US1848008A - Airplane engine - Google Patents

Description

March 1, 1932. Q GR|FF|TH 1,848,008

IRPLANE ENGINE Filed-Sept. 28, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet l AIRPLANE ENGINE Filed Sept. 28. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet f 2 A TTORNEYJ March 1, 1932. M, o. GRIFFITH AIRPLANE ENGINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sep.. 28, 1929 INI/'ENTOP ATTORNEY` March 1, 1932. M. o. GRIFFITH AIRPLANE ENGINE 4 sheets-shea 4 Filed Sept. 28, 1929 IN VEN TOR.

Mall/aff,

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 1', 19,32

FUN-SHED( immer-MENA .MAX o. en irrignmor ciNcIVNNAm-Lbmo, VAssieriion To PoWnrQcRosLEY, Jn., er"

CINcnintrn'rr,omoy` f l Ainrnmn ENGINE Y Y Application filed YVSeptember 28,1929. `SerialiN'o. 395,940.

My invention'relates to enginesparticularly adapted for airplane use Whichjarelair cooled, and consequentlylare' made ofopen construction so as topermit of s uflcient radiiY ation. *Morefparticularly myinvention vre-y lates to in-line engines'as distinguished from rotary or radial engines. j

One object of my inventiqnlisto:

for an air cooled in-lineengine a camshaft and valve operating mechanism which -is'a unit and-can be removed and installed Withp i `fins surrounding the `cylinder lWalls as Well out destroying the timing ofthe valves.'A Y

`Another object is the provision for supply;` ing lubrication to this cam "'shaitand V.valve operating assembly, and incidentally providing for the" removal of eXCessoillfrom this portion of the engine.` In connection with?` this assembly, I furthermore arrange foraminimum 4of interference VWith full radiation of heat from the yheads'v of the engine Vcylin ders; Also I provide for aspheric'al-combus. tion chamber in the several cylinder'sand arrange the valve-operating mechanism andv valves so that they operate normal to the spherical chamber, as do'tliesparlrplugs.`

rangement oi'partslof which a typical exam-l` specication, andi the novelty vinherent yin which lWill be duly claimed. A

In thedravvings:V

Figure 1 is a longitudinalvertical sectionof the engine. Y

p Figure 1a is a continuation: ofthe lower right hand corner oiFig-ure 1... f I

Figurefl-isa plan view oit-one of the'valver access covers. "J7

Figure 5 's an outer end of the cam shai't'housing--'i Figure 6 .is `a sectionall detail vof* the cam shaft unit on a largerl scale than Figure 1.-" Y

Figure- 7 isA a cross section 'throughione of the rocker arm'sections thereof. f

These objects and advantages and other improvements, which Will'be pointed out I ac-` complish by that Vcertainconstruction andar-j ple is shown and. descri-bedrin theensuing a plee YeWOfy the iffsheft" nu elevational@ e the Figure 8 'is l an fend elevation? oit the "cam" shaft housing taken from. the opposite end 'of the same. from Figure 5, and omitting the rockerY armV portion soas? to show just the end oisaid `housing and containedparts. f

q Figure' 9 -is anl end elevation ofthe cam shaft-taken. at its inner end;

as th'ecombustion chambers. Asillustrated,

: `Figure 10 isan' elevationof thisfportion f the combustioncha'mbers 2` are formed Withfy V'a spherical surf-ace andthe ports 3 and-4 ffo'r 'fthe inlet and 'exhaust valve are normal to this surface.v "Suitable Webs are cast in* the Ihea'dso' the cylinders as at'aA and 1a for guiding the valve stems, the said'vveb'sleav-V ing open spaces `5 at the side Jrior communi- 'cation With the inlet i and `outlet manifold,

andktheir lower partsbeingmachined toY .A

provide a base V6 to Which is mounted the housing for the camshaft and rocker arms.'V The valves 7 and 8 have theirvstemsioV and Sa'ext'ending at a slantinto thespacesto be `occupied by the rohclker'arms.y The crank? shaft 9- is mounted on' spaced' bearings -10 which are llubricated from the pipe 11,as Will be noted. The gear case 12 is mounted' at the rear end of the engine in which 'case' are locateda .seriesof spur gea-rs generally.

marked 13 driven :fromthe Vcrank shaft and" lcoupled up sofas to drive aI stub shaft "14 yat thelower end of the gear casefvvhich shaft drives the lcam y f vvillkbe-noted'.'

