US2250814A - Internal combustion engine of the multicylinder type - Google Patents

Description

K. w.- ROHLIN v July 29, 1941.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE OF THE MULTICYLINDER TYPE Filed Au 50, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 B CYLINDERS 4- CYLINDER S FULL LOAD POSITION INVENTOR Jfizrl WRO (in,

K. W. ROHLIN July 29, 1941.

INTERNAL'COMBUSTION ENGINE OF THE MULTICYLINDER TYPE Filed Aug. 50, 1957 4 Shee t s-S heet 2 INVENTOR Jt'az-I, W

July 29- 1941. K. w. ROHLIN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE OF THE MULTICYLINDER' TYPE Filed Aug. 50, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet :s'

2 i, w 4 a a 4 M W a M 1 3 W R M F m w. b W 4 5 f 40 .4 1 M w R M v w v M .00 a a 4 4d 4 Patented July 29, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE OF THE MULTICYLINDER TYPE Karl W. Rohlin, Dover, Del. Application August 30, 1937, Serial No. 161,702

v(Cl. 123-52) 9 Claims.

My invention relates to means for controlling the operation of 'multi-cylinder internal combustion engines, more particularly those of the explosion type, and comprises certain improvements upon or a carrying'forward of the invention presented in my co-pending application, filed December 18, 1936, Serial No. 116,464 which was issued as Patent No. 2,166,968 on July 25, 1939.

Like the invention set forth in my pending application, the present invention includes means for automatically cutting. some of the cylinders of an internal combustion engine into and out of firing service depending upon the speed and load of the engine, but my present invention is an improvement over that of my earlier application in that, when the non-firing cylinders are out of service, the amount of work energy wasted by them is further reduced with the result that further economies in fuel consumption may be realized.

Other advantages of my present invention may be summarized as follows:

(1) No air is drawn into and through the nonstructure illustrated in the accompanying drawings, involves mechanism especially applicable to a Ford V-8 engine, the invention is equally adapted to engines having more or less than eight cylinders, and to engines designed for other purposes than propelling an automobile. My invention is also applicable to engin'es having all of its cylinders in one plane, including the socalled straight eights.

In carrying out the invention forming the subject of my earlier application, fuel flow to the non-firing cylinders is interrupted in the carburetor, or at a point between the carburetor and the engine suction valves, by means of a special needle valve arranged in the liquid fuel line, or by special sleeve or. poppet-type valves in the fuel charge channels of the intake mani fold; the opening of another valve permitting air to flow freely to the cylinders not firing, to

,reduce drag. "In. the mechanism forming the subject of my present invention, no separate fuel, fuel charge, or air valves are required; the automatic mechanism serving instead to close the poppet valves for each of the intermittently firing cylinders during non-firingperiods when such cylinders neither draw in airnor fuel, nor discharge to the exhaust. The suction and exhaust valves associated with these cylinders remain tightly closed during the entire non-firing periods and no work is absorbed by the non-firing cylinders except that necessary for overcoming friction therein plus the work done on the relatively insignificant quantity of air that leaks pastthe piston rings or the seated poppet valves.

As in the mechanismpf my earlier application, the exact arrangement of the firing and nonfiring cylinders with respect to each other is of little importance so long as the working cylinders fire rhythmically and produce smooth operation. Various groupings of the cylinders of a V-8 engine to be cut out of firing service maybe employed, for example, two may be cut of each side of the V. In a straight eight" or similar structure, the first half of the cylinders or the last half of the cylinders may be cut out, or every other cylinder may be cut out or, cylinders may be cut out in pairs, provided that the working cylinders fire at even intervals.

- The accompanying drawings show a cylinder arrangement similar to that illustrated in my earlier application; two cylinders on each side of the V firing continuously, and two cylinders firing intermittently. dicated. herein at M and N, feed groups of continuously firing and intermittently firing cylinders, respectively. The firing order of the cylinders may beam? of several used with V8 motors, so long as the intermittently firing cylinders fire at 180 intervals intermediate the firing of the" continuously firing. cylinders, which alsofire at 180 intervals so that, when eight cylinders fire, they do so at. intervals. In these drawings, which are more or less diagrammatic in character,

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of part of a Ford V-8 motor, showing the location and arrangement of the parts of the mechanism constituting one form of my present invention.

