US3340815A

US3340815A - Clutch device

Info

Publication number: US3340815A
Application number: US586447A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edmond L Sinnott
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-10-13
Filing date: 1966-10-13
Publication date: 1967-09-12
Anticipated expiration: 1984-09-12

Description

United States Patent fiice 3,340 815 Patented Sept. 12, 1967 3,340,815 CLUTCH DEVICE Edmond L. Sinnott, 2103 Ocean St. Marshfield, Mass. 02050 Filed Oct. 13, 1966, Ser. No. 586,447 2 Claims. (Cl. 103-129) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for locking a piston aganst rotation in one direction relative to the circular chamber wall of a rotary engine. The device includes a groove in the piston opening towards the circular wall, and a movable member in the groove suitably dimensioned to wedge itself between the groove bottom and the circular wall when the piston exhibits a tendency to rotate in the said one direction.

The present invention, which is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 387,977, filed August 6, 1964, and now issued as U.S. Patent No. 3,282258, relates generally to rotary engines and more particularly to an improved means for controlling the direction of piston rotation.

En-gines of the above-mentioned type usually include a plurality of pistons mounted within a generally circular housng for rotation about a oommon axis. Power for the engine is derived from the expansion of gases in the chambers formed between the pistons. Means must therefore be provided for locking each piston against rotation in one direction while at the same time allowing for rotation of the next adjacent piston in the opposite or drive direction. It is to this end that the present invention is directed.

A primary object of the present invention is the provision of a clutching device on each piston, which device cooperates with an adjacent wall of the engine housng to lock the piston against rotation in one direction regardless of the position of the piston within the housng.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a clutching device of the aforementioned type, the operation of which is controlled solely by the relative movement of the piston on which it is carried.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial vertical sectonal view of a rotary engine embodying the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectonal view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectonal view depicting an alternate embodiment of the invention; and,

FIG. 4 is a sectonal view showing still another embodiment of the invention.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1 and 2 wherein are best shown general features of the present invention, a rotary engine of the type described in my copending U.S. applica tion Serial No. 387,977 (now issued as Patent No. 3,282,258) is shown at 10, the housng of which is comprised in part of an Outer circular wall 12 and

end plates

14 and 16. A plurality of pstons, two of which are indicated in FIG. 1 by the

reference numerals

18 and 20 are mounted for rotation within the housng about a central shaft 22. The pistons are each provided with locking or clutching devices 23a and 23b, a more complete description of which will hereinafter be provided. The clutching devices prevent rotation of the pistons in the counterclockwise direction while at the same time allowing for piston rotation in the opposite or drive direction.

The

pistons

18 and 20 together with circular housng tion of the engine to thus provide a va-riable compression feature. A conventional spark plug 26 (one of several positioned at selected spaced points around the housng wall 12) is threaded into a passageway 28, the latter extending radially through wall 12 into communication with chamber 24. Means (not shown) are provided for delivering a charge of fuel such as atomized -gaso1ine to the chamber 24. The fuel is then compressed between pist-

Ons

18 and 20 and ignited by spark plug 24. The expanding gases resulting from combustion exert forces on both pistons, which forces are indicated schematically in FIG. 1 by the arrows 30. These forces push piston 20 in a clockwise 0r drive direction while piston 18 is held stationary by the locking action of clutching device 2311.

The means for providing a drive connection between the pistons and shaft 22 as well as the fuel injection and exhaust means are described in my copending application referred to above and since these components do not form a part of the present invention, they will not be dealt with further here. The present invention, which relates solely to the clutching devices employed to control the direction of piston rotation, will now be described in greater detail.

The embodiment of the nvention illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is comprised in part of a groove 30 machined into the end face or surface 32 of each piston. The grooves 30, which open towards the circular wall 12 of the engine housng, ar e each provided with bottom surfaces 34 which slope downwardly in a direction opposite to the clockwise or drive direction from a shallow end at 36 to an opposite end of increased depth at 38. The grooves 30 cooperate with circular wall 12 to define elongated chambers which in the embodiment herein disclosed, extend across the width of each piston in a direction parallel to the rotational axis of shaft 22 (see FIG. 2).

Locking means, illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 in the form of cylindrical rollers 40a and 4% are movably contained in the grooves 30. Bach roller is provided with a diameter which is at least equal to and preferably slightly greater than the minimum radial distance between the bottom 34 of groove 30 and circular wall 12. It is to be understood, however, that the maximum diameter of rollers 40a and 4017 must be less than the maximum distance between the bottom of groeve 30 and wall 12. By keeping the roller diameters within these dimensional ranges, lateral movement of the rollers within the grooves 30 will be possible, the said movement in turn being controlled by the direction of rotation of the pistons. More particularly, any tendency of a piston to rotate in a counterclockwise direction will cause the roller carried thereon to move into the shallow portion of groove 30 where it will become tightly wedged between the groove bottom 34 and circular wall 12. This wedging action will eiectively prevent counterclockwise rotation of the piston while at the same time providing an eiective seal between the piston and the circular housng wall 12. The clutch-ing device 23a in FIG. 1 is shown in this condition with the roller 40a tightly wedged between the bottom 34 of groove 30 and the circular wall 12.

Any tendency of a piston to rotate in a clockwise direction will automatically result in the clutching device carried thereon being disengaged. In FIG. 1, clutching device 23b is in this condition due to the movement of piston 20 in a clockwise direction. More particularly, the clockwise movement of the piston has caused roller 40b to be displaced towards the deeper end 38 of groove 30, thus moving it out of wedged engagement between groove bottom 34 and wall 12.

