US1648597A - Internal-combustion engine - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 8, 1927. 1,648,597

I. W. SEWARD INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed July 22, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 mi. I

INVENTOR Nov. 8, 1927. 1,648Q597 l. W. SEWARD INTERNAL COMBUSTI 0N ENGINE Filed July 22, 192.6 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed July 22.- 26 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 WITNE SE5 INVENTOR 1%, llz beward.

ATTORNEYS -%WITNESSES Nov. 8, 192 7. 1,648,597

I. w. SEWARD INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed July 22,, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 TEEi'E.

78 f2 INVENTOR Z il lyewai'd.

ATTORNEYS Patented, Nov. 8, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IRA WARREN SEWARD, 0F JOPLIN, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF SEVEN TWENTY-FDURTHS TO IRA W. SEWABD, SEVEN TWENTY-FOURTHS T0 LOU F. BALLARD, SEVEN TWEN- TY-FOUBTHS 'IO JAMES C. WILLIAMS, AN D THREE TWENTY-FOURTHS TO HI- WANIDA CURREY, ALL OF JOPLIN, MISSOURI.

INTERN AL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed July 22,

This invention relates to internal c0mbustion engines and more particularly to'twocycle engines of this type.

An object of the invention is to secure a means of motive power, successful and hi hly eflicient in operation, yet with so ew parts and of such simple and light construction and such close dimensions over all, that the completed machine, set up and ready for use, may be carried in the arms of an adult. However, this same principle and engine may be successfully carried out in an engine of any size. The peculiarity of the design is chiefly in the means provided for the compression of gases and the application of the combustion principle to a cylinder .or piston assembly, which closely resembles the type in use in the modern steam engine.

A further ob'ect is to provide an engine of this character in which the explosions take place outside of the cylinders in tube connecting the bottom of one cylinder to the top of the other. The combustion occurring in the tube keeps the heat out of the cylinder. The tube containing no working parts will better stand the high temperature.

With these and otherobjects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims. In the accompanying 'drawings- Figure l is a top plan view of my improved engine;

fFigure 2 is a view 0 Figure 3 is a view in longitudinal section on the line 33 of Figure 1, this view distorted in order to show the two exhaust valves at the top of the cylinders as well as in side elevation therethe arrangement of valves at the lower endsof the cylinders;

Figure 4 is a view in verical longltudinal section on the staggered line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a view in horizontal section on the line 55 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a view in horizontal section on the line 66 of Figure 2.

1926. Serial No. 124,205.

1 represents the base block of my improved engine which supports a pair of cyl-' lnders 2, 2, and, as these cylinders are shown in vertical position, the description hereinafter shall refer to the parts as indicatedon the drawings, but it is of course to be understood that I do not limit myself to the exact position of the cylinders as this may be varied, if desired.

3 represents a crank case in which a crank shaft 4 is mounted, and 5 is a flywheel on the shaft 4.

The cylinders 2, 2 have pistons 6, 6 respectively mounted therein, and these pistons have secured thereto rigid piston rods 7 and 7 respectively projected through the base 1 and suitably packed by stufling boxes 8; and the lower ends of these rods 7, 7 are connected to cross heads 9 mounted in guides 10, and said crossheads are connected by links 11 with crank arms 12 on the crank shaft 4:.

In the base 1 fuel inlet ports 13 and 14 are provided for the reception of the cylinders 2, 2, and these ports are controlled by spring pressed chec valves 15, 15, respectively. These valves may be operated either mechanically or automatically. Fuel outlet ports 16 and 17 are provided in the base 1 communicating with the cylinders 2, 2, respectively, and these parts are controlled by spring pressed check valves 18 and 18', respectively.

The check valves 15, 15' open by suction upwardly and are closed by.the downward pressure of gas in the lower portion of the cylinder when the pistons move downwardly. The valves 18, 18 close upwardly and are opened by the downward pressure of gas in the lower portion of the cylinder due to the downward movement of the pistons.

In the top of each cylinder 2, 2' I provide inlet ports 19, 19 Figure 6, respectively, and I connect the inlet port 19 of the cylinder 2 with the outlet port 17 of the cylinder 2' by a pipe 20. I also connect the inlet port 19' of cylinder 2 with the outlet port 16 of cylinder 2 by means of a pipe 21.

In these pipes 20 and 21 adjacent the ports 16 and 17 respectively, I locate spark plugs 22 to ignite the charge in the pipes, as will more fully hereinafter appear.

