US1037605A - Internal-combustion engine. - Google Patents

Description

J. H. EATON.

INTERNAL couBUsTmN ENGINE.

4 -PPLIULTIO-l' FILED APB. 29, 1905i. 1,037,605, n Patented Sept. 3, 1912.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

wlTNEssEs; l l I INVEMTOR lgef??- (0f/9.

.7 Ivm ATTORNEYJ J. H. BATON.

INTERNAL GOMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, 190s.

1,037,605, Patented Sept 3,1912.

s ,slums-SHEET 2.

15h-*6E l El f' l- ULJ JV p mvENToR We wenn /Df.

y v ArroRNEvJ J. H. BATON. INTERNAL GOMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 29, 190B.

1,037,605. Patented sept. 3, 1912.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

u mvNToR ATTORNEY J J. H. BATON. INTERNAL GOMBUSTION ENGINE. APPMGATION FILED APB. 29, 190s.

"7???5? f jrg/gym y 6 ,Y0-2 *afpfl I l r ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES lPATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. EATON, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK,v ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD T JAMES F.

EATON, 0F ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Spcication of Letters Patent. Anneau med April 29,1908. serial No. 429,835.

f clare the :following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

The present invention relates torotary internal combustion engines and it has for an object to provide a construction in-wh1ch a change may be made -in the compression of the' explosive mixture in order that the en'.- gine may be adapted to a large variety or different grades of fuel to obtain the best ref suits from the fuel used. Other objects are to provide improved means for feeding the fuel to and discharging the burned gases from the cylinders; and to maintain the parts in a cooled state. a Y To thesev and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings: Figure l is a side view of an engine constructed in accordance with this invention; Fig. 2 is an end view of the same engine; Fig. 3 is a section on line 2`2 and also on line 3-3', Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a plan viewwith parts in section; Fig. 5 is a detail view of the connection between the connecting rods and the eccentrically mounted thrust stud; and Fig. 6 is a detail view of the control .for the igniting mechanism. Fig. 7 is a section'on line 7-7 of Fig. 4; Fig. 8 is a section on line 8 8 of Fig. 4; Fig. 9 is a section of the inlet and exhaust casing with the hub in elevation; Fig. 10 is va detail view showing the connection of the piston with the thrust member.

-Referring particularly to the drawings D indicates the shaft to be driven, mounted upon a suitable base or frame A Connected to one end of this shaft by a spider frame or s okes is a rim E which serves as a fly w eel and at the same time as a rotary support for thecylinders. The cylinders J of `which there may be any desired number, in the present instance four.

are arranged in two sets, radially.to`the Ishaft D, being bolted at d to the interior lof fthe' rim between the spokes H. Withinzthese cylinders, -work the pistons P .which bv connecting rods K are connected to athrust stud or member C arranged eccentricallyfv't'o :the axis'off. the rotary support. The con- .nection between the connecting rods and the istud Cv may be of any suitable construction. but it is 'preferred to provide shoes K hav?" .ingfcurved :faces to rock on stud C, the outer @faces of the shoes being tapered at opposite lends K2 in order that rings Kit/may sur- L round all of the shoes at each end to secure 'them on the stud; bolts. K4 being employed to hold the rings in position.

I may cause a change in the displacement -of the pistons in the cylinders to reduce a change in the compression of the uelA While the engine 1s in operation, or While it 'is still. This may be effected by shifting the -stud or thrust member C- in a direction radial to the shaft D. `For this pur ose ystud C is mounted on a bearing. bloc 'guided on the frame A, and the movement I'of the block is effected by a screw shaft F operated bya hand wheelZ- It is4 apparent that the thrust stud C may be moved so 'that it is axially alined with the .shaft D in which event no movement of the pistons P takes place; or that said stud may be moved so that the pistons at one end of `their movement reach nearly to the heads of their cylinders.

The explosive mixture may be admitted l'through valve casings a which are connected to ports'in Vthe i n ition or explosion chambers of cylinders and valves o are arranged in the` casin s and are normally closed by spring w. hese valves open on the suction stroke of the pistons and the`explosive mixture is drawn from the pipes b which connect two valve casings a and are connected to pipes b which are in turn connected to ports or channels b2 formed in the `hub of the ily wheel. The ports or channels "b2 lead to an annular rchamber b3 to which the inlet I is connected.

