US439200A - Gas-engine - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 1. H. K. SHA'NOK.

GAS ENGINE. No. 439,200. Patented Oct. 28, 1890.

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GAS ENGINE. No. 439,200. Patented Oct. 28, 1890.

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HENRY K. SHANGK, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

GAS- ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,200, dated October 28, 1890.

Application filed August 22, 1889. Serial No. 321,587. (No model.)

To all whom, it nuoy concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY K. SHANOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Engines, of which the following is a clear, full, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my engine. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, with the cylinder partly shown in section. Fig. 3 is a partial side elevation showing the cylinder and tank in section. Fig. 4 is a front end elevation showing the cylinder in transverse cross-section, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section.

My invention herein described and claimed is adevelopment and improvement upon that class of gas-engines which is shown and de scribed in the Letters Patent Nos. 376,312 and 390,710, granted to me January 10, 1888, and October 9, 1888, respectively.

The improvements relate to the various parts of the engine, as hereinafter described, and particularly to the mechanism for breaking the electrical circuit, and thereby producing the igniting-sparks Within the cylinder; to the governing mechanism, and to such other parts of the device herein shown and described as are definitely pointed out in the claims.

I will now proceed to describe the embodiment of my invention, which is shown in the drawings, and which is the best embodiment thereof now known to me.

The engine in the form shown is of the general type known as single-acting engines, all the power being obtained from the explosion and consequent expansion of a gas behind the piston after it has begun its forward movement.

A represents the cylinder, which is supported upon a suitable frame. A solid piston of any approved construction works in this cylinder, and its rod passes through a suitable stufiing-box in the forward head, and is connected by a connectingrod with the crankshaftB. For the production of the explosive gas Irely, in common with others, on the use of compressed air, and by the construction herein shown I utilize the same cylinder and piston above referred to to compress the air and force it into a receiver 0, which may be located at any convenient point, but which, for obvious reasons, I have placed beneath the cylinder and other parts of the device, where it is supported within the base.

In the forward end of the cylinder A is a port closed by a common check-valve, through which air is drawn into the cylinder when the piston is moving backward, and this air is compressed and forced into the receiver 0 through the valve-pipe 0 when the piston is forced forward by the explosion behind it. A safety-valve c on the receiver 0 provides for its relief when the pressure therein becomes too great.

In the rear end of the cylinder are the inletport a and the outlet-port a, through which the explosive mixture enters the cylinderand out of which the exploded or dead gas escapes. Over the inlet-port is secured a valve D, of the form known as a puppet-valve, having stems by which it is guided in a path substantially parallel to the path of the piston. This valve is held firmly against its seat by the endwise pressure of a rod E, which slides in guides on the engine-frame. This rod is moved back to seat said valve and hold it seated by the pressure against its end of a revolving cam F on the crank-shaft B. A spring cl surrounds the stem of the valve D and thrusts endwise against the stuffing-box and against a collar secured to said stem. This spring therefore exerts a constant pressure, which assists the gaseous pressure in the pipe K in opening said valve, and the endwise pressure of the valve-stem against the rod E holds said rod continually in engagement with its operating-cam F on the crank-shaft.

It is especially desirable that the valve D shall be firmly seated when it is closed, so that by no chance may the gas outside the cylinder be ignited. This result may be secured by an extremely fine adjustment or by having the rod E exert a strong spring-pressure. I secure this last action in the form shown in the drawings by flattening the rod E in some part of its length, so that if it presses too hard it will bend a little. The outlet-port is also provided with a similar valve G, a spring g closes it, and the pressure of gas in the cylinder holds it firmly closed. A rod H, slidable in guides in the frame, is forced against the valve-stem bya cam I on the crank-shaft, and thus opens the valve.

The particular embodiment of my invention herein shown is designed to manufacture its own gas from volatile hydrocarbon, such as gasoline. I therefore provide a tank J for containing the liquid and support it by suitable brackets on top of the cylinder. Asuitable valve-controlled duct L conveys the gasoline from the tank to the pipe K just outside the inlet-valve D. This pipe K is the pipe connecting the air-receiver G with the rear end of the cylinder, and is when the engine is in operation unobstructed except by the valve D. A branch pipe 70 leads from the pipe to the top of the tank J,.so that any tendency of the air to force the gasoline back through the ductL is counterbalanced by the pressure in the tank. In passing from the duct L into pipe K the gasoline passes through one or more thicknesses of fine wire-gauze, and before it passes the valve D it is compelled to pass. through other gauze, whereby it is mechanically disintegrated, thus insuring its complete volatilization.

In the ductL a globe or other suitable valve M provides means for completely shutting off the gasoline-supply. When this is opened and the engine is running, a needle-pointed valve, operated automatically by a governor such as the ball-governor shown in the drawings-controls the rapidity of the flow of gasoline. Below the governor is abox N, through one wall of which a part of the duct L is formed. A pointed rod P is adapted to close the duct or to open it more or less as it is drawn backward from its seat. The rear end of this rod is guided in its movement by a guidein the back end of the box. A rockshaft R is journaled in the box N and one end thereof extends through its wall. A depending forked arm straddles the rod P, and when the shaft is rocked, as hereinafter described, it presses against a shoulder 19 on the rod P and draws the valve from its seat and permits more or less liquid gasoline to pass to the pipe K. A spring 7' exerts a constant pressure to close said valve.

