US995505A - Rotary engine. - Google Patents

Description

W. H. WEDDINGTON.

ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19, 1910.

. 95,505 Patented June 2 0, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Witnesses. Inventor.

W. H. WBDDINGTON.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19, 1910.

995,505. Patented June 20, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

nu: Nomi: PETERS C0,, WASHINGTON, n c.

WILLIAM H. WEDDINGTON, OF LANKERSHIM, CALIFORNIA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 20, 1911.

Application filed September 19, 1910. Serial No. 582,668.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM II. WED- DINGTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lankershim, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rotary engines, and the object is to provide an engine of this type having an improved valve arrangement permitting the engine to be constructed in such a way that the moving parts of the engine are perfectly balanced, and to produce an engine which will run in either direction with equal facility.

In this annexed drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a horizontal section taken through the engine, certain parts being broken away and shown in elevation. Fig. 2 is an end elevation, the shaft being shown in cross section and admission and exhaust pipes being shown broken away. Fig. 3 is a cross section upon an enlarged scale taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a section taken through the main valve of the engine.

Referring more particularly to the parts,'

5 represents a tubular shaft which passes through the engine casing, said casing consisting of a body or barrel 6, to the ends of which heads 7 and 8 are attached. These heads project beyond the barrel and are connected by bolts 9, as shown. The middle portion of this barrel, as indicated in Fig. 3, is bored to form a main cylinder 10, and on opposite sides of this main cylinder 10 bores are formed constituting rollers 11. The body 6 is formed in three sections, the middle section 6 and two side sections 6". These side sections 6 are of half the length of the section 6*, as shown in Fig. 1, and are separated from the middle section by plates 12 that divide the main cylinder 10 and the cylinders 11 into three compartments. These plates 12 are provided with dowel pins 13, which project into the adjacent edges of the sections 6 and 6 and insure a proper centering of the plates, as will be readily understood. The tubular shaft 5 passes continuously through the plates 12, as indicated.

lVithin the main cylinder 10 I provide a rotary piston having a tubular hub 14: through which the tubular shaft 5 passes, as indicated, and at one point the rotary piston is formed with a radial head 15. The outer portion of this radial head 15 is enlarged so as to give the head the form of a fan tail in cross section. The forward and rear sides of the head, with respect to the direction of rotation, are formed with concave faces 16. In the hub 14 adjacent to the faces 16 ports 17 and 18 are formed, and these ports 17 and 18 are extended through the tubular shaft 5 and communicate with ducts 19 and 20 respectively, which are formed in the central sleeve 21 disposed within the tubular shaft, as shown. This central sleeve 21 is formed into four compartments 19, 20, 22 and 23. The ducts 19 and 22 are open at the right end of the sleeve, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and the ducts 20 and 23 are open at the left end.

Passing longitudinally through the cylinders 11 I provide shafts 24L and 25, and on the shaft 24 opposite the rotary piston I provide a roller 26, which has a cavity or pocket 27 on its side, as shown. On the shaft 25 a similar roller 28 is provided, which has a cavity or pocket 29 on its side. A construction similar to this is provided in the end section 6. In each of these end sections a secondary rotary piston is provided having a head 30 similar to the head 15 and having a tubular hub provided with ports 31 and 32, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and these ports 31 and 32 extend through the tubular shaft and into the ducts 23 and 22 respectively of the inner sleeve.

On the shaft 24 opposite the piston head 30, rollers 33 are provided, which are similar to the rollers 26 and 28 already described. These rollers are formed with pockets or cavities 34 similar to the recesses or cavities 27 and 28. As indicated the heads 30 are diametrically opposite to the head 15, and likewise the recesses or pockets 34c are diametrically opposite to the pockets 27 and 29.

The tubular shaft 5 is provided with a gear wheel 35, and this gear wheel meshes with gear wheels 36 of equal diameter, which are rigidly attached to the shafts 24: and 25,

as shown. These gears are all inclosed in a cover plate 37, provided with dowel pins 37 received in the head 8; and in this cover plate, tubular stufling boxes 38 are formed for the shafts 24 and 25, and likewise in the head 7. At the point where the tubular shaft 5 passes through the cover plate 37 a suitable stufling box 40 is provided, and a suitable stuffing box 41 is formed at the other side of the engine where the hollow shaft passes through the head 7.

