US2416045A

US2416045A - Welded engine frame construction

Info

Publication number: US2416045A
Application number: US595617A
Authority: US
Inventors: Chapman Everett
Original assignee: American Locomotive Co
Current assignee: American Locomotive Co
Priority date: 1945-05-24
Filing date: 1945-05-24
Publication date: 1947-02-18
Anticipated expiration: 1964-02-18

Description

- Feb. 1, 1947. E. CHAPMAN 2,416,945

WELDED ENGINE FRAME CONSTRUCTION Filed May 24, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 'FEGJ.

lilllllll will HUMP . INVENTOR 2 9 a H BY vre Chapman Feb. 18, 1947.

E. CHAPMAN WELDED ENGINE FRAME CONSTRUCTION Filed May 24, 1

945 4 Sheets-Shae}. 2

Feb. 1s,- 1947.- CHAPMAN 2,416,045

WELDED ENGINE FRAME CONSTRUCTION Filed May 24, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Euere/f Chapman ATTO EY Feb. 18, 1947. I E. CHAPMAN 2,416,045

WELDED ENGINE FRAME CONSTRUCTION Filed May 24, 1945 4 s eets-sheet 4 INVENTOR Everef? Chapman ATTO Y Patented Feb. 18, 1947 WELDED ENGINE FRAME CONSTRUCTION Everett Chapman, West Chester, Pa., assignor to American Locomotive Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 24, 1945, Serial No. 595,617

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a welded engine frame construction.

The invention relates more particularly to a welded frame construction for a multi-cylinder engine, the frame construction being provided with interior rows of alignedorifices for housing the several cylinders of the engine. It has formerly been the practice, in building an engine frame cast construction for a multi-cylinder engine, to form it of a single massive casting, or of even more than one massive casting. In either event, on account of the size of the casting required, various problems are presented, relating for instance to the usual foundry defects of porosity, shrinkage and cracks, in addition to the setting up of harmful stresses, distortions, improper centering, improper spacing or positioning of parts and inaccurate over-all dimensions. The presence of these defects sometimes renders the large and expensive casting unsuitable for use.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a frame construction that will avoid the presence of these defects.

A further object is to provide a construction, characterized as aforesaid, composed of a bank of similar relatively small integral units welded together. The units are preferably steel castings or forgings, and on account of their relatively small size and themethod of welding pursued, the aforementioned defects are prevented and the desired results attained. Furthermore should a unit of the many similar units provided for the bank be found defective, its loss would be a relatively small matter.

A further object is to provide an opposed piston engine frame construction comprising a bank of units of the aforesaid characteristics and in which there are rows of aligned welded joints between opposite crank shaft half bearing members welded to the bank, the members having half bearing caps bolted thereto and the bolts of a member being each in line with a line of welded joints, thereby attaining maximum ability to withstand tension forces transmitted to the bank of units from the crank shafts.

A further object is to provide a frame con struction, as aforesaid, including a large number of similar unitary parts welded together, the parts being produceable by a repetitious system of manufacturing, such as by forging or casting, whereby the principles of mass production can be applied to the fabrication of one frame, thereby greatly reducing its cost, and furthermore, the production of small unitary parts instead of a large unitary frame permits manufacture by the use of small tools and equipment, thereby further reducing the production cost.

Other and further objects of this invention will appear from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings forming a part of this application, Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of a frame construction embodying the present invention, parts being shown in section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 11-11 of Fig. 1, parts being added; Fig. 3 is a section on the line III-.III of Fig. 2; Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are isometric views, the first three being enlarged, of groups of the integral units showing the manner of fabricating the frame construction, Fig. 4 showing two units of a. row in position for welding, Fig. 5 showing, fragmentally, two rows of welded units in position for welding together, Fig. 6 showing a partial row of the completed frame construction, and Fig. 7 showing two adjacent partial rows of the completed frame construction; and Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the completed frame constructionshowing weld flashes, taken on the line VIII-VIII of Fig. 3.

While the frame construction of the present invention is adaptable for various types of engines, it is more particularly adapted for internal combustion engines. It is shown in connection With an opposed piston internal combustion engine for which it is especially adapted.

