US3709199A

US3709199A - Rotary internal combustion engine

Info

Publication number: US3709199A
Application number: US00108393A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Molyneaux
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-01-21
Filing date: 1971-01-21
Publication date: 1973-01-09
Anticipated expiration: 1990-01-09

Abstract

A rotary internal combustion engine is provided employing external rotors with inter-meshing gears, the rotors being opened to the atmosphere for cooling and to expel the exploding gases which drive the gears by internal combustion so that combustion is completed outside the engine in the presence of air to consume unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide in the manner of ordinary external combustion.

Description

United States Patent 1 1 Molyneaux 1 Jan. 9, 1973 541 ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE [76] Inventor: John William Molyneaux, 2010 Erskine Avenue, Silver Spring, Md. 20902 22 Filed: Jan.2l,l97l

21 Appl.No.: 108,393

52 U.S.Cl ..l23/8.47,418/196 51 Int. Cl ..F02b 53/00 [58] Field of Search ..l23/8.01, 8.07, 8.27, 8.11, 123/8.47;418/206,196;60/39.61

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,323,499 6/1967 Gijbeis "123 811 1,656,538 1/1923 Smith ..418/196X Primary Examiner-William E. Wayner Attorney-Arnold G. Gulko [57] ABSTRACT A rotary internal combustion engine is provided employing external rotors with inter-meshing gears, the rotors being opened to the atmosphere for cooling and to expel the exploding gases which drive the gears by internal combustion so that combustion is completed outside the engine in the presence of air to consume unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide in the manner of ordinary external combustion.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAN 9191s "wen/m? Jv/l/v W/LLMM Mar/max arm/avers CIIRBUEE TOE Miw 1 ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE The present invention relates to rotary internal combustion engines of simplified construction and which are capable of reduced emissions of unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide.

As is well known, internal combustion engines provide compact power sources, but the fact that combustion occurs internally of the engine effectively prevents complete combustion, and the unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide contained in the exhaust gases constitute today a major source of air pollution.

External combustion engines have the advantage of complete combustion since the combustion flame is surrounded by air, but the engines are quite massive and complex.

At least one pair of rotors with intermeshing-gears is arranged between opposed end plates and a fuel-air mixture is supplied to the entering nip between the rotors. The gears come together compressing the mixture which is ignited so that the exploding gases force the gears apart to power the motor. The exterior of the rotors, especially where the gears move apart, is unconfined so that the exploding gases can exit quickly in the form of a flame to complete the combustion outside the engine and so that air can enter the space between the gears and provide air for subsequent combustion as explained more fully hereinafter.

In its preferred form, four rotors with intermeshing gear teeth are arranged between opposed end plates in a closed circle to provide a completely enclosed interior area to which the fuel-air mixture is supplied. These four rotors will form two opposed regions in which the intermeshing gear teeth will come together and then move outwardly of the engine and two other opposed regions in which the intermeshing gear teeth will come together and then move inwardly of the engine. The fuel-air mixture is drawn toward the opposed regions where the gear teeth move outwardly and is compressed and ignited in these regions, the exploding gases forcing the gear teeth apart to power the motor. As indicated before, the exterior of the rotors is unconfined, especially where the gear teeth move apart, so that the exploding gases can quickly exit in the form of a flame for the purposes noted hereinbefore. The term gear teeth is used herein, but these teeth can also be viewed as vanes since, while they are preferably in close proximity, this is not essential and some modest spacing is permissible. Also, additional rotors with meshing gears may be added, preferably in pairs, where the rotors move inwardly of the engine. Still further, the faster the pressure is reduced after, the gear teeth open, the better is the operation of the engine.

In connection with the engine containing four or more rotors, and in order to employ ordinary fuels with ordinary carburetion, at least one of the end plates is apertured where the gear teeth come together to move toward the interior of the engine. This causes the air compressed between the gear teeth to be squeezed out to create a vacuum in the interior of the engine. This vacuum is used to draw air through the carburetor to supply the engine with the required fuel-air mixture. As a feature of the invention, the air expelled through the end plates is conveyed to the carburetor to provide a supercharger. This air is preheated in cooling the gear teeth, which is helpful on a cold day.

' event the air compressed between the gears provides air in the interior of the engine to permit fuel injection instead of carburetion.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing the engine, auxiliary equipment being either omitted or shown in phantom;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 diagramatically illustrates a two rotor engine.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 denotes an internal combustion engine constituted by

end plates

11 and 12, rotors 13, l4, l5 and 16, revolving as shown by arrows in FIG. 2, and combustion means indicated diagramatically at 17 and 18. The combustion means may be a glow plug or a spark plug firing at high rate since not special timing is needed. The

end plates

11 and 12 are held in predetermined spaced relation by collars l9, bolts 20 and nuts 21. The engine 10 is carried by appropriate supports shown here in the form of

girders

22 and 23.

As can be seen, especially in FIG. 2, the four

rotors

13, 14, 15 and 16 are arranged in a closed circle providing a completely enclosed interior area 24 to which a fuel-air mixture is supplied via supply tube 25. Also, the gear teeth of the four rotors l3, l4, l5 and 16 mesh so that, in the opposed combustion regions 17 and 18, the intermeshing gear teeth come together and then move outwardly of the engine. As will be evident, as the gears come together, they pick up the fuel-air mixture supplied to the area 24 and compress it so that when the mixture reaches the zone 17 or 18, it will be compressed and will explode upon exposure to the glow or spark plugs 26 which are positioned in one or both of

end plates

11 and 12 for this purpose.

