US2203692A - Engine - Google Patents

Description

June ll, 1940.

A7 J. MEYER v ENGINE Filed oct. 22, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 III.

,Patented June 11,1940

UNITI-:D4 STATES PATENT OFFICE ENGINE Application October 22, 1938, Serial No. 236,512

13 Claims.

The present invention relates to internal com bustion engines andhas 'particular'reference to radial engines of the kind in which a bank of radially arranged cylinders is encircled by an l ent invention is concerned, any specific relative lll'` rotational movement may be employed and for convenience the term bi-rotary will be employed herein 4to designate generically the various specific kinds of the type of engineunder consideration and to which the invention relates.

It is characteristic of engines of the -bi-rotary type that 'the outer ends of the cylinders are open 4to provide cylinder ports which come into. come,

munication successively with the valve ports, and further that th cylinder bank carries with it 25 sealing means moving in sliding contact with the inner face of the annular valve member for sealing the cylinder ports and also for sealing the valve ports during the times when they are not in yregistry with the cylinder ports.

301 In engines of the bi-rotary type, in which ignition is effected by-extraneous ignition Ameans such as high tension spark plugs, glow plugs, `or tlfe like', such means are advantageously Vmounted in the valve member rather than in the engine cyl-i'v inders, since when they are mounted in the valve member they are exposed to -the'heat and pressure f the combustion gases only for the com paratively very short time in the engine cycle lwhich it takes for the cylinder portsto pass them, 40 and not during the entircworking and exhaust periods of the cycle as Awouldbe thecase if they` were mounted in the cylinders.

When such ignition devices are mounted in the l valve member, theymust, however, be mounted 45 in recesses or pockets in `order not to project from the inner face ofthe valve member, since such projection would interfere Vwith. the relative rotary movement between the valve member and the sealing parts in slidingvcontact therewith on 59* the other hand. Each ofthe pockets or recesses' is passed successively by the several cylinder ports,

' and at the instant when they are passed, ignition-` A takes place. The resulting combustion` illlslthe pocket ,with combustion'gases under high prese 5;," sure and before the piston of the cylinder in mayv be termed ignition pockets is intermittently (cl. 12s- 44) which combustion has been effected can move downwardly to a sufdcient degree to materially reduce the pressure -of the combustion gases in the cylinder and in the ignition pocket which forms a part of the combustion space at the time 5 of ignition, the cylinder port moves out of communication with the pocket, which issealed until the next cylinder port Vcomes into communication with it.

Consequently, the next cylinder to come into 10 communication with the pocket, which cylinder contains a compressed charge intended to be fired by the ignition device in the pocket, is brought into communication with a certain quantity of spent combustion gases in the pocket 15 which may still be under considerably higher pressure than the compression pressure within the cylinder, particularly if the seal between the valve member and the sliding sealing means. is highly effective. l

'Ilhis charge of compressed spent combustion gas in the pocket has an adverse effect on the character of combustion obtainable in the suc-` ceeding cylinder. In the first place, the spent combustion gases envelop the ignition device and in the very short interval when the pocket is in communication with the engine cylinder, the turbulence created byl the communicationV between the two chambers maybe insufficient to permit fresh combustible gas from the cylinder to get a0 to the vicinity. ofthe point of ignition. If this occurs, the cylinder will fail to fire. Even if fresh combustion gases d o get to the ignition device so that ignition occurs, the charge of fresh gas in the cylinder' is diluted with the spent combustion gases from the pocket, which as previously noted may he at substantially higher pre/ssure than that 10i the cylinder gases at the instant the cylinder comes into communication with the pocket. Consequently, the extent of dilution of the cylinder 'gases by spent gases from the pocket may be materially greater than would beindicated bythe relation of the volume of the compression space l in .the cylinder atl the instant of ignition to the volume of the pocket.

