The 1893 Duryea Automobile In the Museum of History and TechnologyBerkebile, Donald H.
History
The 1893 Duryea Automobile In the Museum of History and Technology
Berkebile, Donald H.
Duryea automobile
Moving to the right side of the engine brings the exhaust-valve assembly
into view. This valve is contained in a casting bolted over the exhaust
port in the side of the cylinder, and from the casting a pipe leads to
the muffler underneath. The valve is pushed open by a rod connected to a
crank which is pinned to the lower end of a shaft carrying an iron gear
on top. This gear is in mesh with a fiber gear, keyed to the upper end
of the crankshaft, with half the number of teeth. This ratio permits the
opening of the exhaust valve on every other revolution.
The crankshaft of the first engine was retained for the new engine, thus
giving the two engines the same stroke of 5-3/8 inches, but the bore was
increased slightly to 4-3/8 inches. With this larger bore and with the
engine speed increased to 500 rpm, Frank rated this engine at 4 hp.[19]
A heavier flywheel, with a governor resting in the upper recess, was
pressed onto the crankshaft. As the operator of the vehicle had no
control over the carburetor once he climbed into the seat, this governor
was necessary to maintain regular engine speed. Its function was to move
a slide on the exhaust-valve unit to prevent the valve from closing.
Thus the engine, with the suction broken, could not draw a charge on the
next revolution. During the recent restoration of this carriage it was
found that while most parts are still intact, nearly all of the
governor parts are missing. A description of them must therefore be
based on the recollections of Frank Duryea, along with certain evidences
seen on the engine.
[Illustration: FIGURE 19.--UNDER SIDE of exhaust valve mechanism showing
electrical contacts that give spark only on every other revolution.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account