US1210046A - Rotary engine. - Google Patents

Description

G. A. CATHEY & E. D. JOHNSON.

ROTARY ENGINE:

APPLICATION FILED MAB. l. 1915.

Patented Dec. 26,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

I l l QZZEF Inn: (:11. Puomuma" WASHYNB run. a c,

v 3 A WITNESSES:

G. A. CATHEY & E. D. JOHNSON.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1.19m.

Patented Dec. 26, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

G. A. CATHEY & E. D. JOHNSON.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. i. 19x5.

1 ,2 1 0 046 Patented Dec. 26, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

re more.

GEORGE A; GATHEY AND ROTARY ENGINE.

To all-whom it may concern Be it known that we, GEORGE A. GATHEY and ELZA D. JOHNSON, residing at Klamath Falls, in the county of Klamath and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, Embodying Internal Combustion, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention is an improved engine of the rotary-type which has been especially designed for use as an internal combustion engine or as a combined steam and-internal combustion engine, as may be found desirable.

Generically the invention comprises a rotary engine of the rotatingpiston, sliding abutment type, means being provided for positively operating the abutment in such manner that all wear is taken 01f the abutment and the piston the invention also including means for packing the piston in an air-tight manner without undue friction, and to that end we have provided 'a special packing device for the piston head, by the use of which greater eiiiciency and less wear of parts is obtained than is the case in other engines of this general type.

The invention further includes means whereby the movements of the abutment are so timed with relation to the dead arc of travel of the piston that the abutment slot will not be opened for obstructive engagement by the piston packing members while passing over the same. 7 I

Again, the invention provides a mechanism whereby an explosive mixture of air and gas, or gasoline, may be admitted into the working chamber of the engine while the piston is being impelled by steam to thereby increase the pressure of the working agent and hence increase the power output of the engine.

Another object of the invention is to provide meansfor effecting an initial compression of the explosive gases andto admit the same into the working chamber against a steam cushion at the instant an explosionoccurs, whereby the full explosive force is made immediately available for work on'the 3iston by super-heating the steam inthe working chamber as well as by raising its pressure, due to the expansion of the exploded gases upon ignition of the same.

The invention further includes those novel details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all of which will be Specification of Letters Patent.

valve actuating devices. section on the line 9..9 of Fig. 3. Figs. 10,

' steam intake duct.

' packing 11 of the rotator.

ELZA DELNO JOHNSON, F KLAMATH FALLS, OREGON.

Patented Dec. 26, 1916.

Application filed March 1, 1915. Serial No. 11,281.

first fully described, then be specifically pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation and part section on the line 11 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail elevation looking in the direction of the arrow A. Fig. l is a detail perspective view of the piston head with the packing members removed. Fig. 5 is a detall perspective viewof the packlng members, the two sets being separated. Fig. 6 'is a detail perspective view of the packing member expansion'spring. Fig. is adetail section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the steam Fig. 9 is a detail 12 and 13 are detail sections on the lines 11-l1, 12-342 and 1313',.respecof Fig- 9; Fig. '14: is a detail perview, parts being broken away,

11, 10 tively,

spective showing the manner of operating the compressor or pump piston and actuating the valve rotating devices. Figs. 15, 16, 17 and 18 are detail diagrammatic sections illustrating the operation of the abutment movmg devices and their cooperative. connections. 19l9 of Fig. 15. Fig. 20 is a detail view Fig. 19 is a detail section on the line illustrating the back check valve in the Fig. 21 is a detail section showing 'a modification of the piston for wide pistons.

g In the drawings, in which like letters and numerals of reference indicate like parts in all of the figures, 1 represents the engine shaft which is ournaled'in suitable bearings 6 inthe casing 52.. The casing 2 is provided with the. usual bed or support 3 and is also provided with a removable head 4 that 18 secured in place by suitable screw bolt-s The head 4: and the opposite wall of the casing 2 are each provided with in .wardly projecting annular rings 87 respectively, the opposing faces of which are spaced apart-to permit passage of the web The rotator has its hub 10 keyed to the shaft 1 and is'provided with .l'aterallyproqecting annular sealing guldes 13 that seat in annular recesses 12 in the opposing faces of the members 7-8. The casing 2 is thus provided with an annular working chamber 9 in which the piston 14 is movable, it being understood that the piston 14 is carried'by the Web 11 and suitably braced at 15.

