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A hit-and-miss engine or Hit 'N' Miss is a type of
stationary internal combustion engine
An internal combustion engine (ICE or IC engine) is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal combus ...
that is controlled by a
governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
to only fire at a set speed. They are usually 4-stroke but 2-stroke versions were made. It was conceived in the late 19th century and produced by various companies from the 1890s through approximately the 1940s. The name comes from the speed control on these engines: they fire ("hit") only when operating at or below a set speed, and cycle without firing ("miss") when they exceed their set speed. This is as compared to the "
throttle
A throttle is the mechanism by which fluid flow is managed by constriction or obstruction.
An engine's power can be increased or decreased by the restriction of inlet gases (by the use of a throttle), but usually decreased. The term ''throttle'' ...
governed" method of speed control. The sound made when the engine is running without a load is a distinctive "Snort POP whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh snort POP" as the engine fires and then coasts until the speed decreases and it fires again to maintain its average speed. The snorting is caused by the atmospheric intake
valve
A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fittings ...
used on many of these engines.
Many engine manufacturers made hit-and-miss engines during their peak use—from approximately 1910 through the early 1930s, when more modern designs began to replace them. Some of the largest engine manufacturers were Stover,
Hercules
Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.
The Romans adapted the Gr ...
,
International Harvester
The International Harvester Company (often abbreviated by IHC, IH, or simply International ( colloq.)) was an American manufacturer of agricultural and construction equipment, automobiles, commercial trucks, lawn and garden products, household e ...
(
McCormick Deering),
John Deere (Waterloo Engine Works),
Maytag
The Maytag Corporation is an American home and commercial appliance company owned by Whirlpool Corporation since April 2006.
Company history
The Maytag Washing Machine Company was founded in 1893 by businessman Frederick Maytag. In 1925, ...
and
Fairbanks Morse
Fairbanks, Morse and Company was an American manufacturing company in the late 19th and early 20th century. Originally a weighing scale manufacturer, it later diversified into pumps, engines, windmills, coffee grinders, radios, farm tractors, fee ...
.
In the Canadian
Atlantic Provinces
Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (french: provinces de l'Atlantique), is the region of Eastern Canada comprising the provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec. The four provinces are New Brunswick, Newfoundlan ...
, primarily in
Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
, these engines were known, in
colloquial
Colloquialism (), also called colloquial language, everyday language or general parlance, is the linguistic style used for casual (informal) communication. It is the most common functional style of speech, the idiom normally employed in conver ...
conversation, as "Make-and-Break" engines. The main usage here was to drive traditional
skiff
A skiff is any of a variety of essentially unrelated styles of small boats. Traditionally, these are coastal craft or river craft used for leisure, as a utility craft, and for fishing, and have a one-person or small crew. Sailing skiffs have devel ...
style utility and fishing boats.
Construction
A hit-and-miss engine is a type of
flywheel engine
A reciprocating engine, also often known as a piston engine, is typically a heat engine that uses one or more reciprocating pistons to convert high temperature and high pressure into a rotating motion. This article describes the common featu ...
.
[http://www.osagcd.com/FeaturedEngine.html] A flywheel engine is an engine that has a large
flywheel
A flywheel is a mechanical device which uses the conservation of angular momentum to store rotational energy; a form of kinetic energy proportional to the product of its moment of inertia and the square of its rotational speed. In particular, ass ...
or set of flywheels connected to the
crankshaft
A crankshaft is a mechanical component used in a piston engine to convert the reciprocating motion into rotational motion. The crankshaft is a rotating shaft containing one or more crankpins, that are driven by the pistons via the connecting ...
. The flywheels maintain engine speed during engine cycles that do not produce driving mechanical forces. The flywheels store energy on the combustion stroke and supply the stored energy to the mechanical load on the other three strokes of the piston. When these engines were designed, technology was less advanced and manufacturers made all parts very large. A typical engine weighs approximately 1000 pounds (454 kg). Typically, the material for all significant engine parts was
cast iron
Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impuriti ...
. Small functional pieces were made of
steel
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
and
machined
Machining is a process in which a material (often metal) is cut to a desired final shape and size by a controlled material-removal process. The processes that have this common theme are collectively called subtractive manufacturing, which utilizes ...
to tolerance.
[
The fuel system of a hit-and-miss engine consists of a fuel tank, fuel line, ]check valve
A check valve, non-return valve, reflux valve, retention valve, foot valve, or one-way valve is a valve that normally allows fluid (liquid or gas) to flow through it in only one direction.
