US1263972A - Internal-combustion engine. - Google Patents

Description

H. J. WARNER.: If\lTERlIl/\L- COMBUSTION ENGINE APPLICATION FILED msc. I. me.

.Patented Apr. 23, 19l8.

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. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPUcATloN FILED nEc.1.191s.

Lwm. r Patented Apr. 23, 1918.

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APPLICATION FILED DEC. I |916.

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HVIEY d'. WARNER, 'OF TKOMA PARK, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNO T0 THE II. S. AVIATION AND AUTO OO., OF DENVER, COLORADO, A. CORPORATION.

INTRNAL-CONIBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 23, IOI.

Application filed December 1, 1916. Serial No. 134,441.

To all (whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY J. WARNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Takoma Park, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal-Combustion Engines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description `of the in,- vention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

` My invention relates more particularly to internal combustion engines of the rotating cylinder type designed primarily for use on aeroplanes and other air craft although the improved features of construction are not limited to this type ofengine.

0n account of the fact that the two-cycle engine is capable of creating a greater number of working strokes per revolution than the four-cycle, this engine should be by far the most efficient for high speed work but the two-cycle engines of the types now in use are not so constructed as to permit them to operate effectively when constructed with rotating rather than xed cylinders. Furthermore, with the common type of twocycle `engine in which the incoming charge :expels the exhaust gases, there is a great waste of power since the lincoming mixture is more or less expelled prematurely before being compressed and fired. It is therefore the object of my invention to so improve upon the construction of two-cycle engines as to render them highly efficient and capa-I ble of developing an unusually high speed whether they be constructed with fixed or rotating cylinders.

, With the foregoing general object in view,

the invention resides in certain novel features of construction end unique combinations of parts to be hereinafter fully described and claimed, the descriptive matter fixed abutments which operate in conjunction with the hollow piston; and

Figs. 5., 6 and 7 aredetail transverse sec- -tions through one cylinder on the planes of the lines 5 5, (3*6 and 7-7 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings above briefly described, the numeral l has reference to a crank shaft held against rotation in any suitable manner, the ends of said shaft being shown as provided with lplates 2 rigidly secured thereto and carried by the inner ends of radially disposed supporting arms 3 which are preferably anchored at their outer ends to a circular guard 4f within which the engine cyl inders rotate. 'Ihe shaft 1 is provided with a main crank 5 extending in one direction and a pair of auxiliary cranks 6 extending approximately in the opposite direction and the usual port 7 is formed through a portion of said shaft for admitting an explosive mixture from the carburetei' 8 into the crank case 9 which is rotatably supported on the shaft 1l between the main and auxiliary cranks.

A plurality of cylinders 10 radiate from the crank case 9 and communicate therewith, each cylinder having therein an inner piston 11 and an outer piston 12, both of which are hollow with open ends disposed toward the ends of the cylinder. A master connecting rod 13 extends into the crank case from one of the pistons 11 and carries a master bearing 14 on its inner end which is mounted on the main crank 5 of the shaft 1. rIhe connecting rods 13a of the other pistons 11 are pivoted to the master bearing 14 in the usual manner. Y

The outer pistons 12 are carried by shaft-s 15` which extend therethrough and through longitudinal slotslG in the outer ends of the cylinders 10, one of said shafts 15 being carried by a pair of master connecting rods 17 having master bearings 18 on their inner vends mounted on the auxiliary cranks 6 of the shaft 1. The other shafts 15 are carried by connecting rods 17u. which are pivoted to the master bearings 18. 'Ihis arrangement causes the inner and outer pistons to movev ice Imi

therewith in forming air and gas 'pumps which respectively scavenge the cylinders of burnt gases and fill them with anA explosive charge at proper intervals. Each abutment 19 is provlded with a pair of comparatively resilient legs 20 normally spaced a greater distance at their free ends than the internal diameter of the cylinders, whereby said legs Awhen forced toward each other will be placed under tension. so that laterally extending feet 21 on the free ends of said legs will be effectively held in sockets 22 formed lon the interior of the cylinders. This construction readily holds the abutments 19 in operative position yet permits them to be easily removed when required.

The outer ends of the pistons 12 have formed therein yair inlet ports 23 of a width greater than the thiclmessof the abutments 19 so that as said pistons recede from their respective abutments, a partial vacuum will be created which will be immediately filled with air when the ports 23 reach the position shown at the lower end of Fig. 1. As

f the pistons 12 now move toward the abutments 19 the trapped air will be compressed and at the proper time ports 241 in the inner ends of said pistons will permit this air to discharge into by-passes 25l which lead into the cylinders 10, this inrush of air being adapted to drive the exhaust gases from the cylinders through the exhaust ports 26 which are uncovered by the pistons 12 (see the upper end of Fig. 1).

The'inner ends of the inner pistons 11l are formed with ports 27 which establish communication between the interior of said pistons and the crank case 9 when the former have receded a predetermined amount from-k their respective abutments 19 (see the lower end of Fig. 1). When the ports 27 of. any piston are opened in this manner, explosive mixture is drawn from the crank case into said piston and as said 'piston then moves toward its abutment as indicated at the left of Fig. l, this mixture will be compressed.