At one side of the engine a supply pipe 42 is provided, which admits an operating fluid such as steam or air; at the junction branches 43 and 44 are formed, provided with a three-way cock 45 constructed as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and which is adapted to admit steam or air from the pipe 42 into either of the branches 43 or 44, the other branch at the same time being cut off. The branches 43 and 44 are formed with elbows and arms 45 and 46, which extend toward the shaft, and these arms 46 and 46 attach respectively to sleeves 47 and 48 formed on the tubular shaft, as indicated. The sleeve 47 is formed with an annular duct 49, which is supplied with steam or air by the pipe 46 and a similar annular passage 50 is formed in the sleeve 48, which is supplied by the pipe 46 The right end of the shaft 5 is provided with a stub shaft 51 screwed into it as indicated, and this shaft is provided with a belt pulley 52 beyond which is provided a bearing 53. The other end of the tubular shaft is closed by a shaft 54, which is screwed into the end of it, as indicated. In the tubular shaft 5 at the right, a plurality of ports 55 are formed in the shape of longitudinal slots, and similar ports 56 are formed in the shaft and in alinement with the ports 55. At the left end of the shaft, ports 57 are provided similiar to the ports 55, and ports 58 are provided similar to ports 56. The ends of the sleeves 47 and 48 are provided with suitable stufling boxes 59, as shown, and at intermediate points on the length the sleeves are provided with packing strips 60, as indicated. Near their outer ends the sleeves 47 and 48 are provided with exhaust pipes 61, as shown, and these exhaust pipes are adapted to come into alinement with the ports 56 and 58 respectively.

The pipe frame which is formed of the pipes 43 and 44 is adapted to be shifted longitudinally so as to shift the sleeves to change the relation of the ports. For this purpose between the heads 7 and 8, I provide a fixed rack 62, and the three-way cock 45 is provided with an operating lever 63, which has a segment 64 formed thereupon, the teeth of which mesh with the rack 62. From this arrangement when the lever 63 is thrown into one extreme position, such as shown in Fig. 1, the operating fluid will be admitted through the pipe 44 and through the passage 50 and ports 55 into the tubular shaft 5 at the right of the engine. From this point it passes into the ducts 19 and 22 in the valve sleeve 21, and steam is supplied in this way to the cylinder. After being exhausted from the cylinder, the steam passes through the ports 20 and 23 to the left end of the tubular shaft and finds exit to the ports 23 and pipe 61.

The mode of operation of the steam or air in rotating the rotary pistons will now be described, referring especially to Fig. 3. The direction of rotation is indicated by the arrow. The roller 27 has its face normally disposed against the face of the hub of the piston, and a similar condition normally ex ists at the right of the engine as viewed in this figure. When the piston head 15 arrives at either of the rollers the pockets or recesses of that roller will be in the proper position to permit the piston to pass. On account of this arrangement, within the main section 6 its upper part presents an annular expansion chamber 65, and a similar expansion chamber 66 is formed on its under side. These expansion chambers are maintained closed by the peculiar form of the piston heads and pockets. As the piston 15 passes into the expansion chamber from the left, the port 17 admits steam or air under pressure behind the piston head and drives it forwardly, that is, in a right hand direction. When the port 18 communicates with this expansion chamber exhaust takes place. A similar mode of operation takes place as the piston head passes through the 'lower expansion chamber 66. A mode of operation similar to this takes place in the section 6 of the engine.

Special attention is called to the fact that the two piston heads 30 are disposed diametrically opposite to the piston head 15, and they are of half the weight and effective area of the piston 15, so that the engine is I perfectly balanced in this respect. In a similar manner it will be seen that the pocket the pocket 27 balances the pockets 34 of the roller 26.

Attentionis called to the gear wheels 35 and 36 and to the fact that they are of equal diameter so that the shafts 24 and 25 rotate at the same speed as the tubular shaft 5.

It will be evident that an engine constructed as described can run with the same facility in either direction.

to the direction of rotation indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3. The opposite position of the lever 63 will reverse the engine. Steam 29 balances the pockets 34 of roller 28, and

The position of the lever 63 corresponds will then be admitted through the branch pipe 45 and through the passage 49 and ports 57 into the ducts 20 and 28. In the mid-position of the lever the operating fluid is shut off from both ends and the engine stands idle.

