US801927A - Fuel-mixing device for gas-engines. - Google Patents

Description

No. 801,927. PATENTED OCT. 17, 1905. H. J. SMITH. FUEL MIXING DEVICE FOR GAS ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.11, 1901.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

i. 3 WM N0. 801,927. PATENTED OUT. 17, 1905. H. J. SMITH.

FUEL MIXING DEVICE FOR GAS ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 11, 1901.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

HARRY J. SMITH, OF BUFFALO,

NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE ALBERGER COMPANY, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

FUEL-MIXING DEVICE FOR GAS-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1905.

Application filed October 11, 1901. Serial No. 78,342.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY J. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo,

in the county of Erie and State of New York,

varied and the quantity of fuel supplied to the engine may be regulated.

The object of this inventionis to produce an improved mixing device or valve of this character which is simple in construction, re-

liable in operation, and which can be readily adjusted.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved fuel mixing and regulating mechanism, showing the same arranged for regulating the fuel-supply of a gas-engine- Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same at right angles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are horizontal sections in the correspondingly-numbered lines in Fig. 1, respectively. Fig. 7 is a de-- tached side elevation of the valve-barrel and the regulating device therein for varying the proportions of air and gas. Fig. 8 is a detached side elevation of the valve-casing.

Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation of a modifiedv construction of my improved fuel mixing and showing the means for varying the proportions of air and gas applied to the stationary member of a valve. Fig. 10 is a horizontal section in line 10 10, Fig.

regulating device,

v9. Fig. 11 is a sectional elevation of another modification of my fuel mixing and regulating ports f,

device, showing a construction inwhich a stationary partition is employed for varying the proportion of air and gas. Fig. '12 is a horizontal section in line 12 12, Fig. 11.

The corresponding characters of reference in the following description denote the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 8, A represents a valve-body, which is provided centrally with a mixing-chamber B, a gas inlet or supply chamber G, arranged above the mixing-chamber, and an air inlet or supply chamber D, arranged below the mixing chamber. The mixing-chamber is provided with one or more lateral outlet-passages a,

and gas is adjusted.

upper end to whereby the mixed fuel ing h,

is conducted to one or more cylinders of a gasengine. The gas-supply chamber is provided on its front side with an inlet-opening 0, which is connected in any suitable manner with a gas-supply, and the lower end of the airchamber is provided with an air-inlet opening cl, through which air is admitted into the airchamber from any suitable source.

E represents-a cylindrical casing or bushing forming one member or part of the valve which regulates the quantity of air and gas admitted into the mixing chamber. This casing, as shown in the drawings, is arranged vertically with its axis and is seated at its upper andlower ends in circular openings 6 0', formed in the partitions or walls which separate the mixing-chamber from the gas and air chambers. The casing is fitted tightly in the openings 6 6, so that no gas or air can pass through the joint between the casing and the body. The body is held against downward displacement by cooperating shoulders 0 formed externally on the upper end of the casing and in the bore of the upper opening 6, as shown in Fig. 2. The diameter of the valve casing is less than the width of the mixing-chamber, so as to leave an intervening or annular space 7) between the casing and the adjacent walls of the mixing-chamber.

The valve-casing is open at its upper and lower ends and is provided with a plurality of which are arranged in a circumferential row around the casing and have the form of slots, which extend lengthwise of the casing.

G represents a cylindrical barrel forming the other member or part of the valve which regulates the quantity of air and gas admitted into the mixing-chamber and also part of the device whereby the relative proportion of air This valve barrel is fitted or seatedclosely in the valve-casing, but capable of turning or rocking therein, and is provided with a circumferential row of slotshaped ports g, which are of the same dimensions as the ports f of the casing and are adapted to register with the same. The valvebarrel is open at its upper and lower ends, so as to be in constant communication with the gasand air supply chambers, and it is secured by means of a spider-or open head 9 at its a vertical valve-spindle H. The latter is journaled at its upper end in abearformed on a cap which closesit'he top of the gas-chamber, and at its lower end in a step-bearing screw it, which is supported by an open head or grid 7L arranged in the inlet-opening d of the air-chamber, as shownin Fig. 2.

Upon rocking the valve-barrel a greater or less extent its ports are covered and uncovered more or less by the solid parts of the casing, thereby varying the effective area of these ports, and consequently varying their capacity for conducting air and gas from the air and gas chambers into the mixing-chamber, according to the relative position of the ports in the valve-barrel and easing.

For automatically varying the quantity of fuel which is drawn for each charge by the piston into the cylinder of the engine the position of the valve-barrel maybe controlled by a governor mechanism which constantly holds the ports open more or less and merely throttles the fuel supply according to the requirements of the engine, or the valve-barrel may be operated by a governor which opens and closes the ports for every charge, but varies the extent of the opening of the ports each time for cutting off the charge of fuel earlier or later according to the speed of the engine.

