US2410958A - Engines operating coaxial shafts - Google Patents

Description

Patented Nov. 12, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ENGINES OPERATING COAXIAL SHAFTS James B. Brockhurst, Red Bank, N. J. Application August 2, 1943, Serial No. 496,984

; Claims. (01. 123-197) I This invention, which comprises a development of the improvement disclosed in my application Serial-No. 473,605, filed January 26, 1943, is direot'ed to a prime mover having co-axial driven shafts which derivemotion therefrom and are capable of rotation at relatively different speeds.

The co-axial shafts, due to their respective speeds of rotation, may be utilized for a variety of purposes, both mechanical and electrical, and my present development is therefore not limited to any one particular instance of power application, but rather to means whereby a single prime source of power is enabled to cause the rotation, at'diiferent speeds, of respective co-axial power shafts.

I The example of my invention represented in this application is based upon a compound internal combustion engine as developed from the disclosuregiven in my said application Serial No. 473,695, and it embodies a cylinder having a piston whose pistonrod in, the reciprocating action of the pistoniserves to rotate the crank shaft and hence'to rotate the outer one of. the co-axial shafts, the said piston also being given .a rotating movement that, through the connecting rod and a system of gears, imparts rotation to the inner one of the co-axial shafts, the R. P., M. of said inner shaft being supplemented by thev speed of the outershaft, when the shafts arerotated in the same direction, but the speed of said inner Whilst in my said earlier application Serial No.

I 473,605 the expansive power, applied through the rotation of the piston, is intended to supplement the power exerted upon the crank shaft in the reciprocating action of the piston, the present improvement is directed to the utilization of the expansive power developed through the piston rotation for the operation of a shaft that is ensheathed by and is co-axial with the usual crank shaft. herein as the inner shaft in contradistinction to the usual crank shaft, which latter may be styled the outer shaft.

Said inner shaft, which may continue into or comprise a propeller shaft, when the engine is employed in the operation of aircraft, is capable of rotation either in the same direction as that of the outer shaft, or in the opposite direction, ac-

cording to the direction of inclination of the piston flutes; also, the R. P. M. of said inner shaft is governed by the degree of angularity of said fiutes it being notable however that the rate of speed of said inner shaft, when driven in the same direction as the outer shaft, issupplemented by the 'rotative speed of said outer shaft.

Other features and advantages of my inventio will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing:

Figure'l is a front sectional view of a cylinder with its piston and connecting rod as part of a nine cylinder, air cooled engine.

Fig. 2 is a side sectional view of the same, and

Fig. 3 is a cross section of the piston showing its peripheral flutes.

Fig. 3A is a cross section of a modified piston having reversed flutes.

In said figures let I indicate a cylinder forming part of a nine cylinder, air cooled engine, only parts of certain remaining cylinders being illustrated in Fig. 1. v

The piston for said cylinder is indicated at 2,.it having a lower skirt portion that is provided with piston rings 3, said skirt portion being continued upwardly in bell-like formation 4, with an upper cylindricalportion 5 that carries the piston head 6,,and from said piston head 6 there depends an outer concentric wall '4. which, is in movable opposition to the inner wall of the cylinder. Said wall I is provided inits outer surface with a series of inclined flutes or vanes 8, for a purpose to be referred to hereinafter. An annular gap 9 separates the piston skirt. from wall I, said gap so disposed as to register with a fuel inlet it formed through the cylinder wallwhen the piston has compressed a charge of air in the cylinder to the point where liquid fuel, injected as from a nozzle Said ensheathed shaft may be designated H through said inlet, will cause ignition and power expansion of the charge.

It will be noted that a chamber [2 is formed between the piston portions 4, 5, 6 and I, and that the entry of the air occurs through the single intake and exhaust valve [3, during the down stroke.

