Improvements in Explosion Engines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Explosion Engines.
I. JAMES FRANK DURYEA, of No. 70, Montrose Street, in the City of Spring-
field, County of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, United States of America,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
-
This invention relates to hydrocarbon or other gas engines and consists in the
improved construction of a sparking device for engines of this class in which
the parts constituting the circuit-maker and breaker within the explosion
chamber are brought into contact and held in that position for a certain time
before they are separated to permit a sufficient accumulation of current in the
resistance coil of the circuit, to produce upon the breaking of the circuit by the
separation of said parts a spark of much larger volume than is possible when
the making and breaking of the circuit is made by the quick contact and separa-
tion of the circuit-making and breaking parts:
And the invention consists further in the improved construction of devices
for throttling engines of this class by manually operated devices instead of the
governor usually connected with such engines, said improvements consisting in
the arrangement of a sliding rod having thereon a wedge which may be moved
under an adjustable nut on the stem of the inlet valve to the engine cylinder,
in such manner that the movement of the valve for the purpose of admitting an
explosive mixture to the said cylinder will be controlled in the degree of its
opening movement by the contact of said nut on said wedge.
By sliding said wedge back and forth under said nut on the valve-stem, said
valve may be allowed to open to any desired extent and the power of the engine
thus quickly brought out or checked at the will of the operator.
A suitable connection from said rod on which is the said wedge may be carried
to any point more or less distant from the motor and the engine controlled as
readily from that point as from a point in close proximity thereto.
This feature is especially desirable in the operation of engines for driving
launches, motor-vehicles, hoisting engines, etc.
In carrying out this invention, as far as it relates to said sparking devices,
the cylinder and explosion chambers of the engine may be of the ordinary type,
and in one of the walls of said explosion chamber an insulated metal stud is
located which constitutes one of the terminals of an electric circuit in which is
included, as usual, a battery, a resistance coil, and the frame of the machine, if
desired.
The other terminal of said circuit is an arm in said explosion chamber secured
to the end of a rock-shaft entering said chamber through the wall thereof in
such position that when said shaft is oscillated said arm in said chamber will
come in contact with said metal stud and complete the circuit.
On the end of said rock-shaft outside of said chamber is secured an arm at
right angles thereto.

page_text: A revolving shaft operated at proper speed direct from the crank-shaft of the
engine terminates in proximity to the end of said rock-shaft and parallel with
it, but the axes of said shafts are out of coincidence. . On the end of said revolv-
ing shaft is a hub, free to rotate thereon within the limits of a diagonal slot in
the body thereof, through which a pin passes which is fixed in said shaft. By
moving said hub lengthwise on said shaft, the hub is given a certain amount of
rotary motion which causes an arm on the outer end of the hub to swing to
the right or left as the case may be. This arm has a projection thereon at right
angles thereto which, when said hub is rotated by its shaft, engages the end of
the crank-arm on the outer extremity of the rock-shaft and carries the latter
partly around with it in its revolutions, the degree of oscillation depending upon
the relative lengths of the arm on the hub and the arm on the rock-shaft. The
projection on the arm of the hub is made wide enough on top to the end that as
the extremity of the shorter arm on the rock-shaft rides up over it, it will dwell
for an instant on said wide part of the projection, the duration of the contact
of the terminals of the circuit within the explosion chamber depending upon
the time it takes the extremity of said rock-shaft arm to pass over said part.
Means are provided for moving said hub on said shaft lengthwise, whereby
the moment of contact of the hub-arm and rocker-shaft arm may be made to
take place as much in advance of the end of the piston stroke as may be desired,
or after the engine has passed its dead center if desired. The spark is produced
by the breaking of the circuit, and from the above it is seen that the contact
of the spark-producing ends of the circuit may be prolonged as much as desired,
and the moment of the breaking of the circuit determined at will. The rock-
shaft is oscillated against a spring which returns it- to normal position after
each operative oscillation.
If desired, the exhaust valves of the engine may be operated by cams placed
on the rotating shaft which operates the said rock-shaft.
In engines of this class, the inlet valves open inwardly and are operated by
suction created by the movement of the pistons.
