US2899945A

US2899945A - Gyroscope motor

Info

Publication number: US2899945A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1959-08-18
Anticipated expiration: 1976-08-18

Description

J. N. CARVALHO GYROSCOPE MOTOR Aug. 18, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 8. 1958 R m O N w H m L A mw/ V P@ m mw@ 3 3 Q o Wim@ am@ vw i; N@ J @wim V 5 E A o 3 E F N w F. Q J Q VU X ml* 3 9 u i N. ON. /J H N r fn m N N m Wm m. @H .N A o :1o n, @n ON 3 Q u im UTM.

Aug. 18, 1959 .1, N. cARvALHo 2,899,945

, GYROSCOPE MOTOR Filed Sept. 8, 1958 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 1N VE NTOR J. N. CARVALHO 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Aug. 18, 1959 J. N. CARVALHO GYRoscoPE MOTOR Filed sept. 8. 1958 United States Patent i GYROSCOPE MOTOR Jones Nogueira Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Application September 8, 1958, Serial No. 759,762

Claims priority, application Brazil April 28, 1954 1 Claim. (Cl. 123-18) This invention relates to `an internal combustion engine operating on the principle of a gyroscope, and is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 498,003, led March 30, 1955. Y

An object of the invention is to obtain greater horsepower with less fuel consumption and less total weight for the motor assembly as compared with present day conventional motors. These results are obtained by better use of the expanded gases detonated within long stroke cylinders independently of the diameter thereof by means of an improved combined lever and piston rod.

Another object is to provide a motor assembly wherefrom the use of the power action and also thermotor reaction can lbe made.

The drawings diagrammatically illustrate the invention as follows:

Figure l is a vertical sectional View of the improved motor taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a detail view of the expandable cam means for operating the intake valves.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the cam plates shown in Figure 3. Y

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective View of the cam shaft whose upper portion has the expandable cam elements thereon and whose lower portion has the xed cam for operating the exhaust valves.

Figure 6 is a detail perspective of the expandable cam assembly.

Figure 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the `gas inlet means, distributor, and governor means for controlling the expandable cam means.

Similar reference characters designate like parts in the several views.

As will be apparent from the drawings, the present motor differs from conventional motors in form or shape as it appears when viewed in a horizontal plane. For example, as shown in Figure 1, the motor assembly includes a housing or chassis 1 having the general characteristics of la attened sphere and concealing therein a motor 2 resembling a flywheel rotatable about a central shaft 9 supported in a gear box.

The housing or chassis is stationary and supports the generator, the starter, the induction coil, carburetor, lubricant intake means and other essential accessories. The motor may operate as a two or four cycle engine and conventional ignition and carburetiou systems may be used.

Referring more particularly to the Figures 1 and 2, the stationary housing or chassis designated generally as 1 is mounted 'by suitable supports A on an appropriate part of a frame, or automotive chassis or the'like, to remain stationary throughout its use.

The motor or engine is designated generally by its casing 2 within the housing. The motor includes the opposite upper and lower walls 3 and 4 spaced internally Gee to receive piston actuating means, as will presently appear. The peripheral portions of the casing 2 are provided with the

cylinders

5, 5 which receive the pistons 6, 6. The cylinders 5, as will be apparent from Figure 2, are located at substantially diametrically opposite positions in the body of the engine casing 2.

The pistons for opposite cylinders are rigidly and fixedly connected by a one-piece, Z-shaped lever including the piston rod portions 7 and the shank portions 8 extending diametrically across the vertical axis of thel motor and operating about the central or primary shaft 9. The upper end of this shaft is provided with an internal axial bore 9a and a vertical slot 9b on one side. It performs several functions such as; operating the distributor; acting as a cam shaft; as well as to actuate cams respectively for the intake and exhaust valves; and to provide a lubricant lead in.

The shank portions 8 of the Z-shaped lever are connected by links 10 with the medial portions of the crank shafts 11. The arm portions 12.V of each crank shaft arev journalled in the upper and lower walls 3 and 4 of the motor and one arm of each crank shaft has a pinion 13 keyed thereto. This pinion in turn meshes with a primary gear '14 mounted coaxially with and keyed to the primary shaft 9 and within the housing 2 of the motor adjacent and below the shank portion of the lever. `The piston lever 7-8 is free to turn relative to the shaft 9.