The piston cylindrical portion 5 is shown as threaded interiorly and receives a screw plug I4, that carries a universal joint l5 from which de-' pends the connecting rod !6. It should be premised now that the piston is capable of both reciprocating and rotary movements, also the piston rod. The piston rod, at its lower end, is revolubly mountedrin a bearing member I! that itself is revoluble 0n the crank-pin I8, also the lower end of the piston rod is provided with a bevel gear l9 which is in mesh with a bevel gear 20 carried by a shaft 21 that is journalled in bearing member l'l, said shaft 21 carrying a pinion 22 which is revoluble on crank-pin l8 and is in mesh engagegagement with a gear 23 loosely mounted on 3 crank-pin I8, and in mesh engagement with a gear 24 carried by a shaft 25 (the inner shaft) which is ensheathed by and rotatable within the crank shaft 26 (the outer shaft).

In the example illustrated the crank shaft is shown as in splined engagement with the crankpin, though obviously it may be an integral part thereof. The two-part arrangement is suggested for production purposes.

The opposite crank arm 21 carries a crank shaft 28, and operable therein is an inner shaft 29, whose gear 30 is in mesh with a gear 3| that, like 23 is similarly operated through the rotation of piston 2.

My improved engine is intended for use in a variety of automative applications wherein a plurality of shafts, actuated by a single piston, are adapted to perform separate and distinct functions in the same power plant assemblage. Thus, in an airplane the inner and outer shafts may operate respective co-axial propellers. Also, one of the shafts may operate a supercharger.

For automotive road vehicles respective shafts may operate right and left drive wheels and function with the aid of suitable differential gearing.

As will be apparent, the direction of rotation of the piston is governed by the direction of angle given the flutes 8 in the piston periphery, so that the inner shaft may be caused to rotate either in the same direction as the outer shaft, or oppositely. Variations within the spirit and scope of my invention are equally comprehended by the foregoing disclosure.

I claim:

1. In an engine, the method of transmitting the power of a prime mover to co-axial telescoped shafts and causing said shafts to rotate independently in the same direction and means whereby the R. P. M. of the inner shaft is supplemented by the R. P. M. of the outer shaft.

2. In an engine, the method of transmitting the power of a prime'mover to co-axial telescoped shafts andcausing said shafts to rotate independently of each other whereby the R. P. M. of the inner shaft is varied by the R. P. M. of the outer shaft.

3. In an engine, the method of transmitting the power of a prime mover through a plurality of co-ordinated systems of operation having caxial telescoped shafts rotating independently and in concert in the same direction and means whereby the R. P. M. of an inner shaft is supplemented by the R. P. M. of an outer shaft.

4. In an engine, the method of transmitting the power of a prime mover through a plurality of co-ordinated systems of operation having coaxial telescoped shafts rotating independently of each other whereby the R. P. M of an inner shaft is varied by the R. P. M. of an outer shaft.

5. In an engine, a cylinder, a piston, a crank shaft and a second shaft revoluble within said crank shaft, means whereby expansive power operates directly to both project and rotate said piston, means whereby the projecting movement of said piston serves to operate said crank shaft,

and means whereby the rotating movement of said piston serves to operate said second shaft.

6. In an engine, the method of transmitting the power of a single prime mover directly to telescoped shafts, and causing said shafts to rotate independently and in concert.

7. In an engine, a cylinder, a hollow piston of fixed cubical capacity therein, a crank shaft and a second shaft revoluble within said crank shaft, means whereby expansive power, developed from within said piston operates directly to both project and rotate said piston, means whereby the projecting movement of said piston serves to operate said crank shaft, and means whereby the rotating movement of said piston serves to operate said second shaft.

8. In an engine having an inner and an outer driving shaft rotated independently through independent movements of the engine pistons, means for rotating the inner shaft through rotating movements of the pistons and means for rotating the outer shaft through reciprocating movements of said pistons, whereby the said inner and outer shafts are rotated in concert to affect the R. P. M. of said inner shaft. 9. In an engine having a plurality of independently rotated telescoped shafts, means for rotating the inner shaft independently of the outer shaft and means for rotating the outer shaft independently of the inner shaft, whereby the said shafts rotate in concert to affect the R. P. M. of the inner shaft.

10. In an engine having a plurality of independently rotated telescoped shafts, means for rotating the inner shaft at an established rate of speed and means for rotating the outer shaft at an established rate of speed, whereby the said shafts rotate in concert to affect the established rate of speed of the inner shaft.

JAMES B. BROCKHURST.

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