Timing device for reciprocating positive-displacement engines, such as endothermic reciprocating engines, with a rotary valve in the shape of a solid of revolution particularly a sphere

For each cylinder a timing device comprises at least one valve (12) in the shape of a solid of revolution which rotates inside a corresponding recess (15) in a seat formed in the cylinder head (1), the surface of the recess mating with that of the valve; at least one intake and/or exhaust pipe (7, 9) which communicates with the recess; at least one pipe (10) which connects the recess with the space inside the cylinder (3) of the reciprocating engine. The valve has at least one facet (13) or a recess or an eccentric hole which allows communication between the intake and/or exhaust pipe (7,9) and the pipe (10) which connects with the space inside the cylinder while the valve itself is rotating. Actuating devices are provided which cause the valve to rotate in synchronization with the phases of the reciprocating engine. The actuating devices of the valve comprise a camshaft (17) to which the valve is connected so that it can rotate and also slide, the axis of the shaft coinciding with the axis of revolution of the solid of revolution which forms the valve itself.

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The invention concerns a timing device for reciprocating 
positive-displacement engines, such as endothermic reciprocating engines, 
reciprocating compressors and the like in which at least one rotary valve 
in the shape of a solid of revolution and particularly a sphere is 
provided for each cylinder instead of the usual poppet valves which are 
controlled by rocker arms and kept closed by springs. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
According to the invention, for each cylinder a timing device comprises at 
least one valve in the shape of a solid of revolution which rotates inside 
a corresponding recess in a seat formed in the cylinder head. The surface 
of the said recess mates with that of the valve. At least one intake 
and/or exhaust pipe communicates with the recess; at least one pipe 
connects the recess with the space inside the cylinder of the 
reciprocating engine. The valve has at least one facet or a recess or an 
eccentric hole which allows communication between the intake and/or 
exhaust pipe and the pipe which connects with the space inside the 
cylinder when the valve itself is rotating. Actuating devices are provided 
to cause the valve to rotate in synchronization with the phases of the 
reciprocating engine; the actuating devices of the valve comprise a 
camshaft to which the valve is connected so that it can rotate and also 
slide, the axis of the shaft coinciding with the axis of revolution of the 
solid of revolution which forms the valve. 
Advantageously the facet is approximately flat and the plane of it is 
parallel to the axis of rotation of the said valve.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
In FIG. 1, a part generally designated 1 of the head (or cylinder head) 
covers the top of cylinder 3 of a reciprocating internal combustion 
engine. Numeral 5 represents the combustion chamber of the cylinder, 7 
designates the intake pipe and 9 designates the exhaust pipe. 11 
represents a slanted, threaded hole for fitting a spark plug or injector 
to head 1. A pipe or channel 10, which is coaxial with cylinder 3 in the 
example in the drawing, opens into the center of combustion chamber 5; 
typically it is made to communicate alternately with intake pipe 7 and 
exhaust pipe 9 via rotary valve 12. Rotary valve 12 (in the example in the 
drawing) is in the shape of a sphere but may alternatively be any other 
solid of revolution with a convex surface (such as an ellipsoid), rotating 
round its own axis of revolution. Valve 12 is incomplete at 13 and does 
not therefore have a cap corresponding to an angle at the center of 
approx. 120 degrees; in place of the missing cap, valve 12 has a surface 
13 or facet which is basically flat except for a convex section 13C, the 
purpose of which will be described below. 
In place of the facet, at 13 valve 12 may have a groove-type recess or even 
a hole, the axis of which corresponds to the chord of the great circle of 
the sphere as shown in FIG. 2, the said chord being a certain distance 
from the external surface of shaft 17 which, as will become apparent 
below, controls the rotation of valve 12. As will be explained in detail 
below, the facet, the recess and the hole located at 13 all perform the 
function of conveying towards or away from the inside of cylinder 3 fluid 
aspirated or discharged by the cylinder via pipe 10. 
