US1525267A - Internal-combustion engine - Google Patents

Description

CA.BROCK INTERNAL COMBUSTI ON ENGINE Filed April 11, 1918 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I raven/160v n W N 2 Sheets-Sheet 2- Invent/ 02:

C. A. BROOK INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed April 11, 191.8

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Patented Feb. 3, 1935. I

CLARENCE A. nnocx, or nn'rnorr, MICHIGAN.

INTERN AL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed April 11, 1918. Serial No. 228,064.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE A. BRooK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in an Internal-Combustion Engine, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

The present invention relates to multi-cylinder internal combustion engines, of the type used, for instance, in the propulsion of aeroplanes.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved device for introducing liquid fuel in finely divided form into the cylinders of an engine of the type in which ignition of the explosive charge is accomplished by the heat produced by the extremely high compression of the air which forms a .part of the charge.

Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in longitudi nal section, of my improved engine.

Fig. 2 is a detail view, in section, showing a fuel feeding plug employed in connection with each cylinder of my improved engine.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

The cylinders of the engine are mounted in a stationary hollow framework or casting designated generally by the numeral 1', and providing at one end thereof a suitable bearing 2 for a crank shaft 3. The frame or casting 1 is cylindrical in outline, and is open at its end opposite the bearing 2 for the insertion of the crank shaft 3 and the attachment thereto of the piston rods 16. A plate at for the closure of the open end of casting 1 provides a suitable bearing 5 for the corresponding end of crank shaft 3, and

also preferably supports an anti-friction thrust bearing 6 of ordinary construction,

' which takes care of any endwise or axial movement of the shaft 3.

' As herein shown the shaft 3 provides four crank arms, arranged in the usual fashion, the two at the ends being in alinement and 180 distant from the two center arms. Each crank arm is adapted to serve a row or set of .radially arranged cylinders 7, disposed in the same general transverse plane as said crank armand carried by the framework 1.

. The engine of the present invention is designed to operate on the two-stroke cycle,

that is, with an explosion'occurring each time a piston reaches the top of its stroke. The ignition of the explosive charge is ac-' complished by the heat produced by the extremely high compression of the air which forms a part of said charge, in a manner similar to that employed in engines working on the Diesel cycle. ,To this end W shaft 3 carries a blower 17 which draws in air for the explosive charge and directs said air into channels 18 formed in the casting 1 between the several cylinders 7. These channels 18 communicate with annular passages 19 surrounding each cylinder, and in the vicinity of said passages 19 the cylinders 7 are provided with a circumferential series of inlet ports 20, which, when uncovered by the pistons 10 at the proper phase of the cycle, admit air under pressure above said pistons. This admission of air takes place at the end of each power stroke of a piston, and accomplishes the scavenging of the cylinder by forcing the burned gases out of the cylinder through a circumferential series of exhaust ports 21, just above the intake ports 20. These exhaust ports 21 communicate with an annular passage 22 surrounding each cylinder and separatedfrom the passage 19 by a web or partition 23. Channels 24 formed in the casting 1 convey the exhaust gases from the passages 22 to an exhaust manifold 25, said channels acting to muffle, to some extent, the exit of said gases.

The admission to each cylinder of hydrocarbon fuel, such as gasoline, kerosene, or heavier'oil, is controlled by a plug 26 located in the head of each cylinder and having a suitable connection, not shown for the sake of clearness, to a liquid fuel pump 27,. whichis driven by a gear 28 in mesh with a gear 29 on the crank shaft 3; these plugs 26 is shown in detail in Fig. 3, and consists. of a hollow shell or body ortion 30, having an exterior screw threa by which it is secured in the head of the cylinder.

One of An interior screw thread near the top of body portion30 provides for the at which admits liquid fuel under pressure to the interior of plug 26 and automatically prevents any back flow of the fuel thus admitted, or the building up of an excessive pressure in the fuel line in opposition to the pump 27. A second check valve 36 within the neck portion 31 serves the same purpose as the valve and when seated by its spring effectually confines the liquid fuel in the body portion of plug 26 and enables the pressure thereon to be maintained. The spring of valve 36 bears against a spider 37, which spider supports a rigid depending rod 38, for a purpose hereinafter described.

The shell 30 of the plug has an inturned annular flan e 39, in the space surrounding which is confined a spring 40. This annular space provides a series of openings 41 which lead from the interior of the shell 30 into a space 42 which is surrounded by an annular valve seat 43, held inside of a depending annular flange 44 of the shell. Cooperating with said valve seat is a valve 45 of the mushroom type, having a hollow tubular stem which passes through the inturned flange 39 of the plug body. At its upper end this hollow stem has a washer 46 held thereon by a nut 47, and the spring 4!) bears against the under side of said washer to hold the valve in closed position, tight against the seat 43.

Passing through the hollow stem of the valve is a movable plunger 48, whose lower end, when the plug 26 is in position, is so disposed as to be engaged by the top of a piston 10 when the latter is just reaching the upper end of its stroke. The inner portion of the plunger 48 is bored out to loosely receive the rod 38, there being a clearance space all around so that the liquid fuel enters the bore of the plunger and completely fills the same.

When the plunger is forcibly moved up ward by the impact of the piston, an appreciable increase of pressure is imposed on the liquid fuel within the plug, below the check valve 36. This sudden increase of pressure is suflicient, momentarily, to overcome the spring 40, whereupon the pressure is exerted to crack open the valve 45 and thus allow a measured portion of the liquid fuel to enter the cylinder past. the seat 43. The increased pressure is relieved almost immediately and the movement of the piston away from the plunger 48 causes the valve to be reseated in position to admit the next charge on the followins stroke of the piston.

The restricted opening through which the fuel passes into the cylinder causes it to enter in a fine spray, this action being increased by suitably shaping the cooperating faces of valve 45 and seat 43. Coming into admixture with the highly compressed air in the cylinder, at the top of the pistons stroke, the explosive charge thus formed is self-ignited by the heat of compression, and imparts a downward impulse to the piston. As above described, the burned gas is expelled through ports 21 by the scavenging air which enters through ports 20 when the piston reaches the bottom of its stroke.

In this way the fuel actually forces it self, in finely divided form, into the cylinder. The displacement of fuel by the plunger 48 under the impact of the piston is always sufiicient to build up enough pressure within the fuel to cause the valve to open. My device differs from those heretofore ems ployed for the same general purpose in that the fuel is injected without the use of any; auxiliary source of pressure, such as compressed air or steam, which would require additional valve mechanism. This simplicity of action results not only in an extremely reliable and compact device, but also effects a real saving in fuel consumption as compared with previous devices. This saving is due to the. fact that the valve has no tendency to drip after the full charge. of fuel has been injected, for it is obvious that the valve will be completely closed as soon as the pressure within the fuel is relieved. \Vhere an auxiliary source of pressure is employed for injectine the fuel, the admission valve often remains slightly opened,

due to improper operation of the pressure controlling device. In addition, the fact that undiluted fuel is injected into the highly compressed air in the cylinder practically insures self-ignition of the charge so that the engine is more certain of operation than an engine in which the fuel is injected by air pressure.

Any desired means, such as compressed air directed through the plugs 26 may be employed for starting the engine, following which the explosions in the cylinders of the several sets or rows take place in regular order, as each piston reaches the top of its stroke.

I claim,

In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cylinder, a piston movable therein, and a fuel supply, of a valve adapted to open inwardly to said cylinder, and a plunger movable within the valve by said piston for placing the fuel under pressure to open said valve.

CLARENCE A. BROOK.

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