Rotary internal combustion engine

Claim 2

In a rotary device, a stator block having a circular interior surface, a cylindrical rotor eccentrically mounted in said block for rotation therein about its axis, a plurality of radial cavities in said rotor, pistons slidably mounted in said cavities and adapted to have a portion of their outer ends in constant sealing relation with said body thereby defining a plurality of chambers between the periphery of said rotor and the circular interior surface of said block, means for introducing fluid into said rotor radial cavities inwardly of said pistons, and means for sequentially injecting such fluid from each said radial cavity into both said chambers fore and aft of the respective piston.

Claim 3

In a rotary device according to claim 1, said block circular interior surfaces being formed with a concentric toroidal cavity, said pistons having crown surface portions of arcuate shape receivable within said toroidal cavity, and means for maintaining said piston crown surface portions in uniformly spaced proximate relation with said toroidal cavity surface whereby to prevent frictional wear thereon while providing an effective seal.

Claim 4

In a rotary device according to claim 1, each said piston crown surface including a raised arcuate surface along a diameter of said piston coplanar with the axis of said rotor and dividing said crown surface into fore and aft portions.

Claim 5

In a rotary device according to claim 3, said injecting means comprising a pair of passages connecting the base of each said piston with the fore and aft portions of the respective piston crown.

Claim 6

In a rotary device according to claim 4, said injecting means including valve means selectively opening and closing said passages.

Claim 7

In a rotary device according to claim 5, said valve means comprising a sleeve and spool in the base of said piston, extending axially of said piston.

Claim 8

In a rotary device according to claim 6, separate radially movable elements in said rotor in alignment generally radially of said rotor with said sleeve and spool for selectively actuating said sleeve and spool.

Claim 9

In a rotary device according to claim 5, said injecting means also including movable means within said rotor engageable with said valve for actuating the same.

Claim 10

In a rotary device according to claim 8, said valve actuating means comprising a cam driven by said rotor and radial valve lifters engaging said cam.

Claim 11

In a rotary device according to claim 1, there being three of said radial cavities and pistons therein equiangularly spaced about said rotor.

Claim 12

In a rotary device according to claim 3, said injecting means being arranged to inject fluid sequentially from the aft portion of one piston and from the forward portion of the following piston sequentially as said pistons approach the point of tangency of said rotor and said body.

Claim 13

In a rotary device according to claim 11, wherein said fluid is a gaseous fuel mixture, spark ignition means located to ignite the mixture in each space outwardly of the rotor between adjacent pistons shortly after the trailing piston has passed the point of tangency of the rotor and body.

Claim 14

In a rotary device according to claim 12, said spark ignition means comprising spark plugs mounted in said rotor forward of each of said pistons, each said spark plug having a contact in the side of said rotor, and a single stationary contact in the side of said engine body adaptable to wipingly engage each said spark plug immediately after the following piston has passed the point of tangency of the rotor and engine body.

Claim 15

In a rotary device according to claim 3, said block interior surface being generally cylindrical and bisected by said toroidal cavity, each said piston crown mounting a pair of bars parallel to the general plane of said raised arcuate surfaces, said bars projecting axially from said piston at each end of said raised surface, and means biasing said bars into wiping engagement with said cylindrical interior surface of said block on both sides of said toroidal cavity whereby to maintain said raised arcuate surface in uniformly spaced proximate relation with said toroidal surface.

Claim 16

In a rotary device according to claim 14, said raised arcuate portion comprising a half ring, said crown being grooved along a diameter lying in an axial plane of said rotor to receive said half ring.

Claim 17

In a rotary device according to claim 15, said pistons being formed with outwardly open radial slots parallel to said axial plane, said bars being slidably received in said slots for movement axially of said rotor.

Claim 18

In a rotary device according to claim 16, said biasing means comprising compression springs positioned in said slots beneath said bars.

Claim 19

In a rotary device according to claim 1, an opening in the periphery of said block in radial alignment with said rotor and of sufficient size to accommodate one of said pistons, and a plug for said hole.

Claim 20

In a rotary device according to claim 18, said plug including an exhaust port angularly spaced therein from the point of tangency of said rotor and said block interior surface.

Claim 21

In a rotary device according to claim 1, said means for introducing fuel into said rotor piston cavities comprising an axial passageway in said rotor, radial passages connecting said axial passageway with said radial cavities, and check valves in said radial passageways permitting the radially outward movement of fuel mixture therethrough but preventing inward radial movement of the fuel mixture.

Claim 22

In a rotary device according to claim 3, said block having a pair of inwardly directed annular flanges along the margins of said block circular interior surface, said flange peripheries being eccentric with respect to said circular interior surface and concentric with respect to said rotor, and circumferential sealing means on said rotor and spaced apart axially thereof for engagement with said flanges.

Claim 23

In a rotary device according to claim 21, said circular interior surface being partly of cylindrical shape, said maintaining means comprising flat bar means mounted in said piston crown parallel to said raised arcuate surface thereof and engageable with cylindrical surfaces of said circular interior surface and with the inner transverse surfaces of said flanges, resilient means biasing said bar means outwardly radially of said rotor.

