US2478924A

US2478924A - Rotary internal-combustion engine

Info

Publication number: US2478924A
Application number: US698027A
Authority: US
Inventors: Getty S Johnson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-09-19
Filing date: 1946-09-19
Publication date: 1949-08-16
Anticipated expiration: 1966-08-16

Description

AugQlG, 1949. s, JOHNSON 2,478,924

I ROTARY INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 19, 1946 24 20 r 5\ J 3mm Aug. 16, 1949. G. s. JOHNSON ROTARY INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 19, 1946 Aug. 16, 1949 e. s. JOHNSON Filed Patented Aug. 16, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Getty S. Johnson, Charleston, W. Va. Application September 19, 1946, Serial No. 698,027

2 Claims. (or. 123- 12) This invention relates to rotary internal combustion engines. An object of this invention is to provide a rotary internal combustion engine wherein the impulse acts upon a rotary piston carried by a rotor, and the rotary piston is geared to the stationary housing. Y

Another object of Lthisinventionis to provide: a rotary engine embodying oppositely disposed substantially ovoidal pistons which are movable within an orbit formed with aplurality of radially arranged snbstantiallyovoidal cylinders.

I A further object of this invention is to provide a rotary engine which will be smooth in running and will embody a plurality of power impulses for each rotation of the rotor;

p A further object of this invention is to provide a rotary engine wherein the air used for compression'is discharged into the cylinders under a predetermined and water in the form pressure, of mist is discharged into the compressed air for the initial purpose of cooling the cylinders and. with the fuel mixture for the purpose of, mixing so as to'form an expansible mixture which will expand beyond the limit of an air and fuel mixture.

A further object of this invention is to provide a rotary engine in which the exhaust gases are readily scavenged from the cylinders and the air remaining in the cylinders after scavenging is used for mixture with the waterland fuel.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved rotary engine which is of practical and simple construction and which embodies sturdy movable parts so that the engine will with-' stand hard usage.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specifications, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a rotary, internal combustion engine, constructed according to an embodiment of this invention, taken substantially on the line of l-l of Figure 2. l 7

Figure '2 is a sectional view taken on the. line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

2 V Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a sectional view 5-5 of Figure l, v

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 2. j

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l0 designates generally an annular'housing formed of a circular outer wall ll, an integral side wall l2, and a removable opposite side wall 13. The housing In is formed with an annular rotor chamber l4 and is also formed with a plurality of radially arranged substantially ovoidal cylinders l5 extending from chamber [4 and communicating with the latter. Each cylinder l5'is also formed adjacent the outer portion thereof with an offset combustion chamber I6. I v The housing ID has rotatably mounted therein a rotorgenerally designated as IT. The'rotor i1 is formed with opposed arcuate cut outs l8 form ing piston chambers, and the rotor I! also includes an opposed pair of exhaust ports IS. The ports H! are arranged in pairs disposed diametrically of each other and the rotor II also taken on the line includes apair of disc-

shaped plates

20, 2| secured by fastening means 22 and 23 respectively to the opposite sides of the rotor body. These

plates

20, 2| are also formed with

ports

24 and 25 respectively, communicating with the ports IS.

The housing I0 is also formed with air passages 26 extending transversely between .pairsof cylinders l5, and the transverse or right angular passages communicate at their inner ends with inclined passages 21 which communicate with the ports 24 when the latter are in registration with the passages 21. .The rotor is carried by a shaft 28 journaled in bearings 29 carried by an outer plate 3|], fixed by fastening means 3| to the housing wall I2. The wall I2 is formed with an annular recess or chamber 32 within which a ring gear 33 is secured by fastening means .34;

The rotor I! has rotatably mounted between the

plates

20, 2| thereof, a pair of piston units generally designated as 35. Each piston unit 35' includes a plurality of radially arranged ovoidal pistons 36 which are fixed to ,a shaft 31 journaled through

plates

20, 2|. A spur gear 38 is mounted on each shaft 31 and extends into the gear, chamber 32 andmeshes with the ring gear 33. In this manner upon rotation of the rotor ll the piston units will also be rotated in a planetary movement with the rotor.

The rotor plate 2| is provided with an exhaust port 39 opening into each cHamIber I8, and the outer plate 4I fixed to the housing II! by fastening means 42 is formed with a plurality of circumferentially arranged exhaust openings or ports 43 which are adapted to be in constant communication with the exhaust ports 39 upon rotation of the rotor IT. The rotor I! is adapted to rotate in the direction shown by the arrow 44 in Figure 2, and the piston units 35 are adapted to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow 45 in Figure 2.

Each combustion chamber "It ,has associated therewith an igniter or spark plu 45 and a fuel pipe 41 is connected with the combustion cham ber l6 and has interposed therein a fuel injector 48. The fuel injector 48 is a conventional fuel injector of the compression injection type so that when the air in cylinder I and the combustion chamber I E is compressed to a predetermined degree by a, piston 36, the fuel will be injected into .4 the exhaust post 39a, at which time piston 36a will be on the compression stroke and will enter cylinder I5a.