In order to effect an air and steam-tight joint between the moving surfaces of the piston and easing the plston 1s provlded with a slot 16 separating it 1nto two parts that are united by a connection 17, asbest shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing. .In the slot 16 is located the special packing device which forms one of the features of the present invention. This packing device, the construction of which is best shown n Flgs. 5 and 7 is composed of four sect ons of packing'members arranged in two pairs, one pair consisting of the sect1ons 18.18 of substantially L-shaped in plan view and so designed as to overlap each other as at 21, whereby to leave two unbroken transverse long edges and two radial short edges, the latter being broken by the joints. I-he other set of packing members is composed 0t two sections 18 that have overlapping portions 22 and 22 (see Fig. 5) so designed that the long side will be the broken slde, and the short end the. unbroken end ofthe packing. The two pairs of packing members are placed upon each other, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7, 'in such manner that there will be a continuous unbroken packing edge on all four sides of the piston.

'The several packing members are spaced apart at 2st to inclose the connection 17 between the two piston sections and also to inclose the expanding ring 23 by means of which the packing sections are. kept in contact with the walls of the casing in the working chamber."

The two sections of packing may be held by pin and slot connections 19 and to insure the proper relative movements of the parts to take up wear.

25 designates the abutment housing which is secured at 26 to the engine casing and which is designed. to providethe abutment chamber 27 the latter being closed by a cap 28 as best shown in FigsQl and 2 of the drawings.

29 is the abutment which is of the sliding type and has a tongue and slot connection 29" with the side Walls, of the casing 2 and cover 4 (see Fig. 2). The abutment 29 is alsoprovided with guide bores 30 to receive the guide pins 32 that are carried by the cap 28, the bores 30 being counter-bored at 31 to form spring pockets in which the light springs 33 are seated.

It will be noticed the ton 14 is located at an angle to the radial line of the guideway 29 -so that as the pack ing members pass over the radial guide slots 219 they will not engage the edges of the s ot.

The abutment 29 has lateral projections 34 into which the rods 35 are fastened, the rods. 35' passing through suitable glands in space 16 in the pisare provided with slotways 38 in which the I block 39 is mounted, the block 39 having a pin 4:0 which is connected with'the cam strapl of: the abu ment rn. .2;, e am 42 being Secured to turn with the shaft 1. The cam i2 may benlade as a part of one of the fly wheels, if desired.

The block 39 is provided with a recess 43 into which the head 47 of the latching lever 46 is adapted to. project at times to lock the block 39 and the slide 37' together. The latching lever 4-6 is pivotally carried at 4:5 in arecess in one of the arms of the slide 37 and one of the g-uideways of the fixed; guide 36 is provided with a recess 4:8 intov which the other of the lever 46 is designed to more. clearlyexenter at times as will be plained.

49 is. a latching roller carried by the yieldable arm 50 that is fastened at 51 to. one of the aforesaid slideway members 361 and the said slideway member is chambered out at 48. to permit roller 49 to project into engagement with the slide 37 when itis in the position shown in Figs. 1 5 and 16, to latch the same in those positions.

101 designates a spring that is inserted between block 39 and the slide pose later explained.

52 designates the steam supply pipe that 37 for a purleads into. the engine through the peripheral wall of the casing 2 and this pipe is provided with a shutoif valve 53 that has a stem 54' which is, provided with a, trip 55 which cooperates with a cam 57 on one of the fly wheels 99 to hold the valve'53. open during the interval in which steam is designed to be admitted into the working chamber, a spring 56 serving to closethe valve 53 when the cam 57 disengages the trip 55.

58 designates a pumping orinitial compression cylinder in which the charge of explosive mixtnreis designed to be compressed prior to its, transmittal to the explosion chamber and the working chamber of the engine. The cylinder 58 contains the piston 59 which is operatively secured at 60 to the strap, 61 of the pumpingor compressing cam 62, the cam 62 being/suitably keyed to the shaftv 1. V

63 is the valve casing which is bolted to the head or the cylinder 58 and is also secured at 65' to the engine casing to sustain the cylinder 58 in. position, it being understood that if desired, the cylinder 58 may have projections bored to fit onto the engine shaft to assist in sustaining it.

66 is a dome-like member bolted over the end of the valve duct 63 and contains the explosion chamber 67, the latter being suitably water-j acketed at 68, and the-dome 66 has the usual tapped bore for the spark plug 69 of the ignition system (it being understood that any suitable ignition system may be employed, and hence we have not illustrated the same).

