Improvements in Oil Engines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 21st May, 1896-Accepted, 27th June, 1896
Improvements in Oil Engines.
I, ARMAND PEUGEOT of Valentigney (Doube) France, Manufacturer,. 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 petroleum engine of the four-cycle type for the
propulsion of all kinds of carriages or vehicles.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification,
Figure 1 of which is a longitudinal vertical section and Figure 2 a plan of the
engine with the cap of the crank chamber removed.
Figure 3 is face view of the governor.
Figures 4 and 5 shew modifications of the valve operating cam.
The same letters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.
The engine comprises two horizontal parallel cylinders placed side by side and
formed of a single casting A. The cylinders are connected at their front ends to
a cylindrical crank chamber common to both, carrying the crank shaft bearings C C¹.
The casing is made in halves B B divided on the plane of the crank shaft and
bolted together so that by removing the cap the working parts can be withdrawn.
The cap has an opening closed by a sliding cover to permit inspection and lubrication
of the working parts and also two side openings K to admit air for cooling the
cylinders. Within the casing are two crank discs F F acting as fly wheels
respectively attached to the two portions G G of the driving shaft being coupled
by a crank pin H to which the connecting rods H'H' are connected. The cylinders
have valve chests I I¹ either cast in one or separate and a compression chamber is
provided at the back end of each cylinder, the valve chests and rear part of the
cylinders being water-jacketted. The gases are inhaled through self acting
valves S whose seats R are contained in the upward extension R³ of the valve
chambers and are held in place by liners R¹ and screw plugs R2 the exhaust
valves S¹ being at the lower part of the valve chambers as shewn in Figure 1:
They can be introduced and removed through the same openings as the admission
valves by merely removing the plugs and liners,. for cleaning or repairs, without
disturbing any other part which is a great advantage.
The exhaust valves are opened alternately by means of the following
mechanisin-Upon the crank pin H is keyed a cain disc D concentrically with
the crank shaft having a peripheral reversed spiral cam groove E making two turns
of the circumference and crossing at point Et (Figures 1. 2. 4. and 5).. The
groove is symmetrical with regard to the central plane perpendicular. to the axis of
the crank shaft passing through the crossing point of the groove and in it works a
slide block I carried on the end of a crank arm J keyed on a shaft J' placed
parallel to beneath and equidistant from the axis of the cylinders. At, each
revolution the slide block I passes from one side to the other of the central plane
thereby oscillating crank J and its shaft J which extends to the back end of the
cylinders and terminates in a cross-head L of inverted V-form to the extremities
of whose arms are pivoted two tappets n n which alternately raise one or other of
the exhaust valves, that is to say each valve at every two revolutions., The cam
groove E may be replaced by a projecting rib of similar form, the. slide block
"

page_text: being made to embrace the rib and the crossing point being formed as in Figure 4.
The firing of the charge may be effected either by an ignition tube or by
electricity.
The governing is effected as represented in Figure 2 by a centrifugal governor
contained in one of the crank discs F acting on a collar N whose sliding motion
is transmitted by two rods N1 N2 (of square section fitted to slide in grooves and
preventing the collar N from turning with the shaft) to the exterior of the casing.
The rod N is provided with a notch N3 in which engages one arm O of an elbow
lever pivoted at M and whose other arm O' acts on a sleeve P sliding upon the
rock shaft J but not turning with it. A spring Q confined between the bearing
of shaft J' and a collar on sleeve P opposes the centrifugal action of the governor
but when the speed becomes excessive the balls fly out and overcoming the
spring bring the T-shaped head Q of sleeve P in the paths of the tail ends of
the tappet lever nn (Figure 3) before referred to thus tripping them. Each
tappet n is fixed to a spindle m pivoted in the forked end m¹ m² of the
oscillating+head L and provided with a hooked arm n' to which is attached
one end of a spring the other end of which is attached to the crosshead L.
A stop s s limits the movement of the tappet under the action of spring r. The
tappet spindle is also provided with a tail t above whose upwardly turned end
the T-head Q is brought by the action of the governor so that when the tappet n
rises to open the exhaust valve it is tripped or inclined by the tail t meeting the
crosshead L and it therefore misses the valve stem and fails to open the valve, the
escape of the burnt gases being thus prevented until the speed again becomes
normal whereupon the T-head Q' is retracted by the spring Q. The tappet n is
caused to resume its normal position by spring r and then lifts the exhaust valve
to allow the burnt gases to escape and permit of a fresh inhalation and explosion
taking place.
The engine requires no lubricator as the crank chamber B is accessible as above
described and the crank revolves in an oil bath which is splashed into the cylinders.
The engine is easily adaptable for four cylinders the two additional cylinders being
in line with the other two on the opposite side of the crank shaft, the crank discs,
cam, and governor being common to both pairs of cylinders and the four connecting
rods being jointed two and two to the same crank pin. The valve operating
mechanism is similar for the two pairs of cylinders the two slide blocks travelling
in the same cam groove so that an explosion is obtained for every half revolution
of the crank shaft.
For starting, one pair of cylinders is first set in action by means of a
special mechanism so as to lessen the power required to start the second pair of
cylinders being made to work by the first pair already in work. Only one pair may
be kept in work if desired. The engine may be made of any dimensions and be
applied to any purpose required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. The herein described two-cylinder oil engine having :-
(a) The valves arranged as described so as to enable inspection and repairs of
both the admission and exhaust valves to be performed by removing the
screw caps of the valve boxes ;
(b) Valve operating mechanism consisting of a cam disc keyed on the crank
pin and operating through a slide block, crank arm and rock shaft, a
crosshead which alternately actuates the exhaust valves of the two cylinders
as described;
(c) Governing gear partly contained within the crank chamber and sliding on
the valve operating rock shaft for determining the action of the latter on
the exhaust valves as specified.

page_text: 2nd. The combination and arrangement of the engine herein described as a four-
cylinder coupled engine.
Dated this 21st day of May 1896.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.