JPH0563617B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Claim 1 Extending in the radial direction of the central rotation axis of the rotor,
one or more, each carrying a piston therein;
a substantially cylindrical rotor having cylinders spaced apart in an arcuate direction; a stationary bearing support shaft coaxially disposed on the rotor; a main bearing rotatably supporting the rotor supported by the shaft; an integral combustion chamber providing one or more individual combustion chambers in independent communication with one of the cylinders; the chamber being arranged for rotatable movement therewith about the axis concentrically with the rotor; a plurality of cams comprising a pair of aligned, axially spaced, continuous curved cam tracks formed radially asymmetrically about a central axis coinciding with the axis of rotation of the rotor; a pair of the cam tracks; are located axially outwardly of the cylinder and adjacent opposite axial ends of the rotor in parallel planes perpendicular to the axis of rotation; each engages the raceway following the shape of the raceway. a plurality of cam rider assemblies having cam followers, each said rider assembly being coupled to a piston in a respective cylinder such that said rider assembly is coaxial with and associated with its associated cylinder in response to movement of said follower along said trajectory. a reciprocating stroke of each piston in the radial direction of the rotor; the trajectory produces distinctly different movements of the piston, producing strokes of unequal duration and length during each of its suction, compression, combustion and exhaust strokes; An internal combustion four-stroke rotary engine constructed and arranged to.

2. Each cam rider assembly each has a single suction of a piston coupled thereto during one revolution of the rotor;
A rotary engine according to claim 1, which performs compression, combustion and exhaust cycle motion.

3. The rotary engine according to claim 1, wherein said cam track is shaped to perform a single intake, compression, combustion, and exhaust stroke of each piston during one rotation of said rotor.

4. The shaft includes coaxial intake and exhaust passages, and intake and exhaust valve ports communicate with the outside of the shaft and between the intake and exhaust passages, respectively, and the intake and exhaust valve ports communicate with the outside of the shaft and between the intake and exhaust passages, respectively, and the intake and exhaust valve ports communicate with the outside of the shaft and between the intake and exhaust passages, respectively, and the intake and exhaust valve ports communicate with the outside of the shaft and between the intake and exhaust passages. A rotary engine according to claim 1, operable to communicate sequentially with the combustion chamber of each said cylinder.

5 Each cam rider assembly includes a pair of rigid sliding members slidably coupled to the rotor and moving radially and parallel to the axis of motion of the cooperating pistons, and means for coupling one end to a radially outer end of the cooperating piston with a stop; and the raceway attached to the other end of the sliding member substantially opposite the radially inner end of the cooperating piston. A rotary engine according to claim 1, comprising engaging rollers.

6. The rotary engine of claim 1, wherein the point of force transmission between the line assembly and the raceway is adjacent to the radially upper innermost end of the piston connected thereto.

7. The rotary engine according to claim 1, wherein each combustion chamber is provided with a spark plug that rotates with the chamber around the axis.

8. Claim 1, wherein the cam comprises a pair of radially spaced cam tracks each engaging one of a pair of cam followers cooperating with a cam rider assembly.
Rotary engine as described in section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention generally relates to rotary internal combustion engines;
In particular, it relates to improvements to provide fuel savings and increased power output.

In the familiar reciprocating piston engines widely used today, which have a piston connected to a freely rotatable crankshaft, the piston stroke is constrained by the trajectory of the crankshaft. As a result, each piston's combustion or power stroke can only be as large as its compression stroke, so when the cylinder's exhaust valve opens, unused fuel and gases are vented to the atmosphere, reducing usable power. loss will occur. In such engines, similar constraints occur on the crankshaft trajectory during the exhaust stroke. That is, the time required for the exhaust gas to exit the cylinder is limited. The result is a loss of power due to back pressure as each piston moves from its high point during its stroke.

In addition to the starting and exhaust stroke limitations discussed above, such engines suffer from reduced fuel mixing and distribution efficiency due to the use of long manifolds to distribute the mixture to several cylinders. This primarily results from the necessity to periodically open and close the intake valves to the cylinders, in which case the inflow of the air-fuel mixture into the cylinders is interrupted. This results in uneven air-fuel mixture delivery and combustion to and within the individual cylinders, resulting in uneven engine speed.

A further disadvantage of conventional four-stroke engines is that each piston and cylinder operates in four cycles, i.e.
Two revolutions of the crankshaft may be required for suction, compression, combustion, and exhaust. That is, there is only one combustion or activation stroke for every two revolutions of the crankshaft. This increases the engine speed for the required power and therefore results in friction losses and wear and tear on the moving parts. Conventional four-stroke internal combustion engines use many parts that generate friction, such as springs that are compressed, bearings and cams that rotate, and seals that slide strongly and restrict engine rotation. The resulting frictional power loss is not available for horsepower output.

There are other factors and impediments to currently known four-stroke internal combustion engines that prevent them from producing maximum power with minimal fuel consumption, which the present invention seeks to alleviate. These are the basic flaws.

