Improved Apparatus for Regulating the Speed of Gas and Oil Motor Engines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Dec., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 5th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 13th Sept. 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by GAS MOTOREN-FABRIK DEUTZ, of Deutz on the Rhine,
in the German Empire, Manufacturers.]
Improved Apparatus for Regulating the Speed of Gas and Oil Motor
Engines.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of London, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a mode commonly adopted for regulating the speed of gas
or oil motor engines wherein the gas or oil vapour-supply to the engine cylinder is
entirely cut off when the engine runs above the normal speed. In apparatus
frequently used for this purpose by my correspondents, this is effected by mounting
upon a counter-shaft a sliding sleeve having a cam which, in the normal position of
the sleeve, acts upon the gas-valve lever so as to open the valve and admit gas to the
cylinder, but which is moved by the governor when the engine runs too fast, so that
the cam misses the gas valve lever, causing the gas valve to remain closed.
With this apparatus it sometimes happens that the sleeve is brought into such an
intermediate position by the governor that the roller of the gas valve lever is just
caught by the extreme edge of the cam, which consequently opens the valve, but the
roller in slipping off the edge again before the cam has completed its action, causes
the valve to close prematurely, resulting in an imperfect cylinder charge and a
consequent misfire.
The present invention has for its object to remedy this defect by preventing the
possibility of the sleeve and cam assuming such intermediate position, and by rendering
the governor more sensitive in reducing the resistance which it has to overcome.
For this purpose the governor lever is not connected directly to the sliding sleeve, this
being acted upon at every revolution of the countershaft by a cam on the latter, which,
during the expelling stroke of the engine piston, depresses a lever (which may be
the escape valve lever) and causes this to move the cam sleeve through the medium
of an elbow lever into the extreme position in which its cam escapes the gas valve
lever. This movement is effected against the action of a spring, which consequently
moves the sleeve back to its other extreme position as soon as it is released by the
escape valve lever, this being in its turn released by the before mentioned cam on
the counter shaft as soon as the expelling stroke is completed, so that the sleeve cam
is then brought into correct position for acting on the gas valve lever again at
the next admission stroke.
The governor acts upon a lever which is connected by a link to a rod pivotted
at one end to the engine frame and having its free end moved into different positions
by the governor.according to the speed of the engine, this movement of the rod being
the only work the governor has to do, so that its action is rendered very sensitive.
When the engine is running too fast, the governor brings the rod into a position in
which its end faces a notch on the escape valve lever, so that when this has been
actuated by its cam as described so as to bring the sleeve cam into the position in
which it misses the gas valve lever, it is prevented from returning into its original
position by the rod, which catches into the said notch. Thus it will be seen that
the sleeve cam will be held in the position in which it misses the gas cam lever until
by the reduction of speed to the normal, the governor is made to move the end of
the rod out of the path of the escape valve lever, whereupon this can return to its
original position and allow the sleeve cam also to move back into the position in
which it acts on the gas valve lever.
Although I have described the lever which actuates the sleeve cam as the escane

page_text: valve-lever, yet it may be a separate lever from this, actuated by a separate cam.
In this case the cam may be so formed as to keep the lever and sleeve cam in the
withdrawn position during the compressing, firing, and expelling strokes, and only
leave it free to return during the charging stroke.
With the above described arrangement of the sleeve cam, the sleeve may be pro-
vided with another cam or cams for acting on the air admission valve as well as
upon the gas valve.
The connection of the governor lever with the above described rod may be a
rigid one, but by preference it is made more or less elastic so as to allow of some
variation of the position of the governor while the rod remains stationary in holding
the escape valve lever. Instead of applying the above described mechanism for
moving the sleeve carrying the gas cam, this may remain stationary, and the lever
actuating the same be arranged to move the gas valve lever so as to miss the cam
when the engine is running too fast.
Dated this 30th day of December 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Regulating the Speed of Gas and Oil Motor
Engines.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of London, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent; 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 a mode commonly adopted for regulating the speed of gas
or oil motor engines wherein the gas or oil vapour supply to the engine cylinder is
entirely cut off when the engine runs above the normal speed. In apparatus
frequently used for this purpose in motor engines of the well known "Otto
type,
this is effected by mounting upon a counter shaft a sliding sleeve having a cam which,
in the normal position of the sleeve, acts upon the gas valve lever so as to open the
valve and admit gas to the cylinder, but which is moved by the governor when the
engine runs too fast, so that the cam misses the gas valve lever, causing the gas valve
to remain closed.
