US1236274A - Rotary engine. - Google Patents

Description

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLKCATION FILED JAN-27,1916.

Patented Aug. 7, 191?.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

In/mmr 1. T. DICKSON.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.27. 19m.

Patent-ed Aug. 7, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

tures of my rotary on ball bearings 19 on the crank shaft,

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JAMES 'l. DICKSON, DE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-EIGHTH ROBERT "WATCHORN AND SEVEN-EIGHTHS T0 F. WINSTANLEY, H. P. HITOI-ICOCK, AND WILLIAM E. BROWN, ALL OF LOS .AI IGELES, GALIFORNIA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 7, 191?.

Application filed January 27', 1916. Serial No. 74,612.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES T. DICKSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, State of California,have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which th following is a specification.

- This invention relates to a rotary or rotating gas engine or like rotating or circularly arranged machine; and particularly to the mechanical structure of such an engine and an arrangement for cooling it.' Certain other features of the structure herein shown, being particularly the mechanism; for distribution and supply and control of fluid to the work cylinders are the particular sul ject matter of my application S. N. 74,613, filed January 27, 1916.

It is an object of this invention tb provide a simple and strong rotary or circularly arranged structure in which the parts are securely held together; and at the same time to provide a structure in which air cooling of the cylinders may be readily ei' fected. The details of my invention, and a preferred form thereof, are explained in the accompanying s 'iecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in Which Figure l is a central radial section of my improved engine, Fig. 2 is a section taken as indicated by line 2-2 on Fig. 1, Fig. 3 an elevation, partly in section, as indicated by line 33 on Fig. 2, and Fi l is a detail section taken as indicated by ine l4 on Fig. 1. I

I shall explain briefly the essential feaengine, and then explain in particular the features of the present invention. I employ a suitable central crank case 10 from which a plurality of compression cylinders 11 radiate. Mounted upon the outer ends of the compression cylinders are the Work cylinders 12; and a trunk pis ton 13 operates in each of the compression and work cylinders. The pistons are connected by rods 14 with a central connecting rod bearing 15 on crank pin 16. The details of this connecting rod hearing need not herein he explained. The crank pin 16 forms a part of the crank shaft 17, which crank shaft may be suitably stationarily supported in any manner, as by supports 18 shown in Fig. The crank case 10 may be mounted passage Each of these port from the port 21 parts, may freely revolve.

F or each cylinder there isa valve chamber or casing :20 with an induction port at 2i to which explosive mixture is fed through manifold passages from a central ieed valve chambers has a cylindrical valve 2 adapted by its lllUl/Ulllellttl) (.OllllUCll alternately with the induction port 21 and with an inlet port .20 which leads to the bottom part of the work cylinder 12, to be uncovered by the piston therein at the end of its work stroke. Also communicating with the ports 26, and with the ends of the valve cl'nnnbers, I provide an annular endless nfessurc chamber 27 common to all the cylinders and valves. The valves 2% are actuated from an eccentric 30 on the crank shaft; and are moved in such relation to the piston that the larger end of the crank piston, in the large cylinders 11, becomes a means oi drawing in a charge through the and then compressing that charge back through the port 25 into the compression chamber 27, whence the charge flows into the cylinders 12. EX- haust ports at 31 are also uncovered by the pistons in the work cylinders. h

Having now described the general features of my rotary engine, I shall proceed to the description of the particular invention herein involved. It will be understood that the peculiar rotary engine or other struc ture hereinbefore described is not an essential of the present invention; as the invention hereinafter set forth may be applied to any structure of that kind having a circular arrangemento'f parts, and, more specifically, adapted for rotation.

This particular invention has to do with the structural assembly of the cylinders and the-means for holding the outer cylii'ide s- 12 upon the inner cylinders 11 (that is, j erally, the mcans'of holding the radial cj inders in place), and an improved means for cooling the work cylinders.

It will he noted that each of the work cylinders is seated at 40 into and on the outer end of a compression cylinder. The fitting is so made that the work cylinder is held in proper alinei'nent, concentric with the compression cylinder. Now, the means or holding the Work cylinder radially in a compression port 25 toward and on the compression cylinders (which compression cylinders form apart of the inner rotating frame of the engine) inders.

is embodied in one or more annuli of suitable metal extending around and bearing inwardly upon the cylinders 1.2. In the present caselpreferto employ a pair of said annuli in the form of annular plates 50, one on each side of the cylinders, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. Each of the cylin- .ders is provided with oppositely disposed sloping shouldersbl, as is shown in Figs. 2 and 3; and the. iln'ier peripheries of the plates 50 are shaped to bear upon said shoulders; each set of said shoulders being collectively arranged upon a common circumference so that the plates may bear equally upon each of the shoulders. -The work eylinders'firmly upon their seats, but

is also a very strong means of holding the work cylinders against displacement from tl1ei. \(,seats and, against outward movement due f centrifugal action. plates 50 possess great strength; and for u a cylinder to be forced or to fly loose it is necessary that one or both of the plates be ruptured, which is not likely to occur.