The present invention comprises a generally cylindrical rotor having one or more arcuately spaced cylinders extending radially of a central axis of rotation of the rotor, each carrying a piston therein; a stationary bearing support shaft disposed in the cylinder; the shaft carries a main bearing rotatably supporting the rotor; each shaft supports one of the cylinders;
an integral combustion chamber providing one or more individual combustion chambers in independent communication with the rotor; the chamber being concentrically movable with the rotor about the axis; a plurality of cams comprising a pair of aligned, axially spaced, continuous curved cam tracks formed radially asymmetrically about a central axis coincident with the axis of rotation; cam followers located in vertical parallel planes axially outwardly of the cylinder and adjacent opposite axial ends of the rotor; each having cam followers engaged with the raceway that follow the shape of the raceway; a plurality of cam rider assemblies, each said rider assembly being coupled to a piston in each cylinder such that said cam rider assembly is coaxial with its associated cylinder and radial of said rotor in response to movement of said follower along said trajectory. a reciprocating stroke of each said piston; said trajectory is configured to produce distinctly different movements of the piston and to produce strokes of unequal duration and length during each of its suction, compression, combustion and exhaust strokes; To provide an internal combustion four-stroke rotary engine arranged in the following manner.

The movement of the various pistons relative to their respective cylinders is not restricted by the fixed crankshaft trajectory since asymmetric cam means are used for this purpose. As a result, the piston strokes for the various intake, compression, combustion, and exhaust cycles can be selectively varied by changing the cam geometry, and the stroke lengths and times are no longer the same. The combustion or power stroke and exhaust stroke are thus made considerably larger than the intake and compression strokes. Because the starting or combustion stroke is increased, the engine is able to utilize more of the available combustion gases and has the ability to produce usable power. This increase in power stroke is only limited by the overall size of the engine and the available compressed gas for combustion. As a result, substantially all of the compressed gas can be used to generate power extracted outside the engine. This contrasts with conventional crankshaft engines whose efficiency is limited by the limited length of the crankshaft's orbital radius.

A corollary of the increased power stroke is that the engine is able to fully convert the pressurized combustion gases into usable rotational power, as the force or pressure of the combustion gases is increased by means of a smooth and graded cam. Due to direct contact with the slope. Gas is thus utilized most efficiently for the lever ratio used to rotate the cylinder block. A long cam angle is used to produce a constant, smooth, and lever-action rotational output. As the gas pressure increases, the cam lever ratio gradually increases from a minimum value as the pressure of the inflation gas decreases. This opposing action applies a substantially constant force in converting linear piston motion into rotational motion of the output shaft, thereby improving engine performance.

Once the pressure of the combustion gases is consumed, the exhaust gases must exit the engine; again, because the engine of the present invention uses cam-actuated piston motion, the cam angle can be reduced in exhaust mode, and the exhaust gases must be removed from the engine. giving the maximum amount of time to escape from within the cylinder. This results in less backpressure on the piston, thus reducing power losses due to this factor.

Not only are the starting and exhaust strokes improved, but
The cam-actuated piston design also improves the engine's breathing action during the intake cycle. This is because the engine rotates about a stationary manifold and main bearing shaft, resulting in a nearly constant or uninterrupted flow of fuel and air into the engine cylinders. This improved suction action improves the distribution of the fuel in the air-fuel mixture, resulting in more intense combustion within the cylinder.

A preferred engine design is one in which all four cycle modes required for fuel combustion and exhaust are completed within each 360° rotor rotation. Thus, each cylinder of the rotating cylinder block assembly is ignited for each revolution of the cylinder block rotor. As a result, the engine can produce increased power even at low revolutions per minute, or alternatively, by suitably varying the cam means and piston stroke length, it can be made to produce lower power at higher revolutions.

In addition to breathing, combustion, and power, the engine also has significant advantages in terms of internal power losses due to friction. This is because the engine rotor freely rotates on precision bearings and because the cam means are coupled to the individual pistons of the engine, there is little friction.

Additionally, the engine's rotor cylinder block is relatively free to rotate, exhibiting a significant flywheel effect, which allows the engine to generate power above its short-term rated capacity. This characteristic is useful, for example, especially when the engine is first engaged with the drive shaft when starting a car or the like. This flywheel effect also allows applications such as automobiles to reduce engine size and reduce power requirements to save fuel.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an external view of an embodiment of the rotary engine; Figure 2 is a side view of the right side of the engine in Figure 1; Figure 3 is the interior of the engine parts shown in Figure 1 with the main body cover removed. 4 is an enlarged, foreshortened side sectional view taken substantially along line 4--4 in FIG. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3; FIG. FIG. 5 is a partial elevational view similar to FIG. 3, but reduced in scale and with the rotor removed to show the features of the cooperating cam means; FIG. 6 is a partial front view similar to FIG. Fig. 7 is an external view of the main bearing around which the cylinder block rotates and the intake/exhaust manifold coupling member; Fig. 8 is an external view of the cam rider assembly shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 9 is an enlarged front view showing the fuel spark plug cooperating with the output shaft and the combustion chamber of Fig. 6; Fig. 10 shows the relationship between the output output and the timing gear. Figure 11 is an enlarged front view of the distributor and ignition timing means cooperating with the drive gear and output shaft; Figure 12 is a similar section of the modified engine to Figure 4; 13 is a partial front view of the modified double track cam means used in the engine of FIG. 12; and FIG. 14 shows four individual engines of the type shown in FIGS. 1 to 13. FIG. 3 is an end view with a portion of the engine body cut away, showing the modified engine assembly used.

