US3008457A

US3008457A - Rotary internal combustion engine

Info

Publication number: US3008457A
Application number: US37248A
Authority: US
Inventors: Mezzetta Louis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-06-20
Filing date: 1960-06-20
Publication date: 1961-11-14
Anticipated expiration: 1978-11-14

Description

Nov. 14, 1961 MEZZETTA 3,008,457

ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed June 20, 1960 45 40 35 l MA K? S N INVENTOR d] Louis IIEZZH'M BY r Q WW INTENT AGENT 3,008,457 RGTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Louis Mezzetta, 8995 8th Ave, Ville Sit-Michel, Quebec, Canada Filed ."E'unc 20, 1960, Ser. No. 37,248 6 Claims. (Cl. 12317) The present invention relates to internal combustion engines of the rotary type and having a rotor with pivoted pistons or impulse elements.

The general object of the present invention resides in the provision of a rotary motor of the character described of new improved and simple construction requiring no timing mechanism for the ignition means and having no valve means for the admission and exhaust, whereby the number of movable parts is reduced to a minimum.

Another important object of the present invention resides in the provision of a rotary internal combustion engine of the character described having a high compression ratio and in which scavenging of the exhaust gases is very efiicient.

Yet another important object of the invention resides in the provision of a' rotary internal combustion engine of the character described in which the thrust developed by the explosions is exerted on the pistons substantially tangentially of the rotor with a minimum back pressure so as to develop maximum driving torque.

Yet another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a rotary internal combustion engine of the character described which is so constructed that the if Patent f rate of movement of the pistons with respect to the rotor is gradual so as not to impose any limitation upon the speed at which the rotor may be driven.

The foregoing and other important objects of the present invention will become more apparent during the following disclosure and by referring to the drawings, which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal section of the motor; and

FIGURE 2 is a cross-section along line 22 of FIG- URE 1, but with the rotor and cover in partly disassembled position.

Referring now more particularly to' the drawings in which like reference characters indicate like elements throughout, reference numeral 1 indicates a bedplate on which is rigidly secured a casing 2 having a generally flat back wall 3 and machined to provide an annular groove or space 4 which is defined by bottom lateral wall 5, outer peripheral wall 6 and inner peripheral wall 7. The space 4 opens at the front face 8 of casing 2, but this opening is adapted to be closed by the disc 9 of a rotor generally indicated at 10 and which is rigidly secured to a shaft 11 passing through the casing and journalled. in bearings 12. The disc 9 of rotor 10 is in sliding contact with front face 8 of easing 2. A cover plate 13 is secured over the disc 9 of rotor 10 to the casing 2 by means of bolts passing through holes 14 made at the periphery of cover plate 13 and threaded in bores 15 made in the casing.

The rotor 10 has a cylindricalflange 16 integral with disc 9 and extending at right anglesthereto to enter the space 4. The cylindrical flange 16 is interrupted at three equally spaced areas 17 around the periphery thereof and said areas are closed by impulse elements or

pistons

18, 18', 18" which have generally a cross section in the form of the numeral 7 which consists of a main leg 19 and a transverse leg 2%. The free end of main leg 19 is hinged at 21 to the trailing edge of the openings or areas 17 in a recess adjacent the inner cylindrical face 22 of cylindrical flange 16 of the rotor 10. The

end edges

23 and 24 of piston leg 26 are in sliding contact with the outer and inner peripheral walls 6 and 7 of the annular space Patented Nov. 14, 1961 4 respectively, said

edges

23 and 24 being preferably provided with packing for fluid proof sealing. The transverse leg 20 of the pistons 18 is curved and its outer surface has a center of curvature coinciding with hinge 21, such that said outer surface makes fluidproof contact with packing 25 at the leading end of the interrupted area 17. A bore 26 is made in the transverse leg 20 adjacent main leg 19.

The pistons 18 have a width equalto the width of the annular space 4 such that the side edges of said pistons 18 are in sliding contact with the bottom lateral face 5 of the space 4 and with the disc 9 of the rotor.

The annular space 4 has a constant cross-sectional area throughout its length because the radial spacing or depth between the outer and inner peripheral walls 6 and 7 is constant. Thus, the

edges

23 and 24 of the pistons 18 are in constant sliding contact with said peripheral walls 6 and 7, and the pistons are guided in their pivotal movement with respect to the rotor by said peripheral walls 6 and 7.

The annular space 4 is non circular; the peripheral walls 6 and 7 form eccentrically related pairs of circular outer and

inner surface portions

27, 28, and 29, 30, which diametrically opposed and merge with and are connected by substantially

straight surface portions

31, 32, 33 and 34, also diametrically opposed.