In carrying out this invention as far as it relates to the throttling of the
engine, properly placed wedges are mounted on a rod having a sliding move-
ment transverse to the movement of the inlet valve-stems, the latter projecting
beyond the valve-bodies and having on their extremities nuts, preferably screwed
thereon, and the wedge is preferably provided with a central slot running length-
wise thereof within which slot the valve-stem lies.
As the valve and its stem move in and out, the said nut moves towards and
from the surface of the wedge and when the engine is not running at its full
capacity the wedge is so located that the nut will strike the wedge and arrest
the opening movement of the valve. Thus, by moving the rod on which the
wedge is carried, the degree of opening of the valves is controlled. The said
wedge-bearing rod is suitably mounted in bearings on the frame of the engine
and if there be more than one cylinder the rod may be extended in such a manner
that a wedge may be located under the nut of each valve-stem so that one move-
ment of the rod will so move a wedge under the nut on each valve-stem as to
.permit a like degree of operation to all the inlet valves.
Dated this 5th day of September 1808

page_text: Improvements in Explosion Engines
I, JAMES FRANK DURYEA, of 70, Montrose Street, in the City of Springfield,
County of Hampden, and State of Massachusetts, United States of America,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained, in and by the following statement:
-
This invention relates to hydrocarbon or other explosive gas engines and has
for its object the improvement in the construction of sparking devices therefor,
and in the means for regulating in a simple manner the moment of ignition of
the explosive mixture contained in the engine cylinder, relative to the position
of the piston in said cylinder; a further object being to supply means for bring-
ing into contact the electrically connected metal parts whose separation results
in the formation of the igniting spark and holding said parts in contact for
a certain period before their separation is effected, whereby a much larger spark
results than is the case when the contact of said parts is of less duration; another
object of the invention is in the construction of mechanism for controlling the
degree of opening which is permitted to the inlet valves, through which the
explosive charge is drawn into the cylinders by the movement of the pistons,
and which mechanism may be actuated at will by the operator in charge of
the engine, and which, in a measure, takes the place of a governor,
And the
invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the various parts all
as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.
In the drawings forming part of this specification,---
Figure 1 is a plan view of a double cylinder explosive engine embodying my
improvements,-a part thereof being in section.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1, the sectional parts of that figure
being shown in full elevation.
Figure 3 is a cross section on line 3-3, Figure 1, showing the valve and
explosion chamber and igniting devices on a somewhat enlarged scale.
Figure 4 is a view of the side of the explosion chamber taken on line 4-4,
Figure 1, looking to the left and showing, in dotted lines, in two positions, a
part of the mechanism lying to the right of said line 4-4.
Figure 5 is an elevation, partly in section, of a controlling lever containing
means for operating the inlet-valve regulating mechanism, and shows one of
said inlet valves and part of explosion chamber of one cylinder of an engine,
and a flexible connection running from said controlling lever to said valve-
regulating mechanism.
Figure 6 is a sectional view on line 6-6, Figure 5.
The drawings show the improvements forming the subject of this application
applied to a double cylinder explosive engine of a well known type, in which the
cylinders 2 and 3 are offset horizontally and connected to a common casing 4
inclosing an ordinary double-throw crank 5. The pistons and piston-rods con-
nected directly to the said cranks being shown only in dotted lines, (see Figure 2).
This engine is of the type usually employed for the propulsion of motor vehicles
and launches, hoisting engines, etc., and it is in connection with this class of
motors that the valve-regulating devices shown in Figures 5 and 6 are commonly
used.
When the engine is employed for the purposes just mentioned, the controlling-
lever shown in Figure 5 is generally provided for shifting from one speed to
another, or for reversing the engine and applying the brake, etc., and for this

page_text: reason the valve-regulating devices forming part of this invention have been
shown in their proper relation to such controlling lever, the latter usually being
located at some distance from the engine.
Referring now to the drawings, the construction and operation of the valve-
regulating mechanism will first be described.
On each of the cylinders, 2 and 3, of the engine, the explosion chambers, G
and 7, are cast in the usual manner.
In the construction shown herein, the exhaust chamber 8 is cast integral with
said explosion chambers and separated therefrom by the dividing wall 9, each
of said chambers communicating with the interior of the cylinders. Valve
bodies, 10 and 12, are screwed into the chambers 6 and 7, respectively, said
bodies being provided with inlets 13, for admitting an explosive gaseous mixture
to the cylinders through a passage controlled by a valve 15, spring-held against
its seat, and adapted to open by suction from within the cylinder, produced by
the movements of the piston.
