A NEW IDEA FOR PREVENTING DETONATION.
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A Resume of Recently Published Patent Spedlications.
"EDWARD SOKAL, of New York. in
j 11 his specification, No. 261,052, points out that, in engine design, the tendency to detonate with a given fuel becomes practically a limiting factor for improvement in the thermal efficiency and power output through an increase in the compression ratio. In a very interesting and well-written specification he describes his invention, which consists of coating the combustion chamber with materials possessing the property of undergoing chemical or physical changes of state, at temperatures present during combustion, and thus absorbing heat during such change, with a constant tendency to prevent detonation of the charge, and of undergoing a reverse change at any lower temperature, and giving off heat whereby to restore itself for heat absorption during the neit firing stroke.
He describes experiments he has made with the same engine in which the combustion chamber was at times uncoated with his materials and at times coated, with the result that detonation was proved to be reduced or prevented by the coating. The materials he employs for coating the chamber are lead, antimony or tellurium, and in some cases silicate.
Relating to Cooling.
FREDERICK HENRY ROYCE, in specification No. 261,142, shows a design for the construction of cylinders
and their water jackets, which he claims is more efficient and reliable than the usual method. The invention applies to cylinders with non-detachable heads and valves with mushroom heads. The cylinders are formed with bosses surrounding the valve openings and of a length corresponding to the space allowed for water. The outer wall of, the jacket is formed of sheet steel, or copper and is provided with holes corresponding to the bosses and may be secured to the inner member by solderlug under pressure.
Universal Joints with Longer Life,
GURDON POTTER, M.D., and L. P. Lansing, both of California, in specification No. 261,001, describe a form of universal joint which is said to be particularly suitable for use in automobiles. The joint is of a kind that is well known. in which a forked member fits into a groove in a ball, or intermediate member, and another fork fits into another groove in the ball, which is cut at right angles. Instead, however, of the central or intermediate member being formed in the shape of a complete bnll it takes the form of only half a ball, in which a groove is cut on the outside for the reception of one fork, whilst the other groove is cut internally in the half ball and is engaged by a fan-shaped portion formed on the end of one of the shafts to be coupled.
So far there is nothing particularly new in the design, as it is merely the well-known plan, but one of the forks is formed on the intermediate member instead of on the end of the shaft. The essence of the invention appears to lie in the fact that, instead of a plain groove, the inventor employs two grooves in each case, thus doubling the wear-resisting surface and reducing the tendency which is so detrimental to long life in such joints, to force the lubricant from between the surfaces and thus produce metal-to-metal contact.
The Suspension of Engines.
HUMBER, LTD., and Lient.-Col.
Cole and C. Grinham, in their specification, No. 261,202, show a means of suspending engines in the frames of automobiles. The object appears to be the permitting of a certain amount cf movement of the engine in relation to the frame, so that the vibrations of the former should not be transmitted to the latter. The engine is supported at its four corners, and is described as being "free to oscillate about two points of support at one end, around an axis perpenclieular to the central longitudinal plane of the engine."
The specification further says: " This oscillation is damped by friction applied at these points of support and is checked by springs at two points of support at the other end of the engine," This is not very clear to us, so we quote the exact words of the specification.
It would appear that the rear end of the engine is allowed to rest on a domed rubber ring and is held down by a bolt and spring. The front end appears to have nothing but a bolt and two springs to locate it to the frame. The specification and claims do" not make it very clear as to where the invention in this arrangem ant lies.
Electrically Operated Valves
LEONA:RD N. BLAND, of North Sydney, Australia, in specification No. 261,141, describes a method of operating valves by means of solenoids instead of cams. He describes the inlet valves as being provided with springs to close there and solenoids so arranged that, when energized, they can open them against the action of the springs.
The exhaust valves he describes as being fitted with springs to open them, and solenoids arranged to close them against the action of the springs during the period in which the gas pressure acting on the valve beads is insufficient to overbalance the action of the opening springs ani.: to hold them closed against the springs.
The Asiatic Petroleum Co., of London, ia their specification No. 259,314, point out that it is known that' "bensene or alcohol has, when employed as fuel in internal-combustion engines having a high compression, no tendency to pink or pre-ignite, while there is a tendency to pink when a fuel. such as kerosene or certain types of gasoline,in employed, and it is also known that the addition to the fuel of certain chemical compounds has the effect of preventing pinking with a bigher compression thancan normally be employed without pinking."
Their pri wipal claim is as follow:— A fuel for use with internal-combustion engines which comprises nickel carbonyl.