Combination spark plug and precombustion chamber for rotary engine

Claim 2

A combination spark plug and precombustion chamber for a stratified charge rotary engine comprising in combination an engine housing including opposed end walls in conjunction with a central peripheral wall defining a rotor cavity, a rotor, an output shaft, an eccentric on said output shaft, said rotor planetating on said eccentric as it rotates within said cavity compressing a main relatively lean air fuel mixture supplied to the main combustion chamber on the peripheral wall of the said rotor, at least one precombustion chamber cavity formed in said rotor, an electrical contact secured to said rotor in said cavity, an engine ignition circuit, electrical circuit means connecting said contact with said ignition circuit, a liner defining a precombustion chamber, a spark plug secured in said liner forming a precombustion chamber and spark plug assembly, said assembly being positioned within said precombustion cavity in said rotor and being open to a peripheral surface of said rotor, an electrical contact on said spark plug engaging said rotor contact, said rotary engine housing having a passage sequentially and periodically supplying a rich air fuel mixture to said precombustion chamber as its opening rotates past said housing passage, and a throat passage connecting said precombustion chamber with said main combustion chamber whereby said precombustion chamber receives the rich air fuel mixture that is sequentially and periodically ignited by said ignition circuit so that the burning mixture expands through said throat passage igniting the charge in the main combustion chamber.

Claim 3

A combination spark plug and precombustion chamber for a stratified charge rotary internal combustion engine comprising in combination an engine housing including opposed end walls in conjunction with a central peripheral wall defining a multi-lobed cavity, a multi-apex rotor, an output shaft, an eccentric on said output shaft, said rotor planetating on said eccentric as it rotates within said cavity compressing a main relatively lean air fuel mixture for combustion therein, said rotor having opposite side walls each facing an adjacent one of said housing end walls, a precombustion cavity formed in one of said rotor side walls opening toward said adjacent housing end wall and being located adjacent each apex of said rotor, means supplying a relatively rich air fuel mixture to a supply inlet port strategically positioned in said adjacent housing end wall so that said precombustion cavity opening passes over said inlet port as said rotor planetates, an electrical contact secured to said rotor in each of said cavities, an ignition circuit, electrical circuit means connecting said contacts with said ignition circuit, a liner defining a precombustion chamber, a spark plug secured in said liner forming a precombustion chamber and spark plug assembly, said assembly being positioned within said precombustion cavities in said rotor, an electrical contact on said spark plugs engaging said rotor contacts, an auxiliary carburetor sequentially and periodically supplying a rich air fuel mixture to said strategically positioned inlet port in said adjacent housing end wall, said precombustion chambers being sequentially and periodically opened to said inlet port whereby the rich air fuel mixture is supplied therein, and a throat passage connecting said precombustion chambers with said main combustion chamber whereby ignition of the relatively rich air fuel mixture in said precombustion chambers results in expansion of the burning mixture through said throat passage igniting the charge in the main combustion chamber.

Claim 4

A combination spark plug and precombustion chamber for a stratified charge rotary internal combustion engine comprising in combination an engine housing including opposed end walls in conjunction with a central peripheral wall defining a multi-lobed cavity, a multi-apex rotor, an output shaft, an eccentric on said output shaft, said rotor planetating on said eccentric as it rotates within said cavity compressing a main relatively lean air fuel mixture for combustion therein, said rotor having opposite side walls each facing an adjacent one of said housing end walls, a precombustion cavity formed in one of said rotor side walls opening toward said adjacent housing end wall and being located adjacent each apex of said rotor, means supplying a relatively rich air fuel mixture to a supply inlet port strategically positioned in said adjacent housing end wall so that said precombustion cavity opening passes over said inlet port as said rotor planetates, an electrical contact secured to said rotor in each of said cavities, an ignition circuit, electrical circuit means connecting said contacts with said ignition circuit, a liner defining a precombustion chamber, a spark plug secured in said liner forming a precombustion chamber and spark plug assembly, said assembly being positioned within said precombustion cavities in said rotor, an electrical contact on said spark plugs engaging said rotor contacts, an auxiliary carburetor sequentially and periodically supplying a rich air fuel mixture to said strategically positioned inlet port in said adjacent housing end wall, said precombustion chambers being sequentially and periodically opened to said inlet port whereby the rich air fuel mixture is supplied therein, and a throat passage connecting said precombustion chambers with said main combustion chamber whereby ignition of the relatively rich air fuel mixture in said precombustion chambers results in expansion of the burning mixture through said throat passage igniting the charge in the main combustion chamber.

Claim 5

A combination spark plug and precombustion chamber for a stratified charge rotary internal combustion engine comprising in combination an engine housing including opposed end walls in conjunction with a central peripheral walL defining a trochoidal cavity, a triangular rotor, an output shaft, an eccentric on said output shaft, said rotor planetating on said eccentric as it rotates within said cavity defining work chambers of varying volume which move with the rotor as it planetates compressing a main relatively lean air fuel mixture supplied from a main carburetor for combustion therein, said rotor having opposite side walls each facing an adjacent one of said housing end walls, a precombustion cavity formed in one of said rotor side walls opening toward an adjacent housing end wall, an electrical contact secured to said rotor in said cavity, an ignition circuit, electrical circuit means connecting said contact with said ignition circuit, a liner defining a precombustion chamber of predetermined volume, a spark plug secured in said liner forming a precombustion chamber and spark plug assembly, an electrical contact on said spark plug engaging said rotor contact, a ceramic insulating flange molded integral with said spark plug and extending axially thereof having a tapered surface engaging a mating surface in an annular groove formed in said rotor adjacent said rotor mounted contact when said assembly is positioned within said precombustion cavity, an auxiliary carburetor, said housing end wall adjacent said one of said rotor side walls containing the precombustion cavities having a strategically positioned inlet port therein so that said precombustion cavities pass over said inlet port as said rotor planetates, said auxiliary carburetor supplying a rich air fuel mixture to said inlet port, said precombustion chambers being sequentially and periodically moved into communication with said inlet port receiving a rich air fuel mixture therein, a throat passage in said rotor connecting said precombustion chambers with a peripheral surface of said rotor defining corresponding main combustion chambers, and ignition means sequentially and periodically operable to ignite the rich air fuel mixture in said precombustion chambers whereby the burning gases expand through the corresponding throat passage igniting the main air fuel mixture in the corresponding main combustion chamber.