This construction is common to engines of this class. Said valve 15 in each
of the explosion chambers 6 and 7, has a stem 16 projecting through the end of
the valve-bodies 10 and 12, and provided with a nut 17, on the end thereof,
which has a screw-adjustment on said stem.
In the outer end of each of the valve-bodies and transverse to the axis of the
valve-stems 16, grooves 18, (see Figure 3) are cut, which serve as guides for a
sliding wedge 19 formed on each end of a rod 19" extending lengthwise of the
engine, and supported in suitable standards 20, cast on, or secured to, the
cylinders in any convenient place, and in which standards said rod has a sliding
movement.
Each of said wedges is slotted lengthwise, the stems 16, of the valves lying
in this slot thus permitting free sliding movements to said wedges.
Between one of said standards and a collar 21, on the rod 19", is a spiral
spring 22, which serves to hold the wedges normally in such position that the
thin ends thereof will lie under the nuts 17. When said wedges are in this
position, the valves 15 may open to their fullest extent. From one end of said
rod 19" a chain, or other flexible connection 23, extends to a plunger-rod 24,
located in the tubular controlling-lever 25, (see Figures 5 and 6) and which rod
is held pressed upwards towards the handle of the said lever by spring 26
which is of sufficient strength to actuate the rod 19", in its supports, and com-
press the spring 22.
a
Said plunger-rod 24 extends beyond the handle-end of the controlling lever 25
and is provided with an annular head. Said plunger-rod is screw-threaded,
at 24", within the handle-end of the controlling lever 25 for a distance slightly
exceeding the throw of the rod 19ª.
A pawl 27, is pivoted in a slot in said handle of the controlling-lever, and a
spring 28 holds the said pawl in engagement with the threads of the screw cut
on said plunger-rod 24, said pawl being so supported that the plunger-rod may
be pressed downward, but holding said rod against upper movement. On the
lower end of the plunger-rod, a swivel 29 is provided to which is connected the
chain 23.
As regards the particular engine shown in the drawings, the controlling-lever
has no particular function, save as a support for the plunger-rod, but to serve
the purposes of its construction when used in connection with a
vehicle as
described, wherein it is desirable to control the shifting of the speed mechanisni
interposed between the engine and driving shaft of such vehicle, said lever must
have a swinging movement, and to that end is supported in suitable bearings 30,
(see Figure 5) on a hollow hub 31, the interior bore of which communicates
with the interior of the tubular controlling-lever 25, and to provide for the
proper functioning of the flexible connection or chain 23, during the swinging
movement of said lever, said connection is taken axially through said hub 31,
and swung over a guide-wheel 32, whose periphery is tangent to the center of

page_text: .
both said hub 31 and said controlling lever 25, whereby proper movements may
be communicated from the plunger-rod 24 to the rod 19", in whatever position
said controlling lever 25 may be temporarily placed.
This construction is incidental only to the location of the plunger-rod 24 in
the controlling-lever 25, of a boat or vehicle such as is shown, but said rod may
be placed in any position convenient to the hand of the operator of the engine
and provided with a returning spring 26, and the pawl and ratchet devices above
described.
The ratchet is made in the form of a screw-thread because it affords means
for a fine adjustment of the plunger-rod 24, if desired, the end of the pawl in
engagement with the screw-threaded part serving as a nut, and after the speed
of the engine has been approximately determined by the vertical manipulation
of the rod, by pressure of the thumb on the end thereof, said rod may be screwed
up or down, as desired, for a finer regulation of that speed.
"When the plunger-rod 24 is pushed down, the spring 26 is compressed and
the spring 22 on the rod 19" is released from restraint, and pushes the wedges 19
under the nuts on the valve-stems of the inlet valves, thus controlling the degree
of their opening under the suction effect of the moving pistons in the cylinders.
By pressing on the end of the plunger-rod with the thumb and releasing the
pawi 27, the spring 26 being of greater power than the spring 22, forces said
plunger-rod upward and draws said rod 19" in the direction opposite to that in
which it was moved by the opposite movement of the rod. The operator of the
engine thus has, at all times, under his command, means for obtaining the
maximum efficiency of his machine, or any such part thereof that he may desire.
