US3003308A - Rotary radial piston engine - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 10,1961 w. BEAVEN ROTARY RADIAL PISTON ENGINE 4 Sheets$heet 1 Filed March 11, 1957 J 2: Ft

\ EEGR 1 INYf/VTOP 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 11, 1957 INYENTOR Oct. 10, 1961 L. w. BEAVEN ROTARY RADIAL PISTON ENGINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 11, 1957 Seen by inspection.

rotor 35 is fixed to the outer end of the valve driver shaft 34 preferably by a taper fit and key arrangement, Secured by a cotter pinned 1111f." This obliges the exhaust valve rotor to turn with the valve driver shaft 34. The bearings 37 hold the inner end of the shaft against longitudinal movement by the aforesaid thrust forces. The exhaust valve rotor, as stated, is iournaled in its stator but itself is in no way restrained against longitudinal movement by anything but the hearings on the inner end of the valve shaft and therefore it may float axially'in said stator and may adiust itself to the extent of the minute changes in shaft length. due to temperature chan es. The exterior side of the rotor is provided with fins 35a, FIG. 4, for stiffening the rotor and for dissipating some of its heat. Theintake valve rotor 39 is located in the piston and is slidable on the valve driver shaft 34 so that the piston can reciprocate freely thereon. The valve rotor 39 is, however, connected rotatably as by splines, kevwavs or hexagonal shaft to the valve driver the latter slides on the shaft. The valve rotor 39 is iourbaled to the piston 31 on roller bearings 40. the function of which is to take up with low friction losses the tremendous forces of the exploding gases and those of centrifugal action. The stator for the intake valve is in this case integral with the piston 31. In FTGS. 2 and 8. this valve has its ports 44 open and the exhaust ports in FIGS. '3, 4 and 8 are shown closed. The condition is more pre' cisely shown inFIG. 9 Where it can be seen that the exhaust is finishing its closure and the intake has well started its opening. This is predicated on a popular valving cycle wherein intake opens 40 degrees early and exhaust closes 26 degrees late. There are nine ports in each valve and all nine in each, open and close simultaneously. The valves enclose -a firing chamber 19.

For a more detailed description of the valving rotor'and stator arrangements and their operation in a rotary radial or spinner type internal combustion engine, reference may be had to my Patent No. 2,795,216 issued June 11, 1957,

, shaft, so that the shaft rotates the intake rotor 39 while r and entitled Rotary Valving for Internal Combustion follower gear 41 is carried about the static worm plate 42 as the cylinder and crankshaft assembly rotates about the fixed crankshaft (see FlGS; 2 and 3). The follower gear shows a single row of coplanar teeth. This requires thatthe worm track on the peripheryof the worm plate have a pitch line that is spherical because the pitch line of the follower is a circle. The difference from cylindrical is minute unless said plate is made wide, as can be In FIG. 3, it will be observed that the follower gear 41 is caused to mesh with the worm .plate 42 on only one side by disposing the cylinder 30 slightly off center to the other side of the engine centerline. If centered, the follower would bind as it would engage simultaneously on both sides. Ofisetting the cylinders eleminates an element in each of the valve operating mechanisms as will be seen by comparison with the mechanism illustrated in my earlier Patent 2,512,909, and which constitutes a distinct improvement thereover.

It will be apparent that the cylinder could as well have been offset toeither side of the engine centerline insofar as the valve driver operation is concerned. The preferred oifsetting, however, results in a combined benefit in. that it assists the reaction function of the engine as will be described in detail below;

An open center reaction hood assembly 45, FIGS. 3 and 4, comprises a cap-like body with a fastening flange 46 attached by screws to the end of the cylinder assembly 30, specifically in this instance to the exhause valve stator 36 which, in turn, is held fast inthe end of the cylinder 30. It has inner and outer walls 47 and 48 respectively, both preferably circular and concentric, and forming a gas conducting annulus. Both of these walls are cut by the section 3--3 in FIG. 4' and-the inner wall reaches down inside of, and pilots in, an upstanding lip on the exhaust valve rotor to improve the inner sealing of the gases. The said section also cuts the three left and the last right curved turningivanes 49 in this instance. The other vanes 49 shown in FIG. 3, in elevation as they project through the inner wall-for support, and may be welded thereto. The center or crown of the cap is open,

