US1729242A - Valveless internal-combustion engine - Google Patents

Description

Sept.2,4, 1929. L. J. BREGERE.

VALVELESS INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 22. 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Lows Joseph Erge INVENTOR:

p 24, L. J. BREGERE 1,729,242

VALVELESS INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March. 22; 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Loul 5 Joseph BTESUE lNVE'NTOR;

M Attorney.

Sept. 24, 1929. J. BREGERE 1,729,242

VALVELESS INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE FiledMarch 22. 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet a I Law; Joseph Bre yz e Sept. 24, 1929. L. J, BREGERE. 1,729,242

VAL VELESS INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March22, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 gh Brgere INVENTOR; By MA Atturne Patented Sept. 24, 1929 UNITED STATES LOUIS JOSEPH BREGERE, OF NEUIIaLY- SUR-SEINE, FRANCE VALVELESS INTERNALflOMBUSTION ENGINE Application filed March 22, 1924, Serial No. 701,011, and in France March 30, 1923.

The present invention relates to a valveless internal combustion engine, of the type comprising an annular chamber provided with inlet, exhaust and ignition ports, and two sets of pistons one setwhereof is secured to a plate or disc keyed to the engine shaft and the other set is secured to a disc mounted close to the former and loose on the engine shaft.

The invention has for its object a mechanical device of simple construction for connecting the said discs, this device securing the proper timing in the operation of the engine.

The device for connecting the two discs comprises a slot provided in the loose disc and cooperating with an eccentered part secured to a pinion loosely mounted on the other disc and engaging a stationary toothed ring secured to the engine casing.

In the appended drawings and by way of example:

Fig. l is a section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2 I

of the engine showing the two left hand pistons in the position corresponding to the dead time between exhaust and admission.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows in perspective view the two shells of the engine casing separated from one another, and the associated parts.

Fig. 4 is a partial sectional View corresponding to the left hand portion of Fig. 1, the two left hand pistons of Fig. 1 being in the position of the end of. the admission stroke.

Fig. 5 is a partial sectional view of the left upper portion of Fig. 1, the two left hand pistons of Fig. 1 being now in an intermediate position of the compression stroke.

Fig. 6 is a partial sectional view of the upper portion of Fig. 1, the same pistons being now in the ignition position. i

Fig. 7 is a partial sectional view of an upper right-hand portion of Fig. 1, the same pistons being in an intermediate position of the expansion stroke.

Fig. 8 is a partial sectional view of an upper right-hand portion of Fig. 1, the same pistons bein now in the position of the beginof t 1e exhaust stroke, and

1g. 9 is a partial sectional view of the right-hand portion of Fig. 1, the same pistons being in the position corresponding to the dead time between exhaust and admission.

As shown in the drawing, the stationary body or casing of the engine comprises two symmetrical shells 21 and 22 of substantially circular outline. Each shell is provided with an annular groove of semi-circular crosssection 1, 1". The shells may be tightly assembled together, for example by means of bolts, and, when thus united, they form an annular chamber 1 having the shape of a torus. The said chamber is not closed on its inner generatrix, but allows passage for two discs 2 and 3 concentric with said annular chamber, one face of each disc being in j uxtaposition with one face of the other disc and the other facesof said discs contacting with easy friction with the faces 21 and 22 of the shells 21 and 22; the passage between the faces 21 and 22 is thus closed by said discs and the shape of the edges thereof is such that said edges form an extension of the walls of the annular grooves 1 and 1", (Fig. 2)

To each of the discs 2 and 3 is secured a set of pistons 4, 4 4 45, 5, 5*, 5 of toric shape as shown in Fig. 3. For this purpose, the discs are provided with fiat extensions 23 which engage in mortises 24: in the pistons and are secured by screws 24. In this manner the pistons are correctly mounted in the annular chamber, although the discs are not situated in the longitudinal middle plane of said chamber. The pistons areprovided with packing rings 25.

The disc 2 carries for example four pistons 4,4 9, 1 and the disc 3 carries also four pistons 5, 5, 5", 5, said pistonsv being equally spaced along the periphery of each disc. The length of said pistons is such that the pistons of one disc may be interposed between the adjacentpistons of the other disc, whereby the pistons of both discs will occupy alternate positions along the circumference, when the discs 2 and 3 are mounted within the casin The 'disc 2 is keyed to the engine Shaft i, for example by means of the key 26. The disc 3 is loose on the shaft 7 v and s provided with a radial slot 38, cooperating with an eccentered part 37 secured to or integral with PATENT OFFICE stationary body 21-22 or cut in the said body.