•
With this apparatus it sometimes happens that the sleeve is brought into such an
intermediate position by the governor that the roller of the gas valve lever is just
caught by the extreme edge of the can, which consequently opens the valve, but the
roller in slipping off the edge again before the cam has completed its action,
causes the valve to close prematurely resulting in an imperfect cylinder charge and a
consequent misfire.
The present invention has for its object to remedy this defect by preventing the
possibility of the sleeve and cam assuming any such intermediate position, and by
rendering the governor more sensitive in reducing the resistance which it has to
overcome.
For this purpose the governor lever is not connected directly to the sliding sleeve,
this being acted upon at every revolution of the countershaft by a cam on the latter,
which during the expelling stroke of the engine piston depresses a lever (which may
be the escape valve lever) and causes this to move the cam sleeve through the medium of
an elbow lever into the extreme position in which its cam escapes the gas valve lever.
This movement is effected against the action of a spring, which consequently moves
the sleeve back to its other extreme position as soon as it is released by the escape
valve lever, this being in its turn released by the before mentioned cam on the
countershaft as soon as the expelling stroke is completed, so that the sleeve cam is
hen brought into correct position for acting on the gas valve lever again at the next
dmission stroke. Thus the cam can only be brought into its two extreme
positions.

page_text: The governor acts upon a lever which is connected by a link to a rod pivotted at
one end to the engine frame and having its free end moved into different positions by
the governor according to the speed of the engine, this movement of the rod being
the only work the governor has to do, so that its action is rendered very sensitive.
When the engine is running too fast, the governor brings the rod into a position
in which its end faces a notch on the escape valve lever, so that when this has been
actuated by its cam as described so as to bring the sleeve cam into the position in
which it misses the gas valve lever, it is prevented from returning into its original
position by the rod which catches into the said notch. Thus it will be seen that the
sleeve-cam will be held in the extreme position in which it misses the gas valve lever
until by the reduction of speed to the normal, the governor is made to move the end
of the rod out of the path of the escape valve lever, whereupon this can return to
its original position and allow the sleeve cam also to move back into the position in
which it acts on the gas valve lever.
The accompanying drawing shews the arrangement which it is preferred to employ
in carrying out the above described invention as applied to a gas motor engine of the
well known "Otto" class, working with a cycle of four strokes. Fig. 1 shews a
front view of the apparatus and Fig. 2 a side view of the same.
c is the sliding sleeve on the counter shaft q carrying the cam & that actuates the
gas valve lever e.
The sleeve is not actuated directly by the governor a but is moved into its 'two
extreme positions at each revolution of the counter shaft by the following mechanism.
The lever which in this case is the lever actuating the escape valve p of the
engine, and is depressed for this purpose at each expelling stroke of the piston by
the cam g on the countershaft, carries a roller n which acts on one arm of a bell
crank lever m whose other arm is connected to the sliding sleeve c, so that at each
expelling stroke of the piston, the lever f, at the same time that it opens the 'escape
valve p, causes the sleeve c to be moved from its extreme left hand position indicated
by dotted lines Fig. 1 in which the cam d acts upon the lever e so as to open the gas
valve, into the extreme right hand position shewn in full lines, in which the cam dis
quite clear of the lever e. This motion of the sleeve c is made in opposition to the
pressure of a helical spring o so that when the lever f is released by the cam g and is
drawn back by its springs the sleeve c being no longer held by lever m and roller n,
will be rapidly pushed back into its left hand position again so that the cam d can act
upon the gas valve at the next charging stroke.
The governor a is connected to a bell-crank lever b which is connected by a link h
and spring to a rod k pivotted at its upper end to the governor bracket and having
its lower end facing a notched projection on the lever f.
