US1138388A - Rotary internal-combustion engine. - Google Patents

Description

J. F. LEVERING.

ROTARY I NTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION man APR. l, 1914.`

Patented May 4, 1915.

1. F. LEVERING. V ROTARYINTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE g-ggso APPLICATION FILED APR. I, 1914. Patented'May 4:, 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

ATTORNEYS mechanical forms JAMES F. LEVERING,V OF CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

l ROTARY,INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

masses.

To all lwhom t may concern Befit known that I," JAMES F. LEVERING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chester, in the county of Delaware, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Rotary Internal-Combustion Engine, of which the following is a specication.

My invention consists of a rotary internal combustion engine in which rotary motion is imparted to a shaft from pistons in a number of radially arranged cylinders revolved concentrically with and around such shaft.

It further consists of improvedmeans for admitting fuel into and exhausting spent gas from the cylinders insuch an engine.

ltfurther consists of improved means for connecting the piston-rods in the cylinders of such engine to the crank.

It further consists of improved means for revolving the radiating cylinders from the central shaft to be successively charged and exhausted.

It further consists of other novel features of construction, all as will be hereinafter set forth:

The-annexed drawing and the following description set Yforth in detail onel mechanical form embodying the invention, such detail `construction in which the theinvention may be used.

In said annexed drawings Figure 1 represents a side elevation yof my rotary internal combustion engine with onehead removed. Fig. 2 represents an edge viewof such engine with portions brol'en away andillustrated in section. Fig. 3 represents a section of the engine.'` Fig.l 4 represents a sideview of the rotary cylinder-frame. Fig. 5 represents an axial section of the same. Fig. 6 represents aside view of the annular internally cogged gear. Figs. 7 and 8 represent respectively, a side View and edge view of a supporting spider. Figs. 9 `and 10 represent," respectively, a detail side'view and plan view tion, to thecrank. Fig, 11 represents a detail view of theel-ank and its support.

principle of Specification of Letters Patent. Application-filed April 1, 1914. Serial N o. 828,669.

being but one of various` but may turn hooks Land the ofthe pitmen and their connec- Patented May d, 1915.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates an annular casing-wall or flat cylinder, mounted upon a foot, 2, and having at its edges annular flanges, 3, to which heads, 4, are bolted or otherwise secured.

A rotary cylinder-frame, circular in outline, is composed of diametrically opposite, radial cylinders, 5, in the present instance four, connected by webs, 6, between the cylinders, and by a circular rim, 7, through which the outer ends of the cylinder-bores open. Said rim has a rotating Iit within the' casing-wall, and has peripheral grooves, 8, in which annular packings, 9, fit. p

Annular grooves, 10, are formed in the rimaround the outer and annular gaskets, 1l, in saidl groovesare forced out against the wall of the casing by springs, 12, or similar yielding means. A crank-shaft, 13, is journaled in centra] bearings, 14, in the head of the casing, and has a double crank, 15, within the latter. Spiders, 16, have their ends secured by bolts, 17, to the webs of the cylinder-frame, and have bearings, 18, at their lcenters rotatable lupon the crank-shaft and having said shaft rotatable within them.

Pistons, 19, are reciprocable in the bores l of the cylinders and have the outer ends of pitmen, 20, pivoted withinthem, being of the short trunk-type.' The inner ends ofthe pitmen of two dlametrically opposite cylinders have bearing-notches, 2 1 engaging the pin, 22, of the crank from opposite sides, and a hook, man and has its'shank, 25, secured to the opposite pitman, by bolts, 26, so that the ends of -the oppositejpitmen are held ,/withtheir bearing-notches upon the crank-pin upon said pin at different angles to each other, owing to the fact that the slots are curved on arcs ooncentricwithY the crank-pin. The pitmen of one pair are on oneside of the middle of the vcrank-pin and the other pair of pitmen are on theother side lof such middle, so that the ends of the cylinders,

23, engages a slot,l 24, in one pitends of the several pairs will be side by side upon the pin. f

The casing-wall has a fuel-inlet, 27, for admission of gaseous fuel in one side, and a diametrically opposite exhaust-outlet, 28 for thespent gases in the opposite side,

angles to said openings. p

An igniter of any preferred form, -such as a spark-plug, 30, is inserted in the wall of the casing, slightly in advance of a point diametrically opposite tol said scavenging outlet.

