Year: 1897

page_text: I, HENRY MARIE LÉON CROUAN, of 21, Boulevard National, Clichy, Department
of Seine, France, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:
-
The present invention concerns a regulator applicable to gas and petroleum
motors, the object of which is to proportion at every moment the force of the
explosion with the resistance to be overcome by the motor, within determinate
limits of speed which can be regulated ad libitum.
This regulator is composed of a fly-wheel of a suitable shape, fixed to the shaft
of the motor, and upon which four small connecting rods are articulated and con-
nected on the other hand with a flat concentric, disk, which bears at the extremities
of a same diameter a weight rivetted upon the back face and a spiral spring fixed
on the other hand, to the fly-wheel; moreover a catch arranged on this latter, fixes
the position of the disk with respect to the fly-wheel during the stopping of the
machine. During the working, the exterior face of the disk rubs against two
catches one of which serves to regulate the introduction of the explosive mixture,
and the other to cause the electric spark to gush out at a proper moment to pro-
duce the inflammation of the mixture.
The first of these catches is articulated on the one hand at its middle, with a rod
which can be worked by hand, and on the other hand, at its extremity, with a
tringle commanding a crank fixed upon the axle of a valve in the form of a
register, fixed in the tube leading the explosive mixture to the motor.
The second catch rubbing against the disk, is constituted by the extremity of
a tringle arranged normally with the disk and articulated on one hand, towards
the disk with a lever movable around an axle and on the other hand, at its free
extremity, with a metallic flexible sheet which can oscillate around a fixed insul-
ated point and connected with the source of electricity by a conducting wire.
This Hexible sheet rubs against a drum in isolating matter moved by the motor
and on the circumference of which a metallic sheet is fitted connected electrically
with the motor and cut according to a generatrix at its back end and sloping at
its fore end in the direction of the rotation.
The working of this apparatus is very simple and is as follows:-
The motor being in motion the disk under the action of the centrifugal force,
has a tendency to be displaced parallel to itself and to recede more or less from the
fly-wheel, and this separation increases according to the increase of the speed and
consequently the centrifugal force developed by the weight fixed to the disk will
be considerable and will produce a greater traction on the spring holding the disk.
In receding from the fly-wheel the disk presses more and more upon the two catches

page_text: and causes on one hand, the partial or total shutting of the inlet valve for the
gaseous mixture, and on the other hand, produces the displacement of the flexible
sheet upon the rotary drum, in order that this sheet might a little later, meet the
sloped extremity of the metallic sheet fixed on the drum, and produce the electric
spark in such a way that the inflammation of the gaseous mixture takes place with
a so much greater advance as the number of revolutions of the motor will be
increased.
These two effects; diminution of the volume of explosive gas introduced into
the cylinder, and greater advance at the inflammation, direct towards the same
point, which is to bring the motor back to its normal speed; but this latter may
be increased or decreased, by acting upon the catch of the valve by means of the
rod joined to the catch and which enables to vary the position normally with the
disk; this latter acts upon the valve as soon as the displacing of the disk begins;
when on the contrary the catch is inclined towards the disk, this latter will act
upon it only when the motor will have acquired a speed which has increased
according to the inclination of the catch.
Dated 1.: 1041.
A AT
1
1007
L. DUVINAGE,
Agent for Applicant.
I, HENRY MARIE LÉON CROUAN, of 21, Boulevard National, Clichy, Department
of Seine, 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 ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
:-
The new regulating device which I shall now proceed to describe, has for its
object to make the force of the explosion and the resistance to be overcome by
the motor, proportionate to each other at all times within a determined limit of
speed, which may be also regulated as desired. As the result of this is that the
speed of the motor cannot be constant, more especially if electric ignition is
employed, the advance of the ignition must be varied automatically in such a
manner that the advance at any moment will always be that which is most suitable
for the speed of the motor at that moment.
The accompanying drawings illustrate only the ordinary parts of the motor
which support or operate this new mechanism.
Figure 1 is an elevation of the fly wheel, provided with the regulating device.
Figure 2 is a section on the line 1-2 of Figure 1, showing the regulating parts
in plan, and Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-4 of Figure 1.
Upon the fly wheel V which is shown as being of special form in the drawing
but which form is not compulsory, there are pivotted four small connecting rods b,
which are in turn pivotted to a flat concentric disc R. This disc carries on one
side a weight K rivetted on its rear face and on the other side a spring rattached
at its other end to the fly wheel. Under the action of centrifugal force the disc R
will have a tendency to move parallel to itself away from the fly wheel, and this
distance will be greater the greater the centrifugal force. When it, the disc, is
at rest a stop fixes the position of the disc relatively to the fly wheel. The pre-
viously formed explosive mixture (of gas and air or air carburetted with spirit or
with petroleum to the desired extent) is supplied to the motor through the pipe T