When the engine is running at the normal speed, the governor sleeve, being lowered,
holds the lever band rod k in such a position that the end of the latter is situated to
the right hand of the notch !, as indicated by the dotted line Fig. 1 so that the lever f
is free to be acted upon by the cam g and spring s at each revolution of the shaft q'in
the manner described. When however the engine runs too fast the governor sleeve in
rising causes the end of rod k to be brought in line with the notch so that when
lever is released by cam g after being pressed down thereby, it can only move'a slight
distance upward in obedience to the spring & when it will be arrested by the rod 'k
taking into the notch l, this being the position shewn on the drawing, and it will be
seen that when in this position the lever f still holds the sleeve c back so that cam d
cannot act upon the gas valve lever, thus preventing the admission of gas to the
cylinder at the next charging stroke. At each succeeding revolution of shaft q the
cam g will move lever f to a slight extent away from the rod k, but on being released
by the cam, the lever will be again stopped by rod k if the speed of the engine is still
such that the governor retains the rod in the same position. When however the speed
is reduced to the normal again, then, at the next time that lever f is moved away
from k by the can, the governor will move to the right so as to escape the
notch 1, and consequently lever f in moving up its full stroke will allow sleeve c
to be moved back into the position in which cam dragain opens the gas valve.

page_text: The connection of lever b with rod k is by preference made somewhat elastic by
means of the spring and slotted rod h, in order to allow of a certain amount of
variation in the governor's position while the rod k is locked in the notch 1, but
this is not absolutely necessary, and the rod k might itself form part of a lever
actuated directly by the governor, thus dispensing with the lever b.
Although the lever f in the arrangement above described serves both for opening
the escape valve p and for actuating the cam sleeve c, yet it may in some cases
be preferred to employ a separate lever actuated by a separate cam for this purpose;
in this case the cam may be formed as indicated at 91 Fig. 3, namely so as to
hold the cam sleeve c out of gear with e during the compressing, working and
expelling strokes, and only give it liberty to move into gear during the charging
stroke, when the action of cam d is required.
By this means the governor will in all cases be perfectly free to move the rod k
during the said three strokes, and this will only be held during the charging stroke
when the engine runs too fast.
When the cam g that works the escape valve p is employed for the above purpose,
it requires of course to be formed as shewn at Fig. 4 so as under normal working to
limit the out-of-gear position of the sleeve c to the time during which the valve p
requires to be open and the governor would of course in that case only be free to
move the rod k during the expelling stroke when the engine runs too fast.
The sleeve c might be extended in length and carry two or more cams for actuating
an air admission valve &c. as well as the gas valve.
Instead of actuating the cam sleeve c by the above described mechanism it might be
made stationary, and the lever m be made to move the gas valve lever e laterally so as
to come alternately into and out of gear with the cam d in precisely the same manner
as above described. The lever e may be made with a spring joint or with spring action
for this purpose.
Lastly, the motion of the lever can be imparted to the lever m otherwise than
through the roller n, such as by a ball and socket joint; also, instead of causing the
governor to arrest the motion of the lever f when the engine runs too fast, it may be
made to actuate a device that will hold either the bell crank lever or the sleeve c itself
in the out-of-gear position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In combination with the cain shaft of a gas or oil motor engine, the use of a
sleeve with cam that actuates the gas valve lever, which sleeve during each revolution
of the cam shaft is moved alternately into two opposite extreme positions, in one of
which it actuates the gas valve while in the other it cannot actuate it, in combination
with a rod, lever or equivalent device actuated by a governor in such a manner that
when the engine runs too fast, the said rod or lever retains the before mentioned sleeve
in the position in which its cam cannot act on the gas valve lever, substantially as
described.
2. The combination with the cam-shaft of a gas or oil motor engine, of a sliding sleeve c,
with gas valve cam d, acted upon by a spring o tending to keep the cam in gear with
the gas valve lever, a lever f actuated by a cam g on the cam shaft, and moving the
cam sleeve c through a lever m so as to bring it out of gear with the gas valve lever,
and a rod or lever actuated by the governor, and so arranged that when the engine
runs too fast, the said rod or lever k retains the lever f in the position in which it holds
the cam d out of gear with the gas valve lever, substantially as herein described.
3. The modified arrangement of the apparatus referred to in the preceding claims
wherein the cam sleeve c is fixed on the cam shaft, and the lever m is made to move
the gas valve lever e laterally to and fro so as in one position to be acted upon by the
cam d and in the other position not to be acted upon thereby, substantially as herein
described.
4. In regulating apparatus such as is referred to in the first and second claims,

page_text: arranging the cam g and lever f, that operate the sliding cam sleeve, to serve at the
same time for actuating the discharge valve of the engine, so that this valve is kept
open during the whole time that the engine is running too fast, substantially as
described.
5. In combination with the engine governor, rod and lever f, the use of a bell
crank lever b actuated by the governor and connected by an elastic connection to the
rod k so that the governor sleeve has freedom to descend while the rod k is locked with
lever substantially as described.