Field of Invention

This invention relates to rotary power devices and more particularly to rotary internal combustion engines, pumps and compressors.

Summary of the Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a rotary power device both as an internal combustion engine and for compressing and pumping fluids.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved rotary air compressor which maximizes output as compared to conventional pumps and compressors.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a single unit an engine and a compressor.

Another object of the invention a rotary power device which is readily convertible between an internal combustion engine and a compressor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rotary power device having relatively few parts.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a rotary power device having valveless ports which are substantially equal in diameter to the diameter of the pistons of the rotary device so as to reduce resistance to fluid inflow and outflow.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved means for air cooling the rotary power device.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and from the recital of the appended claims, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rotary compressor designed in accordance with the present invention and having a portion of the outer housing cut away for purposes of illustration;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rotor assembly of the compressor of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is an end view of the compressor of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a top sectional view of the compressor of FIG.

1;

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of a rotary internal combustion engine and compressor designed in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is an end view of the engine side of the device of

FIG. 6.

Detailed Description of the Invention

In the accompanying drawings, for the purposes of illustrating the principals of this invention, there is disclosed an air compressor. It will be understood, however, that various features of this invention, particularly the input and output of the reciprocating pistons and the translation of reciprocating motion to rotary motion and vice versa, have utility and may be successfully employed with other devices than air compressors, as for example, with pumps, steam engines, internal combustion engines, and the like.

Referring to FIGS. 1-5 the compressor of the present invention shown generally as 10, includes of a stator 12 consisting of a cylindrical housing 13 having a bore 14 which defines an interior for the housing 13 and which is closed by end walls 16. In the present embodiment the end walls 16 are each provided with four ports 18 which are equiangularly and annularly disposed about the end walls 16. In the four port embodiment each port is annularly disposed at 90 degrees with respect to adjacent ports 18. It will be understood that the four port configuration on one of the end walls 16 is rotated axially with respect to the four port configuration of the opposite end wall to prevent direct communication through the

interior of the housing. The lower portion of the cylindrical housing 13 is adapted to be secured to a base member 20, such as by the provision of ears 22 through which extend bolts 24 for securing the housing 13 in corresponding threaded passages (not shown) in the base member 20. The end walls 16 are likewise secured to the cylindrical housing 13 by means of bolts, (not shown)

A rotor assembly, shown generally as 26, comprises a central shaft 28 which extends axially through the bore 14 of the cylindrical housing 13 and is rotatably carried by a bearing assembly 30 centered in each of the end walls 16. Cooling disks 32 are secured to the shaft 28 for rotation therewith and are disposed on the shaft 28 in two groups each consisting of six disks 32. The disks 32 of each group are likewise spaced apart to provide for air flow therebetween. The disks 32 are each provided with four openings 34 which are spaced apart 90 degrees and radially located from the center of the disk 32 for intermittant alignment with the ports 18 of the end walls 16 as the disks and shaft rotate. The openings 34 are aligned parallel to the axis of the shaft 28 to receive and secure the end portions of a cylinder element 36. As illustrated, there are four cylinder elements 36 which are disposed parallel to each other and to the axis of rotation of the shaft. Each of the cylinder elements 36 is open-ended and is provided at its opposite ends with a suitable packing collar 38 having sliding engagement with the inner face of the end walls 16 of the stator 12 to establish fluid tight engagement therewith. Suitable packing materials are well known in the art and do not per se form in part of this invention. Slidingly disposed in each of the cylinder elements is a reciprocating piston 40 having a piston head 42 on each end and one or more piston rings 44 for fluid tight slidable sealing with the inner wall surfaces of the cylinder element 36. Each piston 40 is provided with a piston pin 46 which is disposed medially and diametrically of each of the pistons and which projects through an axially extending slot 48 provided in the side wall of each cylinder element 36. The