An expandable cam C surrounding the upper portion of shaft 9 alternately operates the lever arms 16 for actuating the intake valves 17 in each cylinder. A rigid cam C on shaft 9 actuates ythe levers 18 for exhaust yvalves (not shown).

The cam C has two motions, one rotating motion given by the primary shaft 9 and one vertical motion given by the governor designated generally as G and later to be described in more detail.

As previously indicated, because the shaft is hollow, it has therein a stern 20 axially movable relative to the shaft, and which stem through the governor controls the cam C. This cam is substantially conical in `shape and is made up of several metal plates C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, to obtain the desired expansible effect of the cam. Each plate is provided with a round hole C9 to fit over shaft 9. The plates of cam C are operated by two keys, namely, the key 21, which is a projection on the stern 20 and moves therewith to elevate all of the plates, and the key 2.2, which is disposed at the side `of ythe shaft 9 opposite to the first key and is secured to the shaft 9 at an angle of approximately 20. Half of the plates forming the expansible cam are connected to the projection or key 20 and the other half of the plates are guided by key 22.

When the governor G lifts .the cam C through stem 20, alternate plates project outwardly, each from between the others, ydue to the angled key 22. Under these circumstances, the plates make the cam expansible to provide a peripheral surface of increased curvature at the desired moment in the intake phase of the motor depending on the speed of rotation of the gyroscope motor. The levers 16 are thus actuated to control the suction valves.

The exhaust valve cam C does not have such details for operation. It is simple and rigid, and located on the primary shaft 9 as shown in Figure 1.

The object of the expansible cam is to regulate the degree and time of opening of the intake valves to maintain proper compression within the cylinders at various speeds. Only cylinders of the type shown need this type of intake valvevcam and that is why the expansible eccentric or cam is considered a characteristic of the invention.

As will be seen from Figure 1 and the enlarged detail View, Fig. 7, the upper wall of the housing 1 of the motor is provided with a cage D which protects the gas supply :ports nut 24 carried by the upper end of stem 20.

E means, the grwernorA G, Vtirrrigngand ignition device, aswell as the means forsupplying lubricant to the motor.

Referring further to 4the hollow stem 20, whose lower end extends into bore 9a of the shaft 9, it will be seen `vfrom Fig 7 ythat the upperportion of the stem is rotatably supported, by nut V Z4-'1G11 a ballrace 25 housed within a k,sleeve 26,held non-rotatably to the shell of the .dome D by ,a bracket 27 Iand compression scale arm 28. The .top

.ofkthelsleeve k26 is provided with a lubricant inlet nozzle element'29. These elementsg25+29 are all under the inuence ofk a compression spring 30 whose upper end abutsl against the plug 31 in the top of the dome D. Thus, the lubricant nipple '29 maybe connected with any suitable external source of supply, and, because of rthe hollow passage therein which is coaxially disposed with -Etheaxis of the hollow stem 20, lubricant may he supplied vthrough the stem 20 and a slot A9a of primary shaft 9 for *distribution by centrifugal forceto the gears ,13, 14, and

their bearings.

The non-rotatable annular casing which supports the stem 20 through nut 24 and ball race 25 may, because of the arrangement described, have relatively slight axial movement cushioned by spring 30;.nevertheless .the casing itself does not rotate, while on the lother hand the stem ,20 `which is interlocked with ,the upper end of the shaft 9 Vmounted in the customary manner on the p-in 34. Since 'the sleeve 26 is non-rotatable, the same may bel conveniently provided with a terminal block 26a for the ignition wires 2Gb.

The sleeve 26 yand distributor 32 are surrounded by a 4collar 35 of insulating material such as ebonite. The

vcollar 35 is carried by the rotatable hub 36 having slots 37 in the sides thereof to admit the tips 3S of the, governor lever arms 39 pivoted as at 39a to bracket 40 on hub36, said lever arms in turn carrying the usual weights V,41.

