US3173406A

US3173406A - Rotary internal combustion engine

Info

Publication number: US3173406A
Application number: US154630A
Authority: US
Inventors: Adolph J Campos
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-11-24
Filing date: 1961-11-24
Publication date: 1965-03-16
Anticipated expiration: 1982-03-16

Description

March 16, 1965 A. J. cAMPos 3,173,406

ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Nov. 24, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. 4004. J. (Aw/ as March 15, 1965 A. J. CAMPOS 3,173,406 ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Nov. 24, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 4 500 J (An/1P0:

United States Patent 3,173,406 ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Adolph J. Campos, 86 Bruen St., Newark, NJ. Filed Nov. 24, 1961, Ser. No. 154,630 4 Claims. (Cl. 12316) This invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines, and more particularly to an improved internal combustion engine which uses a three-sided rotor and which develops three power impulses per revolution, all in the same direction.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved rotary internal combustion engine which is relatively simple in construction, which is compact in size, which is relatively light in Weight and which develops a relatively high power output with minimum consumption of fuel.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improvide rotary internal combustion engine of the type employing a three-sided rotor, the engine being relatively inexpensive to manufacture, being durable in construction, involving only a few parts, and developing a substantial amount of mechanical output.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved rotary internal combustion engine which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, which requires a relatively small amount of maintenance, which is reliable in operation, and which is highly economical in fuel consumption.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved rotary internal combustion engine of the type employing a three-sided rotor, the engine developing three power impulses per revolution, all in the same direction, said engine being smooth in operation, developing a minimum amount of vibration, and employing relatively inexpensive materials.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an improved rotary internal combustion engine constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical cross sectional view, similar to FIGURE 2, but showing the rotor in a position wherein fuel is being admitted into the compression chamber of the engine, the rotor being in a position advanced relative to the position thereof shown in FIGURE 2. v

FIGURE 4 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the elements comprising the engine of FIGURES 1 to 4, said elements being shown in separated positions.

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic sketch illustrating the mode of operation of the internal combustion engine of the present invention.

Referring to thedrawings, 11 generally designates an improved rotary combustion engine constructed in accordance with the present invention. The engine 11 comprises a main housing consisting of a generally annular main body 12 and a pair of opposite side plates 13 and .14 of similar shape secured to the opposite sides of the main body 12, as by means of longitudinally extending fastening bolts 15. The main body 12 is formed with a plurality of circularly arranged cooling slots 16, and the

plates

13 and 14 are provided with similar slots 17 registering with the cooling slots 16, whereby to provide continuous channels for the circulation of cooling air through the peripheral portions of the engine- The engine is substantially flattened at its top portion, as shown at 17, and the flattened top portion 17 of the main body 12 of the engine is formed with a downwardly convergent fuel intake port 18 to which may be connected a suitable fuel supply conduit, not shown, which may be connected to a suitable source of a combustible gas mixture. As shown in FIGURE 2, the downwardly convergent fuel intake port 18 is located at one side of the top wall of the engine. The engine is formed at its bottom wall with an exhaust port 19 which is located at the same side thereof as the fuel intake port 18, being spaced therefrom by an angle of approximately 120 of rotation, as shown in FIGURE 2.

Mounted in the wall of the main body 17 of the engine and angularly spaced from the fuel intake port 18 by an angle of approximately in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 2, is a spark plug 20 whose electrodes terminate in an axial bore 21 communicating with the interior of the engine, as shown in FIGURE 2, for igniting fuel mixture in the upper portion of the engine cavity subsequent to compression thereof, as will be presently explained. The spark plug 20 is energized from. a suitable ignition system which is suitably synchronized so as to deliver a spark in the ignition space 21 near the end of the compression portion of the cycle of rotation of the engine rotor, as will be presently explained. The details of the distributor and associate ignition system for ener gizing the spark plug 20 are conventional in themselves and form no part of the present invention.