Claim 24

In a rotary device according to claim 2, wheRein said maintaining means comprises circular guide means affixed to said block and concentric with said circular interior surface thereof, and follower elements carried by said pistons and projecting therefrom in a direction parallel to said rotor axis into cooperative engagement with said guide means for movement therealong during rotation of said rotor.

Claim 25

In a rotary device according to claim 23, each said piston cavity having a radially extending groove between it and the adjacent end of the rotor, a circumferential slot in the peripheral surface of said rotor communicating with said grooves, said guide means including a plate projecting radially through said slot into said grooves, said follower element of each said piston extending into the associated groove and therein engaging said guide means.

Claim 26

In a rotary device, a stator block having a circular interior surface, a cylindrical rotor eccentrically mounted in said block for rotation therein about its axis, a plurality of radial cavities in said rotor, pistons slidably mounted in said cavities, said block interior surface including a concentric toroidal cavity, said pistons having crown surface portions of arcuate shape receivable within said toroidal cavity, means for maintaining said piston crown surface portions in uniformly spaced proximate relation with the surface of said toroidal cavity whereby to prevent frictional wear thereon while providing an effective seal, said block interior surface including a cylindrical portion, space-maintaining means comprising flat ended elements mounted in the crowns of said pistons in planes radial of said rotor axis and resiliently biased outwardly radially of said rotor into sliding engagement with said cylindrical surface portion, each piston crown being formed with an arcuate groove in a plane radial of the rotor axis and diametral of the piston, said crown surface portions comprising ring sections seated in said grooves, each said piston being formed with a pair of slots extending inwardly from the crown parallel to and adjacent the end portions of said ring section, said flat ended elements being rectangular bars slidably mounted in said slots, said block having a pair of annular flanges extending inwardly from the ends of said interior surface and having their rims eccentric with respect to said interior surface and concentric with respect to said rotor, said flanges being spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the diameter of said rotor cavities, said piston slots being open at the crown and sides of the piston, the outer edges of said bars being substantially flush with the peripheries of said pistons, whereby said bar outer edges are in wiping engagement with the radial surfaces of said block flanges and the flat ends of said bars are wipingly engaged with said block cylindrical surface, and sealing means on the peripheries of said rotor between said piston cavities and the adjacent ends of said rotor, said sealing means being slidingly engageable with the rims of said block flanges, each said sealing means comprising a pair of rings, one ring of each pair being substantially tangential to said piston cavities.

Claim 27

In a rotary device, a stator block having a circular interior surface, a cylindrical rotor eccentrically mounted in said block for rotation therein about its axis, a plurality of radial cavities in said rotor, pistons slidably mounted in said cavities, said block interior surface including a concentric toroidal cavity, said pistons having crown surface portions of arcuate shape receivable within said toroidal cavity, means for maintaining said piston crown surface portions in uniformly spaced proximate relation with the surface of said toroidal cavity whereby to prevent frictional wear thereon while providing an effective seal, said block interior surface including a cylindrical portion, space-maintaining means comprising flat ended elements mounted in the crowns of said pistons in planes radial of said rotor axis and resiliently biased outwardly radially of said rotor into sliding engagement with said cylindrical surface portion, each piston crown being formed with an arcuate groove in a plane radial of the rotor axis and diametral of the piston, said crown surface portions comprising ring sections seated in said grooves, each said piston being formed with a pair of slots extending inwardly from the crown parallel to and adjacent the end portions of said ring section, said flat ended elements being rectangular bars slidably mounted in said slots, said block having a pair of annular flanges extending inwardly from the ends of said interior surface and having their rims eccentric with respect to said interior surface and concentric with respect to said rotor, said flanges being spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the diameter of said rotor cavities, said piston slots being open at the crown and sides of the piston, the outer edges of said bars being substantially flush with the peripheries of said pistons, whereby said bar outer edges are in wiping engagement with the radial surfaces of said block flanges and the flat ends of said bars are wipingly engaged with said block cylindrical surface, and sealing means on the peripheries of said rotor between said piston cavities and the adjacent ends of said rotor, said sealing means being slidingly engageable with the rims of said block flanges, each said sealing means comprising a pair of rings, one ring of each pair being substantially tangential to said piston cavities.

Claim 28

In a rotary device according to claim 25, an axial passageway in said rotor, a source of lubricant communicating with said passageway, passageways in said rotor extending radially outwardly from said axial passageway and communicating with the periphery of said rotor between the rings of each pair of sealing rings.

Claim 29

In a rotary device according to claim 26, said radial passageways having their outlets between the rings of one pair only of said sealing rings, there being passages in said block connecting the rims of said flanges whereby to pass lubricant from the space between said one pair of rings to that between said other pair of rings.

Claim 30

In a rotary device according to claim 27, said radial passageways having branches into the adjacent side of said piston cavities, additional radial passageways extending inwardly from tHe space between said other pair of rings and communicating with the opposite sides of said piston cavities.

Claim 31

In a rotary device according to claim 26, lubricant pockets in said block communicating with said block connecting lubricant passage and with the interior surface of said block.

Claim 32

In a rotary device according to claim 29, lubricant glands of absorbent material for accumulating lubricant and distributing it to the interior surface of said block.