Rotary piston internal combustion engine

A rotary internal combustion engine comprises a stator having an enclosed chamber defined by a pair of opposing side walls and a peripheral wall extending therebetween. A rotor in the chamber is rotatable by a shaft extending between the side walls. The rotor has at least one arm projecting radially from the shaft and a rotator member pivotally mounted on the end of the arm by a pivot pin. The rotator member has a working surface which spans between the side walls and has leading and trailing surfaces in contact with the peripheral wall, thereby defining a combustion chamber. Air is introduced into the chamber by at least one outlet passage which is rotatable within the chamber and opens radially, with respect to the shaft, into the chamber.

This invention relates to rotary internal combustion engines or the like 
and has for its main object to provide an improved rotary internal 
combustion engine through the knowledge gained when making prototypes of 
the U.S. Pat. No. 3,442,257 and having a novel construction and/or 
arrangement of its parts resulting in a more efficient engine than those 
covered in the basic patent. 
Broadly in one aspect the invention consists of a rotary internal 
combustion engine comprising a stator having an enclosed chamber, said 
chamber being defined by a pair of opposing side walls and a peripheral 
wall extending therebetween, a rotor disposed within the chamber and 
mounted for rotation by a shaft extending between said side walls, said 
rotor including at least one arm projecting radially from said shaft and a 
rotator member pivotally mounted on the end of said arm by a pivot pin, 
said rotator member having a working surface which spans between said side 
walls and has leading and trailing surfaces in contact with said 
peripheral wall thereby defining a combustion chamber, and means for 
introducing air into said chamber said means including at least one outlet 
passage which is rotatable within said chamber and opens radially, with 
respect to said shaft, into said chamber.

FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings illustrate a diesel rotary engine which has 
eight power cycles per revolution. By virtue of its design and mode of 
operation the engine is automatically supercharged. 
The stator is formed by a cast housing 10 having cooling passages 11 
through which water flows from a dual input 12a to an output 13a. As can 
be seen in FIG. 1 a cooling system exists for each half of the engine. 
Casing 10 is covered on both sides by face plates 13 and 14 which have 
central openings to receive bearings 15 in which the main shaft 16 is 
journalled. Seals 17 are provided at the outer faces of bearings 15. The 
face plates 13 and 14 and casing 10 are held together by studs or bolts 18 
and disposed between casing 10 and face plates 13 and 14 are stainless 
steel liner 19. The internal opening or chamber in casing 10 is of 
substantially square shape with the corners rounded as can be clearly seen 
in FIG. 1. The inner surface of casing 10 is covered by a spheroidal 
graphite nodular-iron liner 21. 
Face plate 14 has a cover plate 22 mounted thereon and this has a pair of 
openings which mount bearings 23 and 24 with associated seals 25 and 26. 
Journalled by bearing 23 and an associated bearing 23' in face plate 14 is 
a drive shaft 27 for a fan and water pump (not shown). Drive shaft 27 is 
driven by a gear 28 which engages with gear 29 on shaft 16. In a like 
manner gear 29 engages with gear 30 mounted on shaft 31. The fuel 
injection drive is provided by shaft 31 which as shown projects from cover 
plate 22. Shaft 31 is as shown journalled by bearing 24 and bearing 24' of 
cover plate 14. 
Shaft 16 has four pairs of diametrically opposed arms 32 each of which has 
a opening located in each of projecting fingers formed by the free end of 
the arm being bifurcated. A gudgeon pin 33 passes through the aligned 
openings in each arm 32 and locates thereon a rotator 34. A needle roller 
bearing 35 locates gudgeon 33 in each opening. Each rotator is shaped as 
shown in FIG. 1 and has a working face 36. A pair of spaced apart parallel 
flanges 37 extend from working surface 36 and these pass either side of 
arm 32. Flanges 37 have openings through which gudgeons 33 pass. Each of 
flanges 37 has a control arm 38 formed at the free end thereof and these 
arms are more clearly shown in FIG. 2. Control arms 38 engage with a 
control cam 39 which is fastened by mechanical fastenings 40 to the inner 
surfaces of face plates 13 and 14. 
Each side face 37 of the rotator 34 has a pair of seals 41 located in 
grooves. A seal bar 42 located in a groove 44 extends across the leading 
and trailing edges of the rotator working face 36. The outer face of each 
seal bar 42 is profiled for low friction engagement with the liner 21 and 
this engagement is maintained by springs 45. Each of seal bars 42 is 
preceded by an internal control pad, as will be described hereinafter, 
which is located in working face 36 immediately preceding seal bar 42. 
The end of shaft 16 which projects through face plate 14 has a central bore 
50. A tubular insert 51 is positioned within bore 50 and is flanged at its 
outer end at 52 to be bolted by fastenings 53 to cover 22. Insert 51 has a 
pair of diametrically disposed partitions 54 which are at right angles to 
one another. Adjacent the inner end of insert 51 openings 55 are provided 
in the wall of the insert. It will be appreciated that insert 51 remains 
stationary due to its fastening to cover 22. Air passages 56 are provided 
in each of arms 32 and as can be seen more clearly in FIG. 1 are alignable 
with openings 55. Air passages 56 thus extend between bore 50 and an 
opening in the arm which opens into casing 10. 
