GB2195705A - Orbital reciprocating engine - Google Patents

Abstract

An eccentrically supported radial housing 2 in which cylinders 8, 9 are to accommodate opposed rigidly interconnected pistons 3, Fig. 2 is constrained to orbital motion round a shaft 15 rotatably supported in an enclosing outer casing 1. The pistons are supported on eccentrics 4 integral with the shaft 15, so as to follow an opposite orbital path to that of the housing 2 on rotation of the shaft 15, with consequent reciprocation of pistons 3 and cylinders 8, 9 and neutralizing of relative movement between them at right angles to the direction of reciprocation. Pistons are prevented from driving housing, by driving it from an orbiting member round eccentrics integral with shaft. Cavities are formed both inward and outward of the pistons with charge transfer between cylinders. Injectors 20 are set in the housing and supply fuel to initial combustion chambers that also act as exhaust ports 14 when not opened by orbital path of housing relative to outer casing. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An orbital reciprocating engine Background Art In previous constructions involving pistons rigidly inter-connected and operated by excentrics integral with a shaft and constrained to reciprocate in a stationary cylinder, or pistons rotating about an axis that is offset to a stationary axis about which the cylinder housing rotates; the strain on the piston rods is excessive, and ovalising wear in the cylinder occurs.

This invention, by dividing the combustion energy application between piston and housing, relieves said strain and resultant wear.

Summary of Disclosure An excentrically supported radial housing round which opposed cylindrical cavities are journalled to a required depth, accomadate rigidly connected opposed pistons, and is constrained to orbital motion round a shaft rotatably supported in an enclosing casing The pistons also being excentrically supported, but with their throws oposite to that of the housing, will follow an oposite orbital path to the housing on rotation of the shaft.

One such excentric to be integral with the shaft, and the other free to accommadate the path of its's supported member.

A two cycle engine is disclosed with charge transfer between cylinders, and having exhaust ports that can also function as initial combustion cavities when enclosed.

Disclosure of Invention An Orbital Reciprocating Engine Comprising a radial housing housing excentrically supported on a shaft that is rotatably supported in a casing, with opposed cylindrical cavities journalled equally spaced round said housing to a required depth, accomadating opposed pistons rigidly conected and supported round excentrics integral with the shaft, such as to follow an orbital path within the housing on rotation of the shaft.

The excentrics of piston and housing being set with the throws at 180 to one another will cause the housing to follow an oposite orbital path as a consequence of the enclosed orbiting pistons, on rotation of the shaft.

The outer ends of the cylinders are enclosed by sections fitted integral with the housing, and the piston rods pass through bushes set in the inner surface of the cavity.

It will be seen that either piston or housing excentrics can be integral with the shaft, with the other allowed to orbit freely constrained by stablizing excentrics set between housing and outer casing, and accommadate the orbital paths of piston and housing to each other.

As a consequence of the contra-rotation of housing and piston their inward and outward movements will converge, while the movements at right angles to the direction of reciprocation will be neutralized.

The piston rods will there-for be allowed to remain slidably supported in the housing at all times.

Advantages of the contra-rotation are the reduction of wear on the housing bushes evident in simular engines with consequent ovalizing of the cylinders, since contra-rotation means that the drive to housing is complementary to that on the rod, and since as will be later explained, the piston rod is not required to drive the housing at all, said ovalizing wear is eliminated. Both piston and housing follow complete orbital paths at constant velocity, and since their inward and outward paths converge, only half the usual orbital diameter is required, reducing the peripheral speed of the orbital members.

The cylinders can be any configuration provided they orbit, the method of spacing them round a radial housing at 90 degrees apart has the advantage of allowing the next in sequence to recharge the preceeding cylinder as it's firing stroke is completed.

Variable cavities being formed both inward and outward of pistons; charges inducted inward of leading piston on it's outward stroke can be transferred by channels provided, outward of the preceeding piston, scouring the residual gasses and recharging the cylinder even after the piston has begun it's outward compression stroke due to the continued reduction in volume inward of leading piston.

The flow is regulated by cylinder valves, pressure operated to intersect said channels, and two stroke cycle operation achieved.

Exhaust ports journalled laterally into cylinder heads from side of housing intrude into cylinder cavity, to serve also as initial combustion chambers when isolated from manifold ports by orbital path of housing, and seals acting between housing and outer casing.

The inlet ports in the cylinder wall communicating with transfer channels, will be isolated by the piston seals during combustion.

If water cooling is required, coolant can be flowed to the cylinder jackets via, stabilizing excentrics set between housing and outer casing.