It is the general object of the present inveni,tion to eliminate the difficulties of the above d described n'ature encountererd in the operation of engines of the kind under v`consideration as heretofore constructed. s' w In accordance with the invention, this genera object is accomplished by the provision of means. whereby each of the pockets in which the ignition devicesare located and which for convenience i5 carrying a plurality of radially arranged cylinr' vented to a'zo'ne of low pressure between the times when it is in communicationwith the ports of successive cylinders. 'I'he `manner in which such venting is effected in ord r to.attain the abovestated general'object and o her and more detailed objects of the invention will best be understood from a consideration of the ensuing portion of this specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating the application of the principles' of the invention to engine structures.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a portion of a bi-rotary engine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in section, or theengine shown in Fig. l and lookingvfrom theright of Fig. v1;

'Figl 3 is a plan'view of a part o f thc'structure.

shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line I-I ofFlg. 3; Fig. 5 is a section taken on the lines l-i of '.Figs. 3 andv 4 and shows parts of`additlonal cooperating elements: Figo isasection taken4 on the line H of Fig. 'I is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing a different embodiment: and- 1 Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are all views similar to Fig. 5 showing diiferent'embodiments.

Referring now to the drawings. the engine `il. lustrated is of the kind in which the housing structure including -the valve member .isstationary andthe cylinder banir and crankshaft revolve in opposite directions and at different speeds. 'I'he housing structure, which in this case is the mounting structure, comprises a forward member I. and a rear member I! between which .v the annular valve member I4 is fixed. The valve member Nisprovided with a series of suitably spaced apart exhaust passages It andinlet paslsages Il which at their inner ends terminate in ports in the inner sealing surface of the valve member. This surfaceis preferably spherically 'curved'. InV the embodiment illustrated the cylinder bank comprises a crank case structure 2! ders 24, each having alpistcn Il.

The crankshaft-provides a crank pin 3l to which the several pistons areconnected in any suitable manner.- In the embodiment illustrated this is accomplished through the medium ofLa master -connecting rod I2 Aconnected to one of the plstonsand a series of link' rods il which serveto connect the remaining pistomswith the master rod adjacent to the crank pin.

'me-desired rei uve speeds of rotation or th cylinder bank and the crankshaft andthe timing of these two componentskwith respect to -the ported valve member is obtained `by gearing which'in the illustratedjembodiment comprises v a'-crankshaft gear It meshingwith. a gear ll fixed on shaft Il 'which constitutes the power take-off shaft of the engine. Shaft Il is mounted in the Vstationary moimting member Il and-has fixed; thereto a second gear!! meshing-.with an idler gear` Il mounted in the stationary' structure andbehind the plane 'of Fig. l oi "t h`e drawings. -The idle;` Il meshes with/bear fixed.

Vto the rotatably mounted crank case structure.

.As will be evident 'from m. Luie erankshaftsnd Athe cylinder bank will be to rotate in opposite directions bythe gears just describedv and vtheir' Speedsnf rotation will he A(lett-:thrilled by 'thegearfratios of the two trains ofgeais. Insoiar vas the presentinvexf'ition-isconcerned.- any l aaoaooe suitable gearing arrangement between the com ponent parts may be employed.-v

Each oi' the cylinders 2l is open at its outer end and the open ends of the cylinders are sealed by parts of the sealing means carried by`the cylinder bank. These parts advantageously consist of annular sealing elements 48 in the form of cylindrical cuir-like members having spherically curved outer surfaces in sliding contact with the inner surface of the valve member, and barrel portions telescopically engaging the walls of the open outer ends of the cylinders.

From Fig:7 2 it will be evident that relative rotary movement between the cylinder bank and the valve member will bring the cylinder ports into and out of communication with the :inlet and exhaust ports in the valve member. In order to seal the latter ports when they are not incommunication` with any cylinder port, a further portion of the sealing means carried by the curved inner surface of the valve member, with which it is in sliding contact. The sealing memberis provided with -a series of properly spaced apertures B2 which permit the sealing elements to extend through the sealing member into sliding contact with the valvemember. The valve member is provided with a series of ignition pockets M communicating with the inner side of' the valve member. which pockets are located at suitably spaced intervals peripherally. of the valve member so as to come into communication with the cylinder ports at the proper time for ignition in the particular engine cycle employed.Y In the embodiment' illustrated. the en-l gine is of the four stroke cycle type. having seven cylinders per bank With this engine and with the. cylinder bank vand crankshaft rotating in opposite directions, eachcylinder hres four times per revolution vof the cylinder bank and at least four ignition pockets are required. In the embodiment illustrated, these pockets are formed by the inner portions of suitably threaded. bores extending through 'the valve member and into which spark plugs 5l are threaded. If the inner ends of `the plugs are set substantially ush with the innerqw surface of the valve member, gas accumulating pockets will still be formed by the internal cavities of'theinner ends of the plugs.