In the drawings, FIGS. 1 to 11 show the engine 20.
A working prototype is shown. As shown in FIG. 1, engine 20 is shown mounted on a test stand 21 on which a control panel 22 is mounted. A sump pump 23 driven by a motor 24 cooperates with an oil sump well 25 mounted on the underside of the engine. The engine 20 is provided with a carburetor 26, an ignition coil 27, an output shaft 28 and a starting gear 29 adapted to be coupled to a suitable starting motor (not shown) to provide initial movement of the engine piston for starting. ing.

As shown, the engine 20 has parallel side walls 33,3
4 and upper and lower walls 35 and 36, respectively, and having parallel front and rear walls 31 and 32 surrounding the working elements of the engine, which will be described in more detail below. It should, of course, be understood that the particular configuration of this casing 30 is relatively unrelated to the requirements of the present invention other than to provide a protective outer cover and support for the operating elements of the engine.

As shown in FIG. 2, on the outside of the casing 30 there is an oil filter 37 and a
A volt power supply 38 is provided, as well as a circuit of oil and air lines 39 and 40, respectively, for lubricating the operating elements enclosed within the casing. A suitable fuel supply line 41 connected to a suitable fuel tank (not shown) is further provided to supply combustible fuel, such as gasoline, to vaporizer 26. Oil line 39 communicates via oil filter 37 between oil sump 25 and appropriate parts of the engine, which will be described in detail below. Similarly, air line 40
in the particular embodiment shown is connected to a suitable source of compressed air via coupling means 42 (see FIG. 1).
Although the illustrated lubrication and cooling system consists of a combination of air and oil mixtures, the engine may be lubricated by pressurized oil alone or by air in combination with localized oil lubrication.

In summary, in the illustrated cooling and lubrication system, pressurized air and oil are injected as an atomized atmosphere into the enclosed interior of the casing 30, where they are forced through the casing essentially by the fan action of a rotating engine block rotor. It is circulated. Filter means 44 (see FIG. 3) serve to collect oil mist from the circulating air exiting the engine casing through openings 45, 45. The condensed oil collects on the casing bottom and returns to the oil tank sump 25 via drain means 46 in the casing bottom 36. Again, these details are not particularly important to the invention, merely that a suitable cooling and lubrication system must be provided for the operating elements of the engine.

The features of the main operating elements of the engine will now be described with particular reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. There are generally eight major components or means in the engine 20 that are configured and combined to convert the energy of combustion of the fuel into power available at the output shaft 28.
To summarize, these are the main cylinder block rotor 5
0 and a bearing and combustion chamber means 52 coaxially interlocked with the rotor and providing main bearing support during movement about the combined main bearing shaft and intake and exhaust manifold means. Each of the cylinders provided on the rotor 50 houses a reciprocating piston means 56 for linear motion, which are connected by a cam rider assembly 58 to a pair of parallel stationary cam means 59 and 6.
Slidingly coupled to 0.

The above-mentioned elements are configured to carry out a rotational movement or movement of the rotor and a reciprocating movement along the shape of the cam means of the piston means carried inside the same, in which case the combustion chamber means 52 A main drive gear 62 attached to the outer end is rotated.
As mentioned above, the means bearing the numbers 50-62 are supported in or on the casing 30 and constitute the main operating elements of the engine, which will be explained in more detail below.

Rotor 50 is essentially a cylindrical flywheel cylinder block with one or more cylinder bores along arcuately spaced radial axes to form a piston cylinder. In the illustrated embodiment, four such radially arranged piston cylinders 64, 65, 66 and 67 are provided. It should be noted that the number of possible cylinder bores is determined only by the space available in the rotor and the specific engine power requirements. Within such factors, an engine according to the invention may consist of one or more cylinders. A pair of congruent, parallel spaced cam sliding grooves 68, 68 extending adjacent to and parallel to each cylinder bore on opposite sides of the rotor's front and rear surfaces.
are provided and receive a pair of cam rider assemblies 58 that cooperate with each piston means 56. The cam sliding groove 68 is an internal central bore opening that coaxially receives the combustion chamber means 52 from the outer circumference of the rotor (see FIG. 4).
It extends to 69. The sidewalls of each groove 68 are undercut to form flared lip portions 70 defining the lateral sides of the groove so that the cam rider assembly is coupled thereto. Within the outer 1/3 of the rotor diameter, along the center line of the cam sliding groove 68,
Also provided are elongated slot openings 71 arranged along each of the cylinder chambers. Such opening 7
1 extends into the adjacent cylinder chamber, as can be readily seen, and is connected to a cam rider assembly 58 cooperating with piston means 56 located within the chamber. Between each of the cylinders 64-67, portions of the rotor are cut away to form intermediate web-like spokes 72. Alternatively, such intermediate areas may remain solid if desired.

It will be appreciated that cylinders 64-67 are in free communication with the outer circumference and central bore 69 of rotor 50, respectively. It will also be appreciated that the construction of the rotor 50 allows the mass to be uniformly distributed around the central axis to achieve static and dynamic equilibrium of the rotor, thereby avoiding vibration during operation.

Although not shown, a keyway is provided in the central inner hole 69 of the rotor for interlocking with the combustion chamber means 52, which will be explained below.

