US1596401A - Internal-combustion engine - Google Patents

Description

' 3%; ingthe a Patented Aug. '17; 1926.

UNITE-D STATES I 1,596,401 PATENT OFFICE,

EVERETT B. BURTNETT, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE'ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE AUTOMOTIVE VALVES CO., OF EOS ANGELES, CALI- FORNIA, A VOLUNTARY rnus'r;

'7 INTERNAL-COM BUSTIQN ENGINE.

- Application filed :rul ic, 1924, seriarno. 726,323.

My invention relates generally .to inte r* described are disposed a row with their 55 nal combustion engines, and more particularly to engines of the two stroke. cycle type, the principal object of my invention being to provide a multi-cylinder, engine madeup of a plurality of units,'each unit comprlsmg a gaseous fuel pumping cylinderthatjs effective in precompressingi gaseous fuel and forcing the same intoa pair of combustion H chambers, and which latter are connected at their head orinner ends by "a clearance chamber that is common to both of said combustion chambers. I 3

Further objects of my 'invention' a're to generally improve upon and simplify the construction of multi-cylinderjtwo stroke cycle internal combustion engines, to provide an'improved crank shaft arrangement wherein the cranks for the-pistons in the cylindersj'of thevarious' units are arranged in relation to each other so; as toiminimiz'e centrifugal couple and tor'otateunder all speeds with minimumvibration and with greatest advantage in power output.

\Vith'the foregoing and other 0 view, my invention consists in the features of construction and combination.and ar-v rangeiiient of "parts hereinafter more fully' described and claimed, reference being-had to theae nipanyingdrawings, in which Figure-f1 is "avertical' section taken length wisethroughthe center of an engine em bodyin'g] the principles of invention;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view illustratrr angement of'cranks in the crank shaftof; my improved engine.

Referring b l n'umerals to the accompanying drawinga wliich illustrate a pract cal flembodimentofmy invention, 10 design-ates ac linder" block the walls of which are pref "erahlyfiormed with' communicating chambersilfl, through which maybe circulated -a .fluid..:fcooling medium, "and formed-in said block isuitably spaced apart are ,three gaseou .fuelprecompres'sion and pumping chambers;12,?13"and 14:. Y H 1 For 'LedPin"the*:block 10and immediately adjacentjw to chamber 12'- :a re combustion chambers 15 and r l'6, {and a Similar pair of cbmbustion chambers rll'fand lame formedin the block adjacent to. pumping chamber 13. Ajthirdpair' combustion chambers 19 and 20 are-formedin thejblock, adjacent to pumping chamber 14'. The chiimbersjust bie'sts axes parallel and occupying the same radial plane with respect to the axis of the crank shaft. Thus each pumping chamber is ar- "ranged between a pair of combustion cham bers, andeach set of three. chambers con stitutes a power unit for the engine.

Suitably secured on the head end of the cylinder block 10 is a head block 21 in the under side of which are formed three chambers 22,23 and 24:. The ends of chamber 22 communicate directly with combus' tion chambers 15 and 16,'thereby providing a conimon clearance compression and combustion chamber. In a similar manner, chamber 23 connects the head or inner ends of the combustionchambers 17 and 18, and chamber 24; connects the head or inner ends "of the combustion chambers 19 and 20.

Seated inthe .upper portion of head 21 and preferably at points above the chambers '16, 18 and 20 are spark plugs 25, the terminals of the electrodes of which pro 'ject, respectively, into the common clearance chambers 22, 23 and 24. Cylinder block -10 snrmounts a crank case member 26, the *same being provided with four or more properly ,spaced' bearings 27 1501 a crank Shaft 28,." which latter is provided with nine cranks or throws, one for each engi'ne cyl- -,inder."

Apiston 29 that is arranged for operatibn pumping chamber 12 is connected by a connecting rod 30 to a crank '31 on shaft 28, said crank being disposed between and arranged diametrically opposite to, or 180 from, cranks '32 that are located beneath the combustion chambers 15 and 16. Connecting =ro$ls 33%:onnect the cranks 32 with pistons 3d that are arranged for operation within combustion chambers 15 and 16; A pumping piston 35 is arranged for operation in chamber13 andconnecting said piston with a crank 360111 shaft 28 is a connecting rod 37.

Arranged to the sides of crank 36 and dia-' metrically opposite thereto are cranks 38 that are; connected by connecting rods 39 to pistons 40 that arev arranged for o eration within combustion chambers 17 an 18.

The cranks 3 6 and. 38 for the power unit controlling the, cylinders 13, 17 and 18 are 'arr anged120 in advance in the direction of crank rotation from cranks 31 and 32 that are. associated with the power unit comprising the cylinders12, 15 and 16. A crank 41 beneath the chambers 19 and 20, said cranks 44 being disposed diametrically opposite to crank 41.

Pistons 45 are arranged for operation within combustion chambers 19 and 20, said pistons being connected to the cranks 44 by connecting rods 46. The cranks 41 and 44 are disposed 120 in advance in the direction of crank rotation of cranks 36 and 38, and 240 inadvance in the direction of crank rotation of cranks 31 and 32. Thus the three sets of cranks for the three power units of the engine are disposed 120 apart, said arrangement tending to eliminate centrifugal couple and producing uniform torque and an even flow of power in the crank shaft.

These last mentioned advantageous results are enhanced by the arrangement of suitable counterba'ancing weights 47 that may be formed integral with or fixed to the arms that are arranged to the sides of cranks 31, 36 and 41.

