Improvements in Motor Road Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Motor Road Vehicles.
}
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the Firm of A. M. & Wm. Clark, of 53,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Chartered Institute
of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a com-
munication to me by La Société Anonyme des Voiturettes Automobiles; of Paris,
France) to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the motor-tricycle described in the
Specification of Letters Patent of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, granted to Léon Bollée dated 20th day of April 1896. No. 8306.
In the Bollée motor-tricycle the exhaust valve is actuated by means of dis-
tributing gear placed beneath the engine which arrangement has the disadvantage
of being very close down to the ground so that the distributing gear becomes
thickly coated with dust thus causing rapid clogging and wear of the parts:
Moreover the position of the distributing gear beneath the motor renders it very
difficult to examine and repair.
The invention consists in such a construction and arrangement as will enable
the distributing gear to be placed above the engine. For this purpose the
functions of the admission and exhaust valves are interchanged so that the
exhaust valve rod, in this case, passes up through the top of the valve casing
and is connected to its operating mechanism which is mounted above the engine:
As in Bollée's Patent before referred to, the valve mechanism is operated by
a cam making one revolution to every two revolutions of the driving shaft
through the spur gearing, the mechanism being controlled by means of the
governor mounted on the fly-wheel and moving a rod longitudinally. The cam
and rod are, however, mounted above the tubular framing instead of below it,
so as to be brought into proper relative position to the exhaust valve rod. To
the upper end of a bell crank lever is pivoted a hook-shaped tappet with which
engages a knife-edged lever pivoted on the upper end of another lever which is
curved so as to pass clear of the axis of oscillation of the bell crank lever, the
latter being provided with a friction roller which engages in the groove of the
cam. The curved lever is connected by a connecting rod to two elbow levers
the latter of which is jointed to a socket in which the exhaust valve rod is
received. This rod is suspended by a link from a spring which tends to keep
the valve constantly closed. This portion of the distributing gear is enclosed
in a box or casing to prevent the admission of dust.
When the speed of the motor is normal the hook tappet engages the knife-
edged lever and the valve opens at the moment when the cam brings the roller
towards its centre. When the speed of the motor is excessive the governor shifts

page_text: the sliding rod and moves the knife-edged lever out of the path of the hook
tappet, the cam then ceasing to act on the exhaust valve which remains closed
and causes the engine to miss one or more impulses until it regains its normal
speed. The whole of this distribution gear is carried above the engine upon
bearings mounted upon the longitudinal tubular member of the frame as well
as upon the engine cylinder and is so arranged as not to interfere with the
action or working of the other parts of the mechanism of the vehicle, besides
which it is adapted to ensure the proper working of the engine by its strong
and durable trip gear. It is also so located as to be examined, lubricated, and
repaired in case of need. Lastly it is better protected from dust than when the
distributing gear was placed beneath the engine.
The reversing of the function of the valves involves certain modifications in
the arrangement of the passages, which modifications must be made without
interfering with the adjacent parts which are to be left unaltered so as not to
disturb the general arrangement of the vehicle and of its driving mechanism.
In particular, the working cylinder being attached to the left-hand tubular side
member of the frame of the vehicle it is indispensable to have regard to the
position of the latter and similarly as regards the ignition device which occupies
a vertical position in the axis of the explosion chamber of the cylinder in rear of
the valve casing, it is necessary to retain it in that position. In order to fulfil
these conditions, three arrangements of the exhaust passages may be employed.
An improved exhaust silencer is also employed.
In the first arrangement the discharge of the burnt gases from the engine
through the exhaust valve is effected direct through a branch connection cast
on the rear side of the valve casing to which is connected a pipe for conducting
the gases to the exhaust silencer fixed at the rear end of the vehicle.
In another arrangement the burnt gases escaping through the exhaust valve
pass through a narrow passage which extends down alongside of the valve casing
and merges at bottom into a cylindrical rearwardly-directed passage to which is
connected a pipe for conducting the gases to the exhaust box as before.
In another arrangement the passage diverges from the valve casing so as to
leave an intervening space open to the air by which the metallic surfaces of the
parts are kept cool.
The several arrangements of exhaust pipes herein before described are all
designed to clear the tubular member of the vehicle frame in order to avoid the
necessity of altering the construction of the motor, and they are designed to
afford sufficient capacity for the outflow of the gases to prevent back pressure
on the piston and ensure a silent exhaust, and, lastly, they allow room at the
rear of the valve casing for placing the ignition apparatus. The above arrange-
ments do not thus in any way interfere with the general working of the oil
engine which remains exactly the same as usual.
