US2384461A - Engine - Google Patents

Description

p 1945. w. G. GERNANDT 2,384,461

ENGINE Filed Jan. 7. 1944 52 J as 25' IN VEN TOR.

Mlle G. Germwmi Patented Sept. 1i, i945 UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE ENGINE Waldo G. Gernandt, Detroit, Mic asaignor to Briggs Manufacturing Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application January I, 1944, Serial No. 517,381

19 Claims.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines and particularly to engines of the type having rotatable valves associated with the cylinders thereof and usually mounted in the cylinder heads of the engines. The present invention has particular although not exclusive application to an internal combustion engine of the kind in which the rotatable valve in the head, preferably although not necessarily of the kind which rotates continuously in one direction, is formed with substantially all or at least the major portion of the combustion chamber and is generally conical or frusto-conical in shape. The combustion chamber within the rotor or rotary valve has an opening at one end leading to the cylinder and a second opening preferably at a side thereof adapted to communicate during operation with an outlet or inlet passage, or both, as the case may be, and the combustible charge within the combustion chamber is fired preferably by spark ignition.

The present invention contemplates as one of its important objects the eiiicicnt cooling of engines of the foregoing type as also the provision of means for controlling the expansion of portions of the cylinder head adjacent the rotatable valve so as to maintain more closely or accurately the desired operating clearances between the valve and related bearing surfaces on the cylinder head. v p

A further object of the invention is to provide an engine having a rotatable valve and improved means for controlling the relative expansion of the valve and cylinder head due to heating of associated portions thereof during operation.

Another obiect of the invention is to provide an engine having a cylinder, cylinder head and arotatablevalveinthehead,suchasasenerslly frusto-conical valve, and in which means are provided for maintaining closely predetermined operating cl between the valve and head. especiallywherethevaiveandheadaremadeof metals or megi alloys having different thermal It is also an object of the inventionto provide an engine having a cylinderhead and evolve rotatable therein and having a diiferent. such as a smaller, coeiiicient of expansion than the head and in which means is provided whereby the rate oferpansionoftheheadwiilbesubstantiaily thesameasthevalveatcertainbearinglocaiities where it is desirable to maintain uniform operatingclsarancesbetweentheccoperatingbearing luri'acsscfthevalveandhead.

the following description and appended claims. reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional elevation illustrating a portion of a multi-cylinder engine embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken substantially through lines 2-! of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section illustrating the portion of Fig. l appearing within the circle.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the a mpany s drawin since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring to the drawing, the present engine comprises a cylinder fl within which a suitable piston II is mounted for reciprocation. The piston is connected in the usual manner through a wrist pin 2! to the crankshaft (not shown) of the engine. Surrounding the cylinder ill is a cylindrical Jacket II which is rigidly secured to the crankcase or forms substantially a portion of the crankcase of the engine. This jacket member it extends substantially the height of the cylinder and is spaced from the wall of the cylinder to provide a water cooling space or chamber 25 extending entirely around the cylinder.

The engine is provided with a cylinder head It which is cast to provide a valve housing portion i'l provided with a generally frusto-conical cavity or recess. as hereinafter described, for receiving the rotary valve. The cylinder head i also cast to provide a cylinder head jacket II spaced from the valve housing 81. The liquid cooling space or chamber It forms a continuation of the chamber II. When the cylinder head is assembled the lower edge of the jacket portion 28 is drawn down tightly against the upper edge of the cylinder Jacket N, there being a gasket ll interpos d between the iuxtaposed surfaces of these portions adapted to be compressed to provide a liquidtisht joint.