At the upper ends of the cylinders 2, 2 I provide'exhaust valves23 and 23, these valves being normally held in closed position by springs 24 and opened. through the action of pivoted levers 25 connected by rods 26 with eccentrics 27 on the crank shaft 4. 28 represents a carbureter or other source of fuel or gas supply, and thiscarbureter or other source of supply is connected by a pipe 29, Fi ure 5, with ducts 30 communicating with t e respective inlet ports 13 and 14. The exhaust from the engine may be' disposed of in any suitable manner and I have merely shown outlet pipes 31 communicating with the respective exhaust ports 32, 32 in the respective cylinders 2, 2.

Assuming the parts to be in the position ing out live gases through valve 18 into tube 21 and forcing out dead gases through port 19, as shown in Figure 4, into the top of cylinder 2' and out of exhaust port 23, piston 6 in its upward stroke forcing out the dead gases in cylinder 2 through exhaust valve 23.

When piston 6 and piston .6 reach the center of their travel exhaust valve 23 closes and compression starts in tube 20. When piston 6 and piston 6 reach the end of their stroke, outlet valve 18 leading into tube 21 closes and intake valve 15 closes also. Qompression now is complete in tube 20, piston 6. at the top of the stroke and piston 6 at the bottom of the stroke, spark plug 22 ignites live gases in tube 20, and explos on takes place against piston 6 by passing through port 19.

Piston 6 is now moving downward followed by an explosion from tube 20, and piston 6 is moving up'ward. Exhaust valve 23 opens and intake valve 15 opens; live gases from the carburetor entering through valve the dead gases in cylinder 2 through exhaustvalve 23.

When pistons 6 and 6' reach the center of their travel, exhaust valve 23 closes and compression starts in tube 21; When pistons 6 and 6' reach the end of their stroke,

which provides a passageway from pipe 20 into cylinder 2 is always open as is also the similar port provided in cylinder 2. It

is of course to be understood that the pistons 6, 6 are always moving in opposite directions so that the fuel which is admitted to the ports 13 and 14 is drawn into the respective cylinders on-the upward strokes of the pistons andis forced from said cylin ders through the ports 16 and 17, respectively, and the pipes '20 and 21, respectively, into the upper ends of the respective cylinders. Therefore, it will 'be noted that the down stroke of one piston serves to force a charge into the upper end of the other piston,-and this incoming charge assists in driving out the exploded gases, the valves in the base 1 being so arranged that they are automatically operated by the movements of the pistons, the inlet valves being opened by suction and closed by ressure, and the valves 18, 18' being close by Suetion and opened by pressure.

It will be noted that there is absolutely no combustion whatever in the lower ends of either cylinder but the lower portions of the cylinders, in effect, constitute pumps for sucking in the fuel charge and forcing it into the pipes 20 and 21 and into the upper ends ofthe cylinders to be exploded.

' I wouldcall particular attention to the fact that the explosion takes place in the pipes outside of the cylinders, and as there are no working parts in the pipes they will attain, without injury, a high temperature. This, in turn, permits a more complete burning of the gases and all carbon is consumed in the pipes'b'y heat. A low temperature in the cylinder permits a better lubrication.

There are no carbon deposit-s in the cylinders and the cylinders themselves will outwear and outlast cylinders of ordinary internal combustion engines.

Attention is also called to the rigid piston rods at the lower ends of the cylinders which prevent any side slap in'the cylinders proper.

The use of the tubes permits the use of kerosene, distillate and crude oils for fuel, and it has been demonstrated that natural gas can be employed, in which case, of course, the carbureter will be dispensed with.

The arrangement of tubes and the construction of the upper ends of the cylinders retard the impulse'of the combustion in passing through the tubes into-the cylinder. I claim that this is an advantage rat-her than a disadvantage as the piston reaches a point where the angle of the connecting rod or crank shaft is in better position to receive the full expansion of the charge. Furthermore, this arrangement assists in the compression of live gases preparatory to the combustion thereof.

The direction of operation of the crank shaft may be reversed by turning the exhaust valve eccentric over to a different position, or any other reverse mechanism may be of course utilized. My invention does away altogether with the use of timing gears and provldes an extremely compact, light yet very eflicient motor in which the speed is practically unlimited, and all movement of the piston is utilized either for driving power or for compression so that there is no move in opposite directions, a pair 0 ports in the outer end of each cylinder, an exhaust valve controlled by the operation of the shaft and controlling one of said lastmentioned ports, inlet and exhaust ports at the inner end of each of said cylinders, check valves controlling said last-mentioned ports, means for supplying fuel to the inlet ports, pipes connecting the inlet ports with an outlet port in the outer end of the adjacent cylinder, and spark plugs in said pipes.

