Improvements in Explosion Engines
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 28th June, 1898-Accepted, 30th July, 1898
Improvements in Explosion Engines,
A communication from abroad by The Pope ManUFACTURING ('OMPANY (Incorpo-
rated), of Hartford, Connecticut, United States of America.
I, PIOLIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE, of 55 and 56, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents, 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 in general to explosion engines of that class in which
the fluid which forms the basis of the explosive mixture is fed to the explosion
chamber of the engine in proper quantity for each successive charge, and more
especially to the means for supplying the fluid and for regulating the supply with
the ultimate object of regulating the speed and power of the engine. The object
of the invention is to improve such means in the first place so that such regulation
shall be thoroughly automatic and highly efficient, the governor mechanism
responding quickly to variations in the load and speed of the engine, and in the
second place, so that the governor mechanism shall be under the complete control
of the operator or engineer at all times, whereby such variations of speed as may
be desired can be produced quickly and easily. It has also been sought to simplify
the governor mechanism as much as possible. In accordance with the invention
the pump, by which the fluid is fed to the explosion chamber, and the prime
actuator, by which the pump is actuated and which is itself driven by the engine
and partakes of any variations of speed of the engine, are so constructed and
arranged that, if the speed of the engine and consequently that of the actuator
increases materially, the next charge of fluid delivered to the explosion chamber
by the pump shall be correspondingly reduced; to this end means are provided
whereby the movement in one direction of the pump plunger is limited at a point
which varies with the speed of the engine. This result may be accomplished by
introducing between the actuator and the pump a transmitter which is made
sluggish in its movement in one direction by its own inertia or by the addition
thereto of a retarding device. Such transmitter, moreover, conveniently can be
made subject to the control of the engineer or operator for the purpose of effecting
desired changes in the speed of the engine. The nature of the invention will be
more explicitly described with reference to the convenient and practical embodi-
ments thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,-
Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in vertical section, of feeding and governing
devices constructed in accordance with the invention :
Figure 2 is a plan view of the parts shown in Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a sectional plan view on the plane indicated by the dotted line 3–3
of Figure 1, connections by which the main actuator is driven from the engine
shaft being also represented;
Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1, but illustrating a different embodiment
of the invention:
Figure 5 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section,
illustrating the application of one form of the invention to an explosion engine.
DO37

page_text: In the several figures of the drawings the pump by which the fluid is fed to
the explosion chamber or cylinder A2 of the engine, in rear of the piston A³, is
represented as formed in and supported by the upright or standard A erected upon
a bed plate or base A. The plunger B of the pump is represented as reciprocating
horizontally in a cylinder B₁ which communicates with the valve cylinder or
chamber B. Suitable check valves band b¹ are placed in the latter to ensure the
forward movement of the fluid and the supply pipe C and delivery pipe Care
represented as connected to the valve cylinder or chamber. The main actuator 1)
is shown as a cam of proper configuration which may be driven by a shaft d and
gears d from the main engine shaft D', but it will be obvious that it might be
driven by any other convenient means. As a means of transmitting power from
the main actuator D to the plunger B, there is shown a lever E to which the
plunger B is connected and which itself may bear upon the actuator 1) through
the medium of a roller e. A spring F is applied to the transmitter E in such a
manner as to cause the latter to bear normally against the periphery of the actua-
tor or cam 1 throughout its entire rotation, and in Figure 1 the spring is shown
as connected to the transmitter by an adjusting screw f so that the tension of the
spring can be varied, a check nut f¹ being applied to the screw f to retain it in
adjusted position. A stop screw e and check nut c may be provided to limit the
throw of the lever E and consequently the throw of the plunger B, in one direc-
tion, if desired. It will be obvious that the transmitter or lever E is moved in
one direction by the prime actuator or cam D and in the other direction by the
spring F, the quickness of the return movement of the transmitter or lever being
dependent primarily upon the tension of the spring F. In order, however, that the
return movement of the transmitter may be somewhat sluggish there may be given
to the transmitter such mass that its own inertia may be relied upon to secure the
sluggish return movement. It will now be evident that if the tension of the
spring is so adjusted that the transmitter or lever E will remain in contact with
the periphery of the actuator or cam 1), throughout its revolution, while said
actuator is being driven at normal speed, the inertia of the transmitter and the
consequent sluggishness of its return movement will permit the cam or actuator
to make a partial revolution after its highest point has passed the roller e and
before such roller again strikes the periphery of the cam, when the speed of the
movement of the actuator increases above the normal, whereby the inward move-
ment of the plunger will be shortened or limited at a point which varies with the
speed of the engine and the quantity of fluid fed to the explosion chamber of the
engine and consequently the speed of the engine will be correspondingly reduced.
