating exhaust lever and prevents it from retaking its normal position
from which it has been forced by the cam, until the speed falls to the desired
amount. This arrangement gives an exceedingly sensitive governing with a very
short governor spring and also allows the speed to be easily regulated by adjusting
the tension of the governor spring.
The inlet valves are ordinary suction valves automatic in action and the igniting
The
is effected by an incandescent tube, electric spark or other suitable means.
compression at starting is regulated by a small orifice in the combustion chamber
closed by a pointed screw.
The piston is lubricated by means of a tube passing to the front end of the
cylinder. A tube also passes through the piston to a groove on the pin at the
piston end of the connecting rod and this tube during every stroke comes opposite
the first mentioned tube. This groove is in communication by small holes bored
in the pin with holes opposite the connecting rod end which is thus lubricated.
The excess oil passes by a third tube running along the connecting rod to its
crank end. The excess oil escapes into the hollow stand and is drawn off through
a hole closed by a screw plug.
The power of the engine is regulated by its speed the speed of the driven shaft
being kept constant by means of suitable gearing. A pulley on the crank shaft
drives, by means of a belt, a pulley on a shaft situated in the hollow stand and
carrying a cone pulley driving by a belt passing through the stand a reverse cone
pulley situated on the other side of the stand and mounted on a shaft carrying a
main driving pulley.
In order to enable the engine to be readily started the first driving belt is loose
and is tightened by means of a movable guide roller fixed on the end of a hand
lever that can be fixed in position.
The belt connecting the reverse cones is guided by a fork operated by hand or
automatically by connecting it to a sliding sleeve regulating the tension of the
governor spring, so that as the tension of the spring and consequently the speed of
the engine is increased the velocity ratio of the gearing is decreased or vice versa.
In the accompanying two sheets of illustrative drawings
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an engine constructed according to this invention and
Fig. 2 is a cross section through the crank shaft and Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal
section of the same.
Fig. 4 is a detail view of the admission valve and
Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the manner of lubricating the gudgeon connecting
the piston with the connecting rod.
The motor is composed of a cylinder A carried on a hollow stand C enclosing
the crank D mounted on the shaft carrying the fly wheel and the driving
pulley (Figs. 2 and 3).
This hollow stand is closed at its ends by two covers I. J. A bush K is fitted in
the boss of the cover J and forms a bearing for the conical part of the crank
shaft. At the outer end of the cone the shaft is formed with a screw thread and
four flats in order to prevent the washer M, having a square hole, from turning. A
nut N screwed on the thread allows the conical part of the shaft to be drawn up
to the bearing K the washer M bearing against the cap L of the bush K. Any

page_text: wear may thus be taken up as it is produced. The bearing being adjusted the nut
is fixed in its position by a spring blade "fixed on the washer M and engaging in
one of a series of notches cut in the circumference of the nut. A screw O working in
the boss of the cover J and bearing on the cap L firmly fixes the whole together
axially and determines exactly the position of the crank plate.
The cap L is fixed mounted on the end of the bush K so that it cannot rotate
and a slight circumferential movement can be given to the bearing from time to
time to compensate for the unequal wear of the bearing.
The lubrication is effected by an oil or fat lubricator feeding a tube S' which
terminates in a circular groove cut round the bearing K and communicating with
the shaft by a number of small holes.
ai
The other plate I forming an enclosed case contains the parts effecting the
exhaust and the regulating mechanism. This plate provided with a bearing, carries
an arm P actuated by the end of the crank pin which engages loosely in its eye;
this lever arm P is mounted on a small conical shaft with a similar adjustment to
that of the shaft 1. This shaft however having only to perform a small amount of
work is smaller and its regulating mechanism is simpler.
The bell shaped flange of the bearing Q for the small shaft screws directly on to
the boss of the cover and is held in position by a spring clip e (Fig. 1) engaging in
one of a series of notches cut in its circumference.
The lubrication is effected by the lubricator feeding the tube in the same
manner as on the other side.
9
An eccentric R with its collar is mounted on this small shaft and at each
revolution of the motor oscillates the lever arm d (Fig. 1) through the angle a.
This lever d carries on a horizontal axis a lever g the extremity of which would push
at each stroke the rod ' which controls the exhaust valve, if this lever g always
remained in the same position. But this is not the case. A pinion T mounted on
the shaft operates a toothed wheel S of twice the diameter which carries a cam f.