The exhaust isetfected' through passages c, which connect adjacentv exhausts and have passages c conneetedto ports or channels cA Ain the hub between channels Z112, and

Patented sept. 3,1912..

channels c2 are connected by lateral ports o3 with an annular chamber c4 connected With the main exhaust-O. Chambers b3 and c4 are formed in a single casting O which 1s stationarily supported about the hub of the fiy wheel, one end having the shaft D turning therein and the other end carrying a packing r which prevents the escape of gases at this point..

In order that the driven shaft and other parts of the engine adjacent to the exhaust 'may bamaintained in a cooled state, I may make a portion of the driven shaft D hollow and at one end of the hollow portlon I may provide an annular chamber W suitably packed about the shaft and connected to a pump R. This pump is connected to a suitable water supply and is operated by an eccentric Q on the drive shaft. The water passes from the pump to the chamberdV and thence through a lateral port to the interior of the shaft D. The other'end of the shaft D is closed and ashort distance from this closed" end are provided lateral ports D which extend through the hub of the y `wheel and connect with a water chamber g surrounding the annular chamber c4, from which the water is exhausted. In this manner the hub of the rotary cylindersupport is maintained in a cooled state as is also the casting O.

The exhaust passages are controlled by valves X, the valves of one set of cylinders the units of which are -adjacently arranged being successively operated on one rotation of the rotary support and the valves of the other set being successively operated on the next rotation. For this purpose the valves may be held normally closed by springs c and have arms Y projecting laterally therefrom, and carrying anti-friction rollers, the arms on one set of cylinders being longer than the other two. The valves are operated by two cams S and T which. are arranged side by side and each of which operates to successively open the valves of one set of adjacent cylinders on every alternate revolution of the cylinders, and for this purpose I may employ devices for shifting the cams. The cam S is shown in elevation in Fig. 3 but the companion cam T, which is of the same crescent shape, he cam surfaces on each being identical, is behind it in that view and hence does not appear. It is because of this arrangement that the arms Y of one set of cylinder valves are made longer than the others for it will be seen that the arms which engage the farther cam S must reach over and clear the inner cam T.

The devices for shifting the cams preter-` ably comprise a cam carrying member M arranged on driven shaft D and having are respectively connected to slide bars Sa and T3 movable longitudinally of the shaft- D and carrying the cams S and T to which they are rigidly connected in any suitable manner. The cam S of course must needs be cut away in somewhat the manner shown in Fig. 3 so that the bar T3 of the cam T, which latter is behind cam S in the said ligure, may pass through it to take its connection. The cam grooves S and T Yare formed to shift the cams S. and T alternately into and out of. the path of travel of the pairs of Vrollers on the .arms Y, thus permittingl the valves at the proper time to remain closed while t-he pistons move outwardly to compress the mixture and then to open the exhaust valves at proper time for the discharge of exhaust gases.. y

Bearing in mind the fact thatthe exhaust valve arms Y of one set of adjacent cylinders coperate with their cam S or T in one plane and the other set in another, it will be seen that either cam may be shifted into or out of such plane and hence into and out of operative posit-ion4 with respect toits coperating arms independently of the other cam. This is necessary in view of the fact that the present engine is of the four cycle type, andthe respective sets of adjacent cylinders exhaust upon every other revolution instead -of every revolution. Furthermore, the cams S-T', as shown in Fig. 3, are semi-circular and as there lare four arms Y, equidistantly spaced, one of them at least, and often two, are within such semi-circle all the time. Obviously neither cam can be shifted while an arm is in engagement' therewith and, therefore, the cams are shifted alternately, one upon each revolution of the engine while its arms are on the other side of the circle.

It is thought desirable to giveatthis point, an explanation of the cycle of the engine to assist in a proper understanding of the cam arrangements just described. Adjacent cylinders forming each set to which allusion has been made, are exhausted in the same revolution throughout half of its duration, while their arms Y are in the half circle controlled by the cam and subsequent operationsof the cylinders throughout the four cycles are jointly entered into in the same relationship. In Fig. 3, one set of cylinders is exhausting during the upper half of the first revolution, intaking nn the lower half, compressing 011 the upper half of the next revolution (the cam having been/shifted during the interval) andv exploding on the lower half thereof. The other set during these operations is respectively intaking, compressing, exploding and exhausting. The explanation is confined to the' cylinders by sets inasmuch as the units of each set follow each other very closely but there is, of course, a point between the noemen half revolutions named in. which one et me cylinders of a set is Aintalring for instance While its mate is still exhausting, these being the positions of the upper and ri hand cylinders in Fig. 3.

