Abstract:
In diesel engine, blower forces air into bore of cylinder head against small diameter piston of compound piston assembly forcing assembly down in engine cylinder, permitting air to enter combustion chamber. Diesel fuel injector introduces diesel fuel into combustion chamber where it mixes with injected air. Momentum of system forces compound piston assembly to the top of its stroke, compressing the air/diesel fuel mixture to the ignition point.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     This invention relates, broadly speaking, to a novel diesel engine.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     No prior art showing diesel engines related to the present invention is known to the inventor.  
         [0005]     However, internal combustion engines bearing a superficial resemblance to the structure of the present invention, are known. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,393 issued Nov. 19, 2002.  
       SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION  
       [0006]     One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a novel diesel engine.  
         [0007]     Still other and further objects of the present invention will become apparent by reference to the accompanying specification and drawings, and to the appended claims.  
         [0008]     Briefly, the foregoing objects are attained by providing a diesel engine having a unique structure in which air is injected through one end of the engine cylinder and diesel fuel is injected, at an appropriate stage of operation into the combustion cylinder.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]     Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals represent like parts in the several views:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  represents, diagrammatically and not to scale, a longitudinal medial view, partially in section, of the diesel engine, showing the compound piston assembly at the top of its stroke.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  represents, diagrammatically and not to scale, a longitudinal medial view, partially in section, of the diesel engine, similar to  FIG. 1 , showing the compound piston assembly in an intermediate position.  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  represents, diagrammatically and not to scale, d longitudinal medial view, partially in section, of the diesel engine, similar to  FIG. 1 , showing the compound piston assembly at the bottom of its stroke.  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  represents, diagrammatically and not to scale, a longitudinal medial view, partially in section, of an alternate design of diesel engine, but otherwise similar to  FIG. 1 , showing another form of shaft rotating means operatively interposed between the compound piston assembly and the drive shaft, whereby longitudinal movement of the compound piston assembly causes the drive shaft to rotate.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0014]      FIGS. 1-3  show diesel engine  1  comprising hollow cylinder  2  having a central bore  3 , a circular cylinder head  4  fixedly mounted within cylinder  2 , circular compound piston assembly  5  longitudinally movable within cylinder  2 , and swash plate  6  secured to rotatable drive shaft  7 .  
         [0015]     Compound piston assembly  5  comprises a small diameter piston  8  and a hollow large diameter main piston  9 , said pistons  8  and  9  being secured to each other.  
         [0016]     Small diameter piston  8  slidably engages bore  10  in cylinder head  4 .  
         [0017]     Large diameter piston  9  slidably engage, through piston rings  11 , central bore  3  in cylinder  2 .  
         [0018]     Rotatable drive shaft  7  extends through the bore  12  of large diameter main piston  9  and through central bore  13  in small diameter piston  8 .  
         [0019]     In the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-3 , swash plate  6 , otherwise known as a wobble plate, is formed with a pair of gradual slopes  14  extending iii one direction away from the center of swash plate  6 , and with a pair of gradual slopes  15  extending in the opposite direction away from the center of swash plate  6 , the said gradual slopes  14  and  15  being arranged alternately in equispaced relation around the swash plate  6 .  
         [0020]     Swash plate  6  is positioned in cylinder  2  so that slopes  14  and  15  alternately engage roller bearings  16  rotatably mounted within the hollow of, and to, large diameter main piston  9 . It will be seen that as swash plate  6  rotates, or is caused to rotate, the alternate engagement of slopes  14  and  15  with roller bearings  16  coincides with the longitudinal movement of compound piston assembly  5  within cylinder  2 .  
         [0021]     In this preferred embodiment, swash plate  6  has two pair of gradual slopes  14  and two pair of gradual slopes  15  positioned alternately in equispaced relationship around the circumference of swash plate  6 . In other words, slopes  14  and  15  are 90° apart. Slopes  14  on opposite edges of swash plate  6  must simultaneously engage roller bearings  16  which are positioned 180° apart on opposite sides of the hollow large diameter main piston  9 . Similarly, slopes  15  on opposite edges of swash plate  6  must simultaneously engage the said roller bearings  16 .  
         [0022]     The embodiment shown herein may employ a swash plate  6  with additional equispaced pairs of slopes  14  and  15 .  
         [0023]     The distances between those surfaces of slopes  14  and  15  which engage roller bearings  16  is equal to the length of travel of compound piston assembly  5  within cylinder  2 .  