Fig. 2 shows'part of the operating linkage in.

the position required when some cylinders are not In like manner manifolds inrod elements for Operating the valves associated with the continuously firing cylinders.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing one of the special push rod elements for operating the valves associated with the intermittently firing cylinders and constructed in accordance with my present invention.

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation on the line VIIVII, Fig. 8, showing in detail one form of automatic control mechanism within the scope of my invention, and also'illustrating diagrammatically an arrangement of wiring for use therewith.

VIIIVHI, Fig. 7, and

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic viewof the cylinders, their valves, operating mechanism therefor, and the manifolds associated therewith.

As hereinabove set forth, the object of my present invention is to provide means whereby I can out certain cylinders into and out of firing service through mechanism which may be controlled by the pedals, or may be automatically operated under certain running conditions.

I have found, from tests carried out in developing ny method of control, that it is desirable to keep the inlet and, exhaust valves or the nonilring cylinders closed during the non-firing periods thereof so as to avoid the energy losses that would result from pumping air through the non-firing cylinders if the inlet and exhaust 'valves associated therewith were permitted to open and close in the conventional manner. Figure 1 of the drawings illustrates diagramof the cylinders are represented, with the sevpush rod elements b b, c c, e, e, h? and hfil however, are of another type, and although the! cams for operating push-rod elements to open the valves of the bank of cylinders at the left of Fig. 3, are shown; each valve stem being engaged by a separate push rod element. Those for the inlet valves are indicated at a, b, e and d while those for the exhaust valves are indicated at a, b, c and d.

It will be understood, of course, that the bank of cylinders at the right of Fig. 3, willbe equipped with'inlet and exhaust valves of a similar character and in the diagrammatic view, Fig. 9, all

eral valves associated therewith.

The push rod elements indicated at a, a, 1?, I. 0 0, d andd are in operative engagement with the respective valve stem at all times. The

may be continuously operated by the cams in the same manner as the other push rod elements, they are adjustable as to length so that they may be held in an inoperative position with respect to the valves which they otherwise operate when the cylinders associated therewith do not flre.

33 In the position indicated in Fig. 4, the cylinders Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation on the line with which the valves b b', c and e are associated, are not firing.

The push rod elements a, 0., d, d are of fixed length and transmit the lift of the cams to the 80 valves a a, d d, and always operate as they would in a conventional engine. But the push mechanism, and automatically shortened to the "length indicated in Fig. 4, whenever only four matically the .mechanism controlled by the pedals for putting certain of the valves into and out of operation, and indicates by dotted lines the mechanism controlled'thereby;

mechanical means .for automatically operatin -In Fig. 41 have masseuse bank of valves. of a motor of .the 17-8 'type; for instance, they may be the valvesindicated at the left side of the cross-sectional elevation, Fig. 3. In the present arrangement, and as indicated in diagramwith view, Fig. 9, the cylinders of a V-8 motorare indicated at a, b, c,.d', e,-f, v and h; In the operative arrangement herein described, cylinders a, d, f and 9' fire continuously, while cylinders b, c, e and h, are arranged to fire intermittently.

Each cylinder is provided with inlet and ex.-

haust valves and in Fig. 4, which is a sectional while Fig. 7 shows the electrical circuits associated with the the control mechanism under certain running conditions.

.he with respect to the cylinders are firing. It is this feature, and the mechanism for efl'ecting such result, that constitutes an important part of my present invention, and the will now be described.

Each of the push rod elements indicated at b', b, c c e e, h and h, comprises a toothed sleeve 1 with a threaded socket j receiving a threaded stem k with a head It; said sleeves being arranged for movement within openings 1 inthe crank case wall. The heads k have notched rims k to ilt teeth 1'. formedin the openings 1 so t t while longitudinal movement of said parted by rotation of said sleeves acting as nuts, such heads .and their threaded stem are held against rotation. When the stems in are extended to provide for operative-engagement of their heads k with the valve stems of the valves U, b", 'c, 0', movement of the latter will be effected by the cams in valves are operated by the other push rod elements.

