Two-cycle rotary-reciprocal-engine

• US 4,022,168 A
• Filed: 09/11/1975
• Issued: 05/10/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John S. Sprague
• Original Assignee: John S. Sprague
• Inventors: Sprague, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon, Clarence R.
• Application Number:
  US05/612,637
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 123/43 A, 91/501
• US Class Current: 123/43.00A
• CPC Class Codes: F01B 3/0035 having two or more sets of cylinders or pistons
• CPC Class Codes: F01B 3/0058 Cylindrical valve means
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/025 two
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 57/06 Two-stroke engines or other engines with working-piston-controlled cylinder-charge admission or exhaust with combustion space in centre of star F02B57/10
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 75/26 Engines with cylinder axes coaxial with, or parallel or inclined to, main-shaft axis; Engines with cylinder axes arranged substantially tangentially to a circle centred on main-shaft axis
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 75/282 the pistons having equal strokes

Abstract

A two-cycle reciprocal, rotary, internal combustion engine having a plurality of piston cylinders mounted symmetrically around a cylindrical central supply core; each piston cylinder contains two oppositely reciprocating pistons having a common central combustion chamber, the cylinders and pistons are encased in a rotor housing which rotates as a unit around the stationary central core; the central supply core projects from each end of the rotor housing and has stationary elliptical drive plates mounted at an inclination on the ends of the supply core, the inclined drive plates interface cooperatively inclined end faces of the pistons which project through the barrel housing and slide against the drive plates as the barrel housing rotates; rotation results from selective combustion during the reciprocal cycle of the pistons, an angular force being developed by the inclination of the end plates.

Claims

1. A two-cycle reciprocal, rotary, internal combustion engine comprising:

a. a central supply core defining a central engine axis;

b. a plurality of piston cylinders mounted symmetrically around said central engine axis, each cylinder having an axis parallel to said central axis, said piston cylinders being rotatable as a unit around said supply core on said central axis;

c. a plurality of pistons, two pistons being slidably mounted in each of said piston cylinders, each pair of pistons having first ends oppositely facing defining a chamber within each of said cylinders and second ends with a contact face, said contact face being an inclined flat face;

d. two flat drive plates mounted at an inclination with respect to said supply core, said drive plates being tilted toward each other in equilateral trapezoidal fashion, said contact end faces of said pistons interfacing said inclined drive plates, and being coplanar and slidably engageable therewith;

e. two cycle intake and exhaust means cooperatively arranged with said cylinders for admitting and exhausting gases; and

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f. ignition means cooperatively arranged with said cylinders for igniting gases in said cylinders.

2. The engine of claim 1 wherein said intake and exhaust means comprise a pair of intake ports and a pair of exhaust ports substantially opposite said intake ports in said cylinders, said ports in each pair being spaced apart for exposure adjacent said first ends of said pistons when said pistons are at a substantially maximum displacement.

3. The engine of claim 2 wherein said pistons include at their first ends, deflection vanes.

4. The engine of claim 1 wherein said piston cylinders are symmetrically arranged in a rigid unit comprising a rotor, said rotor having bearing means for rotatably cooperating with said central supply core.

5. The engine of claim 4 in combination with a supercharger.

6. The engine of claim 1 wherein said inclined face of said second ends of said pistons includes anchor means cooperating with said drive plates to maintain said inclined end faces of said pistons substantially against said drive plates.

7. The engine of claim 6 wherein said pistons include balancing means for compensating for the incline of the end face.

8. The engine of claim 1 wherein said supply core and drive plates are stationary and said piston cylinders and pistons rotate about said central engine axis.

9. The engine of claim 1 wherein said piston cylinders and pistons comprise a rotationally stationary unit and said supply core and drive plate rotate about said central engine axis.

10. The engine of claim 1 having engine mounting means for rotating said supply core and drive plates in a first angular direction and concurrently rotating said cylinders and pistons as a unit in an opposite direction.

11. The engine of claim 1 having further an integral turbine cooperating with said two cycle exhaust means.

12. The engine of claim 1 having further an integral compressor fan.

13. The engine of claim 1 having further a carbureted fuel and air system cooperating with said two cycle intake means.

14. The engine of claim 1 having further a cooperating carbureted fuel and air system, cooperating with said two cycle intake means.