lTwo pinions,

31 are 'secured upon the crank-shaft, one at and,v a scavenging outlet, 29, at a point at right All movable parts of the engine are in- "closed within the casing and lubrication of upper portion of one head and letting out 7o the lubricant through an ioutlet, 38, in thelower portion of the'other head, so that by suitable connection between such inlet and outlet, not illustrated, lubricant can be circulated through the engine and keep all parts fully supplied.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed for the p ode herein explained. Change may there ore be each head of the casing, and said pinions mesh with idler-pinions, 32, journaled upon studs, 33, upon the inner sides of the heads of the casing, and said idlers mesh with pinions, 34, journaled upon studs, 35, upon the inner sides of the heads and meshing with internally cogged annular gears, 36, secured within the overhangs of the rim ofthe cylinder-frame. The pinions and idlers are of a diameter one-fourth of the internal diameter of the internally cogged rim, or the pinions and gear are of such dimensions and gear that the internally cogged rim will be driven one \revolution during four revolutions ofthe crank-shaft and its pinions.

made as regards the' mechanism thus disL 80 closed provided the principlesfof construction set forth respectively in the following claims are employed.

Having thus described my invention what l claim as new and desire to secure by lLet- 85 ters Patent, is A 1. In a rotary internal combustion engine, a cylindrical casing provided with an inlet and a diametrically oppositeexhaust, a frame rotatable in said casing and formed 9c with a plurality of pairs of diametrically "opposite radiating cylindersv having open. outer ends successively 'registering with said inlet and exhaust, a crank-shaft journaled centrally in said casing and formed with one 95 -ing the intake has and In practice, assuming the parts of the engine as being in the positions illustrated in 3,181111 the fuel,;the 'cylinder having its open end passstill is drawing fuel into it by the piston moving inward.. rlhe charged cylinderopposite theA spark-plug in which the piston has been forced outward to compress the charge, which is then exploded, has such compressed charge exploded, thus imparting rotary motion. to the crank-shaft. The next preceding cylinder has inthe mean time lregistered with the exhaust and the outwardly moving piston in said cylinder has forced the spent gases out through the exhaust, and the vnext preceding cylinder has been 'scavengedby the piston in the same` expelling remaining gases and then drawing in fresh air, whereupon the cycle is again i repeated. As the cylinder frame makes one- -fourth of a revolution for each full revolu-` tion of the crank-shaft, each cylinder will be charged, compressed, fired, exhausted and s'cavenged-once-in each full revolution of the cylinder-frame. Asthe charging and exhausting of the cylinders is performed'by successively bringing the outer open ends of thev cylinders to register with the intake, iiring device, all valvesl are dispensed with, thus dispens-` ing with more or less complex valve-gear and the consequent wear and liability of breakage or `displacement of small machine elements, rendering the engine simple and durable of construction and operation.

inlet open and supplying exhaust and scavenging port,l

crank, pistons. in said cylinders. and connected to said crank, and gearing connected to said crank-shaft and lframe Ato impart rotaryinotion to the latter at a ratio of one revolution of said fame to a number of =rev lof) olutions of the crank-shaft equal to the number of cylinders. c n

' 2. In a rotary internal combustion engine, a cylindrical casing provided with an inlet,

an device, an exhaust diametrically opposite said inlet anda scavenging port at right angles to said inlet and exhaust; a frame rotatable in. said casing and having radiating cylinders formed with open outer 61.16B successively registering with said in- 11i let', igniting device exhaust and scavenging p ort; a crank-shaft- ]'ournaled centrally in said frame and casing and formed with one crank; pistons in said cylinders; pitmen connected to, said F'pistons and the crank of llp the. shaft, and gearing connected to said crank-shaft and frame to im art rotary motion to the latter at aratio 6 one revolution fof the lframe to a number of revolutions of thecrank-shaft equal to the number of cylinders.

3. In a rotary internal combustionengine, a cylindrical casing having heads and p rovided in its wall with'diametrically opposite inlet and exhaust, an ignitingv device and a scavenging port at right -angles to-said 'inlet and exhaust, a frame rotatable within a said casing and provided with packing rings and formed with radiating cylinders having open outer ends; pistons reciprocable in said 133 cylinders, a crank-shaft journaled in central meshing with the 'gears upon the crankbearings in the heads of the casing, pt'men shaft and the annular internally cogged connected to said pistons and the pin of gears.

said crank-shaft, annular internally cogged l JAMES F. LEVERING. gears upon the sides of the cylinder-frame, Witnesses: gears upon the crank-shaft, and gears jour- AJOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM,

naled upon the heads of the casing and N. BUSSINGER.

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