US2127729A - Internal combustion engine - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 23, 1938.

L lr.. GRANT INTERNAL CQMBUSTION ENGINE Filed July 20, 1936, 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug.. 23,` 1938. GRANT INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed July 20, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Horne y Patented Aug. 23, 1938 UNITED STATE PATENT OFFIQE Application July 20,

2 Claims.

My present invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines of the Diesel type wherein air is supplied to the working cylinder of the engine and compressed by a compression 5 stroke of the piston to such a degree that the high temperature of the compressed air causes combustion when oil is supplied thereto.

It will be understood however that the engine of my invention is also adapted for combustion of l `gasoline when an igniting spark is employed therewith.

In its structure and arrangement the engine, when burning the charge by highly compressed air, involves multiple, opposed or opposite cylinders, arranged in one or more pairs, one cylinder of each pair on either side of the main shaft or crank shaft of the engine with coincident axial lines intersecting the shaft at right angles. For convenience of illustration I have disclosed the use of two opposed cylinders, or one pair of pistons connected with one crank of the shaft, but it will be understood that a number of cranks of the main shaft or crank shaft are to be so equipped.

The two working pistons of a pair are rigidly joined for reciprocation in their respective cylinders, and each cylinder is equipped with a stationary, inner head or abutment that is located within a reciprocating piston, thus providing for a working stroke of the piston, outwardly, or away from the shaft with a consequent pull on the crank in lieu of the usual push against the crank. The strain of the pull is absorbed at the crank by a transversely slidable crank head intermediate the pistons, and the force of combustion or expansion of the fuel charge is imposed against the stationary, interior cylinder head or abutment. A charge of air is compressed in one cylinder while an expansion or working stroke is taking place in the other cylinder, and cam-actuated valve operating means are employed with each cylinder for controlling the supply of air thereto. 'I'he charges of oil are supplied to the interior of the working cylinders, or combustion chambers, through the interior heads of the cylinders which communicate with means for supplying the oil for fuel.

By this arrangement of parts in the engine, a compact and powerful engine-unit is provided in which the parts operate smoothly, and as the construction is simple, the parts may readily be manufactured and assembled, repairs and replacements may be made with facility, and high efficiency is attained in the operation of the engine.

1936, Serial No. 91,485

(Cl. 12S-50) The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts as will hereinafter be more fully set forth and claimed. In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of an engine-unit, wherein the'parts are combined and arranged according to the best mode I have thus far devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention.

Figure 1 is a sectional view of an engine-unit with the upper air intake valve closed and the lower intake valve open, and the pistons in approximately neutral position.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view of a portion of the upper cylinder with its air intake valve closed and the piston at the end of its compression stroke with the compression chamber open to the combustion chamber.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional View of one of the interior, stationary, cylinder heads, detached, and showing the valve-controlled oil supply ducts.

Figure 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view at line 4 4. of Figure 2, showing the tangential arrangement of the inner compressed air ports for creating turbulency in the combustion chamber.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view similar to Figure 1 but with the crank shaft turned 9!! degrees, with the upper piston charging its cornbustion chamber, and the lower piston at the upper end of its working stroke.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail view in elevation showing one of the pair of rigidly joined werking pistons, and the relation thereto of a dotted fixed or stationary head, together with details of the transversely slidable crank head.

Figure 7 is a detail cross section at line 1 1 of Figure 5 showing the actuating cam for operating the air valves.

Figure 8 is a d-etail sectional view at line 8 8 of Figure 6, looking up into the piston and showing in section the attaching legs for the interior piston or cylinder head.

In the construction and assembly of the illustrated engine-unit I employ a cylindrical housing l which is held stationary or fixed in suitable manner, and the crank shaft 2, which passes longitudinally through the housing, is journaled in bearings as 3, so that the crank will turn in the crank case or chamber 5 of the housing.

The fixed housing is fashioned with a pair of diametrically arranged cylindrical extensions 6 and l', and the opposed cylinders 8 and 9 with coincident axes are bolted to the outer ends of these extensions.

The inner ends of the cylinders open to the interior of the crank case or housing I, while the outer heads or ends of the cylinders are closed, but provided with air pipes and air intake ports III and Il respectively, and air intake valves l2 and I3 for controlling admission of air to the cylinders. These valves are spring-closed, and they are opened at the proper instant in the cycle of operation of the engine unit by an actuating cam I4 on the crank shaft and located within the crank case. The cani actuates, alternately, the valve-operating rods I5, I5 and these rods operate the push levers or rocker arms ifi to open the valves against the tension of the springs Il, which springs close the valves during the operating cycle. In addition to the main intake ports for air at the outer ends or heads oi the two cylinders, these cylinders are each provided with an annular series of longitudinally extending grooves I8 in the faces of their walls, forming transfer ports for air from the compression chamber into the combustion chamber, as will be described.

