US1771552A - Internal-combustion engine - Google Patents

Description

July'29, 1930; H. L. TOWER. 1,771,552

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Fil ed July 1a, 1928 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

2 MZM.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed July 18, 1928- 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR.

MZM.

Jii ly 29, 1930. H. TOWER INTERNAL 'COMBUST ION ENGINE Filed July 18, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet J5- Patented July 29 1930 HAROLD L. "rowan, or GREENVILLE, MICHIGAN IN'rnnN-A -coMBUsTIoN ENGINE Application filed. July 18,

This invention relates to internal combustion engines, and aims to provide a novel and having cylinders and pistons for providing principle of which may beused in connection with both two and four cycle engines for materially increasing the efiiciency thereof.

Another object of the invention is the pro 10 vision of a crank case having partitions therein for providing separate air-tight compartments for the cylinders in whichair is compressed and supplied to the explosion chamers. I

A further object of the invention is-to provide an engine having compound cylinders and pistons of stepped construction, the upper portions of which are used as explosion chambers, while the lower portions are used as air compressors to provide a super-charged engine. a V

A still further object of the invention is the provision of manifolds in connection with a carburetor to receive compressed air from the compression chambers of the crank case and cylinders and conduct the same to the carburetor for vaporizing the liquid fuel and 40 view, which will be apparent as the descrip tion proceeds, the invention resides in the constructlon and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, it beingunder stood that changes can be made within the a scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit'of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accent panying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of my im proved engine,

Figure 2 1s a vertical cross sectlon through 1928. Serial No. 293,667.

one of the cylindersjtaken on'line 22 ofiFiga 'ure 1, and improved motive power of this character Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section,

taken on line 3 3. of Figure 2. 5 explosion and compression chambers, the

In carrying out my invention the cylinders of the engine 'areof stepped construction each provided with-a bore 11 at the upper- 1 portion and a bore 12 of larger size at the lower portion, said cyinders being of the double-wall water-cooled type closed at their upper ends by heads 13 and comprising an nular walls 14 atthe upper ends ofthe larger bores 12. A piston 15 also of stepped construction works within the bores of the cylinders, the main'or body portion 16 beingadapted to reciprocate in the bore 12 while a skirt 17 at the lower" end of said i main portion reciprocates in the bore 13, being provided with "the usual packing rings 18; and. 19 respectively, 7 a Connected to the pistons 15 on the wrist 1 pins 20 are connecting rods 21 from a crank shaft 23 enclosed withinia crank case 22 formed in two longitudinal sections 25 and. 27, the upper sectionbeing formed vintegral 5 with the cylinders andthe lower sectionconnected theretoin the usual manner by bolts passing through the meeting flanges, as shown in Fig. 2. The crank case is divided into separate compression chambers below the cylindersby vertical walls'25'and 26 between which the bearings 24. for the crank shaft are form ed,,and on one end of the crank shaft 23 is ;mounted a flywheel2 8, while on the opposite end thereof is a pulley 29 aboutwhich is trained a chain or belt 30 extending upwardly to and around a pulley 31 on the end of a cam shaft 32 supported above the cylinders by suitable bearings 33, said shaft carrying a plurality ofcams 34 for operating poppet valves 35 at the ends of passageways 36 leading into the upper ends of the cylinders, said valves being opened downward bythecams and moved to closed position'against the seats 40 by coil springs 39 encircling the stems 38.

At one side of the crank case 22 and for each compartment therein is a nipple 41 provided at its outer end'witha valve seat 43 for a valve 44 the outwardly projecting stem .45

of which is slidable in a bearing 46 formed on the nipple, said valves being actuated to closed position by a coil spring 47 interposed between the bearing and a head 48 at the outer end of the stem. These valves are adapted to supply air to the compression chambers formed in the crank case below the several cylinders, the operation of the pistons causing suction in the compression chambers which will openthe valves for a supply of air on the up-stroke of the pistons to compress it on the down-stroke at which time said valves will be automatically closed by the springs. Uorresponding'ly at the opposite side of the crankcase are tubular extensions 49 having seats 50 for outlet valves 51 the stems 52 of which are slidable in hearings 53, said valves being normally closed .by springs 54 interposed between said bearings and heads 55 at the outer ends of the valve stems, and the operation of these valves is such that when the pistons are on their downward movement they will be forced open due to compression of air in the crank case so as to permit the compressed air to pass by thevalves, but when the pistons are on their upward strokes the valves are closed by the springs 54, thus the valves 44 permit the feeding of air into the crank case upon upward movement of the pistons and valves 51 allow the compressed air to pass from the crank case upon downward movement of the pistons into branch pipes 56 of a manifold 5758 communicating with a passageway 59 leading into the lower portion of a car- 7 buretor 60.

Located in the annular walls 14 of the cylinders at one side of the latter are valves 61 closing against seats 62 and having outwardly projecting stems 6'3 slidable in bearings 64 formed integrally on the outside of' the cylinders with coiled springs 65 encircling the stems and interposed between said bearings and heads 66 on the stems so as to normally close the valves. 'It can be seen that when thepistons move in a downward direction valves 61 will open due to suction in the lower portions 12 of the cylinders around the body portion of said pistons, and that when the pistons move in an upward direction the valves will be closed by the coil springs 65, providing for a compression of air'i n this part of each; cylinder. For conducting this compressed air to the manifold 57-58 leading to the carburetor a valved outlet 67-7 5 is formed at the oppositeside v of eachcylinder, the valve seat 69 receiving a. valve 70 opening outward with respect to the compression chamber and the valve stem 71 slidable in a suitable bearing 72 being actuated to closed position by spring 7 3 between said bearing and head 74 at the outer endof the stem. About the stems 71 are arranged coil springs 73 which engage the bearings 72 and heads 74 on the stemsv so as to normally hold the valves in closed position. It can be seen that when the pistons move in an upward direction these valves will be forced open due to the compressing of air in the portions 12 of the cylinders, and that when said pistons move in a downward direction the valves will be closed by the coil springs 78, the compressed air being conducted to the manifold 5758 by pipes 77, as hereinbefore mentioned.