other kinds of ignitionmeans resulting in the formation of other 'forms of ignition pockets may be utilized. Y 1

The sealing means is provided at spaced intervals with vent passages extending therethrough. these vent passages advantageously being located in the annular s ealingmember lil' and there being advantageously. atleast `one such passage between each two adjacent cylinders of the bank. These passages areprovided with located toibe vbrought intoand out of 4c'ouimimication with the ignition Vpockets by. therelative rotary movement between the *cylinder*Y and. the valve member,v and the outlet' ends.` of these passages are located so Vthat they will'serve tc event' the ignition pockets to a zone of l0 `w In the 'embodiment in rigs. s; tais; im vent passages, oneof which is shownin these figures, are formed with inlet Il at thebutei 'surface of the sealing" ring, locatedto registei with, the ignition pockets, which inletsepm,

municate with sa transverse passage extending 'f through the scaling'member` to. provide outlet:

i! and I4 at the sides of the' ring. These outlets advantageously communicate intermittently with the annular channels 86 and 8l formed respectively in the housing members l and i2. 'Ihese channels serve as drainage channels for excess lubricant discharged from between thesIiding contact surfaces of. the valve member and the sealing ring. These channels are not under material pressure and by venting the ignition pockets to these channels, any lubricant entering the inlets of the vent passages from the lubricated sliding surface will be carried back into the lubrication system. 4

As previously noted, the vent passages communicate only intermittently with these drain passages and in mostinstances the vent passages are advantageously opened only intermittently Preferably they are to any low pressure zone. opened onlyl when their inlet ends are in communication with the ignition pockets. It will be apparent that if the ignition pockets and the valve ports are to communicate with the cylin-` der ports upon relative rotary movement between the engine parts. the ignition pockets must lie in the same plane normal to the axis of relative rotation as'the valve ports. From this-it'follows that if the inlet ends of the vent passages are to communicate with the ignition pockets they must 1 necessarily, in other" positions of rotation of the parts. communicate with the valve ports. Coni sequently, if the vent passages were permitted t0 remain open at all `times,communication between the valve ports and a low pressure zone would occur when the vent passages passed the valve ports.

Intermittent communication between the valve ports and a low pressure zone, through the vent passages, would be undesirable in many cases.

particularly in the Ycase of supercharged engines,4

tageously employed to close the vent passages.v particularly at times when the inlets thereof are in communication ywith the valve ports. Such valve means is advantageously arranged in the form of what may be termed a slide valve formed between the relatively rotating `sealing member` and the housing structure at the side of the sealing member.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. the

parts Il) and i2 in which the channels E6 and 6% are formed. provide radially extending flanges and 'l2 respectively which are in sliding contact with the side faces of the sealing ring 50. These flanges are advantageously continuous but may be circumferentially interrupted. In the embodi` ment illustrated they are continuous and are provided with ports peripherally spaced at suitable intervals and -located to be passed by the outlets of the vent passages when the inlets of the passages are in communication `vviththe ignition pockets.4 One of such lports is indicated at it in Fig. 6. Obviously, many other specific forms of `notched or otherwise interrupted slide valve structures may be employed for accomplishing othe desired object of closing the vent passages indesired positions of rotation thereof while persisting of a plurality of segmental shoes -16 (see Fig.7) having openings 52 therein for the reception of the cylinder sealing elements and iny termediate connecting or bridge shoes 18. In so far as the present invention is concerned, it is immaterial whether or not the sealing'member is of one-piece or built-up construction and it will be evident from Fig. 'l that the shoes 16 may be provided with vent passages 58a which will function in the same manner'as that previously described.