Formed through the side wall of cylinder block 10 and communicatingwith the intermediate portions of the pumping chambers 12, 13 and 14'are gaseous fuel inlet ports 48 that receive gaseous fuel from a suitable source of supply, such as a carbureter. Formed throughthe side wall of block 21 and leading from the upper or inner ends of the pumping chambers 12, 13 and 14 are compressed gaseous fuel outlet ports 49 that communicate with the upper ends of inclined transfer ducts 50, (the lower ends of which latter communicate with fuel transfer inlet ports 51 that are formed through the wall of cylinder block 10 and which communicate, respectively, with the intermediate portions of combustion chambers 16, 18 and 20.

Formed through the wall of block 10 and leading from the intermediate portions of combustion chambers 15, 17 and 19 are e2:- haust ports, such as 52, and if desired these ports may all communicate with a suitably arranged exhaust manifold.

All 'of the ports 48, 51 and 52 occupy practically the same plane, and said ports are wholly uncovered and open only when the respective pistons are at the lower or outer ends of their travel.

Inasmuch as each pumping'piston moves (simultaneously with and in opposition to the reciprocatingmovement of the combustion pistons with which it is associated, each pumping piston will be at the lower or outer end of its travel when the associated combustion pistons are at the upper or inner ends of their travel and whenso positioned the gaseeeaeor ous fuelinlet ports into the pumping chamher will be fully uncovered and open so as to admit a charge of gaseous fuel from the source of supply. As the pumping piston moves upward or inward, .the gaseous fuel inlet ports are closed and during the succeeding upward or inward travel of said piston, the gaseous fuel within said pumpmg chamber will be compressed in the upper portion thereof, and in the transfer duct that leads from the outlet transfer port at the upper end of said pumping chamber. As the pumping piston approaches high center, the combustion pistons associated therewith or within the adjacent combustion chambers approach and pass their low centers, thereby simultaneously uncovering the exhaust ports and the precompressed gaseous fuel inlet ports, and the precomprcssed charge of gaseous fuel entering the uncovered inlet ports rushes upwardly through the combustion chamber into which said ports open, and said gaseous fuel passes from thence through the common clearance chamber that connects the head portions of the combustion chambers, and said gaseous fuel then passes downwardly through the combustion chamber having the exhaust ports, with the result that the products of combustion of the previously ignited charge are expelled through said exhaust ports.

On the succeeding upward or inner strokes of the pistons within the combustion chambers, the precompressed gaseous fuel charge drawn into said chambers will be compressed in the common clearance chamber that connects the head portions of said combustion chambers, and as said combustion chambers pass their high centers this compressed charge of gaseous fuel will be ignited by a spark produced between the terminals of the electrodes of .the corresponding spark plug. Obviously the expansion following combus tion of this compressed gaseous fuel charge will act upon the pistons in the usual manner to drive the same downward or outward upon their power stroke. I

By providing an engine having three power units, each unit comprising a pair of connected combustion cylinders and a gaseous fuel pumping cylinder, and arranging the cranks to which the pistons of the three units .are connected 120 apart the crank shaft of the engine is driven so as to produce with minimum, vibration a relatively high degree of power, and this smooth running efiect is enhanced by reason of the fact that the crank armsto the sides of the cranks to which the pistons in the pumping chambers are connected are provided with counter-balancing weights.

The symmetrical arrangement of the cylinders forming the power units in my im- 1 proved arrangement, and likewise thesymmetrical arrangement of the connectlons beefiective in equalizin tween the pistons and the crank shaft, is

the stresses and torque impressed on sald crank shaft by the power pistons, and likewise the strains impressed on said crank shaft by the resistance offered to the pumping pistons during the precompression of the gaseous fuel charges.

It will'be understood that various minor changes in the size, form and construction of my improved two stroke cycle internal combustion engine may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims. v

I claim as my invention:

1. In a two stroke cycle internal combustion engine, a series of nine cylinders arranged in row, the entire series of. cylinders being arranged to form three power units, each comprising a pair of combustion cylinders and a single gaseous fuel pumping cylinder, said pumping cylinder being arranged between the pair of combustion cylinders of the unit with which it is associated, the members of the pair of combustion cylinders of each unit being connected at their head ends by a common clearance chamber, the pumping cylinder of each unit being provided with a gaseous fuel inlet port and with a pumped gaseous fuel outlet port, a duct leading from said outlet port to the intermediate portion of one of the adjacent combustion cylinders, the other combustion cylinder of the same unit being provided with an exhaust port, pistons each comprising a pair of combustion cylinders and a single gaseous fuel pumping cylinder, said pumping cylinder being arranged between the pair of combustion cylinders of the unit with which it is associated,\th'e members of the pair of combustion cylinders of each unit belng connected at their head ends by a common clearance chamber, the

pumping cylinder of each unit being provided with a gaseous fuel inlet port and with a pumped gaseous fuel outlet port, a duct leading from said outlet port to the intermediate portion of one of the adjacent combustion cylinders, the other combustion cylinder of the same unit being provided with an exhaust port, pistons arranged for operation within the three cylinders of each unit, a crank shaft having nine separate throws to which all of the pistons are separately and respectively connected, and the corresponding members of the three sets of cranks being arranged 120 apart.

t In testimony whereof I afiix my signa- EVERETT R. BURTNETT.

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