Two air intake tunnels 57 are formed in each of face plates 13 and 14. Air 
intake is thus achieved by air flowing through insert 51 to pass through 
passages 56 when said passages are aligned with openings 55. This air flow 
can pass through intake tunnel 57 as shown by the arrows in FIG. 2 to 
enter into the combustion chamber formed by working face 36 and liners 19 
and 21. 
Casing 10 has a pair of tapped openings 61 situated at either side thereof 
as can be seen in FIG. 1. In one tapped opening a glow plug 62 is inserted 
so that the electrode end locates within a recess 64 in liner 21. The 
second tapped bore 61 has a fuel injector 63 inserted therein and the 
outlet end of the injector 63 locates in cavity 64. Cavity 64 is located 
in an area where liner 21 is slightly bowed in toward shaft 16 but this 
can be straight in lower torque models of the engine. Accordingly, as 
shaft 16 rotates air is drawn and compressed through intake tunnel 57 and 
then compressed within the aforementioned combustion chamber so that 
compression thereof is complete at the time of fuel injection. The 
resultant mixture fires to complete the power stroke, when the exhaust 
gases pass out of the exhaust port shown at 65. The exhaust chamber has a 
pair of control reed valves R (see FIG. 2) these restrict the air inside 
the casing 21 giving a light supercharging. 
It will thus be appreciated that there are eight power cycles per 
revolution and with the engine illustrated in the drawings the combustion 
pressure is up to 1500 lbs per square inch. The explosions are balanced at 
180.degree. equalizing the pressure on the shaft so there is practically 
no load on its bearings and a double torque engine is provided. In the 
illustrated example the fuel capacity is 1760 c.c. per revolution. The 
glow plugs 62 are provided merely for starting. 
Whilst the engine is water cooled, centrifugal air cooling is provided 
internally between heads for the whole 360.degree. of each revolution. It 
will be appreciated that air flows through insert 51 to issue through 
passages 56 when these passages become successively aligned with the four 
openings 55. Accordingly, air enters into the casing to provide internal 
air cooling the air then being induced through intake tunnel 57 to the 
combustion areas. The incoming air is also bled through passages 57a in 
the centre of gudgeons 33 to internally cool the gudgeons and needle 
roller bearings. 
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 a similar form of engine is disclosed but one 
which is automatically supercharged and designed for fuel injection. Like 
elements of this engine retain the reference numerals of the elements of 
the engine of FIGS. 1 and 2. The fuel, (which can be unleaded petrol, 
kerosene or 50/50 mix of unleaded petrol and diesel fuel) is injected 
through injection port 70 from injector 71. A butterfly valve 72 is 
provided adjacent the outlet end of bypass channel 57 for air control. The 
exhaust port is shown at 73. Reed valves 74 are provided at the outlet end 
of passages 56 for supercharging. 
At 75 the glow and/or spark plugs are indicated. With an injection 
arrangement air passes through passages 56 whilst the same passages 
provide the intake for petrol, L.P.G. or C.N.G. for non injection models. 
It can thus be appreciated that the engine is of a universal type which 
can be supercharged. When the engine is supercharged with four rotator 
members it has 8 power cycles per revolution. 
Ports 70 and 73 are spaced apart by a distance which is substantially equal 
to the distance between the seal bars 42. 
Safety valves V are located to provide a release valve arrangement for 
gases in the event of a high pressure buildup. An oil feed is shown at E 
for lubrication purposes. 
Once again this engine has centrifugal air for internal cooling, and just 
as in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 (when insert 51 is removed) a 
turbo-charger can be used to give a large volume of high speed cooling air 
when using high power. 
The fins 34a on rotators 34 and disc D mounted to rotate with shaft 16 
provide port control for supercharging. Two ports are formed in disc D and 
these successively come into alignment with an exhaust port 73 in face 
plate 19. This disc D forms a rotary valve which is open, i.e. an opening 
in disc D is aligned with port 73, before the hot blast of the exhaust gas 
goes out of the port 73, so it is hardly affected by heat. Then just 
before the trailing end of the rotator fin 34a uncovers this port the 
rotary valve D closes, the intake suction finishes and an internal 
compression of the fuel mixture can then be made. Accordingly, fuel 
mixture is induced through four intake ports 70 and are compressed as the 
rotators move forward, this compressed charge being fed via the two 
transfer passages to the combustion chambers. The exhaust pipe P leading 
from exhaust port 73 is cooled by a fan or where the engine is for 
aeroplane propulsion by the propellor. As with the design shown in FIGS. 1 
and 2 shafts 27 and 31 allow for auxilliary drive. 
To make this four head fuel injected, supercharged model into an 
unsupercharged model (with better cooling) the four reeds are taken out, 
the control disc of the exhaust ports removed and weaker springs put on 
the safety valves. 
FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings show a configuration of the engine where 
there is a direct fuel intake system. To avoid repetition of description 
parts of the engine which correspond to those previously described in 
FIGS. 1 and 2 bear the same reference numerals. 
In this form fuel is inducted directly through intake port 222, and 
products of combustion exhausted through exhaust ports 242. Cooling air is 
drawn through air intake 251 to pass through air passages 56 and into the 
combustion chamber as indicated by the arrows. With diesel models the 
internal air is directed by a channel to both the front and the rear of an 
intake chamber. With a petrol model a turbo-charger is used for super air 
cooling and/or direct chamber charging. This form of the engine is 
designed to operate continuously on full throttle. There is 360.degree. 
internal air cooling and thus no hot spots. 
Referring to FIG. 7, a modified form of the rotator is shown. The rotator 
control cam 136 is engaged by a cam follower 137a which is in the form of 
a roller bearing supported on control arms 137. This rotator 127 has a 
pair of seals 131 substantially parallel like the arrangement shown in 
FIG. 3 with the seals being joined by a coupler 131a. The direction of 
rotation of the rotator is indicated by the arrow appearing in the area of 
the gudgeon pin 126. 
Referring to FIG. 8, there is a part elevation view of the type of the 
rotator which is employed with the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 
and 2. The illustration in FIG. 8 corresponds with the upper right hand 
rotator 34 of FIG. 1 in that it illustrates the rotator in side view. The 
rotator as shown in FIG. 9 corresponds with the schematic sectioned view 
of the lower right hand rotator of FIG. 1. In this form of the rotator the 
side seals 41 are substantially parallel and seal bars 42 are located in 
grooves 44 extending across the leading and trailing edges of the rotator 
working face 36. Each seal bar 42 is preceded by an inertial control pad 
60 which is located in the working face 36. Each seal bar 42 is spring 
loaded with springs 45. Springs 45 are located with couplers 61 which 
couple the side seals 41 and seal bar 42. Each seal bar 42 is associated 
with a sub-seal 62 which, as can be seen in FIG. 9, is of L shaped 
cross-section. This seal is also spring loaded by springs (not shown). 
This form of rotator has a double line contact sealing by the addition of 
the L shape sub-seal 62. The control pads 60 work in conjunction with the 
control flanges 38 (see FIG. 1) as the pads 60 commence the rotator pivot 
movement and the arms 38 steady the rotator at the end of the desired 
pivot movement. As can be seen in FIG. 9 the control pads are mounted by 
studs 63 passing through the body of rotator 34 and are located by nuts 64 
threaded onto studs 63 engaging with the surface of the rotator 34 
opposite to the working surface 36. 
Finally FIG. 10 shows yet a further form of the rotator. In this form 
rotator 34a the side seals 41a pass either side of the opening for gudgeon 
pin 33 with the larger of the two seals being coupled by a coupler 62a. 
The bar seals 42a are positioned as shown and the larger of the two side 
seals 41a engage alongside bar seal 42. This form of rotator 34a has a 
spheroidal graphite nodular-iron control pad 60a. The weight provided by 
this control pad 60a at the trailing end of the rotator 34a keeps the 
trailing bar seal 42 in smooth contact with the inner curvature of the 
housing insert 21 by centrifugal force. 
The engine according to the present invention meets and accomplishes all 
the requirements for an efficient rotary internal combustion engine which 
are: 
1. SUPERIOR COOLING. Every surface internally (including the Plug-points), 
that are subject to heat, have at a minimum; 50% of the time, between 
power-cycles, for direct cooling plus the normal air or water external 
cooling. 
2. SEALING-GRID. The main seals have no gaps, and each seal is pressurized 
to the next one. 
3. CIRCULAR PATH. Each power producing unit travels in a true circle (not 
planetary or reciprocating). 
4. AUTOMATIC SUPERCHARGING. Double-capacity fuel-charge suction intake; 
that is pressurized to give about 7 lbs supercharging, plus a powerful 
turbulence so that there is good mixing of fuel and air. 
5. ECONOMY. It has through high compression and diesel fuel injection also 
a thinner mixture when using petrol is made possible because of 
supercharging. Also there is a minimum of inertia of all moving parts 
which saves fuel. 
6. BALANCE. All moving parts automatically balanced by a similar moving 
part at 180.degree.. No counter-weight or fly-wheel is necessary. 
7. OILING. Simple as in a 2 stroke where the one supply of 
oil-petrol-mixture, a dry-sump or oil injection method covers all bearings 
and inner surfaces. 
8. MINIMUM TS. Has no connecting rods or gears. The Power-heads transmit 
straight on to the drive shaft arms. 
9. STRENGTH. Parts move in a true circle or have a balanced wave motion. No 
reciprocating (push-pull stress) or cranks. Usual metals used, and the 
bearings and shafts of ample size to take 1000 lbs. per sq. in. for diesel 
compressions. 
10. SIZE etc. Small space required, and has less than 1/3 the parts, of the 
present 4 cycle engine, which fires 2 power cycles per revolution.