Patent GB-661545-A (GB)
Title: Improved internal-combustion engine
IPC: F02B75/22
Filed: 1949-11-17
Abstract: 661,545. Frames; cylinders, cylinder cooling; lubricating; pumps. GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION. Nov. 17, 1949 [Nov. 20, 1948], No. 29417/49. Class 7(ii)  In an internal-combustion engine comprising a frame formed of vertically spaced bearing support members 31, Fig. 4, and of inner and outer coaxially arranged cylinder support members 47 and 41, respectively, there is provided a crankshaft 17 having bearing assemblies 77 formed of segmental members 79 clamped together and removably secured therein and insertable in openings 33 in the support members 31 so as to allow for limited self-aligning movement of the assemblies and supported by an end thrust bearing 13,Fig. 2. A horizontal mounting ring 1 has an electric generator 9 secured to its under surface and the engine to its upper surface, the vertically arranged crankshaft 17, Fig. 4, of the latter being connected to the armature shaft 15. Between the engine and ring 1 is disposed an accessary drive housing 25, Fig. 2, which is provided at opposite sides with cover plates 27. The engine comprises sixteen cylinders arranged radially in four rows, with four radial cylinders in each row and in four vertical banks, with four cylinders in each bank. The engine frame, which is welded, includes the main crankshaft bearing support member. 31, Fig. 4, .support members 41 and 47, the cooling jackets of the cylinder liners 51 being located in these latter two members. The support members 47 form the outer wall of the separate crank chambers between adjacent members 31. and holes 57 in members 47, which serve as handgrips, are sealed by cover plates. two of the openings between the four cylinder banks being sealed by covers whilst the remaining two openings are closed by engine-driven Roots blowers 75, Fig. 2. All five main crankshaft bearings are split, each bearing half having teeth interfitting with similar teeth on the other half whilst an auxiliary split bearing 91, Fig. 4, is situated below the accessary driving gear 83 on the lower end of the crankshaft. Each main bearing assembly is supported for a self-aligning movement with respect to its bore 33 by means of three radially arranged studs which may be adjusted by means of nuts accessible through holes 57. The accessary gear 83 drives two gear trains each of which is housed in a split housing 125, Fig. 11, the gear 83 meshing with an idler 131 in each train that in turn meshes with a starter driven gear 133 splined on a shaft 179; the corresponding gear in the other train is connected to a governor. The gear 133 meshes with gears 135 and 137, gear 135 in turn meshing with a camshaft driving gear 139 on a shaft 163 as well as gear 141 splined on shaft 145. The other idler gear 137 meshes with another camshaft 'driving gear on shaft 163 and with a pump driving gear 143 on a shaft 151. The shaft 145 drives one of the blowers 75 in addition to sea and fresh water pumps, whilst each shaft 151 drives a lubricating pump. .The engine governor 171. Fig. 2. and starter motor 172 are mounted on the intake manifold, and the governor is operatively connected to fuel pump 189. The lubricating pumps supply oil to four vertical manifolds 201, Fig. 4, two of which feed the two lower crankshaft bearings, the other two supplying the upper bearings through conduits 225 and passages 227. Ring seals are provided at the various joints of the lubricating conduits and manifolds to prevent leakage during alignment of the bearings. A similar arrangement of manifolds and conduits is used to direct oil axially outwardly into each cylinder liner to impinge on the pistons in order to both cool and lubricate the pistons and cylinder walls. The accessary gear trains and bearings of the camshaft, blower, governor and starter motor are also supplied with lubricant by this latter system. After draining the lubricant it is circulated by a scavenging pump through a cooling and filtering mechanism (not shown), to the intakes of the lubricating pumps. The fresh-water pump supplies cooling water to the jackets of the cylinder liners and to the intercooler 10, Fig. 2, of the generator as well as to another inter-cooler (not shown), that is also fed by the sea-water pump.