WO2012155216A2

WO2012155216A2 - Angled gearcrank assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2012155216A2
Application number: PCT/AU2012/000699
Authority: WO
Inventors: Frank Daniel Lotrionte
Original assignee: Frank Daniel Lotrionte
Priority date: 2011-05-18
Filing date: 2012-06-18
Publication date: 2012-11-22
Also published as: WO2012155216A3

Abstract

A piston / connecting rod / gearwheel mechanism which communicates motion between at least one recriprocating piston, at least one connecting rod / swivel / bearing assembly and an anguiary inclined rotating gearwheel having teeth radially positioned around its perimeter, transferring torque to a secondary gear wheel. The piston/s are free to recriprocate inside their own individual cavity or sleeve and are constrained to travel in a line of motion not perpendicular to, as well as being transversally offset, to the gearwheel rotational axis and transfers motion / force through a bearing able to swivel or revolve in at least 2 planes ( a knuckle or universal joint) such that recriprocating motion is transferred into or from, rotating motion.

Description

ANGLED GEARCRANK ASSEMBLY

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to machines which rely upon rotary motion being extracted from or converted into the recriprocating motion of at least a piston sliding in a cavity , cylinder or sleeve and is applicable to fluid power machinery ( eg : compressors , as well as internal combustion engines )

BACKGROUND On the most part , machinery , especially internal combustion engines relying on transferring recriprocating motion produced by sliding piston/s through connecting rod/s into a rotating single ( or arrangement of ) eccentric bearing journals ( or crankpins) on a single crankshaft have all had to contend with the inherent timing problem of any downward force resulting from expanding gasses transferred by / to the piston/s . at just after firing at top of piston. stroke ( just when that force is typically at its maximum) being angularily mismatched with the point of maximum crank pin leverage upon the crankshaft by 90 degree, s and somewhat wasted .unable to be converted in rotary motive power , because resulting force vector of the piston, rod and bearing journals and the crankshaft central axis of rotation are substansially inline .acting with little acting leverage until after some time and degree of angular movement. away " Top dead center " position has occured .

Thus, typically these engines fail to produce more than % 45 mechanical efficiency and considering the time interval between firing and the gasses reaching the maximum expansive force remaining generally constant for the same fuels , it follows that any increases in Angular velocity of the crankshaft will lessen this " mis-matching " of critical reactions, - but generally. discouraged in low speed marine or locomotive powerplants that this invention is considered most useful due to absolute stress limits on material properties.

This problem phenomonen has been dealt with by many different approaches, mostly with the aim of shifting the axis of crankshaft rotation axially sideways from the centerline of the piston/s constrained recriprocating motion by eccentric crankshaft bearing mechanisms, cams. beams or additional crankshaft "supporting ring gears " having a great deal of extra complexity and typically this occurs only during the actual " power stroke" such that the timing of Top Dead Center and thus any major power producing downward force contained by the piston/s occurs when the force- vector diagram represented by the complete assembly contains some degree of " transversal " offset and thus results in "additional " leverage or moment. acting upon the crankpin rotating the complete crankshaft assembly resulting in performance gains.

In this present invention, some of the extra complexity and cost of any machinery or engines built using the mechanisms mentioned in prior art above is avoided , whilst still being able to retain the added benefits , due to similar increased leverage gains, .

. In the case of compressors used in compressing or moving fluids etc , because this invention describes a method of reducing the speed of the piston/s upward compressive motion whilst increasing the actual angular displacement of this cycle of motion per revolution, at any given rotational velocity , - less heat is generated and thus less energy is wasted as heat . Description

( With reference to the accompying drawing figures)

According to this invention in essence , at least one piston #2 recriprocates within its own cavity or sleeve #1 open at its lower or inward end, thus allowing its attachment by a connecting rod/s #3 to a crank pin or bearing journal #6 situated radially offset from the central axis of an end of a gearwheel , #4

. said gearwheel ratably supported by bearing/s #14 on its end corresponding to the opposite end of where the crankpin/ journal is located and or near said gearwheels perimeter.

This said crankpin /bearing journal contains a bearing or bearing surface designed to allow the attached connecting rod to swivel and rotate in at least 2 planes

Torque is then transmitted by the gearteeth situated around the perimeter of the

0. gearwheel

Said connecting rod contains at least one said bearing connection means at its inner and outer extremity , and may also have third said bearing at a slidably constrained

intermediate section and said third intermediate bearing may support a second rod section connected to a second "mirror image" gearwheel.