From the standpoint of manufacturing convenience and expense, it will be evident that vent passages extending radially straight through the sealing means are more advagitageous than' the laterally extending passages of the form shown in Fig. 5, and for aspirated engines, such passages may in some instances be used.` An arrangement of this sort is shown in Fig. 8 in which the sealing member 50 is provided with a plurality of passages 53c' extending radially directly through the member?) These passages operate to vent the ignition' pockets directly to atmosphere and ifleft open will provide communication between-the inlet and exhaust ports and atmosphere as they pass the valve ports'. In the case of an `aspirated engine, communication of the passages 58o with the i-nlet ports would cause fresh air to be ad mitted to the manifold which in some instances might cause undesirable disturbance to the fuel air ratio of the fresh' gas mixture. m'l'his may be avoided in very simple manner by the provision Aof a light spring valve 80 of the feather type,

yiixed to the sealing member by any suitable means such as the screw 82 and normally closing the outlet of the vent passage 58e. It will be evident that. a light feather valve of this type will prevent liow of air through thevent passage to an inlet port,'while at the same time the pressure required to cause the valve to open will be practically negligible so that when the vent passage passes an ignition pocket it will operate to vent the latterof the gases under pressure trapped therein. It will be apparent that for this type oi vent passage any suitable form of check valve opening away from the ignition pockets may be employed.

Still another arrangement is illustrated in Fig. 9 wherein the vent 4passages 58h are in the form of laterally extending grooves, in the outer face ofthe sealing member. These'grooves -may extend either to one or both sides of the-sealing member and in the embodiment shown discharge through these passages is controlled by a slide valve'of the kind illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. A

In all of the embodiments previouslydescribed the inlets of the vent passages have been arf ranged in the same planeas that of the ignition pockets and valve ports; An alternative arrangement is illustrated in Fig. 10. In this form of construction the ignition pocket includes a laterally extending passage Md having `a branch providing an opening 54h in the surface of the valve member which is located laterally to one side of the lateralextremities of the ports in the valve member, these extremities being indicated by the dotted port lines IS. The sealing member is provided with ventpassages 58d which may as in the embodiment illustrated open laterally of the sealing member, or pass directly therethrough.

In this form, it will be evident that the vent passages 58d` will never register with the valve ports and consequently these passages-do not refquire to be closed against communication with .these ports: This arrangement has, however, the

disadvantage that, due to the fact that the ignition pockets are momentarily-subjected to theworking pressures in the cylinders when these pockets communicate with the cylinderports at the moment of ignition, the sealing against loss of the gas under the working pressure in the cyl-l inders must depend on the seal between the face of the valve member I4 and the sealing member 50.. This latter member is intended primarily -merely for the purpose of sealing the ports and `is consequently not necessarily constructed to hereinbeiore vdescribed by way ofexample but is' to be considered as including all forms of construction falling within the scope of the ali-- pended claims.

What is claimed is: l 1. In a bi-'rotar'y engine, an annular ported valve member, sealing means mounted for relative rotary movement with. respect to saidfvalve lmember, ignition pockets opening inwardly of the valve member, and venting means carried by said s ealing means for'placing said pockets temporarilyin communication with a zone of low pressure due to said relative rotary movement.

2. I n a bi-rotary.. engine, an annular ported valve member, an annular sealing member mounted for. relative rotary movement with re-v spect to said valve member, ignition pockets opening inwardly ofn the valve member, a plurality of vent passages formed in said sealing 3. In a bil-rotary engine, an annular ported valve member, sealing means mounted for relative rotary movement with respect to said valve member for intermittently. closing vsaid ports,

ignition pocketsopening inwardly of the valve member, a plurality of vent passages formed in said sealing means, each of said passages having an inletlocated to pass said ignition pockets due to said relative rotary movement and an outlet, and means rotationally fixed with respect to said valve member for closing the outlets of said passages in predetermined relative positionsof said sealing means and said valve member other than the relative positions thereof in which said inlets communicate with said ignition pockets.

d 4; In a bi-rotary engine, housingy structure including an annular ported valve member, a cylinder bank mounted for relativev rotarymovement with respect to said valve member, sealing means carried by saidcylinder bank in sliding' ber, each of 'said passages havingl an inletflocated to pass said .pockets due tol said relative rotary movement and an outlet spaced laterally of the inlet, said housing structure-including portions covering said outlets in predetermined relative position of the cylinder bank and the valve member other than the relative positions thereof in which said inlets communicate with said ignition pockets.

5. In a bi-rotary engine, an annular .ported valve member, .a cylinder bank mounted for `rela-' tive rotary movement with respect to said valve member, sealing means` carried by said cylinder bank in sliding contact with. said valve member, a plurality of ignition'pockets in said valve member, a plurality of vent l passages constituting laterally extending grooves formed in the outer surface of said sealing means, each of said passages having an inlet located to pass said pockets due to said relative rotary movementand an outlet, and means for opening and closing the outlets of said passages in'differentpredetermined relative;V positions of vrotation of the sealing means and thefvalve member..

