Improvements in Motor Engines Operated by Oil, Gas, and other Explosive Matter.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 31st Dec., 1896-Accepted, 13th Feb., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Motor Engines Operated by Oil, Gas, and other
Explosive Matter.
We, JOHN SAMUEL CUNDALL, ROBERT DINSDALE CUNDALL, WILLIAM
DENTON CUNDALL, and HENRY CORDINGLEY CUNDALL of the, Firm, of
R. Cundall and Sons, Limited, of Airedale Iron Works, Otley Road, Shipley, in
the County of York, Machine Makers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to gas and oil engines, the primary object of our improve-
ments being that after the engine begins to slacken the governors automatically
set into motion mechanism which closes the exhaust, valve and simultaneously
therewith opens the valve which admits the combustible mixture thus both the
exhaust valve and the valve which actuates the explosive matter are operated in
the manner described by means of self-acting devices through the medium of the
governor.
In some classes of oil and gas engines the exhaust valve is operated on so as to
close at every other revolution of fly wheel whether an explosion is required
to take place or not so if no explosion is to take place the engine compresses air
for no purpose and this takes considerable power from the engine.
There are other classes of gas and oil engines where after each explosion the
exhaust port remains open until it is closed through the slackened energy of the.
engine, whereupon a vacuum is formed in the cylinder, which vacuum opens the port.
which admits the explosive matter but opening the inlet port by means of a vacuum
is uncertain as the, density of the vacuum is not always the same, in addition to
which the inlet valve of this class of engine is closed by a spiral spring and the
vacuum has to overcome the pressure of the said spiral spring which varies in.
strength as it is not always equally tempered, therefore the opening of the inlet
valve by means of a vacuum is unreliable and irregular.
Our invention is designed to open the valve which lets in explosive matter
positively without relying upon any vacuum, and this we propose to effect, by
positive and mechanical apparatus through the medium of the governors, which
governors perform two functions simultaneously, that is, the closing of the exhaust
port and the opening of the valve which lets in explosive matter and vice versa,
that is to say, closing the inlet valve and opening the exhaust.,
The apparatus we employ for performing this double function may be attained
by a suitable arrangement of levers and cams or tappets placed between the
governors and the exhaust port and also between the governors and the port which
ets in explosive, matter. By this means there is no back pressure to overcome
by the piston, consequently the engine runs easily and freely, and we obtain between
he explosion a larger number of strokes of the piston than can be attained by
he present method of operating the two valves referred to. The air inlet valve is
pened by the engine at every alternate forward stroke-of-the piston but the inlet-
alve for the gas, oil or vapour (whichever may be used as explosive matter) is
nly opened when the explosion is required to keep the engine running up to its
roper speed and this valve is actuated in connection with the governors. When
explosion is required the governor allows the exhaust valve to remain open and

page_text: allows the piston to travel to and fro leaving the piston free to draw in air through
the exhaust valve on the outward stroke and expel the air through the exhaust
valve in the backward stroke without compression.
Dated this 30th day of March 1896.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Patent Agents.
Improvements in Motor Engines Operated by Oil, Gas, and other
Explosive Matter.
We, JOHN SAMUEL CUNDALL, ROBERT DINSDALE CUNDALL, WILLIAM
DENTON CUNDALL, and HENRY CORDINGLEY CUNDALL, of the Firm of
R. Cundall and Sons, Limited, of Airedale Iron Works, Otley Road, Shipley, in
the County of York, Machine Makers, 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:-
Our invention relates to gas and oil engines, the primary object of our improve-
ments being that after the engine begins to slacken the governors automatically
set into motion mechanism which closes the exhaust valve and simultaneously
therewith opens the valve which admits the combustible mixture thus both the
exhaust valve and the valve which actuates the explosive matter are operated in.
the manner described by means of self-acting devices through the medium of the
governor.
In some classes of oil and gas engines the exhaust valve is operated on so as to
close at every other revolution of Hy wheel whether an explosion is required to
take place or not, so if no explosion is to take place the engine compresses air for
no purpose and this takes considerable power from the engine.
There are other classes of gas and oil engines where, after each explosion, the
exhaust port remains open until it is closed through the slackened energy of the
engine, whereupon a vacuum is formed in the cylinder, which vacuum opens
the port which admits the explosive matter; but opening the inlet port by means
of a vacuum is uncertain as the density of the vacuum is not always the same, in
addition to which the inlet valve of this class of engine is closed by a spiral spring
and the vacuum has to overcome the pressure of the said spiral spring which
varies in strength as it is not always equally tempered, therefore the opening of
the inlet valve by means of a vacuum is unreliable and irregular.