The sleeves 1 are externally provided with teeth for engagement by rack rods m and and rotation of said sleeves upon moving said rack roth imparts movement tothe stems le-threaded in the sockets i of said sleeves-hand out of said sockets depending upon the direction of movement of said rack rods. Right hand threads are cut'on the stems k of the push rod elements b, b 0 and. c, and left hand threads are cut on the stems k of the push rod elements eye, h and h. In order to rotate the sleeves of the several push rodelements, the rack rods m and n are operatively connected with the piston rod 20 and the teeth ml operation of this mechanismsleeves 1 may be im-' the same manner as the other and n of said rack rods mesh with the teeth of the sleeves 7' of the several adjustable push rod elements.

'Movement of the rack rods m and n to the left (Fig. 9) will cause the threaded stems k to more deeply enter the sockets a" and reduce the overall length of the associated parts sufllciently to avoid engagement with the stems of valves 12', b, c', e, e, h and 71. when the cams 4 lift the several push rod elements, so that these several valves remain seated under the action of their springs. Movement of the rack rods in the opposite direction (to the right, Fig. 9) reverses this action and elongates said adjustable push rod elements.

The sleeve portions 7' of the push rod elements associated with the valves b, b, c, c, of the intermittently firing cylinders of the right half of the V-block. are rotated counter-clockwise when the rack rods are moved to the left, while I those associated with the valves f, f-', g, g", of the intermittently firing cylinders of the left half of the V-block are rotated clockwise (as viewed from the drivers seat). Movement of said rack rods to the right reverses the direction of move-' ment of said sleeves. The threaded stems are free to move longitudinally with respect to the sleeves but are prevented from rotation by the teeth of the sockets receiving the same, which register with the notches it of the heads In an engine with cylinders in one plane, all of the stems R: will have threads of the same character. Movement of the rack rods m and n to cause rotation of the sleeves a of the adjustable push rod elements is effected in a manner hereinafter described.

The operation of a Ford V-8 engine fitted with one form of controlling mechanism within the scope of my present invention, maybe described as follows:

Air for mixture with the fuel for delivery into the cylinders a, b, c enters carburetor l (via air cleaner 2) where it is mixed with the fuel in the usual manner and passes thence to the manifolds M and N; its flow'being controlled by a pair of conventional butterfly valves (not shown) fixed to shaft 3. The fuel charges are then drawn into the cylinders during their respective suction strokes, when valvesab 0 d are opened. During eight-cylinder operation, all suction valves operate in turn to permit fuel and air to enter the cylinders so that theyall fire in the usual order and the engine operates like any conventional motor. The exhaust valves a, b", c, d likewise operate normally, all valves being operated byv means of a-cam shaft 4 carrying cams 4 which shaft is rotated synchronously with the crank shaft 5 of the engine through timing gears 6 and 6*. a

In Fig. '7 I have shown a form of control mechanism for automatically efiecting changes ln'engine operation from eight-cylinder firing to fourcylinder firing, and vice versa. This control mechanism is electrically and hydraulically operated and includes a generator, asolenoid-operated switch, a plurality of cut-out switches, one

of which is under the control of the clutch pedal, and a fluid-actuated piston.

Assuming, considering an automobile, that the car is running at a moderate speed (above, per-" haps, fifteen miles per hour) on a level road:

charges a battery 9; such current flowing via wires 9? and 9 and an ammeter 9 Contacts 8, which are mechanically but not electrically connected to contacts 8, are closed at the same time and an electric circuit, which includes a solenoid coil indicated at l0, and a vacuum switch indicated at II, will be completed, provided the clutch pedal I2 is actuated to close switch I! associated therewith. The manifold M is in communication with a bellows-folded diaphragm l3, and the solenoid coil ill will not be energized unless the vacuum in said diaphragm chamber l3, which communicates therewith via channel I3, is sufiicient to draw down the head of diaphragm I3, againstthe force of the internally disposed spring l3"; thereby permitting stem II"- to lower under the action of spring Ii until the head of said stem engages contact plate li and an electric circuit is completed. Stem II and contact plate .i l are electrically insulated from the bellows-folded diaphragm l3 and other mechanical parts of the device.