Referring now to the construction of the improved sparking devices:
A circular disc 40 forms part of the double-throw crank 5, and is centrally
located between the two cylinders 2 and 3. The periphery of said disk has cut
therein a spiral groove 41, shown only in dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2.
Ashaft 42, supported in suitable bearings 43, parallel with the axis of the
cylinders, has fixed thereon a worm-gear 44, which meshes with the spiral
groove 41, on the periphery of said disk 40.
:
The pitch of the engaging teeth of said gear and disk is such that said shaft 42
will make one revolution to every two revolutions of the throw-crank .5.
The extremities of said shaft lie in proximity to the sides of the explosion
chambers 6 and 7, and on each of said extremities is a hub 45, fitting freely on
the ends of the shaft, and secured thereon by a pin 46, passing through a diagonal
slot 47, in said hub and fixed in said shaft.
The said slot in one of said hubs is located on the top thereof and the slot in
the other is located on the opposite side thereof, and both have the same degree
of inclination relative to the axis of their. hubs.
Thus, longitudinal movement of the hubs relative to the shaft results in a
spiral movement of the hub relative to the shaft.
On each of said hubs is located a depending arm 48, having a right-angular
extension 49 thereon in the direction of the adjacent explosion chamber.
A second shaft 50 is located directly over the shaft 42 in bearings 51, and
from the opposite ends of said shaft 50 forked arms 52, fixed thereon, project
downward and engage grooves 53, turned in said hubs 45.
Said shaft 50 has a sliding movement in its bearings, and set-screws on the
latter serve to lock said shaft in any desired position.
By moving said shaft 50 lengthwise, the hubs are given a spiral movement
on the shaft 42, and the depending arm 48, made to swing to one side or the
other of a vertical line let fall from the center of the hub.
In the side of each of the explosion chambers, and axially opposite the ends
of the shaft 42, but a little below the center of said shaft, is a short rock-shaft 54,
parallel with the shaft 42, and supported for oscillatory movement in a bearing
in the wall of said explosion chamber.
On the inner end of said rock-shaft 54, is fixed the arm 55, and on the outer

page_text: end thereof is fixed the arm 56, of a length sufficient to project past the exten-
sion 49 of the arm 48. As the shaft 42 revolves, the said extension 49, at a
certain point during the revolution of said shaft, strikes the end of the arm 56
and carries it with it during a portion of its revolution.
Figure 4 shows, in section, the part 49 and shows the arm 56 in full lines in
the position it occupies as it is about to be released from contact with the said
part 49, and said figure also shows in dotted lines the position said arm 56 occu-
pied at the moment of contact with said extension 49, the position of the latter
being indicated in dotted lines; on the section line 4-4, Figure 1, on which
this view is taken, no part of the hub 45 would be visible, except the exten-
sion 49 thereof.
When the parts arrive at the position shown in full lines in said Figure 4,
the arm 55, within the explosion chamber, comes in contact with the point of
the stud 57, supported in an insulated plug in the end wall of the explosion
chamber. Said stud is made of metal and is electrically connected with a suit-
able battery 58, and a resistance coil 59 is included in the circuit, as is also the
machine, and the circuit is closed and opened by the making and breaking of
the contact between the arm 55, and the stud 57.
As stated, it has been found, in practice, that a contact of short duration does
not produce a satisfactory spark, that is, the spark has little volume. To over-
come this difficulty it has been found necessary to provide means for holding
the arm 55 and the stud 57 in contact for a certain length of time in order to
permit the accumulation of sufficient electrical energy in the resistance coil to
produce a spark of the dimensions necessary to insure positive ignition of the
charge in the cylinders.
To accomplish this end, the same arm 55 and stud 57 are brought into con-
tact, as stated, at the moment the arm 56 attains the position shown in Figure 4,
and rests practically on the surface of the said extension 49, and said contact
is maintained until the whole width of the extension 49 has passed under the
end of the said arm 56, the contact between said parts 55 and 57 being broken
by the arm 56 sliding off from the edge of said extension 49, opposite to that
with which it first comes in contact. Said rock-shaft 54 is oscillated against
the resistance of a spring 60, coiled about it and secured by one end to the frame
of the engine and by its opposite end to the arm 56.