Our invention is designed to open the valve which lets in explosive matter
positively without relying upon any vacuum, and this we propose to effect. by
positive and mechanical apparatus through the medium of the governors; which
governors perform two functions simultaneously, that is, the closing of the
exhaust port and the opening of the valve which lets in explosive matter and,
vice versa, closing the inlet valve and opening the exhaust.
The apparatus we employ for performing this double function comprises a
suitable arrangement of levers and cams or tappets placed between the governors
and the exhaust port and also between the governors and the port which lets in
explosive matter.
The air inlet valve is opened by the engine at every alternate forward stroke of
-the-piston-but-the inlet valve for the gas, oil or vapour (whichever may be used
as explosive matter) is only opened when the explosion is required to keep the
engine running up to its proper speed and this valve is actuated in connection with
the governors. When no explosion is required the governor allows the exhaust
valve to remain open and allows the piston to travel to and fro leaving the piston

page_text: in air through the exhaust valve on the outward stroke and expel
the air through said valve in the backward stroke without compression.
By above means there is no back pressure to overcome by the piston, conse-
quently the engine runs easily and freely, and we obtain between the explosion a
5 larger number of strokes of the piston than can be attained by the present method
of operating the two valves referred to.
0
5
In order that our said invention may be fully understood reference is hereafter
had to the annexed sheets of drawings forming a part of this specification in
which:-
Fig. 1 is longitudinal elevation of an oil or gas engine shewing the application
of our improvements thereto;
Fig. 2 is transverse section taken on line a, a, of Fig. 1, the exhaust valve
chamber which lies beyond the vertical plane named being also shewn in section.
Fig. 3 is a detail shewing the reverse side of some of the parts.
Fig. 4 is detail shewing the application of part of our improvements to gas
engines.
Like numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views.
Referring to the drawings I is the bed plate or foundation of the engine to
which is bolted the cylinder 2 fitted with the liner 3 and provided with a sur-
rounding water space 4 communicating with the water circulating pipes 5, 6,
see Fig. 1. 7 is the cylinder lubricator driven by strap from the side or cam
shaft 8, 9 the piston, 10 the connecting rod attached at one end to said piston
and at the opposite end to the crank (not shewn) on the driving shaft of the
engine and 11 is the fly or driving wheel keyed on the driving shaft. To the
rear end of the cylinder is bolted the vaporiser 12 having attached to its upper
end the oil cup 13 and to the lower end one half 14 of the burner chamber, the
cther half 15 of said chamber being hinged to the part 14 so that it can be
opened out to give access to the lamp burner 16.
The vaporiser is provided with the ordinary ignition tube 12. The oil for
charging the vaporiser is forced from a storage tank through pipe 17 to the oil
cup 13 by a pump actuated by rod and strap from an eccentric fast on the side or
cam shaft 8 as ordinarily.
The charges of oil necessary to start the engine may be supplied to the oil
cup 13 through a supplementary pipe from the overhead tank which feeds the
burner, a tap on said pipe being opened for this purpose and closed again to shut
off the supply as soon as the engine is started. The excess oil in the oil cup 13
flows out through pipe 18 and empties into the pump
box.
On the side or cam shaft 8 which is journalled in bearings in the brackets 19, 20,
and driven in the ordinary manner by skew, bevel or worm gear from the crank
shaft, is keyed the cam 21 adapted to engage the bowl or pulley 22 carried on
the stud 23 at the lower end of the regulator bar or lever 24 pivoted on the
stud 25 secured to the bracket 20, and at every revolution to cause the said lever
o move through a small angle towards the vertical or in the direction indicated by
he arrow in Fig. 2.
ecured to the end of the lever 24 and has attached thereto a finger 29 which is
A pendulum 26 weighted at 27 is hung on a pin or stud 28
dapted under normal conditions at every forward movement of the lever 24 to
ngage with the shoulder 30 on the upper end of the lever arm 31 and force said
ever arm over in the same direction whereby the short shaft 32 on which said
rm is fast is partially rotated in its bearings in the bracket 20. The pendulous
overnor is held in position normally by a spiral spring 33 surrounding a spindle 34
d confined between the fixed stud 35 on the lever 24 and the adjusting nut 36,
id spindle being passed through the pendulum 26 and stud 35 and the head
ereof resting
or pivotting on the knife or tapered edge 26 of the pendulum
hich allows for the angular movement of the latter. By adjusting the nut 36
or down the spindle 34 the engine is caused to run permanently at higher or
wer rates of speed because the altered tension of the spring 33 will require a
eater or less vigorous movement of the lever 24 to move the pendulum on its

page_text: arm 31.
bie inger 20 upward clear of the shoulder 30 on the lever
After adjustment of the nut 36 its position is made secure by lock nut 37.