page_text: of which I have shown only that part which enters into consideration, namely that
which contains the regulating valve. This valve, which is similar to the register
of a stove, is connected by means of a rod t¹, to a lever L' which oscillates on a
fixed pivot O. This lever is provided with a stop g, which bears upon the disc R.
When the latter is caused by the centrifugal force to move away from the fly
wheel, it presses upon q, which by acting upon closes the valve T whereby the
quantity of mixture admitted to the motor will be less. The speed of the motor
may also be regulated as desired by causing q to rock, and by causing it to take up
a position shown in dotted lines at q¹, by means of the rod m. The result is that
the disc R will actuate the stop q, and consequently the valve T, at a time which
will be later the greater the inclination of this stop, that is to say the further it
will be away from its perpendicular position relatively to the plate, consequently
the mixture will only be diminished for a greater speed of the motor.
It has been above stated that is was necessary to regulate the ignition at the
same time. In fact, the motor without load can rotate rapidly with very little
mixture. If too heavy a load is put on the motor, the explosion being too weak,
the speed will diminish until the charge is proportioned to the load. A motor thus
governed, and electrically ignited, will be impossible to be operated, and it would
stop instantaneously each time it is started if it did not automatically regulate its
advance at the same time. In order to obtain this result, a wheel B driven by the
motor by means of a pinion A, carries a disc M of fibre, wood, or any other insulat-
ing material into the circumference of which there is let a metal strip M', which
is electrically connected to the motor, and is shaped according to a generating
line at its rear end, and with a bevel of greater or less extent at its forward end
in the direction of rotation (see Figure 2).
Upon this disc M there rests an elastic metal strip N which is capable of oscillat-
ing about a fixed point 0, that is insulated and is connected to the source of
electricity by means of a wire f. The strip N is operated by means of a bar t, sup-
ported by means of a support or lever L, and carrying a stop p. When the disc R
moves away by reason of the centrifugal force, and takes up its dotted position,
the strip N will itself assume the dotted position N¹. Contact between this strip
and the inserted metal strip M' will take place sooner than in the position shown
in full lines on account of the obliquity of the forward end of this inserted strip,
It will therefore be sufficient to regulate the obliquity of the forward end of the
inserted strip in order to produce an advance of ignition which shall correspond
exactly to the position of the disc R, that is to say, to the speed of rotation of the
engine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
(1) A governor for regulating the violence of the explosion proportionately to
the resistance to be overcome, with a mixture which is always constant, by the
automatic admission of a variable volume of said mixture.
(2) In the governor specified in Claim 1, regulating the advance of the ignition
so as to correspond exactly with the speed of the motor at any moment.
(3) In the governor specified in Claim 1, regulating the action of the governor
according to a pre-determined maximum speed, by regulating by hand the
part that drives the governor.
(4) A governor for gas and petroleum motors, characterised by a disc moving
parallel to the fly wheel by the action of centrifugal force, a valve arranged in the
supply pipe for the mixture, and operated by the said disc, for the purpose of
obtaining a variable admission of the explosive mixture of constant composition,
a disc of insulating material with an inserted metal strip which allows of making
or breaking the circuit without shock, without the vibration of springs, and with-
out any drawbacks whatever at any speed, and producing a variation of the advance

page_text: in any proportion by means of the special inclined shape of the forward end of the
metal strip, as set forth.
(5) A governor for gas and petroleum motors substantially as above described
and shown in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 8th day of August 1898.
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Chartered Patent Agent
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Associate Agent.