It is stressed that the expanding gases produced by explosion in the confined space between the gear teeth at 17 and 18 forces the gears apart producing a continuous rotation of all the rotors and any one or more of the rotor shafts may be used as a source of power. In this instance, the shaft 15' associated with rotor 15 is used as the main drive shaft. Also, the shafts of the several rotors can be geared together, external of the engine, to provide a single power take-off.

The exhaust ports 27 and 28 are shown in FIG. 2, these being formed in plate 11. The ports 27 and 28 are connected to the carburetor by means of

conduits

29 and 30 shown in FIG. 1. As will be evident, ports 27 and 28 are positioned in the opposed regions in which the intermeshing gear teeth are moving toward the interior of the engine. Since the gears expel gas from the interior 24 via the opposed regions 17 and 18 and since most of the air brought in to the opposed regions 27 and 28 is expelled through the exhaust ports, a vacuum is generated at 24 which draws the fuel-air mixture in from the carburetor via the supply tube 25. Thus, it is not necessary to supercharge the engine by using the compressed air in

conduits

29 and 30, but it is helpful to do this since it reduces the size of the carburetor-air inlet complex, it warms the intake air, and it increases the rotational speed and horsepower of the engine.

The

end plates

11 and 12 are desirably flat steel plates which are held in spaced relation as previously explained, additional securing bolts being shown at 33 in FIG. 2. The rotors are largely exposed to the atmosphere and this not only permits the combusted mixture to reach the atmosphere while still hot enough to burn as a flame, as shown at 31 and 32, but the gear teeth are directly exposed to cooling air which minimizes the need for extraneous cooling. Also, this permits the gear teeth to pick up atmospheric air to supply the carburetor via the

conduits

29 and 30. It also minimizes expense and weight.

The result is an extremely simple and powerful radial engine which does not pollute and which is very simple to operate since it includes no valves or timing and minimal cooling and oiling.

From the standpoint of oil, a small amount of oil can e sprayed in as shown by arrow A and oil can also be supplied to lubricate the sealed area between the rotor ends and the end plates. Also, the entire engine can be shrouded to catch expelled oil and to muffle engine noise.

Referring to FIG. 3, the engine 40 is provided with

rotors

41 and 42 which rotate as shown by arrows, the rotors being confined between and

end plates

43 and 44 by means of bolts as explained hereinbefore. Fuel is injected as diagramatically indicated at 45 and the mixture is compressed and ignited at 46.

The invention is defined in the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. A rotary internal combustion engine comprising four rotors with intermeshing gear teeth arranged between opposed end plates in a closed circle to provide a completely enclosed interior area, means to supply a fuel-air mixture to said interior area, said ro tors forming two opposed regions in which the intermeshing gear teeth will come together and then move outwardly of the engine and two other opposed regions in which the intermeshing gear teeth will come together and then move inwardly of the engine, means for igniting the fuel-air mixture where the gear teeth move outwardly and come together to compress the mixture, the exterior of said rotors being unconfined so that the exploding gases can quickly exit in the form of a flame to complete the combustion outside the engine in the presence of air, and so that the rotors will release the exploding gases and directly expose the gear teeth to the atmosphere.

2. A rotary internal combustion engine as recited in claim 1 in which at least one of the end plates is apertured where the gear teeth come together and move inwardly to squeeze out the air between the gear teeth.

3. A rotary internal combustion engine as recited in claim 2 in which the air squeezed out from between the gear teeth is supplied to a carburetor to form the fuelair mixture for said engine.

4. A rotary internal combustion engine as recited in claim 1 in which the air in said gear teeth is permitted to remain in said engine and fuel is directly injected into said interior area.

5. A rotary internal combustion engine as recited in claim 1 in which the means to ignite the fueLair mix ture is a glow plug mounted in at least one of said end plates.

6. A rotary internal combustion engine comprising at least two rotors with intermeshing gear teeth arranged between opposed end plates, said rotors definin a nip therebetween in which the gear teeth come toge er to compress the gases between the teeth, means to supply a fuel-air mixture to said nip, means for igniting the compressed fuel-air mixture, the exterior of said rotors being unconfined so that the exploding gases can quickly exit in the form of a flame to complete the combustion outside the engine in the presence of air, and so that the rotors will release the exploding gases and directly expose the gear teeth to the atmosphere.

Claims

1. A rotary internal combustion engine comprising four rotors with intermeshing gear teeth arranged between opposed end plates in a closed circle to provide a completely enclosed interior area, means to supply a fuel-air mixture to said interior area, said rotors forming two opposed regions in which the intermeshing gear teeth will come together and then move outwardly of the engine and two other opposed regions in which the intermeshing gear teeth will come together and then move inwardly of the engine, means for igniting the fuel-air mixture where the gear teeth move outwardly and come together to compress the mixture, the exterior of said rotors being unconfined so that the exploding gases can quickly exit in the form of a flame to complete the combustion outside the engine in the presence of air, and so that the rotors will release the exploding gases and directly expose the gear teeth to the atmosphere.

3. A rotary internal combustion engine as recited in claim 2 in which the air squeezed out from between the gear teeth is supplied to a carburetor to form the fuel-air mixture for said engine.

5. A rotary internal combustion engine as recited in claim 1 in which the means to ignite the fuel-air mixture is a glow plug mounted in at least one of said end plates.

6. A rotary internal combustion engine comprising at least two rotors with intermeshing gear teeth arranged between opposed end plates, said rotors defining a nip therebetween in which the gear teeth come together to compress the gases between the teeth, means to supply a fuel-air mixture to said nip, means for igniting the compressed fuel-air mixture, the exterior of said rotors being unconfined so that the exploding gases can quickly exit in the form of a flame to complete the combustion outside the engine in the presence of air, and so that the rotors will release the exploding gases and directly expose the gear teeth to the atmosphere.