An alternate embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 3 wherein the groove 42 has been slightly modified by previding a bottem 44 which slopes gradually frem the end face 46 of pisten 47 towards a deep end 48. In this embodment, the leckng means is cernprised of a generally wedge-shaped bleck 50 having a maximum dimensien measured -radially from the retatienal axis ef shaft 22 which is greater than the minimum radial distance between the bottem 44 of groeve 48 and the circular wall 12.The bleek 50 is further previded with an upper curved surface 52 having a radius of curvature identical te that of the adjacent surface of wall 12. The bleek is adapted te move laterally within groeve 42 into and out of a wedged position much in the same manner as the rollers 40a and 4% illustrated in FIG. 1. A third embodiment of the inventien is illustrated in FIG. 4 as comprising an elengated groeve 54 again having a bottem 56 slepng downwardly in a directien epposite tethat of the drive direction of the pisten. In this embediment the radius of the piston has been purposely cut down te accemmedate -a larger lecking device 58, the latter heing previded with a curved upper surface 60 designed te be seated tightly against the adjacent inner surface of curved wall 12 when the locking device 58 is moved into an operatve wedged pesition by virtue of a force being exerted en the piston in a ceuntercleckwise directien.

In view of the foregeing, it should new be apparent te one skilled in the art that the above-described embediments each nclude the feature of a locking device centained within a groeve having a bettem which slopes dewnwardly in a direction epposite te the drive directien of the engine. The lecking devices coeperate with the grooves in which they are carried to prevent rotatien of the pistens in one directien without in any way impeding retatien of the pistons in the other directien. The locking devices .as well as the groeve cenfigurations may be vared considerably without departing frern this basic concept.

The advantages of the present invention are primarily in the simplicity and reliabilty of the locking deviees cembined with the fact that when in a wedged positien the devices each provide an improved seal between the pistens and the circular heusing wall 12.

It is my intention te cover a1l changes and modificatiens of the embodiments herein chesen fer purposes of disclesure which de net depart frem the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. Per use with a rotary engine having a plurality of pistens meunted fer retatien ab0ut a cemmon axis within an annular chamber, said chamber having at least one circular wall surrounding said axis, means carried by each piston fer preventing retatien thereef in one directien without impeding rotatien of said pisten in the oppesite directien, said means comprising: a groeve in the surface of said pisten opening tewards said circular wall, said groeve extending in a direction parallel te said cemmon axis acress the full width of said pisten, the bettem of said groeve sloping downwardly in said one directien frem a shallew end te an eppesite end of increased depth, and locking means extending the entire length of said groeve and movably positiened therein, said locking means being adapted fer wedged engagement between the bettem of said groeve and said circular wall when said piston exhibits a tendency te retate in said one directien, the said wedged engagement being sufiicient te prevent pisten rotatien in said one direction while at the same time providing an effective seal between the bettom of said groeve and said circular wall.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said locking means is provided with a lateral dimensien measured radially frorn said cemmon axis which is at least equal te the minimum radial distance between the bottom of said groeve and said circular wall, the maximum lateral dimensien of said locking means, again measured radially frem said commen axis, being less than the maximum radial distance between the groeve bettem and said circular wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 191,250 5/1877 N0rdmann 91-60 642,104 1/ 1900 Essick 91-60 728,536 5/1903 Breed et al 9160 3,282,258 11/1966 Sinnott 12311 FOREIGN PATENTS 606,317 11/1934 Germany. 346,686 4/ 1931 Great Britain.

DONLEY J. STOCKING, Prmary Examiner.

WILBUR J. GOODLIN, Examiner.

Claims

1. FOR USE WITH A ROTARY ENGINE HAVING A PLURALITY OF PISTONS MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT A COMMON AXIS WITHIN AN ANNULAR CHAMBER, SAID CHAMBER HAVING AT LEAST ONE CIRCULAR WALL SURROUNDING SAID AXIS, MEANS CARRIED BY EACH PISTON FOR PREVENTING ROTATION THEREOF IN ONE DIRECTION WITHOUT IMPEDING ROTATION OF SAID PISTON IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SAID MEANS COMPRISING: A GROOVE IN THE SURFACE OF SAID PISTON OPENING TOWARDS SAID CIRCULAR WALL, SAID GROOVE EXTENDING IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO SAID COMMON AXIS ACROSS THE FULL WIDTH OF SAID PISTON, THE BOTTOM OF SAID GROOVE SLOPING DOWNWARDLY IN SAID ONE DIRECTION FROM A SHALLOW END TO AN OPPOSITE END OF INCREASED DEPTH, AND LOCKING MEANS EXTENDING THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID GROOVE AND MOVABLY POSITIONED THEREIN, SAID LOCKING MEANS BEING ADAPTEF FOR WEDGED ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE BOTTOM OF SAID GROOVE AND SAID CIRCULAR WALL WHEN SAID PISTON EXHIBITS A TENDENCY TO ROTATE IN SAID ONE DIRECTION, THE SAID WEDGED ENGAGEMENT BEING SUFFICIENT TO PREVENT PISTON ROTATION IN SAID ONE DIRECTION WHILE AT THE SAME TIME PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE SEAL BETWEEN THE BOTTOM OF SAID GROOVE AND SAID CIRCULAR WALL.