In the present arrangement, the vacuum present in manifold channel M and diaphragm I3 will be relatively high, because the accelerator pedal, hereinafter described, will then be near its fully raisedposition and the butterfly valves on shaft 3 will be nearly closed, in which case switch II will have made the desired contact.

Closing switch ll completes the following circuit: battery 9, ammeter 9, wires 9 and 9 an ignition switch indicated at l4, wire l4, clutch pedal switch l2, wire l2", solenoid coil l0, wire. l0, contact plate ll stem-H wire li contacts 8 wire 8, and ground, back to the battery. Solenoid plunger Ill then rises, lifting lever 15 so that the head of stem I l presses more tightly against contact plate li thereby establishing a positive contact and preventing chatter of the solenoid armature I0 Upward movement of the solenoid plunger .ID relocates its valve portions 10* and Ill so that flow of oil under pressure from the lubricating oil pump, common to internal combustion engines, (not shown) can take place via tube [6,

andchannel l6, annular space l1 surrounding the valve portions of the solenoid plunger, and

channel l8, to cylinder I! for the purpose of moving piston 20 therein to the left; carrying piston rod 20" with it. Under such condition,

oil from the left side of j piston 20, leaves the cylinder l9 via channels l8"- and I8 and passes thence by gravity to the crank case and the suction opening of the lubricating pump. The engine now operates with four cylinders,

a, d, fand g, firing rhythmically at intervals, and four cylinders, b, ,c, e and It, not firing, as no used in compressing the gas on the up-stroke,

of the pistons equalling the work delivered back to the pistons on their down strokes by the ex;.' panding gas. Of course, the firing cylindersiiiust do the work necessary to overcome friction of the pistons operating in the non-firing cylinders and to make up for work lost with gas-leaking past the pistons'and valves in the non-firing cylinders.

All of the savings effected by the use of the structure forming the subject of my co-pending described.

pie, din'ing four-cylinder firing, only one-half of the pistons are operating under the handicap of high vacuum in the intake manifold, and only one-half of the cylinders lose heat to the cooling Simultaneously with the movement of the rack rods 1n and n, and the adjustable push rod element: operated thereby, whereby cylinders c. b. e and h. are cut out of firing service, additional mechanism is operated to reset the throttle valves of the carbureter to such position that the power output from one-half the number of cylinders will approximate that previously delivered by all of, the cylinders. or vice versa, and lever II will be automatically moved to reset the degree of vacuum at which diaphragm It will operate switch ll so as to avold.fiutter of the entire control mechanism.

The operation of these features will now be As piston 20 moves to the left, its rod "Eactuates a lever 23, fulcrumed at 23. This-lever has arms 23" and 23 to which-links II and 24 are pivotally connected and in such movement of the piston rod, link II is raised and link 14 is simultaneously lowered; the movement of link I operating the lover" of the non-flutter mechanism. Link 14, which may be loosely guided through'an aperture in the manifold cosring, is attached by means of a second link 2 4*, pivotally connected thereto at II", to one end of a link 2 operatively connecting the carburetor butterfly valve lever, etc., with the accelerator pedal 20. Link it engages a slotted lever 21, by means of a pin 28" which is moved in said slot. indicated at 21", by means of 'the'lointed link 24-24. The throttle valve shaft 8 of the car bureter carries a crank arm 3' which is operatively connected to the upper end of the lever 21 by a link 2! so that movement of said lever 21 will be imparted to said shaft 3. The slot 2! may be arcuate and is struck from the point 28' so that vertical movement of pin 26 will not change (or will only slightly change) the relative position of throttle valve shaft 3 with respect to that of the accelerator pedal 28, when. they arein the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, that is, during the idling orminlmum load position.

