Improvements in Carbon Dioxide Motors.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Apr., 1899-Accepted, 13th May,
1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Carbon Dioxide Motors.
I, LEWIS BOYD WHITE, of 1123, Broadway, in the City of New York, Borough
of Manhattan, County of New York, State of New York, in the 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
ascertained in and by the following statement; -
This invention relates to carbon dioxide motors.
The object of this invention is to provide a new and improved motor to be
operated by carbon dioxide under extremely high tension or by other gases or
vapours under such high tension, which motor is simple in construction, very
compact, so as to adapt it for use in motor vehicles of all kinds, is economical
in use and is strong and durable.
In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in
which like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of my improved motor, parts
being omitted.
Figure 2 is a plan view, parts being broken away.
The motor, as shown, has three cranks on its crank-shaft, and for each crank
has two opposite cylinders in line and two opposite pistons in line in the two
opposite cylinders. As each set of two pistons and corresponding cylinders for
each and every crank of the shaft is the same, I will describe only one set in
detail.
Each crank-pin A passes through the transverse, vertical slot 131 of a vertical
frame B, the slot B' being of such size that the crank-pin A fits snugly in the same
without any lost motion, in a horizontal direction, but so that it can move up and
down freely within the slot, and when this frame is reciprocated horizontally,
can turn the crank-pin on a circular line.
From the opposite sides of the frame B two pistons C project in directly opposite
directions horizontally and in line with each other, and each piston is preferably
composed of a cylindrical shell C¹ secured to a stem C, as shown in Figure 1.
Each piston fits snugly within a cylinder D, in which it can reciprocate, the
two cylinders being opposite each other and in line and each cylinder is closed
at the outer end and open at the inner end, and between the inner ends of the
cylinder a compartment E is formed in which the frame B can reciprocate and
The chamber E is composed of two
through which the crank-shaft F passes.
halves, each half being made integral with the block in which the corresponding
cylinders are formed.
For each set of pistons two discs J are fixed on the crank-shaft F at opposite
sides of each frame B and the crank-pins A are secured to such discs. In case
of a three-crank machine, such as the one shown, the cranks are at angles of
120 degrees to each other. At the outer end of each cylinder an inlet valve K
is mounted, which is composed of a poppet valve seating against a seat K² formed
on the outer end of a sleeve K₁ inserted into a bore in the top of the cylinder
block and through said sleeve the stem L of the valve K passes longitudinally,

page_text: so as to project at the end opposite to the one to which the valve is attached,
and is provided with a head L' on said projecting end. A spring L² surrounding
the stem L presses the valve against its seat. A channel N extends from the
valve seat K² to the outer end of the cylinder and is controlled by said valve.
The gas is conducted into a chamber at each end of the engine and from said
chamber a channel 02 leads to each inlet valve.
A shaft Pis mounted to rotate and slide longitudinally in suitable bearings "
on the top of the engine block or frame and is rotated from the crank shaft F
by means of two cog wheels Q and Q of the same size, mounted respectively on
the crank shaft and on the shaft P. For each set of opposite cylinders the shaft l'
is provided with a cam R which is a wedge shaped or of varying width and adjacent
to each cam R, 'the shaft P carries a cam S for each pair of opposite cylinders and
these cams can act upon the rollers m, mounted in the ends of forked levers T which
are mounted to rock on a shaft T', parallel with and above the shaft P and fixed
in the supports Pl. The upper end of each forked rocking lever T is connected by
adjustable links V with levers VI pivoted on suitable supports W. on the top of
the engine block or base the lower ends of said levers V₁ passing through vertical
slots in the top of the engine block or base so that the lower ends of said levers rest
against the heads L' on the inner ends of the corresponding inlet valve stems L.
The shaft is provided at one end with a grooved collar b, for receiving a pin b¹
of a lever d, by means of which lever the shaft P can be shifted longitudinally
so as to present different widths of the cams R to the rollers m of the rocking
levers T or to present the cams S to said roller m. As the shaft P rotates the
levers T and Vi are rocked by the action of the cams R or S on the rollers m,
said cams being so arranged on the shaft P so as to act at proper times.
