INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE WITH OPPOSED BALANCED REACTION

Abstract: An internal combustion engine including an elongated piston assembly (52) having working piston faces at the opposite ends of a longitudinal axis, a cylinder assembly (11) comprising a pair of spaced coaxial cylinders in which the piston assembly reciprocates along its axis, a crank shaft (27) mounted in the cylinder assembly to extend perpendicular to the axis thereof in the path of the piston assembly and including a crank pin (50) parallel to the crank shaft and a connecting rod (44) pivotally connected to the crank pin of the piston assembly so that rotation of the crank shaft is accompanied by reciprocation of the piston assembly in the cylinder assembly.

Description: INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE WITH OPPOSED BALANCED REACTION Technical Field This invention relates to the field of intern combustion engines and may be applie-i. to any two-cycle e gine. Background of the Invention Present internal combustion engines have cran shafts driven through connecting rods by power strokes o pistons. The forces associated with the power stroke make up a continuous load on the crank shaft and mai bearings, with a principal component always away from th pistons. However, the crank shaft also acts throug connecting rods to drive the pistons during the compres sion strokes, ajid * these forces make- up an additiona continuous load " .on the crank shaft and main bearings, als with a principal component away from the pistons. Th -forces due to compression are less than those due t power, but nevertheless result in wear on the bearings i addition to that unavoidably occurring during the powe strokes. Summary **— of the Invention The invention here comprises an engine con structed with cylinders and pistons in aligned pairs o opposite sides of a crank shaft to provide piston assem blies acting in linear alignment, and connected to th crank shaft by single connecting rods. Then the powe stroke on one end of the assembly drives the compressio " stroke on the other end directly, without the intermediar of any connecting rod acting on or through the cran shaft, and the force on the crank shaft and main bearing is only that of the power stroke reduced by the compres sion force. The engine may be given a two-stroke cycle s that there is a compression stroke each time a pisto travels away from the crank shaft, and a power stroke eac time the piston moves toward the crank shaft. Two suc piston assemblies may be placed side by side, with double throw crank shaft having throws 180° apart, so tha 5 there are two power strokes simultaneously on opposit sides of the crank shaft every 180° of rotation. Thi places the crank shaft under rotational forces from oppo site sides, which reduces the reaction of the mai bearings on the crank shaft in producing output torque. 10 The same principle can be applied to engine having four stroke cycles, if the number of piston assem blies is increased to four, but not all of the advantage would result. Various advantages and features of novelty whic 15 characterize the invention are pointed out with particu larity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a par hereof. However, for a better understanding of the inven tion, its advantages, and objects attained by its use, * ' reference should be ' had to the drawing which forms - 20 further part * hereof, .and to the accompanying descriptiv matter, in which there is illustrated and described preferred embodiment of the invention. Brief Description of the Drawing In the drawing, in which like reference numerals 25 indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of an engin embodying the invention; FIGURE 2 is a sectional view along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1; and 30 FIGURE 3 is a sectional view along the lines 3-3 of FIGURES 1 and 2. Description of the Preferred Embodiment A two stroke engine 10 embodying the inventio is shown in FIGURE 1 to comprise a cylinder assembly 1 35 having cylinder blocks 12 and 13 interconnected by " fas teners 14 with a gasket 15, a pair of cylinder heads 16, 17 secured to cylinder blocks 12 and 13 by fasteners 2 with gaskets 21, a pair of end plates 22 and 23 secured t with gaskets 21, a pair of end plates 22 and 23 secured t cylinder blocks 11 and 12 by fasteners 24, and to cylinde heads 16, 17 by fasteners 25, with gaskets 26, a cran shaft 27, intake manifolds 30, 31, exhaust manifolds 32 33, and valve covers 34 and 35. Since the fuel, exhaust intake, timing, and ignition systems may be conventional these are indicated only schematically. FIGURES 2 and 3 show the internal constructio of engine 1 . 0. Crank shaft 27 is shown to rotate in bear ings 40 and 41 in end plates 22 and 23, and to have a pai of axially spaced crank pins 42 and 43 at sites 180° apar around the crank shaft axis. A pair of connecting rods 4 and 45 have caps -46 and 47 pivotally connecting them t crank pins 42 and 43 at first ends: at their other end the connecting rods are pivotally connected by piston pin 50 and 51 to a pair of piston assemblies 52 and 152 o identical construction.. As best shown ^ in *FIGURE 3, piston ^ assembly 5 comprises a pair of pistons 54 and ' 55 having a common lon gitudinal axis 56 normal to the axis of crank shaft 27 an ending at working faces 57 and 60, which may be flat o shaped as desired. The pistons are interconnected b fasteners 61 at their skirts 62, 63. A cross bore 64 i formed in skirts 62 and 63 to pass crank shaft 27 an crank pin 42, and the skirts may be enlarged transversel for this purpose if necessary. Piston 54 is cross-bore to receive piston pin 50, and is internally formed with a opening 65 to enable the necessary pivotal movement o connecting rod 44 theerein: this is not necessary i piston 55. Piston assembly 152 comprises a pair of piston 154 and 155 having a common longitudinal axis ending a piston heads 157 and 160, and are