US1139336A

US1139336A - Internal-combustion engine.

Info

Publication number: US1139336A
Application number: US56044510A
Authority: US
Inventors: Thomas P Brooke
Original assignee: LOUIS C KUHNERT JR
Current assignee: LOUIS C KUHNERT JR
Priority date: 1910-05-10
Filing date: 1910-05-10
Publication date: 1915-05-11
Anticipated expiration: 1932-05-11

Description

. T. P. BROOKE.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAYIO, 1910.

1 ,139,336. Patented May 11, 1915.

4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

T. P. BROOKE.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I0. I910.

151 39,336, I Patented May 11, 1915.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

T. P. BROOKE.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.- APPLICATION FILED MAY m. I910.

1,139,336. V Patented May11,1915.'

' 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3,

T. P. BROOKE.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10, I9).

Patented May 11, 1915. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

itilllnlvll 01551:

III/II Engines, of which THOMAS P. BROOKE,- OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR,

BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T0 LOUIS C. KUHNEBT, JR., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1915.

Application filed May 10, 1910. Serial No. 560,445.

To all 1071 am it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS P. BROOKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chi cage, in the county of Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Internal-Combustion the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates more particularly to a valve gear for internal combustion engines generally, but has'especial reference to the type of such enginesin which a plurality, of cylinders revolve about a given center as distinguished from that type m which the cylinders are arranged radially about a rotating crank shaft.

The primary object of this invention is to so construct and locate the valve gear or operating mechanism that the same in an engine of this type may be completely housed, thus enabling the working parts. to be packed in greaseor oil While protecting them from grit.

Another important object of the invention is to cause the elements of the valve gear which result in the actuation of the valves by their movement relative to one another to engage and pass one another at a comparatively slow relative rate of speed so that the shock of the impact will be materially reduced.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means whereby the centrifugal force acting upon the valves of the engine will be substantially counterbalanced or overcome to operate the valves the desired degree.

bodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line 22 of- Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the rotating cam ring on a large scale hereinafter described. Fig. 4 is an enlargcd transverse section taken on the line Cook and State of H of Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the irregular section line 5-5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail vertical section on the line 66 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the outer end of one of the cylinders and the valveoperating levers; and Fig. 8 is a section thereof on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a sectional View of a piston valve.

The invention is exemplified in connection with a rotary engine comprising two oppositely rotating series of

cylinders

1 and 2, or, in other words, it is shown in connection with two engines of the rotary type which rotate in opposite directions, but this particular feature of the example illustrated and the number of cylinders employed are not important, so far as the present invention is concerned in its broadest aspect. The two engines or series of

cylinders

1 and 2 being identical in construction, a description of one will suflice for both, it being merely necessary to explain that the crank case 3 of each engine is provided with a gear wheel 4, and these two gear wheels which are arranged diametrically opposite one another on the same axis of rotation engage with a gear wheel 5 on driving shaft 6, from which the power of the engine is taken. Referring to the unimportant details of this operative connection between the two engines, as illustrated in Fig. 6, it will be seen that the crank cases 3 are rotatably mounted upon a fixed axle 8 which is preferably hollow so as to form an intake passage 9 for supplying both engines with fuel or fuel elements through a common intake pipe 10. This axle 8 is offset at 11 to make room for the shaft 6, which is mounted in a suitable bearing 12 on pedestal 13.

14 and 15 are concentric continuations of the axle 8 which are hollow like the axle 8. The passage of the axle 8 opens into the crank case 3, but the passages of the hollow continuations 14: are closed off at the crank case and open to the atmosphere so as to form central exhaust outlets having a plurality of exhaust connections 16 which extend from the exhaust chamber 17 at the. outer ends of the cylinder to a manifold connection 18 surrounding the axle 14, and rotate freely thereon around one or more passages 19 which permit the gases to escape from the connection 18'into the hollow axle 14 and thence to the atmosphere. The apertures 20 which are formed also in the axle extension 14 if desired, are merely for the purpose of ventilation, and preventing as ar as possible the heat of the exhaust extending to that portion of the axle 14 on which the crank case is journaled.