Thetips 38 of the lever arms 39 of the governor G engage beneath the outer annular flange 42 of a support S ywhose inner annular flange 43 houses ball race units and supports

distributor elements

32, 33, 34, etc. The said support S is held on elongated bushing 44 by nut 45 which bushing surrounds stem 20 and rotates relative thereto but in the opposite direction. The Aupper end of vthe bushing supports the ball race 25, which in turn sup- It will thus be seen that when governor action causes support S to move up or down, the stem 20 which controls the .cam C will move correspondingly.

Moreover, it will be seen that the hub 36 is formed withy a reduced lower threaded end portion 46, in turn connected with a sleeve 47 which rotates with the topwall 3 of the motor in the direction opposite to that of the stem 20. As will be seen from Fig. 7, the lower end 48 of sleeve 47 is fastened to the wall 3 of the motor and Vhouses a ball race 49 which receives the upper end of the primary shaft 9.

As the motor casing including the Wall 3 rotates, sleeve 47 and hub 36, 46 will also rotate and the weights 41 will move outwardly by centrifugal force. The inner ends of the levers 38 engage beneath the outer flange 42 of the support S, which carries the breaker represented by pin 34 and which breaker is free to rotate with the insulating collar 35 so that as the motor speed picks up, the tips 38 of the governor arms may lift 42-43 and in turn elevate the stem 20 so that the expandable intake valve cam C will be operated.

The fixed distributor wires leading from terminal 26a are encased in a cable 56 having vapor tight covering and 21 are led through 36 and 46 'to and within' the sealed tight conduit 47, 51-52, thereby turning with sleeve 47, which in turn rotates with the top wall 3 of the motor. The battery an-d coil for the ignition system are located outside the engine assembly and the coil wires 26b are connected to terminal 26a. As usual, one wire is grounded to the frame and the other to the brush 36a, which bears on collector ring 3611. This collector is conductively connected in av conventional way with the breaker represented by pin 34.

The sleeve 47 is externally provided with a cam 50 for operating a gasoline pump (not shown) and is internally provided with means forming a vaporized gas conduit, including 'the-tubular central wall 51 and top sealing disc 52 communicating with an intake port 53. This port in turn communicates with the fixed ports 54 of a vaporized fuel duct 55 having inlet 56 on a tubular element 57 xed to the motor housing 1. A carburetor (not shown) is attachedvat-the inlet 56. VIt will thus be seen as the motor casing including the top wall 3 rotates, gas may be fed from the conduit means 51, 52, 53 intothe intake manifold 55 whose outlet ends are ysecured -to the cylinders 5 to establish'communication with the intake valves 17. l

The bottom vwall 4of the engine of the motor casing 1 is provided witha hub 60 which-is rotatable in the bearing 61 in the lower wall ofthe housing 1. This hub 60 is provided with a bevel gear 62 which in turn meshes with a gear 63 carriedby a rstjshaft 64 suitably journalled in-one-side of the gear box 65. Y

The-vertical or primary shaft 9 extends through the hub 60 and is provided with a gear 66 which in turn engages lgear-'67 on a secondrshaft 68 rotatably journalled in the side wall 69 of the gear boxY 65 opposite the wall in which the shaft 64 is journalled.

The peripheral portionA of the housing 1 is provided with a plurality of outlets or openings 70 which collect the exhaust gases and conduct themrto atmosphere.

It will be understood that -the valves 17 or conventional and, therefore, only diagrammatically illustrate the intake andfexhaust of fuel and-spent gases. Fuel may be supplied through the manifold 55 connected to the inlet 54. Also, the spent, gases are conducted from each cylinder to the channel 70 of the exhaust collector ring by ythe exhaust pipes 71, and led to the atmosphere by the outlet pipes 72 of which therel maybe more than .the one shown.

The generaloperation may be described as follows:

The outer stationary parts are housing 1; cageD; gear box 63. The tubular f-element53 is fixed to housing 1 and has the carburetor connection `54.

The parts rotating in one direction are essentially the motor casing'2 and all of .its Vassociated parts, including sleeve 47 and its conduit forming means 47a, 47b and manifold 55 which are carried by top wall 3 of the motor casing. The `sleeve 47 also carries with it the parts 33-43 inclusive which include the governor G.