Check valves are two-port valves, meaning they have t ...
and fuel mixer. The fuel tank most typically holds gasoline
Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organic co ...
but many users started the engines with gasoline and then switched to a cheaper fuel, such as kerosene
Kerosene, paraffin, or lamp oil is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid which is derived from petroleum. It is widely used as a fuel in aviation as well as households. Its name derives from el, κηρός (''keros'') meaning "wax", and was regi ...
or diesel
Diesel may refer to:
* Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression
* Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines
* Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...
. The fuel line connects the fuel tank to the mixer. Along the fuel line, a check valve keeps the fuel from running back to the tank between combustion strokes. The mixer creates the correct fuel-air mixture by means of a needle valve
A needle valve is a type of valve with a small port and a threaded, needle-shaped plunger. It allows precise regulation of flow, although it is generally only capable of relatively low flow rates.
Construction and operation
An instrument ne ...
attached to a weighted or spring-loaded piston usually in conjunction with an oil-damped dashpot
A dashpot, also known as a damper, is a mechanical device that resists motion via viscous friction. The resulting force is proportional to the velocity, but acts in the opposite direction, slowing the motion and absorbing energy. It is commonly us ...
.
Mixer operation is simple, it contains only one moving part, that being the needle valve. While there are exceptions, a mixer doesn't store fuel in a bowl of any kind. Fuel is simply fed to the mixer, where due to the effect of Bernoulli's principle
In fluid dynamics, Bernoulli's principle states that an increase in the speed of a fluid occurs simultaneously with a decrease in static pressure or a decrease in the fluid's potential energy. The principle is named after the Swiss mathematici ...
, it is self-metered in the venturi created below the weighted piston by the action of the attached needle valve, the method used to this day in the SU carburetor
SU carburettors were a British manufacturer of constant-depression carburettors. Their designs were in mass production during most of the twentieth century.
The S.U. Carburetter Company Limited also manufactured dual-choke updraught carburetto ...
.
Sparks to ignite the fuel mixture are created by either a spark plug
A spark plug (sometimes, in British English, a sparking plug, and, colloquially, a plug) is a device for delivering electric current from an ignition system to the combustion chamber of a spark-ignition engine to ignite the compressed fuel/air ...
or a device called an ignitor
Ignitor is the Italian name for a planned tokamak device, developed by ENEA. , the device has not been constructed.
Started in 1977 by Prof. Bruno Coppi at MIT, Ignitor based on the 1970s Alcator machine at MIT which pioneered the high magnetic ...
. When a spark plug is used, the spark was generated by either a magneto
A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce periodic pulses of alternating current. Unlike a dynamo, a magneto does not contain a commutator to produce direct current. It is categorized as a form of alternator, ...
or else a trembler
Tremblers are a New World group of passerine birds related to mockingbirds and New World catbirds. Like these, they are in the family Mimidae. There are 2-4 species in one genus, ''Cinclocerthia'', which is endemic to the Lesser Antilles:
* Gr ...
(or 'buzz') coil. A buzz coil uses battery power to generate a continuous series of high voltage pulses that are fed to the spark plug. For igniter ignition, either a battery and coil is used or a "low tension" magneto is used. With battery and coil ignition, a battery is wired in series with a wire coil and the igniter contacts. When the contacts of the ignitor are closed (the contacts reside inside the combustion chamber), electricity flows through the circuit. When the contacts are opened by the timing mechanism, a spark is generated across the contacts, which ignite the mixture. When a low tension magneto (really a low-voltage high-current generator) is used, the output of the magneto is fed directly to the igniter points and the spark is generated as with a battery and coil.
Except for very large examples, lubrication was almost always manual. Main crankshaft bearings and the connecting rod
A connecting rod, also called a 'con rod', is the part of a piston engine which connects the piston to the crankshaft. Together with the crank, the connecting rod converts the reciprocating motion of the piston into the rotation of the cranksh ...
bearing on the crankshaft generally has a grease cup—a small container (cup) filled with grease and a screwed-on cover.
When the cover is screwed down tighter, grease is forced out of the bottom of the cup and into the bearing. Some early engines have just a hole in the bearing casting cap where an operator squirts lubricating oil while the engine is running. The piston is lubricated by a drip oiler that continuously feeds drips of oil onto the piston. The excess oil from the piston runs out of the cylinder onto the engine and eventually onto the ground. The drip oiler can be adjusted to drip faster or slower depending on the need for lubrication, dictated by how hard the engine is working. The rest of the moving engine components were all lubricated by oil that the engine operator had to apply periodically while the engine was running.
Virtually all hit-and-miss engines are of the "open crank" style, that is, there is no enclosed crankcase
In a piston engine, the crankcase is the housing that surrounds the crankshaft. In most modern engines, the crankcase is integrated into the engine block.
Two-stroke engines typically use a crankcase-compression design, resulting in the fuel/a ...