At every second revolution this cam permits the lever g, raised by a spring, to
occupy the position indicated on the drawing and consequently to operate the
rod ; at the other revolutions on the contrary it raises the roller end of the lever g
which takes up the position g¹ so that it strikes into space when operated by the
eccentric. The essential condition is thus obtained of a four cycle motor, the
opening of the exhaust at every second revolution only. This mechanism has
nothing in common, except in appearance with the methods hitherto employed.
The toothed wheels employed in other motors transmit at each second revolution
the effort necessary to raise the valve, an effort fairly considerable and always
sudden without counting the additional work sometimes imposed upon them. In
this case our wheels suppress one in every two the transmission of this effort and
do nothing else but in any case they do not of themselves transmit any notable
effort. The combination is therefore entirely novel.
In order to regulate the speed of the motor the exhaust is kept closed whenever
a certain speed is exceeded, and the explosive mixture is not admitted on the
following stroke since the pressure exceeds the atmospheric pressure, hence there
is no explosion.
This result is obtained as follows. On the lever d (Fig. 1) and above the lever g
but moving in a horizontal plane but perpendicular to that of the lever g about an
axis a' is a small lever provided at one end with a small button band at the
other end with a blade i. On the lever g is a small projection; which normally
does not engage the steel blade i during the oscillation of the lever g because as
will be seen the governor ring bears against the button 61 and the blade i at the
other end is at the front side of the projection j.
When the governor ring is operated by the governor this button b¹ is moved
sideways and the blade i comes over the projection and the lever g cannot rise but
retains the position g' as long as the governor operates the ring and the exhaust
consequently remains closed until the excess of speed of the motor has disappeared.
The governor consists of two weights U pivotted on a support V and separating

page_text: by centrifugal force (Fig. 2) which are mutually in equilibrium. One carries a
ring X which presses on the button b' (Fig. 1) when the motor works slowly and
ceases to actuate it when the speed becomes too great and the weights separate.
The displacement of the weights necessary to produce this result is extremely
minute, the displacement necessary for the blade i to engage or not to engage the
lever being itself very small. The governor has consequently an extreme
sensibility and the regulation is as perfect as possible. To support the governor a
cap c is attached to the ring X by means of two screws and bears against a spiral
spring. It is evident that the more this spring is compressed the greater must be
the speed at which the governor will deflect it and cause it to operate. It is also
evident that at each compression given to the spring there will be a certain speed
producing an equivalent centrifugal force. On the other hand the displacement of
the governor to cause its action being extremely small a very short spring is
sufficient to allow wide variations of tensions and motor speeds. To obtain this
result the spring, bearing on, the cap c, bears at its opposite end on another cap b
which itself rests against a screw fixed in a grooved sleeve W carrying a milled
ňut Z.
The more the sleeve W is screwed up the more compression will be given to the
spring for a certain position of the governor and the more the speed of the machine
will be increased; the governor only acting when the centrifugal force exceeds the
compression of the spring.
The position of Z is fixed by a steel blade engaging in one of the notches on its
edge. There is no limit in the variation possible in the speeds. In a few seconds
the motor may be varied from 100 to 1000 or more revolutions and vice versa.
The action of the motor is as follows:-On the 1st forward stroke the mixture
of air and gas is admitted by the admission valve B' (Fig. 1, 3, and 4) which can
take in the air at the base of the frame through the tube H and thus diminishes
the noise of the intake. The inlet valve is automatic and is closed by a spring u
(Fig. 3).
The
gaseous mixture enters the cylinder by an opening 1..
On the 1st back stroke the mixture is compressed and at the end of the .stroke
the pressure being sufficient the mixture is ignited.
On the 2nd forward stroke-the period of work and expansion-somewhat before
the end of the stroke the lever g (Fig. 1) which has just been raised (the cam f
which held it down having released it) actuates the rod of the exhaust valve
which is opened and the cylinder is exhausted through the opening 2.
On the second back stroke the products of combustion are expelled by the exhaust
remaining open until the end of the stroke when it is closed and the cycle is
recommenced. The exhaust pipe is in G under the cylinder and does not extend
beyond the base of the frame.
:
The gas is ignited by an incandescent tube t.
If working with petroleum spirit or with poor gas instead of ordinary gases,
electric or any other ignition may be employed; a pointed screw x allows of the
reduction of the compression when starting.
A sight feed oil lubricator or other kind is placed at s and the drops follow the
tube and touch the piston (Fig. 3). At the end of the forward stroke the tube y
in the piston, (Figs. 3 and 5) which leads from the upper part of the piston to a
groove round the gudgeon for the connecting rod E, comes under this tube for a
moment, and the oil will therefore lubricate the cylinder and the piston and
a portion through the tube will fill this groove. By a small hole made in this
groove it will penetrate into the hole bored in the centre of the gudgeon and
escaping by other small perpendicular orifices will lubricate the connecting rod.