The parts turning in the opposite direction include primary shaft 9 interlocked with tube 20 and the rotor 32 of the distributor. l

The rotary casing 2 is mounted in housing 1 supported at points A-B on the chassis and is free to rotate in either direction.

If the housing 1 is mounted on an automotive chassis, the motor 2 rotates withinl the housing and -in so doing will vtend to turn the gear 67 which through gear 66 lis connected to the central shaft 9 carrying gear 14. While the vehicle remains stationary, these parts do notturn. However, when the easing 2 is turning, it carries with it the pinions 13 causing them to turn `about the vgear- 14 which is keyed to the primary Shaft 9; As the pinions 13 turn, they carry with them the crank shafts 11 and cause the reciprocating movement of the .pistons relative to their cylinders.

Z- shaped element 7 8 is mounted on the central shaft 9 but is not fastened to it. When the motor is running, the ywheel-like casing 2 turns to the right, that is clockwise, while the centrall shaft 9 turns to the left, or counterclockwise, but owingto the braking effect of the transmission gears mounted in the housing65, the

axles

64 and 68 turn in the same direction. In order to normalize the operation of the vehicle, the clutch of the transmission must be placed between the shaft 64 and the wheel of the vehicle.

In operation, the motor is braked exclusively by the shaft 68, but, as the vehicle runs, and due to the fact that the braking effect is transformed into tangential force, rotation of the casing 2 is gradually slowed down as m-uch as 55%, thus decreasing the action of the centrifugal force without, however, decreasing the power of the explosions in the cylinders. As a consequence it will be seen that the braking effect will be achieved by means of the shaft 68. It is obtained in the friction produced by one of the wheels of the vehicle connected to the shaft 68 in contact with the ground. Therefore, the engine 2 has a stay or an anchor point outside of the moving body.

In the operation of the gyroscope of the engine as a whole, it will be seen that the lever 7--8 or the piston 6 does not have a reciprocating motion in the sense of the usual internal combustion engine, but they do have a steady semi-alternating rotation. For example, if a marker is placed outside the gyroscope engine solely for measuring or indicating the movement and position of the pistons, and the gyroscope engine is made to turn slowly, it will be seen that the pistons do not return to the point of the marker. Thus, they do not have a reciprocating movement with respect to a dead center in relation to the marker, but do have a faster or slower progressive movement depending on the speed of rotation of the casing 2. In the present gyroscope engine the lever 7-8 and pistons 6 initially attain twice the angular stroke of the cylinders and then reduce their speed down to approximately 1A of the stroke of said cylinders. It is the faster or slower oscillation of the lever that constitutes the stroke of the pistons -but without having reciprocating movement on a dead center, properly speaking.

The cylinders being formed within the engine casing 2, `are mounted to be free to turn with the casing in either direction, and, when the casing 2 is turning, it rotates and actuates the Z-shaped lever 7-8, which movement yconstitutes the stroke of the pistons in the cylinders. Owing to the fact that the entire assembly is turning in the same direction in a given instance, the pistons do not reciprocate in relation to the marker, placed outside the motor solely to measure the movement of the pistons.

If the shaft 68 is allowed to rotate freely, and by appropriate means the rotary casing 2 is held stationary, the gearing assembly within the casing will turn while the casing remains stationary. Thus, the engine is capable of operation with the casing 2 in rotary motion or when the same is held stationary. The rotation of the casing 2 does not have any definite relation to the number of explosions in the cylinders 5. The speed of rotation of the casing 2 is greater or less in relation to the driving power. For this reason, pistons do not have a definite alternating or semi-alternating motion. When the engine is in normal operation, everything will be turning in the same direction.

If the gyroscope engine is adapted to an automobile, the central shaft 9 of the motor must be geared to the half axle of one of the wheels of the automobile, which wheel would then be only part of the motor to receive the impulses from the explosions of the cylinders which tend to actuate the rotating casing 2. If the wheel of the automobile in contact with the ground, and which restrains the main shaft 9, is lifted, the motor casing 2 will 6 not turn because it is supported in the housing' I only by' the roller bearings 61 in the fashion of'an automatic flywheel because the engine 2 does not have firm support for bringing about its action. For the gyroscope motor to operate, it is essential that both driving wheels of the automobile rest on the ground.

