Who invented the throttle ring?

Really haven't kept up with the history of Cox engines, when I was using them more prevalently. Mid 1970's, Ace R/C had the exhaust throttle rings in their catalog, can't remember exact year, but think may be 1974. Don't remember any factory Cox airplane engines using them. The Medallions had their more complex sliding exhaust throttle ganged to a twist needle valve assembly that could vary the venturi air.

I remember wanting to convert my Golden Bee on my Q-Tee back in the late 1970's, so I bought the Ace ring, worked like a charm. I flew the Q-Tee as rudder only with auxiliary sequential throttle on Ace pulse. The elevator, I built per plans, but connected music wire pushrod to the fuselage, about where the elevator pushrod would exit. I used a soldered threaded pushrod end with a quick coupling on it. This allowed me to change the decalage of the elevator for trimming the Q-Tee under rudder only.

It was extremely successful, Q-Tee flew well as a rudder only plane. The exhaust throttle ring allowed the Golden Bee to fly well even with its SPI, a bit more powerful than a Babe Bee, plus 8 cc tank allowed longer flights.

I noticed in the late 1970's that Cox was selling Medallions with the exhaust throttle ring setup. I bought a .09 R/C and mailed it to my brother as a Birthday present while in college.

The Cox ones looked exactly like Ace's. Sometimes I'm wondered if Cox simply contracted with the supplier of the Ace rings and used those on their Medallions. I would have preferred one of those, but by chance lucked on a brand new Cox .09 Medallion R/C with exhaust throttle muffler may be 7 years ago.

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cox_model_engine#Use_in_radio_controlled_models)  refers to a Cox 1966 dealer catalog and states, that "...From the mid-1960s Cox produced throttle control devices for some of their engines;.. however, these were not as effective as throttles on other brand engines as the Cox throttle worked by restricting exhaust flow. Exhaust throttles were produced for most Bee and all Medallion engines but not Tee Dee...."

I do not have my COX Model Engine Handbook of Dan Sitter with me at the moment, but there is a listing and description of the exhaust throttles and their history there...

MH Aerotools (https://www.mh-aerotools.de/airfoils/cox_frameset.htm) also explains under its "Product engines" section, that the Miss America COX C/L model had an engine with spring retained exhaust throttle.

So answering Mauricio's question, yes, e.g. the Miss America had the exhaust throttle, controlled with a 3rd line by the pilot in a pull only operation, and the spring returned the throttle into throttled, low-speed position.

controlled with a 3rd line by the pilot in a pull only operation, and the spring returned the throttle into throttled, low-speed position.

So typical of the Wen's. My latest.

Or, by pulling the throttle string, it caused the engine to go from full RPM to idle or part throttle? Control line airplanes require speed to maintain line tension, it would make more sense to operate this way, just saying.

GallopingGhostler wrote:Or, by pulling the throttle string, it caused the engine to go from full RPM to idle or part throttle? Control line airplanes require speed to maintain line tension, it would make more sense to operate this way, just saying.

George, I understood Martin Happerle's explanation, that as long as the pilot kept the 3rd line tensioned, the engine ran with throttle fully open i.e. high speed, and when released the 3rd line, the spring returned the throttle in its other position, and the engine idled...but it may be the other way around. And with the proper setting of the circlip relative to the exhaust slots, actually the control by the 3rd line can be easily reversed.

Or, if your the adventurous type, great for touch and goes. The Electric Cox Bearcat was built around that option. I tried it with mine and ended up in the grass not the asphault as intended.

The tailhooked Wen Dauntless also. Lot's of fun with throttled control line airplanes.

I don't know the history. The first patent below describes an exhaust ring throttle. The second is what was found on Wenmac, basically added the spring. Seems like exhaust throttle would have existed prior to 1958, but maybe the ring was novel at the time.

https://patents.google.com/patent/US2921568A/en

https://patents.google.com/patent/US3369531A/en

I think the way to clarify how the throttle worked on C/L RTF's is the instructions that came with it. Then, we aren't second guessing but are educated on how it was really intended to work.

That includes both Wen-Mac and Cox. They may have both operated completely opposite.

Before, I had the C/L throttle control curiosity factor bugging me when younger, but now I prefer simplicity with the least amount of controls.

I have only one throttle ring for .049 and it’s the type with the hole rather than a slot…I gave one my Bees a 50 cent clean up and put the # 3 cylinder/ring on it just to try it out….Works great,… About 6800 idle and 15K top with a 6-3 prop….It will not seal well enough to stop the engine but significantly slows it…. It’s not as touchy as I thought it might be… Seems fairly linear…Photo at idle…

Who invented the throttle ring? Why, uhhh, I did! Yeah! That's the ticket. I did.

I invented it while on my honeymoon with my wife... Uhhh... Morgan Fairchild. Yeah. Morgan Fairchild....