I "The annular plates not only function in the mechanical structure of the rotary mechanism; but they also perform a duty with reference to the air cooling of the work cyl- It has heretofore been dillicult to cool cylinders of a rotating engine or the I like due to the formation of low pressure pockets and eddlesm the air behind each of the cylinders; causing the cylinders to be cooledon their forward facesand not to be cooled outheir rear faces. I cool the cylinders of my engine with air impelled centrifugally. When the engine is in operation the air wlnch enters laterally in the open spaces 60 between the cylinders is i .thrown outwardly by centrifugal action be tween the cylinders and between the plates 50. The side plates here perform the function of confining the outward or radial movement of the centrifugally impelled air. Now, in order to direct this centrifugal flow of air next to the cylinders, I place deflectors 61 between the adjacent cylinders and betweenthe plates 50, preferably of the shape shown in Fig. 1, and extending completely from one plate 50 to the other.

These deflectors 61 are preferably mounted upon bolts or rods 62. being made of sheet metal bent to somewhat the configuration The annular shown and-then slipped into place over the bolts or rods, pressing resiliently againstthe rods. It will be seen thateach of the delleetors has two side portions 61 which are close to the adjacent cylinders and more or less approximately parallel to the cylinder walls; so that the outwardly moving current of air must move in touch with the heated cylinder walls; and this is just as trueof the rear sides of the cylinders as of their front sides. It'will be seen that the air which is thus centrifugally impelled through the rotating mechanism is entirely free from the disturbing influence of the outer atmosphere, so that there is no ten-- dency to form eddies behind any of the cylinders. The inertia of the air will, of course, tend to make it drag behind the rotation of the whole mechanism and will tend,

more" or less, to throw it toward the following cylinder rather than toward the preceding cylinder; but the sectional areas of the passages 65 between the deflectors 61. and the cylinders are restricted so that the air is forced through all the passages 65 in sufficient quantities to thoroughly cool the cylinders on all sides. It will also be'noted that there are spaces between the plates 50 and the cylinder walls; clearly shown in Fig. 2; so that the outwardly moving air may contact with the lateral sides of the cylinders as well as with the front and back sides. The total cross-sectional area of the passage around one cylinder is not greater,

and may be less, than the cross-sectional'i area of the openings leading to andthrough a space 60; so that the air current drawn into the structure is sufiicient to fill radial passages and leave no pockets Where there is no circulation.

Having described my invention, I claim: 1. In a rotary engine or the like, a rotating frame, a. plurality of radial cylinders arranged in a single-plane of rotation on said rotating frame, a pair of annular plates one on each side of thecylinders, and members forming air'passages between the annu-' lar plates and adjacent the cylinders. I

2. In a rotary engine or the like, a. rotating frame, a plurality of radial cylinders arranged in a single plane of rotation on said rotating frame, a pair of-annular plates one at each side. of the cylinders and secured thereto, and sheet metal air current deflectors extendlng across the space between the annular plates and between the cylinders to direct the outwardly moving current of air be-.- tween the plates against the cylinders.

3. In a-rotary engine or the like, a rotat in; frame, a plurality of radial cylinders arranged in a single plane of rotation on the frame, each cylinder havlnglateral shoul-- ders and opposite sides, and means for hold mg the cylindersainwardly on the frame em bodylng a pair of'annular plates parallel to site sides of each cylinder, a pair of annuthe frame.

lar plates one on each side of the cylinders fitting over the sloping shoulders, and means to draw the plates upon the shoulders to force and hold the cylinders inwardly on 5. In a rotary engine or the like, a rotating frame, a plurality of radial cylinders arranged in a single plane of rotation seated in said rotary frame, sloping shoulders on opposite sides of each cylinder, said shoulders being coll lively arranged in circular formation on e ch of the opposite sides of the cylinders, a pair of annular side plates fitting over the sloping shoulders one on each side of the cylinders, bolts for drawing said plates inwardly toward the cylinders and over the shoulders, there being open spaces between the cylinders inside the inner periphery of the annular plates, and air current deflectors arranged between the cylinders to direct the outwardly flowing current of air' against the cylinders.

6. In a rotary engine or the like, a rotating frame, a plurality of radial cylinders arranged in a single plane of rotation seat- .ed in said rotary frame, sloping shoulders on opposite sides of each cylinder, said shoulders being collectively arranged in circular formation on each of the opposite sides of the cylinders, a pair of annular side plates fitting over the sloping shoulders one on each side of the cylinders, bolts for drawing said plates inwardl toward the cylinders and over the'shoul ers, there being open spaces between the cylinders inside the inner periphery of the annular plates, and air current deflectors arranged between the cylinders to direct the outwardly flowing current of air against the cylinders, air deflectors each embodying a single piece of sheet metal in each space between adjacent cylinders, said metal extending from plate to plate and having end portions near the cylinders extending approximately radially.

7. In a rotary engine or the like, a rotating frame, a plurality of cylinders projecting substantially radially therefrom, there being spaces between the cylinders at their inner ends in communication with the surround ing atmosphere for ingress of air, and means forming outwardly extending air passages adjacent the cylinders communicating with said spaces at their inner ends, the spaces between the cylinders and intermediate said passages being closed to outward passage of the air.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 14th day of January 1916.

J. T. DICKSON. Witness:

Enwoon H. BARKELEW.

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