Claim 6

A combination spark plug and precombustion chamber for a stratified charge rotary internal combustion engine comprising in combination an engine housing including opposed end walls in conjunction with a central peripheral walL defining a trochoidal cavity, a triangular rotor, an output shaft, an eccentric on said output shaft, said rotor planetating on said eccentric as it rotates within said cavity defining work chambers of varying volume which move with the rotor as it planetates compressing a main relatively lean air fuel mixture supplied from a main carburetor for combustion therein, said rotor having opposite side walls each facing an adjacent one of said housing end walls, a precombustion cavity formed in one of said rotor side walls opening toward an adjacent housing end wall, an electrical contact secured to said rotor in said cavity, an ignition circuit, electrical circuit means connecting said contact with said ignition circuit, a liner defining a precombustion chamber of predetermined volume, a spark plug secured in said liner forming a precombustion chamber and spark plug assembly, an electrical contact on said spark plug engaging said rotor contact, a ceramic insulating flange molded integral with said spark plug and extending axially thereof having a tapered surface engaging a mating surface in an annular groove formed in said rotor adjacent said rotor mounted contact when said assembly is positioned within said precombustion cavity, an auxiliary carburetor, said housing end wall adjacent said one of said rotor side walls containing the precombustion cavities having a strategically positioned inlet port therein so that said precombustion cavities pass over said inlet port as said rotor planetates, said auxiliary carburetor supplying a rich air fuel mixture to said inlet port, said precombustion chambers being sequentially and periodically moved into communication with said inlet port receiving a rich air fuel mixture therein, a throat passage in said rotor connecting said precombustion chambers with a peripheral surface of said rotor defining corresponding main combustion chambers, and ignition means sequentially and periodically operable to ignite the rich air fuel mixture in said precombustion chambers whereby the burning gases expand through the corresponding throat passage igniting the main air fuel mixture in the corresponding main combustion chamber.

Claim 7

A combination spark plug and precombustion chamber for a stratified charge rotary internal combustion engine comprising in combination an engine housing including opposed end walls in conjunction with a central peripheral wall defining a rotor cavity, a rotor having peripheral surfaces, an output shaft, an eccentric on said output shaft, said rotor planetating on said eccentric as it rotates within said cavity compressing a main relatively lean air fuel mixture for combustion therein on respective peripheral surfaces of said rotor as it planetates within said rotor cavity, a precombustion chamber cavity formed in each peripheral surface of said rotor effective to compress the main charge within said rotor cavity, a liner defining a precombustion chamber, a spark plug secured in said liner forming a precombustion chamber and spark plug assembly, an electrical contact on the bottom side of said spark plug, said assembly being positioned within said precombustion cavity in said rotor, an electrical contact in the bottom of said precombustion cavity engaging the contact on said spark plug, an ignition circuit, electrical circuit means connecting said contact in said rotor with said ignition circuit, a fuel air mixture passage in said rotor connecting with said precombustion chamber, a threaded plug enclosing said precombustion chamber and defining an ignition throat passage therin, means sequentially and periodically supplying a rich air fuel mixture to said mixture passage thereby filling said precombustion chamber as said rotor planetates in said cavity, and ignition means igniting the rich mixture in the precombustion chambers whereby the burning gases expand through the throat passage in said threaded plug igniting the charge in the main combustion chamber.

Claim 8

A combination spark plug and precombustion chamber for a stratified charge rotary internal combustion engine comprising in combination an engine housing including opposed end walls in conjunction with a central peripheral wall defining a rotor cavity, a rotor having peripheral surfaces, an output shaft, an eccentric on said output shaft, said rotor planetating on said eccentric as it rotates within said cavity compressing a main relatively lean air fuel mixture for combustion therein on respective peripheral surfaces of said rotor as it planetates within said rotor cavity, a precombustion chamber cavity formed in each peripheral surface of said rotor effective to compress the main charge within said rotor cavity, a liner defining a precombustion chamber, a spark plug secured in said liner forming a precombustion chamber and spark plug assembly, an electrical contact on the bottom side of said spark plug, said assembly being positioned within said precombustion cavity in said rotor, an electrical contact in the bottom of said precombustion cavity engaging the contact on said spark plug, an ignition circuit, electrical circuit means connecting said contact in said rotor with said ignition circuit, a fuel air mixture passage in said rotor connecting with said precombustion chamber, a threaded plug enclosing said precombustion chamber and defining an ignition throat passage therin, means sequentially and periodically supplying a rich air fuel mixture to said mixture passage thereby filling said precombustion chamber as said rotor planetates in said cavity, and ignition means igniting the rich mixture in the precombustion chambers whereby the burning gases expand through the throat passage in said threaded plug igniting the charge in the main combustion chamber.