The radius and center of curvature of the

circular surface portions

27, 28, 29 and 30 are related to the radius of curvature and center of rotation of the cylindrical flange 16 of rotor 10 such that the inner cylindrical face 22 of rotor flange 16 is in sliding contact with the inner circular surface portion 28 and the outer cylindrical rotor face 36 is in sliding contact with outer circular surface portion 29. Thus a combustion chamber 35 is defined between the outer'cylindrical face 36 of rotor flange 16 and the outer peripheral wall 6 of annular space 4 between points where will 6 is separated from rotor flange 16, and an admission and compression chamber is defined between the inner cylindrical face 22 of the rotor cylindrical flange 16 and the inner peripheral wall 7 of annular space 4, between points where wall 7 is separated from rotor flange 16.

Ignition means, such as a glow plug 38 are located at the back lateral wall 5; of the annular space 4 at the beginning of the combustion chamber while admission ports 39 for the combustible mixture open at the inner peripheral wall 7 at the beginning of the admission and compression chamber, that is in the area where the rotor leaves the inner peripheral wall 7. Slightly downstream from admission ports 39, exhaust ports 40' open at the outer peripheral wall 6, said ports being connected to exhaust pipe 41. The admission port 39 is suppliedby a mixture of fuel and air by pipe 42.

Packings 43 may be disposed transversely across the outer peripheral wall 6 at the points where the, rotor leaves and comes in contact with said wall 6 respectively. Packings 44 are disposed across the inner peripheral wall 7 at the points where the inner cylindrical face 22 of the rotor flange 16 comes in contact with and leaves said inner peripheral Wall 7.

The motor may be air cooled, but is preferably water cooled by water supplied by pipes 45, 46 into external and

internal water jackets

47 and 48 respectively.

The engine of the invention operates as follows: The rotor 10 rotates in the direction indicated by arrow 50. As the piston 18 has swept past the admission port 39 it has sucked the combustible mixture into the admission zone of chamber 37, behind piston 18. a

The combustible mixture which had already been sucked or ahead of piston 18 will now be compressed in.

the compression zone of chamber 37 during excursion of piston 18 through said zone. Piston 18' ahead of piston 18 has already compressed the combustible mixture, and said mixture is confined in space 51 ahead of piston 13 and space 52 on the outside of the piston 18'; as piston 18 moves past the glow plug 38 explosion occurs within space 54 and a driving torque is produced on the rotor during excursion of the piston 18' through combustion chamber 38. Meanwhile the exhaust gases of the previous explosion and ahead of piston 18' are being expelled through exhaust port 40. Thus, it is seen that there is admission, compression and explosion of the combustion mixture and scavenging of the exhaust gases at each revolution of the rotor. It will also be seen that the explosion and scavenging stages take place on the outside of the rotor flange 16 while the admission and compression take place on the inside of the rotor flange 16. The compressed gases pass from the inside to the outside of the rotor flange through bores 26 made in the pistons 18.

It will be noted that with the arrangement of the invention the pistons themselves serve as valve means and ignition timing means. Explosion is initiated upon passage of the pistons past the glow plug 38. Admission is initiated upon passage of the pistons past the admission port 39 and exhaust is completed upon passage of the same pistons past exhaust port 40.

The compression ratio is determined by the ratio of the volume of the compression zone as defined between the

successive blades

18 and 18 in the position shown in FIGURE 1, plus the space on the outside of blade 18, over the sum of the volumes of

spaces

51 and 52. The compression ratio could be increased by moving the location of the glow plug 33 slightly downstream and also if desired by thickening the main leg 19 of the pistons so as to reduce space 52.

The radius of curvature of the main leg 19 of the pistons is substantially equal to the radius of curvature of

circular portions

28 and 30 such that the pistons conform to said circular portions in the area of the combustion chamber.

The

packings

43, 44 are such as not to hinder the free sliding movement of the rotor surfaces and of the piston edges. Preferably,

additional packings

53 and 54 are mounted on the active'face of the rotor disc 9 and bottom face of the casing 2, to effect sealing between the rotor and the annular space 4-.

In order to resist the outward thrust exerted on the rotor disc 9, at least one of the bearings 12 can be a thrust bearing or an adjustable screw (not shown) may be threaded through the center of cover plate 13 to engage the end of the shaft 11.