As a convenient means for placing the governor mechanism under the control
of the engineer or operator there is represented, in the construction shown in
Figures 1, 2 and 3, the spring F as connected to one end of a rocking lever G,
the other end of which is connected to a controlling shaft G¹. The latter is pro-
vided with a screw threaded portion g¹, to which is applied a crank handle G
having its hub threaded and bearing upon a plate through which said con-
trolling shaft passes, so that by rotation of said crank the tension of the spring F
can be varied at will. The rocking lever G may be provided with a stop g so
that the controlling shaft or rod G¹ may be detached and the tension of the spring F
be regulated by the adjusting screw f alone.
In Figure 4 there is represented a construction which in general is similar to
that shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, but in which a retarding device is applied to
the transmitter E to delay or render sluggish its return movement when the
highest point of the actuator or cam 1) has left it. As there shown, such retarding
device consists of a dash-pot H, the plunger H₁ of which is connected to the trans
mitter E. The valve h of the dash-pot is adapted to be actuated by a shaft o
rod G³ under control of the operator to vary the cushion of the dash-pot in
manner well understood. A spring F is applied to the transmitter to ensure it
contact with the actuator while the latter moves at a normal speed. The opera

page_text: tion of this form of the device will be readily understood without further explana-
tion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. An explosion engine comprising a pump to deliver fluid to its cylinder, an
actuator having a definite stroke and moving the plunger of the pump in one direc-
tion, and means to limit the return movement of the plunger at a point which
varies with the speed of the engine, whereby the extent of such return movement
and the quantity of fluid delivered are varied, substantially as shown and described.
2. In an explosion engine, the combination of a working cylinder, piston and
moving parts operated thereby, a pump to deliver fluid to said cylinder, an
actuator operated with the engine with a definite stroke and moving the plunger
of the pump in one direction, independent means to return the plunger of the
pump in the opposite direction and other devices to retard the return movement
of the plunger, whereby the extent of return of the plunger is automatically
varied, substantially as shown and described.
3. In an explosion engine, the combination of a working cylinder, a piston and
moving parts operated thereby, a pump to deliver fluid to said cylinder, a cam
having a relatively quick drop operated with the engine with a definite stroke
and moving the plunger of the pump in one direction, means to return the plunger
of the pump in the opposite direction, and other devices to retard the return move-
ment, whereby as the speed of the cam is accelerated, it runs ahead of the plunger
and checks the return movement of the latter at a point which varies with the
speed of the engine, substantially as shown and described.
4. A feeding and governing mechanism for explosion engines, etc., comprising
a pump, an actuator operated with the engine with a definite stroke and moving
the plunger of the pump in one direction, independent means to return the
plunger of the pump in the opposite direction, and a dash-pot in operative relation
with said plunger to retard its return movement whereby as the speed of the
actuator is accelerated, it runs ahead of the plunger and checks the return move-
ment of the latter, substantially as shown and described.
5. A feeding and governing mechanism for explosion engines, etc., comprising a
pump, an actuator operated with the engine with a definite stroke and moving
the plunger of the pump in one direction, independent means to return the plunger
of the pump in the opposite direction, a dash-pot in operative relation with said
plunger, and means to vary the action of the dash-pot, substantially as shown and
described.