Rotary engine

Claim 2

A rotary drive assembly comprising: a housing fixed against rotation and having internal cylinder surfaces; a crankshaft positioned coaxially through said housing for rotation therein and having an offset throw portion; a rotor positioned upon said offset throw portion for movement relative thereto; flywheel means in said housing positioned to oppose any force produced by said rotor; control means restraining movement of said rotor and said flywheel means to a rotary orbital pattern; vanes extending radially outward through said rotor into constant wiping engagement with said internal cylinder surfaces and defining chambers with said internal cylinder surfaces and said rotor; and valve means for sequentially admitting propulsion gases to said chambers.

Claim 3

A rotary engine comprising: a crankshaft having an offset crank portion intermediate the ends thereof; a rotor mounted upon said offset crank portion concentric therewith and relatively rotatable thereupon; stationary housing means concentric with respect to and supporting said crankshaft and enclosing said rotor, said housing means including wall means separating said housing means into compartments having internal surfaces; a flywheel positioned within a said compartment and separated from said rotor by said wall means; crank means rotatably mounted in said wall means and engaging and controlling movement of said rotor and said flywheel in rotary orbital paths within said housing means and in counterbalancing opposition to one another; a plurality of independently supported vanes extending radially outward through at least a portion of said rotor and into sealing engagement with said chamber internal surfaces and defining with said rotor and said internal surfaces a plurality of gas expansion chambers; valve means positioned upon said housing means and adapted for sequentially admitting pressurized gases to and exhausting expanded gases from said expansion chambers.

Claim 4

A rotary engine comprising: a crankshaft having an offset crank portion intermediate the ends thereof; a rotor mounted upon said offset crank portion concentric therewith and relatively rotatable thereupon; stationary housing means concentric with respect to and supporting said crankshaft and enclosing said rotor, said housing means including wall means separating said housing means into compartments having internal surfaces; a flywheel positioned within a said compartment and separated from said rotor by said wall means; crank means rotatably mounted in said wall means and engaging and controlling movement of said rotor and said flywheel in rotary orbital paths within said housing means and in counterbalancing opposition to one another; a plurality of independently supported vanes extending radially outward through at least a portion of said rotor and into sealing engagement with said chamber internal surfaces and defining with said rotor and said internal surfaces a plurality of gas expansion chambers; valve means positioned upon said housing means and adapted for sequentially admitting pressurized gases to and exhausting expanded gases from said expansion chambers.

Claim 5

The rotary engine of claim 2 wherein said rotor is controlled by said crankshaft and said crank means to oscillate in constant proximately spaced relation from discrete portions of said internal surfaces whereby said gas expansion chambers sequentially expand and contract in volume.

Claim 6

The rotary engine of claim 3 wherein said rotor is bearing mounted upon said offset crank portion, said offset crank portion adapted to be driven in 360* rotation therein.

Claim 7

The rotary engine of claim 4 wherein said rotor includes means defining relieved regions therein to accommodate the relative movement of said vanes with respect thereto.

Claim 8

The rotary engine of claim 2 wherein said rotor includes a rim portion having means defining a plurality of relieved regions therein within which said vanes are positioned, each such relieved region containing bearing means to support and to reciprocate relative to one of said vanes in mutually sealed relation.

Claim 9

The rotary engine of claim 6 wherein said relieved region includes means defining a cylindrical shaped portion, each said bearing means includes a pair of pivot halves shaped to mate within one of said cylindrical-shaped portions in bearing relation thereto and to a said vane, such vane being positioned between said pivot halves.

Claim 10

The rotary engine of claim 7 wherein said rotor includes a juxtaposition to each said pair of pivot halves seal actuator means bearing against said pivot halves and said rotor rim to improve the seals between said gas expansion chambers and other portions of said compartments.

Claim 11

The rotary engine of claim 8 wherein said actuator means comprises a sealing shoe defining a portion of said rotor rim and bearing forcibly against each said pivot half, each said sealing shoe and the rotor rim juxtaposed there to incLuding a complementary cam surface inclined at an angle from an adjacently located one of said vanes, retention and guide means associated with each said sealing shoe and said rotor rim to retain the position of said sealing shoe, and spring means positioned to cooperate with pressure in said gas expansion chambers to constantly cause said sealing shoe to be cammed into forcible engagement with its mating pivot half and said rotor rim.

Claim 12

The rotary engine of claim 2 wherein said crank means comprises: a plurality of secondary cranks each having a central pin mounted for rotation through said wall means; a pair of opposed arms extending from opposite ends of said central pin; a secondary pin extending parallel to said central pin from an extremity of each said arm; said secondary pins respectively mounted for rotation in said rotor and said flywheel.

Claim 13

The rotary engine of claim 10 wherein eight of said secondary cranks are provided.

Claim 14

The rotary engine of claim 2 wherein said vanes are oriented in a radial pattern, and wherein vane control means is provided to restrain said vanes to a rotatably reciprocating movement pattern and to maintain their radial orientation during engine operation.