i In resetting the mechanism for four-cylinder firing, movement'of piston 2i to-the left, will efiectmovement of pin 26' from its upper position, shown in Fig. 1, to is lower position, shown in Pig. 2, and any given movement of pedal 28 transmitted by link 28 will cause a greater angular movement of lever 21 and a correspondi ly greater movement of throttle valve shaft I; thereby delivering more fuel and air to the cylinders of the, motor then firing. Iftheacelerator pedal 28 is already depressed when the mechanism is shifted from eightto fourcylinder firing, position, downward movement of throttle valves when the controls shift from the I 2,aso,'si 4 application are retained. In this present exammanifold: to the suction valves for the firins cylinders in one'case, and to the suction valves for the non-firing cylinders in the other case. With such arrangement there is no-inherent adiustment of fuel and air delivery to the cylinders of the engine when the controls shift from fourto eight-cylinder firin or vice versa, and the above-described load compensating mechanism isquite desirable.

However, if a single Jet carburetor is used or if two firing and two non-firing cylinders are fed from each jet of a dual jet carbureter, the

load-compensating mechanism may be designed or adjusted for a much smaller movement of the fourto the eight-cylinder firing position, or vice versa or, in some cases the loadcompensating mechanism may be dispensed with entirely. If,

for instance, all of the suction valves a, b, c and d on the right half of the V block are fed from one jet of a dualjet carbureter, then, on operation of the control mechanism to keep valves b andc' shut for a period of four-cylinder operation, valves a and it will automatically deliver morev fuel and airi'otheir cylinders because the pressure in the manifold channels M and N (joined together in this instance) will rise (and the vacuum will fall), even though no loadcompensating mechanism is included and throttle valve shaft 3 remains stationary. When the valves b and c' are again in operation, cylinders b and 0 will draw in air and fuel and increase the vacuum in the manifold channels so that less air and fuel will be delivered to cylinders a .and it. Some degree of load compensation is inherent in this arrangement; so that special mechanism having that function may not be necessary for some engines.

The non-flutter" mechanism will now be de scribed; I have already described how moves and close switch II, as described earlier, and

pin 20 will result in moving lever 21 further to v the left, actuating shaft I and further opening the throttle valve (or valves) carried thereby to increase the amount of fuel and air flowing to the firing cylinders. Conversely, upwardmovement .of the jointed link 24-24" resulting from movement ofthe control mechanism from fourto eight-cylinder firing position will cause lever 21 to moveto the right and actuate shaft 3, partially closing the throttle valves thereon. The eil'ect of these. operations is to readjust the throttle valves so as to maintain a reasonably constant output of power when the mechanism shifts ment of the piston 2| to the left 24 and I5; link 24 operating the load-compensating mechanism which has'been described, and link li'operating "non-flutter" mechanism, in-' cludinglever II.

Shifting of the mechanism from elghtto four-cylinder firing occurs when the vacuum in manifold M is sufiicient to draw down diaphragm operates the load compensating mechanism to increase the opening of the throttle valves and reduces the vacuum in manifold M and diaphragm is, with the result that switch 1 i would then be opened, the control mechanism would operate to fire eight cylinders. and "fiutter of the entire mechanism would have started. To

. avoid such undesirable operation, switch H and its associated parts are initially set to operate at a relatively high vacuum whenever the control mechanism is in theeight-cylinder firing position. When the mechanism moves to the position for firing only four cylinders, switch ll, etc., are automatically to bring about four-cylinder firing will effect movement of links reset for successively lower and the driver does not press down the accelerto fire all cylinders.

vacua. This insures that movement of the control mechanism to either position, once, it has started, will be completed without interruption through such movement affecting the {vacuum to reverse switch ll. 1 Of course, the-mechanism may be reversed from-either position by-operating switch I2 or by changing the position oil-the accelerator pedal. Otherwise, switch ,l l .will not operate to reverse the mechanism until the vacuum has been still further reduced by apcha'nge in throttle position or engine speed, and flutter is thereby avoided. 1 a