The valve casing 63 is bored at 64 to re ceive the rotary valve 70, the latter being provided with a port 7 2 that is designed to register with the outlet port 7 3 from the compression or pumping cylinder 58 and also to register with the internal duct 71 of the valve. The duct 71 registers with a port 74 that is designed to register with a port 75 to lead the compressed working agent into the explosion chamber 67, at times. The valve 70 is also provided with a port 77 that is adapted to convey the exhausted working agent through the ports 76 and 78 into the working chamber of the engine.

79 is a stem portion of the valve 70 that carries a restraining member 80 which may be a. threaded nut or any other suitable device.

lVorkin'g agent is received through a pipe 81 from the carbureter (not shown) and delivered through ducts 82 and 84, via the port 83 of the valve 70, into the pump cylinder 58 when the port 83 is in register with the ports 82 and 8% on the down or out stroke of the piston.

The stem 85, of the valve 70, carries a ratchet 86 having four teeth so that the valve 7 0 may be operated in steps.

87 is a bifurcated rocking lever mounted loosely on the stem 85 to straddle the ratchet 86, and the lever 87 is restrained from movement in one direction by a stop 88. The lever 87 carries a pawl 89 that is designed to engage the ratchet 86.

Movement is imparted at proper intervals to the lever 87 by pins 97 that engage the short arm 96 of a bell crank 94, the latter being pivoted at and connected with the lever 87 by a connecting rod 90. The lever 87 is normally held against the stop 88 by a spring 91 on the rod 90 that lies between a fixed abutment 93 and an adjustable collar 92, as best shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings.

98 designates the exhaust duct from the engine and 99 represents the fly wheels of which two are provided, one on each side of the engine.

WVhere the steam pipe enters the engine casing, I provide a back check valve 100 of the mush-room type so that when the explosive agent is admitted into the working chamber, the steam will notbe backed up gle expansion spring 23, as shown in Figs.

.5, 6 and 7, where the piston is of considerable width, the connecting lug 17 between the piston sections may be made wider and the ends of the packing plates may be made of lesser thickness so as to provide two chambers in which two springs 23 may be located, as indicated in Fig. 21 of the drawlngs.

Operation: It will be observed that the engine, while adapted for operation either as a steam or as an explosive engine, is especially designed to operate under the joint action of. steam and explosive gases within the working chamber. Assume the piston 1% to be moving around in its path of travel and to have just passed the abutment, the abutment having been just moved into full working position in the working chamber. At this time the abutment operatin slide, etc, will be at the position shown in Fig. 15, the slide 87 just having come to rest; block 39 is moving in the direction of the arrow; the locking device 16 has just released the block from the slide; and the latch 19-50 has just come in position. As soon as the piston 14 has passed the working agent admission port, (see Fig. 1), the steam valve 53 is opened by the cam 57, the cam 57 holding the steam valve open during substantially the full working stroke of the piston, or the cam may be designed for a shorter period of admission, if desired. The gas valve 70 next assumes the position shown in Fig. 9 to admit the explosive gases from the explosion chamber 67 into the working chamber 9, (it being understood that the ignition of the charge occurs at the instant the valve opens passage between the working chamber and the explosion chamber), thereby super-heating the steam, and by reason of the expansion force of the gases and added heat additional pressure is provided in the working chamber, the check valve 100 preventing back flow of gases into the steam supply pipe as long as the pressure in the working chamber exceeds the normal steam pressure. As the piston it moves around rom the position shown in Fig. 1, to a position about 270 from that shown in Fig. 1, the block 39 will travel toward the shaft and back to the position shown in Fig. 1 to engage the spring 101 (the spring 101, it being understood is a stiff spring so as not to yield readily). Further movement of the piston serves to cause the cam 12 to continue the out-stroke of the block 39 and as it is against the spring 101, the slide 37 will be moved with it, thus moving the abutment into its housing and at the same time the lock lever e16 will have been rocked to lock the block 39 and slide 37 together, (see Fig. 17). As

the slide arrives at its farthest place in the housing, the inner edge'of the slide will be substantially flush with the peripheral wall of the working chamber and in order to prevent the packing plates of the piston from being forced into the abutment slot, the

abutment must remain in this position stationarily for a sufficient interval of time to permit the piston plates to pass the abutment and this is done by providing the spring 101, which, when the abutment is completely housed and the slide 37 stopped, will yield during the remainder of the out stroke of the block39 (see Fig. 18). 'As the slide 37 and block 39 are locked together by the locking lever 46, when the block 39 returns on its inward stroke, the slide will move with it until the abutment has been restored in the working chamber, at which time the lever 46 will again enter the recess 48 and release the block to continue its free travel on the dead portions of its strokes.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying. drawings, it will be seen we have provided an engine in which efficient means have been devised for effecting steam and air-tight oints between the working chamber and the moving parts and in which the construction is such that theengine may be operated either under steam or explosive mixture alternatively or the same may be operated simultaneously by a combined action of the steam and explosive gases.