With particular reference to FIGS. 3, 4, and 6, the characteristics of the combustion chamber and main bearing support can be seen. Combustion chamber 52
is a multi-purpose part which supports the rotor 50 and rotates about its associated stationary main bearing shaft and intake/exhaust manifold means 54 (see Figures 3 and 4). As can be seen in FIG. 6, the combustion chamber means 52 is formed by a cylindrical body portion 80, which is provided with an elongated keyway 81 cut into one side parallel to its longitudinal axis. Main body part 80
has an end wall portion 82 partially closing one end thereof;
The opposite end also has an annular flange extending radially outwardly from the circumference of the body portion 80 and includes four U-shaped notches 84 spaced 90 degrees apart about the periphery. It is partially closed off by an end wall section 83 provided with parallel flanges characterized by 84 . Such a cutout portion or notch 84 is formed in the cam rider assembly 58 during operation.
This is provided for the purpose of clearing the following, and will be explained in more detail below. Two end wall portions 82 and 83 extend coaxially through the body portion 80 and support the stationary main bearing shaft and manifold means 54 with a main cylindrical sleeve bearing 86 (FIG. 4) which is press fit therein during assembly. It is characterized by a large central cylindrical inner bore 85 which receives the same (see ).

The cylindrical body portion 80 of member 52 is further characterized by four perforated openings 87 extending radially inwardly from the surface and communicating with a bore 86a receiving a central shaft, as shown in FIG. Each of the perforations 87 is arranged to intersect radially with the central axis of the member 52 and is centered on one of the notched portions 84, and has a cylindrical counterbore at its outer end; As a result, a shallow cup-shaped chamber portion 88 is formed which is coaxially arranged with the opening 87. The borehole 87 is connected to the cup-shaped chamber portion 88 via a beveled truncated conical shoulder 89 . The radially inner end of each perforation opening 87 is a horizontally elongated elliptical opening 9 having a long axis parallel to the elongated axis of the combustion chamber member 52.
0 and communicates with the shaft 54 through an oval opening 91 formed in the main bearing during assembly and aligned in shape. Superimposed opening 9
0.91 serves as valve means in operation, as will be readily apparent. Each of the bored openings 87 and said adjacent bore areas 88, 89 constitute an individual combustion chamber, which combustion chamber is aligned coaxially with one of the cylinders 64 to 67 when assembled. communicate. Precise coaxial alignment of the combustion chamber and the four cylinders 64-67 is keyed to the body portion 80 of member 52.
This is achieved by engaging the keyway means 81 on the outer surface and the keyway provided in the central enlarged opening 69 of the rotor.

Each combustion chamber includes, inwardly from the outer end 82 of member 52;
a drilled opening 93 extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of member 52;
A spark plug 92 is inserted therein; the gapped electrode of the spark plug is inserted into the inner hole portion 87~
89 (see FIG. 4). The outer end 82 of the member 52 is also provided with twelve openings 94, 94 and 95, 95;
It receives suitable fasteners for coaxially coupling main drive gear 62 to the outer end of member 52 during assembly. The gear 62 is attached to the end wall 82 by eight machine bolts 9.
6, 96 (see FIG. 10), and protrudes outside the four openings 95.
7,97. The flanged end wall 83 on the opposite side of the combustion chamber 52 similarly includes eight machine bolts (not shown) extending through suitable openings 98 formed in the annular flange portion as shown in FIG. ).

As mentioned above, precise alignment of the four combustion chambers and the several cylinders is achieved by engaging keys and keyway means formed in the member 52 and the rotor central bore; the combustion chamber means 52 The key and keyway are aligned and engaged and press-fitted into the central opening 69 of the rotor as described above. As a result, the rotor 50, combustion chamber means 52 and main bearing 86 are rotatable coaxially about the main shaft and manifold means 54.

The intake and exhaust manifolds 54 provide general support for the movement of the rotatable rotor 50 and the adjacent combustion chamber means 52 and main bearings 86 fixed thereto. It also serves to supply the mixture to the individual combustion chambers and to remove exhaust gases from the cylinders.

The features of the exhaust manifold means 54 can be better understood from the connection of FIGS. 4 and 7. As shown, the member 54 has an integral collar portion 101 abutting one outer end 102 and a flat surface 103 for engaging a wrench and a long length that can be manually rotated for adjustment purposes as detailed below. It consists of a cylindrical shaft body 100. The opposite end 104 of the member 54 is provided with a threaded opening (not shown) into which a screw is inserted, thereby coaxially attaching the carburetor means 26.

As shown at 106 and 108, two large coaxial bores are formed inwardly at each end of shaft member 54 (see FIG. 4) and extend partially along its length. The inner bore 106 is located at its inner end relative to its axis.
It intersects a secondary bore 110 disposed at 45°.
The outer end of the inclined bore 110 intersects a milled slot or flat 113 formed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the member 54. Similarly, the central inner hole 108
The inner end intersects a secondary sloped bore 112, which in turn intersects a flat portion 114. Two flat portions 113 and 114 form exhaust and intake valve ports, respectively. These never intersect (see FIG. 7) and cooperate with the oval openings 90, 91 adjacent to each combustion chamber.

The shaft 54 also has one or more outlets 119 (see FIG. 4) communicating with the main bearing 86 and a feed joint formed for the purpose of lubricating the bearing as it moves about the stationary shaft 54. 120 to color part 1
Internal lubrication passage means 118 are provided. Joint 120 is connected to oil line 39.