So far the parts described are those ordinarily found in oil engines of the four
cycle type as will be obvious to those skilled in the art.
On the short shaft 32 which is journalled in bearings in the bracket 20 is
secured by set screw a depending lever arm 38 provided at its lower end with a
slot 39 see Fig. 3, into which enters and engages with its si les a stud or roll 40
projecting from the side of a bar or bolt 41 capable of being slided endwise in the
recess or way 42 formed on the side of bracket 20 in which it is held by metal
straps or caps 43. When the lever arms 31 and 38 are at rest, the sliding bolt 41
is in the position shewn in Figs. 2 and 3, the end thereof projecting beyond the
groove or way 42 and engaging with a shoulder 44 on the upper end of the
finger 45 which is supported in the bearing 46 integral with the bracket 20 and
attached at its lower end to the exhaust valve lever 47. These parts are shewn
clearly in full line in Fig. 3 which shews the reverse side of the bracket 20 to that
shewn in Fig. 2. The said lever 47 is pivoted on a stud 48 secured in a bracket 49
under the cylinder 2 and engages at one end with studs or rolls 50 projecting from
the collar 51 secured on the exhaust valve spindle 52 and carries at its opposite
end a bowl or pulley 53 which is engaged by the cam 54, fast on the can shaft 8
at every revolution of said shaft for the purpose of opening the exhaust valve 52
to its full extent to allow for the discharge of the resultants of the exploded
mixture.
The speed of the engine being controlled by the adjustment of the tension of the
spring 33 by the nut 36 it follows that whenever that rate tends to get beyond the
limit assigned, the pendulum or pendulous governor 26 will lag behind the motion
of the lever 24 in consequence of its inertia, and the finger 29 will therefore move
over and clear of the shoulder 30 thereby failing to actuate the lever arme 31
and 38 and sliding bar 41 so that on the exhaust lever being returned by the
confined spring 55 after opening the exhaust valve the shoulder 44 on the finger 45
abuts against the end of the sliding bolt and prevents further movement of said
lever, with the result that the exhaust valve is left a little open, as shewn, this
avoiding the creation of vacuum in the cylinder on the next outward movement of
the piston and consequently preventing the indrawing of a charge of oil or gas
whereby there will be no compression and no explosion until the engine has gone
back to the normal speed.
On the load requiring a further charge or charges of combustible mixture to
maintain the velocity of the engine, the slower rotation of the cam shaft 8 reduces
the oscillation of the lever 24 and the finger 29 failing to rise, engages with the
shoulder 39 on the lever arm 31 and forces the latter in the direction of the arrow
(Fig. 3) this rocking the shaft 32 and moving the lever arm 38 in a contrary
direction which causes tlie sliding bolt 41 to be drawn out of the path of the
finger 45 and allowing the exhaust lever, when released by the cam 54, to be
returned to its full extent by the spring 55 and to close the exhaust valve tightly
against the seating.
Heretofore the charge of oil has been drawn past the inlet valve into the inner
chamber 12 of the vaporiser by the vacuum or suction created by the outward
stroke of the piston alone, and as the stroke of said piston is variable, the same
quantity of oil is not always drawn past the automatic inlet valve. We desire to
open said valve positively by mechanism controlled by the governor or regulator
mechanism above described. For this purpose we secure a curved lever or cam 56
on a short shaft 57 journalled in bearings in the bracket 58 bolted to the bracket 20,
said cam or lever being held in engagement with the lever arm 31 by a coiled
spring 58surrounding the shaft 57 and secured at one end to the bracket 58 and
at the opposite end to the cam or lever 56, said spring-serving-also-to reinstate the
lever arms 31 and 38 in the positions shewn, after each actuation of same by
the governor. Secured on the opposite end of the short shaft 57 is a
holding

page_text: 5
ever 59 normally engaging with a finger 60 hinged to the upper end of the
lever 61 pivoted on a stud 62 secured in the bracket 20 and provided with a
friction bowl or pulley 63, which is engaged at every revolution of the shaft 8 by
a cam 64 which imparts an oscillatory motion to said lever.