. The crankshaft, connecting rod, camshaft
A camshaft is a shaft that contains a row of pointed cams, in order to convert rotational motion to reciprocating motion. Camshafts are used in piston engines (to operate the intake and exhaust valves), mechanically controlled ignition systems ...
, gears, governor, etc. are all completely exposed and can be viewed in operation when the engine is running. This makes for a messy environment as oil and sometimes grease are thrown from the engine as well as oil running onto the ground. Another disadvantage is that dirt and dust can get on all moving engine parts, causing excessive wear and engine malfunctions. Frequent cleaning of the engine is therefore required to keep it in proper operating condition.
Cooling of the majority of hit-and-miss engines is by hopper cooling
Hopper cooling is a simple form of water cooling used for small stationary engines. The defining feature of hopper cooling, amongst other water-cooled engines, is that there is no radiator (engine cooling), radiator. Cooling water is heated by the ...
, with water in an open reservoir. There were a small portion of small and fractional horsepower engines that were air-cooled with the aid of an incorporated fan. The water-cooled engine has a built in reservoir (larger engines usually don't have a reservoir and require connection to a large external tank for cooling water via pipe connections on the cylinder). The water reservoir includes the area around the cylinder as well as the cylinder head
In an internal combustion engine, the cylinder head (often abbreviated to simply "head") sits above the cylinders and forms the roof of the combustion chamber.
In sidevalve engines, the head is a simple sheet of metal; whereas in more modern ov ...
(most cases) and a tank mounted or cast above the cylinder. When the engine runs it heats the water. Cooling is accomplished by the water steaming off and removing heat from the engine. When an engine runs under load for a period of time, it is common for the water in the reservoir to boil. Replacement of lost water is needed from time to time. A danger of the water-cooled design is freezing in cold weather. Many engines were ruined when a forgetful operator neglecting to drain the water when the engine was not in use, and the water froze and broke the cast iron engine pieces. However, New Holland patented a v-shaped reservoir, so that expanding ice pushed up and into a larger space rather than break the reservoir. Water jacket repairs are common on many of the engines that still exist.
Design
These were simple engines compared to modern engine design. However, they incorporate some innovative designs in several areas, often in an attempt to circumvent patent infringement for a particular component. This is particularly true of the governor. Governors
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
are centrifugal, swinging arm, pivot arm, and many others. The actuator mechanism to govern speed is also varied depending on patents existing and the governor used. See, for example, U.S. Patents 543,157 from 1895 or 980,658[Theodore C. Menges]
"Speed-regulator for internal-combustion engines,"
U.S. patent 980,658 (filed: Oct. 28, 1909 ; issued: Jan. 3, 1911). from 1911. However accomplished, the governor has one job - to control the speed of the engine. In modern engines, power output is controlled by throttling
A throttle is any mechanism by which the power or speed of an engine is controlled.
Throttle or throttling may also refer to:
Fiction
* ''Throttle'' (film), a 2005 thriller
* ''Throttle'' (novella), a 2009 novella by Stephen King and his son Jo ...
the flow of the air through the intake by means of a butterfly valve
A butterfly valve is a valve that isolates or regulates the flow of a fluid. The closing mechanism is a disk that rotates.
Principle of operation
Operation is similar to that of a ball valve, which allows for quick shut off. Butterfly valves ...
; the only exception to this being in diesels and Valvetronic petrol engines.
How hit-and-miss engines work
The intake valve on hit-and-miss engines has no actuator; instead, a light spring holds the intake valve closed unless a vacuum in the cylinder draws it open. This vacuum only occurs if the exhaust valve is closed during the piston's down-stroke. When the hit-and-miss engine is operating above its set speed, the governor holds the exhaust valve open, preventing a vacuum in the cylinder and causing the intake valve to remain closed, thus interrupting the Otto cycle
An Otto cycle is an idealized thermodynamic cycle that describes the functioning of a typical spark ignition piston engine. It is the thermodynamic cycle most commonly found in automobile engines.
The Otto cycle is a description of what happ ...
firing mechanism. When the engine is operating at or below its set speed, the governor lets the exhaust valve close. On the next down-stroke, a vacuum in the cylinder opens the intake valve and lets the fuel-air mixture enter. This mechanism prevents fuel consumption during the intake stroke of "miss" cycles.
A video explanation on the workings of a hit and miss engine can be foun
here
Usage
Hit-and-miss engines produced power outputs from 1 through approximately 100 horsepower
Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are the ...
(0.75 - 75 kW). These engines run slowly—typically from 250 revolutions per minute
Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines.
Standards
ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...
