Patent GB-1178399-A (GB)
Title: Rotary Piston Machines.
Inventor: CLARKE JOHN MICHAEL
IPC: F02B53/00
Filed: 1966-10-03
Abstract: 1,178,399. Rotary piston I. C. engines and pumps. NATIONAL RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CORP. Oct.2, 1967 [Oct.3, 1966], No.44050/66. Heading F1F. A rotary piston I. C. engine of the nutating-disc type comprises an annular piston or rotor having a part spherical hub 25, Fig.1, supported by roller bearings 24 on an oblique portion 23 of a rotatable power output shaft 22, which is coupled by a train of spur and bevel gears 47... 51 to said hub, the piston also having an annular web 27 that is curved in the circumferential direction and lodged in an annular channel 31 with a convergent-divergent configuration in said direction so as to define a plurality of chambers A.. D, Figs.7a to 7#. The chambers aforesaid are sealed by rings 38.. 41 engaging with the hub 25 and an annular part spherical rim 26 on the web 27, and by radially-orientated rectilinear seals 52.. 55 on the web, a further sealing ring 44 being in abutment with the radially-outermost surface of the rim so that the latter can control an inlet port 42 for air, or fuel-air mixture, and an outlet port 43 for the spent products of combustion. Combustion of the fuel is effected in a chamber 57 in one wall of the channel and a valve 56 in the web permits transference of gases from one side of the web to the other so that the engine operates substantially, in the manner of a two-stroke receiprocating piston engine. The valve 56 is either operated by pressure difference or by mechanical means (not shown). The working cycle during one complete revolution of the piston is shown in Figs. 7a to 7f, ignition of the fuel within the chamber 57, as indicated in Fig. 7d, occurring when the volume of the chamber A is least and the chamber B is in communication with the port 43 while it is being scavenged by compressed air or mixture that is being transferred thereto from the chamber D prior to further compression in the chamber B. The engine may be modified, Fig. 8 (not shown), such that the rim 26 is dispensed with and the radially-outermost edge of the web 27 has a sealing ring (64) therein engaging with the casing of the engine, the ports 42,43 being replaced by openings (71, 72) in the casing, which are controlled by the web, and a combustion chamber (74 or 76, Figs. 9a to 9c, not shown), being formed in either side of the annular channel. With this arrangement, the valve 56 is also dispensed with. The engine may be further modified so that the air or mixture is inducted through a port in the hub of the piston. Alternatively, to adapt the engine for operation as a pump, a pair of inlet ports (81, 82, Figs. 10a to 10#, not shown), and a pair of outlet ports (85, 86) are formed in the walls of the annular channel, in which ports non-return valves may be provided. It is indicated that a combustible gas may be burned on one side of the piston so that the latter can effect pumping on the other side thereof, the ports being arranged accordingly. In another embodiment, Figs. 11, 12 and 13a to 13# (not shown), the engine is arranged to operate substantially in the manner of a double-acting four-stroke reciprocating piston I.C. engine, pairs of inlet and outlet ports (109, 110) being formed in the channel on either side of the piston, and recessed (105, 106) being formed in the web of the piston between radially-orientated seals (107, 108), which recesses serve as combustion chambers. It is indicated that the casing may also revolve during operation of the engine.