To Adjust, Individually, Injection-pump _Elements
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A Resume of Patent Specifications That Have Recently Been Published
I N an injection pump for a multi' cylindered engine, all the plungers of which are controlled by a single rackrod, there must be a means for individual adjustment of each plunger, if perfect output matching is to be achieved. A device to ensure this forms the subject of patent, No. 544,233, from Daimler-Benz A.G., Stuttgart, Germany.
The relevant sketch shvaws a, part of the control rod (2), the plunger pinion (1) and a sleeve (5) which performs the function of the rack. This sleeve, however, is formed as a worm, and the pinion (1) is, therefore, a wormwheel. The rod, when moved axially, functions as a rack, but a fine adjustment can be obtained by turning the sleeve (5) on its rod.
A securing setscrew (4) engages a groove (3) in the rod to lock the sleeve in the adjusted position. In another scheme the groove (3) is helically cut, so that the resultant adjustment will be the sum (or the difference) of the two pitches.
DETAIL IRREGULARITIES TO PROMOTE TURBULENCE
FROM Crossley Motors, Ltd., and others, Gorton Lane, Gorton, Manchester, comes in patent No. 544,300, an improved design of combustion chamber for an oil engine. The aim is to promote better combustion by controlling the flow of air while it is being compressed in the chamber.
An accompanying drawing shows the chamber formed as a more or less annular recess in the piston crown. The path of the air at the end of the compression stroke is shown by the light arrows. These indicate that the air attempts to swirl helically around the chamber, and the object of the invention is to prevent this from occurring.
To this end it is proposed to form the chamber with a number of ridges and grooves, as shown. These may be of various shapes, two proposed types. being illustrated; it will be observed that those on one side are different from those on the other.
The black arrows show the effect of the ridges, which are said to break up the swirl and to create a lot of little eddies in the vicinity of the fuel jets. The local disturbances are claimed to prevent the fuel from reaching the walls of the chamber, which, according to the patentees, is one of the chief causes of smoky running.
ENGINE GOVERNOR THAT CUTS-OUT H.T. CIRCUIT
A GOVERNING device operating on .1-1 the ignition system forms the subject of patent No. 544,438 from M. Moran, 8, Queen's Grove, London, N.W.8. The device can be incorporated into the usual distributor head without necessitating any material alteration.
In this scheme the usual rotor arm is removed and its place taken by the modified one shown in the drawing. Externally, this resembles the standard pattern, the central contact (1) being connected with the wiper arm (5) which distributes the current to the individual plug leads in the cap.
The interior, however, contains a cross-bore which houses a spring-loaded centrifugal weight (3). At normal running speeds the weight has no effect, but when a predetermined limit is reached, it moves outwardly and approaches the live contact end (4)'. This causes the high-tension„current to be earthed, with• a consequent reduction in engine speed. A setscrew (2) varies the control range by adjusting the tension of the return spring.
We suggest that the action might be undesirably sudden, and that it would tend to cause explosions in the silences. There might also be electrical leakage in the weight mechanism.
SCHEME FOR TRANSFERRING ROAD-RAIL CONTAINERS
THE advantages of co-operation between road and rail appear to be more fully realized in America than here, if the number of patents appearing on the subject be any guide. One of the latest schemes is shown in that numbered 544,436 by the National Fitch Corporation, 420, Lexington Avenue, New York, U.S.A.
It details a means for quickly transferring a container from a road vehicle to a rail truck, and vice-versa, and the drawing shows the two vehicles in plan. The lorry is first secured to the rail truck by hinged links united by the insertion of pins (3). Each vehicle has guide rails (2 and 4) on its platform, and the uniting links form part of these. On the road vehicle is a pair of endless chains (5) which are mounted on sprockets'at each side of the chassis and can be driven by an electric motor (6).
On the container are two drawbars (7) which can be engaged with the chains, by which the container is hauled on to the lorry. Blocks (1) on the container are also devised to engage -the chains and complete the operation after the drawbars have ceased to be effective. The reverse operation is similarly performed, the drawbars being capable of either pulling or pushing.
The drawbars (7) are ball-jointed to the container for free movement.