Frank Carter (1872-1934)
Frank Carter (1872-1934)
1872 Born at Woking
1934 Obituary [1]
FRANK CARTER devoted almost the whole of his career to the development of oil engines, in connexion with which he took out a large number of patents.
He was born at Woking in 1872 and served his apprenticeship from 1888 to 1893 with Messrs. Carter Brothers, general engineers, of Billingshurst, Sussex. He remained with the firm until 1896, when with his brother Evershed Carter, A.M.I.Mech.E., he joined Messrs. Blackstone and Company of Stamford to develop their oil engine from its earliest stages; this association continued throughout the remainder of his life.
In 1904 he was appointed works manager, and held this position until his death, which occurred at Stamford on 22nd May 1934. Among the more important developments in oil engines with which he was directly associated were the introduction, in 1902, of a vaporizing engine with automatic ignition by means of an asbestos-filled igniter, and, in the same year, the adoption of a falling cam hit-or-miss governor, mounted directly on the camshaft; the horizontal vaporizer engine, in 1903, in which petroleum was supplied by an inspirator to the vaporizer which was fitted with a timing valve, other features being heating and ignition by means of an iron coil, and the adoption of the camshaft governor; a crude oil engine, in 1908, having a dual ignition spray and a hot bulb, and working at a compression pressure of 150 lb. per sq. in. and a maximum explosion pressure of 450 lb. per sq. in.; an engine designed specially for quick starting from cold, in 1912, in which petroleum was sprayed by an air blast and ignited by a low-tension spark; a compression-ignition engine, in 1924, with airless injection; and an injector pump, in 1933, which was applied to high-speed lorry engines and engines for general purposes, as well as to high- powered engines.
In addition, Mr. Carter brought out several minor improvements in oil engines which have been the subject matter of patents.
He was elected to Associate Membership of the Institution in 1908.