The excess, of lubricant collected by a tube e' running along the length of the.
connecting rod will under the action of centrifugal force lubricate the crank end of
the connecting rod. Finally the excess will fall into the frame casing, from which
it may be taken out from time to time through the opening X' without unmounting
any part.

page_text: As a gas motor is only efficient when its maximum of power is used; with this
motor it is possible, by varying the speed to so arrange as to have few or no missed
-strokes for any work to be done, that is to say, to work always at the maximum of
power. But the shafting in the workshop would then vary in speed if special
arrangements were not made. With this object the motor pulley with flanges
is connected to another flanged pulley m by a loose belt (Fig. 1). This permits
the motor being started independently of the shafting without resistances.
tension roller p operated by a lever q fixed by a pin at the points 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4
effect the coupling without shock.
A
On the same shaft as mis mounted a belt cone n actuating a reverse cone o
placed at the other end of the base. The supporting plummer blocks of the cone n
are adjustable and may be fixed at varying points by the bolts K' so as to stretch
the belt if necessary. The cone o actuates the pulley m' transmitting the movement
to the shafting of the workshop. A fork h' moved by a rod allows the variation
of the belt and the modification of the relations of speed; if therefore it is
desired to have a practically constant speed of the workshop shafting whilst
changing the speed of the motor it is sufficient to displace the belts on the cones
by the required amount.
In order that the mechanism may be complete and be certain of action and that
the alteration may be made during the progress of work without annoyance to the
workshop the following arrangement is employed which is shown by dotted lines
only, as although it is of great utility it is optional and the motor may be used
without employing this adjustable shafting control or without making it automatic.
Instead of a sleeve W screwing into the boss of the cover Y (Fig. 2) a loose sleeve
is made capable of freely moving backwards and forwards. The oscillating con-
necting rod pl, is jointed to a lever n¹¹ also connected by a joint to the sleeve W
and to the rod of the fork ¹. The proportions of the lever arms will be
chosen in such manner that when the belt is at the two extremities of the cones
the governor spring will be alternately at its greatest or lowest compression and
the two limits of speed allowed for the motor will be obtained. On the other
hand the cones will be chosen such that for these two extreme speeds of the motor
and these two positions of the belt, the angular speed of the pulley o will be the
:same. Under these conditions whatever may be the position of the lever n¹ that
is to say whatever may be the speed of the motor the speed of the workshop.
shafting will remain practically the same.
It will therefore be sufficient when it is desired to do more or less work to
arrange that the motor makes more or less revolutions, whilst having no missed
strokes, and the maximum efficiency will then always be obtained.
In accordance with its description this motor presents as advantages over
.others :-
1st. Great facility and simplicity of maintenance the lubrication being automatic
and all the parts being completely protected from dust and moisture.
2nd. Great facility in taking apart all the regulating parts being enclosed in the
cover I which can be taken out without disturbing any of the parts contained
therein. The cover Y may be removed without taking away any other part.
The governor may even be removed without taking away the rest (the motor
can still work in this condition but does not then regulate itself automatically).
Finally each separate part of the exhaust mechanism may be removed without
removing the others.
3rd. Great facility of taking up any play and replacing parts without adjust-
ment, by the use of adjustable conical bearings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a gas or similar motive power engine the arrangement for actuating the
exhaust by means of an eccentric mounted on a shaft making the same number of

page_text: revolutions as the motor itself but having a useful effect only once in two revolutions
by means of the employment of a pinion on the same shaft, and a wheel on an
auxiliary axis, raising at each second revolution by a cam carried thereon, the end
of the lever acting on the rod of the exhaust valve substantially as described.
2. A governor for a gas or similar motive power engine having a minimum play
and an extreme sensibility and provided with means whereby the speed of the
motor may be set to any desired amount substantially as described.
3. In a motive power engine the regulating control of shafting composed of
inverted cones controlled by a fork acting if desired at the same time on the
regulator, so as to automatically maintain the constant speed of the workshop.
shafting whatever be the speed given to the motor as also the employment of a
tension roller allowing the starting of the machine and its easy engagement without
shock substantially as described.
4. In a motive power engine the special arrangements for lubrication by a single
lubricator of the cylinder piston and the two ends of the connecting rod sub-
stantially as described.
5. The improvements in gas and other motive power engines substantially as.
described with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 5th day of February 1894.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.