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Carette Gas Engine

Gentlemen,

It has taken me nearly two weeks to get around to it but I have finally taken some pictures of my Carette Hot Tube Rotary Valve Gas Engine.

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From the pictures you will see that the Valve, rotating and fixed parts, have holes and slots machined into them. The slot is for the exhaust and also the air inlet and the other hole is for the gas inlet. As you rotate the valve it can be seen that when the slot gets to the end of the exhaust stroke the slot also starts to uncover the air inlet to allow air in then halfway through the air slot the gas hole is opened to allow gas in for a short period, this then shuts before the air hole does. There is no control over how much air is let in so it must be down to how much gas is allowed in which should be fun as this was to run originally on town gas. The piston has two rings but there is a third groove but it is not deep enough to take a ring. The bigends and crank pin will need machining so I will have to purchase a three and or two point steady to do this,also the Big end bearings will need work. The flywheels are approx 180mm in Dia and 10mm wide and the piston has approx 25mm stroke.

Martin P

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Reply to
Campingstoveman
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Is this as M. Carette intended or has someone used it as a vehicle to try out their own ideas? Either way a fascinating little thing. Looks like a bit of a lubrication nightmare, as are many rotary valves, but on this small scale and for short demo runs there appears to be no reason why it should not work.

Reply to
Nick Highfield

Martin, You didn't take long to produce the O/C we were promised ! A very fine toy.

Can I come and watch when you machine the crankshaft.?

Oh please?

Regards, Arthur G

Reply to
Arthur Griffin & Jeni Stanton

Gentlemen, First a history lesson, my paternal Grandfather was a Model Engineer of Traction Engines and more so Boats. His claim to fame came in the 70's when as its secretary he represented the MPBA on Thames television's "Magpie" ITV's version of "Blue Peter". He showed his models among others and the following week towed a 2 ton + yacht on the Thames with one of them a coal fired compound engined sea going tug called Smoky, also my Grandfathers nickname. From as early as I can remember I and my brother were taught by him to use a lathe and hand tools, the lathe was a treadle powered Britannia Colchester and I have only recently replaced it with a modern machine. When Grandfather died in the 80's his wife gave my Father and us boys the job of doing what we liked with the contents of his garage/workshop. My brother had a Traction Engine, I had one of the boats and Smoky went to London to be auctioned for his wife. It fetched over £6000. When my Father died in the 90's my Mother handed the contents of the Garage to my brother and I and whilst clearing it we found the engine and it has been an ornament in my house ever since.I thought like you it was a modification but in the last couple of years I have met somebody with a

1920's toy catalogue showing the very engine in water cooled and its air cooled version. I have now decided that it is time that it should run again especially now that I have recently acquired the means to a more accurate restoration.

Martin P

Reply to
Campingstoveman

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