to facilitate the escape of heat from the exhaust rotor 35, seen in FIG. 4. The vanes 49 need traverse only the annulus as it alone carries the exhaust gases. The cap leaves the gases only one path of escape which is between the vanes. The vanes 49 may be thin flat strips, bent on a longitudinal axis to turn the gases at substantially ninety degrees. The leg first approached in the assembly by the outgoing gases is substantially radial, and the other one is tangential to the circle of discharge and is assembled contra-spinwise. They are mounted in the hood in a laminated manner with a small clearance between adjacent members, for the gases to flow in. They turn the gases from a radial. to a tangential direction, and it is against these vanes that the reaction forces act to increase the torque and the velocity of the engine. This arrangement laminates the flow and brings the reaction forces into parallelism, a great improvement over earlier systems of confused turbulence, eddies and force losses. Had the cylinder been set on the radial line, as heretofore, there would not be any clearance between the tangential legs of adjacent vanes to permit escape of the gases. By offsetting, tiering of the vanes is accomplished. The offsetting of the cylinder tilts the arcuate parameter of the exhaust hood vanes 49, increasing the functional'clearance between them (depending on the extent of the offset), each vane being brought into a position above its adjacent posterior neighbor, much like tiers of spectators on a grandstand, but preserves at the same time the full uniform radius of the moment arms of the reaction forces by preserving a substantially degree turn in the vanes from radial to tangential;

'A crest or mound 50 has been provided, downward on the exhaust rotor 35, and upward on the headof the intake valve rotor 39 in FIG. 3, to disperse the gases away minimum. This unloads the cylinder in minimum time.

Therefore, less heat is lost by radiation and conduction.

This conserves the'pressure and more reaction force therefore can be converted into power by the reaction function. Y

The shroud or cowl 21, which has been provided,'is of cylindrical shape, the axisof which is concentric with that of the engine. It functions as a guard and also to contain the coolant air currents radially for a moderate distance beyond the exhaust orifices. This maintains the coolant air-flow substantially perpendicular to the exhaust jets in order to have neither positive nor negative influence on the tangential velocity of-theexhaust gases in the prairi at ratifies, as it desired "that the ambient velocity of the gases at release shallhave fallen to zero.

When the engine and vehicle to whichit is mounted is static, coolant air and the gases are moved by "the fan blades 22. These blades are connected to the crankcase portion 23 and shroud il and are fixed with respect to the cylinders. As the cylinders rotate about the static crankshaft 15, the blades act as scoops directing coolant air past the cylinders.

As the vehicle accelerates, the work performed by the fan blades 22 drops off to Zero. The coolaht airis then not moved, it is merely static and the vehicle and engine m'eve past it. The exhaust gases, if released static by abortive jetting'that is opposition to spin and at substantially the "same velocity the velocity of rotational travel of the exhaust 'oiifices,re'main static so far is the forces here under consideration are 'cohce'r'ned. Thus the gases are neither in the way of subsequent jettings, nor do they hinder the reaction function in any way.

Referring now to FIG. 6, there is illustrated a transverse section across the engine crankpin. The inner ends or feet 51 of the connecting rods 32 are shown together with the manner in which they are mortised and nested into each other to increase substantially the wrap around the crankpin. The connecting rod feet are held on to the crankpin against centrifugal force by pairs of retainer rings 52 held in assembly by bolts 54 which pass through driving bosses 53 preferably integral with said retainer rings for engagement with the rods 32. Only two rods 32 have been illustrated to avoid confusion. These are typical of the others. This view shows the position wherein the minimum angle between the rods 32 occurs (bottom dead center omitting consideration of the cylinder oifset for simplification) and the manner in which the rods 32, at that instant trap and position the assembled retainer rings 52 provided with bolted bosses 53, by trapping one of the bosses 53 intermediate, in the crotch of the legs of the adjacent rods 32. This drives the retainer ring assembly 52, 53, 54 somewhat as if it were gear driven to maintain orientation wtih and of the rod sets. The bearing surfaces of the rod feet 51 are equipped for low friction performance, and the internal diameters of the retainer rings 52 are greater than the external diameters of the crankshaft fiangm 43 for assembly.

FIG. 7 is a developed view of a circumferential section, taken as indicated in FIG. 6, and shows the nesting of the rod ends, each with its neighbors, when looking radially inward.