When the parts are in the positions shewn, the finger 60 is held by the lever 59.
clear of the shoulder 65 on the end of the rod 66 which is connected at its opposite.
end to a lever arm 67 fast on a short shaft 68 journalled in bearings in the
bracket 69 bolted to one side of the oil cup 13 on which said shaft is also fast a.
second lever arm 70 engaging at its free end with the oil inlet valve spindle 71,
and so long as the engine requires no charge of oil the parts remain in the said
positions and inoperative; but when the lever arm 31 is moved over in the
direction of the arrow, by the finger 29 engaging the shoulder 30, the motion is.
imparted to the cam or curved lever 56 and through shaft 57 communicated to the
lever 59 which, moving in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 2) allows the finger 60-
to fall on to the end of the rod 66 so that on the forward movement of the lever 6L
it will engage with the shoulder 65 and push the rod 66 end wise, as indicated,
thereby oscillating the lever arms 67, 70, the latter of which forces down the oil
valve spindle 71 against the resistance of the coiled spring 72 and opens the
valve 73 past which the charge of oil is then drawn into the chamber 12b of the
vaporiser by the outward stroke of the piston.
The parts are returned to their normal positions by the energy of the springs
as will be understood. An adjustable screw 74 secured in the lug 75 projecting
from the side of the lever 61 engages, at each forward movement of the said
lever, with the end of the spindle of the air inlet valve 76 to open same for the
admission of a charge of air to the vaporiser.
The vaporiser is dome shaped at the upper end to present a larger area of
heating surface and it is provided near the top thereof with an asbestos lining 12.
Openings 12d are made through the upper end of the vaporiser for the escape of
the heated gases arising from the lamp or burner 16. For regulating the oil.
supply we preferably screw into the bottom of the oil cup 13 a bush 77 forming a.
bearing for the oil inlet valve spindle.
Ou to the upper end of said bush we screw a disc or nut 78 whose position.
thereon is adjustable and together with the upper end of said bush forms a cup or
thimble 79 which is deepened or made shallower by screwing the nut 78 up or
down, and therefore gives a greater or smaller holding capacity for the oil which
is discharged from the end of the pipe 77 into said cup or thimble, the excess.
Howing over the nut 78 into the bottom of the cup 13. When adjusted to suit
requirements the same given quantity of oil is permanently drawn into the
vaporiser each time the load of the engine requires it and therefore more regular
nd uniform work is obtained. The valve spindle 71 is made with three flat
ides 71 to afford sufficient space between the said spindle and the bush or
bearing 77 for the passage of the oil from the cup or thimble 79 to the valve 73.
Under the said valve and screwed into the neck of the cup 13 is a perforated
isc 80 which breaks up the oil admitted through the valve into fine particles.
which are more rapidly acted upon by the heat of the vaporiser.
This perforated disc or spray is intended more particularly for engines of about
ix horse-power and upwards, the smaller engines not needing it.
It will be understood that the intermediate conuections for actuating the rock
haft 68 to open the oil inlet valve, when the rate of the engine requires an
xplosion or explosions to increase or maintain its velocity and which remain.
operative when no explosion is demanded, may be varied somewhat from what.
shewn and described; and that instead of the operation or inoperation of the
id rock shaft being determined by the engagement or non-engagement-of-the-
gulator finger 29 with the shoulder 30 on lever arm 31, the movement of
e exhaust lever may be utilised to raise and lower the finger 60 which would be
cured to the lower end of the lever 61 instead of to the top thereof and cause:

page_text: said finger to engage with or pass clear of a projection on the end of a lengthened
lever arm 67.
In gas engines the finger 60 may act direct on a shoulder 65 on the gas valve
spindle 66 as shewn in Fig. 4.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
Firstly. The arrangement of levers and rods actuated by the governor for
opening and closing the exhaust port substantially as shewn and described herein.
Secondly. The arrangement of levers and rods actuated by the governor for
opening and closing the inlet valve automatically and positively substantially as
shewn and described.
Thirdly. The meaus substantially as herein shewn and described for closing the
exhaust port and simultaneously therewith of opening the inlet valve and vice versa
for purposes described.
Dated this 30th day of December 1896.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Patent Agents.