As shown in FIG.
10 forms the exhaust passage system of the engine, while bore 108 and intersecting bore 112 form the main air intake passage system for supplying the mixture to the combustion chamber. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the shaft 54 is inserted coaxially with the main bearing 86, coaxially with the combustion chamber 52 and rotor 50, and with the exhaust and intake ports aligned with the rotation shaft 54. As a result, the slotted valve ports 113 and 114 are aligned with the oval opening 90 and the correspondingly aligned opening 91 in the bearing member 86 according to the intake and exhaust cycles of the several pistons and cylinders of the engine. .

Two shaft clamping members 122 and 124 are mounted and clamped to the outer ends of shaft member 54 to hold shaft 54 fixed and non-rotatable after adjustment; clamping members 122 are secured to rear casing wall member 32. The fastening member 124 to be bolted is also attached to the front cover wall 126 of the auxiliary casing 128 disposed at the center of the front wall member 31 of the engine casing. In this configuration, as the rotor 50 moves about the shaft 54 in tandem with the combustion chamber 52, each cylinder 6
Individual combustion chambers 87 aligned coaxially with ports 113 and 114 and rotor 50 move sequentially.
communication at selected positions of the rotation cycle. The combustion chamber and these cylinders are connected to ports 113 and 1.
14 is sealed and blocked by the cylindrical integral outer wall of the shaft 54. In this way the valve system of the engine is provided. In this configuration, the intake port 114 is always in communication with one of the four cylinders of the engine, so that the flow of the mixture is not interrupted by the valve means, and therefore the passages 108, 112 have no flow of the mixture through them. It should be noted that a steady flow occurs.

Piston 56 is integrally constructed, as seen in FIG. 4, and head portion 130 is integrally formed with connecting rod and crosshead portions 131 and 132, respectively. Although the head portion is naturally cylindrical in shape, the crosshead is generally rectangular in shape and has a semi-cylindrical end which engages the cylinder wall and guides the movement of the piston into and out of the cylinder chamber. It acts as. Head portion 130 is also provided with three annular rings 134, two of which are compression rings and a third ring is an oil ring to promote lubrication of the cylinder walls. The ring 134 is of course mounted in a suitable groove cut for this purpose on the circumference of the cylindrical piston head portion 130. Crosshead portion 132 is provided with a central cylindrical bore extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the piston into which is inserted a coupling pin 136 which couples the piston to a cooperating cam rider assembly 58. As explained above, there are four pistons in the illustrated embodiment, one in each of the cylinders 64-67 and coaxially in linear motion with respect to such cylinders. The piston is further coupled to a pair of cooperating cam rider assemblies 58, which will be described in detail below.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, each of the cam rider assemblies 58 has elongated parallel spaced straight rail sections 139 extending along opposite sides or edges.
is formed and consists of a substantially rectangular rigid slide member 138 that is slidably received under a lip 70 in a slide groove 68 provided on each side of each cylinder as previously described. As explained earlier, the cam rider assembly is a means for applying rotational force to the rotor.
Towards this end, coupling pins 136 extend outwardly from both sides of the crosshead portion 132 of each piston through slot openings 71 in the cylinder wall;
They are press fit into cylindrical openings formed adjacent the outer ends of each sliding member 138 in the cooperating pair. pin 1
36 extend parallel to and spaced apart from the longitudinal axis of main bearing shaft 54 and are loosely received in slot opening 71 . The internal connection between the pin 136 and the sliding member 138 rigidly connects these members,
Therefore, when the sliding member moves, the piston also moves within its constraints and vice versa. Rail part 139
The engagement of the rotor with the slide groove 68 is a loose sliding fit, allowing the slide member to move easily along the slide groove in the rotor.

At the lower end of the sliding member 138, there is a protruding pin member 142 that protrudes further than the sliding member that cooperates with the sliding member laterally.
is attached to form a mounting stud to which the cam follower roller 144 is attached. Each roller 14
4 is retained by a snap ring (not shown) received in a snap ring groove 145 formed adjacent the outer end of pin member 142. Each cam follower roller 144 forms a standard bearing assembly configuration consisting of an outer ring movable around and over a rotatable roller bearing held in a hub race member in a known manner.

As shown in the figure, in the assembly, a pair of rollers 1
44 are disposed adjacent both sides of the head end 130 of each piston, and cooperating rollers 144 are coaxially aligned therewith. Each piston is thus effectively supported on rollers 144 by a rigid yoke system consisting of a pair of sliding members 138 and cross-connecting pin means 136.

Such a cam rider assembly is the means for converting the linear force produced by the combustion of fuel on the piston head in each cylinder into the desired rotational effect on the engine block to rotate the drive gear means 62. This transformation is effected by the roller bearing being pushed outwards after combustion by the piston which forces the roller to rest on the inclined surface provided by the cam means 59 and 60; free rotation due to the thrust of the follower roller bearing against the cam means. The rotation of the rotor assembly 50 is responsive and the desired rotational output is generated.

The features of the camming means 59-60 are clearly shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. Cam means 59
and 60 are the same as far as the cam shapes and configurations are concerned, so they are accommodated in parallel and spaced apart so that their shapes match, so that one is just a mirror of the other. Therefore, although the following description will mainly relate to the cam means 59, it will be understood that the corresponding features of the cam means 60 are the same.