Axially journaled in the engine is a shaft 21' which is rotatably supported onsuitable sleeve bearings 22 mounted in annular end bushings 23 secured to the central portions of the

side plates

13 and 14, as shown in FIGURE 4. The intermediate portion of the shaft 21' is integrally formed with, or has rigidly secured thereon, a generally triangular, enlarged body 24, which has a cross section in the shape of an equilateral triangle, and which is centered so that its axis coincides with the axis of the shaft 21'. The body 24 is formed with marginal ribs or flanges 25 at its opposite peripheral sides, said ribs or flanges 25 being received within correspondingly shaped triangular openings 26 formed in spacer discs 27. The spacer discs 27 are interposed between respective opposing Wear plates 28 and a rotor body 29, presently to be described. The wear plates 28 are received in circular recesses 30 formed in the inside walls of the

respective side plates

13 and 14. The rotor 29 is generally three-sided in shape and is formed with the three identically curved peripheral surfaces 31 which have trailing ends 32 of maximum radius and which diminish gradually in radius toward their leading ends. The radius reaches a minimum at a point 33 adjacent the leading end of the side, after which the radius increases rapidly in value, defining an arcuately curved thrust shoulder 34 at the leading end of the Side 31 of the rotor.

The rotor 29 is formed at the junction between the leading and'trailing ends of its respective sides 31 with radially extending longitudinal slots 35 in which are slidably positioned respective longitudinally extending sealing bars 36 which are biased outwardly into sealing contact with the inside wall of the cavity of body 17 by bowed leaf springs 37 disposed in the bottoms of 'the grooves or slots 35. The

circular plate members

27, 27 are secured in circular recesses 39 formed in the opposite sides of the rotor 29 concentrically withits axis, the plate members 27 being secured by rivets 40 extending through said plate members and the rotor 29, as shown in FIGURE 4.

The rotor 29 is formed centrally with a triangular aperture 41 Which is in the shape of an equilateral triangle and which is substantially larger in size than the triangular body 24 received therein, but is of such size as to prevent complete rotation of .body 24 therein. As shown in FIGURE 3 a substantial amount of clearance is provided between the'faces' of the body 24 andthe inside faces of the aperture 41. Bowed leaf springs 43 are provided in the clearance spaces, thus resiliently connecting the rotor 29 to the shaft body 24, so that a yieldable cushioned coupling exists between the shaft and the rotor, the coupling being however of a positive nature, since the rotor cannot rotate relative to the shaft body 24, except to a limited degree, as permitted by the flexure of the leaf springs 43, The rotor is also allowed to move somewhat horizontally and vertically relative to the shaft body 24, as permitted by the yielding action of the leaf springs 43.

The lower portion 45 of the cavity defined in the generally annular main body 12 of the engine is of substantially constant radius 45', as shown in FIGURE 6. The upper portion 46 of the cavity is at a radial distance 46 from the center 47 of said lower portion 45 greater than the radius 45" of said lower portion, and the arcuate side portions of the cavity converge smoothly toward said upper portion, as is clearly shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 6. Thus, the cavity is shaped so as to be somewhat vertically elongated, with a generally semi-cylindrical lower portion and an upper portion having upwardly convergent sides. Since there is some play between the triangular shaft portion 24 and the inside faces of aperture 41, the rotor can assume a position, such as that shown in FIG- URES 3 and 6, wherein the center of the rotor is below the center of said triangular shaft portion (the center of said triangular shaft portion being substantially at the intersection 48' of the major and minor axes of the generally oval cavity) and such that the distance from the center of the shaft to the upper right-hand seal 36 in FIG- URES 3 and 6 is slightly less than the distance to the lower seal 36, the differential in distance providing a differential surface on which combustion pressure in the space immediately below said upper right-hand seal can act to produce rotation of the rotor. Because of the upward convergency of the sides of the upper portion of the cavity, as above noted, and as is clearly shown in FIG- URES 3 and 6, the upper seals 36 act as follower mem bers cooperating with said convergent sides to depress the rotor to the position of FIGURES 3 and 6.