Specific examples of the operation of the motor are as follows:

Example I.The gyroscope motor may work with the axle 68 stationary, that is, held in a fixed position by friction or any other equivalent means. Under these conditions, the motor body 2 which is rotatably supported yon the bearing 61 turns the gear 62 and consequently the gear 63 as well as its axle 64. 3

Example II.-Conversely, as the axle 64 is restrained, and at the same time, the other axle 68 is free and the engine is functioning, it will be seen that because theV axle 64 is held motionless, the engine body 2 also remains still or motionless because it is rigid with hub 60 and gear 62 meshing with gear 63 on 64. Under these conditions the engine works internally, driving the gear 14, the central shaft 9 and the gear 66 and consequently the gear 67 as well as the axle 68.

Example IIL-If the

axles

64 and 68 are both free at the same time and the engine is started, it will be seen that under these conditions all of the mechanism of the motor works freely, the

axles

64 and 68 turning simultaneously. The rotation and the power of each axle is great or small as the resistance is greater or smaller on the opposite side of the differential system.

As will now be seen, the present invention provides a mechanical arrangement similar to the arrangement of a conventional gyroscope. In detail, the difference is that the conventional gyroscope has a solid rotating body and central shaft, whereas the gyroscope engine now submitted has its rotating body and central shaft made up of various parts.

The vertical hoop which forms a part of the structure of the conventional gyroscope and receives the effects of the motion of the flywheel is comparatively Weak, whereas, the corresponding parts designed for use in a power device must be strong. As for the horizontal hoop that completes the structure of the conventional gyroscope, it is represented in the present gyrosccope engine by the chassis of the vehicle powered by the aforesaid engine. The motor device herein referred to has the same features of a gyroscope with the notable added difference that the conventional gyroscope needs to be set in motion in order to perform, while the motor device in reference has its own motive power. It is on account of this similarity of principles that the present device has been called a gyroscope engine.

The engine has many conventional details but is characterized by three points of novelty clearly outstanding, as follows:

First, the inventor uses the physical form of a gyroscope to create in said form an engine to operate under the power action and also under the reaction. Therefore, the claim of a motor structure on the principle of a gyroscope is a novelty.

Second, the gyroscope system structure has allowed the motor reaction to be used through a second motor shaft. Therefore, the use of the motor reaction is a second point of novelty.

Third, better use of the expansion of spent gases is obtained within long stroke cylinders, and while long or arcuate cylinders are not broadly new, however, the device to regulate the degree of compression Within the cylinders on the various speeds by the process as outlined is a third point of novelty.

I claim:

An internal combustion engine operating on the principle of a gyroscope including, a housing in the shape of a attened sphere having peripheral exhaust ports and supported in a xed position, a motor functioning as a flywheel mounted within the housing and having substantially upper andlovver sidewalls'land cylinders formed lin'"the'periphery thereof *at substantially -diametrically Jopposite"locations-intake and--exhaust IValves for 'said 'cylir'ldei-S, a gear boxat theund'er'side of the housing, a primary shaft having its lovverl end journalled inthe gear Awith saidv primary gear, a Z-shaped liever-'having'pistn rod portions provided at their outer 'ends,p`istons operating With said cylinders,5the medialshank-portion of said llever being freely rotatable` about said Shaft, links at 0pposite -sides of the :shaft fand connecting saidlever with said crank elements, valve-actuating cams on said primary'-shaft'-forfrespectively operating-the intake and eX- -haust valves, bell-c typef'valve Iactuators adapted rfor 'n'gagerne'ntby 'sai siandla 'rn'alternativelyfactuat- 'lingsaidfivlvesi a ev gearfon Saldfprimary shaft/meshing-with bevelrgearfnn afwo'rkslraff :jeurnalledlinvsind :gearj fon* said hut andhaving ya Workshaft I' journalled I in `=theffg`ear fbox, fmeans 'for supplying fuelr toi the` motor, governor means for controlling the cam, controllingfthe 'intake valvesfand ignition means for each cylinder.

r References Cited inthe le 'of thisy patent l UNITED STATESQPATENTS