With particular reference to FIGS. 3 and 5, a cam means 59 is shown suitably bolted to the rear cover wall 32 of the engine casing in coaxial alignment with the shaft means 54 and rotor 50. It is made of a square heavy metal plate 150. Cam means 60 is similarly fixed to the front casing wall 31 in alignment with the cam 59. As best seen in FIG. 5, plate 150 is cut away in the center to define a continuous shaped asymmetric peripheral cam track 152 which engages cam follower roller 144 during operation. In the illustrated example, the track 152 is configured to allow the piston to perform four different movements, with movement of the piston being responsive to the engaged movement of the roller 144 along such a cam track.

In summary, the track 152 has two rope regions 153, 1 that project inwardly toward the central axis of the engine and cam plate 150, which coincides with the rotational axis of the rotor 50.
54 are distinguished. The apex of lobe 153 marks the beginning of the engine piston intake cycle and is considered the 0 degree position of rotor rotational motion. Orbit 152 from this 0 degree position to a position of approximately 85 degrees counterclockwise.
The cam angle of is lowered or moved away from the engine central axis so that each piston moves radially outwardly from the rotor axis of rotation following the following movement of cooperating roller means 144 along track 152. This intake mode or cycle creates a vacuum atmosphere in the cylinder enclosure as the oval openings 90, 91 of adjacent bearings and the combustion chamber approach and align with the intake port 112 provided in the main bearing shaft 54. As the rotor advances counterclockwise over the suction port, the piston moves from the carburetor to the suction manifold passages 108, 112.
The air-fuel mixture is inhaled through the rotor, which rotates counterclockwise.
Gradually close the suction port 144 for the cylinder involved as it approaches 85°.

It should be noted that the cam means 59 has an auxiliary part, indicated at 156 in FIG. The secondary cam track 15 is disposed radially inwardly of the suction portion of the track 152 and has a parallel spaced relation to the suction portion cam path 152.
Give 8. A corresponding auxiliary plate 160 is provided on the cam means 60 so as to face and match the plate 156 (see FIG. 4). These secondary cam plates are used during engine startup when the rotor speed is low and the necessary centrifugal force is applied to the piston to cause the cam rider assembly to follow trajectory 152 and to draw sufficient mixture into the cylinder. specifically designed to assist. Outside of the starting mode, the auxiliary cam plate portions 156 and 160 have no role;
Normally, roller means 144 will not be engaged after the engine has been fully operated.

Cam trajectory portion 152 between the end of the suction cycle and the apex of second lobe 154 (approximately between 85 degrees and 175 degrees measured counterclockwise from the apex of lobe 153)
constitutes a compression cycle for each piston/cylinder assembly.

Compression is carried out through the oval openings 90, 91 of the cylinder and combustion chamber of interest through the suction passage 112 and port 114.
to the integral part of the shaft 54 intermediate the intake and exhaust port openings, or the opposite side thereof, and the loss of explosive mixture is prevented during compression, which is initiated when the cylinder and combustion chamber are sealed and shut off. be done. The gas is compressed as the cooperating cam rider assembly is forced up an upward slope of cam angle of increasing value. As the roller means 144 approaches the lobe 154, the piston is forced closer to the centerline of the engine and reaches full compression at approximately 175 degrees of rotor rotation.

The next operation of each piston/cylinder following the compression cycle is the combustion mode, which occurs between 175° and 237° of counterclockwise rotation. In this mode, the piston in the cylinder is fully compressed, and the intake and exhaust ports in the main bearing shaft are sealed, so that they can be sealed by electrically energizing the spark plug associated with the particular combustion chamber involved. The compressed air-fuel mixture in the cylinder is ignited. When this occurs, the piston is forced outwardly from the engine center axis and the cam rider assembly is driven against the steeply descending cam plate angle, creating a rotary drive action on the rotor assembly.

Following the combustion cycle, each piston/cylinder combination of the rotor assembly transitions into the exhaust mode of the operating cycle, which is substantially between 237° and 360° of counterclockwise rotation. As the rotor assembly moves the cylinder into this mode, the elliptical holes 90, 91 in the combustion chamber with which it cooperates move into alignment with the exhaust port 113 in the main bearing shaft, and the cam rider assembly moves to an increasing cam angle. , forcing the piston gradually inward toward the central axis of the rotor and the apex of the lobe 153.
This inward radial movement of each piston, opposing the movement of its associated cam follower rotor, forces spent fuel and gases out of the exhaust ports and manifold passages 106,110. Exhaust mode is complete when the rotor approaches 360 degrees of counterclockwise rotation and is ready to repeat the four-cycle program described above.

Although the foregoing operating cycles or modes naturally occur in each of the four piston and cylinder assemblies illustrated, each piston has a complete operating cycle or mode.
In other words, it must be noted that suction, compression, combustion, and exhaust are performed every 360 degrees of rotor rotation. Importantly, the piston stroke and the duration of each operating cycle are also determined by the chosen shape of the cam trajectory and can be varied within a wide range as desired.

Such rotational drive of the rotor results in a correspondingly coupled rotation of the main drive gear means 62 from which engine power is taken.

