GB1095340A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1, 095, 340. Rotary internal combustion engines. F.G.G. ARMSTRONG. Aug. 17, 1966 [Aug. 24, 1965; April 19, 1966], Nos.36191/65 and 17004/66. Heading F1F. A rotary I. C. engine of the sliding-rocking vane type, comprises a hollow rotor 10, Fig. 2, eccentrically mounted within a cylindrical casing 12 and rotatable about an output shaft 14 coaxially mounted with respect to the casing and collars 15, 15a, 15b, Fig. 8, secured to vanes 16, 18, 20 respectively with the collars 15 fixed to the shaft and the collars 15a, 15b rotatable with respect thereto. A port 36 additional to an exhaust port 28, air admission port 30 and fuel inlet port 24 is fitted in the compression chamber beyond the fueld inlet port 24 in the direction of rotation of the rotor so that a fuel pump injecting a charge of fuel through the fuel inlet port 24 and/or a lubricating pump supplying lubricant to lubricate the engine bearings 9, 17 and the rotatable collars 15a, 15b. Bearings 9, may be eccentrically mounted in rotatable housings to permit adjustment of rotor eccentricity to increase or decrease the compression ratio of the engine. Spring- loaded sealing vanes 38 may be fitted intermediate the sliding-rocking vanes 16, 18, 20. Passages 46 are formed in the rotor 10 to connect the periphery of the rotor with grooves 40 in which vanes 38 slide. The vanes 38 are angled on their outer surfaces and just contact the surface of the casing 12 at a location between the port 36 and the position of minimum rotor eccentricity and just break contact at a corresponding point displaced from the position of minimum rotor eccentricity in the direction of rotor rotation. Prior to the instant of ignition, gases may pass from a chamber B to a chamber A since the pressure differential in the two chambers urges a vane 38 inwardly against its spring to cause initial expansion of the gas. However, at the instant of ignition pressure increases suddenly in chamber A to produce more efficient combustion and greater turning effect in a vane after it passes the ignition point 26. Alternatively the vane 38 may never quite contact the casing 12 but provide a restriction to prevent full combustion and consequent expansion of gases in chamber B. The volume of chamber A may be increased or decreased relative to chamber B by means of suitable cavities in the rotor. The sealing of the vanes 16, 18, 20 in their passage through the rotor may be as shown with D-pieces 22 fitted with spring-loaded seals 32 sealing against the sides of the vanes. Alternatively ball races in line contact with the vanes may be fitted with a seal on either side of the race to take up any wear between the D-pieces and the vanes. Air is admitted through the port 30 prior to the closure of the exhaust port 28 to scavenge the exhaust chamber. Air may be supplied to the port 30 from a compressor driven by the engine. The vanes 16, 18, 20 are formed with grooves (48) Fig. 4 (not shown) on their axial end faces and radial outer faces in which spring-loaded seal members (50), (52), (54) are fitted to seal against the axial end faces and the cylindrical surface of the casing 12. To provide relative movement between the seals to take up wear, the radial seals are provided with slots which co-operate with tongues on the axial end seals. A cover plate (58) associated with the radial seal ensures an unbroken seal when a vane passes over the ignition opening. The engine may operate as a compression-ignition engine by supplying air only through the fuel inlet port 24 and replacing the spark-plug 26 by a fuel injector. The engine casing is cooled by the circulation of water or other cooling fluid through parallel passages 45 distributed around the housing and connected by annular recesses 47 in the end plates 13 of the casing. In another embodiment of the invention the vanes 38 are omitted.