Valve 12 is made to rotate in the direction of arrow f12 inside recess 15 
which is also spherical or of the same shape as said valve 12 itself, the 
surfaces of recess 15 forming a seal with the surface of valve 12 which 
slides inside it. Valve 12 is made to rotate by means of a camshaft 17 
(FIG. 2) mounted on bearings like that illustrated by 19 and housed inside 
the head of which section of head 1 forms part. The convex, curved part of 
surface 13 is such that surface section 13P may match the curved course of 
shaft 17 a certain distance away. A transverse pin 21 placed inside holes 
23 on shaft 17 is used to make valve 12 rotate. The ends of pin 21 engage 
in seats 24 on the valve which are suitably extended on both sides to 
allow for the fact that the thermal expansion of the shaft and of the 
valve may differ during operation; the valve may therefore slide and 
settle into its correct operating position inside recess 15 irrespective 
of any changes in temperature. As may be seen from FIG. 1, in the various 
positions occupied by valve 12 when it rotates according to arrow f12, 
surface 13, or a recess or a through hole in its place, as has just been 
mentioned, first forms a passage with the surface of seat 15 (in the 
sequence of the phases of a standard four-stroke engine) which connects 
intake pipe 7 with pipe 10, causing the induction phase to take place. The 
cross-section of this passage changes from a minimum to a maximum value 
and then returns to zero again when the spherical surface of valve 12 
closes pipe 10 for a certain period of time during which the compression, 
combustion and expansion phases take place. When this closure period has 
finished, approximately at the end of or just before the end of the 
expansion phase, surface 13 forms a passage with seat 15 for a second 
time, connecting exhaust pipe 9 with pipe 10 and with the inside of 
cylinder 3 and causing the exhaust phase to take place. In the example 
shown in the drawing the induction phase takes up approx. 90 degrees of 
the rotation of valve 12, 180 degrees are taken up by the compression, 
combustion and expansion phase and the remaining 90 degrees by the exhaust 
phase. This is the standard timing of the phases of a four-stroke, 
low-revolution engine. By varying the angle at the center by which the 
chord of facet 13 is subtended and/or the position of pipes 7 and 9 it is 
possible to advance and/or retard both the induction and the exhaust 
phases, thereby also allowing so-called crossing or scavenging to take 
place. 
For cooling purposes valve 12 consists of a hollow shell defined by a 
genuinely spherical wall 12P and wall 13P which matches surface 13. 
Internal space 14 of valve 12 is cooled with cooling air (or a liquid 
coolant) which reaches it via inlet holes 25 and outlet holes 27 which 
connect internal space 14 with the internal pipe 17C of shaft 17 which is 
tubular in shape. In the example shown in the drawing the cooling 
air--which may be part of the cooling air for the engine provided by a fan 
or which may also come from a suitable blower or other means--enters shaft 
17 in the direction of arrow f17, enters recess 14 via holes 25 and leaves 
via holes 27, holes 25 being inclined and divergent to promote the ingress 
of the air into valve 12 and holes 27 being inclined and convergent in 
order to promote its departure. Immediately downstream of holes 25 inside 
shaft 17 is a diaphragm 29 with a central hole 31 forming a restricted 
opening which limits the passage of the air entering, thus causing the 
pressure of the air at the mouth of holes 25 to increase; this increase 
helps the greatest possible volume of air to pass through them. Because of 
a "Venturi" effect due to hole 31, however, there is a pressure drop 
downstream of diaphragm 29 which increases the speed with which the air 
leaves space 14 via holes 27. 
Valve 12 is made of steel or another metallic material that is suitable, 
particularly as regards the achievement of a perfectly smooth external 
surface (by lapping or some other method). Seat 15 inside which valve 12 
rotates has a configuration like that of valve 12 apart from the gaps due 
to pipes 7, 9, 10 and the holes through which the shaft passes, but is in 
several parts which may be made of steel or another suitable metal, but 
preferably another material such as graphite for example. Inside a 
suitable seat machined in the metal head block and above valve 12 is a 
bush or cap 33, usually of graphite, which constitutes a solid of 
revolution, the bottom of which is defined by a recess 34 in the shape of 
a spherical cap, the concave surface of which is able to mate perfectly 
with the convex surface of valve 12. The position of bush 33 with respect 
to valve 12 may be defined in such a way as to obtain optimum contact for 
the purposes of leak-tightness, the bush being made to slide inside the 
seat and be locked with adjusting screws (not shown). 
At the bottom (on the drawing) and opposite to bush 33 is a bush 35, 
usually made of cast iron, which is also a solid of revolution with a hole 
37 in the center which is the same diameter as pipe 10 of which it is an 
extension. The surfaces of bush 35 are shaped in different ways so that 
there is a concave area 38 which is in contact with the surface of valve 
12, an external cylindrical surface 39, the internal cylindrical surface 
37 which extends hole 10 and in such a way that there is a short tubular 
guide sleeve 41 which can slide inside a corresponding annular seat 43 
with cylindrical surfaces surrounding hole 10 machined in the section of 
the head. Between external surface 39 and the external surface of sleeve 
41 is a step 45 which receives the thrust of a compression spring 47 to 
keep the surface of area 38 in close contact with the surface of valve 12 
at all times. Spring 47 acts on the bottom of an annular guide slot 49 
outside the annular sliding seat 43 of sleeve 41. Radial pegs 51 prevent 
bush 35 from decending too far if spring 47 breaks. 
Bushes 53 and 55, which slide inside cylindrical seats 61 and 67, are in 
the shape of solids of revolution and are usually made of graphite, 
surround both sides of valve 12 and each has its own concavity 54 and 58 
with concave surfaces which mate with the surface of valve 12. Their 
springs 57 and 59 push bushes 53 and 55 centripetally, i.e. in the axis of 
rotation of shaft 17, so as to ensure contact between concavities 54 and 
58 and the surface of valve 12. Concavities 54 and 58 have a portion 
missing at the bottom as each has a notch 63 and 65 which can prevent 
bushes 53 and 55 from touching the cylindrical contour 49 of bush 35. 