In operation, combustible fuel mixture is admitted into the upper space 46 of the engine, assuming the port 18 to be in communication with said upper space, namely, the rotor to be in a position such as that illustrated in FIG- URE 3. With the rotor rotating in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 3, the upper left sealing bar 36 eventually passes upwardly beyond the sealed intake port 18, namely, passes the position thereof illustrated in FIG- URE 2, after which the gaseous fuel mixture admitted into the space 46 undergoes compression as the volume thereof is reduced, namely, as the rotor rotates clockwise beyond the position thereof illustrated in FIGURE 2. When the rotor reaches the position shown in FIGURE 3, the fuel is in the lower right space and is under maximum compression, at which point ignition takes place, and the fuel is ignited by the spark plug 20. The expansion of the ignited fuel develops a power stroke on the aforesaid differential surface. As above mentioned, the rotor is urged to the depressed position of FIGURES 3 and 6 by the cooperation of the upper seals 36 with the upwardly convergent sides of the cavity. Therefore, the rotor will receive a power impulse tending to rotate said rotor clockwise with each ignition of the compressed fuel by the spark plug 20. Said power impulse will be furnished by the expanding gaseous products of combustion acting against the aforesaid differential surface.

Subsequent to the delivery of said power impulse to the rotor, the gaseous products of combustion are placed in communication with the exhaust port 19, through which they discharge to the atmosphere. Thus, in the position of the rotor shown in FIGURE 2, the gaseous products of combustion in the lower space of the engine cavity are placed in communication with the discharge port 19, and are allowed to escape, after delivery of the thrust im pulse to the rotor. The above described cycle is repeated three times for every revolution of the rotor, so that three power impulses are developed for each revolution thereof.

Following impulses applied to the rotor are transmitted to the shaft 21 through the resilient coupling defined between the triangular shaft portion 24 and the triangular aperture 41 in the rotor, by means of the leaf springs 43, which permit relative movements between rotor 29 and the portion 24 in the manner above described.

It will be noted that the

peripheral ribs

25, 25 on the enlarged intermediate portion of the shaft 21' serve as positioning means to retain the leaf springs 43 in centered positions relative to the member 24, the curved portion of each leaf spring 43 being received between the

ribs

25, 25 of the adjacent side of member 24, as illustrated in FIGURE 3, or alternatively, being reversed so as to be disposed adjacent to the associated side of the rotor aperture 41, as illustrated, for example in FIGURE 5. In either case, a cushioned resilient coupling will be defined between the rotor and the shaft, providing smooth transmission of torque from the rotor to the shaft over a wide range of loading of the engine.

It will be noted that the respective sides of the triangular aperture 41 in the rotor 29 are substantially parallel to the sides of the rotor, namely, to the surfaces defined between respective pairs of

contact bars

36, 36. Thus, when the gas mixture is ignited in the space 45, the resultant explosion develops a force which may be resolved in a direction perpendicular to the adjacent straight side of aperture 41 of the rotor, causing the rotor to be urged inwardly toward the corresponding straight side of the triangular member 24, thus tending to flatten the intervening arcuate leaf spring 43. The leaf spring thus directly cushions the explosion and prevents direct impact between rotor 29 and shaft portion 24. Further cushioning is provided by the resiliency of the biasing springs 37 acting outwardly on the sealing bars 36, and it will be noted that because of the parallel location of the sides of aperture 41 with respect to the sides of the rotor, the cushioning effects provided by the springs 37 are symmetrically arranged relative to the cushioning effects provided by the leaf springs 43.

While a specific embodiment of an improved rotary combustion engine has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A rotary combustion engine comprising a main housing formed with a generally oval vertically elongated rotor cavity comprising a substantially semi-cylindrical lower portion, an arcuate top portion at a radial distance from the center of said lower portion greater than the radius of said lower portion, and arcuate upwardly convergent side portions smoothly connecting said arcuate top portion and substantially semi-cylindrical lower portion, said cavity having a fuel intake port communicating with the cavity at one side of said top portion, fuel ignition means in the cavity adjacent the opposite side of said top portion, said cavity being provided with a peripheral exhaust port in said lower portion at the same side of the cavity as said intake port, a shaft journaled in the housing with its axis displaced from said center toward said arcuate top portion and having a polygonally shaped intermediate portion, a rotor having a periphery comprising three successive sides of similar shape, said rotor having a central polygonal aperture loosely receiving said intermediate portion of the shaft, said intermediate shaft portion being sufiiciently large in size so that it cannot rotate in said polygonal aperture, means resiliently supporting said rotor on said intermediate shaft portion, and respective sealing members on the periphery of said rotor between its successive sides sealingly engaging the peripheral surface of said rotor cavity and cooperating with said convergent side portions to cause the rotor to at times assume a depressed position providing a difierential of radial distance between the center of the shaft and the portions of said peripheral surface at opposite sides of the ignition means engaged by two successive sealing members, whereby to define a diiferential thrust surface on the rotor.