It will also be noticed that by the provision of the special mechanism for operating the slide the same can be held stationary while the piston packing plates are passing the slideway slot through which the slide enters the working chamber, the slide being held in a substantially flush relation with the slot so that the packing plates will not enter and cut or bind on the edges of the abutment slot.

Furthermore the arrangement of the parts is such that a compact construction is possible.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought the complete construction, operation and advantages of our invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

What we claim is 1. In a rotary engine, a casing inclosing a piston chamber, an ignition chamber mounted on said casing and adapted to communicate with the same, a rotatable shaft, a web on said shaft, a piston carried by said web and operating in said chamber, an abutment cooperating with said piston, asteam pipe delivering into said chamber between said abutment and said piston after said pis ton has passed said abutment, a compressor for compressing explosive gases, operative connections between said shaft and said compressor, a valved duct connecting Stlld. V

compressor with said ignition chamber to admit explosive gases into said chamber, ig-

nition, devices piston, and a mechanism for timing. said duct valve and said ignition devices.

2. Ina rotary engine, a casing inclosing a piston chamber, an ignition chamber mounted on said casing and adapted to communicate with the same, a rotatable shaft,a web 7 on said shaft, a piston carried by said web and operating in said chamber, an abutment cooperating with said piston, a steam pipe delivering into said chamber between said abutment and said piston after said piston has passed said abutment, a compressor for compressing explosive gases, operative connections between said shaft and said compressor, a valved, duct connecting said compressor with said ignition chamber to admit explosive gasesinto said chamber, ignition devices piston, mechanism for timing said duct valve and said ignition devices, a valve connections between said shaft and said compressor, a valved duct connecting said compressor with said ignition chamber to admit explosive gases into said chamber, ignition devices piston, and mechanism for timing said duct valve and said'ignition devices, to admit the explosive gases into said chamber during the time the steam is impelling said piston.

4. In a rotary engine, a casing having an annular working chamber, a rotator including a piston head operating in said chamber, an abutment chamber on said casing, an abutment, mechanism for moving said abutment into and out of said abutment chamber at intervals, means for admitting working agent into said working chamber, means for exhausting working agent from the same, said working agent admitting means including a steam inlet duct, a back check valve in said duct, a cutoff valve and means for operating said cutoff valve, mechanism for admitting explosive agent into said Working chamber, said lastnamed mechanism comprising a charge compressor, an explosion chamber, a duct for conveying the compressed charge to the explosion chamber,

means for admitting working agent into the compressor, a duct for conveying the working agent from the explosive chamber into the working chamber, and a valve mechanism for controlling the admission of working agent to said compressor, for controlling the passage of the compressed charge from the compressor to the explosion chamber, and for controlling the passage of the charge from the explosion chamber to the working chamber.

5. In a rotary engine, a casing having an annular working chamber, a rotator including a piston head operating in said chamber, an abutment chamber on said casing, an abutment, mechanism for moving said abutment into and out of said abutment chamber at intervals, means for admitting working agent into said working chamber, means for exhausting working agent from the same. said working agent admitting means including a steam inlet duct, a back check valve in said duct, a cutofl valve, and means for operating said cutofi valve, mechanism for admitting explosive agent into said working chamber, said last named mechanism comprising a charge compressor, an explosion chamber, a duct for conveying the compressed charge to the explosion chamber, means for admitting working agent into the compressor. a duct for conveying the working agent from the explosive chamber into the working chamber, a valve mechanism for controlling the admission of working agent to said compressor, for controlling the passage of the compressed charge to the explo sion chamber, and for controlling the passage of the charge from the explosion chamber to the working chamber, said last named valve mechanism including a rotary valve element, and an intermittently operating valve gear for imparting rotation to said ele ment.