F'gurej2 sja vertical crosssectionpof the shaft of the engine, asi

The various accessoriesloi theA engine are Y f driven from this gear case'includmg the 'oilA pump; 15":"Wh1'ch pumps Q11` to Vthe various parts of the engine,-a`nd in'additiongvvith-'" "rovi".- portionsfl? 1 Theicanrshaft is formed off-a .hollow tube 18'. closedffat v'each fend by plugs' 19. -This sha-fthasportsQO/therein for distributing oil j to Vjournal lblocks 21l` which are held in place in the narrow portions of the housing. The block 22 at the left hand end of the housing has an oil passage 23 therein which is made to communicate with the oil delivery pipe 25. ln this way the bearing 22 differs from the bearings 2l and each bearing, as will be apparent, will be held in place by a bolt 25 in the several narrow portions of the housing. The housing terminates at one endin a cap 26,`and at the other end in a flange 27 which is bolted to the gear case surrounding the stub shaft 14. rlhe Wide portions of the housing are bolted to the base 6 byv means of bolts passing through holes 27 in iianges 28 formed on each of the lateral projections of the wide portions of the housing. The cam shaft has formed thereon the cams 29 which lie in the wide portions of the hou sing.' The inner end.

of the cam shaft isformedv with projecting lugsSO which are off center of the cam shaft and register with matching notches 3l in the stub shaft 14. The off-set relation ofV these lugs and notches is such that the cam shaft can be connected to the stub shaft in yonly one position, thereby making possible its removal and vreplacemelflt without changing.

the timing of the cams located on the shaft.

Opposite each valve stem as it lies-within the housing, is an opening 32,.'.wh1ch'o'penf` ings are closed by means vof plates 34 adapted to be screwed in place (Figures 4and 5).

" inside of the wide portions of the housing are webs 17a. These webs have portions 17?) therein which communicate with the wide portions of the housing.` The result of this constructionl is that the oil which collects in the rocker arm chamber or wide portions of the housingis free to flow lengthwiseof the housing to what in the drawings is theright hand thereof where there is a port 41. This port communicates with a passageway which forms a part of the housing and eXtendsthe length of the housing providing a return oil passage 42 that communicates with the oil return pipe 43. rifhe return oil lpipe 44 which eXtends from the aprons at the upper end of the cylinder also is coupled with the passage-42, y

The. construction` of .cam shaftghousing in which there are diverging branches to acu commodate valve stems which themselves diverge permits meto employ valves the ports it is desired to gain access to Vany rocker arm the cover 34 can be removed which is adjacent to that rocker arm giving full access to the arm, and any rocker arm can be removed and replaced without disturbing the others and without dismounting the housing by removing the` nuts 88 and driving out the mounting pin for that'rocker arm.

Finally the entirehousing can be unbolted from the' base 6 and at 27 whereupon it can be" removed from theengine,.and replaced withouta'ffecting the timing of the valves in any way. It should be notedin this connection that the oil Vpipes will also have to be disconnected if thehousing is to be removedu o It will be evident that the cam shaft and rocher arm arrangement' is very convenient and ,that-repairs .can be made readily without takingthe engine to pieces so far asV these parts` are concerned. Y

lt isquite important in aviation practice that repairs vcanbe made'to the valve operating system.V without throwing the valves out ofy time forthe reason that the timing must be accurately and carefullyl done, and often it is necessaryv to make repairsunder circumstances where this is not practical.v It is also of great advantage, in case of the break-down of an engine, to be' able to replace a cam shaft and rocker arm equipment without dismantling the engine.

While I'have described my invention as applied to. cylinders inone line only, it is apparent that the device would be equally as practical in a V type arrangement in which the cylinders are in line but arranged at diverging angles.

Having thus described my. invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Eatent, is y 1. In an airplane engine having cylinders in line, a unit assemblyformed o f a housing, and a-.cam shaft androcker arms mounted tliereimsaid assembly being removable andreplaceable on the engine, cam shaft operating means driven bytheengine, and interengaging means between the same,and the cam shaft permitting removal of the shaftendwise therefrom. c

2. In: an airplane engine aseries of cylinders arranged in line and inverted, a housing for the cam shaft of said engine located on the under side* of saidcylinders, and a pas sagewayforming part 'of said housing and lut) providing a return conduit for oil'to the oil 1 pump of the engine.V l v l Y 3. A cam shaft and rocker arm housing for in line airplane engines, comprising a housing member having wide portions and narrow intermediate Y portions, bearings located in the narrow portions of the housing for a Acam shaft,'and supports in the wide portions ofthe housingfor the vrocker arms.'

y 19 4.V A cam shaft and rocker arm housing for .Y Y

in line airplane engines, comprising a housing memberhaving wide portions and narrow intermediate portions, bearings located in the narrow portions of thehousing for a l5 cam shaft, and supports in the wide portions of the housing for the rocker arms, said supports comprising pins held in place by nuts on the `outside of the wide portions of the housing.

29 5. A cam shaft and rocker arm'housing for in line airplane engines, comp-risinga housving member having wide portions and narrow intermediate portions, bearings located in the narrow portions of the housing fora cam shaft, and supports in the wide portions of the housing for the rocker arms, and pas-` sages in the narrow portions of the housing.,- communicating with the bottoms of the wide s portions of the housing,.thus providing a.

' 30 continuous oil passage through' the bottom of the housing. f 6. A cam shaft and. rocker arm housing for in line airplane engines, comprising a hous- ,i ing member having wide portions and narp .l row'interm-ediate portions, bearingsglocated in the narrow portions ofthe housing fora cam shaftand supports in the wideportions of the housing for the rocker arms,.and pasj sages in the narrow portions of the housing 40 communicating with the bottoms of the wide portions of the housing, thus providing a continuous oil passage through the bottom of the housing, anda lower passage formed throughout the length of the/housing and communicating with the interior of the said housing.

MAX O. GRIFFITH.

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