The lower or inner edge of the valve housing portion ll of the cylinder head is formed with an Othsrobiectsofthisinvsntionwiliappesrin snnularboss orthickensdportlon lLandthis ortion is formed with an annular groove or reass 82 to receive an expansion control ring 13. 'his ring preferably has a tight or press lit withl. the recess or groove 82 and the outer face of ie ring extends substantially flush with the uter face or the enlarged portion ll of the valve ousing II. The upper edge okgzhe cylinder til Itcnds in abutting relation to that portion of the we: edge of the valve housing 21 which lies inardly oi the expansion control ring 38, and inerposed between the cylinder and valve housing an annular gasket II. This gasket may be of ie copper-asbestos type capable of sustaining lgh temperatures and pressure. and when the linder head is drawn down tightly this s et ill provide a liquid and gas-tight Joint. In order lat a gasket 84 of maximum width may be used 1d at the same time to avoid excessive restrican of the liquid passage between the chambers i and II, the expansion control ring 3! sets enrely into the recess l! in the valve housing and notched at Ila around its lower inner edge to 'ovlde clearance for the gasket ring 8|. The cylinder head is formed with a series or as or ribs 38 and 31 bored to receive bolts 3| tending from bosses (not shown) on the Jacket ember 24 which, as stated, is fixed to the crankse. The cylinder head may be drawn down :htly to the crankcase or jacket 2| by suitable its applied to the upper ends of the bolts 38, us connecting the Jackets 24 and 2! tightly tother at the water tight Joint formed by the sket Ill. The cylinder head is formed with a generally isto-conical recess III within which is mounted rotatable valve or rotor II which is also of genally rrusto-conical construction having taperoutwardly converging walls corresponding nerally in shape to the inner walls 01' the recess The bottom or inner wall Ha of the valve is eierably tapered so as to correspond substaniiy to the taper of the piston head, the conuction being such that the piston head will proach very closely the bottom oi the valve 4! en the piston is at the outer end of its stroke. The valve member I is formed with a side port communicating with the combustion chamber and adapted to register successively during roion of the valve with a spark plug 44, an ex- 1st passage or conduit ll, and an intake con- .t or passage II in the cylinderhead, the direcn of rotation of the valve being indicated by i arrow in Fig. 3. As also shown in this figure. liquid coolant chamber 20 has extensions 290 the cylinder head extending substantially und the valve member ll and also extending ng and in the helsht oi the outer walls 01 the must and intake passages 48 and 40. Another tion 29b of the coolant chamber extends push the dividing wall between these passages. -m this construction it will be seen that subntially all portions of the cylinder, cylinder .d, valve and intake and exhaust passages, on are subjected to heating during operation, exposed to the cooling effect oi the liquid ulated through the water Jackets. The coolis preferably introduced into the lower end of chamber 26, circulated upwardly through the imunicating chambers, which have a common at in the cylinder head. a 1 addition to the side port It the valve Ii has :ntral port or opening 41 at its inner end comiicating with the cylinder. The valve member s also formed with a cooling chamber 4! exiing entirely around the combustion chamber 01' the valve member. This cooling chamber is adapted to receive any suitable cooling medium such, for example, as metallic sodium, which is sealed into the chamber by means of an expanding plug "a.

In the present embodiment the valve or rotor 4| is driven at pne hali engine or crankshalt speed. It is provided with a projecting stem 48 through the medium of which the driving mechanism for the valve is connected. The valve housing portion 21 of the cylinder head is provided with an annular recess 50 in its outer end through which the valve stem 4! extends. Within this recess is located a cup-shaped spring retainer member Ill adapted to receive a compression spring 52 surrounding the valve stem 49. The outer end of the spring engages a steel coupling disk II. This disk is formed centrally thereof with an annular set of teeth I! meshing with corresponding teeth i'ormed on the end of the valve stem 4!. The valve stem is tapped to receive a threaded stud or bolt 58 which carries a nut 56a engageable with the coupling disk 53 and adapted to be tightened to draw down the disk and maintain its teeth 54 in constant mesh with the teeth on the outer end of the valve stem. The spring I2 is, therefore, held under constant compression so as to yieldingly hold the valve upwardly within the rrusto-conicai recess ll in the valve housing. The strength of a this spring and the amount of preloading thereof is such that the efiort exerted by the spring to raise the valve within the valve housing is suilicient to substantially offset or equal the effort exerted during the suction stroke oi the piston to draw the valve downwardly and away from its seat.

The coupling disk It is provided with external teeth 55 meshing with internal teeth Illa on a ring gear 51. This gear in turn has external teeth 51b meshing with the teeth of a valve driving gear 58 secured to a longitudinally extending top shaft Ill. The cylinder head is formed with a housing 69 provided with a removable closure 60 for housing the driving mechanism located in the cylinder head. The top shaft 6| may be driven from the crankshaft oi the engine in the manner shown and described in application Serial No. 515,479, filed December 24, 1943.

The valve member is also preferably provided with an exterior relief area 10 extending entirely around the valve and substantially the height of the side port 43. This annular relief area may be formed either in the valve or in the wall 40 of the valve housing and may be constructed and serve the purposes in accordance with my copending application Serial No. 405,260, flied July 19, 1943.