Concavities 54 and 58 are interrupted also at the sides--i.e. they do not 
surround the surface of valve 12 up to the meridian which lies in a plane 
which is orthogonal to the axis of shaft 17--so as not to touch the ends 
of pipes 7 and 9. Spring 57 acts against an annular shoulder 67 which (on 
the left of FIG. 1) bounds hollow seat 61 inside which bush 53 slides; 
similarly spring 59 acts against an annular shoulder 69 which (on the 
right of FIG. 2) bounds hollow seat 67 inside which bush 55 slides. The 
shoulder 69 is machined onto the front (opposite bearing 19) of a sleeve 
71 which serves as a spacer, to complete and close recess 67 and which may 
also act as a bush. 70 represents a double shoulder which may absorb the 
axial thrusts from shaft 17; this shoulder rotates inside an annular slot 
72 machined from the material of which the head is made. The potential 
centrifugal travel of bushes 53 and 55 is also delimited by their radial 
pegs 73 and 75 which face downward and slide inside seats 77 and 79 within 
certain limits. A pair of thin pipes 81 and 83 which are inclined, lead 
into a top recess 85 on the head and are for cooling purposes cross top 
bush 33; in some cases they may also be used to lubricate valve 12 from 
the top. At the point at which they emerge into recess 34, pipes 81 and 83 
are connected by a groove 84 which is in the shape of a bow with the 
circumference on the surface of the recess. 
As bush 35 is subject to the pressure of the gases during the compression, 
combustion and expansion phases--as is valve 12--it has a flexible sealing 
ring 87 (or similar) fitted to cylindrical surface 39 and another ring 89 
fitted to the external surface of sleeve 41. This ensures that gas cannot 
pass along these surfaces. 
In the example in the drawing, the head (or cylinder head) of which section 
1 is part is air cooled and yet has cooling fins 91 in a configuration 
which is already known, some of the fins having gaps for access to pipes 7 
and 9, recess 85 and hole 11 and for the space occupied by the plug or the 
injector. 
In the version described of the invention the cooling system also enable 
cooling air to circulate inside pipes (machined in the cylinder head 
block) in positions such that the surfaces of seat 15 are cooled either 
directly or indirectly. The said pipes shown as 93 and 95 are 
approximately circular, with a rectangular section or similar, and have an 
inlet hole 97 at the point where the cylinder head section 1 joins the 
corresponding section of a cylinder which is contiguous with cylinder 3 
and an outlet hole 99, the said pipes being able to communicate with each 
other. It is clear that where water cooling is employed, pipes 93 and 95 
can be used to circulate the water and can be supplied with the cooling 
water that circulates in the engine block in the usual way. 
In the example in the drawing, valve 12 has a single "facet" consisting of 
surface 13 but it is clear that it may also have two and possibly more 
than two facets (or recesses or through holes positioned in similar 
fashion on surface 13) located at equal angular distances and suitably 
spaced. When there is only one facet the number of revolutions of valve 12 
is half the number of engine revolutions (as for the timing shaft of a 
standard four-stroke engine); with two facets the number of revolutions of 
the valve is one quarter of that of the engine whilst with three facets 
the number of revolutions is one sixth of that of the engine. 
The timing device offers considerable advantages compared with conventional 
ones, such as the omission of valve springs and the disadvantages 
associated with them, wider passages for the fluids that are aspirated or 
discharged, the reduced mechanical power level absorbed by the camshaft, 
the possibility of obtaining high compression ratios etc. In addition the 
entire system is very simple in construction and certainly very modest in 
terms of cost if mass-produced. Valve 12 does not require lubricating for 
the standard speeds of rotation of a motor-transport engine. Limited 
lubrication is however, possible via pipes 81, 83 with a drip-feed type of 
system, for example. The device according to the invention has the further 
advantage of enabling solid ribbon-like fuel to be used in an endothermic 
engine to which it is fitted, as valve 12 ensures that suitable segments 
will be cut from the ribbon which feeds through, for example, at the end 
of the induction phase. 
For high-powered engines the invention also offers the possibility of using 
two rotary valves (rather than only one) in the shape of a solid of 
revolution with a convex surface, with at least one facet (or recess or 
hole), with the first valve connecting the intake pipe with an inlet pipe 
in the combustion chamber of a cylinder in synchronization with the phases 
of the engine's cycle and the second valve connecting the exhaust pipe 
with an outlet pipe from the combustion chamber of the said cylinder in 
synchronization with the said phases. The said two rotary valves may be 
spherical in shape with a facet similar to valve 12; the two valves may 
also differ from one another in that by varying the angle at the center of 
the chord of the great circle to which the facet corresponds it is 
possible to control the duration of the corresponding induction or exhaust 
phase. In this case each rotary valve will have a single function, but the 
design will be the same as the preceding one. 
The drawing only shows an example, the shapes and configurations of which 
may vary.