An arm S is rigidly attached in a vertical position to the rock-shaft R outside the box, and a pin .9 extends at right angles from said arm near its end, like a crank-handle. The governor-stem T is adapted to engage constantly with the pin 8. In the edge of said stem are two notches t and t, in the firstof which the pin 3 rests when the engine is not running. too fast, the stem T is drawn upward until the pin 8 enters the lower notch t; When said pin 8 is in either of these notches, the spring 4 closes the needle-valve and the supply of gasoline is cut ofi. It is not pretended that this precise connecting mechanism between the valve-stem T and the n eedle-pointed val verod P is the only form of mechanism which will produce the described mode of operation;

When the engine gets to running but I consider the arrangement of the rod within the box and the employment of the rock-shaft the better form, because there is less friction and less liability to get out of order, and also because any of the gasoline which happens to escape around the valvestem will be caught in the box N, from which there is no chance for its escape. The gas in the cylinder is exploded by an electric. spark, which is caused to pass between the two separated ends of the wires 0 e which enter the rear end of the cylinder. I prefer to employ substantially the same electrical apparatus which is described in my patent, No. 390,710, but have made certain improvements in the current-breaking mechanism whereby the spark is produced.

Attached to the frame and suitably insulated therefrom is a box W, holding oil or oil and water or any other suitable liquid.' In this box is placed a plate Y, connected with one wire of the primary circuit. This plate has a beveled end y. A bell-crank lever X, suitably pivoted, has attached to its horizontal arm a spring Z, the lower end of which is adapted to engage with the beveled end y of the plate. This spring is attached to the other end of the wire of the primary circuit. The vertical arm of this bell-crank is preferably covered with a raw hide and engages with an adjustable shoulder to on the rod U, which is slidable in suitable guides in the frame. A cam Q on the crank-shaft moves the rod against the bell-crank-and causes it to rock, and thereby break the circuit by separating the spring Z and plate Y. One spring moves the rod u in the contrarydirection and another spring rocks the bell-crank and causes the spring Z to engage with the beveled end of the plate Y, against which it rubs, and thus insures a complete electrical connection between them. The points are preferably tipped with iridium.

The various parts of the engine act, as described, at the proper time to perform their various functions, substantially as follows: When the piston has reached the extreme of its backward movement, the inlet-valve is opened and the compressed air rushes into the cylinder, carrying with it the volatilized gasoline, the two becoming thoroughly mixed as they pass through the gauze partitions and into the cylinder. When the piston has 'moved forward about thirty per cent. of its stroke, the inlet-valve closes and instantly the electrical circuit is broken and the spark ignites the gas. When the piston is at the ex treme of the forward movement, the outlet- IIO valve is opened and remains open and the engine exhausts until the extreme of the backward movement is reached, when the outlet valve closes and the inlet-valve opens, and thlsdoperation is repeated as rapidly as desire Having thus described my invention, what ,I claim as new, and desire to.secure by Let ters Patent, is

1. In a gas-engine, in combination, a cylinder having suitable inlet and outlet ports, a puppet-valve movable in a parallel to the travel of the piston for the inlet-port, a slidable spring-rod mounted in the frame, a cam for moving said rod endwise against the valve-stem, and a spring for moving it in the opposite direction, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a gas-engine, in combination, a cylinder,means for introducing an explosive mixture of gas therein, the wires entering said cylinder and having their ends separated for the passage of a spark, means for passing a suitable electrical current through said wires, a receptacle containing a suitable liquid, a plate having a beveled end connected in the primary circuit, immersed in said liquid, a spring connected with the other wire of said circuit, and mechanism for moving said spring in contact with said bevel and for periodically separating them, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a gas-engine, in combination, a cylinder, means for introducing an explosive mixture of gas therein, the wires extending into said cylinder and separated for the passage of a spark, means for passing a suitable electric current through said wires, a receptacle containing a suitable liquid, a plate having a beveled end connected in the primary circuit and immersed in said liquid, a bell-crank lever having attached to its horizontal arm a spring-rod which is connected with the other wires of said circuit, a slidable rod having a shoulder which engages with the upright end of said bell-crank, a revolving cam, and a spring wherebya rubbing contact is produced between the end of said rod and the beveled end of the plate, which contact is periodically broken, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4:. In a gas-engine, in combination, a cylinder having suitable ports, a tank for containing the liquid from which the gas is evolved, a duct for conveying said liquid to a suitable point outside the inlet-port, a needle-valve for closing said duct, a governor-stem having two notches, and suitable connections between the stem and needle-valve,whereby said valve is seated when the engine is at rest and again when running at toofast a speed, substantially as specified.

5. In a gas-engine, in combination, a cylinder having suitable ports, a tank for containing the liquid from which the gas is evolved, a duct for conveying said liquid to a suitable point out-side the inlet-port, a needle-valve adapted to close said duct, the gauze for volatilizing the gasoline, a box into which the rear end of the valve-rod extends, the rockshaft, the two arms, the spring, the governor, and double-notched governor-stem, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. In a gas-engine, in combination with a cylinder having suitable ports, a tank for con taining the liquid from which the gas is evolved, a duct for conveying said liquid to a suitable point in relation to the inlet-port of said cylinder, a valve for closing said duct, a second valve in said duct in the form of a spring-actuated needle-valve, a governor, and a governorstem, with suitable connecting mechanism between said governor-stem and needle-valve, whereby said valve is automatically moved toward and from its seat as the governor is running too fast or too slow and is permitted to seat itself when the first-named valve is closed, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

HENRY K. SHANCK.

Witnesses:

W. J BAINBRIDGE, FRANK. MILLER.

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