extending end of the piston pin 46 is provided with a cam follower 50 which is configured to be received in a sinusoidal cam track 52 formed on the inner wall of the cylindrical housing 13 of the stator 12. To reduce friction, the cam follower 50 may be journaled for rotation about the piston pin 46 so as to serve as a roller in the cam track 52. The design and configuration of the cam follower 50 in the cam track 52 is well known in rotary engine and pump construction and does not per se form a part of this invention. In operation, power is applied to the shaft 28 by means such as an electric motor to cause rotation of the rotor assembly 26 within the stator 12. Rotation of the. rotor assembly 26 causes the. pistons 40 to reciprocate in their respective cylinder elements 36 through the action of the cam follower 50 against the edges of the cam track 52 as the rotor assembly 26 rotates with respect to the stator 12. Each piston head 42 operates on a two-stroke cycle to draw air into the cylinder element 36 and to compress the air during the compression stroke. During the intake stroke, pressure is reduced in an area defined by the piston head 42, the sidewalls of the cylinder element 36 and the end wall 16. As the cylinder element 36 moves around the end walls 16 and comes into alignment with a port 18, air is drawn into the defined area and the compression stroke begins as the cylinder element 36 moves out of alignment with the port 18 and the piston head 42 begins moving toward the end wall to reduce the volume of the defined space and to initiate compression of the air therein. At the completion of the compression stroke the piston 40 reaches top dead center and maximum compression at the piston head 42 is reached. As the cylinder element 36 moves into alignment with the next port 18 and the compressed air exits the cylinder element 36 through the port 18 into a manifold and line, not shown, which leads the compressed air to a receiving tank or a user device (not shown). It will be understood that as one head 42 of the piston 40 is in the compression cycle the piston head 42 on the opposite end is in the intake stroke. In effect each piston 40 thus operates as

two pistons. In the embodiment shown, each piston head 42 completes two intake and compression cycles during one complete 360 degree revolution of the rotor assembly. One revolution of the rotor assembly 26 thus provides the effect of 16 pistons.

The compression of air in the cylinder element 36 and the reciprocal movement of the pistons in the cylinder elements generates heat within the pump. The spaced apart disks 32 carried by the shaft 28 operate to conduct heat generated in the cylinder elements and to radiate the heat into the interior of the cylindrical housing. Accordingly, the disks 32 are preferably formed of a heat conductive material such as aluminum. The cylindrical housing 13 is provided with recesses 54 in which are located ventilating apertures 56 for the circulation of air from the exterior to the interior of the housing 13 and visa versa. Moreover, in the embodiment illustrated, the cylindrical housing 13 is formed in two halves, the inner ends of which have a complimentary wave form. When the halves are assembled on the base, the complimentary ends are spaced apart to define the sinusoidal cam track. This also provides for communication between the exterior of the housing 13 and its exterior to allow for the circulation of outside air into the interior of the housing. If desired, fan blades, not shown, may also be affixed to the shaft 28 for circulation of air within the housing 13 while the shaft 28 is rotating.

The rotor assembly 26 is balanced to reduce vibration and undue wear of the shaft 28 and bearing assemblies 30. In addition, the rotation of the rotor housing 13 and the horizontal reciprocation of the pistons permits the rotor assembly 26 to operate as its own fly wheel and no external or additional fly wheel is required.

The compressor of the present invention is extremely efficient in that it has a minimum of moving parts and the movement of air into and out of the cylinder elements is largely unrestricted because of the large diameter of the ports, which are essentially the same diameter as the piston

head.

The efficiency of the compressor of the present invention is illustrated in the following example in which a compressor constructed as illustrated in the embodiment of FIG. 1 is provided with four cylinder elements each having a one inch bore 14 and slidably receiving a piston 40 having a one inch stroke to provide a compression ratio of 10 to 1. The overall dimension of the complete compressor assembly illustrated by this example is 6 x 12 inches. As described the compressor goes through two complete cycles in one revolution so that the effectively the compressor is a 16 cylinder compressor. Each piston head 42 on the intake stroke takes in approximately .71 cubic inches. Assuming a thousand revolutions per minute, the compressor will compress approximately 11,312 cubic inches or 6.54 cubic feet per minute with a pressure of 150 pounds per square inch. Increasing the revolutions of the rotor assembly 26 to 2250 rpm will increase the output of the compressor to 14.72 cubic feet per minute. The compressor has been tested to a maximum rpm of 40,000 rpm. Thus it will be seen that by increasing the rpm of the rotor assembly 26 to a modest 10,000 rpm, the pump will be capable of out putting 65.4 cubic feet per minute of pressurized air.