While the invention is not-limited to engines of the vertical type, the frame construction is shown, for convenience, as part of such a type of engine and will be hereafter so described. Nevertheless it will be understood that by obvious changes within the spirit of the invention the frame construction may be made as a part of other types of engines, for instance as a part of a horizontal engine. I

The frame construction is further shown in connection with a four-cyclinder engine (see Fig. 3) and a row of four orifices is provided for housingeach of the four cylinders. It will at once appear obvious from the following description that by changing the number of integral units in each longitudinal row of units, a construction may be provided for a greater or less number of cylinders as may be desired, and, similarly, by changing the number of superimposed rows of integral units the number of orifices for housing each cylinder will be changed correspondingly as may be desired.

by the reference numeral l, and comprises a vertical bank of integral units, in the present instance twenty in number. The units are made each as a single forging or casting, preferably of steel. The units of the bank will be considered as arranged in horizontal longitudinal rows, the rows being superimposed one upon the other. There are four such rows and five units in each row. The end units of each row differ slightly from the intermediate units, although they may be made similar to the intermediate units if desired, as will later appear.

Each unit is indicated generally by the reference numeral 2, and, as before stated, is integral and made as a single steel forging or casting. Each unit comprises two spaced vertical side members 3 and a horizontal cross member 4 connecting the side members, four gussets 5 being preferably provided at the junctures of the cross member top and bottom faces with the side members to strengthen the unit.

The side members are recessed at their corners providing thereby cross-like structures each having a longitudinal bar 6 and a, bar I perpendicular to the longitudinal bar. The two bars cross each other at their centers or, more accurately, the two barshave a common portion attheir centers. This provides two opposed longitudinal barsto which thecross member 4 is integrally connected. and two oppositely disposed perpendicular bars extending from the plane of the cross member 4 in opposite directions. The end units of each row are shown with their longitudinal bars 6 somewhat shortened at their outer ends. .This, however, is a matter of choice.

The cross member 4 of each of the intermediate units is recessed at its opposite edges providing wall sections 8 for a purpose later to be mentioned. The end unitshave a wall section.

8 only at their inner edges. Their outer edges are provided with'recesses having defining walls 9. These outer edge recesses are mostly to lighten the frame construction and they may be made .similarto the inner edge recesses having their will later appear, although, if desired, they may be slightly spacedand not welded. In the present instance they are shown welded together, as this is preferable, and will be hereinafter so described.

It is essential that the cylindrical walls It be suitably disposed so that their centers will be properly spaced and further that the desired longitudinal over-all dimension of each row of units will be attained. To this end pressure welding is resorted to and accordingly the unit is made so that the bars 6 will have excess weldable metal l2 at their ends to be pressure welded, and the cross member 4, with its wall sections 8, (assuming they are to be welded to other wall sections 8) will have excess weldable metal 13 at their ends. 7

Fig. 4 shows'two adjacent units (of an unwelded longitudinal row of units) with their excess weldable metal 12 and l3. While the rows of units may be welded together by various methods in some instances, nevertheless when the cross walls of the frame construction are to be spaced in a desired manner and an over-all desired height of the frame construction must be attained, or in the case of an opposed piston engine, the proper spacing between the crank shaft centers must be attained, a similar method of welding as that just described is followed in welding the aforesaid rows together. To this end the unit is made so that the bars 1 will have excess weldable metal M at their ends to be pressure welded, as is also shown in Fig. 4.

I While it may not always be desired, it is generally preferably to provide the recesses in the corners of the side members 3 as aforesaid as they result in the formation of the bars 6 and I. It should be mentioned here that the aforesaid method of welding the units of the row together insures a proper spacing of the bars 7. Furthermore the recesses in the corners of the side members 3 result in the formation of the large openings 15, four such recesses combining to form each of these openings (see Fig. 5). These openings lighten the frame construction, the desired strength and rigidity nevertheless being maintained. The openings l5 furthermore permit inspection and repair of the interior of the frame construction and of the various parts of the engine that will be housed therein.

Special apparatus forming no part of the present invention will be employed for effecting pressure welding of the parts together. After the units have been forged or cast as aforesaid they are welded together to form longitudinal rows and as the method of welding is similar for each row a description of forming one row will suffice.