In accordance with the present invention the ring 33 is adapted to restrain or control the expansion of the wall portion II o! the cylinder head during operation of the engine so as to maintain within close limits the desired operating clearance between the inner end oi the valve and the valve housing I1. It will be understood that the bearing surfaces of the valve II and housing 21 above and below the reliei area 10 are suitably lubricated in order to maintain a him of oil between these suriaces. It is. therefore, important that the operating clearance between these surfaces be held constant and be prevented from increasing appreciably since otherwise there will result an undesirable loss of lubricating oil due to oil being drawn into the cylinder during the suction stroke of the piston.

The expansion control ring a is preterably formed of a metal or metal alloy selected so that by virtue of its differential expansion rate the head portion 3i will expand at substantially the same rate as the adjacent portion of the cone valve. Where the head is made oi! an aluminum alloy the ring 33 will be made of a metal or metallic alloy having a coefllcient of expansion less than that of the aluminum alloy of the head but not less than that of the valve. For example, if the cylinder head is formed of aluminum and the valve of cast iron, the ring may be made of steel. In such case the expansion rate of the ring will be considerably less than that or the head but somewhat greater than that of the valve. This is desirable since the valve becomes hottest at its inner end and tends, on account of its higher temperature, to expand at this locality more than the adjacent portion ll of the head. Thus, with an aluminum head and a valve of cast iron or other ferrous metal, it is preferred that the ring 33 have a thermal expansion rate less than that of the head but somewhat greater than that of the valve, especialiy in view of the fact that the ring is maintained at a lower temperature by being exposed directly to the coolant in the jacketed chamber 29.

I claim:

1. In an internal combustion engine, a c'ylinder, a cylinder head, a rotatable valve in said head, said valve and head having diflerent coeillcients of thermal expansion, said valve and head having adjacent wall portions in operative engagement, and means ior varying the rate of expansion of said portion of the head so as to conform more closely to the rate of expansion of said portion of the valve.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a cylinder head, a rotatable valve in said head, said valve and head having different coeflicients of thermal expansion, said valve and head having adjacent wall portions in operative engagement, and means for reducing the rate of expansion of said portion of the head so as to conform more closely to the rate of expansion of said portion of the valve.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, 8. cylinder head, a rotatable valve in said head, said valve having a lesser coeflieient of thermal expansion than the head, said valve and head having adjacent wall portions in operative engagement, and means for restraining expansion said portion of the head relative to said adjacent portion of the valve.

4. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a cylinder head, a rotatable valve in said head, said valve having a lesser coefiicient of thermal expansion than the head, said valve and head having adjacent wall portions in operative engagement, and means for reducing the rate of expansion of said portion oi the head so as to conform more closely to the rate of expansion of said adjacent portion of the valve.

5. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a cylinder head, a rotatable valve in said head. said valve and head having diflerent coefllcients of thermal expansion, said valve and head having adjacent wall portions in operative engagement, and means carried by the head for varying the rate of said expansion of a portion or the head so as to conform more closely to the rate of expansion of said adjacent portion of the valve.

8. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, 9. cylinder head, a rotatable valve in said head, said valve having a lesser coeflicient of thermal expansion than the head, said valve and head baring adjacent wall portions in operative engagement, and means carried by the head for restraining expansion of said portion of the head relative to said adjacent portion of the valve.

'7. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a cylinder head, a rotatable valve in said head, said valve having a lesser coefllcient 0! thermal expansion than the head, said valve and head having adjacent wall portions in operative engagement, and a expansion control ring engaging said wall por on of the head for restraining expansion thereof relative to said adjacent portion of the valve.

8. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a cylinder head, a rotatable valve in said head, said valve having a lesser coefilcient of thermal expansion than the head, said valve and head having adjacent wall portions in operative engagement, and an expansion control ring having a lesser coeflicient of expansion than the head for restraining expansion of said portion thereof relative to said adjacent portion of the valve.

9. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a cylinder head, a rotatable valve in said head, said valve and head having adjacent walls in operative engagement, and an expansion control ring engaging said wall of the head for varying its rate of thermal exp'ansion with respect to that oi the valve.

10. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a cylinder head, a rotatable valve in said head, said valve and head having adjacent walls in operative engagement, and an expansion contrel ring engaging said wall of the head and carried thereby for varying its rate 01 thermal expansion with respect to that of the valve.

11. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a cylinder head, a rotatable valve in said head, said valve and head having adjacent walls in operative engagement, and an expansion. control ring engaging said wall oi the head for reducing its rate of thermal expansion with respect to that of the valve.

12. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, 2:. cylinder head, a rotatable valve in said head, said valve and head having adjacent walls in operative engagement, and expansion control means engaging said wall of the head for modi- Iying its rate of thermal expansion with respect to that of the valve.

13. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a cylinder head, a rotatable generally frustoconical valve in said head, said valve and head having adjacent walls in operative engagement, and expansion control means engaging said well of the head adjacent the inner end of the valve for modifying its rate of thermal expansion with respect to that of the valve.

14. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, 9. cylinder head, a rotatable valve in said head, said valve and head having adjacent walls in operative engagement, and expansion control means engaging said wall of the head and having a lesser coeflicient of thermal expansion than,

the head for modifying its rate of thermal expansion with respect to that of the valve.

15. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a cylinder head, a rotatablev valve in the head, and expansion control means formed of metal having a lesser coeflicient or thermal expansion than the head and a greater coefilcient of thermal expansion than the valve for restraining expansion of the head relatively to the valve.

16. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a cylinder head having a portion provided with a generally trusto-conical cavity, a generally irusto-conical valve in said cavity, said cylinder and valve being formed of ferrous metal and said cylinder head being formed of metal having a greater coefllcient 0! thermal expansion, and means for restraining lateral expansion of said head at the locality of its bearing engagement with the valve at the inner end oi the latter, said means comprising a ring engaging the head and formed of diilerent metal than the head.

17. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a cylinder head, a rotatable valve in the head, a liquid coolant Jacket surrounding the valve and its bearing portion in the head, and an expansion control ring carried by the head adjacent the inner end 01' the valve and exposed to the coolant in said Jacket.

Patent No. 2,581+,1r61.

18. In an internal combustion ermine, a cylinder, a cylinder head, a rotatable generally i'rustoconical valve in the head, a liquid coolant jacket surrounding the valve and its bearing portion in the head, and an expansion control ring carried by the head at the locality of its bearing engagement with the wider end of the valve and exposed to the coolant in said jacket.

19. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a cylinder head, a rotatable generally irustoconical valve in the head, a liquid coolant jacket surrounding the valve and its bearing portion in the head, and an expansion control ring carried by the head at the locality of its bearing engagement with the wider end of the valve and exposed to the coolant in said Jacket, said ring being formed of metal having a difl'erent co- 4 eilicient of expansion than the head.

September 11, .1915.

WALDO G. GERNAND'I'.

It is hereby certified that error appearsin the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3,

first column, line 70, claim 5, strike out "said"; same line and claim,

for "a" before "portion" read saidand that the said Letters Pstent=should B,- ai ter "said" insert --w a11--,

' and second column, line 25, claim be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 5th day of February. -A. D. 19li6.

(Seal) Leslie Frazer First Assistant commissioner of Patents.

of thermal expansion than the valve for restraining expansion of the head relatively to the valve.

16. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a cylinder head having a portion provided with a generally trusto-conical cavity, a generally irusto-conical valve in said cavity, said cylinder and valve being formed of ferrous metal and said cylinder head being formed of metal having a greater coefllcient 0! thermal expansion, and means for restraining lateral expansion of said head at the locality of its bearing engagement with the valve at the inner end oi the latter, said means comprising a ring engaging the head and formed of diilerent metal than the head.

17. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a cylinder head, a rotatable valve in the head, a liquid coolant Jacket surrounding the valve and its bearing portion in the head, and an expansion control ring carried by the head adjacent the inner end 01' the valve and exposed to the coolant in said Jacket.

Patent No. 2,581+,1r61.

18. In an internal combustion ermine, a cylinder, a cylinder head, a rotatable generally i'rustoconical valve in the head, a liquid coolant jacket surrounding the valve and its bearing portion in the head, and an expansion control ring carried by the head at the locality of its bearing engagement with the wider end of the valve and exposed to the coolant in said jacket.

19. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a cylinder head, a rotatable generally irustoconical valve in the head, a liquid coolant jacket surrounding the valve and its bearing portion in the head, and an expansion control ring carried by the head at the locality of its bearing engagement with the wider end of the valve and exposed to the coolant in said Jacket, said ring being formed of metal having a difl'erent co- 4 eilicient of expansion than the head.

September 11, .1915.

WALDO G. GERNAND'I'.

It is hereby certified that error appearsin the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3,

first column, line 70, claim 5, strike out "said"; same line and claim,

for "a" before "portion" read saidand that the said Letters Pstent=should B,- ai ter "said" insert --w a11--,

' and second column, line 25, claim be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 5th day of February. -A. D. 19li6.

(Seal) Leslie Frazer First Assistant commissioner of Patents.

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