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the era, which needed adjustment, grinding and even replacement after only a few thousand miles. However, the adiabatic and isothermal characteristics accompanying the increased power afforded by the large (relative to contemporary poppet valve designs) port areas in the sleeves proved the double-sleeve valve concept's
Achilles heel. Much of the advantage to be gained from increased volumetric efficiency could not be realized due to the inability to transfer resultant heat in a sufficiently steep gradient to avoid excessive internal temperatures, however, Harry Ricardo pointed, about the single
100:, Burt-McCollum type, that as long as oil film between Sleeve and cylinder wall is kept thin enough, sleeves are transparent to heat. As a consequence of these thermal conditions, and contrary to conventional practice, the induction port area was reduced to substantially less than that of the exhaust port. Later engines having thinner, steel and white-metal coated sleeves possess improved levels of heat dissipation, but thermal transfer problems remain characteristic of the design, thus limiting development of the potential inherent in the double-sleeve valve engine.
92:") is like a fixed, inverted piston with its own set of rings projecting down inside the inner sleeve. The heads are individually detachable for each cylinder. The design is remarkably quiet and the sleeve valves need little attention. It was, however, more expensive to manufacture due to the precision grinding required on the sleeves' surfaces. About the Single Sleeve-valve engines, Continental declared it were cheaper and easier to manufacture than poppet valve motors. Also it uses more oil at high speeds and is harder to start in cold weather.
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301:, simpler poppet valve engines had become very efficient, their first appearance being in the 1924 Chrysler, and the Knight engine's high manufacturing cost began to tell against it. While Willys built Knight models into the 1930s, development work had ceased. The Knight patents expired in 1932. Although a 1933 Willys-Knight Streamline Six was announced in June of that year, it is doubtful if production was continued into 1933. These were the last sleeve-valve automobiles manufactured in the US.
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158:, also a director of Daimler. Daimler's engineers tested the engine and the results were sufficiently encouraging for Daimler to set up a secret team to fully develop Knight's concept. On the project's completion, though, it was no longer "Wholly Knight". Knight obtained a British patent for his modified engine on June 6, 1908. In September Daimler announced that "Silent Knight" engines would be installed in some of its 1909 models.
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many small parts, are swept away bodily, that we have an almost perfectly spherical explosion chamber, and a cast-iron sleeve or tube as that portion of the combustion chamber in which the piston travels." Daimler dropped poppet-valve engines altogether and kept their silent sleeve-valve engines until the mid-1930s.
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By 1925 there were five operations in the US producing chassis with Knight engines so that Willys-Knight production was running at 250 cars per day. Willys announcing in the same year that there were over 180,000 Willys-Knight engines in use worldwide. Willys also took over
Stearns that year, forming
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as their consultant for the purpose and a major re-design and refinement of Knight's design took place in great secrecy. Knight's design was made a practical proposition. When unveiled in
September 1908, the new engine caused a sensation. "Suffice it to say that mushroom valves, springs and cams, and
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race track, after which they were removed and again run on the bench for 5 hours. RAC engineers reported that, when the engines were dismantled, there was no perceptible wear, the cylinders and pistons were clean, and the valves showed no signs of wear either. The RAC was so impressed that it awarded
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The engine's design allows a more central location for the spark plugs to provide a better flame path, large ports for improved gas flow and hemispherical combustion chambers that in turn allows increased power. Additionally, the sleeve valves required very much less maintenance than poppet valves of
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had followed the Knight with interest and when he read about the RAC tests he went to
England in 1909 to secure a license from Knight. Russell also came to an agreement with Daimler, by which the company would supply Daimler-Knight engines for two years. Russell went on to manufacture several models
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Many vehicles were described as being fault-prone due to lubrication of the cylinder and sleeve contact faces. Often, proper lubrication could not be guaranteed with the lubricants available at the time, especially with inadequate maintenance. This problem increased with engine speeds over 1600 rpm,
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At first Knight tried making the entire engine cylinder reciprocate to open and close the exhaust and inlet ports. Though he patented this arrangement, he soon abandoned it in favor of a double sliding sleeve principle. Backed by
Chicago entrepreneur L.B. Kilbourne, an experimental engine was built
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Knight's design has two cast-iron sleeves per cylinder, bronze in some models, sliding inside the other, with the piston inside the inner sleeve. The sleeves are operated by small connecting rods actuated by an eccentric shaft and have ports cut out at their upper ends. The cylinder head (known as
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tested the engine against one of their own and found that it was more powerful at speeds above 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) and would also go faster. However, they dismissed it as unsuitable for their range of cars because they believed that anything over 55 miles per hour (89 km/h) was
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Improvements in design and materials of the more usual poppet valve engine eliminated most of the advantages initially held by the sleeve-valved variant, so that by the early 1930s manufacture of the Silent Knight had ceased, with only a couple of French automobile makers continuing to the War.