15. The engine of claim 1 in combination with additional like engines mounted in multiples on a single drive shaft.

16. A two-cycle reciprocal, rotary, internal combustion engine comprising:

a. central supply core defining a central engine axis;

b. a plurality of piston cylinders mounted symmetrically spaced around said central engine axis, each cylinder having an axis parallel to said central axis, said piston cylinders forming a unit rotatable around said supply core on said central axis;

c. a plurality of pistons, two pistons being slidably mounted in each of said piston cylinders, each pair of pistons having first ends oppositely facing defining a compression chamber within each of said cylinders and second ends with a flat incline contact face;

d. two drive plates mounted at an inclination with respect to said supply core, said drive plates being tilted toward each other in equilateral trapezoidal fashion wherein said combustion engine is generally cylindrical in configuration with an elongated side and a short side, said flat contact end faces of said pistons interfacing said inclined drive plates, and being slidably engageable therewith wherein said drive plates are spaced from said piston cylinders and said pistons have a portion thereof at said second ends projecting from said cylinders to said drive plates;

e. sealing means between said drive plates and said piston cylinders forming a substantially sealed annular passage around which said projecting portions of said pistons traverse during rotation of said piston cylinders, said sealing means and said projecting portions of said pistons defining a plurality of variable volume induction chambers between said projecting portions of adjacent pistons for compressing and transporting gases'"'"' said sealing means including gas intake means to said induction chambers on said elongated side of said engine and gas exhaust means from said induction chambers at said short side of said engine;

f. two cycle intake and exhaust means cooperatively arranged with said cylinders for admitting and exhausting gases of said compression chambers; and

g. ignition means cooperatively arranged with said cylinders for igniting gases in said cylinders.

17. The engine of claim 16 comprising further:

a. two spaced end plates mounted to and orthoganal with said piston cylinders said pistons having the projecting portions of said pistons projecting through said end plates;

b. a cylindrical shell housing having two end segments encompassing the projecting portions of said pistons, said housing end segments extending between and cooperating with said end plates and said drive plates to define an enclosure at each end of the engine around the projecting portions of the pistons, said enclosures having gas induction ports at said elongated side of said engine;

c. two hollow cylindrical extension segments on said supply core extending between said drive plates, said extension segments having gas intake ports on said bottom side of said engine, wherein said end segments of said housing include an inner wall and said supply core has an outer wall, said walls being proximately arranged with said projecting portions of said pistons to define the annular passage of said sealing means;

18. A two-cycle reciprocal, rotary, internal combustion engine comprising;

a. a central supply core defining a central engine axis;

b. a plurality of piston cylinders mounted symmetrically around said central engine axis, each cylinder having an axis parallel to said central axis, said piston cylinders being rotatable as a unit around said supply core on said central axis;

c. a plurality of pistons, two pistons being slidably mounted in each of said piston cylinders, each pair of pistons having first ends oppositely facing defining a chamber within each of said cylinders and second ends with a contact face;

d. two drive plates mounted at an inclination with respect to said supply core, said drive plates being tilted toward each other in equilateral trapezoidal fashion, said contact end faces of said pistons interfacing said inclined drive plates, and being slidably engageable therewith;

e. two cycle intake and exhaust means cooperatively arranged with said cylinders for admitting and exhausting gases; and

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f. ignition means cooperatively arranged with said cylinders for igniting gases in said cylinders;

said ignition means including a pre-combustion crossover passage said combustion crossover passage being in sequential temporary communication between one chamber in one first cylinder in which gases have been ignited and a second chamber in a next adjacent second cylinder to said first cylinder, said combustion crossover passage being oriented to communicate between said adjacent cylinders when said first cylinder has pistons being displaced in a power stroke and said second cylinder has pistons at substantially maximum proximity in a compression stroke, wherein a continuous sequential ignition by ignited gases through said crossover passage is maintained.

19. The engine of claim 18, said central supply core having a single precombustion chamber unit housing a precombustion chamber, ignition means, fuel injection means and crossover passage, said central supply core being rotatable for advancing or retarding ignition, wherein initial ignition takes place in the precombustion chamber allowing precise fuel control burning any fuel that will ignite.

20. The engine of claim 19 wherein said precombustion chamber unit is located within a block adapted for mounting a plurality of ignition and monitoring means in said core.