With Intent to Improve.
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A Weekly Summary of Recent Patents, of Interest to the Maker and User of Commercial Motor Vehicles.
Selected and Abridged by H. S. Hall, A.M.I.A.E.
Admitting Water Vapour with the Mixture.
Further to our description last week of an invention whereby water vapour from the radiator was carried over to the induction pipe and allowed to enter the engine with the mixture, it is interesting to note that a similar patent has been taken out by an American, H. D:iitz, of 240; South Broadway, Denver, South Colorado, U.S.A.
This particular invention is interesting on account of the safeguards which the -patentee has introduced into the system with a view to ensuring that an excessive amount of water is not al'owed to enter the induction pipe. We repro. duce two drawings of the many which accompany this specification. The upper part aliens the general arrangement. It will be seen that the overflow pipe from the radiator is utilized to collect the vapour, which 'travels through a special valve, thence to the carburetter or induction pipe. The special valve which we have mentioned ceinists.of a small cylindrical box with the inlet 'pipe at the bottom and the*outlet At the top. In the outlet pasSage immediately above the box is placed a butterfly valve •which can be controlled from the driver's seat. Inside the box is a float valve so manged that flooding of the box would close the exit therefrom by Efting the float.At the bottom of the inlet brenehje a balanced flap valve designed so that any water which falls upon it would cause it to open, when the water will flaw away:
Beardmore Engine Improvements.
Several specifications have been published this week, the patentees being Sir William Beardmore, Bait., of Parkhead, Glasgow, and T. C. W. Pullinger, of The Brae, near'Dumfries.
The first one relates to the design of crankshafts, and has for its object the reduction of the weight of a crankpin to a minimum. It has always been usual to bore these crankpins, removing as much metal as is possible consistent with strength. The hole thus formed generally does duty as a passage way for the
pressure fed lubricant. AS, ordinarily constructed, it is open to two-objections. It is necessary to close it at the ends by
means of screwed plugs; this adds to the Weight, and as the hole is, when in use, full of lubricating oil, it will be gathered that the actual net• saving in weight is not great. • Iii specification 105,435, the above patentees surmount the difficulty by sealing the enda of the hoe by means of steel pressings. These pressings may take various forms—that we illustrate being an inverted, truncated cone. There is a pressing at each end of the bored hole which ends are bell-mouthed to the same angle as the outsides of the pressings, which are drawn together and in close contact with the bell-mouthed edges of the hole by means of a bolt. Washers beneath the head and nut of this bolt ensure no leakage of oil at this paint. Several modifications are noted.
Two other specifications by these -same patentees are numbered 105,433 and 105,434. They relate to the valve mechanism for overhead-valve internalcombustion engines and to the construetion of an aluminium cylinder With steel lining. The former is applicable to that type of engine embodying two exhaust valves and one inlet valve' all of the mushroom type, and inverted in a cylinder head. The object aimed at is the elimination of unnecessary parts. It will-be seen that one camshaft operates:all the valves, the exhaust Valves are lifted from their seats by the diract action of the cam. Each inlet valve is operated through a rocking arm by a cam on the Same shaft as the exhaust cams. • The rocking arm and its bracket are attached to a separate cover in,the head of the cylinder which can readily be removed, and which, when removed, gi es access to
the,ealves and springs. The latter patent Covers the combination with a light metal casting of the cylinder and valve chamber of a liner for the valve chambers and of tubular guides for the valve stems, which are arranged to secure the liner in place;