2. An engine of the character described, comprising a pair of cylinders, pistons in the cylinders, a crank shaft operatively connected to the pistons whereby the pistons move in opposite directions, apair 0 ports in the outer end of each cylinder, an exhaust valve controlled by the operation of the shaft and controlling one of said last-mentioned ports, inlet and exhaust ports at the inner end of each of said cylinders, check valves controlling said last mentioned ports, means for supplying fuel to the inlet ports, pipes connecting the inletports with an outlet port in the outer end of the adjacent cylinder, and spark plugs in said pipes, said last-mentioned pipes spaced fro-m the walls of the cylinder whereby the heat of combustion. of the cylinder is reduced to a minimum.

3. An engine of the character described, comprising a pair of cylinders, pistons in the cylinders, a crank shaft operatively connected to the pistons whereby the pistons move in opposite directions, a pairof ports in the outer end of each cylinder, an exhaust valve controlled by the operation of the shaft and controlling one of said last-mentioned ports, inlet and exhaust ports at the inner end of each of said cylinders, check valves controlling said last-mentioned ports, means for supplying fuel to the inlet ports, pipes connecting the inlet ports with an outlet port in the outer end of the adjacent cylinder, spark plugs in said pipes, and. a partition in the outer end of each cylinder separating the ports in said-end;

4. An engine of the character described, comprising a pair of cylinders, pistons in the cylinders, a crank shaft 0 eratively connected to the pistons where y the istons move in opposite directions, a pair 0 orts in the outer end of each cylinder, an e aust valve controlled by the operation of the shaft and controlling one of said last-mentioned ports, inlet and exhaust ports at the innerend of each of said cylinders, check valves controlling said last-mentioned ports, means for supplying fuel to the inlet ports, ipes connecting the inlet orts with an outet port in the outer en of the adjacent cylinder, and spark plugs in said pipes, said spark plugs located in the pipes at a point adjacent the inner ends of the cylinders.

5. An engine of the character described, comprising a pair of cylinders, pistons in the cylinders, a crank shaft operatively connected to the pistons whereb the pistons move in opposite directions, in ct ports communicating with one end of each cylinder, outlet ports in the same ends of the cylinders, 'pi s connecting the outlet .ports of the cylin er withthe' inlet (ports at the opposite end of the other cylin er, valve controlled exhaust ports in said cylinders, valves controlling the first mentioned ports and operated by suction and pressure due to the movement of the piston, and means for exploding the fuel in said pipes.

6. An engine of the character described, comprising a pair of cylinders, pipes connectlng outlet ports in one end of each 0. linder with inlet ports in the other end 0 the other e linder, means for admitting fuel to one on of each cylinder, and means for exploding the fuel charge outside of the cyliners.

7. An engine .of the character described, including cylinders, pistons in the cylinders, means for admitting fuel to one end of each cylinder, and pipes connecting the fuel inlet ends of each cylinder with the opposite ends of the adjacent cylinders, said means constituting an explosion chamber.

8. An engine of the character described, including cylinders, pistons in the cylinders, means for admitting fuel to one end of eachcylinder, ipes connecting the fuel inlet ends of the cylinders with the opposite ends of adjacent cylinders, said means constituting an explosion chamber, valves operated by the movement of the pistons for controlling the flow of fuel, and exhaust valves in the cylinders operated by the engine.

9'. An internal combustion engine, comprising a base, a pair of cylinders on the base, said base having inlet and outlet ports communicating with the lower ends of the cylinders, valves in said ports, pistons in said cylinders, the operation of which controls the movements of the valves, said cylinders having inlet and exhaust ports in their upper ends, exhaust valves controlling said exhaust ports, pipes connecting the outlet ports of the base with the inlet'ports at the upper ends of the adjacent cylinders, and spark plugs in said pipes for exploding the 'fuel charge therein.

10. In an internal combustion engine of the two-cycle type, the combination with pairs of cylinders, and pistons in said cylinders, of pipes connecting the lower ends of the respective cylinders with the upper ends of the other cylinders, means for admitting a fuel charge at one end of each cylinder, and valves controlled by the movement of the piston whereby compression is had in one end of the cylinder and exploded gases admitted to the other end of the cylinder, the explosion taking place outside of the cylinder.

IRA WARREN SEWARD.

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