First the end unit of the row and a unit adjacent thereto are placed with the excess weldable metal at the adjacent edges of their bars 6 and at the adjacent edges of their cross membars 4 respectively opposite each other and heated to a welding temperature. The heating may be accomplished in any desired or well-known manner, such as by electrical or flame heating. Pressure is then applied by the apparatus employed, such as a. hydraulic press welding machine. This pressure results in moving the units together, at the same time displacing the hot excess metal, and this pressure is continued until the centers of the adjacent wall sections 8 of the two units coincide, forming a cylindrical wall II and at the same time accurately spacing the bars 1 thereof. This provides a welded joint between the two units on each side thereof. Next another unit is then added to the two units of the row thus welded together and the welding method repeated with like results. In like manner each unit is added and welded to the partially completed row until the longitudinal row of units is completed as shown in Fig. 3, forming a cross wall I6 of the frame construction.

Fig. 4 shows two units of a row in position for welding but here the welding is presumed to be carried out first between two intermediate units and progressing to the ends, instead of first between the end unit and its adjacent unit and progressing to the opposite end, which has just been described and which is a more desirable order to follow in assembling and welding the units of the rows.

Fig. 6 is a portion of the completed bank of units showing four welded joints ll of the bars 6 and four welded joints I8 of the cross members 4 and their wall sections 8.

Where the rows are to be welded together by the pressure welding method, the bars 1, as aforesaid, will have been formed with the excess weldable metal I4. The rows are welded together preferably by positioning an end row and the adjacent row superimposed thereon so that'the center lines of their corresponding cylindrical walls coincide and their corresponding bars 1 are in alignment. The welding is carried out in a manner similar to that already described in forming each row, namely the excess weldable metal at the adjacent ends of the bars I is heated to a welding temperature and the pressure applied. This pressure results in moving the rows together, at the same time displacing the hot excess weldable metal, and this pressure is continued until the two cross walls I6 are suitably spaced. Another row is similarly placed upon the partially completed construction and the welding carried out in a similar manner with like results. This method is repeated with successive rows until all rows are welded together. The assembling and welding of the rows one upon another results in completing the openings |5 which were formed as half openings by the formation of the rows.

The bank of welded units is thus brought to completion. It has in the present instance four cross walls |6 formed by the cross members 4 and two side walls l9 formed by the oppositely disposed side members 3. The four cross walls provide four vertical rows 20 of four aligned cylindrical walls each, each row of cylindrical walls being appropriate for housing a power cylinder. The power cylinders are not shown and the term is used in its broad sense to include the usual cylinder liner, jacket, and other parts, as may be employed in any instance.

Fig. 5 shows, fragmentally, two rows of units in position for welding, and Fig. 7 shows a portion of the completed bank of units showing two welded joints 2| of the bars I. As will be seen in Fig. 1 these joints 2| are arranged in vertical rows, the rows of one side wall IQ of the frame construction being each opposite to a corresponding row of the other side wall l9. The disposition of these rows is such'that there are two opposite rows of joints 2| at each side of each row of cylindrical walls The weld flashes 22, 23 and 24 (Fig. 8) at the joints l1, l8 and 2| produced by the displaced excess weldable metals are to be removed, as by machining or grinding. Fig. 8 shows at the right a section through the joints i1 and I8, the section at the left being taken in advance of the

flashes

22 and 23.

A row of crank shaft bearing members 25 for a crank shaft 26 is disposed at the bottom of the lowermost row of units and may fdrm a base for the engine. In the case of an opposed piston engine there will be, as shown in Fig. 2, another row of crank shaft bearing members 21, supported on the upper row of units, for a second crank shaft 28. Caps 29 are provided for

shafts

26 and 28 and are secured by bolts 30 to their

respective bearing members

25 and 21. The bearing members 25 are connected by channel irons 3|, and bearing members 21 are connected by channel irons 32, the connections beingpreferably made by welding.

The bearing members and their bolts at the bottom are in vertical alignment with corresponding bearing members and their bolts at the top and aligned pairs of these bolts are in alignment with corresponding aligned rows of joints 2|.