The ignition of the explosive mixture is effected preferably by arranging contact piecesI gon the peripnery of the rim E and connecting the-m to the sparking plugs It. The contact pieces g are insulated from each other by an insulating band or strip g; and have cooperating therewith a stationary brush contact connected to a suitable electric circuit and supported on and insulated from a yielding arm e which is arranged on frame A. Connected to the rotary supportto turn therewith is a ring G which carries two series of contacts L, one set being arranged in a plane transverse to the axis of the rotary support, dierent from the plane in Which the other set is arranged so that a contact N may be moved to successively engage either series. The contact N is connected to the electric circuit before men* tioned, and is supported on an .arm U Which is rotatably mounted on a cylindrically turned portion U2 of slide U, but it is suitably locked to move longitudinally with the slide. Slide U is movable on the guide z' inthe direction of the axis of the rotar support and carries a traveler V mova le in the cam groove S on cam member M.

In order that vthe time of the engagement of the contact L may be changed, the contact N is mounted to shift in the direction of the path of movement of the contact L and for this purpose turnson the slide U. This shifting is effected bv a controlling lever n Which also turns loosely on the rounded portion U? of `the slide U being admitted through a cut avvay portion in the guide i so that it simply utilizes the guide as a )ivot the latter at the same time beine' movable therethrough. The lever is slidably connected to arm U by a guide y' that preferably asses through an aperture therein and which causes the arm U to rotate with the lever but at the same time permits it to move with the longitudinal movement of the slide relatively thereto. To hold the lever and the contact N in their adjusted positions the lever carries a hand operated clamp screuT p which Works through a slot in upright bracket m, on frame A.

The lubrication of the cylinders may be eected by means of a lubricant chamber a: from which leadsla tube u to direct tluid to a channeled ring s that opens toward its axis and is connected bv short tubes s to the cyinders J.

. I The specific operation of the several parts of this embodiment having been given, at

this point. it Will be necessary only to describe the general operation. Fuel is admitteilte the engine at inlet I and is drawn inte the cylinders through valves e. .First the cylinders of one series are successlvely charged and during this charging the cy1' ieders of the other series are successively exhausted. The next movement of the pistons of the first mentioned series is to compress the mixture which is ignited when the extreme compression point is reached, the other series of pistons being at the same time moved to charge their cylinders. The explosion causes the pistons to act on the thrust member@ and rotates the cylinders, their support, andthe shaft D from,which 'the power is taken. The time of the eXplosion may be controlled by the lever fn, which when operated shifts contact N in the direction lot contact" L.

An engine constructed in accordance with this invention gives maximum power; its parts are arranged so that they are best adapted to withstand the strain due to centrifugal force; and it may be cont-rolled in such a manner that the best eifects from the fuel used may be obtained.

7l/iat I claim is:

l. The combination with a rotary support, of a plurality of cylinders carried thereby and forming two sets, pistons Working Vin the cylinders, a member to Which the pistons are connected arranged eccentrically to the axis of the rotary support, valves for said cylinders, a pair of cams for operating the valves, one for each set of cylinders, and means for shifting the ca'ms alternately into and out of operating position.

2. The combination. with a. rotary support, a set of cylinders carried thereby, pistons for operation in the cylinders, and a thrustmember for operating the pistons, of valves for the cylinders, a slidably mounted cam for successively operating said valves, and a rotary cam for elfecting the movement of the sliding cam toward and from operative position. l

3. The combination with a rotary support, of a plurality .of cylinders carried Vthereby and forming two sets, pistons Working 1n the cylinders, valves for said cylin ders, a pair of slides, cams carried by the slides, one for operating the valves of each set, and a rotary cam member adapted to shift the slides alternately into operative relation With the valves.

l. The combination with a driven shaft. of a support carried thereby, to rotate there:

Witln a plurality of cylinders forming tWo eratng the slides to shift the cams alternately 4each into the path of its respective coperating arms.

The combination with a. hollow shaft, of a rotaryl support secured tothe shaft and haring a' hub provided with exhaust passages, a plurality of cylinders carried by the rotary support and communicating with the exhaust` passages, and a member in which said hub turns, `having' an exhaust chamber 10 communicating with the exhaust passages 1n the hub and s, water chamber surrounding the exhaust chamber and communicating with the hollow shaft.

v Copies of this patent may be obtained forve cents each, nyaddressng the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, JD. C.

Images