interconnected at thei skirts, which are formed with a cross bore to pass cran shaft 27 and crank pin 43. Piston 155 is cross-bored to receive piston pin 51, and is internally formed ' with a opening to enable the necessary pivotal movement of con¬ necting rod 45 therein: this is not needed in piston 154. Piston rings 66 are provided for all pistons. Cylinder blocks 12 and 13 are also of identical construction: thus cylinder block 13 provides cylinders 70 and 71 for receiving pistons 54 and 154, the cylinders having intake ports 72 and 73. Block 13 may be cored to provide chambers 74, 75, and 76, shown schematically, for conventional water cooling if desired. Block 12 similarl provides cylinders 80 and 81 for receiving pistons 55 and 155, the cylinders having intake ports 82 and 83, and the block including cooling chambers 84, 85, and 86. Cylinder head 17 is provided with seats 90, 91 for exhaust valves 92, 93 having heads 94, 95 and stems 96, 97, to control the delivery of products of combustio to exhaust manifold 33. Head 17 is also bored an threaded to receive spark plugs or fuel injections 98 an 99. Cylinder head 16 is provided with seats 190, 191 for exhaust valves 192, 193 having heads 194, 195 and stems 196, 197. Head ^ 16 is also bored and threaded to receive spark plugs or fuel injectors 198 and 199. Conventional actuation mechanism coordinatin the operation of the valves with that of crank shaft 27 is understood, and may include lifters and cam shafts within valve covers 34 and 35. Conventional energizing means for the spark plugs or fuel injectors is also understood, as is a supercharger or carburetor for supplying intake ports 72, 73, 82 and 83. Operation Referring to FIGURE 2, cylinder 70 is in com- pression: exhaust valve 92 is closed and intake port 72 is occluded. Cylinder 81 has completed the compression stroke: exhaust valve 193 is open and intake port 82 is also open so that gas may enter cylinder 80 from port 82 and sweep combustion products to exhaust manifold 32. Upon fuel injection or ignition, piston 54 is driven to displace piston assembly 52 downward in FIGURE 3 along axis 56, acting through connecting rod 44 to cause rotation of crank shaft 27, while applying a force a bearings 40 and 41 having a principal downward component Movement of the piston assembly causes piston 55 t occlude intake port 82, and valve 193 is closed, so tha gas is trapped and compressed in cylinder 80. The com pression force is not conducted to crank shaft 27 by an separate connecting rod, however, but simply acts upward along axis 56 in opposition to- the force of the powe stroke. As far as bearings 40 and 41 are concerned, th compression force doe . no more than reduce the force du to piston 54. After 180° of crank shaft rotation the function of cylinders 70 and 80 become reversed, the former bein ready for compression of gas and the latter being read for combustion. Operation as a two-stroke engine is thu established and continues, power output being taken fro ■ piston assembly 52 at crank pin 42 twice in each rotatio of the crank shaft, once from piston 54 and once from pis tion 55, which are both near the- lefthand end of the cran shaft * in FIGURE 1. At the same time ' piston assembly 152 is als supplying power. Under the conditions shown in FIGURE 2, cylinder 81 is in compression: exhaust valve 192 i closed and intake port 83 is occluded. Cylinder 71 ha completed the power stroke: exhaust valve 93 is open an intake port 73 is open so that gas may enter cylinder 7 from port 73 and sweep combustion products to exhaus manifold 33. Upon fuel injection or ignition piston 155 is driven to displace piston assembly 152 to the right, acting through connecting rod 45 to cause rotation o crank shaft 27 in the same direction as assembly 52, while applying a force at bearings 40 and 41 having a principal rightward component that approximately eguals the bearing reaction to the power stroke of piston 54; thus providing a "balanced reaction". Movement of the piston assembly causes piston 154 to occlude intake port 73, and valve 93 is closed, so that gas is trapped and compressed in cylin der 71. The compression force is not conducted to cran shaft 27 by any shaft or connecting rod, however, bu simply acts in opposition to the force of the powe stroke. After 180° of crank shaft rotation the function of cylinders 71 and 81 become reversed, the former bein ready for compression of gas and the latter being read for combustion. Operation as a second two-stroke engin is thus established and continues, power output bein taken from piston assembly 152 at crank pin 43 twice i each rotation of the crank shaft, once from piston 155 an once from piston 154, which are both near the lefthand en of the cr-ank shaft in FIGURE 1. In summary, there are two power strokes simul taneously on opposite sides of the crank shaft every 180° of crank shaft operation, placing the crank shaft unde rotational forces from opposite sides. This minimizes th reaction of the main bearings on the crank, shaft in pro ducing output torque. It will be evident that if desired a longe crank shaft with four crank pins at 90° angular spacin may be used with four piston assemblies, to double th power output; or, the engine can be built in four strok cylce operation, but half of the compression strokes woul then be driven by the crankshaft. From the above it will be evident that th invention comprises an engine structure in which compres sion forces are not conducted to the crank shaft, bu simply form a direct load on the movement of the pisto assemblies. Thus there is no compression load on the mai bearings, connecting rods or connecting rod bearings ex cept when cranking the engine to start it, or if on cylinder misfires. The principal load on the crank shaf when the engine is running is simply that required t drive accessories or to power an external load. No later al forces are exerted on the pistons or cylinder wall from compression strokes driven