         [0024]     Compound piston assembly  5  is provided with stabilizing rods  17  projecting into slots  18  in cylinder  2 , thus preventing compound piston assembly  5  from rotating within bore  3  of cylinder  2 .  
         [0025]     Diesel fuel injector  19  extends through aperture  20  in cylinder  2  and communicates with combustion chamber  21  between the upper surface of main piston  9  and the lower surface of cylinder head  4 .  
         [0026]     Blower  22  receives air through conduit  23  communicating with the inlet of blower  22 .  
         [0027]     Conduit  24  communicates at one end thereof with the outlet of the blower  22 , and communicates at the other end thereof with bore  10  in cylinder head  4 . That end of conduit  24  which extends into bore  10  fits the said bore  10 . In other words, such end is circular and of substantially the same diameter as bore  10 . Such end extends into bore  10  to a point short of small diameter piston  8  at the top of its stroke, thereby avoiding a collision in bore  10  between that end of conduit  24  extending into bore  10  and that end of small diameter piston  8  also extending into bore  10  and slidably engaging the interior thereof.  
         [0028]     Conduit  24  can be made of two pieces, one a circular ring extending into bore  10  and secured therein, and the other an ordinary length of conduit secured to the circular ring at the top thereof and extending to and secured to the outlet of blower  22 .  
         [0029]     In operating the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-3 , with compound piston assembly  5  at the top of its stroke, air is passed through conduit  23  to the inlet of blower  22  and is blown out of the outlet of blower  22  through conduit  24  into bore  10  above the free end of small diameter piston  8 .  
         [0030]     Due to the rotation of drive shaft  7 , resulting from a previous step in the combustion cycle of operation, or from the momentum of fly wheel  26  useful at least in starting up, diesel engine  1 , swash plate  6  rotates to remove the tops of slopes  14  or  15  away from engagement with roller bearings  16 . At the same time, the pressure of the injected air in bore  10  against the top or free end of small diameter piston  8  forces the compound piston assembly  5  downwardly in central bore  3  of cylinder  2 , thereby permitting the injected air to enter the combustion chamber  21 . Diesel fuel is introduced into combustion chamber  21  through aperture  20  by means of diesel fuel injector  19  and mixes with the injected air.  
         [0031]     The momentum of rotating drive shaft  7  and fly wheel  26 , applied through swash plate  6  and roller bearings  16 , forces compound piston assembly  5  upwardly in bore  3  to the top of its stroke. The dimensions of combustion chamber  21  relative to the volume of the mixture of diesel fuel and air in combustion chamber  21  and the volume of the combustion chamber  21  at the top of the stroke of compound piston assembly  5  are chosen so that the compression of the mixture of diesel fuel and air in the combustion chamber  21  at the top of the stroke of compound piston assembly  5  raises to the ignition point the temperature of the said mixture of diesel fuel and air. The exhaust gases so produced will generate pressure sufficient to bear against the upper surface of main piston  9  and thereby force compound piston assembly  5  downwardly to the bottom of its stroke, thus continuing the rotation of drive shaft  7 . The exhaust gases pass out of diesel engine  1  through exhaust ports  25 .  
         [0032]     The embodiment of  FIG. 4  is operated in the same manner as the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-3 . However, different means are interposed between the compound piston assembly and the drive shaft  7  to rotate the said drive shaft.  
         [0033]     Rotatable drive shaft  27  extends through apertures  28  in opposite sides of cylinder  2 , and is provided with cam  29  bounded by side member  30 . Crank  31  is provided at one end with aperture  32  receiving cam  29 . The other end of crank  31  extends into the hollow of large diameter main piston  9  and is provided with aperture  33 . Rod  34 , mounted to, and within the hollow of, large diameter main piston  9 , extends through aperture  33 . Rotatable drive shaft  27  is provided with fly wheel  35 .  
         [0034]     Rotation of drive shaft  27  causes cam  29 , which in turn acts on rod  34 , to raise compound piston assembly  5  to the top of its stroke, and alternatively to permit compound piston assembly  5  to descend to the bottom of its stroke.  
         [0035]     In other respects, the operation of diesel engine  1  shown in  FIG. 4  is identical with the operation of diesel engine  1  shown in  FIGS. 1-3 .  
         [0036]     Since modifications and changes which do not depart from the spirit of the invention as disclosed herein may readily occur to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains, the appended claims should be construed as covering all suitable modifications and equivalents.