US1675629A

US1675629A - Engine construction

Info

Publication number: US1675629A
Application number: US119384A
Authority: US
Inventors: Andrews Albert
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1925-12-01
Filing date: 1926-06-29
Publication date: 1928-07-03
Anticipated expiration: 1945-07-03

Description

July 3, 1928.

A. ANDREWS ENGINE CONSTRUCTION Filed June 29, 1926 2 SheetS--Sheetl ,Juiy3, 1928. 1,675,629

v A. ANDREWS ENGIN CONSTRUCTION Filed June 29, 1926 2 sheets-sheet 2 l' `....F.IE 5

Patented July 3, 1928.

' UNITED STATES 1,615,629 PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT ANDREWS, OF SPEARFISH, SOUTH DAKOTA.

ENGINE CONSTRUCTION.

v Application led June 29, 1926, Serial No. 119,384, and in Canada December, 1925.

My invention relates to improvements in engines of the expansible fluidl or. pressure type, and more particularly to those having onev or more cylinders arranged parallel to 8 the power shaft.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an improved engine which is simple in construction and composed `of few parts, so that it will be durable, efficient and reliable in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an engine of this character composed of i a plurality of cylinders arranged around the power shaft and so constructed and mounted that any one or more of them may be readily detached as a unit without disturbing the others or rendering them inoperative.

A further object of the invention is to provide an engine of this character in which the reciprocatory motion of the piston is converted to continuous rotary motion of the power shaft by a traveler operating in a continuous cam groove, and in which the vparts sub'ect to the greatest wear may be readily a justed to compensate for the same.

Thel above and other objects of the invention are accom lished by the constructions illustrated in t eaccompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a multiple cylinder engine with some of the parts broken away and in section.

Flg. 2 is a vertical. transverse section taken on line B-B of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail vertical transversev section taken on line A -A of Fig. 1.

Fi 4 is a detail sectional view taken on line -D of Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is a lon itudinal sectional view through an engine aving a single cylinder with two pistons operating-therein.

Fig. 6 is a face view of the traveler or cam-engaging member showing its V-shaped rib which o crates in the cam groove.

In the em odiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 o'f the drawings, I employ a plurality of parallel cylinders 1 arran ed around and parallel with a power shat 12. Any number of these cylinders may be emplo ed and each one together with its valve mec anism and operating parts is a complete unit which may be readily detached from the others without affecting the operation ofl the latter. This detachable mounting of the cylinders is (preferably accomplished by providing en members or plates 11 which have around their edges curved seats 11n to receive and engage the cyllnders immediately adjacent the flanged ends 1 of the cylinders and by providing von the cylinders at each end outwardly pro]ecting lugs lb, the lugs bein bolted as shown 1n Fig. 2 to curved inwar ly bent flanges 11 formed on the edges of the lates l1 between the curved seats 11a. The siiaft l2 is mounted in suitable bearings 10 arranged centrally 1n the end plates 11 and it may have one. end a pulley 9 or any other means for taking power therefrom. The engine may be supported as a whole by any suitable means, such for example, as the legs or standards 11d.

Operating in the end portions of each cylinder are v pistons 8, the pistons of each pair being connected by a connecting rod75 7 which has its central portion enlarged and formed with 'a transversely extending internally screw-threaded opening 7a to receive a cross head member 7". The latter is cylindrical in form and projects through a longitudinal slot ld in the cylinder 1 and it has an externally threaded portion which screws in the opening 7 to permit adjustment of the cross head transversely of the piston rod. The cross head7b is locked in adjusted position by providing on its inner end a reduced threaded portion-7 engaged .by lock nuts 7li Whlch screw up against one edge of the piston rod as shown in Fig. 3. The outer end of the cross head member 7* is formed with a cylindrical socket 7 to receive an oscillatin pin 4, and this outer portion beyond` the s ot 1d in the cylinder carries one race-way for a series of anti-friction bearing balls 5, the other race for lwhich is in an anti-friction ring or roller 5 mounted to travel between two parallel uideways 1S mounted on the cylinder ad]acent the slot 1d. The pin 4 has on its outer end an oscillating block or. traveler 4 which is formed on its outer face with a transversely extending V-shaped rib 4b to engage and travel in a continuous cam groove 3 formedon the outer surface of a cylindrical enlargement 3 keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft 12. The cam groove 3 passes around'the enlargement 3 a. plurality of times, preferably twice, so that this groove has substantiallythe form of a figure 8. By this arran ement, it will be seen that on each comp ete movement of the pistons 8, the shaft 12 will be caused to rotate twice. seen that this camand traveler. connection between the pistons and the power shaft will double the number of revolutions of the shaft with the same piston travel rcquired to rotate the usual crank shaft. The above mentioned adjustment of the cross head member 7b in the piston rod permits the'pin 4 to be advanced when any appreciable wear occurs on parts 3 and 4, the V-shape of the groove 3a permitting the V-shaped rib 4b to move deeper into it during such adjustment. The mechanism above described 'for converting the reciprocatory motion of one pair of pistons to the rotary motion of the power shaft applies of course to all of the cylinder units which may be used in the engine, the one cam groove 3 serving all of these units.