The rotor I I is so constructed, and the

air ports

24 and 25 together with ports I9 and l9a, are so arranged, that the periphery of the rotor I'I out ofl adjacent cylinders, such as cylinders I50, and I5b at the time piston 36b is on the compression stroke thereof and until piston 35b substantially enters cylinder I5b.

With an engine as hereinbefore described, there will be provided a balanced rotor structure wherein the pistons are of the rotary type instead of the reciprocating type, and the pistons form rotary abutments which are carried by the rotor. It will be understood that there may be as many cylinders I5 in the housing I0 as may be desired, there being nine such cylinders shown, and as there are two piston units, each formed of three pistons, there will be eighteen power strokes for ,;every rotation of the rotor.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim the compressed air. After the motor has been op-.

erated for a period whereb the motor will become heated to a predetermined degree, the motor structure is adapted to be cooled by water entering each cylinder vlfithrough a water injection pipe 49. The pipe 49 has interposed therein a water injector 5B of conventional construction, and of the compression injection type similar to the fuel injector 48. -The water injector 5B is regulated as to its operation by means of .a conventional thermostat 5|. Preferably the water is injected in the form of a spray ahead of the fuel injection so that this Water upon entering the heated'cylinder I 5 will initially cool the cylinder and will be turned into steam for mixture with the compressed air and fuel so that when the fuel mixture ignites there will be a greater ex pansion of the mixture than would be the case if only air and fuel were'mixed together.

In the operation of this engine, air is admitted to one cylinder, such as cylinder I5a, when the rotor I I is in a position with the port I9 thereof and the port 24 of plate '20 in communication with an air passage 21. The air in

passages

26 and 21 is under pressure from an independent pressure source so that when port 24 registers with a passage 2?, air will enter the cylinder Ida, and this air will scavenge cylinder I5a, flowing out through the outlet port I9a of rotor 2'! through port 25a of plate 4I.

As rotor 1'! turns in counterclockwise rotation, as viewed in Figure 2, port 24 willmove out of register with air passage 2'I,lleaving cylinder I511 filled with air. Whenrotor I? rotates an additional distance, piston 36a will enter cylinder i511 soas to thereby compress the air present in this cylinder and when the air hasbeen compressed to a predetermined degree, injectors will operate and inject fuel into combustion chamber Ilia. As noted in Figure 2, piston 36b is on the compression stroke thereof wherein this piston is just entering cylinder [5b. At this time piston 350 is completely within the cylinder We and is beginning the power stroke, the air and fuel mixture being compressed within the combustion chamber H30. At the same time piston 36a is just passing out of cylinder I5d, being on the expansion stroke. As soon as piston 36b uncovers the exhaust port 39a, the exhaust gases which are in the space between the pistons 36a and 3% will be exhausted through the exhaust port 39a. The exhaust cycle will continue until piston 36a moves to a position closing all variations falling within the purview of the appended claims. Also I do not mean to confine myself to thewithin described method of cooling as if desired the engine may be cooled with conventional methods of cooling such as water jackets, fins or the like.

What I claim is:

1. Arotary internal combustion engine com.- pri'sing a stationary housing having a plurality of radially arranged inwardly opening ovoidal cylinders, a rotor rotatably disposed in said housing and adaptedto close the inner ends of said cylinders, said rotor having a pair of oppositely disposed arcuate chambers opening toward said cylinders, said housing having an air intake port confronting one side of said rotor, and having an air outlet port opposite from said intake port, said rotor having a pair of recesses extending inwardly from the periphery thereof adapted to register with said air intake and outlet ports whereby air under pressure may be admitted to each cylinder'for scavenging said cylinders, said rotor'having an exhaust port communicating with each chamber, and said housing having spaced exhaust ports with which said rotor exhaust ports are adapted to registena piston unit rotatably carried 'by said rotor in each chamber, each unit being formed of a plurality of ovoidal pistons engageable in said cylinders, a combustion chamber laterally offset from each cylinder, and means discharging fuel into each cylinder.

2. A rotary internal combustion engine comprising a stationary housing having a-plurality of radially arranged inwardly opening ovoidal cylinders, a rotor rotatably disposed in said housing and adapted toclose theinner .ends of said cylinders, said rotor having a pair of oppositely-disposed arcuate chambers opening toward said cylinders, said housing having an air intake port confronting one side of said rotor, and having an air outlet port opposite from said intake port, said rotor having a pair of recesses extenchng inwardly from the periphery thereof adapted to register with said air intake and outlet ports whereby air under pressure may be admitted to each cylinder for scavenging said cylinders, said rotor having an exhaust port communicating with each chamber, and said housing having spaced exhaust ports with which said rotor exhaust ports are adapted to register, a piston unit rotatably carried by said rotor in each' chamber,

.75 each unit being formed of a plurality of ovoidal 5 pistons engageable in said cylinders, a combustion chamber laterally offset from each cylinder, means discharging fuel into each cylinden'and means discharging Water into each cylinder on the compression cycle.

GETTY S. JOHNSON.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Number Date Diesel July 16, 1895 Number 10 Number