The supply of the explosive gases is by a pipe leading into the lower part of
the valve casing and so directly to the admission valve chamber situated at the
lower part of said casing.
The exhaust silencer comprises an expansion chamber into which leads the
exhaust pipe surmounted by a circulation chamber formed of three concentric
tubes rising from a partition having a central aperture through which the
chamber communicates with the central tube. The tubes have holes at opposite
ends and the head has outlet orifices. The expansion of the exhaust gases takes
place while they are circulating in opposite directions, the gases finally escaping
without noise into the atmosphere.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents,
53, Chancery Lane, London.

page_text: Improvements in Motor Road Vehicles.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the Firm of A. M. & Wm. Clark, of 53,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Chartered Institute
of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a com-
munication to me by La Société Anonyme des Voiturettes Automobiles, of..
Paris, France) and in what manner the same is to be performed to be.
particularly described and ascertained in and by. the following statement:
This invention relates to improvements in the motor-tricycle described in the
Specification of Letters Patent of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland granted to Léon Bolleé dated 20th day of April 1896 No. 8306.
The improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which
Sheet 1 illustrates those improvements as applied to the Bolleé engine, 12 being
the working cylinder, 13 its piston, 14 the connecting rod, 15 the crank, and 16
the driving shaft of the Bolleé engine, these parts being shown diagrammatically
in broken lines. At the rear end of cylinder 12 is the valve casing 28 containing
the admission and exhaust valves.
In the Bolleé motor-tricycle the exhaust valve is actuated by means of dis-
tributing gear placed beneath the engine which arrangement has the disadvantage
of being very close down to the ground so that the distributing gear becomes:
thickly coated with dust thus causing rapid clogging and wear of the parts.
Moreover the position of the distributing gear beneath the motor renders it very
difficult to examine and repair.
.
The invention consists in such a construction and arrangement as will enable
the distributing gear to be placed above the engine. For this purpose the
functions of the admission and exhaust valves are interchanged so that the
exhaust valve rod, in this case, passes up through the top A of the valve
casing 28 and is connected to its operating mechanism which is mounted' above
the engine cylinder.
As in the Bolleé motor-tricycle the valve mechanism is operated by a cam 44
making one revolution to every two revolutions of the driving shaft 16 through
the spur gearing 20, 43, the mechanism being controlled by means of the
governor mounted on the fly-wheel and moving a rod 27 longitudinally. The
cam 44 and rod 27 are however, mounted above the tubular framing 8 and 10
instead of below it, so as to be brought into proper relative position to the exhaust
valve rod.. To the upper end of a bell crank lever 46 is pivoted a hook-shaped
tappet B with which engages a knife-edged lever C pivoted on the upper end
of another lever 42 which is curved so as to pass clear of the axis of oscillation 54
of the bell crank lever 46 the latter being provided with a friction roller 45
which engages in the groove of the cam 44. The curved lever is connected by
a connecting rod 41 to the arm 40 of a bell crank lever whose other arm 39 is
jointed to a link in the form of a socket 38 in which the exhaust valve rod A
is received. This rod A is suspended by a link E from a spring F which tends
to keep the valve constantly closed. This portion of the distributing gear is
enclosed in a box or easing D to prevent the admission of dust.
When the speed of the motor is normal, the hook tappet
engages the knife-
edge C and the valve opens at the moment when the cam 44 brings the roller 45
towards its centre, as shewn, the engagement of parts B and C being as shewn.
in Figure 2. When the speed of the motor is excessive, the governor shifts
the sliding rod 27 and moves the knife-edge C out of the path of the hook
tappet B, as shewn in Figure 3, the cam 44 then ceasing to act on the exhaust.

page_text: valve which remains closed and causes the engine to miss one or more impulses
until it regains its normal speed.
The whole of this distribution gear is carried above the engine upon bearings
mounted upon the longitudinal tubular member 8 of the frame, as well as upon
the engine cylinder 12 and is so arranged as not to interfere with the action
or working of the other parts of the mechanism of the vehicle, besides which
it is adapted to ensure the proper working of the engine by the strong and
durable trip gear above referred to. It is also so located as to be easily
examined, lubricated, and repaired in case of need. Lastly it is better protected
from dust than when the distributing gear was placed beneath the engine.