A stop pin C1 is fixed in the sides of the explosion chambers to arrest the move-
ment of the arm 56 at its proper position. It is thus seen that the duration of
the contact between the arm 55 and the point of the stud 57 may be regulated
by the width of the extension 49, on which the end of said arm 56 is supported
during a portion of the revolution of the shaft 42.
By making the extension 49 of any desired width, the duration of the period
of contact between the arm 55 and stud 57, may be regulated as desired.
By loosening the set-screw in the standards supporting the shaft 50, and mov-
ing the latter endwise, the hubs 45 inay be moved so as to bring the extension 49
into contact with the arm 56, at any time during the movement of the piston in
the cylinder, and the contacting points within the explosion chambers may be
held in contact as long as may be desired, to produce the best results, the above
described mechanism being adapted to provide a contact extending over as much
of the period of one revolution as may be desired, and also provides means for
breaking that contact at any point of the compressing movement of the piston,
or after it has passed the maximum compressing point, the timing of the spark-
ing device being independent entirely of the movements of the pistons.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination with the inlet valves of an explosive engine, valve-stems
thereon, and an adjustable nut on said valve-stems, of a wedge having a sliding

page_text: movement transverse to said valve-stems whereby the operative movements of said
valves are arrested by the contact of said nut with said wedge; a plunger-rod and
suitable support therefor, a spring for moving said rod in one direction, a pawl and
ratchet device for holding said rod in a fixed position relative to its support, and
a connection extending from one end of said plunger-rod to one end of said
wedge, substantially as described.
2. The combination with the inlet valves of a multiple cylinder explosive
engine, valve-stems on said valves, and an adjustable nut on said valve-stems,
of a movable member extending between said valves, wedges on said movable
member whereby, by the contact of the nuts on the stems of said valves with
said wedges, each inlet valve of said cylinders is permitted to have the same
range of operative movement; a plunger-rod and suitable support therefor, a
spring for moving said rod in one direction, a pawl and ratchet device for holding
said rod in a fixed position relative to its support, and a connection extending
from one end of said plunger-rod to one end of said wedge, substantially as
described.
3. The combination with the inlet valves of an explosive engine having oppo-
sitely located cylinders, valve-stems on said valves, and an adjustable nut on
said valve-stems, of a suitably supported rod extending between the valves on
said cylinders, wedges on said rod located under the nut on said valve-stem, said
rod having a sliding movement transverse to the line of movement of said valve-
stems, whereby the said adjustable nuts may, by coming in contact with said
wedges, arrest the movements of said valves, means outside of the engine for
moving said wedge-bearing rod independently of the movement of any other part
of the engine, in one direction, and a spring on said rod for moving it in the
opposite direction, substantially as described.
4. In a sparking device for explosive engines, a rock-shaft one end of which
lies within, and the other outside of, the explosion chamber of said engine, an
arm on each end of said shaft; means for oscillating the latter consisting of a
hub secured on the end of a rotatable shaft whose axis is out of coincidence with
said rock-shaft; an arm on said hub having a longer radius than the arm on
the outer end of said rock-shaft and engaging the latter, a bearing on said arm
of said hub whereon the end of said rock-shaft arm rests during a part of the
revolution of said hub and after said arm on the inner end of said rock-shaft has
been moved to complete an electric circuit whose terminals are within said ex-
plosion chamber, and which circuit is broken by the passing of said hub-arm
from under said rock-shaft arm, combined with means for rotating said hub-
bearing shaft, and with means for energizing said electric circuit, substantially
as described.
5. In an explosive engine, a sparking device consisting of members movable
towards and into contact one with the other within the explosion chamber of
said engine, and mechanism for actuating said members, whereby their contact
may be maintained during a predetermined part of one revolution of said engine,
and means for increasing or diminishing the duration of said contact, substan-
tially as described.
6. In an explosive engine, a sparking device consisting of members movable
towards and into contact one with the other, within the explosion chamber of
said engine, and mechanism for actuating said members, whereby their contact
may be maintained during a predetermined part of one revolution of said engine,
and means for increasing or diminishing the duration of said contact and for
varying the moment of said contact relative to the end of the piston stroke,
substantially as described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.