US1481220A

US1481220A - Rotary gas engine

Info

Publication number: US1481220A
Application number: US493558A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ernest R Nichols
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1921-08-19
Filing date: 1921-08-19
Publication date: 1924-01-15
Anticipated expiration: 1941-01-15

Description

E. R. NICHOLS ROTARY GAS ENGINE Filed Aug. 19, 1921 //w /v TOR l. B Nit/2025 ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 15, 1924.

ATES

ERNEST R. NICHOLQOF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ROTARY GAS ENGINE.

Application filed August 19, 1921. Serial No. 498,558.

an explosive. engine of simplified construction inwhich the number of parts required is reduced to a. minimum and the.device is adapted for use in performing the functions ordinarily requiring the use of an explosive engine of complicated construction.

A further object of myinvention is to provide a device of the character described in which the power developed is imparted to a rotatable shaft with-the necessity of providing the usual crank shaft mechanism obviated. y

,A further object of my invention is to provide a device in which a combination working cylinder and piston is arranged for movement relatively to an outer cylinder and is provided with ports registering at times with ports in the latter to control the admittance of an explosivecharge into and the scavenging of the gases of combustion from the working cylinder without the use of the usual spring or cam controlled valves.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described that can be assembled readily, is not likely to get out of order easily, and is thoroughly effective for the purpose'intended.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification. and the novel features of the invention will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

My invention is illustrated in the accom panying drawings, forming part of this application, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device, portions thereof being broken away and other portions being shown in section along the line 1-1 of Figure 2,

Figure 2 is a. section along the line 2-2 of Figure 1, showing the position of the working cylinder of the device at the beginning of a power stroke,

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing the position of the working cylinder near the end of the power stroke, and

Figure 4 is a section along the line 44: of Figure 1. I

In carrying out my invention, I provide a cylinder 1 supported on a pedestal or block 2 and rigidly secured to the latter by means of bolts 3 or like fastening means. The block 2 is securely attached to a base 4 by bolts 5. Rotatablv disposed in the cylinder or sleeve 1 is a cylinder 6 that has a. length greater than that of the cylinder 1 and rojects beyond the ends of the latter. he cylinders 1 and 6 are concentric.

The cylinder 6 is provided with end members 7 and 8 attached thereto by means of screws 9, or like fastening means. The end members 7 and 8 are formed with cylindricalflextensions 10 and 11 respectively, arranged to receive the projecting end portions of the cylinder 6 and to slidably contact the cylinder 1 at its ends, wherebythe cylinder Gisheld against'axial movement with respect to the cylinder. 1, while permitted to rotate freely in the latter; A shaft 12 is equipped with a. flange 13 attached to the outer face of the end 7 by bolts 14 and is maintained in axial alinement with the cylinder 6. The .shaft 12 is journalled in an upstanding support 15 car ried by the base 4. A pulley 16 or a like means is rigidly mounted on the shaft 12 and provides a means for transmitting the power developed by the device as'desired.

The end member 8 is formed with a laterally extending integral hub portion 17 having a bore 18 axially alined with the cylinder 6 and with a central bore oropening 19 through the end member 7. The'hub portion 17 is 'journalled in a support 20extending vertically from the base 4.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 2 and 3, it is to be observed that 'the cylinder 6 has integral diametrically opposed abutment pieces 21 and 22 extending inwardly from its inner wall and having slidable engagement with the inner walls of the end members 7 and 8. The cylinder 6 equipped with the abutmentpieces 21 and 22 constitutes a combination working'cylinder and piston, as will be understood from the following. A secondary piston embodies a cylindrical portion 23 having a length substantially the same as the distance between the inner walls of the end cal combustion chambers w in detail in the foregoing, tioned as illustrated in members 7 and 8, and a diameter equal to the distance between adjacent ends of the abutment pieces 21 and 22, whereby the combination working cylinder and pr mary piston will be divided into two recisely identiiien the'secondary piston 23 is arranged in the position illustrated. The secondary piston 23 is provided at one end with a shaft 24 journalled in the bore or opening 19 and with a shaft portion 25 at its other end journalled in the hub 17 and extending beyond the outer end of the latter. The secondary piston 23 and the

shaft extensions

24 and 25 thereto are axially alined. The secondary piston 23 has integral oppositely extending abutment pieces or vanes 26 and 27 having slidabl'e contact with the inner wall of the cylinder 6 at diametrically opposed points and with the inner walls of the end members 7 and 8.