Lubrication of the engine is accomplished by force feeding the bearing surfaces and by spraying so that some of the oil is directed to the inside cylinder walls and even into the firing chamber to lubricate the exhaust valve rotor. A sump 55 has been provided, of a new type, partly in the intermediate section 23 of the crankcase and partly in the end cover 25, having the transverse form of an annulus. A tapered internal diameter in the said section, indicated by dotted line 26 in FIG. 2, forms a drainage slope. This slope ends in a maximum diameter, which becomes the sump 55 to which the centrifugalized diffusion of the oil finds its way under the urge of centrifugal force rather than gravity. Here it is picked up by a scoop 56 (see FIG. into which it is thrown by drag and velocity from the case, supplemented by suction of the pump 57, which is attached to the crankshaft (see FIG. 2), and driven by spur gears or their equivalent. Gritty solids are then scooped up along with oil, and removed from the engine quickly, prevented by centrifugal force from splashing up out of the sump as they do in typical engines where relatively feeble gravity alone operates to prevent.

The oil is first pumped out of the crankcase to a filter (not shown) via channels 58 in the shaft and returned in a parallel channel 59, from whence it is sprayed or '6 tea to the bearing surfaces under pressure. Foreign that ter such as grit has little chance to 'do damage. Splash lubrication is discouraged as it consumes power and dispenses grit.

The cylinders project inwardly into the crankcase to form an inward cuff which acts as a dam andprevents excessive amounts of oil from getting into the firing chambers. v

The drawings indicate the presence of a considerable quantity of oil in the sump. This was done only to indicate where the oil would be if an accumulation were permitted. However, it is anticipated that the pump 57 and the scoop 55 may be so set and regulated that only a very little free oil may be permitted to remain in the sump -55, so desired. I It will be observed that fuel ahd mixture enters "the hollow end of the crankshaft 1'5 and enters the via the dotted air intake channel '60, which dbwhwardly as indicated by the crooked dotted arrow 61 in FIG. 2. There it is whirled tornado-like, the various mechanical parts within the crankcase serving as impeller blades. It then peels off from centrifugal force, taking a radial direction when an intake valve opens, supplying a path therefor, axially through one piston at a time and in a preselected sequence, arriving into the firing chambers (the space between the intake and exhaust valves), where it is compressed by the advancing piston. It is then ignited by spark, compression or other means. The pressure from explosion then drives the piston inward in the work function and as the piston starts outward, the exhaust valve opens and the piston scavenges the cylinder, ready to repeat the cycle. That is the four stroke cycle, the preferred one where cost permits. The same mechanism however, can operate the engine by the two cycle method, with different valve timing.

Certain modifications and revisions will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and all such modifications, revisions and changes as come within the spirit of this invention are intended as being within its scope, best defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A rotary internal combustion engine of the expansion-reaction type, said engine embodying a stationary crankshaft, a crankcase journaled for rotation on said crankshaft, a radially disposed cylinder mounted on said crankcase, a firing chamber and a piston in said cylinder, a rotary exhaust valve in said cylinder, the rotor of said valve being driven by a shaft axial with said cylinder, said rotor being rigidly aihxed to said shaft and piloted in the stator of said valve, said stator being fixed to said cylinder, the inner end of said valve driver shaft being provided with roller bearings of the radial-thrust type, said bearings being secured to and within said crankcase and mounted to hold said shaft on center and to withstand the axial thrust of the explosions and of the centrifugal action, failing upon said exhaust valve rotor.

2. A rotary internal combustion engine of the expansion-reaction type, said engine embodying a stationary crankshaft, a ring of coplanar cylinders radially disposed at uniform arc spacing around said crankshaft, a piston in each cylinder, said cylinders being rotatable about said crankshaft, means to cause relative reciprocatory movement between each cylinder and its piston, said means including a stationary crankpin on said crankshaft, a twolegged connecting rod between each piston and said pin, said rods also rotatable about said pin, said rods being alike for dynamic balance, with two way feet on the crankpin end and ankles above said feet, said feet having great toes bi-laterally extended over nearly two included cylinder arcs, with recesses on the sides of said feet to receive said extended great toes, said crankpin accommodating all of said rod feet, said feet being assembled with one another about said crankpin and retaining rings en- 7 circling said assembled rod feet, said rings having bosses for engagement in turn with one ankle at a time. 3. A rotaryinternal combustion engine of the expansion-reaction type, said engine embodying a stationary crankshaft, a radially disposed cylinder rotatable about said crankshaft, a piston in said cylinder, means responeiverto the rotation of. said cylinder to cause relative reciprocatory movement between said cylinder and piston, a firing chamber in said cylinder, a centrifugalized flow path for the gases of combustion, an exhaust valve in the end of said cylinder, said valve embodying a ring of per ipher al exhaust ports to release said gases, an annular reaction hood to catch said gases, said hood being superiio'sed immediately over said ring of ports, said hood embodying a plurality of tiered turning vanes, said vanes forming laminar slots between them, said slots directed to: contraspinwise release of said gases,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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