The carburetor 60 is of that type in which the compressed air from the manifold 57 may pass around the needle valve 78 thereof to causeliquid fuel fed tothe carburetor by pipe 79 to mix and be vaporized by the compressed air. Attached to the upper endof thecarbuactor, as at 80, is a manifold 81 which has a horizontal pipe 82 with upturned ends 83 communicating with horizontal branch pipes 84 intermediate their ends. At opposite ends of the branch pipes 84 are inwardly and downwardly extending pipes 85 leading to the cylinder heads as at 86, to connect with the passageways 36 in said heads for supplying the cylinders with the fuel mixture. By referring to Figure 2 of the drawings, it can be seen that the stems 38 of the poppet valves 35 at the inlet passageways 36' slide through suitable bearings 87 in the portions 85 of the manifold 81, and that exhaust pipes 88 extend from the passageways 36 (Fig. 3) for exhausting the cylinders by way of the poppetvalves at the lower end of said passageways, the stems of the valves sliding through the manifolds 88 in a similar manner to that already described with reference to the valve stems 38 which pass through the manifold 81.

In operation of the invention, the pistons 15 reciprocate in the cylinders 10, the upper or body portions 16 working in the bore portion 11 while the skirts 17 work in the bores 12. On the downward strokes of the pistons, the valves v61 in the upper'ends of the annular compression chambers 12 are opened by suction to permit air to enter therein, and the valves 51 also opened by suctionto permit air compressed in the crank caseto pass to the branch portions 56 of the manifold 57. Upon upward strokes of the pistons, the above mentioned valves are closed by the springs and the valves 70 in the compression chambers of the cylinders are opened to allow the compressed air to pass into the branch pipes 77 of'the manifold 75, during which operation the valves 42 are opened by suction for supplying air to the crank case to be compressed upon the next downward stroke of the pistons. The airforced from the compression chamber of the cylinder and crank case passes upwardly to the manifold 57-58 and then to the carburetor where the liquid fuel is mixed and vaporized with the compressed air and passes through the manifold 81 to the upper end of the explosion chambers in the cylinders for compression and explosion therein.

bers and exhaust gases pass therefrom.

It can be seen that an engine as above described may be constructed so as to be used as a two-cycle or a four-cycle engine, as the principle of the engine is such that the air v is compressed prior to the entrance thereof to the explosion chambers.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. An internal combustion engine comprising a plurality of cylinders each having bores therein of different diameters, the bore at the upper end of the cylinder being of less diameter than the bore at the lower end thereof, pistons in said cylinders each having portions of different diameter working in the aforesaid bores, the smaller bore form-, ing an explosion'chamber and the annular space around the piston in 'the'larger bore,

ing partitions forming compression chainbers below the pistons respectively and having valved inlet and outlet openings, pipes connecting the outlet openings to the aforea carburetor in the manifold for supplying fuel to the compressed air passing from the compression chambers and crank case to the explosion chambers.

3. An internal combustion engine comprising a plurality of cylinders, each having an explosion chamber and a compression chamber, pistons slidable in said cylinders for compressing air in the compression chambers and the fuel mixture in the explosion chambers, valves for controlling the inlet and outlet of air to and from said compression chain-u bers, a manifold 1n communlcation wlth the outlet from the compression chambers, a crank case, a crank shaft mounted in said crank case and connected to the pistons, valves in said crank case for admitting air thereto upon upward movement of the pistons and for providing an outlet of compressed air upon downward movement of the pistons,said manifold also communicating with the outlet valves from the crank case and in communication with the explosion chambers for supplying compressed air from the compression chambers and crank case to the explosion chambers, said crank case being divided into air-tight compartments one below each of saidoylinders, a carburetor arranged in the manifold for supplying liquid fuel to the compressed air passing from the compression chambers and crank caseto the explosion chambers, and valves for controllingthe passage of the fuel mixture into the explosion chambers.

HAROLD L. TOWER.

. said manifold, a carburetor connected to said manifold at one side thereof, and a manifold connected to the carburetor at the other side thereof and to theexplosion chambers of the engine cylinders;

2. An internalcombustion engine comprising a plurality of cylinders, eachhaving an explosion chamber and a compression chamber, pistons slidable in said cylinders for compressing air in the compression chambers and for operation in the explosion chambers, valves for controlling the inlet of air into the compression chambers and the outlet of air from said compression chambers, a manifold in communication withthe outlet valves, an enclosed crank case, a crank shaft mounted in said crank case and connected to the pistons, valves in said crank case for admitting air thereto upon upward movement of the pistons and'providing an outlet for the compressed air upon downward movement of the pistons, the aforesaid manifold also communicating with the outlet valves from the crank case and with the explosion chambers for supplying compressed air from the compression chambers and crank case to the explosion chambers, said crankcase be ing divided into air-tight compartments one arranged below each of said cylinders, and

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