through connecting rods b the crank shaft. It is to be considered that without the compres sion load on the connecting rods, crank shaft, pistons and cylinder walls, it is quite possible that highe compression ratios can be tolerated, to obtain more energ output from a given weight of fuel, or that the engin will operate more efficiently and parts can be mad smaller for the same horsepower, .and last longer. Numerous characteristics and advantages of m invention have been set forth in the foregoing descrip tion, together with details of the structure and functio of the invention, and the novel features thereof ar pointed out in the appended claims. The disclosure however, is illustrative only, and changes may be made i detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrange ment of parts, within the principle of the invention, t the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning o the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims: WHAT IS CLAIMED IS : 1. In an engine : an elongated piston assembly having workin piston faces at the opposite ends of a longitudinal axis; a cylinder assembly comprising a pair of space coaxial cylinders in which said piston assembly recipro¬ cates along said axis; a crank shaft- mounted in said cylinder assembl to extend perpendicular to said axis in the path of sai piston assembly and including a crank pin parallel to sai crank shaft a connecting rod pivotally connected to sai crank pin and said piston assembly so that rotation o said crank shaft is accompanied by reciprocation of sai piston assembly in said cylinder assembly; means * including cylinder heads for definin combustion chambers at ends of said cylinder assembl apposed to t said working faces; means coordinated with crank shaft rotation fd supplying fuel and air to said combustion chambers an conducting combustion products from said combustion cham¬ bers; and means initiating combustion alternately in sai combustion chambers, so that when one cylinder and pisto are producing power, the other piston is compressing gas in the other cylinder. 2. In an engine: first and second elongated piston assemblies each having working piston faces at the opposite ends of longitudinal axis; a cylinder assembly comprising first and secon pairs of spaced coaxial parallel cylinders in which sai piston assemblies reciprocate along said axes; a crank shaft mounted in said cylinder assembl to extend perpendicular to said axes in the paths of sai piston assemblies and including a pair of axially space crank pins parallel to said crank shaft ' and in mutual 180 angular relation therearound; a pair of connecting rods pivotally connected t said crank pins and said piston assemblies so that rota tion of said crank shaft is accompanied by opposite reci procations of said piston assemblies in said cylinde assemblies; means including cylinder heads for definin combustion chambers at the ends of said cylinder assem blies apposed to said working faces; means coordinated with crank shaft rotation fo supplying fuel and air to said combustion chambers an conducting combustion products from said combustion cham bers; and means initiating combustion alternately in sai combustion chambers, so that when one cylinder and pisto of each assembly are producing power, the other piston i compressing gas in the other cylinder of each assembly. * * " * __. 3. An engine according to claim 2 in which ' combus tion is initiated simultaneously in cylinders on opposit sides of said crank shaft. 4. A piston assembly for an internal combustion en gine comprising, in combination: first and second pistons; • means mounting said pistons in end-to-end rela tion to extend along a straight longitudinal axi terminating at the working faces of said pistons; a piston pin in one of said pistons extendin normal to said longitudinal axis; and a connecting rod pivotally connected to sai piston pin to extend therefrom toward the center of the assembly, said assembly having a cross bore extendin parallel to said piston pin and perpendicular to said axis near the center of said assembly for enabling rotation of a crank shaft having a crank pin parallel to said piston pin, and said first piston having a cavity extending and said first piston having a cavity extendin from said cross bore past the location of said piston pi to enable pivotal movement of said connecting rod abou said pin. 5. The method of operating an internal combustio engine which comprises directly opposing the force re quired to compress gas before combustion against th pressure exerted by the combustion of the gas. 6. The method of reducing load and wear on the mai and crank shaft bearings of an internal .combustion engin which comprises configuring the engine with pairs of pis tons at the opposite ends of piston assemblies on opposit sides of a crank shaft, so that one piston is compressin gas when the other is being driven by expanding gas, an connecting the crank shaft to the assemblies rather tha to individual pistons- 7. An engine comprising, in combination: a crank case including a pair of cylinder block defining a pair of cylinders spaced along a longitudina axis; a crank shaft extending through said crank cas along a second axis perpendicular to said first axis; a piston -assembly movable along said longitu dinal axis and having working faces in said cylinders a opposite ends of said assembly, said assembly being trans versely apertured to pass said crank shaft; means including a single connecting rod pivotal ly connecting said piston assembly to said crank shaft s that rotation of said crank shaft is accompanied by uni tary reciprocation of said piston faces in the same direc tion; and means controlling the operation of sai engine so that when one of said cylinders is compressin its gas content the other is subject to expansion of it gas content.

Inventors: CARLSON GEORGE H
Applicants: CARLSON GEORGE H
Application year: 1981
Main classification: F02B75
IPC codes: F02B75, F16F15