While the volumetric efficiency makes Diesel operation possible, an electrical ignition device (not shown) may be used. In an engine having four cylinders in one bank, the prefferedmethod of operation is to take the drive from the excentrics on which the pistons orbit, and allow the housing to accommadate it's orbital path. The housing can then be synchronised by means of a roller rotatably set in the side of an orbiting member supported round shaft excentrics as before, positioned adjacent to the side wall of housing. Said roller engaging in a slot provided in housing and extending radially outwards, acting to drive the housing, and relieve strain on the piston rod that would otherwise drive it.

If eight cylindes are required, it would be prefferable to have seperate housings, the second one mounted on excentrics integral with the shaft and pistons orbiting on excentrics formed on a bush freely supported round the shaft.

With excentrics set oposite to those of the first bank cylinders the housing would orbit oposite to the first housing, combustion occuring at 180 degrees difference would give complete balance.

The exhaust ports in cylinder head intruding into the cylinder cavity; could be up to one inch dia. since the housing orbits on a one and a half circle in a full size engine with a three inch stroke. The outer casing ports are offset to facillitate sealing.

Since these cylinder ports are also used as initial combustion chambers, the piston head is formed to enter and reduce volume of said chamber to achieve desired compression ratio.

Fuel is supplied through stablising excentrics to housing injectors that are operated by cam tracks in the outer casing.

Combustable mixture if required, is inducted from outer casing and ignited by electrical means. Contacts set in housing joining circuit with contacts in outer casing. The central clearance dia. in housing is used as reservoir lubricating all bearing surfaces.

Poppet valves can be used if required as in Fig. (3-4).

Description of Drawings Figure 1 A view with side casing') and adjacent housing skirt(10 removed, The section is through B-B on Fig (2).

Shown are radial housing.(2) Slidably fitted in housing are piston(3 rigidly iriterconnected by rodsi5) and mounted on excentricsx4 > integral with shaft"5' driving pistons to vary cavi tiesf8-9) Charges drawn through port'7) inward of piston are compressed on it's inward stroke raising valve('8) to flow through inlet port(16).

Exhaust manifold ports(13) align with cylinder ports(14) as a consequence of orbital path of cylinder, at end of firing stroke.

Figure 2 Is a view through sect A-A on Fig (1).

Shown are casing') enclosing housing(2) supported excentrically round shaft(15 by housing skirt.10 The pistons(3 driven orbitaly by excen trics and synchronised by engagement in slots.

Fuel by stablizing excentricc'o to housing, is injected into initial combustion chamber by in jectors(20) operated by cam track25) said chamber being also portal4) which is sealed by seal(26 in the housing, acting against side cas ing(l).

Residual gasses exit through portal4) and manifold port(13).

Figure 3 Is also a view as Fig (1) showing a more conventional means of operation. Additional items are inlet valve(24r to inward side of pistons, transfer valve(22) flowing charge through piston(3) and valve(23) communicating with exhaust ports'4) and operated by the valve stem being depressed by outer casing during housing orbit.

Figure 4 Is also a veiw as Fig (2).

Apart from valves(22-23 the only additional item is initial combustion circular chambers2').

Claims (8)

1. An Engine comprising a radial housing excentrically supported on a shaft that is in turn rotationally supported in an enclosing casing.

Cylindrical cavities journalled round the housing to a required depth, accomadate opposed pistons rigidly interconected by rods slidably supported in housing bushes through the inner surface of the cavity, and further supported by excentrics integral with the shaft, such as to follow an orbital path when constrained to do so on rotation of the shaft.

The housing, constrained by stablising excentrics; supported on excentrics with the throw oposite to that of the piston excentrics, will follow an oposite orbital path within the casing as a consequence of the orbiting of the enclosed pistons on rotation of the shaft relative to the casing.

The said oposite paths causing relative reciprocation of the piston to the cylinder, while neutralizing movement at right angles to the direction of that reciprocation.

Either cylinder or piston excentrics to be integral with- the shaft, such as to have one rotationally supported on said shaft.

Means to regulate the admission to and exhaust from the variable cavities, of a working fluid or gas, to induce orbiting of the piston and housing, and resultant rotation of the shaft.

2. Said engine operable on a two stroke cycle, and having means to transfer charges inducted inward of pistons, between cylinders by channels provided for combustion outward of the preceding piston

3. Engines as in claim (1-2) having fuel injectors in housing, cam operated from casing, inject fuel to initial combustion cavities formed by exhaust ports when enclosed.

4. In an engine as in all previous claims, where the oposite orbital paths of piston and housing are synchronised without strain on the piston rod which would otherwise drive the housing; by providing an orbiting member mounted on excentrics integral with the shaft adjacent to the housing side wall.

Said orbiting member journalled to accommadate a roller which engages in a slot provided in said housing side wall.

The slot extending outwards radially from the shaft, will allow the roller on it's orbital path, to travel the extent of the engine stroke along the slot as a consequence of the accommadating orbit of the housing and the absence of relative rotary movement

5. An engine as in all previous claims having multiple banks of cylinders and pistons operating on excentrics serving to reverse orbital paths of said banks and cause balanced combustion such as to balance the torque of the engine.