The Saturday Night Mark

Guys, thank you very much for all the information you have poured here, it is really interesting and very valuable.
The accelerator ring is something so simple (of course, once it was invented!!!), it's genius.
A perfect but simple part, which can control the motor, it's great. Just great.
I was trying to discover its inventor, you may not understand it from how I see it, but it's really cool.
Then....
We are talking about the year 1958, so there we already have a piece of information.
The origin is not clear, that is, what company or who was his "father"... but surely at some point that information may appear.
Thanks again!

batjac wrote:Who invented the throttle ring?  Why, uhhh, I did! Yeah! That's the ticket.  I did.    

I invented it while on my honeymoon with my wife...  Uhhh...  Morgan Fairchild.  Yeah.  Morgan Fairchild....  

The Saturday Night Mark

Your comment may be comical, actually I apologize if it isn't. Comment at the beginning that I try to learn, I am ignorant at this point and I try to learn.
If I really don't understand your comment, I apologize.

Kim, as you know I live on the other side of the world and around here we have received a lot of influence from the US culture, from music to styles in general.
Your beautiful photograph seemed taken from a magazine, where some model aircraft was presented.
That photo is very good friend, thanks for all your information here!

MauricioB wrote:Kim, Your beautiful photograph seemed taken from a magazine, where some model aircraft was presented.

This was when @Kim had hair!

If it goes back to 1958, it was definitely not COX, whose thin wall cylinders that cannot accommodate the throttle ring - and this is why I had to "invent" mine for thin wall cylinders, made of a thin aluminum strip wound around the exhaust ports - were replaced by first the step wall then thick wall cylinders in the late 60-s/early 70-s respectively, that already were suitable for the throttle rings as we know them today.

(Here is my po'boy's exhaust throttle on a 1962 TeeDee with thin wall cylinder..do not be mislead by the flats on the top fin, I also filed them to facilitate mounting the throttle with which the COX wrench could not be used on the exhaust to unscrew the cylinder..

)

balogh wrote:If it goes back to 1958, it was definitely not COX, whose thin wall cylinders that cannot accommodate the throttle ring - and this is why I had to "invent" mine for thin wall cylinders, made of a thin aluminum strip wound around the exhaust ports - were replaced by first the step wall then thick wall cylinders in the late 60-s/early 70-s respectively, that already were suitable for the throttle rings as we know them today.

very good deduction András... so it wasn't Cox...
Do we have ACE, Wen-Mac and some other left? .... are we closer to solving it ... or further?

MauricioB wrote:

batjac wrote:Who invented the throttle ring?  Why, uhhh, I did! Yeah! That's the ticket.  I did.    

I invented it while on my honeymoon with my wife...  Uhhh...  Morgan Fairchild.  Yeah.  Morgan Fairchild....  

The Saturday Night Mark

Your comment may be comical, actually I apologize if it isn't. Comment at the beginning that I try to learn, I am ignorant at this point and I try to learn.
If I really don't understand your comment, I apologize.

Yes,it is comical. You need to understand the Humor of the "Saturday Night Live" television show. Jon Lovitz as the pathological liar..  yeah..That's the ticket...outrageous lie...yeah!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV85E2S-Idw
or this one with Tom Hanks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIZ3ySoMNYQ

batjac wrote:Who invented the throttle ring?  Why, uhhh, I did! Yeah! That's the ticket.  I did.    

I invented it while on my honeymoon with my wife...  Uhhh...  Morgan Fairchild.  Yeah.  Morgan Fairchild....  

The Saturday Night Mark

Actually I invented it! I was working with Reginald Denny and Norma Jeane, a couple of slouches that took all the credit!!

The 1958 patent describes two semi circular elements and spring clip to use on the thin Cox cylinders of the era. It also describes that cylinders could be made with constant diameter to make use of a ring. I think we've all seen the split ring type? They were made in the past, I made one a few years ago and it worked fine.

There is a cited patent (for another exhaust throttle) by the same inventor assigned to maybe the father? It seems there were a few Mettetal in the Detroit area (airport and school named such), but I couldn't find anything online relating to model aviation.

OMG -- with my wife, MOOOORGAN Fairchilddddd.

yes, thats the ticket!



and now? that is stuck in my head... thank you for the laughter. - always appreciated...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS4z4zF-g44

Marleysky wrote:

Yes,it is comical. You need to understand the Humor of the "Saturday Night Live" television show. Jon Lovitz as the pathological liar..  yeah..That's the ticket...outrageous lie...yeah!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV85E2S-Idw
or this one with Tom Hanks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIZ3ySoMNYQ

Yeah, I was referencing the Saturday Night Live skit by John Lovitz.  Yeah.  Because I'm not a pathological liar or anything.  No.  Not like Marleysky, who would accuse me of being pathological.  Or Crankbndr who would try to steal my fame and accomplishments by claiming to be the inventor instead of me.  No.  I'm 100% honest.  Honest.  You can guarantee on that.  You bet!  That's the ticket!  Just ask my wife, Morgan Fairchild.

Also, it's interesting to note that in the second skit, besides Tom Hanks, is a young Robert Downey Jr.

The Founder and President for Life of Pathological Liars Anonymous Mark

Stop It!    



And if you think buying a model aeroplane couldn't get any stupider, you'll love this conversation!