Improvements in or relating to Hydro-carbon Motors for Cycles and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 27th June, 1899-Accepted, 12th Aug., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Hydro-carbon Motors for Cycles
and the like.
A communication by ATELIERS DE CONSTRUCTIONS MECANIQUES ci-devant
DUCOMMUN, of Franklinstrasse, Mülhausen, Alsace, in the Empire of
Germany, Machinery Builders.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIES THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester,
both in the County of Lancaster 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil 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 has for its object a hydro-carbon motor, such as is more parti-
cularly used for cycles immaterially whether it is a question of bicycles, tricycles
or quadricycles having one or more seats.
This improved motor differs from the motors hitherto known both as regards
the distributing gear and the special arrangement of the vaporiser and also as
regards the arrangement of the motor on the cycle.
This improved motor is shown in the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 being a side elevation of a motor arranged on the front frame bar
of a cycle, the distributing mechanism of the said motor being shown in section
on the line II II of Figure 2,
Figure 2 a view of the distributing mechanism of the motor in section on the
line II of Figure 1;
Figure 3 an elevation of a portion of the motor with the distributing
mechanism;
Figures 4 and 5 detail views of a portion of the distributing mechanism on
an enlarged scale, and seen from two different points;
Figure 6 an elevation of a fastening sleeve for the motor.
Figure 7 a longitudinal section on an enlarged scale of the carburetter and
Figure 8 a side view of a bicycle fitted with a motor made according to this
invention.
The distributing mechanism of the motor is arranged as follows:
A casing 10 is arranged at the side of the body 9 of the motor, in which casing,
a crank shaft 11 is mounted, the said casing being closed by means of a cover 12.
In the casing a removable bearing support or bracket 13 is arranged, and in
this latter, as well as in the cover 12, a shaft 14 is mounted which can be moved
to and fro, a cog wheel 15 being loosely mounted on said shaft between the
bracket 13 and the cover 12. The shaft 14 which may be shifted in said cog
wheel is rotated thereby by means of a wedge arrangement. The cog wheel 15
engages a second cog wheel 16 mounted on the crank shaft 11. The proportion
of transfer of the two cog wheels 15 and 16 is as 2 to 1. The left hand end of
the shaft 14 carries a step disc 17, which in the present instance is provided on

page_text: one side merely as an example, with three steps 18 of different heights and on
the opposite side with a cain 19. In the upper part of the casing, a pin 22
bearing against the lower end of a spindle 21 of an exhaust valve 23 is located
in a bush 20, the lower end of said pin 22 being flattened and somewhat rounded
as shown in Figure 1 so that the same is acted on, either by the cam 19 or one
of the steps 18 of said step disc 17.
The discharge or exhaust valve 23 is opened more or less according as the
pin 22 is engaged by a higher or lower step 18 of the step disc 17.
By axial adjustment of said step disc 17, a higher or lower step of the same
may be caused to act on the pin 22, and thereby on the discharge valve 23, and
the speed or development of power of the motor varied. To allow of the adjust-
ment of the step disc 17, the right hand end of the shaft 14 is provided with a
groove, in which a pivoting lever 24 engages. This lever is mounted on a
shaft 26 revoluble in one of the supporting arms 25 of the cover 12, and the
right hand end of said shaft 26 is connected with a lever or hand wheel, in the
present instance, with the hand-wheel 27 (Figure 3). On the handle 28 of said
hand wheel, a pivoting lever 29 is arranged, at one end of which is a pawl 30,
which latter engages in a notched projection 3.1 connected with the motor frame.
If then the pawl 30 be lifted, and the hand wheel 27 turned to the right or left
a displacement or adjustment of the shaft 14 takes place. If the shaft 14 be
displaced so far to the left, that as shown in Figure 5, the edge 32 of the step
disc 17, which edge lies concentric to the shaft 14, comes under the pin 22, the
latter is no longer raised, or in other words, the motor remains stationary. The
cam 19 of the step disc has for its object as in all hydro-carbon motors hitherto
known, to enable the air contained in the motor to escape on the machine
being started.
As already mentioned, the regulation of the speed, or power of the motor, is
effected by turning the hand wheel 27, and adjusting the step disc 17 to the
right or left. Of course the arrangement for displacing the shaft 14, may be
any other suitable one, and the step disc 17 may also be provided with a greater
or less number of steps.
In order to prevent the extinguishing of the lamp necessary for igniting the
gaseous mixture during the journey, said lamp may be provided with a casing 33
surrounding it, and connected with the body of the motor, the front cover 34
of said casing engaging with side flaps 35, between the two side walls and
being removable so that access may easily be had to the said lamp 36. The
upper part of this casing has a discharge pipe 37 directed upwards and an
admission pipe 38 directed backwards, into which latter pipe opens a funnel 39
inserted in the casing, so that on the forward movement of the cycle, the air
collected by the funnel, and introduced into the pipe 38, acts with a suction on
the interior of the casing 33, carries off the gases of combustion, and facilitates
the regulation of the draught of the lamp. A heating pipe 40, the object of
which will be hereinafter more particularly explained is also carried through
the upper part of said casing 33. This motor is provided with a rib or
ridge 41 extending backwards which carries half a tubular sleeve 42. The
latter bears against the front frame tube 44 which receives the fork tube 43,
and is held fast thereon by a second part 45 of the sleeve (shown in elevation in
Figure 6) both parts of the sleeve being firmly connected one with another by
means of screws 46 and clamped on the frame tube 44.
In order however to prevent any turning of the sleeve on the tube 44, the
part 45 of the sleeve is provided above and below with flaps 47, each of which is
forked and embraces the frame tubes 48 and 49. Any turning of the motor on
the tube 44 is thus completely prevented.
The carburetter of the motor is as shown in Figure 1 attached to the com-
bustible reservoir 50 and connected with the motor by means of pipes. The
combustible reservoir itself is attached to the upper frame tube 51 by clasps or
clamps 52 or the like (Figure 8).