A ratchet wheel 28 is rigidly mounted on the shaft 25. A plurality of pawls 29 ivotally attached to a frame 30 upstan ing from the base 4 engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel to prevent. the rotation of the latter in one direction. Springs 31 carried by the frame 30 engage with certain of the pawls 29 to maintain the latter in constant operative engagement with the ratchet wheel against the influence of gravity. Two oppositely extending arms 32 ahd 33 are carried by an integral disk or hub member 34 rigidly mounted on the hub 17 in close juxtaposition to the ratchet wheel 28. A retractile spring 35 is attached at one end to the arm 32 adjacent to the outer end of the latter, and at its other end to the ratchet wheel 28. A similar retractile spring 36 is attached at one end to the arm 35 and at its other end to the ratchet wheel 28 at a pointdiametrically opposed to the point at which the spring 35 1s attached to the ratchet wheel.

From the foregoing descri tion of the various parts of the device, t e operation thereof may be readily understood. The outer c linder 1 is provided .with a relatively arge intake port 37 and with a smaller exhaust port 38. The inner cylinder 6 is provided with diametrically opposed ports 39 and 40. The ports 39 and 40ers located at points adjacent to the junction of the abutment pieces 21 and 22 with the barrel of the working cylinder 6 and at 0 posits sides of these abutment pieces so is at a port is provided for each of the two combustion chambers. The outer cylinder 1 therefore serves as a sleeve valve. Let us assume that the relatively moving parts of the device, which have been doare posii Figure 2, that a combustible charge has passed through the inte port 37 and through the port 39 into workm of the primary the combustion chamber into the space be tween the abutment piece 21 and t e blade 26, and that this combustible charge has been compressed by a movement of the blade or vane 26 toward the abutment piece 21. Spark plugs 41 extend through the end member 7 adjacent to the ports 39 and 40, and each is equipped with a contact 42 arranged to engage a cooperatin contact 43 carried by a conductor 44, asw en the end7 is in th position illustrated in Figure 2. The compressed explosive charge will then be ignited. It is to be observed at this point t at the engagement of the pawls 29 with the ratchet wheel I 28 prevents movement of the secondary piston 23 in a counterclockwise direction. When the explosion of the fuel char e occurs, the combination workingcylinder and primary piston 6 will be rotated in a clockwise direction. ,The secondary piston 23 will remain'stationar'y on account of the pressure of the expanding gases against the blade or vane 26 until the combination working cylinder and primary piston has been rotated until in about the position illustrated in Figure-3. At this time, the action of the

springs

35 and 36, which have been placedunder tension on account of the movement of the workin c linder and primary piston, will be suc t at the pressure against the blade or vane 26 will be overcome and the ratchet wheel 28 will be rotated rapidly in a clockwise direction, which will occasion a like movement of the seconda piston 23. This movement of the secon ary piston 23 occurs during the time that the combination working cylinder and rimary piston moves. a distance e ual to tliatfrom the point X at one side 0 the exhaust ort 38 to the point Y at the other side of t e exhaust port 38. During the time that the secondary piston is moving relatively to the combination c linder and. rima iston one ladias or vanes 0% the s gcdhdary pis-' ton will cooperate with the combination working cylinder and primary piston to scaven one of the combustion chambers, since is e port of that combustion chamber will be in registry with the exhaust port 38 while the other blade or vane of the secondary piston will be moving in the second combustion chamber toward the second abutment piece of the primary piston to occasion the com ressioir of an explosive charge that has con admittedthrough the intake port 37 and the port of the second combustion chamber. It will thus be 3P.

arent that there are two power strokes during a complete revolution of the cylinder 6. While I have illustrated and described spring means as being employed to rotate the secondary piston 23 intermittently while the combination working cylinder and piston is rotating continuously, it will be 0 vious that I may provide means other than the spring means illustrated for occasioning the intermittent movement of the secondary piston without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The device is simple in construction, comprises relatively few parts, and is adapted for use in performing the functions for which an explosive engine of complicated construction is ordinarily employed.

I claim:

In a rotary internal combustion engine of the type described, a stationary cylindrical sleeve, a. combination working cylinder and primary piston revolvable in said sleeve, said combination working cylinder and piston having a pair of diametrically opposed inwardly extending abutment pieces located on the interior wall of said primary piston, a secondary piston rotatabl disposed within said working cylinder an primary piston, said secondary piston comprising a solid cylindrical -member having diametrically opposed radially extending vanes arranged to engage with the inner side walls of said working cylinder and primary pis-' ton, the inwardly extending abutment pieces on said working cylinder bein arranged to contact the outer wall of sai cylindrical member of said secondary piston, a,-

ratchet wheel carried by said secondary piston exteriorly of said cylindrical sleeve, a cross arm carried by'said working cylinder exteriorly of said sleeve, resilient means for connecting said cross arm with said ratchet wheel, whereby said ratchet wheel may yieldably follow the movement of said cross arm, and pawls 'forpermitting the movement of said ratchet wheel in one direction.

ERNEST R. NICHOLS.