. Referring to Figure 2 , a partial cutaway view of the piston and cylinder and looking at the gearwheel at an angle mostly normal to the recriprocating force being transferred to or from the crankpin journal , it is apparent the the piston/s recriprocate along a path or stroke #16 that is transversally " offset " #8 from the gearwheel axis of rotation and describes said crankpin/ journals elliptical path away from " Top Dead center " position #8

. due to the rotational axis of the gearwheel being inclined away from a perpendicular Angle #9 to the pistons recriprocating motion path ( Angle 1 - Fig 1. )

Because the orbital motion of the inner connecting rod journal is elliptical in relation to the piston travel motion being also axially offset , the point of maximum moment arm acting upon the gearwheel at " point X" #11 is angulary less #15 to the point of maximum. pressure above the piston - just after point "Y" #10 , than typically would be

expected to be at the 90 degree position #12

- thus the resulting force - angular displacement graph curve is shifted slightly forward in comparision to a comparable piston - rod - crank mechanism graph curve having its piston stroke perpendicular and centrally located to the crank axis of rotation : ie as most. typical in modern engines and mechanisms containing a crankshaft.

This results in a far greater percentage of the energy contained in the expanding gasses above the piston/s during the " power stroke" acting upon the rotating gearwheel at a time when the moment / leverage arm described by the gear crankpin journal and the gear wheel axis of rotation approaches its maximum because it is reached sooner ( at comparable RPM and piston stroke ).5. Also , because the actual leverage arm of the offset crank pin is more than half of the actual piston stroke as would be typical , due to its ecliptypal orbit , a greater output torque results from utilising the same quantity of available " power stroke " time , whilst rotational speed is kept constant .

The gearwheel may support a (Connecting rod assembly and piston/s at either end

. and may be arranged in a parallel , "v " or opposed configurations , transferring torque to an output shaft having multyple secondary driven gears such that compact, balanced V4 to V16 engine configurations are possible .

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE :

Claim 1

An angled gear crank assembly that comprises of a gearwheel that transfers torque though protrusions radially arranged around its perimeter , rotatably supported through at least a bearing close to its perimeter , by a housing , said gearwheel containing on at least one of its axial ends , a radially offset crankpin journal or bearing with the ability 5. to swivel or rotate in at least two planes

said crankpin journal/s or bearing/s supporting the radially inward end of an outwardly extending member or rod connected to the interior or underside of a slidably constrained piston , by at least a second said journal or bearing , said piston constrained to recriprocate inside a sleeve or cavity substansiaily closed at its radially outer end , 10. in a path which is not perpendicular to the gearwheels axis of rotation , as well as

being transversally offset substansiaily toward the rotation direction of the said radially offset crankpin or bearing journal taken at its closest position to the outer end of the said sleeve or cavity , as compared to the gearwheel central axis or rotation.

Claim 2

An angled gear crank assembly as claimed in Claim 1 that has an articulated connecting 15. rod with a third intermediary located bearing

Claim 3

An angled gear crank assembly as claimed in Claim 1 with a connecting rod containing multiple sections transferring motion to / from a single piston to a pair of

mirror image gearwheels rotating in the same direction

Claim 4.

An angled gear crank assembly as claimed in claim 1 that has its gear wheel rotatably 20. supported by a bearing/s located on the outer end of a short shaft protruding from

one side

Claim 5 .

An angled gear crank assembly as claimed in Claim 1 that has its gearwheel rotatably supported by a pheriphally located bearing as well as a bearing located on the outer end of a short shaft protruding from one side .

Claim 6.

25 An angled gear crank assembly as claimed in Claim 1 that is part of a larger arrangement containing a plurality of such said assemblies , in a manner that ultimately directs all torque to / from said gearwheels through subsequent secondary gearwheels located on a central single shaft

Claim 7.

An angled gear crank assembly as claimed in Claim 1 that has said protrusions arranged 30. around perimeter of said gear wheels transferring torque to or from a power transmission chain or " toothed " transmission belt .

Claim 8.

An angled gearcrank assembly as claimed in claim 1 that has its torque transferring means located within a secondary gearwheel, sprocket or toothed cog situated on along a shaft joined to the central axis of its said gearwheel .