Practical Hand Book of Gas, Oil and Steam Engines / Stationary, Marine, Traction; Gas Burners, Oil Burners, Etc.; Farm, Traction, Automobile, Locomotive; A simple, practical and comprehensive book on the construction, operation and repair of all kinds of engines. Dealing with the various parts in detail and the various types of engines and also the use of different kinds of fuel.

by John B. Rathbun

(43) Horizontal Single Cylinder Engine.

An example of a modern single cylinder engine operating on the four stroke cycle principle is the “Muenzel” engine shown in Section by Fig. 17. It is of the single acting type, that is, the pressure of the gases acts only on the left end of the piston which reciprocates in a horizontal direction. Surrounding the cylinder in which the piston slides, is the water jacket (shown by the short horizontal dashes) which keeps the cylinder walls from becoming overheated by the successive explosions of the mixture. The cooling water is pumped into the jacket through the pipe shown over the cylinder, and flows out of the jacket through an outlet near the bottom of the cylinder.

Fig. 17. Longitudinal Section Through the Muenzel Horizontal Engine.

Both the inlet and exhaust valves are situated in an extended portion of the combustion chamber to the left of the piston, the upper valve being the inlet and the lower valve, the exhaust. The valves are held on their seats by means of coil springs that act on the upper ends of the valve springs. Admission of the explosive mixture is controlled by the upper valve, and the release of the burnt gases by the lower. Pipes at the bottom of the cylinder marked “Gas Supply” and “Exhaust” convey the gases to and from the inlet and exhaust valves respectively.

Fig. 18. Elevation of Muenzel Engine Showing Lay Shaft and Valve Connections.

The inlet valve, and the inlet valve spring are held in one unit by a removable metal housing known as a “Valve Cage”, which is arranged so that the cage, valve, and spring may be removed as one piece from the cylinder casting when the valves need attention by removing a few bolts. As the cage is directly over the exhaust valve, and is considerably larger in diameter, it is possible to remove the exhaust valve through the opening left by the removal of the inlet valve cage. Both valves are surrounded by a water jacket, as are the passages that lead to them.

Both the inlet and exhaust valves are opened and closed at the proper moments in the stroke by means of cams mounted on the horizontal cam shaft shown by Fig. 18 through a system of levers. The cam shaft is the shaft running parallel to the engine bed from the crank-shaft to the end of the cylinder and turns at one-half the speed of the crank-shaft. At a point directly below the inlet valve in Fig. 18, will be seen an enlargement on the shaft on which rests the rod running from the inlet valve to the cam shaft. This is the cam.

A cylindrical casing shown above the cylinder contains the governor which maintains a constant speed at all loads by operating a valve in the intake pipe which varies the quantity of mixture entering the cylinder in proportion to the load. The governor is driven from the cam-shaft by spiral gears. The igniter which furnishes the spark for igniting the gas is located between the two valves at the extreme left of the combustion chamber (Fig. 17).

It should be noted that the cylinder head which closes the left end of the cylinder, and which carries the valves is separate from the main body of the Cylinder. By unscrewing the bolts that hold it to the cylinder, the head may be removed when it becomes necessary to remove dirt and carbonized oil from the combustion chamber, or when it becomes necessary to remove the piston. The cylinder barrel in which the piston works may also be removed through the opening left by the piston head when it becomes worn, and another barrel or liner may be substituted, thus practically renewing the engine at a small fraction of the cost of a new cylinder. The liner is fastened firmly to the outer cylinder casting at the left but is free to slide back and forth in the casting at the right hand end, this end being provided with a packed joint. This play given to the liner allows it to expand and contract freely with the different changes of temperature without causing strains either in the cylinder or in the liner.