6. In a bi-rotary engine, housing structure including an annular ported valve member, an annular sealing member mounted for@ relative rotary movement with respect to said valve member, a plurality of ignitionpockets in said valve member, a plurality of vent passages `formed in said sealing member, each of said passages having an inlet located to pass said pockets due to said. relative rotary movement, and an outlet located at the side of the sealing member, said housing structure including portions located to coverI said outlets inv predetermined relative positions of thesealing member and the valve member other than the relative positionsrthe'reof in which said inlets communicate with said ignition pockets.

'7. In a bi-rotary engine, an annular ported valve member, an annular sealing member y mounted for relative rotary movement with respect to said valve member, a plurality of ignition pockets in said valve member, a plurality of vent passages constituting laterally extending .grooves formed inthe outer surface of said sealin g member, each of said passages having an inlet located to pass said pockets du'e to said relative rotary movement and an outlet, and

means for closing the outlets of said passages in predetermined relative positions of the sealing member and the valve memberl other than the relative positions thereof in which said inlets communicate with said ignition pockets.

' 8. In la bi-rotary engine, housing structure including an annular ported valve member, an

due to said relative rotary movement and an outlet located at the side of the sealing member, said housing structure lproviding an annular channel adjacent to the side of said sealingl member, and means located between saidchannel and the adjacent side of the sealing member,

said meansbeing located to close the outlets of saidvpassages'in predetermined positions of rotation of .thesealing member with respect to the .f

.valve member and to permit communicationl aaoaoea i 5 said sealing means, said passages having inlets located to pass said ignition pockets and said ports due to said relative rotary movement, and automatic valve means operable to close said passages when said inlets are in communication with said valve ports and to open the passages when said inlets are in communicationwith said ignition pockets.

10. In a bi-rotary engine, a valve member havl ing a plurality of peripherally spaced inlet ports and a plurality of peripherally `spaced ignition pockets therein, sealing means mounted for relative rotary Vmovement with respect to said valve member, a plurality of Vent passages formed in said sealing means, said passages having inlets located to pass said ignition pockets and said ports due to said relative rotary movement, and means cooperating in sliding relation with said sealing means to close the outlets of said passages when the inlets thereof pass said inlet ports and to open the outlets of said lpassages when the inlets thereof pass said ignition pockets. 11. In a bi-rotary engine, an -annular ported valve member having a plurality of ignition pockets therein, sealing means arranged for relative .rotary movement 'with respect to the valve member, a plurality of vent passages formed in said sealing means. said passages having inlets located to pass said ignition pockets due to said relative rotary movement, and an automatically operable check valve for controlling each of said vent passages, said check valves being arranged to open away from the inlets of the passages.

lsaid cylinder bank including a plurality of cylinpassagesformed in said valve member each comlextremities of said valve ports, and a plurality tary movement and to thereby vent said ignition 12. In a bi-rotary engine, an annular ported valve member having a plurality of ignition pockets therein, an annular sealing member arranged for relative rotary movement with respect to the va1v e member, a plurality of vent passages extending in generally radial direction through said sealing member and having inlets located to pass said ignition pockets due to said relative rotary movement, and a spring valve located to cover the outlet of each of said passages, said spring valves being arranged to be opened by fluid under pressure admitted to said passages from said ignition pockets.

13.l In a bi-rotary engine, an annular ported valve member having an inner sealing surface and a plurality of valve ports and a plurality of ignition pockets opening through said surface,

said ports and pockets lying in a common plane, a1 cylinder bank .mounted for relative rotary movement with respect to said valve member,

ders having ports at theirouter ends lying in said plane, and an annular-sealing member hav ing an outer sealing surface cooperating in slidingl relation with the sealing surface of the valve member to close said valve ports between times of communication thereof with the cylinder ports.

municating with an ignition pocket and having an outlet located in the sealing surface of the valve member laterally to one side of the lateral of vent passages formed in said sealing member having inlets located in the sealing surface of the sealing member to pass the outlets of the first `mentioned passages d ue to said relative ro pockets.

' ANDR J. MEYER.

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