What I claim is:

1. In a rotary engine, in combination, a cylinder, a shaft passing therethrough, rotary pistons mounted on said shaft having cylindrical hubs and radial heads, said radial heads being diametrically opposite to each other, rollers disposed at the sides'of said rotary pistons and adapted to roll on the hubs thereof, said rollers having pockets therein to permit said heads to pass thereby, said hubs having ports adjacent to said heads, and means for conducting an operating fluid to and from said ports Within said shaft.

2. In a rotary engine, in combination, a cylinderhaving a main sect-ion and side sections, said side sect-ions being substantially half the length of said main sect-ion, a shaft passing through said cylinder, a main rotary piston mounted on said shaft in said main section, secondary rotary pistons mounted in said side sections on said shaft, said rotary pistons having cylindrical hubs and radial heads, rollers disposed diametrically opposite to each other at the sides of said rotary pistons and adapted to roll on the hubs thereof, said rollers having pockets in the sides thereof to permit said piston heads to pass, said hubs having admissions and exhaust ports therethrough adjacent to said heads, and ducts formed in said shaft for the admission and exhaust of the operating fluid.

In a rotary engine, in combination, a cylinder, a shaft passing therethrough, a rotary piston attached to said shaft within said cylinder and having ports therein, said shaft being tubular and having a duct leading into one of said ports from one end of said shaft and having a duct leading from the other of said ports and from the other end of said shaft, and valves on said shaft controlling the flow of an operating fluid through said ports.

4. In a rotary engine, in combination, a cylinder, a tubular shaft passing therethrough, a rotary piston mounted in said cylinder on said shaft, said rotary piston having a port communicating With one end of said tubular shaft and having a port communicating with the other end of said tubular shaft, valves formed on said tubular shaft and controlling the flow of an operating fluid to said ports, and means for simultaneously controlling said valves.

5. In a rotary engine, in combination, a cylinder, a tubular shaft passing therethrough, a rotary piston mounted in said end of said shaft, said shaft having ports formed therein, sleeves mounted to slide on said shaft adjacent to said last named ports and controlling the admission of the operating fluid to the first named ports, and means for controlling said sleeves.

6. In a rotary engine, in combination, a cylinder, a shaft passing therethrough, a rotary piston mounted on said shaft and having ports therein, an admission pipe having a threeway cock therein, branch pipes leading from said three-way cock, sleeves attached to said branch pipes and mounted to slide on said shaft, said shaft having ports cooperating with said sleeves and having ducts connecting said last ports With said first ports, and means for shifting said sleeves when said three-way cock is moved.

7. In a rotary engine, in combination, a cylinder having a main section and side sections, a tubular shaft passing through said cylinder, a main rotary piston attached to said shaft and rotating in said main section, secondary rotary pistons attached to said shaft and rotating in said side sections, ports formed in said pistons for admitting and exhausting the operating fluid, ducts formed in said tubular shaft for conducting the operating fluid inwardly from one end of said shaft, ducts formed in said shaft for carrying off the exhaust fluid at the other end of said shaft, valves mounted on said shaft and controlling the flow through said ducts, and means for operating said valves.

8. In a rotary engine, in combination, a cylinder having a main section and side sections, a tubular shaft passing therethrough, a rotary piston having a radial head attached to said shaft and rotating in said main section, secondary rotary pistons having radial heads attached to said shaft and rotating in said side sections, said secondary rotary pistons having their heads diametrically opposite to the head of said first piston, an inner sleeve mounted in said tubular shaft and having longitudinal ducts, said pistons having ports adapted to communicate with said ducts to admit and withdraw the operating fluid from said cylinders, means for admitting the operating fluid at one end of said shaft, and means for permitting the escape of the operating fluid at the other end of said shaft.

9. In a rotary engine, in combination, a cylinder, arotary piston mounted therein and having ports, a tubular shaft carrying said piston and having a duct communicating with said ports, said tubular shaft having ports formed therein, an admission pipe having branches, sleeves connecting with said branches sliding on said shaft and 00- In Witness that I claim the foregoing I operating with said last named ports, means have hereunto subscribed my name this 10th 10 i111 saidf aolllmission pipe ifiordcorliltrolling thg day of September, 1910.

OW 0 t e 0 eratin ui t rou h sai 5 branches, and means actuated sini ultane- WILLIAM WEDDINGTON' ously therewith for shifting said sleeves to Witnesses: control the admission from said branches F. D. AMMEN,

into said shaft. EDMUND A. STRAUSE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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