As best seen in Figure 6 a rectangular block or crank head IS is journaled on the crank fi, within the cra-nk case, and as the crank turns in this head, the latter reciprocates transversely oi the engine unit and of the crank shaft. The rcciprocating movement of the slide head is guided between ilanges or ways 2t! and 2l, and at their four corners these rectangular or guideways are bolted together at 22, the Ways being spaced apart as best seen in Figure 6 for frictional engagement with the opposite faces of the Slide-head or crank head I9. These flanges or Ways 2l] and 2I are each fashioned integral with or rigid with a web, as 23 and E11 respectively, and the webs are provided with outer attaching plates 25 that are bolted to and across the ad- 1 joining inner ends of the two cylindricai hollow pistons 26 and 2T. The opposed piston-unit thus includes the pair of spaced pistons to which are attached the spaced I-plates 23 and 2li, and these plates are rigidly joined by the tie bolts 22. The crank head IB reciprocates transversely between the guides and of course revolves with the crank, while the opposed piston unit reciprocates rectilinearly under the successive impulses of combustion in the cylinders.

As best seen in Figure 2 each hollow cylindrical piston is fashioned near its outer end 'with a transverse web or depressed head 2li which. forms an explosion chamber 29 within the inner portion of the piston, and a compression charnber 3F! in the outer end of the piston which compression chambers are closed by the valve-ends of the cylinders. This depressed head is fashioned with an annular series of ports 3E extending tangentially through the circular wall of the piston to afford communication between the transfer ports I8 of the cylinders and the interiors of the explosion or combustion chambers 29 of the pistons. When the air intake valve is opened air flows into the compression chamber and on the outward compression stroke of the piston this charge of air is compressed and forced down through the transfer ports to, and through the tangential ports 3i, and this tangential arrangement of the ports 3I causes a whirling movement or turbulency of the incoming air to insure a perfect blending with the fuel oil which also is introduced to the combustion chamber.

At a suitable location near the inner ends of the cylinders an annular series of exhaust ports 32 is provided in the wall of each cylinder, for

exit of spent gas, and the skirt portion of each piston is provided with a complementary annular series of exhaust ports 33 adapted to register with ports 32, whereby exhaust or spent gases are displaced irom the interior of the combustion chamber, and these exhaust gases are disposed of through the annular, exterior exhaust manifold 34 that surrounds each of the stationary cylinders. In Figure 5 spent gas is being expelled from the combustion chamber through the registering exhaust ports, by the incoming air from the compression chamber.

Within the skirt portion, or inner open end of each of the opposed pistons is located a fixed abutment, as 35 and 35, each of which forms a head that is stationary, and the combustion chamber in each cylinder is defined between one of these stationary heads and the depressed head of a` piston. The combustion chambers are thus provided with varying capacities, as are also the compression chambers 3l) due to the relation of the movable, depressed head 28 to the valve-end or head of each cylinder.

The fixed abutments, as best seen in Figure 3, are solid cylindrical heads with tapered or beveled edges 3l to form annular spaces for movement of exhaust gases to the exhaust ports, and each of these heads has a pair of diametrically arranged legs 38 hanged at 39 for bolting to complementary flanges of the crank case. These legs are arcuate in cross section and they project from their respective heads through the extensions 6 and I of the crank oase and as they are spaced within the bounds of the cylindrical skirts of the pistons, the legs do not interfere with the reciprocating movements of the pistons.

The interior face of each stationary head or abutment is provided with an oil inlet port 4U forming a valve seat for the spring closed valve 4I which is operatively mounted in the head, and an oil supply conduit or duct 42 extends from the valve seat or port, through the head and down through one oi the legs of each head as indicated in Figure 3, and a suitable pump or injector (not shown) is employed to force the oil past the spring closed valve 4I into the combustion chamber. The oil thus entering the cornbustion chamber encounters the whirling currents of compressed air and the oil is thoroughly atomized to facilitate burning or combustion of the charge. The combustion and expansion of the charge is directed against the stationary abutments or heads and the depressed heads of the pistons, and the expansion of gas causes an outward, working, stroke of the piston. The outward movement of the piston is transmitted through a web (23 or 26!) to the transversely sliding crank-head and then to the crank, and the composite movement of the slide head, i. e. rotary and reciprocating turns the crank.

As before stated, in the cycle of operation, one piston compresses a charge of air while the other piston is being red, and the compressing and ring of the charges alternates in the opposed cylinders.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an internal combustion engine of the opposed axially alined-cylinder type, the combination with an intermediate crank case and crank shaft, and a transversely movable crankhead on the shaft, of a pair of rigidly connected hollow reciprocating pistons connectedwith the crank head, a stationary abutment located in the inner end of each piston, and spaced legs on each abutment rigidly attached to the crank case.

2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a pair of xed, spaced axially alined cylinders each having air ports opening into their outer ends, of a pair of rigidly joined hollow pistons reciprocable in the cylinders, said pistons each having a depressed head `forming a compression chamber at its outer end, a xed abutment in the inner end of each piston, each abutment having a fuel inlet-port and a valve therefor, said abutments each having spaced supporting legs and one of said legs having a fuelsupply passage extending through the abutment to an inlet-port.

LLOYD L. GRANT.

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