In the drawings is shown .a simple form of cut-off governor for controlling the position of the valve-barrel, this governor being constructed as follows: I represents an upright governor-shaft which may be driven from any suitable rotating part of the engine and which is journaled in abearing t' on the rear side of the valve-body. J represents a governordisk mounted on the upper end of the governor-shaft and pivotally supporting two-centrifugal governor-weights j. The latter are connected by springs j with the governordisk for holding them normally in their inner position. K represents a governor-arm pivoted on one side of the governor-dis'kand provided with a crank-pin or wrist which moves toward and from the axis of the governor-shaft and which is connected by a rod 70 with a rock-arm 70 on the upper end of the valve spindle. The governor weights are connected by rodsZ with the governor-arm.

When the speed of the engine is be'lownormal, the governor-weights are in their inner position and the crank-pin is is arranged 'eccentrically with reference to the governorshaft, as shown in Fig. 3. In this position of the parts the valve-barrel is turned in one direction, so as to bring the ports of the valvebarrel into complete register with those of the valve-casing, and then the barrel is turned in the opposite direction, so-that its ports are wholly closed by the solid parts of thecasing, thereby permitting the piston to draw a full charge of fuel into the cylinder during each cycle of operations of the engine. When the speed of the engine increases, the crank-pin 7c is moved by the governor-weights toward the center of the governor-shaft, whereby the extent of the opening movement of the valvebarrel is reduced and a correspondingly smaller charge of fuel is drawn into the cylinder, thereby checking the speed of the engine.

In order to permit of adjusting the relative proportion of gas and air which is admitted into the mixing-chamber, an adjusting device is provided, which is constructed as follows: M represents a circular partition, regulating-disk, or separating member arranged transversely in the valve-barrel and capable of longitudinal adjustment in the same. This disk is provided with a circumferential row of filling pieces or extensions m, which fit into the ports g of the barrel and are flush with the outer side thereof, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. By this means each portg is divided partly into a gas-passage and partly into an air-passage, and the regulating-disk is compelled to turn with the barrel, but is free to slide lengthwise therein. Furthermore, the air and gas are completely separated while in the valve-barrel and do not come together until they enter the mixing chamber. Upon adjusting the regulatingdisk lengthwise in the barrel the relative area or size of the gas and air passages can be adjusted according to the quality of the gas or other conditions for providing the required explosive mixture in the mixing-chamber. Upon lowering the regulating-disk the area of the gas-passages is increased and that of the air-passages is decreased, and the reverse takes place when the regulating-diskis raised. The aggregate area of the several gas and air passages formed by the divided ports in the valve-barrel is equal to the capacity of the mixed-fuel conduit leading to the cylinder and is capable of accommodating the full or maximum charge of fuel for running the engine at its highest speed or under the greatest load. Upon raising or lowering the regulating-disk for varying the proportion of air and gas the total area of the ports or passages is not altered, but remains the same, so that the valve always permits of drawing in a full chargeo'f'f'uel intothe cylinder regard- I less of the proportions of air and gas.

The relative proportions of air and gas are obtained by the adjustment of but a single part, which part when shifted reduces the size or subtracts from one side of the fuelports 9 and increases oradds to the sizeof the other side of the fuel-ports g in the same measure, thereby rendering it impossible to throttle the engine unintentionally while adjusting the proportions of gas and .air. Such throttling of the fuel-passages is liable 'to occur when the supply of air and gas are adjusted by independent means to obtain the desired proportion. When the fuel-supply is thus throttled the engine is unable to draw a full charge of fuel when necessary, which results in retarding the piston and reducing the efficiency of the engine.

When the valve-barrel is turned by the governor for regulating the speed of the engine, the air and gas ports are always cutoff laterally in the same measure regardless of the relative proportions of the air and gas passages, thereby maintaining a uniform quality of fuel Whether the engine runs under light or heavy loads.

The filling pieces or extensions m form practically a part of the separating member or regulating-disk M, and are always maintained in a definite relation thereto. By terminating the outer edges of these extensions flush with the outer side or face of the barrel G the joint between the cooperating faces of the volumecontrolling members and the face of the separating or proportion-controlling member are brought on' the same line, thereby positively cutting off communication between the air and gas supplies when the ports of the volume-controlling members are closed. In the absence of this positive separation of the air and gas supplies while the volume-controlling valve is closed the gas when under pressure would be forced into the air-supply, and thus either waste to the atmosphere or spoil the proper mixture of fuel which is supplied to the engine upon subsequently starting the same.

