Fig. 34. Reeves Slide Valve Gear.
Referring to the section of the end of cylinder given in the diagram, (34) A is an open-ended water-jacketed cylinder in which the piston B works. At the upper end of the cylinder is attached a ring C forming an extension of the stationary cylindrical head D carrying the sparking plug. At the lower end of the head D is provided a seating E for the sliding cylindrical inlet valve F, which takes its bearing around the circular head. This inlet valve is provided with expanding rings G to keep it gas-tight. Surrounding the inlet valve F is a second cylindrical exhaust valve H, which is provided with an angular seating at J. The outer circumference of the cylindrical exhaust valve H bears against the walls of the cylinder.
Cast in the cylinder is an annular space K communicating with a passage L for the admission of the inlet gases. These pass through suitable ports cut in the sides of the exhaust valve H and the inlet valve F, so that they are free to pass through the space made when the inlet valve F is lowered from its seat. A similar type of annular space M is cast in the cylinder in connection with an opening O for the passage of the exhaust gas when the cylindrical valve H is raised from its seating at J.
The cylinder head is not water jacketed as the builder states that the continual passage of the intake gases keeps it reasonably cool. The exhaust passages are thoroughly water cooled.
(51) Argyll Single Sleeve Motor.
The Argyll sliding sleeve automobile motor is unique in the fact that only one sleeve is used to control both the inlet and exhaust gases instead of the two sleeves commonly used on the Knight motor. This sleeve, instead of having either a purely vertical or horizontal motion, has a peculiar combination of the two, that is to say, it moves a certain amount in rotation within the cylinder, and an equal amount vertically, the combined motion constituting an ellipse. The external appearance of the engine is shown by Fig. 35, which will give an idea of the general arrangement of the cylinders, ports and piping.
In Fig. 36, is shown the successive movements and events determined by the sleeve, and the method of opening and closing the inlet and exhaust ports by the elliptical movement of the sleeve. The shaded ports are one of the inlet and one of the outlet ports, respectively, which are cast in the cylinder wall, and are afterwards machined true. The dotted port, which changes its position in each diagram, is one of the ports in the moving sleeve, its position in each of the figures is marked by the event that is occurring in the cylinder at that time.
In diagram 1, the shaded port to the right is the exhaust port, and the shaded port to the left, the inlet, this relative arrangement being true, of course, in each of the succeeding diagrams. It will be noted, that in the position shown, in the exhaust stroke (beginning of stroke), the sleeve port has just started on its downward stroke, moving also a trifle to the right as it progresses. Its progress to the right may be more clearly seen by consulting diagram 2, for the movement.
By consulting the other five figures it will be seen that the dotted port, in its relation to the shaded ports, first moves out to the right, and then reverses, moving to the left, and this combined with the up and down movement constitutes an elliptical path. In diagram 6 the exhaust is closed, and the inlet port has just begun to open, the dotted port now starting to move out to the left, and to rise.
