US1906095A

US1906095A - Internal combustion engine

Info

Publication number: US1906095A
Application number: US445877A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alfred T Prentice
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1930-04-21
Filing date: 1930-04-21
Publication date: 1933-04-25
Anticipated expiration: 1950-04-25

Description

April 5 1933- A. T. PRENTICE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed April 21, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet Inventor y I Attorney- April 25, '1933. A, PREWC; 1,906,095-

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed April 21, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 57 Attorney UNITED STATES? Patented Apr. 25, 1933 PATENT, OFFICE ranmrron, or VALPAItAISO, Intranet I TERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Application filed April 21, 1930. Serial nd. 445th.

My invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines and it more especially consists of the features pointed out inthe claims. 1

The purpose of my inventionis to provide an'ovel engine construction :in which the piston and cylinder both move toward and away from each other, that connects'the piston to a crank oppositeito that which reciprocates the cylinder; thatutilizes any desired form of valve control;'that operates on theDiesel, or self ignition principle; .that for a given weight produces a large increase in power over that supplied by an ordinary internal combustion engine inwhijch only the piston is in motionandthe cylinder is stationary;that because of the simultaneous movement of the piston. and cylinder the engine does notbecome heated, in consequence the usual heat losses are eliminated and a'water jacket for a cooling purposes is not'required; and furthermore the usual ignition system is also eliminated. l 2. Withthese and'other endsin view, I illustrate in the accompanying drawings such instances of adaptation as will disclose the broad underlying features of the invention without limitinginyself to the specific details shown thereon and described herein.

Figure 1 is anelevation insection of an assembled engine showing the piston and cylinder in firing position. 1 Fig. 2 is a top plan view in section on line 22 of Fig.1. t

Fig. 3 is an elevation in section showing the piston and cylinder separated. j

Fig. 41 is a detached elevation of a packing i sg e 1 i 5 is detached sectional view showing the cylinderreceivin'g a fuel charge.

Fig. 6 is a detached sectional view showing the ignition chamber opposite the fuel inlet.

' In practicing my invention I may use what ever alternatives" or equivalents of structure that the exigencies of variable conditions may demand without departing from the broad spirit of my invention; r

The outstanding feature of my reaction motor resides inthe use of acrank shaft, to which a "sliding cylinder is attached by a actuated by a cam '27 against a compression pair of connecting rods and to'which a piston connecting rod is also attached in opposition, so that at the detonation of the compressed charge the pistonand cylinder head move in opposite directions away from each other.

Any desired type of easing may beused. It may provide :for precompression or any cooperating modifications. Asinstanced in the drawings, a simple form is shown at 1. It may comprise a removable head .2 and a separable crank casing 8. Between the main vcasing 1 andi'the bottom or crank case 3,"a

crank shaft 4 is rotatable in bearings 6. The casing 1 may have endwise projections 5. At itsupper endit is "enlarged in diameter to accommodate a sleeve valvewhich has an endwise movement to control the admission of fuel etc. It has ahead 18 and a cylindrical projection 19. This forms a sleeveinwhich there is an annular ignition chamber 17. An opening leads into the chamber '17. -It registers-with the passageway21 formed in the casing 1 when the'sleeve is in its lowered position. .At that time the headi12 of] the cylinder 11 will in its upstroke have passed a We the charging chamber 17 of the sleeve 18- 19, so that when the port 20 is in line with thepassageway 21 the charging chamberwill be" sealed 01f by the wall of the cylinder 11 i i The sleeve 18-19 may be actuated by a link 23 connected to'arocker arm 24, which in turn is moved by a rod 25, and itin turn is spring26. Thecain27 is driven by gears 28 and the crank shaft 4:. The ratio of the gears and the shape of the cam 27 may be varied as desired. Directly beneath the head12 of the reciprocating cylinder-'11 ports 16: are formed. These, when the cylinder is in its lowest or firing position, are opposite wall of the casing 1. 7 The piston 9 is'attached to the crank 7'by connecting rod 10, and the cranks 8 are connected to' the ears 14015 the cylinder 11- by meansof connecting rods 13 attachedto pins 15. A fuel chamber 22'is controlled by a rod 29 actuatedtromthecrank shaft inany desired manner and sequence as, for instance,

by a cam 30 and gears 38. The fuel inlets and exhaust outlet are shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 5. Sealing-off rings of any well known type are placed above and below the opening 20 on the outside of the sleeve 19, and similar sealing-off rings are placed on the inner wall of the sleeve 19 above and below the ignition chamber 17. Similarly the outer surface of the cylinder 11 is also sealed-off by rings positioned above and below the ports 16. Between the inner surface of the cylinder and the outer surface of the piston the usual piston rings are placed.