Suppose now that the automobile speedis reduced below the point at which the electrical output from generator I is sufiicient to energize coil 8 of cutout C so as to hold down armature 8 and close contacts 8 and 8*. Under such con-c dition, current flow between the-* generatorsand battery, and current flow through solenoid coil ID, will both .be interrupted. Solenoid plunger IO then falls by gravity auditsvalve portions I0 and II.) are brought to the position shown in Fig. 7, so as to permit oil under pressure'; from the lubricating pump to fiow via tube l6,;channel l6, annular space I], channel. [8? intocylinder l9 where it eilects movement of the-piston and rod 20 to the -right, to the position shown insaid figure. Therack rods m and n; also' noving: to the right (Fig. 9); will rotate the sleeves 7' of the adjustable push rod elements and the. threaded stems kthereof willbemoved outward with respect to said sleeves until their jefiective length equals that of the other push rod elements for engagement with the several'valvesteins, 1 n" such relation all valves of both V-blocks willrise and 'fall under the action of the'cams I45, and all cylinders will fire and function. like those in, any conventional engine. .The enginenow operates with the smoothnessresulting 'from'p'ower impulses from all the cylinders 'and'the ew -cribs 40 able vibration that would occurif only half I of the cylinders fired at 0w speed is avoided.

Suppose, while running underil light lfload fon one-half of the cylinders, that'the driverjdesires', to accelerate the car. Accelerator pedal ZBIis. then depressed, moving link. Z6, lever, 2],'-the upper end of linkid link29 andilever 3efto'flthe left, rotating shaft 3 counter-clockwise.'tofin-v crease the opening of the throttle valvesf'andproduce more power and therefore greater, speed in the engine. Opening the throttle. valves will reduce the vacuum in manifoldchannel M and. diaphragm l3, and, if the accelerator pedal; is depressed suflicie'ntly, the head of diaphragm l3 will rise and open switch ll breaking the circuit through solenoid coil l0 and dropping solenoid plunger I0 with the result that the oil flow will be reversed to move piston 20 to theposition shown in Fig. '7, and all cylinders will again fire and produce power, as described earlier, for the case of low engine speeds.

Or suppose that, while thecar is running on one-half of the cylinders, a hill is encountered to fire all cylinders, because of the gradually reducing vacuum in manifold M, or, if the speed falls low enough, generator I, will-cause cutout C to open switch 8 and drop solenoid plunger Economy of fuel consumption while idling, whether the car is standing or coasting, may be provided by operating the engine on one-half of its cylinders whenever the accelerator pedal 28- israised to its. upper position: Current from :bat tery 9 flows, throughignition switchAA; 'clutch pedal switch [2%, solenoid; coil ,IO, 1wire 3fle, acceler ra r Ded lsw t h 0 (w th nginetisa d me only,.w-ire 3ll to ground, andback-{tothe battery; This fidling. circuit -,energizes solenoid -.-co.il' r ardless f the position ass m abyzsw tch raises solenoid plunger l 0 3,, andaoperates pist 20 to resetthe mechan' m o-fir 'onehali ymnasts. v

frpoirequ toperat on 0f the, m rolnv nism as a resultot-ohanges engine;speed load..while in gear, or shifting gears and a s ihs celerat r n 1w 1 are avoided through operation 0 h c u ed 'l hiss i ch is clutch p l heeevcrt e t t way u nd :dehye 1ower. positionandpiston 2 ll tht e liah s' rule an tan erine.

Did 1' isi depr ess d to l).

r (M firing position, 'rai'ses link Is de cr d w i t1. re e end' otleverjipmovi to a 1. mai ta s- 1i me r m infits ra :fl t me,

l i0 f- Bellows-told d 0W witch j a 1 5. ha lmv Placer diaphragm'to expand under the fite nth a e m ,1, I

, c. .5. lread Qn ed t a duction. acuum in r ui m dM. w hrem nr n n un furthe reduction 11 .8S;,dlaW 1. down ether head bellowsfolded, diaphragm 1| 3, sucbalctiobi PQIK-Init ting stem: I I to lower and close switch ll; thereby energizing solenoid ID to raise armature HI toposition the mechanismfor four-cylinder firing. This manner of resetting switch ll avoids the "flutter that would occur if switch ll always opened or closed with the same degree of vacuum controlling bellows-folded diaphragm l3,

It will be understood that various modifications .may be made in the foregoing embodiments of my invention without departing from the spirit andscope of the same as set forth in the appended claims.