The cranks of the engines, one of which is employed for each engine, or each series of cylinders, are mounte" within .eachcrank case upon the spaced extremities of the

axle members

8, 14. They are shown in this example as consisting of two cheek plates or

crank arms

21, 22, connected together by a crank pin 23 on which is rotatably mounted a collar 24 to which all of the piston rods 25 are suitably connected, so that the pistons 26 may reciprocate in their respective cylinders while revolving about the crank pin 23.

27 is the exhaust valve, one of which is of course employed at the outer end of each of the

cylinders

1, 2, and which is adapted to open inwardly. It is mounted upon a stem 28 having a suitable guide 29 in the exhaust chamber 17, and is pivoted or otherwise operatively related at its outer end to one end of a rocking lever 30 j ournaled in standards 31 and having its other end pivoted or operatively related to a rocking lever 32, which latter is pivoted on a pin 33 in brackets 34. One end of the lever 32 is pivoted to the outer end of a rod 35, whose inner end extends into the crank case 3, preferably through a suitable stufiing box 36, and is operatively associated with a shoe or other suitable means revolving with the cylinders and adapted to engage with or to be engaged by a cam presently to be described for operating the rod 35 and causing the valve 27 to open. This shoe maybe conveniently constituted by a rocking member pivoted on a stud 37 carried by'the crank case 'or other suitable part moving with the cylinders, and

having an arm 38 provided with slot and pin connection with the rod 35, and a runner portion 39 having a rounded surface curving inwardly or toward the center of rotation of the cylinders, it being understood that one of these shoes is provided on the crank case for each of the cylinders when a plurality of cylinders is employed in connection with this feature of the invention. As theecylinders revolve, these shoes describe a circle about the axle 14 and arranged concentrically within this circle is a ring40, which carries two cams 41, 42 arranged in this example of the invention approximately on diametrically opposite sides of the ring 40, the position and relation of these cams to one another and to the shoes in any event being such that as the shoes revolve with the cylinders and the ring 40, is caused to revolve in the same direction of rotation, but

at a slightly increased rate of speed, one of the cams will overtake one of the shoes of each cylinder every other time the shoe of that cylinder passes a given point in the orbit of revolution, the engine being a fourcycle engine, so that the exhaust valve of each cylinder will be opened on every fourth stroke of the piston of that cylinder. This being the principle of the invention, it will of course be understood that the details of construction and relative rates of speed of rotation of the various elements would be varied according to the cycle of the engine and to the number of cylinders employed. There being. five cylinders employed in this example of a four-cycle engine, the cam ring 40 should be geared to travel approximately one-fifth faster than the speed of rotation of the shoes. The details whereby this is accomplished will now be described. v

The cam ring 40 is in the form of an internal gear having teeth 40 and is supported and rotated by two diametrically opposite pinions 43,44 journaled on studs 45 which are mounted upon the outer wall of the crank case 3, and consequently revolve with the crank case. The pinions 43, 44 are each rigidly secured to a larger pinion .46 arranged concentrically therewith and engaging diametrically "opposite sides of a fixed gear 47 rigidly secured by a key 48'orother suitable means to axle 14. In this example of the invention the gears 40 and 47 bearthe ratio of 2 to 1, while the pinions 43, 44, being equal in diameter to one another, are only one-half the diameter of their respective companion pinions 46. With this construction it will be seen that as the cylinders revolve carrying the studs 45 with them, the

pinions 46 will be revolved bodily in the same direction, and also rotated on the studs 45 in the same direction, causing a corresponding direction of rotation of the pinions 43, 44 and the cam ring 40 40, but the pinions 46 being smaller than the fixed gear 47 and the pinions 43, 44 being still smaller than said gear and also considerably smaller than the internal gear 40, it follows that while the internal gear 40 is carried by the crank case in its rotation and by reason of that fact, rotates as fast as the crank case, the additional rotation imparted to it by the train'of gears just described for each revolution of the cylinders is only a small fraction of a complete rotation, that fracof the rotation as before described, but whatever the gear. ratio be, it should in all instances be' such that one of the cams will engage the shoe of each cylinder every other time that shoe passes a given point, if the engine be a four-cycle engine, or every third time it passes that point if it be a six-cycle engine, or every time it passes such point if it be a two-cycle engine. It will also be understood that the gear ratio is such as results in the cam remaining in engagement with the shoe a sufiicientlength of time to permit the waste gases to fully exhaust. This is ef- 'tion in the example shown being one-fifth fected by the comparatively slow relative rate of travel of the cam and shoe and may also be regulated to suit the peculiarities of the engines by varying the proportions of the engaging faces of the shoe and cam, whereby they may be 'made'to remain in contact a longer or shorter length of time.