Any suitable :valve mechanisms may be employed at the ends of the cylinders, but in Fig. 1 I have shown slide valves with suitable ports co-acting with ports in the ends of the cylinder and the valve housing. When slide valves such as 16a are em loyed, the two slide valves for each cylin er are connected by a slidable rod 15, the connection bein preferably adjustable as shown in Fig. 5. lach of the rods 15 carries a cam traveler or member 20 which may be similar in construction to parts shownin Fig. 3. The swiveled or oscillatin pin of the member 20"*` has a V-shaped rib to enter-a continuous `V-shaped ycam roove 2a formed in a second cylindrical en argement 2 on the shaft 12 as shown in Fig. 1. The cam groove 2 also extends twice around the shaft and is in the form of a figure 8 although this valve operating cam groove has short cross over portions connected by long straight portions so that the valves will be held in their l proper positions during the necessary inlet and exhaust periods of the operation of the engine. The member 2Oa may be adj ustably mounted on the valve rod 15 as shown in Fig. 5 to permit of the proper timing of the valve. It will be seen on reference to Fig. 1 that the one cam groove 2a serves to control all of the valves for the several cylinderswhen two or more cylinders are used.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings, I have shown an engine with a single cylinder having two pistons operating therein. This engine is substantially identical with any one of the units ofthe multiple cylinder engine shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The cylinder 1 is suitably supported by end plates or members 11 having bearin 10 for the shaft 12a: On this shaft are t e enlargements 3b and 2 havingFthe cam grooves similar to those shown in ig. 1. The pistons 18 in the cylinder are connected by the rod 7t which has in it the adjustable cross head member 7 5 corres onding to 7b in Fig. 3. This cross hea cart ries the oscillating'traveler or block which It will therefore be operates in the continuous cam groove of enlar ement 3. The valves 16b are connecte by the rods 15 and are preferably adjustably connected to such rod by threading the ends of the latter to screw into sockets in the valves and providin lock nuts as shown in Fig. 5. Adjustaby connected to the valve rod 15y is the housing or casing of a swiveled or oscillating traveler 20c which co-acts with the cam on the enlarge'- ment 2. The housing 20b is adjustably connected to the valve rod 15 by having a threaded portionl of such valve extend through an opening in the housing and employin nuts .20"--20e on such threaded portion o the rod on opposite sides of the housing as shown in Fig. 5. This construction permits of the proper timing of the valves.

From the fore oing, it will be seen that an efiicient and esirable engine mechanism results from the construction illustrated and described, but it will be understood that variations in construction may be made within the spirit and scope-of the invention as claimed.

I claim 1. An engine comprising a shaft, two end lates having centrally arranged bearings or the shaft and having their edges formed with curved seats and inturned flanges, a plurality of parallel` cylinders arranged around the shaft and havin detachably engaged with sai seats, the cylinders also havin at their intermediate portions longitudinalslots and at their end portions outwardly projecting lugs detachably secured to the inturned anges on the end plates, guide-ways on the cylinders adjacent their slots, a pair of pistons in each cylinder, a piston rod lconnecting the pistons of each pair, cross heads ,on the piston rods and slidable in the guide-ways, a cylindrical enlargement on the shaft having a continuous cam groove extending a plurality of times around the enlargement, a traveler on each cross head to engage the cam groove, a valve mechanism at each end of each c linder and detachable therewith, a sli able valve-operating rod for the valve mechanisms of each cylinder, a second cylindrical venlargement'. 011l the shaft and having a continuous cam-groove, and members on said valve rods to. engage the last-mentioned groove.

2. An en 'ne com rising a rotatably mounted shat, a cylin er supported parallel to the shaft and havi its central portion facing the shaft form with a longitudinal slot, opposed guide-ways adjacent the slot, a' pair of pistons in the cylinder, a connecting rod unitingthe pistons and formed with a Itransverse opening, a cross head adjustv able in said o enin a valve mechanism at each end of t e cy inder, a. slidable valveiianged ends operating rod connecting the valve `mechanisms, a cylindrical enlargement on the shaft formed with a continuous V-shaped cam groove extending a lurality of times around the enlargement, a -shaped traveler on the cross head to engao'e the cam groove, a second c lindrical en argement on the shaft formedI with a continuous cam groove, and a member on the valve rod to engage the last mentioned cam groove.

, 3. In an en ine, a rotatably mounted shaft having an en argement formed with a continous cam groove of V-shape in cross section, a cylinder mounted parallel to the shaft, a piston in the cylinder, a reciprocating piston rod connected to the piston and formed with a transverse screw-threaded opening, spaced guide-ways parallel with lthe cylinder, cylindrical socket in one end and a reduced a cross head member having a screw-threaded portion at its other end, a portion of said member being screw-threaded for adjustment in the opening in the piston rod, a nut on the reduced end of said member to engage one edge of the piston rod, an anti-friction bearlng ring on the socketed end of said member for rolling contact with the guide-ways, an oscillating pin in the socket of said member and having at its outer` end a traveler block with a V- shaped rib to enter the cam-groove for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

ALBERT ANDREWS.