Each bearing member of the lower row of bearing members has two extensions 33 which engage the outer ends of the bars I of the opposite side members 3 of the bottom row of units and are welded thereto preferably by pressure welding in a manner similar to that as aforesaid, these outer ends of bars 1 being accordingly provided with the excess weldable metal M as shown in Fig. 5, thereby providing the welded joints 34. The upper bearing members are provided with extensions 35 similar to the extensions 33 and are similarly welded to the outer ends of the bars I of the upper row of units, thereby providing the welded joints 36.

Extensions

33 and 35 will accordingly be provided with excess weldable metal similar to the bars I.

The welded joints 34 and 36 are in alignment with their respectively aligned rows of welded joints 2| which, as aforesaid, are in line with their correlated bolts 30. This provides a construction best suited to resist tension forces transmitted from the crank shafts to the bank of units, more particularly to the respective aligned rows of bars I connected together by aligned rows of welded joints 2|.

The ends of the bank of units are enclosed by end walls 31 which are secured to the outer ends of the bars 6 of the end units in any desired way, as by welding.

In the foregoing description the preferable way of welding the units together has been set forth, namely by first forming the horizontal longitudinal rows and then welding these rows together. However the bank of units provides two series of rows of units, one series being the horizontal longitudinal rows and the other series being vertical rows. If desired the units may be welded together by first forming the vertical rows and then welding these rows together. In forming the vertical rows care will be taken, when forming each row, that the centers of the corresponding half cylindrical walls be in alignment. Further when the vertical rows are welded t0- gether the welding pressure will be continued when welding one row to its adjacent row to cause the rows to be moved together until the center lines of the two adjacent rows of half cylinders coincide.

Still another way of forming the bank of welded units is to weld the units together to form blocks and then to weld the blocks together. For example, the blocks may be formed of four units, see for instance Fig. '7, but in forming the blocks, and also in welding the blocks together, the order of welding followed must be such that no welding is carried out between bars 6 and between bars 1 at the same time for this is not permissible.

While there has been hereinbefore described an approved embodiment of this invention, it will be understood that many and various changes and modifications in form, arrangement of parts and details of construction thereof may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, and that all such changesan'd modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims are contemplated as a part of this invention.

The invention claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A welded engine frame construction comprising a bank of integral units, each of said units having two spaced opposite side members and a cross member connecting said side members, said units being disposed in rows superimposed one upon another, each of said rows having its side members at each side thereof adjacent each other end to end and welded together at the joints therebetween and having its cross members disposed in substantially the same plane providing a cross wall for said construction, its said cross members being configured to provide a plurality of orifices, said orifices of each of said cross walls being in alignment respectively with corresponding orifices of the other of said cross walls, providing rows of orifices, each of said rows of orifices being adapted to receive an engine cylinder, adjacent rows of units being welded together at the joints between their corresponding side members, said side members at each side of said construction providing a side wall for said construction.

2. A welded engine frame construction comprising a bank of integral units, each of said units having two spaced opposite side members and a cross member connecting said side members, said units being disposed in rows superimposed one upon another, each of said rows having its side members at each side thereof adjacent each other end to end and welded together at the joints therebetween and having its cross members disposed in substantially the same plane providing a cross wall for said construction, its said cross members being configured to provide a plurality of orifices, said orifices of each of said cross walls being in alignment respectively with corresponding orifices of the other of said cross walls, providing rows of orifices, each of said rows of oridoes being adapted to receive an engine cylinder, adjacent rows of units being welded together at the joints between their corresponding side members providing rows of welded joints extending in the same direction as said rows of orifices, said side members at each side of said construction providing a side wall for said construction; and a row of bearing blocks for a crank shaft extending in the same direction as said rows of units, said row of blocks being disposed at an outer row of said rows of units, each of said blocks being opposite two of said opposite, side members of said outer row and welded thereto at its jointures therewith, said welded jointures being each in line with a row of said rows of welded joints.