The reversing of the function of the valves in casing 28 involves certain modi-
fications in the arrangement of the passages, which modifications must be made
without interfering with the adjacent parts which are to be left unaltered so as
not to disturb the general arrangement of the vehicle and of its driving
mechanism. In particular the working cylinder 12 being attached to the left
hand tubular side member 8 of the frame of the vehicle, it is indispensable' to
have regard to the position of the latter, and similarly as regards. the ignition
device, which occupies a vertical position in the axis of the explosion chamber
of the cylinder in rear of the valve casing, it is necessary to retain it in that
position. In order to fulfil these conditions, three arrangements of the exhaust
passages which may be employed are illustrated in Sheet 2 of the drawings. An
improved exhaust silencer which is employed is also illustrated.
Figures and 2 (Sheet 2) shew a longitudinal-vertical and horizontal section
respectively of an exhaust passage for directly carrying off the exhaust gases
from the working cylinder. Figures 3 and 4 and Figures 5 and 6 (Sheet 3).
shew in transverse vertical section (perpendicular to Figure 1) and also in hori-
zontal section, two other arrangements of the exhaust passage for the same
purpose. Figure 7 (Sheet 2) shews the improved exhaust silencer in longitudinal
section..
In Figures 1 and 2 (Sheet 2) the discharge of the burnt gases from the engine
through the exhaust valve 30 is effected direct through a branch connection 36
cast on the rear side of the valve casing 28 to which is connected a pipe 36" for
conducting the gases to the exhaust silencer (Figure 7) fixed at the rear end of
the vehicle.
In Figures 3 and 4 (Sheet 2) the burnt gases escaping through the exhaust
valve 30 pass through a narrow passage 365 which extends down alongside of
the valve casing 28 and mérges at bottom into a cylindrical rearwardly directed
passage 36 to which is connected a pipe 36 for conducting the gases to the
exhaust box as before.
In Figures 5 and 6 (Sheet 3) the passage 36b diverges from the valve casing 28
so as to leave an intervening space X open to the air by which the metallic
surfaces of the parts 36 and 28 are kept cool.
The several arrangements of exhaust pipes hereinbefore described are all
designed to clear the tubular member 8 of the vehicle frame in order to avoid
the necessity of altering the construction of the motor and they are designed to
afford sufficient capacity for the outflow of the gases to prevent back pressure
on the piston and ensure a silent exhaust, and, lastly, they allow room at the
rear of the valve casing 28 for placing the ignition apparatus. The aliove
arrangements do not thus in any way interfere with the general working of the
oil engine which remains exactly the same as usual.
The supply of the explosive gases is by a pipe K leading into the lower part
of the valve casing 28 and so directly to the admission valve chamber situated
at the lower part of said casing.
The exhaust silencer represented in Figure 7 (Sheet 2) comprises expansion
chamber G into which leads the exhaust pipe 36" surmounted by a circulation
chamber formed of three concentric cylinders H, H1, H2, rising from a partition F
having a central aperture i through which the chamber & communicates with

page_text: the central tube. The cylinders H1, H2, have holes h¹, h³, at opposite ends, as
shewn, and the head J has outlet orifices j. The expansion of the exhaust gases
takes place whilst they are circulating in the directions indicated by the arrows,
the gases finally escaping, without noise, into the atmosphere.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is;-
1. An auto-motor vehicle of the Bollee type wherein the whole of the dis-
tribution gear for operating the exhaust valve is constructed and arranged above
the engine substantially as shewn and described.
2. In an auto-motor vehicle of the type specified the combination with the
exhaust valve located at the upper part of the valve box, of the mechanism for
closing said valve consisting of spring F and link E, and of the trip mechanism
for opening said valve consisting of the hooked tappet B and knife edge C and
their operating mechanism and connections arranged above the engine as
described.
3. In an auto-motor vehicle of the type specified the exhaust passages 36"
and 36 constructed and arranged as described in combination with the exhaust
valve 30 and its operating mechanism located above the engine so as to enable
said valve and its mechanism to be so arranged without modification of the
neighbouring parts.
4. In an auto-motor vehicle of the type specified the exhaust silencer con-
structed of a chamber G and of a series of concentric cylinders H, H¹, H², in
connection with the chamber G, with each other, and with the atmosphere, as
shown and described, so as to permit of the complete expansion of the burnt
gases and their noiseless discharge as specified.
Dated this 12th day of December 1898.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.