Iclaim: 1. The combination, in an engineof the explosion type, of a plurality of cylinders, pistons therein, valves controlling the inlet of fuel-air charges to and the exhaust from said cylinders,

and meansfor rendering certain inlet valves inactive whereby certain cylinders may be out of firing operation, includin'gan' hydraulic cylinder, a piston therein, solenoid controlled means for indersatagreaterload.

of said cylinders firing in normal sequence when said last-named piston is in one position and certain cylinders being rendered inactive when said piston is in the opposite position. and means ooordinated with certain phases of engine operation for-energizing and deenergizing said solenoid.

2. In a control for explosion type engines, means responsive tosuction ofsome of the cylinders', a switch actuated by said means, a solenoid armature affected by current now controlled by said switch, and means responsive to movement of said armatureand the parts aii'ected thereby for resetting the degree of vacuum at which said switch cl i tes.

3; The combination, in means for controlling the operation of multi-cylinder internal combustion engines, ofmeans for controlling the admission of fuel charges into and exhaust from the several cylinders, an automatic control for interrupting the flow of said fuel charges to some of said cylinders coordinated with a change in the. load on said engine, and means for resetting said control to admit fuel charges to all of said cyl- 4. The combination. in means for controlling the operation of multi-cylinder internal combustion engines,- of means for controlling the admissionoffuelchargesintoandexhaustfromsaid cylindcrd. an automatic control for intercylinders in-rcsponse to a reduced load on said engine, and means for resettinl said control to admit fuel charges to all of said cylinders at-a greaterload.

5. The combination-in means for controlling the operation of multi-cylinder internal combustion engines, of carburetting means, an intake manifold delivering fuel charges therefrom to at least one of said cylinders, means for controlling the-admission of fuel into and exhaust from the cylinders, an automatic. control for interrupting the flow of fuel charges to at least one other cyl-' inder in respons e to increased vacuum in said intake manifold, andmeans for resetting said control to admit fuel charges to all of said cylinders ata lower 6. The combination, inmeans for controlling v the operation of multi-cylinder internal combustion engines, of means for delivering fuel charges to at least one of said cylinders, means for controlling the admission of fuel into and exhaust rupting the flowof to at least one other cylinder in response toreduced load and increased speed, and means for resetting said control to admit fuel to all of said cylinders at a greater load.

7. The combination, in means for controlling the operation of multi-cylinder engines of the explosion'type, of a plurality of cylinders, a pair of valves for each cylinder; one of said valves controlling the inlet of fuel charges and the other valve controlling the exhaust, means for actuating said valves including cam-actuated push rod elements, means for rendering certain 'of said push rod elements inactive whereby two or more cylinders may be cut out of operation during certain conditions of engine operation including rotatable portions associated with the push rod elements, teeth on said rotatable portions, and fluid-actuated rack rods in engagement with said toothed push rod portions for adjusting them into and outof operative position.

8. The combination, in means for controlling the operation of multi=cylinder engines of the explosion type, of a plurality of cylinders, a pair of valves for each cylinder; one of said valves controlling the inlet of fuel charges and the other valve controlling the exhaust, means for actuating said valves including cam-actuated push rod elements, means for rendering certain of said push rod elements inactive whereby two or more ao cylinders may be cut out of operation during ruptingthe flow or fuel charges to some of said A certain conditions of engine operation including rotatable toothed portions associated with the render them operative and inoperative, and electrically controlled means for rendering the iluid actuated means operative.

9. The combinatiomin an engine of the exam;

sion type, of a plurality of cylinders, pistons therein-valves controlling the inlet of fuel-air charges to said cylinders and exhaust therefrom,

' means for rendering certain inlet valves inoperative whereby certain cylinders may he cutout of. I firing operation including anhydraulic cylinder, 45. a piston therein, means for directing motive fluid to opposite sides of said piston; allof said cylin- 7 from the cylinders, an automatic control for interders firing in normal sequence-when said lastnamed piston is in one position andcertain cylinders being rendered inactive when said piston is in the opposite position, and means coordinated with certain phases of engine operation for controlling the delivery of motive fluid .to the hydraulic cylinder.

' KARL W. ROHLIN.

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