The longitudinal adjustment of the regulating-disk in the valve-barrel may be effected in various ways, the means for this purpose (shown in Figs. 1 to 8) being constructed as follows: N represents a sleeve mounted on the lower part of the valve-spindle and carrying the regulating-disk M at its upper end. 0 represents a vertically-movable slide guided in ways 0' 0n the outside of the air-chamber. P is a fork which projects from the inner side of the slide 0 into engagement with an annular groove 10 in the lower. end of the sleeve N. Upon raising or lowering the slide 0 the regulating-disk moves with the same, but the latter is free to oscillate with the barrel. The vertical adjustment of the slide Ois effected by a screw 0 which works with its threaded part in a threaded opening of the air-chamber and is connected with the slide, so that the latter is compelled to move lengthwise with the screw; but the screw can turn independently of the slide.

The position of the regulating disk or partition in the valve-barrel and the relative proportions of gas and air may be determined by pointers 0 arranged on the slide 0 and traversing scales 0 on the adjacent part of the valve-body.

Instead of arranging the partition for determining the proportions of. air and gas in the inner movable member of the valve this partition may be arranged around the outer stationary member of the valve, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10. In these figures, Q represents a cylindrical valve-casing surrounded by an annular chamber g, which communicates at its upper and lower ends with air and gas supplies or passages q g respectively. B is a rocking valve-barrel arranged in the casing and provided with ports 1, adapted to register with ports (1 in the casing. The air and gas pass from their respective passages through the ports of the casing and barrel into the latter, where the air and gas become mixed, and then pass from the lower end ofthe barrel through an outlet-pipe r to the cylinder of the engine or other place of consumption.

S represents a ring fitting into the chamber surrounding the casing and provided with filling-pieces 8, extending into the ports of the casing.' The ring S and filling-pieces 8 form a partition between the air and gas supplies, which prevents the air and gas from mixing before they pass through the ports of the easing and barrel. Upon raising or lowering the partition S s the relative area of the ports g in the casing which is exposed to the air and gas supplies may be varied as may be necessary to permit the desired proportions of air and gas to pass the valve.

The means shown for raising and lowering the partition consist of two adjusting-screws .9, working in the ring S, and a hand-shaft s journaled on the outer side of the valve-casing and connected by bevel gear-wheels s with the adjusting-screws.

In Figs. 11 and 12 is shown a construction of a fuel-mixing device in which the partition which separates the gas and air previous to mixing is stationary and the relative proportion of the mixture is produced by shifting a part of the'valve relatively to the partition. In this construction, T represents an inner rocking valve-barrel which communicates at one end with an outlet-pipe t. U is a valve-casing surrounding the barreland having ports a, which cooperate with ports t in the barrel. The valve-casingU is surrounded by a chamber V, which connects at its upper and lower ends with air and gas supplies 0) 0 respectively. W represents a stationary partition arranged in the chamber V between the air and gas supplies and provided with filling-pieces w, fitting into the ports u in the casing U. Upon raising or lowering the casing U the relative area of its ports a exposed to the air and gas supplies is varied. This movement of the casing may be effected by a screw-nut u, arranged on the outer side of the casing and engaging with a screwthreaded shank a on the upper end of the casing.

Although I have described my improved gas-mixing device as applied to a gas-engine, it is obviously applicable to other purposes for instance, to a gaseous-fuel heating or illuminating plant, in which it is necessary to vary the proportion of air and gas without liability of restricting the aggregate supply of air and gas.

I claim as my invention- 1. Afuel-mixing device, comprisingan airsupply, a gas-supply, two cooperating volume-controlling members, one of which is movable relatively to the other and one of which has a port, and a separating member arranged between the air-supply and the gassupply and entering said port and having its edge flush with the joint between the lastnamed members, said separating member and the cooperating volume-controlling member being movable one relatively to the other for varying the proportion of air and gas, substantially as set forth.

2. A fuel-mixing device comprising an airsupply, a gas-supply, a volume-controlling device having a member provided with a port, a partition or separating member arranged between the air-supply and the gas-supply, one of said members being movable relatively to the other for varying the proportion of air and gas, and a filling-piece arranged in said port and maintained in a definite relation to said separating member, substantially as set forth.

3. In a fuel-mixing device, the combination of an air-supply, a gas-supply, a volume-controlling device having a member provided with a port, and a partition or separating member arranged between the air-supply and the gassupply and having an extension entering said port, one of said members being adjustable relatively to the other for varying the proportion of air and gas, substantially as set forth.

4. In a fuel-mixing device, the combination of an air-supply, a gassupply, a valve member having a port, and a partition arranged between the air-supply and gas-supply and movable relatively to said port, substantially asset forth.

