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The Four-Stroke Cycle Engine
THE first practical internal combustion engine appeared in France in 1860. It was a modified steam engine, fueled by natural gas and operated along a two-stroke cycle. The first production series were large four-hp bench-type engines intended for agricultural purposes. The engines achieved some success but they vibrated excessively and were unreliable. Nikolaus Otto used one in Germany to develop the four-stroke cycle, which is now used world wide in gasoline and diesel automobile engines.
During his late 20s, he sold kitchenware and tea to grocery stores in western Germany, near the French border. It was while making a delivery in 1860 that he first heard of the internal combustion engine. With no academic or practical technical background, he saw an improved engine as his ticket to the future. Otto began to investigate the engine and consider changes. But he was handicapped by lack of money and a...