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While eventually these engines were manufactured in the largest quantities in USA, Knight's design was made a commercial success by development in
England. The French gave the Knight engine more intensive development than any other nation. Ultimately Knight patents were issued in at least eight
165:(Royal Automobile Club) carry out their own independent tests on the Daimler-Knight. RAC engineers took two Knight engines and ran them under full load for 132 hours nonstop. The same engines were then installed in a touring car and driven for 2,000 miles (3,200 km) on the
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The Knight engine (improved significantly by
Daimler's engineers) attracted the attention of the European automobile manufacturers. Daimler bought rights from Knight "for England and the colonies" and shared ownership of the European rights, in which it took 60%, with
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The Knight engine, while it originated in USA, was developed to fruition in
England gaining an earlier start in Europe, where it also lasted longer. Mercedes built their 4-litre Knight 16/50 until 1924, while the
685:
Bellu, René (November 1996). "La
Panhard Dynamic: Sa carosserie étonne et sa conception technique réserve elle aussi des surprises" [Its surprising appearance and concept still hides some surprises].
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at which point the sleeve-valve engine ceased to provide superior output. With a maximum attainable engine speed of about 1750 rpm, the long-term development potential for the engine was limited.
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unsafe. They also considered the oil consumption (about 2 quarts per 70 miles) excessive. Knight also received some bad publicity at the same time when a prototype car was entered in the 1906
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Attracted by the possibilities of the "Silent Knight" engine, Daimler's chairman had contacted Knight in
Chicago and Knight settled in England near Coventry in 1907. Daimler contracted
154:, Knight changed his mind and decided to try to interest English manufacturers in his engine. In 1907 Knight went with one of his cars to London where he managed to see fellow-American
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Knight and Kilbourne had hoped to interest US automobile manufacturers in the engine so that they could grant licenses for its manufacture, but initially there were no takers.
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Columbia, Stoddard-Dayton, and Atlas went bankrupt shortly after and their licences were transferred to other companies. Edwards-Knight obtained one which they passed on to
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The RAC reports caused Daimler's share price to rise, £0.85 to £18.75, and the company's competitors to fear that the poppet-valve engine would soon be obsolete.
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75:. Having developed a practicable engine (at a cost of around $ 150,000), Knight and Kilbourne showed a complete "Silent Knight" touring car at the 1906
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where, despite having the smallest engine, it took fifth place averaging 68.148 mph (109.674 km/h) over the 500 miles (800 km).
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342:, produced until the summer of 1940, was the last Knight-engined passenger car to be built in series.
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in 1903. Research and development continued until 1905, when a prototype passed stringent tests in
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Willys made improvements to the Knight engine which were patented and in 1916 announced their
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88-4. They went on to open a Canadian manufacturing plant at Toronto to build export models.
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Supra Knight of 1925-26 was probably the last German Knight-engined car. In France, besides
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79:. Fitted with a 4-cylinder, 40 hp (30 kW) engine, the car was priced at $ 3,500.