2. The structure of claim 1, and wherein each side of the rotor has an outwardly concave portion defining a thrust shoulder.

3. The structure of claim 1, and wherein said resilient supporting means comprises leaf springs between the sides of said aperture and said intermediate shaft portion.

4. The structure of claim 1, and wherein said poly onal aperture and shaft intermediate portion are shaped in the form of equilateral triangles.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/06 Okun 123-16 4/27 Chilton.

10/28 Powell a- 123-16 8/33 Hapkins 123-16 10/62 Hoadley 123-8 FOREIGN PATENTS 7/56 Austria. 10/ 10 France. 12/24 Germany.

6/ 35 Great Britain 15 JOSEPH H. BRANSON, JR., Primary Examiner.

KARL I. ALBRECHT, Examiner.

Claims

1. A ROTARY COMBINATION ENGINE COMPRISING A MAIN HOUSING FORMED WITH A GENERALLY OVAL VERTICALLY ELONGATED ROTOR CAVITY COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY SEMIC-CYLINDRICAL LOWER PORTION, AN ARCUATE TOP PORTION AT A RADIAL DISTANCE FROM THE CENTER OF SAID LOWER PORTION GREATER THAN THE RADIUS OF SAID LOWER PORTION, AND ARCUATE UPWARDLY CONVERGENT SIDE PORTIONS SMOOTHLY CONNECTING SAID ARCUATE TOP PORTION AND SUBSTANTIALLY SEMI-CYLINDRICAL LOWER PORTION, SAID CAVITY HAVING A FUEL INTAKE PORT COMMUNICATING WITH THE CAVITY AT ONE SIDE OF SAID TOP PORTION, FUEL IGNITION MEANS IN THE CAVITY ADJACENT THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID TOP PORTION, SAID CAVITY BEING PROVIDED WITH A PERIPHERAL EXHAUST PORT IN SAID LOWER PORTION AT THE SAME SIDE OF THE CAVITY AS SAID INTAKE PORT, A SHAFT JOURNALED IN THE HOUSING WITH ITS AXIS DISPLACED FROM SAID CENTER TOWARD SAID ARCUATE TOP PORTION AND HAVING A POLYGONALLY SHAPED INTERMEDIATE PORTION, A ROTOR HAVING A PERIPHERY COMPRISING THREE SUCCESSIVE SIDES OF SIMILAR SHAPE, SAID ROTOR HAVING A CENTRAL POLYGONAL APERTURE LOOSELY RECEIVING SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF THE SHAFT, SAID INTERMEDIATE SHAFT PORTION BEING SUFFICIENTLY LARGE IN SIZE SO THAT IT CANNOT ROTATE IN SAID POLYGONAL APERTURE, MEANS RESILIENTLY SUPPORTING SAID ROTOR ON SAID INTERMEDIATE SHAFT PORTION, AND RESPECTVE SEALING MEMBERKS ON THE PERIPHERY OF SAID ROTOR BETWEEN ITS SUCCESSIVE SIDES SEALINGLY ENGAGING THE PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF SAID ROTOR CAVITY AND COOPERATING WIHT SAID CONVERENT SIDE PORTIONS TO CAUSE THE ROTOR TO AT TIMES ASSURE A DEPRESSED POSITION PROVIDING A DIFFERENTIAL OF RADIAL DISTANCE BETWEEN THE CENTER OF THE SHAFT AND THE PORTIONS OF SAID PERIPHERAL SURFACE AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE IGNITION MEANS ENGAGED BY TWO SUCCESSIVE SEALING MEMBERS, WHEREBY TO DEFINE A DIFFERENTIAL THRUST SURFACE ON THE ROTOR.