5. In a fuel-mixing device, the combination of an air-supply, a gas-supply, a valve member having a port which communicates with both the air-supply and the gas-supply, and an adjustable partition which is arranged in said port and between the air and gas supplies, substantially as set forth.

6. In a fuel-mixing device, the combination of an air-supply, a gas-supply, a valve member having a port and movable in one direction for varying the quantity of air and gas, and a partition which is arranged between the air-supply and gas-supply and which is movable in another direction for varying the proportions of air and gas, substantially as set forth.

7. In a fuel-mixing device, the combination of an air-supply, a gas-supply, two cylindrical valve members fitted one within the other and one movable with reference to the other for varying the quantity of air and gas, and a partition arranged between the air and gas supplies and movable for varying the proportions of air and gas, substantially as set forth.

8. In a fuel-mixing device, the combination of an air-supply, a gas-supply, two cylindrical valve members fitted one within the other and one rotatable with reference to the other for varying the quantity of air and gas, and a partition arranged between the air and gas supplies and adjustable axially with reference to the valve members for varying the proportions of air and gas, substantially as set forth.

9. In a fuel-mixing device, the combination of an air-supply, a gas-supply, two concentric valve members one rotatable with reference to the other for varying the quantity of air and gas, and one of said members communicating at opposite ends with the air and gas supplies, and a partition arranged in the inner valve member between the air and gas supplies and capable of axial adjustment relatively thereto for varying the proportions of air and gas, substantially as set forth.

10. Inafuel-mixing device, the combination of an air-supply, a gas-supply, two concentric valve members having coinciding ports in their sides and one member rotatable with reference to the other for varying the quantity of air and gas, a partition arranged between the air and gas supplies and adjustable axially with reference to the valve members for varying the proportions of air and gas, and filling-pieces arranged on the partition and fitting into the ports of the adjacent valve member, substantially as set forth.

11. In a fuel-mixing device, the combination of an air-supply, agas-supply, inner and outer cylindrical valve members having coinciding ports in their sides, one of said valve members being rotatable with reference to the other for varying the quantity of air and gas and said inner valve member communicating at opposite ends with the air and gas supplies, a partition arranged in the inner valve member and capable of axial adjustment therein for varying the proportions of air and gas, and filling-pieces arranged on the partition and fitting into the ports of the inner valve member, substantially as set forth.

12. In afuel-mixingdevice, the combination of an air-supply, agas-supply, inner and outer cylindrical valve members having coinciding ports in their sides, said inner member communicating at its opposite ends with the air and gas supplies, a movable spindle to which the inner valve member is secured, and a partition arranged in the inner valve member between the air and gas supplies and capable of axial adjustment therein, substantially as set forth.

13. In a fuel-mixing device, the combination of a valve-body having a mixing-chamber, and gas and air supply chambers on opposite sides of the mixing-chamber, a cylindrical valvecasing fitting in the partitions between the mixing-chamber and the air and gas chambers and provided with ports opening into the mixing-chamber, a cylindrical valve-bar:

rel rotatable in said casing and provided inits'side with ports adapted to register with the ports of the casing, and a partition arranged in the valve-barrel between the air and gas supplies and capable of axial adjustment therein, substantially as set forth.

14. In a fuel-mixing device, the combination of a valve-body having a mixing-chamber and gas and air supply chambers on opposite sides of the mixing-chamber, a cylindrical valvecasing fitting between the mixing-chamber and the air and gas chambers and provided with ports opening into the mixing-chamber, a cylindrical valve-barrel rotatable in said casing and provided with ports adapted to register with the ports of the casing, a partition arranged in the valve-barrel between the air and gas supplies, a spindle journaled on the valve-body and connected with the valve-barrel, a sleeve mounted on the spindle and connected with the partition, and an ad justing device whereby the partition and its sleeve are moved axially with reference to the valve-barrel, substantially as set forth.

15. In a fuel-mixing device, the combination of a valve-body having a mixing-chamber and gas and air supply chambers on opposite sides of the mixing-chamber, a cylindrical valvecasing fitting between the mixing-chamber and the air and gas chambers and provided with ports opening into the mixing-chamber, a cylindrical valve-barrel rotatable in said casing and provided with ports adapted to register with the ports of the casing, a partition arranged in the valve-barrel between the air and gas supplies, a spindle journaled on the valve-body and connected with the valve-barrel, a sleeve mounted on the spindle and connected with the partition, a slide guided on the valve-body, a fork mounted on the slide and engaging with an annular groove in said sleeve, and an adjusting-screw connecting the slide with the valve-body, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 21st day of September, 1901.

, HARRY J. SMITH. Witnesses-2 THEO. L. PoPP, EMMA M. GRAHAM.

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