It will be understood that in the example set forth above, that the stroke and compression ratio can be increased by lengthening the slot 48 of the cylinder element 36 so that the output of air is at a higher pressure than 150 pounds. The dimensions of the bore 14 of the cylinder and the circum¬ ference of the pistons can be increased to increase the output of compressed air. Likewise, the size of the compressor can be increased and the number of cylinder elements and pistons may be increased, for example from 4 to 8 cylinder elements. However, the pump can operate effectively with as few as two cylinder elements. The apparatus described herein produces a highly efficient compressor and/or pump for compressing or moving fluids. It operates with a minimum of moving parts which can

be manufactured at relatively low cost and readily maintained. However, the power device of the present invention is readily converted to an internal combustion engine by merely changing one or both end walls 16 of the device. Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7 where like reference numbers designate like parts, there is illustrated a rotary power device comprising a combination internal combustion engine and compressor which is formed by modifying an end wall 16' to include an air/fuel injection nozzle 59 and a glow plug 58. The port 60 is an intake port which communicates with an intake manifold and carburetor (not shown) for delivery of an air/fuel to the cylinder element 36. In the embodiment illustrated, the rotary engine includes four reciprocating pistons 40, each of which operate in a four stroke cycle during each revolution of the rotor assembly 26. Nozzle 59 communicates through the intake port 60 to inject the air/fuel mixture into the interior of each cylinder element 36 as it rotates into alignment with the intake port 60 as the piston therein is moving away from the end wall 16' during the intake stroke. The glow plug 58, connected to a suitable source of electrical power (not shown) such as an automotive battery, is located in the end wall 16' at top dead center of the compression stroke of the piston and operates in a known manner to ignite the compressed air/fuel mixture in the cylinders as they rotate into alignment therewith. A port 62 is in communication with an exhaust manifold (not shown).

In operation, a starter motor (not shown) is connected to the shaft 28 in a manner conventional for internal combustion engines to initiate rotation of the rotor assembly 26 to start the engine. The pistons 40 reciprocate in their respective cylinder elements 36 through the action of the cam follower 50 in the cam track 52 as described in connection with the compressor embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1- 5. Each of the pistons 40 operate on a four stroke cycle drawing in an air/fuel mixture from the nozzle 59 through the port 60. Taking one of the pistons 40 as an example, as the rotor assembly 26 rotates the piston 40 moves toward the end

wall 16' compressing the air/fuel mixture. At or near top dead center of the compression stroke, the cylinder element 36 containing the compressed air/fuel mixture rotates into alignment with the glow plug 58 which ignites the mixture to drive the piston 40 in its power stroke away from the end wall 16' and by means of the cam follower in the cam track 52 the movement of the piston 40 is translated into rotation of the rotor assembly 26. The cycle is repeated for each of the pistons 40 as the rotor assembly 26 rotates. In the embodiment illustrated, it will be understood that the side of the device opposite the end wall 16' functions as a compressor in the manner described in connection with FIGS. 1-5. Thus there is provided in single unit a self propelled compressor. However, both of the end walls 16 of a compressor designed in accordance with the invention may be exchanged for the end wall 16' to convert the device from a compressor completely to an eight cylinder internal combustion engine. In this case the end walls 16' are inverted with respect to one another so that opposite ends of each piston 40 are in opposite cycles. Similarly, the engine of the invention is readily converted to a compressor by exchanging the end walls 16' for the end walls 16.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, various arrangements other than those described in detail in the specification will occur to those persons skilled in the art, which arrangements lie within the spirit and scope of the invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that the invention is to be limited only by the claims appended hereto.

Having described the invention, I claim: