US1339730A - Combustion-engine of the rotary type - Google Patents

Description

G. T. WILLIAMS.

COMBUSTION ENGINE 0F THE ROTARY TYPE.

. Arucnmn FILED FEB.|1.1919. :11, 1920.

I lE T/VIIIIEMLE.

G. T. vv'lLLlArx/ls.

COMBUSTION ENGINE 0F THE ROTARY TYPE.

1,339,730. EPPLICATION FILED FEE-17,1919. May 11,

2 SHI-.ETS--SHEET 2.

v Wf/M GEORGE T. WILLIAMS, 0F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

COMBUSTION-ENG-INE OF THE ROTARY TYPE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented vlVIay 11, 1920.

Application led February 17, 1919. Serial No. 277,448.

To zZ-Z whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE T. WILLIAMs,

a citizen of the United States, residingvat Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Combustion Engines of the Rotary Type, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in explosive engines and more particularly to those o f the rotary type, in which the gases are ignited in an explosive chamber supported by the rotor housing from which said gases pass into said rotor housing and impart motion to the rotor by means of the impact of the gases against the vanes of the rotor wheel.

An object of this invention is the pro-l vision of an explosive engine of the rotary type embodying a rotor wheel adapted and so constructed so as to produce a means for compressing the gases within the combustion chamber by said wheel.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an explosive engine of the rotary type so constructed so as to produce an air cooled engine having air intake means and exhaust means cooperating therewith.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of an explosive engine of the rotary type so constructed that the rotor wheel cooperates with a series of valves in such a manner so as to continually'draw cool air into the rotor housing and thus Hush the burnt gases from the interior of said rotor through certain of said valves while the combustion chambers are iiushed by a suitable flush valve operated by a means connected with the drive shaft of said rotor.

With the above and other objects in view, this invention resides in the novel features of construction, formation, combinations and arrangements of parts, to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed land illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my. improved combustion engine.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical fragmentary sectional View taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of a portion of my engine, illustrating the exterior construction of the combustion chambers, the valves coperating therewith and the casing.

Fig. 5, is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 6, is a perspective view of the casing of one of the exhaust valves removed.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the rotor wheel, illustrating a portion of the cam surface thereof and the vanes. of said Wheel.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view of a portion of the rotor wheel illustrating the application of rings thereto, and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified form of rotor wheel, which may be used in connection with a circular shaped housing.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by similar characters of reference throughout the numeral 10 denotes in general my improved combustion engine, which comprises a suitable housing 11 composed of three sections, an outer section 12 and two inner sections 13 and 13'.. The outer section.12 of the housing 11 has a series of compression valves 14 substantially secured thereto in spaced relation to each other upon the outer periphery of said section 12, which is4 suitably constructed at such points as clearly illustrated, by Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawing, to permit their substantial securement thereto.y

These valves 14 may be of any suitable construction throughout, but are as illustrated by the drawings composed of a casing 15 in which a slide valve 17 is slidably mounted and normally held in an extended position by means of a compression spring 18, engaging the outside of said casing 15 and connected with the stem 19 of said slide valve 17. I

Substantially secured in close proximity to each of the above mentioned valves 17, is a combustion chamber 20 which is also secured to the outer periphery of the section 12 in a similar manner to that of the compression valves 14. This combustion chamber 20 is composed of two sections, which are designated by the numerals 21 and 22, both of which have a suitable flange 23 formed integral therewith by which they are held into engagement With each other and through which bolts or the like 24 are passed to substantially bind both sections together,

while a suitable offset flange portion 25 isprovided by the continuation of each of the flanges 23 to produce a means whereby said sections 21 and 22 of the combustion chamber 20, after assembled, may be substantially secured to the section 12 of the housing 11 by similar tap bolts 24 to those used for binding the sections 21 and 22 of the combustion chamber 20 together. Thus it will be readily seen by referring to Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawing that the section 12 of the housing 11 at the point of engagement with the combustion chamber 20, is so constructed that said combustion chamber 20 may be readily applied to said housing 11 and substantially secured thereto while the slightest undesired movement is still further limited by a seat 26 formed in the section 12 of the housing 11 and'in which the section 21 of the combustion chamber 20 is seated, this feature being clearly illustrated by Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.

The section 22 of said combustion chamber 20 is 'provided with a spark plug 27 suitably located therein while in close proximity to same is mounted a flush valve 28 which comprises a bracket 29 substantially secured to the section 22 of said combustion chamber 20 by means of stud screws 30 or the like, while centrally passing through said bracket 29 is a valve stem 31 upon the lowerl extremity of which is secured a valve head 32 adapted to seat itself in a suitable aperture 33 formed in the section 22 of said combustion chamber 20, the object of which will be hereinafter more fully described. Mounted upon said bracket 29 and in engagement with theupper end of said valve stem 31 is a suitable coil spring 34 which as clearly illustrated by Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawing will hold the valve head 32 seated in the aperture 33 formed in the section 22 of said combustion chamber 20 when the flush valve 28 is in its normal position.

Secured to the extreme upper end of the valve stem 31 is a rock arm 35, one end of which is pivotally secured to said valve stem 31 while the opposite end is pivotally secured to a slide rod 36 the opposite end of which is provided with a suitable rounded face 37 adapted to freely ride upon the smooth periphery of a suitable cam 38 substantially keyed to a drive shaft 39. This slide rod 36 is held in the desired position by aV plurality of guide brackets 40, through which the said slide rod 36 is movable, one of these guide brackets 40 being secured to the section 13 of the housing 11 and extending therefrom a suitable distance to engage another slide rod 41,

the object of which will be hereinafter more fully described. The other of said-brackets 40 being formed integral with the section 22 of the combustion chamber 20 and also adapted to permit the free movement of the slide rod 36 therethrough in a similar manner to the previously mentioned bracket 40 and for the same purpose, while formed integral with this bracket is an upward extended arm 42, which pivotally engages the rock arm 35 intermediate its two ends, thus providing a supporting means for the same, which will permit the rocking movement of said rock arm 35 thereon, for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully described,

Keyed to the drive shaft 39 and in close proximity withthe cam 38 is another cam 43 which engages the rounded face 44 formed at the .lower extremity of the slide rod 41, which operates a suitable intake valve 45 which may be of any suitable construction throughout and is adapted to receive the fuel through a pipe line 46 connected with a suitable reservoir, not illustrated by the accompanying drawing, but which may be placed or supported where desired. The fuel being fed into the intake valve 45 through the pipe line 46 is permitted at the proper moment by the movement of the valve 45 to pass into the housing 11 through the pipe 47, which engages the section 12 in which the gases are compressed in a manner to be hereinafter more fully described.

While the above description and construction of the combustion chamber and compression valve seems at this point to be directed to but one of each, it is of course to be understood and remembered that this description of the operation of the different members coperating with same and the construction of same, are alike in all such valves and combustion chambers embodied in my invention and illustrated by the accompanying drawings and that the series of exhaust valves 48, compression valves 14 and combustion chamber 20, are all similar in construction throughout and are secured to the section 12 of the housing 11 in a similar manner, the section 12 of the housing 11' being similar in construction at these points to that of the construction at the points of engagement with the compression valves 14. The only difference in construction' between the compression valves 14 and the exhaust valves 48 is in the casing 15 and the slide valve 17, the latter in the exhaust valve 48 has an opening 49 formed therein, while the casing 15 has an extension 50 formed integral therewith which has an opening 51 corresponding to that of the opening 49 of the slide valve 17 and adapted to register with said opening 49 at ,intervals thus producing a clear exhaust from said housthe .casing l5, with a suitable opening 52' formed in the section 12 of the housing 11, as clearly illustrated by Fig. 1 of the `accompanying drawings.

The drive shaft 39 as clearly illustrated by Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawing` passes centrally through both side walls of the sections 13 and 13 and the rotor, and has keyed thereto intermediate the side walls 13 and 13', the rotor wheel 53 which has approximately one half of its periphery provided with suitable vanes 54 extending outwardly therefrom and strengthened on both sides thereof by a wall 55, as clearly illustrated p by li'ig. 7 of the accompanying drawing, while the remaining periphery of said rotor wheel 53 is formed so as to produce a cam surface 56 which is clearly illustrated by Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings and which at its terminals of connection with the vanes 54 is provided with a plurality of suitable grooves 57, for the reception of suitable bands or rings 58.

The end of the drive shaft 39 opposite to the end carrying the cams 38 and 43 has keyed Athereto the customary fly wheel 59, while the-'opposite end of said drive shaft 39 is to be utilized as the drive end from which motion may be imparted in the customary manner to the object desired.

This whole device as previously described is supported by a suitable base 60, composed of two sections 61, both of which are formed y to fit the curvature of the housing 11 so that the same may be secured to the housing by means of extra long stud bolts 63 passing through the flanges of the outer and inner sections 12-13 and'13 at suitable points of contact between the housing 11 and the sections 61. It is to be remembered in connection with these sections 61, that extra long steel bolts 63 are only passed through the flanges of the sections 12-13 and 13 at the points where they engage the sections 6l of the base 60. The remaining portion of flanges of the sections 12-13 and 13 of the housing 11 being substantially secured together by stud bolts 64 of a suitable length.

It is also to be remembered that while I have illustrated aI rotor wheel and housing of the construction set forth above, that I may use in connection with this invention a housingV of cylindrical formation in cross section to enable me to embody therein a modified form of rotor wheel which I have illustrated by Fig. 9 of the accompanying drawings and which is very similar in construction to my preferred form of rotor wheel previously described, with the exception that this modified vform has vanes 54,

which appear circular in elevation while a central rib yor partition 65 passes horizontally through said vanes 54 and longitudinally around approximately half of the periphery of the rotor wheel 53 and terminates at both points where the cam surface 56 of said rotor wheel 53 originates It is also to be further understood that while the accompanying drawings illustrate the supporting base of this device, as made in two sections and bolted to the rotor housing, that this supporting base may be made integral therewith by casting the base with the section 12 of the housing 11 at this point.

The operation of this combustion engine is as follows The engine is turned over manually by rotating the fly wheel or in any other suitable manner and as same is turned the rotor wheel rotates within the casing, the cam sur-l face of same engaging the slide valves of the exhaust and compression Valves as it passes beneath each of same; thus forcing each of said slide valves in an upward direction, within their respective casing whereby at different periods during the rotation of said rotor wheel-the compression andexhaust valves will assume the position, illustrated by Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, in which the cam surface of said rotor wheel is in engagement with one of the slide valves of the compression valve, which upon further rotation of the rotor wheel in the direction of travel will be forced upwardly and into its respective casing, where it will be held upon further rotation of said rotor wheel, as thefvanes of the same pass therebeneath, by means of the side walls of said vanes engaging the same at opposite ends thereof as illustrated by Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings, until the wheel has rotated sufficiently to have passed all of the vanes therebeneath said slide valve,

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whereupon said slide valve again engages l the cam surface of said rotor wheel and rides thereover thus performing the previously explained operation over again.

This movement of the cam surface of the rotor wheel in connection with the slide valve therefore produces at the points of engagement with these slide valves, a compression chamber A and as a combustion chamber is mounted in close proximity with each of these compression valves and the fuel providing means engaging the rotor housing therebelow, it will be readily seen that the fuel enters the rotor housing in the space formed between the periphery of a portion of the cam surface of the rotor wheel and a by said rotor wheel and forced through the l opening B formed in the rotor housing and the combustion chamber, and into said combustion chamber where it is ignited through the medium of a suitable spark plug at' which moment the rotor wheel having rotated to the point where the vanes of the same will be in position directly beneath said opening B to receive the impact of the gases thereon which will' force said rotor wheel in the direction of travel until each of the remaining compression valves and combustion lchambers perform the same operation in connection 'therewith7 during the process of which the maximum speed of said rotor is obtained and retained as long as desired and until the operator deems it necessary to cut off the engine, which may be accomplished by any suitable means, not illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

One of the cams carried by the shaft is adapted to operate the fuel feeding valve at the proper moment while the other of said cams, is adapted to operate the flush valve in such a manner as to permit the cool air to be drawn into the rotor housing by the suction produced by the rotor wheel when in motion and which is exhausted together with the burnt gases from the rotor housing and colnbustion chambers through the exhaust valves, as clearly illustrated by Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings while any remaining gases in said combustion chambers will be drawn out by the continued rotationof the rotor wheel thereby creating a partial vacuum in the compression space A, so that when gas intake valve 45 is opened gas will flow freely into said compression space by means of atmospheric pressure and mix with the air already contained therein.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a rotor which compresses the gases through the medium' of the rotor wheel within said rotor housing and a rotor that is air cooled throughout, through the medium of suitable valves coperating with the rotor wheel, which itself provides by its arrangement of vanes, a means similar to that of a fan for drawing and circulating cool air into said rotor housing.

It is now thought that the above description together with the accompanying drawings, sufliciently sets forth the construction and operation of this device, to enable those familiar with this art to readily understand the construction, operation and many advantages of the same. It should be understood however, in this connection, that various minor changes in the details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention. y

From the foregoing disclosure taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be manifest that I have provided a combustion engine of the rotary type, which is simple in construction, and will fulfil all of the necessary requirements of such a device. y

Having thus fully described this invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is

1. A combustion engine comprising a rotor, means for feeding fuel intosaid rotor, means embodied in said rotor for compressing gases therein, a series of members adapted to receive said compressed gases for ignition therein and means provided by said rotor for cooling the same by air and means for exhausting said air therefrom.

2. A combustion engine comprising a housing, a series of combustion chambers mounted thereon, a rotor wheel mounted within said housing, means mounted in-close proximity with each of said combustion chambers and engaging the rotor wheel whereby a compression chamber is provided intermediate said rotor wheel and the housing, means for feeding fuel into said compression chamber, a series of exhaust means provided by said housing, means provided by said rotor wheel for operating said exhaust means, a means provided by each of said combustion chambers whereby the burnt gases may be flushed therefrom.

3. A combustion engine comprising a housing, a series of combustion chambers mounted thereon, a movable member mounted in close proximity to each of said combustion chambers, a series of movable members 'mounted in spaced relation to each of said combustion chambers, a rotor wheel mounted within said housing, and provided with a limited cam surface for engagement with said movable members, a series of vanes provided upon a limited portion of said rotor wheel, a means provided by said rotor wheel whereby the movable members are prevented from engaging the vanes of the rotor wheel, means for feeding fuel in to said housing and means provided for permitting the passage of air into the housing and the exhausting of same therefrom as an air cooling means for the rotor.

4. A combustion engine comprising a housing, a series of combustion chambers mounted thereon, a movable means mounted in close proximity with each of said combustion chambers, a series of movable members mounted in spaced relation to each of said combustion chambers, a rotor wheel mounted within said housing, a movable means mounted upon each of said combustion chambers, a shaft supporting said rotor wheel a means connected therewith for moving the last mentioned means, to permit the passage of cool air into each of said combastion chambers to flush the burnt gases each one of the series of movable members therefrom, a second means connected With for exhausting gases from said rotor. said shaft for feeding fuel into the housing,

means provided by the rotor Wheel whereby GEORGE T. WILLIAMS. i the first mentioned movable means and the Wltnesses: movable members are moved upon rotation OSCAR C. NIELSEN,

of said rotor wheel and means provided by JULIUs C. NIX.

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