The characteristics of the main drive gear means 62 are shown in FIGS.
This can be seen from Figure 11. The drive gear has several functions. First, it provides a means for extracting the engine power and supplying it to the output shaft means 28. This in turn provides a means of carrying an insulator that insulates the spark plug and minimizes spark plug power losses. In this latter function, drive gear means 62 also acts as part of a distributor that causes the spark plugs to fire in the proper sequence of the engine operating cycle.

To understand how the functions described above are performed, reference is first made to FIG. This figure shows the combustion chamber means 52 assembled in position on the intake and exhaust manifold means 54, with the ends 82 of the means 54 secured to the front of the engine casing through suitable openings in the casing wall 31. It extends into the box-shaped auxiliary casing 128. The combustion chamber means 52 has four perforated chambers 93 formed inwardly at the outer end 82, and in the illustrated embodiment four spark plugs 92 can be received therein (see FIG. 4). It will be recalled. The spark plug is engaged with the wall of the opening 93 by a threaded groove as described above, and the gapped electrode is 4 in the illustrated embodiment.
Disposed within a cooperating individual combustion chamber for each of the cylinders.

As also shown in FIG. 9, the output shaft 28 is mounted in the casing wall 31 and pivots in and by bearing means 164 which is partially supported by an adjacent cam plate (not shown). freely supported.

Referring to FIG. 10, the details of the drive gear are more clearly shown. The gear 62 is the combustion chamber 5
It should be noted that the two outer ends are straight gears which are fixed by bolt and pin means 96 and 97 and move in rotation with the rotor and combustion chamber. Parallel to the drive gear 62 is a timing gear 168 secured to the output shaft by key and keyway means 166 or the like, which in the illustrated embodiment is of the same size as the drive gear. The two gears mesh with the outer teeth and rotate at a 1:1 ratio. This tooth ratio can, of course, vary within technically possible limits depending on the required rotational speed of the output shaft 28.

The drive gear 62 is connected to the opening 93 in the combustion chamber means 52.
four large openings 17 aligned to match the
0, with a center electrode or conductive core member 1 inside.
A cylindrical insulator 172 with 73 attached is received therein (see FIG. 4). Such insulator member is fitted around the outer electrode end of the spark plug such that conductive core member 173 contacts connector electrode 174 as seen in FIG. As a result, good and reliable circuit contact is established between the spark plug and the conductive core member 173. Appropriate lock bolt 1
75 engages the protruding semi-circular end shoulder 176 of each insulator 172, locking it axially within its bore 170 and compressing it against the central connecting electrode of the spark plug. It will be appreciated that this arrangement allows drive gear means 62, spark plug 92 and combustion chamber 52 to move simultaneously about a common axis following the movement of rotor 50.

To ensure that the several spark plugs fire in the correct order according to the combustion operating cycle of each piston of the engine, means are provided for timing the firing of the spark plugs and for supplying electrical energy to their electrodes. It is necessary to provide Especially the 10th
As can be seen, for this purpose the shouldered end 176 of the outer end of the insulator is cut away from each conductive core member 173 into a half-arc shape, and the cut-out section is shaped like a half-arc along the central axis of the shaft 54. are aligned by a common radius from

As shown in FIG. 11, an axle locking collar 124 is mounted on the outer cover 126 of the auxiliary housing 128 and is bolted to the cover wall 126 as described above. The locking collar 124 is cut away on one side and provided with a straight shoulder against which the distributor insulator and internally conductive distributor contact member 1 are provided.
A housing 180 with 82 attached thereon is mounted thereon. The member 182 is connected by a conductor 183 (see FIG. 1) to an ignition coil 27 mounted outside the engine housing or casing 30 and to a conductive core member 173 carried by the drive gear.
are aligned on opposite sides of the path of motion. Another conductor 18
6 is attached to a rotatable adjustable timing plate 188 from the coil 27 to a rotatable adjustable timing plate 188 fixed to the front wall plate 126 of the auxiliary housing 128.
Connected to 7. Intermittent contact 187 is mounted to output shaft 28 and is operatively engaged with timing cam 190 which is fixed thereto and rotates coaxially with respect to the output shaft. The timing cam 190 is connected to the intermittent contact assembly 18
4 ropes 19 engaged with 7 followers 192
It should be noted that 1 is given. Thus, each time output shaft 28 rotates, disconnecting contacts 187 are opened and closed four times corresponding to the combustion cycles of the four piston and cylinder assemblies of the illustrated engine.

The ignition coil is of course connected to a 12 volt power source 38 so that when the intermittent contacts are opened and closed, energy is delivered to the electrodes of the distributor assembly and from there to the electrically conductive core member held by the insulator member 172. It is further supplied to 173 as it passes under electrode 182, moving with a rotationally driven drive gear. This converts electrical energy into timing cam 1
distribution to each cooperating spark plug with a definite time relationship over 90 revolutions. Advancement or retardation of ignition can be accomplished by rotating a timing plate which is adjustable and held in position by bolt and slot means 194 as shown in FIG. In this way, the ignition of the combustible mixture for each cylinder can be carried out as desired.