As the cam engages the shoe, or vice versa, it is of course understood that the inward pull imparted to the rod 35 throws the contiguous ends of the levers 30, 32 out-. wardly and forces the valve stem 28 inwardly to open the valve. \Vhen this invention is applied to an engine of the rotary type described, the centrifugal force acting upon th-e valve 27 and its connected parts is considerable, and at high speeds would subject the shoes 39 and cams 11, 42' to undue strain, but with the contiguous ends of the levers 30, 32, which constitute a compound lever, arranged between the fulcrum of the lever 30 and the power, it will be seen that the same centrifugal force which tends to hold the valve to its seat by acting directly against the valve will tend to throw the contiguous ends of the levers 30, 32 outwardly and thereby resist this force a degree proportionate tothe speed of rotation, and by a proper proportioning of the weight of the arms of the levers 30, 32, the valve and other connected parts, the force of the centrifugal action against the valve may be gaged to a nicety and be made just sufficient for holding the valve to its seat.

There are various methods common in the art for admitting the charge to the explosion space of the cylinder from the crank case of the engine, satisfactory method being shown by Fig. 9, in which it will be seen that the piston 26 is hollow with a valve passage a9 and a valve 50 for controlling the passage of gas between the gas chamber formed by the crank case of the engine and the explosion chamber formed between the outer end of the cylinder and the piston. A plurality of projecting lugs 51 are provided on the flat end of the piston adjacent the valve passage 49 to limit the movement of the valve. The valve is provided with a depending valve stem 52, the lower end of which is slotted to receive the extremities of twolevers 53 which are pivoted respectively at 54 to a depending portion 55 of the piston. ()n the outer end of each of said levers is a ball or weight 56, which, by reason of the relative arrangement of the several parts, is adapted to resist the movement of the valve under the action of its own weight. These balls or weights are made of such size as to slightly over-balance the weight of the valve 50, but of suitable weight to permit the entrance of the gas the piston except during into the explosion chamber during the latter part of the inward radial movement of the power stroke.-

-gears especially,

Each of the valves 50 is therefore actuated by centrifugal force due to the revolving moment about the shaft.

For convenience of reference, the five shoes have been designated A, B, C, D and E respectively. With the parts in the position shown in Fig. & of the drawing, the

shoe A is being actuated to open the valve of the cylinder controlled thereby by the enmgement of the cam 41. This is the position approximately speaking, where each cylinder will exhaust when its shoe arrives at that point, but it will be observed that the next shoe in line, which is the shoe D,

assuming that the rotation is toward the left, is not engaged when it arrives at the position now occupied by the shoe A, but by the time the next shoe, 6. e., shoe B, arrives at this position, it will have been overtaken by the cam 12 and will be actuated thereby. The shoe E, like the shoe D, will pass the present position of the shoe A without actuation, but the next shoe C when it arrives at this position, will have been overtaken by the cam 41 and actuated. In other words, the shoes are actuated in the order in which they are lettered.

In order that all of the parts of the valve actuating mehanism that are subjected to excessive friction and wear, including the may be entirely inclosed, such parts are situated at the outer sides of the crank cases 3 instead of between them, as heretofore, and the outer faces of the crank cases are provided with caps or casings inclosing these parts, such caps or casings being constituted by an annular flange or rim 3 formed on the crank case, and a cap plate 3 surrounding the axle 14 in close relation thereto and being secured in place in any suitable way, as by cap screws 3, thus providing a dust proof and oil tight inclosure.