6. In a rotary engine. a casing having an annular working chamber, a rotator includ ing a piston head operating in said chamber, an abutment chamber on said casing. an abutment, mechanism for moving said abutment into and out of said abutment chamber at intervals, means for admitting working agent into said working chamber, means for exhausting working agent from the same, said working agent admitting means including a steam inlet duct, a back check valve in said duct, a cutofl' valve and means for operating said cutofl valve, mechanism for admitting explosive agent into said working chamber, said last named mechanism comprising a charge compressor, an explosion chamber, a duct for conveying the compressed charge to the explosion chamber, means for admitting working agent into the compressor, a duct for conveying the working agent from the explosive chamber into the working chamber, a valve mechanism for controlling the admission of working agent to said compressor, for controlling the passage of the compressed charge from the compressor to the explosion chamber, and for controlling the passage of the charge from the explosion chamber to the working chamber, said last named valve mechanism including a rotary valve element, and an intermittently operating valve gear for imparting stcp-by-step rotation to said valve element.

- 7. In a rotary engine, a casing having an annular working chamber, a rotator including a piston head operating in said chamber, an abutment chamber on said casing, an abutment, mechanism for moving said abutment into and out of said abutment chamber at intervals, means for admitting working agent into said working chamber, means for exhausting Working agent from the same, said working agent admitting means including a steam inlet duct, a back check valve in said duct, a cutofl valve and means for operating said cutofl' valve, mechanism for admitting explosive agent into said working chamber, said last named mechanism comprising a charge compressor, an explosion chamber, a duct for conveying the compressed charge to the explosion chamber, means for admitting working agent into the compressor, a duct for conveying the working agent from the explosion chamber into the working chamber, a valve mechanism for controlling the admission of working agent to said compressor, for controlling the passage of the compressed charge from the compressor to the explosion chamber, and for controlling the passage of the charge from the explosion chamber to the working chamber, said compressor including a cylinder, a piston reciprocating in the same, and an operating connection between said shaft and said piston.

8. In a rotary engine, a casing having an annular working chamber, a rotator including a piston head operating in said chamber, an abutment chamber on said casing, an abutment, mechanism for moving said abutment into and out of said abutment chamber at intervals, means for admitting working agent into said working chamber, means for exhausting working agent from the same, said working agent admitting means including a steam inlet duct, a back check valve in said duct, a cutoff valve and means for operating said cutoff valve, mechanism for admitting explosive agent into said working chamber, said last named mechanism comprising a charge compressor, an explosion chamber, a duct for conveying the compressed charge to the explosion chamber, means for admitting working agent into the compressor, a duct for conveying the working agent from the explosion chamber 1nto the working chamber, a valve mechanism for controlling the admission of working agent to said compressor, for controlling the passage of the compressed charge from the compressor to the explosion chamber, and for controlling the passage of the charge from the explosion chamber to the working chamber, said last named valve mechanism including a rotary valve element, an intermittently operating valve gear for imparting step-bystep rotation to said valve element, said compressor including a cylinder, a PlS. ton reciprocating in the same, and an operating connection between said shaft and said piston.

9. In a rotary engine, a casing having an annular Working chamber, a rotator including a piston head operating in said chamber, an abutment chamber on said casing, an abutment, mechanism for moving said abutment into and out of said abutment chamber at intervals, means for admitting working agent into said Working chamber, means for exhausting working agent from the same, said Working agent admitting means including a steam inlet duct, a back check valve in said duct, acutofi' valve and means for operating said cutoff valve, mechanism for ad- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing- Washington, D. 0.

mitting explosive agent into said working chamber, said last named mechanismcomprising a charge compressor, an explosion chamber, a duct for conveying the compressed charge to the explosion chamber, means for admitting working agent into the compressor, a duct for conveying the working agent from the explosionchamber into the Working chamber, a valve mechanism for controlling the admission of working agent to said compressor, for controlling the passage of the compressed charge from the compressor to the explosion chamber, and for controlling the passage of the charge from the explosion chamber to the'working chamber, said last named valve mechanism including a rotary valve element,- a ratchet on said element,- a rocker lever and a pawl cooperative with the same, a trip lever, a: connecting rod between said rocker lever and said trip lever, and trip pins for engaging said trip lever at intervals, I GEORGE A. GATHEY.

ELZA DELNO JOHNSON. Witnesses H. Goonnron,

W. J. MGLAUGHLIN.

the Gommissioner of I atents.

Images