Then, at Athe proper time, a port 28 at the outer end of piston 11 registers with a short by-pass 29 so as to permit the compressed mixtureto be forced into the cylinder (see the upper end of Fig. 1). This injection of explosive mixture takes place immediately after the air from the outer piston 12 l has been forced into the cylinder to scavenge the same of burnt gases so thatas the cylmean time filled respectively with gas and air. The force of this explosion moves the cylinder toward position B, in which position, however, the force of the expanding gases is not exhausted, this force acting not only to rotate the entire setl of cylinders but to compress the gas and air trapped respectively in the pistons 11 and 12. Just before the position C is reached the outer piston uncovers the exhaust ports 26, allowing the gases to escape and a little later but still before position C is reached the port 24 has registered with the by-pass 25 and the compressed, air from piston 12 has been discharged into the cylinder to force the burnt gases from the exhaust ports 26 and the port 28 has registered with the bypass 29, thus conducting the compressed gas from piston 11 into the cylinder. As the cylinder now moves toward position D the pistons 11 and 12 travel toward each other, close all ports and compress the new charge of mixture in readiness for iring at position A. As the cylinder moves from C t0- ward A the pistons 11 and 12 recede from their respective abntments 19 so as to create a partial vacuum and the moment this vacuum is relieved by opening of the ports `23 and 27, thetwo pistons again fill respectively with gas and air.

The improved engine operating ,in the manner above described will develop not only great horse power but unusually high sp'eed without loss of gas, and due to the pump actions at both the inner and outer ends of the cylinders, the latter are maintained at an extremely low temperature. These pumps also serve as cushions to prevent loose vibration of the pistons and therefore cause the engine to run smoothly regardless of the high speed at which it operates. Furthermore, since all pistons are hollow, and are extremely light and rotate around a common center, the centrifugal force acting thereon is balanced and reduced to a minimum. A further advantage is that the improved arrangement of pistons allows a great expansion of gases with short piston travel and the pistons traveling in opposite directions will not receive such forcible shocks from the explosion as in the ordinary engine in which one piston moves toward and from a fixed cylinder' head. The pistons may therefore be made lighter and the ports will remain open a longer time at the same speed than in the usual types of twocycle engines.

The improved engine may be employed wherever applicable and power may be taken therefrom in any suitable manner, a sprocket wheel 31 being shown in Fig. 2, for illustrative purposes. said wheel being secured to one of a pair of easings 32 which are carried by the crank case 9 and surround the auxiliary cranks 6 of the shaft 1.

Particular emphasis is laid upon the fact that pumps are provided at the inner and outer ends of the cylinders on account of the advantages above pointed out and upon the unique construction of the abutments 19 whereby they may be quickly and easily attached or detached whenever necessary. The' general construction shown is comparatively simple yet highlyy eflicient and for these reasons constitutes the preferred embodiment of the improved engine but it is to be understood that within the scope of the inventionl ,A free ends sprung into sockets in the cy inder, means for admitting air into one piston as it recedes from its abutment and for directing said air into the cylinder as said piston moves toward said abutment, whereby to scavenge the cylinder of burnt gases, means for admitting an explosive mixture into the other piston as it recedes from its abutment and for directing this mixture into the cylinder as said last named piston travels toward its abutment, and means connecting said pistons for causing them to move inwardly and outwardly in unison.

2. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a pair ofhollow pistons in said cylinder having open ends disposed toward the ends-thereof, fixed abutments disposed in said pistons, resilient legs 'extending from said abutments andihaving laterally extending feet at their free endssprung into sockets in the cylinder, means for a'dmitting air into one piston as it recedes from its abutment and for directing said air into the cylinder as. said piston moves toward said abutment whereby to scavenge the' cylinder of burnt gases, means for admitting an explosive mixture into the other piston as it recedes from its abutment and for directing this mixture intov the cylinder as said last named piston travels toward" its abutment, and means connecting said pistons'for causing them to move inwardly and outwardly in unison. v v ,l

8. An internal combustion engine having a hollow piston open at one end, an abutment in said piston and forming therewith a gas or air pump, and resilient legs extending from said abutment and having their free ends sprung into internal sockets in the cylinder.

4l. An internal combustion engine having a. hollow piston open at one end, an abutment in said piston and forming therewith a gas or air pump, and resilient legs extending from said abutment and having laterally extending feet at their free ends sprung into internal sockets in the cylinder.

5. An abutment for use in a hollow piston of a gas engine to form therewith a pump, said abutmentJ comprising a circular head, and a plurality of resilient legs extending from one side of said head for engagement with the engine cylinder to secure said abutment in place.

6.1 An abutment for use in a hollow piston of a gas engine to form therewith a pump, said abutment comprising a circular head, a plurality of resilient legs extending from one side of said head, and laterally extending feet on thefree ends of said legs for engagement with the engine cylinder to liold the abutment in place.

7. An engine comprising a cylinder, a hollow piston therein, and a relatively fixed abutment in said piston forming therewith fan air.or gas pump, said piston` having an inlet port of dimensions to form a by-pass around said abutment and having an outlet port for delivering into the cylinder.

8. ln a rotating-cylinder engine, the combination of a fixed crank shaft, a crank case rotatable thereon and carrying a plurality of radially disposed cylinders in communication with said case, hollow pistons in the inner and outer ends of said cylinders and opening toward the ends thereof, relatively iixed abutments in said pistons, said pistons having inlet ports in their curved sides of dimensions to form by-passes around the abutments for admitting air and gas respectively into the outer and inner pistons, and also having outlet ports for discharging said air and gas into the cylinder to respectively 'scavenge and recharge the same', and means operatively connecting said pistons and the crank shaft for moving said pistons inwardly and outwardly'in unison.

lin testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses,

y HARVEY J. WARNER.

Witnesses z J. A. GRIESBAUER, C. A. GIOVANNETTI.

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