6. An engine as in claims (1-3-4-5) having conventional poppet valves and inlet ports serving to induct charges inward of pistons during outward strokes, and valves in the pistons serving to transfer said charges outward of pistons during their inward stroke as a consequence of the pressure differencial when the inner volumes of cylinders are reduced and exhaust valves in cylinder head are operated by the outer casing as the housing orbits within it.

CLAIMS Amendments to the claims have been filed, and have the following effect: Claims 1 to 6 above have been deleted or textually amended.

New or textually amended claims have been filed as follows:- 1. An orbital internal combustion engine comprising: an enclosing outer casing, a shaft supported for rotation by journals in end walls of said outer casing, a housing within said outer casing mounted on housing eccentrics which are freely rotatable about said shaft, said housing having end walls in close juxtaposition with end walls of sid casing; stabilizing eccentrics rotatably interconnecting said outer casing end walls and said housing end walls such that relative movement between said housing and outer casing is constrained to relative orbital motion, pairs of opposed cylindersformed within said housing and radially disposed about said shaft;; pairs of opposed pistons within said cylinders rigidly inter-connected by rods, said rods being journalled intermediately about eccentrics integral with said shaft such that rotation of the shaft relative to the housing will cause reciprocation of the piston and rod assemblies, said rods passing through bearing seals positioned in walls at the inner ends of each cylinder, the arrangement being such that inner chambers are formed at the inner end of each cylinder whereby reciprocation of the pistons and rod assemblies will vary the volume of said inner chambers while the sealed integrity of the said chambers is maintained by the bearing seals; cylinder head members integral with the housing close the outer ends of the cylinders and define variable volume working outer chambers with the cylinders and pistons; means to regulate the admission of a working fluid to said inner chambers;; means to transfer said working fluid to said outer working chambers; means to regulate the exhaust of gasses from said working chambers; the mechanical arrangement of the engine such that the angular position of the lobe of each shaft eccentric is aligned with its associated piston rod at each dead centre position of the pistons, and in this position the piston rods and shaft eccentrics are aligned, but 1800 out of phase, with the stabilizing eccentrics, such that on rotation of the shaft, the relative movement between housing and outer casing is constrained to orbital motion in counter direction to the direction of rotation of the shaft; and in operation of the engine, working fluid is inducted into the inner chambers and compressed by reciprocation of the pistons into said outer working chambers for combustion, expansion and exhaust; 2.An engine substantially as in claim (1) having the housing excentrics integral with the shaft, and the piston assemblies supported on eccentrics that are freely rotatable about the shaft.

3. An engine as claimed in previous claims operable on a two stroke cycle, in which the compressed working fluid is transferred by channels provided, to the working chamber of the adjacent cylinder in preceeding order of firing.

4. An engine as in previous claims in which the exhaust means include exhaust ports in each cylinder head member that periodically align with associated ports in the outer casing end walls as a consequence of the relative orbital movement of housing to outer casing.

5. An engine as in claim (4) in which the exhaust ports extend across each cylinder head member to form chambers at the outer ends of the working chambers, said cylinder head chambers being periodically enclosed within each cylinder head member by suitably formed piston heads as the pistons approach outer dead centre and further sealed at this position as the cylinder head ports move out of register with said outer casing ports; said engine further comprising fuel injectors being periodically actuated by associated injector cams formed in the outer casing whereby fuel is injected into said cylinder head chambers to be extruded past the minimum working clearance of the formed piston heads as they approach outer dead centre, and into the outer working chamber of the cylinder.

6. An engine as in claims (1-3-4-5) wherein a further integral shaft eccentric is arranged adjacent to a housing end wall, said further eccentric freely supporting a ring from which axle rods extend laterally to carry rollers that engage in slots provided in said housing side wall, said slots extending radially and arranged such that the rollers roll in the slots as the shaft rotates in the housing whereby all reactive forces are transferred between shaft and housing by way of said rollers and slots thereby preventing lateral strain on piston rods and rod bearing seals

7. An engine as in claims (2-3-4-5) wherein a further freely supported eccentric is provided adjacent to a housing end wall said further eccentric freely supporting a ring from which axle rods extend laterally to carry rollers that engage in slots provided in said housing side walls, such that the rollers roll in the slots as the shaft rotates in the housing whereby all reactive forces are transferred between shaft and housing by way of said rollers and slots thereby preventing lateral strain on piston rods and rod bearing seals.

8. An engine as in previous claims wherein said admission means comprises an inlet valve being slidably enclosed in the cylinder housing and arranged to thereby move outwardly under the influence of exhaust gas pressure and open communication between a supplementary exhaust port and the exhaust manifold.