' Grooves 1a are provided at the periphery of the shells 21 and 22, into which the explosive mixture may be admit-ted through con- \duits 31,- and grooves 18 are similarly provided for the exhaust through the conduits 32. At 33 are provided recesses for the spark plugs 16; the remaining parts of the chamber 1 have no grooves; these parts 15, 17 and 19 respectively correspond to the compression stroke, to the exhaust stroke and to the portion of stroke between the exhaust and the fol-j lowing admission.

It will be readily understood that if the disc 2 and the shaft 7 to which it is keyed are actuated, the pinions 9 will be rotated about the axis of disc 2, thus rolling upon the stationary rings 10. In this movement, the pinions are rotated about their axle pin 34. Due to the engagement of the eccentric 37 with the edges of the slot- 38, the disc 3 is rotated about the shaft 7. If the rotation of disc 2 is uniform, the rotation of the disc 3 will however not be uniform; the disc 3 will rotate alternately more rapidly and more slowly'than the disc 2, although the mean speed of rotation remains equal to the speed of rotation ofdisc .2, and, due to the motion of the disc3 relatively to the disc 2, the pistons of one of the discs will be alternately brought towards and moved from the pistons of the other disc.

The ratio of the number of teeth of pinion 9 and ring 10 will determine the number of revolutions of the pinion 9 about its pivot pin for each revolution of the disc 2, i. 'e. the number of accelerating strokes and retarding strokes of the disc 3 relative to the disc 2.

Starting from the position shown in Fig. 1 where pistons 4 and 5* are close together in front of the solid portion 19, it is assumed that pinion 9 rolls along annulus 10 in a clockwise direction. Cam 37 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction and pistons 4 and 5 recede from each other. By means of groove 14 an'exploslve mixture is admitted between said pistons; the disc 3 is on an accelerating stroke, until cam 37 assumes the position shown in Fig. 4 where pistons i and 5 are spaced at a maximum from each other. This corresponds to the end of the admission stroke. Cam 37 still rotating, the pistons are brought together (Fig. 5) thus compressing the fuel mixture in the solid portion 15 of the chamber wall. The compression stroke is continued until cam 37 assumes the position of Fig. 6, where the pistons are again close together; the mix- .ary body of the en 'ne.

ture is then ignited by the spark plug 16 and the force of the explosion tends to move the piston 1 secured to the disc 2 in one direction and the piston 5 of the disc 3 in the other direction; but, since the two discs can only rotate in the same direction, the disc 2 will be rotated together with the shaft 7 upon which said disc is keyed, while the disc 3, through-the intermediary of the slot 38, the eccentered part 37 and the pinions 9, is, so to speak, abutted against the station Thus, the pistons move'f-rom each ot er, as shown in Fig. 7 (expansion stroke) until cam 37 assumes the position shown in Fig. 8, where the pistons are spaced again at a maximum distance from one another. The exhaust stroke then beins, due to the provision of groove 18 and is continued until the pistons are again close together (Fig. 9).

The selected gear ratio of the ring 10 and pinion 9 is of course an integer one, so that the pistons a and 5 will always have an identical relative position when passing at a given point of the chamber, said ratio may be such that the disc 3 will have more than one retarding stroke and more than one accelerating stroke with respect to the disc 2, as in the embodiment above described.

It, as illustrated, said ratio is equal to four, there will be two accelerating strokes and two retarding strokes, and hence two explosions will take place per revolution of disc 2 and shaft 7, thus necessitating two admission grooves 14, two exhaust grooves 18 and two spark plugs 16 in diametrically opposite positions as illustrated.

It will be seen that the length of the pistons being so chosen that all the spaces comprised between the pistons of the two discs are adapted to admit gas and to have an explosion therein, there will be eight spaces, and since there are two explosions for each space and per revolution. sixteen explosions pier revolution of the shaft 7 will thus take ace.

The device for connecting the piston car rying discs, which has been above described is of a very simple construction. With re spect to the known devices embodying rods and cranks, it has the important advantages of securing a much better operation of the distribution and, moreover, of preventin Various constructional modifications may be brought to the engineillustrated without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, the number of pistonscarried by each disc may vary, as well as the ratio between the number of teeth on the pinions 9 and on the rings 10. The variation of this ratio allows of obtaining, for

An internal combustion engine comprising "a body, a shaft rotatably supported by said body, toothed rings secured to said body I and concentric with said shaft, an annular chamber within said body, inlet and exhaust ports in said chamber, two sets of pistons adapted to move within said chamber and respectively carried by two adjacent discs disposed on either side of the longitudinal middle plane of said chamber, one first disc being rigidly mounted on said shaft and the other disc being mounted loose on the same, the pistons of one set alternating with. the pistons of the other set, pinions rotatably mounted in said first disc and respectively adapted to engage said toothed rings, an eccentered part secured to one pinion and a slot in said loose disc and cooperating with said eccentered part, whereby a reciprocating motion is imparted to the loose disc with respect to the other.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

LOUIS JOSEPH BREGERE.

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