3. A welded engine frame construction comprising a bank of integral units, each of said units having two spaced opposite side members and a cross member connecting said side members, said units being disposed in rows superimposed one upon another, each of said rows having its side members at each side thereof adjacent each other end to end and welded together at the joints therebetween and having its cross members disposed adjacent each other end to end in substantially the same plane providing a cross wall for said construction, its said cross members being configured to provide a plurality of orifices disposed, each crosswise of the adjacent two oppositely disposed welded joints, said orifices of each of said 'cross walls being in alignment rewelded together at the joints between their corresponding side members, said side members at ,having two spaced opposite side members of crossbar-like structure and a cross member connecting said side members, said units being spcctively with corresponding orifices of the other disposed in rows superimposed one upon another, each of said rows having its side members at each side thereof adjacent each other end to end and welded together at the joints therebetween and having its cross members disposed adjacent each other end to end in substantially the same plane providing a cross wall for said construction, said row cross members being recessed at their opposed ends to provide a plurality of orifices, said orifices of each of said cross walls being in alignment respectively with corresponding orifices of the other of said cross walls providing rows of orifices, each of said rows of orifices being adapted to receive an engine cylinder, adjacentrows of units being welded together at the joints between their corresponding side members, said side members at each side of said construction providing a side wall for said construction, said cross bar structures cooperating to provide rows of openings in said side walls.

5. A welded engine frame construction comprising a bank of integral units, each of said units having two spaced opposite side members and a cross member connecting said side members, said units being disposed in rows superimposed one upon another, each of said rows having its side members at each side thereof adjacent each other end to end and connected together at the joints therebetween by welds producing flashes and having its cross members disposed adjacent each other end to end in substantially the same plane providing a cross wall for said construction, its said cross members being configured to provide a plurality of orifices disposed, each crosswise of the adjacent two oppositely disposed welds, said orifices of each of said cross walls being in alignment respectively with corresponding orifices of the other of said cross walls, providing rows of orifices, each of said rows of orifices being adapted to receive an engine cylinder, the defining wall of each orifice being in two sections, each in one of the two adjacent cross members, said two adjacent cross members being connected together at the joint therebetween by a weld producing a fiash, adjacent rows of units being connected together at the joints between their corresponding side members by welds producing flashes, said side members at each side of said construction providing a side wall for said construction.

6. The combination, in an engine construction of the internal combustion type constructed to receive a bank of cylinders, of cylinder enclosing means comprising a plurality of single section frame units arranged in vertically aligned and horizontally aligned rows and providing internal chambers for the reception of cylinders, said frame units each having integrally formed spaced side wall members and a connecting cross member, said connecting members having semi-cylindrical vertical walls for engaging sides of said cylinders, said units being permanently welded together.

7. A welded multi-cylinder engine frame construction comprising a longitudinal row of crank shaft supports, each having a half bearing and two transversely spaced bolt holes, one at each side of the axis of said half bearing; and a row of units in line with each of said supports, each of said units having opposite side members connected by a longitudinal cross member, each of said side members being cross-shaped and having a longitudinal bar-like part integral with said cross member and an intersecting tension bar-like part at right angles thereto, said tension parts of corresponding side members of each of said rows of units being welded together and to said support aligned therewith in line with the correlated bolt hole thereof, adjacent longitudinal bar-like parts being welded together with their cross members aligned and configured to provide openings for receiving said cylinders.

8. A welded opposed piston multi-cylinder engine frame construction comprising two spaced longitudinal rows of crank shaft supports, each having a half bearing and two transversely spaced bolt holes, one at each side 'of the axis of said half bearing; and a row of units between and in line with corresponding supports of each of said rows of supports, each of said'units having opposite side members connected by a longitudinal cross member, each of said side members being cross-shaped and having a longitudinal bar-like part integral with said cross member and an intersecting tension bar-like part at right angles thereto, said tension parts of corresponding side 10 members of each of said rows of units being welded together and to said supports aligned there with in line with the correlated bolt holes thereof, adjacent longitudinal bar-like parts being welded together with their cross members aligned and configured to provide openings for receiving said cylinders.

EVERETT CHAPMAN.-

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,280,016 Werdehofi Apr. 14, 1942 2,030,995 Loefiler Feb. 18, 1936 112,084 Smith Feb. 21, 1871 1,818,752 Rabbidge Aug. 11, 1931 2,078,056 Chapman Apr. 20, 1937 2,159,006 Chapman May 23, 1939 2,246,857 Owens et al. June 24, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 10,948 British 1894 146,355 Swiss July 1, 1931