US2392524A - Internal-combustion engine - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 8, l1946.

G. DAVIES INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed June 19, 1944 Patented Jan. 8, 1946 Application .time ie, 1944, 'serial No. 54eme In Great Britain September 8, 1943 'This invention relatesv to internal combustion engines and more particularly 'to multi-.cylinder engines.

According to thepresent invention a multicylinder internal combustion engine comprises ka plurality of 'axially arranged engine cylinders each having a piston reciprocating therein, all the pistons being connected together for reciprocal movement as 'a unit for driving the engine crank shaft.y 'The engine may comprise one or more sets of four axially arranged cylinders, the pistons of each lset being connected together by a link which transmitsthe `reciprocal movement of the piston Yunit to the crank 'journal of the engine crank shaft.

Toenable the invention to be fully understood it will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of an engine according to one form of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional plan view showing the link connecting the piston rods and the bearing for connecting the piston unit to a power shaft, the engine cylinder being omitted for the sake of clarity, and

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

As shown in the accompanying drawing the engine casing is formed by end castings I, 2 attached by walls 3, 4 to the engine crank case, and a central casting 5 also attached to the crank case. The castings are spaced apart axially and the spaces between themroutside the crank case are covered by plates '6, l. The castings I and 2 comprise cylinders for pistons 8 and II and the casting 5 comprises cylinders for pistons 9 and IIJ. The pistons 8 and 9 are connected by a rod I2 and the pistons I0 and II by a rod I3. A rotary sleeve valve I4 is rotatably mounted between the cylinder Walls and the pistons and is provided with a gear I5 mounted in ball bearings and adapted to be rotated by suitable gearing (not shown) driven from the main shaft of the engine.

The inner surface of the outer ends of the sleeve valve I4 have an annular recess to receive the skirt I6 of head members having walls I1, I8 forming housings for slidable piston-like members I9. The members I9 are urged t-o engage the cylinder wall by a spring or springs and are each formed with a passage 2I adapted to register, as the sleeve I4 is rotated, with inlet and outlet ports, such as 22, and a sparking plug or injector opening 23, circumferentially spaced in the cylinder wall adjacent to the slidable members. The sleeve I4 is formed with Walls 24, and 26,21 which form housings for slidable members '28 and '29. The construction and function oi the slidable members I9, 28 and 29 are fully described in `our copending .application Serial No. "540,935, led .June 19, 1944, and further `description is not considered necessary. vThe head members are formed with hollow chambers 30, 3I and a furtherhollo'w chamber 32 is provided between the slidable members 28, L29 at the intermediate part of the sleeve I4. Oil for l.cooling `and lubricating is injected into these vchambers 30. '3I and 3'2 b y pipes 33, 34, L35, a controlled part of this `oil .il-owing between the walls of the `sleeve ,and the cylinder throughsuitable .conduits or grooves (not shown). The -oil is circulated through ichaznbers'll',l 43I and L32 back to theenginesump.

The piston rods I2, I3 are connected together for movement as a unit by a link 36 the ends of winch are secured to the centre of the rods by pins 31, 38. The link 3E is slidably mounted in a recess in the outer wall of the sleeve I4, the wall being slotted at 39, 40 to permit the oscillation of the pins and link. The pin 38 is secured to an annular member 4I having castellations 42 which cooperate with castel'iations 43 of a cooperating annular member 44. Sufiicient play is provided between the castellations 42, 43 to allow free relative rotation- The member 44 is held around the sleeve I4 by a bolt 45 and is pivotally connected to a connecting rod 46 which is coupled with a crank journal 41 of the main drive shaft of the engine.

In operation the gear I5 is rotated to rotate the sleeve I4 and the combustion spaces of the cylinders are connected through the slidable members in timed sequence with the ports in the cylinders and supplied with combustible mixture which is compressed, ignited and subsequently exhausted. The timing of the four cylinders is so arranged that all pistons are always travelling in the same direction and by means of the link 35 the reciprocation of the piston is transmitted through the thrust bearing members 4I, 44 to the connecting rod 46 and crank journal of the engine crank shaft.

If desired furtherf'sets of four cylinders similar to that shewn and described may be arranged side by side, the pistons of each set being coupled for movement as a unit and connected by a connecting rod with separate crank journals for driving a common main drive shaft. Any number of sets may be provided forl example 12 sets would provide a 48 cylinder engine.

When several sets of cylinders are provided two sets or pistonsl may be connected to a single crank l rod connecting one journal, if desired, by arranging for one of the connecting rods to have a forked end.

To reduce the overall dimensions of the engine 4the end castings land 2 may be adapted to receive slidable members such as described in Figs. 4 to 7 of our co-pending application No. 13,847 of 1943. Y

I claim: Y l. In 'a four-stroke cycle internal combustion engine, two pairs of open=endeddiametrical1y opposed cylinders, a piston reciprocating in each of said cylinders, a connecting rodrigidly connecting' q the two pistons in each pair of opposed cylindersy 'a link extending axially of the cylinder-s and rigj idly connected at each end with a connecting rod of a pair of pistons, a power shaft, and means for connecting one of said connectingrods with said power shaft.

each end of the link engaging one of the connecting rods, a power shaft and means for drivingly connecting one of said connecting rods with said power shaft.

4. In a four-stroke cycle internal combustion engine, two pairs of open-endedA diametrically opposed cylnders, a piston reciprocating in. each of said cylinders, connecting rods rigidly connecting the two pistons in each pair of opposed cylindens, a sleevel valve rotatably mounted between the inner wall of the cylinders and the pistons, a link extending axially of the cylinders and slidably uimounted in a recess in the sleeve valve, means at each vend of the link engaging one of the connecting rods, means converting the combined rotary Yand reciprocating motion of the connecting rods v into simple reciprocating motion, a crank shaft 2. In a four-stroke cycle internal lconlbstion` engine, two pairs of open-ended diametric'ally 0pposed cylinders, a piston reciprocating in each of said cylinders, a connecting'rod rigidlyr connecting the'tworpistons in each pair ofi opposed cylin-v ders, a link extending axially of the cylinders and rigidly connected at .each end .with asconnecting rod of a pair of pistons, a crankshaft'and a crank of said connecting rods with said crankshaft. 'Y

3. In a four-stroke vcycle internal combustion engine, two pairs of open-endeddiametrically opposed cylinders, a piston'reciprocating in each of said cylinders, connecting rods rigidlyconnecting the two pistons in each pair ,of opposed cylinders,

a sleeve valve rotatablyjmounted between" the inner Wall of the cylinders and the pistons, a' link extending axially of'. the cylinders and slidably mounted in a recess in the sleeve valve,r means at land a crank rod connecting the said crank shaft with saidmeans.

5. In a four-stroke cycle internal combustion engine, two pairs of open-ended diametrically opposed cylinders, fa' piston "reciprocating in VSeach of said.r cylinders, connecting rods rigidly connecting the two pistons in each pair of opposed jcy'linders, a sleeve valve rotatably mounted between the inner wall of the'cylinders and thepistons, a link extending axially'of the cylinders and slidably mounted in a recesslin the sleeve-valve, means at each end of the link engaging, one ofthe 'connecting rods, two relatively rotatable vmembers connected for reciprcation asV a unit, a crank shaft and a crank rod connected *withl the crank shaft and one of said members, and'means connecting the other of ysaid-members to one ofv the connecting rods of the pairs or opposed pistons.y

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