For example, if the shaft P is shifted lengthwise by means of the lever d, in
such a manner that the narrowest parts of the cams Ŕ act on the rollers m, the
levers T will be rocked but a very short distance and in consequence the levers Vi
will be rocked but a very short distance and will only open the inlet valves for
an instant permitting an extremely small quantity of the gas, under high pressure
to pass into the cylinder. This gas expands in the cylinders and forces the
pistons toward the crank-shaft. When more power is required the shaft P is
shifted in the direction of its length so that the wider parts of the cams R act on
the rollers m and so on, until the widest parts of the cams R act on the rollers,
when the greatest amount of gas is admitted. The speed can thus be easily
governed and controlled by means of the lever d. When the shaft P is so shifted
lengthwise that neither the cams R or S can act on the rollers m the motor
remains at a standstill. The cams S are so arranged in relation to the cams R
that they open the inlet valves in reverse order and consequently by shifting the
shaft P longitudinally so that the cams S act on the rollers m the engine will
be reversed and can be reversed when the engine is at high speed. It is evident
that the cams S may be made tapering or of varying width, as well as the cams R.
but this is not necessary usually, as the engine is reversed but for a short time
and the feature of economy during this short time does not amount to much.
It will be seen from Figure 1 that one lever V₁ acts to open one valve K, the
lower end of the other lever V₁ connected with the same rocking lever T, will
move away from the head L' of the opposite valve and the cams R thus act on
each of the two opposite inlet valves successively or alternately and in like manner
each cam S when adjusted in proper position acts successively or alternately on
the two opposite inlet valves.
It is thus evident that the gas is admitted alternately into the outer ends of the
opposite cylinders, and the exhaust gas is always forced out of one cylinder while the
effective gas expands in the opposite cylinder. I have shewn the inlet valve
at the outer end of one cylinder only, although each cylinder has its inlet valve,
and at the outer end of the other cylinder I have shown the exhaust valve, of
which each cylinder has one. The exhaust valve f fits snugly in a bore fi in
which it can reciprocate, and serves to close the exhaust port 9 in the top of the

page_text: cylinder at the outer end thereof. The exhaust valves f for two opposite cylinders
are secured on stems extending from the opposite ends of a bar k located in
the chamber and having a recess into which arms n on the vertical recipro-
cating frame B pass, the recess being of such size that the arms n can strike
against the ends of said recess at the ends of the stroke of said frame B. For
example, when the frame B moves to the right under the action of the gas admitted
into the left-hand end cylinder, one arm strikes the right-hand end of the
recess an instant before the right-hand stroke of the pistons is completed whereby
the said bar K and the two exhaust valves F are shifted to the right sufficiently
to open the left-hand exhaust port g and at the same time close the right-hand
exhaust port f an instant before the stroke to the right is completed so that the
exhaust gas remaining in the outer end of the right-hand cylinder forms a
cushion for the piston. In like manner when the two pistons move to the left
under the action of expanding the gas acting on the right-hand piston, the arm
of the frame B strikes the left-hand end of the recess and shifts the said bar K
stems and exhaust valves f to the left sufficiently to close the exhaust port g
of the left-hand cylinder an instant before the left-hand piston has completed
its stroke to the left, and at the same time the exhaust port of the right-hand
cylinder is opened.
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 motor, the combination with cylinders arranged in pairs opposite each
other and in line, a piston in each cylinder, a slotted frame connected with
each pair of opposite pistons, a crank pin passing through each slotted frame,
an inlet valve for each cylinder, a longitudinally movable and rotating shaft,
cams for actuating the inlet valves on said shaft, for each pair of opposite cylinders,
and means for actuating said inlet valves from said cams, substantially as herein
shown and described.
2. In a motor, the combination with cylinders, pistons and inlet valves, of a
longitudinally movable rotative shaft, means for shifting said shaft longitudinally
while rotating or at rest, cams of varying widths on said shaft and means for
operating the inlet valves from said cams, substantially as herein shown and
described.
3. In a motor, the combination with cylinders, pistons and inlet valves of a
longitudinally movable rotative cam shaft, means for shifting said shaft while
rotating or at rest, a series of cams arranged in pairs on said shaft one cam of
cach pair serving to actuate the inlet valves when the motor runs in one direction
and the other cam for actuating the inlet valves when the motor runs in the
reverse direction, substantially as herein shown and described.
4. In a motor, the combination with a series of cylinders arranged opposite
cach other in pairs, the cylinders of each pair being in line longitudinally, a
piston in each cylinder, a crank-shaft between the cylinders, means for rotating
the same from the pistons, an inlet valve for each cylinder, a longitudinally mov-
able rotative cam shaft, a pair of cams on said shaft for each pair of opposite
cylinders, at least one cam of each pair, being of varying width, means for actuating
the corresponding inlet valves from said cams and means for shifting said cam
shaft longitudinally, substantially as herein shown and described.
1000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.