NEW 

               The Sleeve Valve Rig - It RUNS  !

                    PLANS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE SLEEVE VALVE PROJECT. 

                                                    Click to run the 4 minute Video

                       It is common practice in engine design to build a single cylinder rig

                       to test various components before building the full engine. 

 

                       I have enclosed a few still pictures of the various components.

 

                       I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the parts.  

 

 

   Picture 1 : The front of test rig,

                     showing general

                     arrangement.  

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 Picture 2 : The rear of the rig,

                   with temporary

                   automobile points

                   and R/C carburetor. 

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Picture 3 : A single row crankcase

            to test the feasibility

    of the profiling. 

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Picture 4 : The front of engine case

            with the Drive Shaft,

          Intermediate Gears

   and the Sleeve 

Crank Gear. 

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 Picture 5 : Close up of the Sleeve Crank

 Gear. 

           ( and a Quarter for prospective ). 

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 Picture 6 : Close up of the Sleeve Crank

            ( and a Quarter for prospective ). 

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Picture 7 : Close up of the Main Crank.

                 Notice the notch in the front 

        counterweight to clear 

           the sleeve drive socket.  

           

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  Picture 8 : Close up of the Master Rod.  

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   Picture 9 : Close up of the Cylinder Barrel

                     with the exhaust ports. 

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       Picture 10 : Close up of the Sleeve Barrel

                        with the 4 ports 

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                      Some history of the sleeve valve project 

 

                      In the 1960's I was fortunate to hear a Willis-Knight sleeve valve automobile

               engine run.  I was fascinated by an engine with no poppet valves. Instead there

               were two concentric hollow sleeves moving vertically up and down with a piston

               inside. The nickname for the car was the " Silent Knight ", because of its very its

               quiet operation.  

 

                            I was delighted to learn years later that before and during WW II the Bristol

               Engine Company in England built a series of remarkable sleeve valve radial 

               aircraft engines. 

 

                            The principal was different from the automobile engine I had seen years 

               before.  In these engines, there was a single sleeve operating inside each cylinder.

               Each sleeve makes an elliptical path, operated by its own small crank, running at

               half speed of the crankshaft. 

 

                            The pinnacle of this work was the 14 cylinder " Hercules " and the

               18 cylinder " Centaurus ". 

 

                             I have been working on this engine for quite some time.

                I hope this gives you some insight into the project. 

 

                             Plans are NOT available.  Some day in the future, I hope to offer them.

                For now I am working on the complete 14 cylinder engine.