What I claim is: p

1. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder having a single port, a valve controlling said port, means for actuating said valve embodying two elements traveling bodily in the same direction, one of saidelements being connected to the valve, means for moving the elements at different rotative speeds to engage one with the other whereby the element connected to the valve is periodically overtaken and moved to actuate the valve.

2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a plurality of cylinders each having a single port, valves for controlling said ports, means for actuating said valves embodying elements traveling in a circle and connected with said valves respectively, and another element traveling in the same direction as the first said elements but at a different rate of speed, and adapted to overtake and to come into engagement with. the 13 g greases first said elements successively for moving them to actuate thevalves,

3. In an internal combustion en inc, the combination of a plurality of cylin ers each having a single ort and revolving about a given center, va ves for controlling said ports, valve actuating elements operatively related to said valves respectively revolving with the cylinders about said center and a second element also revolving with said cylinders about said center in the same direction but at a higher rate of speed and adapted to en age with the first said elements successive y for moving them to actuate the valves.

4. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a plurality of cylinders revolving about a given center and each having a single port, valves for controlling said ports, valve actuating elements operatively connected with said valves respectively and revolving about said center with the cylinders at the'same rate of speed as said cylinders, a cam revoluble' about said center.

with said elements and gearing operatively connecting said cam with the said cylinders for driving the cam at a higher rate of speed it to oversaid valves.

5. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a plurality of cylinders revolving about a given center, and each provided with a single port, valves for controlling said ports, valve actuating elements disposed in the same plane revolving with said cylinders about said center at the same rate of speed as the cylinders, a cam revoluble about said center with said elements and adapted to engage the same, and gearing connecting said cam with the cylinders for imparting to the cam a rotative speed of travel greater than the speed of travel of said elements.

6. In an internal combustion'engine, the combination of a plurality of radially arranged cylinders each having a single port, valves for controlling said ports, a 'fixed axle about which said cylinders revolve, valve actuating elements for said valves respectively revolving with said cylinders about said axle, a ring concentric with said axle having external cam surfaces adapted to engage said valve controlling elements, said ring being provided with internal gear teeth, a fixed gear on aid axle, a pinion engaging said fixed gear and a second pinions'ecured to said first pinion andengaging said internal gear, said pinions being mounted to revolvebodily with said cylinders in the same direction of rotation.

7. In an internal combustion engine the combination of a plurality of cylinders re volving about a given center and each cylinder having an exhaust port in the end, valves for controlling said ports, said valves being mounted to be acted upon by the centrifugal force resulting from the rotation of said cylinders, and valve actuating elements for moving said valves with relation to their seats embodying a compound lever for balancing each of said valves, one lever of each of said compound levers being op eratively related to one of the valves and the joint between the levers of each of said compound levers being arranged to be influenced by the centrifugal force resulting from the rotation of the cylinders for forcing said joint outwardly with respect to the center of rotation.

8. In an internal combustion engine the combination of a plurality of revolving cylinders each having an exhaust port, a valve for controlling each of said ports mounted to be forced to their seats by the centrifugal force resulting from the rotation of the cylinders, a lever having one end operatively related to the valve for opening the same, a pivot for said lever, a second lever pivoted to the first said lever, a pivot for the second said lover, a rod connected to the second said lever for rocking the same, the pivotal connection between the said levers being located between the pivots of the said levers, and means foractuating said rod as the cylinders revolve.

9. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a plurality of radially arranged cylinders each having an exhaust port in the end thereof, of valves for controlling said ports, a fixed axle about which said cylinders revolve, valve actuating elements for said valves revolving with said cylinders, a ring concentric with said axle and spaced therefrom, having cam surfaces on its outer edge and internal gear teeth, a fixed gear 'on said axle, a pinion engaging said fixed gear and a second pinion secured, to the first pinion and engaging said internal gear, said inions being mounted to revolve bodily with the cylinders producing a differential rotation of the said ring and valve actuating elements and effecting by the movement of said ring the actuation of the said valve actuating elements for opening the exhaust valves in the cylinders at predetermined times.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specificatiomin the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 7th day of May A. D. 1910.

THOMAS P. BROOKE.

Witnesses:

J. H. JocrrUM, Jr., M. W, CANTWELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for this cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. 0. k