Although the embodiment of the invention illustrates an engine or motor having three pistons, it is to be understood that the number of pistons could be doubled or even tripled by suitably modifying the shape of the annular space 4 and the location and number of glow plugs and exhaust and admission ports. For instance, for a six piston motor, the annular space would have a generally square shape with the circular portions of space 4 at 90 apart, and would have the advantage of having the combustion chambers diametrically opposed so as to balance the radial forces exerted on the rotor.

While a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention has been illustrated and described it is understood that various modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an internal combustion power unit, a casing defining a non-circular annular space having side walls, outer and inner peripheral walls of constant spacing whereby said space has a constant cross-sectional area throughout its length, said peripheral wall forming eccentrically related pairs of inner and outer circular wall portions respectively connected by and merging with substantially straight inner and outer wall portions, a rotor having a cylindrical flange fitted within said space, and of a thickness smaller than the radial depth of said space, and rotatable about a stationary axis, the radially inner cylindrical face of said rotor flange being in sliding contact with the inner circular wall portion of one pair and the radially outer cylindrical face of said rotor flange being in sliding contact with the outer circular wall portion of the adjacent pair, whereby said rotor flange defines within said space, a combustion chamber on the outside of said rotor flange, and an admission and compression chamber on the inside of said rotor flange, piston members pivotally mounted on said rotor flange and having a transverse portion extending through said flange across the full cross sectional area of said space, and movable across said rotor to make excursions alternately through said combustion chamber and through admission and compression chamber, said piston transverse portion having a hole made therethrough establishing communication between the space ahead of and the space behind said piston transverse portion and on the outside of said rotor flange, ignition means at the beginnng of said combustion chamber, an exhaust port at the end of said combustion chamber, and a combustible mixture admission port at the beginning of said admission and compression chamher.

2. In an internal combustion power unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotor cylindrical flange is interrupted at equally spaced areas, and said pistons extend across said areas having one end pivoted to one edge of the interruption and their transverse portion in sliding con tact with the opposite edge of the interrupted area.

3. In an internal combustion power unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the outer surface of said transverse piston portion is curved with a center of curvature coinciding with the pivot of the piston to said rotor flange.

4. In an internal combustion power unit as claimed in clam 3, wherein said pistons have a cross-sectional shape in the form of the numeral 7 defining said cross portion and a main leg, the inner surface of said main leg having a radius of curvature equal to the radius of curvature of the circular portions of said inner peripheral wall of said space.

5. In an internal combustion power unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotor comprises a disc in sliding contact with said casing and defining one of said side walls of said space, said cylindrical flange depending at right angles from said disc.

6. In an internal combustion power unit, a casing having a flat front face and having therein a non-circular annular groove made opening at said front face, said groove being defined by a. flat bottom wall and outer and inner peripheral walls, at a constant spacing throughout the length of said annular space, said peripheral walls forming eccentrically related pairs of inner and outer circular wall portions connected by and merging with substantially non-circular wall portions, a rotor consisting of a disc in sliding contact with the front face of said casing, a shaft to which said disc is secured and journaled in said casing, and a cylindrical flange depending at right angles from said disc and fitted within said groove and of a thickness smaller than the radial depth of said groove, the radially inner cylindrical face of said rotor flange being insliding contact with the inner circular wall portion of one pair, and the radially outer cylindrical face of said rotor flange being in sliding contact with the outer circular wall portion of the adjacent pair, whereby a combustion chamber is defined within said groove by said outer peripheral wall and by said radially outer cylindrical face of said rotor flange from the point where said rotor flange leaves contact with said outer peripheral wall to the point where said rotor flange meets again with said outer peripheral wall, and an admission and compression chamber is defined between said inner peripheral wall and the radially inner cylindrical face of said rotor flange from the point where said rotor leaves said inner peripheral wall to the point where said rotor meets again said inner peripheral wall, ignition means located at the beginning of said combustion chamber, an exhaust port located at the end of said combustion chamber, and an admission port for a combustible mixture located at the beginning of said admission and compression chamber, said rotor cylindrical flange being interrupted at equally angularly spaced areas and pistons pivoted on said rotor flange, closing said interrupted areas and having a cross portion extending across said groove and in constant sliding contact with said inner and outer peripheral walls, with said groove bottom wall and with said rotor disc, and bores made through said piston cross portion for making communication between the zone ahead of said piston and the zone behind said cross portion and on theoutside of said piston with respect to the direction of rotation of said rotor.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 342,079 Ekman May 18, 1886 1,180,200 Speese Apr. 18, 1916 1,405,326 Powell Jan. 31, 1922 1,811,729 Molkenbur June23, 1931 1,923,561 Winckler Aug. 22, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS 702,632 France Jan. 26, 1931