(rpm) for large horsepower engines to 600 rpm for small horsepower engines. They powered pump
A pump is a device that moves fluids (liquids or gases), or sometimes slurries, by mechanical action, typically converted from electrical energy into hydraulic energy. Pumps can be classified into three major groups according to the method they u ...
s for cultivation, saw
A saw is a tool consisting of a tough blade, wire, or chain with a hard toothed edge. It is used to cut through material, very often wood, though sometimes metal or stone. The cut is made by placing the toothed edge against the material and mo ...
s for cutting wood, generators for electricity in rural areas, farm equipment, and many other stationary applications. Some were mounted on cement mixers. These engines also ran some early washing machines. They were a labour-saving device on farms, and helped farmers accomplish much more than they could previously.
The engine was typically belted to the device being powered by a wide flat belt, typically from 2 - 6 inches (5 – 15 cm) wide. The flat belt was driven by a pulley on the engine that attached either to a flywheel or to the crankshaft. The pulley was specially made to have a circumference slightly tapered from the middle to each edge (like an over-inflated car tyre) so that the middle of the pulley was a slightly larger diameter. This kept the flat belt in the centre of the pulley.
Replacement with throttle-governed engines
By the 1930s, more-advanced engines became common. Flywheel engines are extremely heavy for the power produced, and run at very slow speeds. Older engines required a lot of maintenance and were not easily incorporated into mobile applications.
In the late 1920s, International Harvester
The International Harvester Company (often abbreviated by IHC, IH, or simply International ( colloq.)) was an American manufacturer of agricultural and construction equipment, automobiles, commercial trucks, lawn and garden products, household e ...
already had the model M engine, which was an enclosed version of a flywheel engine. Their next step was the model LA, which was a totally enclosed engine (except for the valve system) featuring self-lubrication (oil in the crankcase), reliable spark plug ignition, faster-speed operation (up to about 750-800 RPM) and most of all, light in weight compared to earlier generations. While the 1½ HP (1.1 kW) model LA still weighed about 150 pounds (68 kg), it was far lighter than the model M 1½ HP engine, which is in the 300-350 pound (136 – 159 kg) range. Later a slightly improved LA, the LB was produced. The models M, LA and LB are throttle governed. As time passed, more engine manufacturers moved to the enclosed crankcase engine. Companies like Briggs and Stratton were also producing lightweight air-cooled engines in the 1/2 to 2 HP (.37 - 1.5 kW) range and used much lighter-weight materials. These engines also run at much higher speeds (up to approximately 2,000-4,000 RPM) and therefore produce more power for a given size than slow flywheel engines.
Most flywheel engine production ceased in the 1940s, but modern engines of this kind remain in use for applications where the low speed is desirable, mostly in oil field
A petroleum reservoir or oil and gas reservoir is a subsurface accumulation of hydrocarbons contained in porous or fractured rock formations.
Such reservoirs form when kerogen (ancient plant matter) is created in surrounding rock by the presence ...
applications such as pumpjack
A pumpjack is the overground drive for a reciprocating piston pump in an oil well.
It is used to mechanically lift liquid out of the well if there is not enough bottom hole pressure for the liquid to flow all the way to the surface. The arra ...
s. Maintenance is less of a problem with modern flywheel engines than older ones due to their enclosed crankcases and more advanced materials.
Preservation
Thousands of out-of-use flywheel engines were scrapped in the iron and steel drives of World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
—but many survived and have been restored to working order by enthusiasts. Numerous preserved hit-and-miss engines may be seen in action at shows dedicated to antique engines (who often also have antique tractors), as well as in the stationary engine
A stationary engine is an engine whose framework does not move. They are used to drive immobile equipment, such as pumps, generators, mills or factory machinery, or cable cars. The term usually refers to large immobile reciprocating engines, pr ...
section of steam fairs, vintage vehicle rallies, and county fairs.
See also
Bang-bang control
References
*
External links
Harry's Old Engine "Antique gas engine collection"
– ''a wide variety of hit-and-miss engine manuals (different makes, different uses), each with a detailed, illustrated description page, some including audio clips of the engines running''
''Video of a 6hp Root & Vandervoort Hit & Miss Engine''
''Description of Novo 6HP engine (manufactured in Lansing Michigan) with video showing engine in operation''
''Description of a Fairbanks Jack-of-all-trades engine''
''Description of a Jaeger 2HP engine''
''Description of a Reid 15HP engine''
Video of large hit-and-miss engine
Video of small hit-and-miss engine
"International Harvester Famous 3 Horsepower Hit-Miss Engine"
– ''Description of International Harvester Famous 3 Horsepower Hit-Miss Engine''
Gas Engine Magazine (features)
– ''Enthusiast's magazine covering the history and preservation of hit-and-miss engines''
7 hp Fuller & Johnson Restoration
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hit-And-Miss Engine
Engine technology
Stationary engines
Articles containing video clips