Rotary pneumatic starter distributor for internal combustion engine

Claim 2

A common rotary automatic disTributor device for starting with compressed air an internal combustion engine having a cam shaft, said device including a stationary distributor body and a revolving distributor disk driven by said cam shaft and receiving compressed air on one side whereas it is in fluid-tight sliding pressure contact at its opposite side with the mating face of said stationary distributor body and wherein the improvement consists in such a configuration of said disk that the compressed air delivered acts only upon a circular annular and substantially concentric portion of said disk which is thus applied with a reduced resulting total pressure force against said body.

Claim 3

A device according to claim 1, comprising a sleeve formed with a pair of substantially coaxial, longitudinally spaced disks of differing diameters of which the larger one forms said distributor disk and which are rotatably mounted in sealing relationship by their peripheries in corresponding bores, respectively, of said body so as to define therebetween an annular space communicating through at least one substantially radial port with a duct supplying pressure air which thereby exerts a differential action upon said distributor disk.

Claim 4

A device according to claim 1 with a substantially axial direction of incoming flow of compressed air and comprising a sleeve formed with an end disk constituting said distributor disk which merges coaxially through a substantially tapered portion with a cylindrical portion of smaller diameter, said sleeve being rotatably mounted in sealing relationship by the respective peripheries of its disk and cylindrical portion within corresponding bores of said stationary body ; said cylindrical portion being hollow and open at its outer end to form an inlet for the axial flow of pressure air whereas at least one inclined duct located within said tapered portion connects the inner cavity of said cylindrical portion with each distributing passageway of said distributor disk.

Claim 5

A device according to claim 2, wherein the fluid-tightness of those bearing portions of said sleeve which are in rotating contact with the side wall of the corresponding bores of said stationary body is achieved by means of a labyrinth joint, said sleeve being formed with a tapered bore force-fitted onto the end of said cam shaft.

Claim 6

A device according to claim 3, wherein the fluid-tightness of those bearing portions of said sleeve which are in rotating contact with the side wall of the corresponding bores of said stationary body is achieved by means of a labyrinth joint, said sleeve being formed with a tapered bore force-fitted onto the end of said cam shaft.

Claim 7

A device according to claim 2, comprising corresponding drain ducts provided in said sleeve and stationary body, respectively, for discharging the pressure air leakages passing between the contacting surfaces of said sleeve and body, respectively, said ducts venting the leakage receiving spaces and cavities to the outside through said stationary body.

Claim 8

A device according to claim 3, comprising corresponding drain ducts provided in said sleeve and stationary body, respectively, for discharging the pressure air leakages passing between the contacting surfaces of said sleeve and body, respectively, said ducts venting the leakage receiving spaces and cavities to the outside through said stationary body.

Claim 9

A device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of those mutually confronting faces of said distributor disk and body which are in sliding contact with each other are provided with a lining having a low coefficient of friction.

Claim 10

A device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of those mutually confronting faces of said disk and body, respectively, which are in sliding contact with each other is provided with a coating of dry self-lubricating material.

Claim 11

A rotary automatic distributor device for starting with compressed air a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having a cam shaft, said device including a stationary distributoR body formed endwise with a flat rotary valve seating face, a hollow housing forming part and located endwise of said distributor body about and in coaxial relation to said seating face, said housing defining with said seating face an inner chamber and being formed with a compressed air inlet port opening into said chamber, a revolving distributor valve disk member formed with opposite first and second sides and provided centrally with a hub portion whereby it is mounted within said chamber on a rotary spindle extending coaxially through said distributor body and driven by said cam shaft, said disk member receiving compressed air on its first side which is opposite from said valve seating face whereby it is pressed with its other second mating side against said valve seating face in fluid-tight sliding engagement therewith, said distributor body being formed with ports opening at one end through said valve seating face and connectable with their other ends to said engine cylinders, respectively, whereas said disk member is formed with control passageways for making said ports communicate cyclicly with said compressed air inlet port, wherein the improvement consists in that said hub portion of said disk member projects with an axially extending integral portion into said chamber from said first side of said disk member, said housing being formed coaxially with a pair of mutually adjacent bores whereas said disk member and its axially extending portion are rotatably mounted in sealing relationship with their peripheries in said bores, respectively, either of said disk member and its axially extending portion being provided with means whereby the incoming compressed air produces an operative unbalanced pressure force component acting on a circular annular concentric portion only of said first side of said disk member which is therefore applied with a reduced total pressure force against said valve seating face, the surface area of said annular portion being smaller than the total projected free surface area of said first side of said disk member surrounding said axially extending portion.

Claim 12

A rotary automatic distributor device for starting with compressed air a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having a cam shaft, said device including a stationary distributoR body formed endwise with a flat rotary valve seating face, a hollow housing forming part and located endwise of said distributor body about and in coaxial relation to said seating face, said housing defining with said seating face an inner chamber and being formed with a compressed air inlet port opening into said chamber, a revolving distributor valve disk member formed with opposite first and second sides and provided centrally with a hub portion whereby it is mounted within said chamber on a rotary spindle extending coaxially through said distributor body and driven by said cam shaft, said disk member receiving compressed air on its first side which is opposite from said valve seating face whereby it is pressed with its other second mating side against said valve seating face in fluid-tight sliding engagement therewith, said distributor body being formed with ports opening at one end through said valve seating face and connectable with their other ends to said engine cylinders, respectively, whereas said disk member is formed with control passageways for making said ports communicate cyclicly with said compressed air inlet port, wherein the improvement consists in that said hub portion of said disk member projects with an axially extending integral portion into said chamber from said first side of said disk member, said housing being formed coaxially with a pair of mutually adjacent bores whereas said disk member and its axially extending portion are rotatably mounted in sealing relationship with their peripheries in said bores, respectively, either of said disk member and its axially extending portion being provided with means whereby the incoming compressed air produces an operative unbalanced pressure force component acting on a circular annular concentric portion only of said first side of said disk member which is therefore applied with a reduced total pressure force against said valve seating face, the surface area of said annular portion being smaller than the total projected free surface area of said first side of said disk member surrounding said axially extending portion.