page_text: The arrangement of the carburetter is as follows:
It consists of a horizontal cylinder 53 having on its upper side, a passage 54
closed at the ends. In the left hand end of the cylinder, an open pipe 56 pro-
jecting into the same, and provided with a perforated valve or slide 55 is tightly
inserted, whilst the right hand end is also provided with a valve 57. The
pipe 56 is connected by a pipe 40 with the motor, the pipe 40, as shown in
Figure 1, leading through the casing 33 with the object of heating the air
which passes through the said pipe 56. To allow more or less heated air to reach
the carburetter, an adjustable slide 55 is employed, whilst the supply of the
cold air may be regulated by the slide 57.
The right hand end of the passage 54 is attached to the combustible con-
tainer 50 by means of a short tube 58, in which tube a valve 60 adjustable from
the outside by means of a hand wheel 59 is arranged, said valve having for its
object to entirely shut off or suitably regulate the supply of combustible to the
passage 54.
The left hand end of the passage 54 is provided with a valve seat 61 and
enclosed by a nozzle 62 which latter also serves as a valve seat and is connected
and communicates with the cylinder 53 by means of a passage 63. The nozzle 62
is connected with a casing 64 in which a double valve 66, 67 moved downwards
by means of a spiral spring 65 is adjustably arranged. In the upper part of
the casing 64, a screw-spindle 68 is adjustably arranged, against the lower end
of which a spindle 69 of the double valve, strikes. Thus the movement of the
double valve may be regulated by adjusting the spindle 68. In order however
to avoid any automatic screwing down of the screw spindle 68, the hand wheel 70
on the top of said spindle is provided on its periphery with grooves or notches
in which a spring 71 mounted on the casing 64 engages. The valve 66 bears
against the valve seat 62, and the valve 67 against a valve seat Gl. A pipe 72,
which, as shown in Figures 1 and 8, is in communication with the motor and
is shut off from the working chamber by a valve 73, branches off from the valve
casing 64. The action of the carburetter is as follows:-If the working piston
of the motor has a suction action, it lifts the double valve 66, 67 so that it can
draw up the gas for instance already contained in the cylinder 53, warm air
being simultaneously drawn through the pipe 40 and cold air through the slide
or valve 57 in the directions indicated by the arrows. This air which is drawn
in is thoroughly mixed with the gas contained in the cylinder 53 in its passage
through the carburetter and reaches the working cylinder as a good gaseous
mixture through the pipe 73.
During this suction period the quantity of combustible which has reached
the passage 54 from the combustible reservoir 50 is also simultaneously drawn
in and forced against a dish shaped valve 66 and is there sprayed and mixed
partly with the gas and air drawn in, and partly with the sprayed combustible
as it falls down on the pipe 56 and as the latter is also heated by the warm air
drawn into it, the vapourizing of the fuel takes place.
When the suction period is completed and the compression period commences
in the motor, the double valve 66 and 67 is closed and the gas formed remains
in the carburetter ready for the next suction period. At the same time a fresh
quantity of combustible accumulates in the passage 54 and this is constantly
repeated.
The power developed by the motor is transmitted to the back wheel in the
present case, for instance by means of a cord pulley 74.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said
invention 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
1. A hydro carbon motor for cycles and the like capable of being rigidly
fastened on the front frame tube 44 which receives the fork tube (43) by means
of clasps or clamps (42 45) and provided with a distributing gear (17 22) which

page_text: latter may be conveniently adjusted whilst the cycle is travelling and an
igniting flame surrounded by a casing provided with an air injector and a car-
buretter connected with the combustible container (50) and fixed together with
the latter on the frame tube (51), the whole with the object of enabling any
existing cycle to be converted into a motor cycle without altering the cycle
frame substantially as herein before described and shown.
2. In a hydro-carbon motor of the kind described a carburetter consisting of
a telescopic arrangement of an air supply pipe (56) heated by the motor and
provided with an adjustable regulating slide (55) in a cylinder connected with
the outer air by means of a regulating slide or valve (57) said cylinder with
the object of mixing the gas with cold and warm air and simultaneously draw-
ing in the necessary gaseous fluid for the next explosion period being connected
during said suction period (by the intermediary of a double valve (66, 67)
arranged in the casing (64, 62) connected with the cylinders (53) on the one
hand with the motor cylinder and on the other hand with a feed passage (64)
of the combustible container and the gaseous liquid drawn in being vapourised
by a heated pipe 56.
3. In hydro carbon motors such as described, a distributing gear consisting
of an axially adjustable step disc (17) having several steps (18) of different
heights acting directly or indirectly on an exhaust valve (21 23) to open it,
said step disc being rotated by means of a crank shaft (11) of the
motor and which disc by means of a suitable adjusting mechanism (24,
26, 27 and 30) may be axially displaced or adjusted during the working of the
motor in such a way that a higher or lower step (18) acts on the said exhaust
valve and more or less opens the latter with the object of enabling more or less
exhaust gases to escape from the motor and thus regulating the working
power of the motor.
4. In a hydro-carbon motor such as described, the arrangement of a pro-
tective casing (33) provided with a cover (34) and enclosing the igniting
lamp (36), the upper part of said casing (33) being penetrated on the one hand
by the air supply pipe (40) of the carburetter and on the other hand provided
with an air injector (38, 39) the whole with the object of preventing the igniting
flame from being extinguished and feeding the carburetter with warm air and
improving the air supply to the lamp, substantially as herein before set forth.
Dated this 26th day of June 1899.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.