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Sales of Willys-Knight cars declined towards the end of the 1920s. Thanks to the work of
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Scientific American 105, 8, 168 (August 1911) doi:10.1038/scientificamerican08191911-168
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using the Knight principle in 1935 which was their last use of Knight technology. The
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Made Up To A Standard: Thomas Alexander Russell and the Russell Motor Car
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a separate syndicate for the purpose (the companies were not merged).
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In August 1911, the engine was licensed by the US automobile makers
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Hendry, Maurice D. (1972). "The Unholy Sage of the Silent Knight".
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of Belgium. European rights were purchased from them and used by
142:(1909 example) the mascot on its radiator cap is (C. Y.'s) Knight
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at the 2008 Midwest Old Threshers Reunion in Mt. Pleasant Iowa.
120:, only to drop out on the first day due to mechanical failure.
646:"Innovative engines: first Mercedes-Knight developed in 1909"
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Having virtually ignored two written approaches by engineer
690:(in French) (7). Paris: Histoire & Collections: 31–40.
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To combat criticism from its competitors, Daimler had the
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countries and were actually built by about thirty firms.
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acquired another which they retained into the 1920s.
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A replicated 1912 Stearns advertisement in downtown
767:Defunct automotive companies of the United States
354:Willys-Knight Great Six roadster, 1929-30 U.S.A.
16:Obsolete American invention developed in Europe
713:(4). Automobile Heritage Publishing: 401–413.
39:is an internal combustion engine, designed by
31:Emblem on Stearns car powered by Knight engine
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632:, Tuesday, Sep 22, 1908; pg. 11; Issue 38758
534:. General Store Publishing House. pp.
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238:of Russell-Knight luxury cars in Canada.
127:Knight-Daimler engine, transverse section
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493:Charles Knight at Sleeve valve engines
346:Some Knight engine powered automobiles
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516:The Unholy Saga of the Silent Knight
271:In 1913 a Mercedes-Knight driven by
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334:. Voisin also built an air-cooled
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235:Canada Cycle & Motor Co. Ltd.
518:, Automobile Quarterly:Vol-10 #4
140:Daimler 22 hp open 2-seater
362:Minerva limousine, 1937 Belgium
757:Cars powered by Knight engines
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229:touting the Knight-type motor
648:. Daimler AG. Archived from
528:Petryshyn, Jaroslav (2000).
616:The Knight Valveless Engine
340:Panhard et Levassor Dynamic
50:instead of the more common
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604:. c. 1919. pp. 36–38.
23:Knight sleeve valve engine
471:Silent-Knight (1905-1907)
206:Dr. Frederick Lanchester
46:(1868-1940), that uses
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299:Charles F. Kettering
414:Panhard et Levassor
331:Panhard et Levassor
275:was entered in the
195:Panhard et Levassor
179:Walter Owen Bentley
44:Charles Yale Knight
674:Oct 1911, page 505
600:(Ninth ed.).
514:Maurice D Hendry,
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69:Oak Park, Illinois
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672:Popular Mechanics
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118:Glidden Tour
109:Pierce-Arrow
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73:Elyria, Ohio
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52:poppet valve
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688:Automobilia
656:19 December
602:The Autocar
482:(1923-1927)
468:(1920-1924)
462:(1914-1919)
456:(1913-1915)
450:(1927-1929)
444:(1912-1913)
426:(1919-1938)
400:(1911-1924)
394:(1909-1932)
381:(1915-1933)
375:(1911-1929)
746:Categories
699:References
559:RAC Rating
167:Brooklands
630:The Times
90:junk head
734:(video)
487:See also
442:Columbia
437:Brewster
398:Mercedes
264:, while
243:Columbia
199:Mercedes
41:American
419:Peugeot
404:Minerva
392:Daimler
316:Peugeot
247:Stearns
191:Minerva
152:Daimler
62:History
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431:Others
424:Voisin
312:Simson
305:Europe
266:Moline
262:Willys
249:, and
536:65–66
499:Notes
88:the "
715:ISBN
658:2012
582:ISBN
540:ISBN
409:Mors
328:and
320:Mors
318:and
297:and
197:and
35:The
163:RAC
111:of
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