In the position shown in Fig. 1, the cylinder is in its lowest position and the piston is in its highest position leaving a space between for the firing charge which at this point is detonated by the heat of compression. The cylinder head 12 and the piston 9 move away from each other, thus securing a marked increase in power without incurring the usual heat losses.

The rocker arm 24 may have a slot 31 a its fulcrum 32, which may be adjustable so as to vary the movement of the sleeve link 23. I may actuate the fuel control of the chamber 22 in any desired manner by means of a lever 33 connected to the stem 29. A cam 30 is driven by gears 38 and the crank shaft 4. This raises and lowers the stem 29 in cooperation with a spring 39. An exhaust port 37, when the cylinder is in its highest position communicates with the exhaust outlet 36 formed in the casing 1. In order that the sealing-off rings of the cylinder 11 do not slip into the ignition chamber 17 I may form bridges. 34, shown on Fig. 4, openings 35 are formed behind the bridges so as to preserve communication all around the ignition chamber 17.

The cycle of operation is quite simple. Under the pressure produced by the explosion fired by the heat of compression the cylinder head 12 moves up and the piston moves downward. At the end of such movement the exhaust port 37 of the cylinder comes into line with the port 36 thus freeing the power space from the carbon monoxide. The cylinder now starts downward as the piston starts upward. The first movement downward of the cylinder closes the exhaust port 37 and the inlet ports 16 are opposite the ignition chamber 17 This has just previously, while in its lowered position received a charge of fuel through the

openings

20 and 21 but now being in its raised position the passageway 21 is sealed off and the charge enters the cylinder to be compressed for the next detonation, after which the cycle is repeated.

It has been shown by careful experiments that the piston of an internal combustion engine does not become heated due to its rapid motion which,the faster it moves, becomes more and more cool. The explosive charge is, by reasonof the cylinder and piston being connected to opposite positions on the crank shaft, expanded in two directions. If desired, I may combine any cooperating form of pre-heater in connection with the casing and the cylinder. I do not limit myself to the use of a sleeve valve as any well known form of poppet valve may be used instead.

In such an event the casing head 2 would be closed tightly and the space between the cylinder head 12 and the head 2 used for preliminary compression in which case suitable ports leading to the ignition chamber may be provided.

As this reacting engine is of commanding importance, it is claimed in its broadest scope without being limited to any specific form of cooperating valves, ports, etc.

What I claim is:

1. A reacting engine, comprising a shaft having a plurality of cranks thereon in opposite relation to each other, a casing having bearings for the shaft, a cylinder having a closed end slidable in the casing, a piston slidable within the cylinder below the closed end, connections from the cylinder and the piston to opposite portions of the crank shaft, and cooperating means comprising a slidable sleeve outside of the reciprocating cylinder for detonating a fuel charge between the piston and the cylinder head when these are nearest to each other the detonation occurring through the heat of compression of the fuel, said sleeve having a closed end and giovable adjacent the closed end of the cylin- 2. In a reaction engine, a reciprocating cylinder, a casing therearound, a slidable sleeve between the casing and the cylinder, a reciprocating piston within the cylinder, a crank shaft, a pair of connecting rods from the cylinder to one side of the crank shaft, and a connecting rod from the piston to the opposite side of the crank shaft.

3. A reacting engine, comprising a casing, a shaft in the casing, a plurality of oppositely positioned cranks formed on the shaft, a closed head to the casing, a cylinder having a closed head slidable in the casing with its head in opposition to the head in the casing, a piston slidable within the cylinder, a closed end sleeve between the cylinder and the casing and movable adj acent to and enclosing the cylinder head, connecting means from the cylinder and piston to oppositely positioned cranks of the crank shaft said means comprising a pair of connecting rods for the cylinder and a single connecting rod for the piston, and means for explosively moving the piston and the cylinder head away from each other. 7

1? In a reaction engine, a casing having a cylindrical chamber open at one end and closed at the other, a tubular cylinder open at one end closed at the other slidable in the casing, cooperating means comprising a closed ended valve enclosing the closed end of the cylinder and movable between the casing and the cylinder, a piston slidable in the tubular cylinder, and means for imparting reciprocating motion to the piston and cylinder in opposite directions at recurring periods Without recourse to Water cooling.

In testimony whereof I afiix m signature.

ALFRED T. PR NTICE.