Having described the various basic parts and components that make up the preferred engine, the unique cam and cam rider assembly that cooperates with each piston allows the piston to achieve maximum stroke while keeping the overall dimensions of the engine to a minimum. It is possible to take a long time. The follower roller of the cam rider assembly 58 is provided adjacent to the head end of the piston, thereby creating a force between the follower roller located adjacent to the inner end of the sliding member 138 and the cam track aligned so that the two shapes match. The transmission point is placed as close as possible to the centerline of the engine. This feature not only lengthens the possible piston stroke, but also allows for a steeper cam trajectory during the combustion cycle, greatly reducing the rotational speed of the rollers 144 as they engage and follow the trajectory of the cam means. On the other hand, it allows the engine to generate more rotational output. Furthermore, by providing the cam slide, the loss of power normally caused by the piston sliding along the side of the cylinder is substantially eliminated as the piston is guided linearly by the cam slide and the crosshead; As a result, no lateral force is applied to the piston. Since no lateral forces are applied to the piston, the life of the cylinder is extended and the sealing action of the piston rings is improved.

Additionally, it is important to note that cam trajectories can vary widely. This, combined with the four-cycle piston/cylinder operation, i.e. suction, compression, combustion, and exhaust all occurring every 360° rotation of the rotor assembly, allows a wide range of variations in piston stroke time and length. become.
Such cycle design flexibility allows the engine to generate maximum power with maximum fuel efficiency. For example, the suction and compression strokes can be half the stroke length and time of the combustion stroke to fully utilize the expansion gas. Alternatively, the exhaust stroke can be significantly extended to purge spent gases from the engine for a longer period of time, thereby reducing back pressure on the piston. Since such individual cycle variations are essentially possible by changing the cam design, the engine of the present invention can be used with gasoline, diesel fuel, alcohol, natural gas, hydrogen, propane, butane, etc.
Virtually any rapidly expanding fuel can be effectively combusted and converted into rotational power. Not only is the engine capable of burning such fuel, but the flexible cam design allows it to do so most efficiently. In addition, the combustion cycle can be extended so that the combustion gases are almost completely consumed, thus reducing exhaust gas pollution.

Although the engine embodiment is efficient and versatile in operation, a variation thereof is shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 with respect to the engine of FIGS. 1-11. As shown, the deformable engine 200 includes stationary cam means 201 and 20 integrally formed with corresponding outer casing members 203 and 204, respectively.
It has 2. Roller means 144 engages an outer cam track 205, radially above and outwardly from the engine central axis, as previously described, while another roller means 206 engages an outer cam track 205, radially above the inner axis of the engine. 207. As a result, the cam follower system responds reliably to the push and pull motions of the engine pistons and operates relatively noise- and rattling-free, particularly as the pistons reverse direction of motion from inward to outward. Furthermore, the suction cycle is reliably controlled without relying on centrifugal force as in the case of the engine 20. Other than the redesign of the outer casing, cam track means, and cam follower assembly, alternative engine 200 is substantially identical to engine 20 in all respects.

FIG. 14 shows the features of a second variant of the engine described above. That is, this is a single output shaft 2
It is a collection of two or more engines 20 or 200 that can be combined into 10 engines. Particularly in this variant embodiment, the outer casing 212 is fitted with individual rotor means 50, for example four, arranged in four quadrants around the central output shaft 210. The rotors are each coupled via an intervening speed clutch assembly 216 to a central drive gear 214 wedged to the output shaft. Each clutch assembly basically consists of a pair of gears 218 and 22 of different diameters attached to a common clutch shaft 222.
0; a gear 218 engaged with a drive gear 62 of each engine rotor; and a secondary clutch gear 220 engaged with a common drive gear 214 coupled to a common output shaft 210. The construction of the slip clutch assembly is such that when gear 220 rotates at a faster speed than gear 218, the clutch mechanism completely disengages the two clutches.
On the other hand, if the rotational speed of gear 218 increases and gear 2
20, the clutch engages, gears 218 and 220 are locked together, and torque is transmitted to output gear 214 and then to output shaft 210. There are several other means known in the art for engaging and disengaging the drive shaft, such as locking pins or standard pressure clutches.

Basically, the collective engine of FIG. 14 is designed to provide an engine that satisfies the requirements for maximum horsepower while at the same time satisfying the no-load requirements for operating at a small fraction of the available output. In summary, the multiple rotary engine of FIG. 14 allows two or more engine rotors 50 to be combined into one common engine while keeping each rotor selectively independent of each other. Thus, an engine having the features shown in FIG. 14 can be selectively operated at different horsepower output levels. For example, assuming that each rotor engine can generate 50 horsepower, the first
An engine containing four rotors similar to that shown in FIG. 4 can produce a total horsepower output of substantially 200 horsepower.
2 if only 100 horsepower is required due to circumstances.
Only one rotor is required, and it is possible to completely shut down the other two and leave them stationary while the two rotors continue to operate unhindered by the two stationary rotors. In such a stationary rotary engine, maintenance, adjustment, or similar operations can be carried out without interrupting the operation of the entire engine. As a further example, if the average horsepower requirement is only 50 horsepower, only one rotor needs to be running at a time, and other rotors are periodically activated in place of one rotor. can also be stationary, thus extending engine life and providing more even wear on moving parts. In fact, the cluster engine shown in Figure 14 has a built-in backup system so that if any of the rotary engines mechanically fails, one or the other engine is available and ready for service. are doing.