Claim 15

The rotary engine of claim 12 wherein said vane control means includes a pair of pivot halves in said rotor on opposite sides of and in slidable sealing relation with each said vane; and vane support means connected to and supporting said vanes and assisting to control their movement.

Claim 16

The rotary engine of claim 12 wherein said vane control means comprises: opposed annular groove means in said wall means concentric with said crankshaft; a pair of control shoes positioned in mating and bearing relation within said annular grooves adjacent each said vane; a vane support beam joining each said pair of control shoes and abutting an innermost edge of the adjacent said vane in vane-supporting relation; and spring means between each said vane support beam and said vane supported thereby, urging said vane radially outward.

Claim 17

The rotary engine of claim 12 wherein said vanes are eight in number equally spaced about the periphery of said rotor, and adapted for independent rotary movement within said rotor to define continuously varying angles relative to one another during rotor rotation.

Claim 18

The rotary engine of claim 12 wherein each said vane includes a plurality of mutually engaged vane segments; and vane actuating means is provided to urge said vane segments into constant sealing engagement with said internal surfaces.

Claim 19

The rotary engine of claim 16 wherein said vanes each include a central camming segment of generally triangular shape and having marginal edges sloping outward toward a base of such triangles; two marginal segments engaging in mutual retention the marginal edges of said central actuating segment; said vane actuating means bearing against said central actuating segment, camming said central segments against said marginal segments and into forcible sealing contact with said internal surfaces.

Claim 20

The rotary engine of claim 17 wherein springs are provided as said vane actuating means.

Claim 21

The rotary engine of claim 12 wherein said vane control means includes, in part, a pair of vane support rods engaging each said vane and extending radially inward therefrom; and rod restrainer means positioned about said crankshaft, supporting and restraining said vane support opposite said vane engagement rods to limited rotary movement thereof.

Claim 22

The rotary engine of claim 19 wherein spring means supported upon said support rods bear against and urge said vanes into forcible engagement with said chamber internal surfaces; and said rod restrainer means includes a pair of spaced restrainer rings supporting a plurality of rod adapters, each having an end of one said rod engaged therein, said rod adapters haVing opposed surfaces shaped to mate and move in bearing relation with said crankshaft and said restrainer rings for relative rotational movement with respect thereto.

Claim 23

The rotary engine of claim 2 wherein means is provided in each said housing means defining a passage leading to each said gas expansion chamber; said valve means comprises a plurality of radially oriented, normally closed poppet valves in each said wall means, each said poppet valve controlling the admission of gases through one of said passages; and cam means is fixed upon said crankshaft for rotation therewith adjacent each of said walls and contacting said poppet valves for sequentially actuating the same.

Claim 24

The rotary engine of claim 21 wherein said cam means includes: an inlet and an outlet cam; said inlet cam comprising, a pair of relatively rotatably juxtaposed cam plates having peripheries including matching cam lobes thereupon, said plates being positioned such that each said poppet valve associated with said gas inlet passages contacts said peripheries of both said cam plates, and cam actuating means in provided to rotate one said cam plate relative to the other; said actuating means including, gear means upon one of said plates, a force ring having a gear rack extending therefrom into engagement with said gear means, said force ring being rotatable with said crankshaft and adapted for being axially moved by an independent power source, whereby movement of said force ring and gear rack rotates said gear means and said one plate, causing said cam thereupon to rotate relative to said cam on the other said plate and thereby extending the combined length of said cam to extend the opening time of said valves.

Claim 25

The rotary engine of claim 22 wherein said one cam plate includes; an axially extending boss, and said gear means includes; at least one shaft rotatably retained in said boss and extending normal to the axis thereof, a spur gear and a pinion gear fixed upon each said shaft for mutual rotation therewith, a sun gear fixed to said one plate and engaging said pinion gear, and said rack engages said spur gear, for causing rotation of said spur gear, said pinion gear, said sun gear, and said one plate.

Claim 26

The rotary engine of claim 23 wherein at least three of each said rack, spur and pinion gears is provided.

Claim 27

The rotary engine of claim 2 wherein means defining a passage leading to each said gas expansion chamber is provided in said housing means; and said valve means comprises; a stator plate concentric with crankshaft and having means defining ports there in leading independently to said passages, a first metering plate fixed upon said crankshaft for rotation therewith and in slidable surface contact with said stator plate, means in said first metering plate defining a plurality of discrete elongated ports oriented to substantially encompass a predetermined circumferential portion of said first metering plate and to match in radial position said stator plate ports and to sequentially open a predetermined number thereof as said first metering plate rotates with said crankshaft, a second metering plate mounted upon said crankshaft for rotation therewith and for controlled relative rotation with respect thereto, means in said second metering plate defining a plurality of discrete elongated ports oriented to substantially encompass a predetermined circumferential portion of said second metering plate and to match in radial position said stator plate ports and said first metering plate elongated ports, said elongated ports in said second metering plate being normally oriented to exactly match those in said first metering plate, but rotatable to close selected ones thereof, and actuating means to cause controlled rotation of said second metering plate relative to said first metering plate.

Claim 28

The radial engine of clAim 25 wherein said elongated ports in said first and second metering plates are elliptical in shape.