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A ROTARY RECIPROCATING ENGINE.

11th July 1922, Page 30
11th July 1922
Page 30
Page 30, 11th July 1922 — A ROTARY RECIPROCATING ENGINE.
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A Résumé of Recently Published Patents.

As the title of this article is somewhat paradoxical, it may be as well to commence by explaining just what is meant by a. "rotary reciprocating " engine. We mean an engine baying a piston which reciprocates in a rotary path.. Such a prime mover is the subject of patent specification No. 180,363, for which J. F, Barlow is responsible, As reference to the accompanying illustrations wilt indicate, the main casing of this engine, which, by the way, operates on the Otto or fourstroke cycle, is cylindrical. As a matter of fact, this easing actually functions as the engine cylinders, and the flat plate, which is seers in one of the drawings to be mounted on a substantial boss secured to a rocking shaft which is disposed along _the axis of the casing, is the equivalent of the pistons. The casing is divided into two semi-cylindrical portions by means of the diaphragm, shown vertical in the drawings, hich bears upon the boss of the rocking shaft. The pistons rotate to and fro with the rocking shaft, but do not, quite, in their ex twee position's, reach the verti

cal diaphragm, the space still left serving as a combustion chamber. On the outer end of the rocking shaft, as may be observed from the external 'view of the. engine, a crank is fixed. This crank is coupled, by means of a connecting rod, to another but shorter crank on the _flywheel of the engine. The -upper crank reciprocates only, in conjunction with the pistons; the lower one revolves. The relation between the lengths of the two cranks is the determining factor in the extent of the reciprocation of the pistons, and by suitehly proportioning the two the cornpreesion pressure in the engine cylinders may be regulated.

There are four inlet valves in one cover of the cesing, and four exhaust valves in the other. They are arranged as shown by the drawings, so that there are two of each in each half of the casing. It will be appreciated, therefore that, in conjunction with the double-acting pistons, this one cylindrical casing, with the reciprocating vane-like piston, is-the equivalent, as regards the number of workin4 strokes per revolution of the flywheel, of a four-cylinder engine.

This important fact will be apparent if the operation of the engine be con..sidered. :Suppose we take as a basis the movement of the right-hand half of The piston vane. As shown ie the sipper position it has, shall we say, just. completed a compression stroke as regards the chamber on its upper side, and a working or explosion stroke as regards the chamber below it. The compressed gas on its upper side being now ignited, it travels in a clockwise direction, expelling the burnt gases on its underside, and travelling until it reaches its lowest position as indicated by the dotted lines. The exhaust valve for the lower chamber

I332 now closes, and that for the upper one opens. The induction valve for the lower chamber also opens, so that on the up stroke exhaust takes place in the upper chamber and ieduction in the lower, On the next stroke we have induction in tbe upper and compression in

the. lower, and on the subsequentstroke compression in the tipper and explosion in the other, bringing us again to where we started after two revolutiens of the crankshaft, during which time we have had, in one half the engine, two explosions. As the same procedure advanced a stroke has been meantime going on in the other half,, it. follows that we get, in two revolutions, four workieg strokes, which is the ease with an ordinary fourcylinder engine.

No details are given of the mechanism operating the valve gear andignition, as these are supposed to be the same in principle as those of any internal-combustion four-stroke engine. Provision is made for cooling the cylinder walls and also the diaphragm.

Other Patents of Interest.

An interesting and simple form of twospeed gear is described in specification No, 174,362, by O. E. Henriod, Junr. An internally toothed crown wheel, integral with the driven shaft, is provided with a

second set of internal teeth, on a smaller pitch circle than that of the main cogs of the gear. The pinion on the end of the driving shaft may be engaged either with the principal cogs of the crown wheel, which affords first speed, or direct with the smaller set of teeth, with which it engages as with a dog clutch. Mechanism for effecting the change of gear ie also described.

The suspension systein which.

is covered by specification No. 180,383, by F. W. Lanchester, comprise's, as applied to an cirdinary chassis, a link in tension, which may be the equivalent almost of a torque tube, and one in compression, coupling the axle to buffers on the frame.

A. Gray describes, in No. 180,437; a shoek-absorbing device which is to be fitted between the bodywork of a lorry and, the chassis. There are several units employed in each vehicle, acid a single unit may be said to. consist of two open-ended cylinders, set vertically, facing One another, and sliding one within the other. A rubber buffer fills the space between them and absorbs some of the shock which would otherwise be transmitted .direct

from chassis to bodywork.

No. 180,361, by A. E. Alexander, refers to an attempt to obtain improved three-point suspension of a motor vehicle chassis upon its axles, and deals in particular with the connection between the front axle and the frame. A bracket pivoted to a cross-member at the front of the frame (-aeries vertical guides which embrace the front axle, which is also restrained ler a triangular radiue rod. The front. transverse Spring is also secured to this bracket, and rests, as to its ends, on the feint axle, which may, therefore, move to any reasonable extent about the pivot on the crossmernber.

A rather ingenious patent with an object which, to British readers at least, will seem of quest'oriabie valise, is the subject of No. 180,509, by K Tamborello. It comprises a brake which is definitely designed positively and simultaneously to lock all four wheels of a car. This brake is operated by a pedal, located alongside the ordinary brake pedal, so that, to use the words of the inventor, it " will permit the driver quickly to shift from the service pedal, which is used under ordinary conditions gradually to reduce the speed of the car, to the emergency pedal when a quick stop is desired." The lacking is effected be means -of plungers carried by discs on the axle casings, which plungers, when released, engage etops or slots on discs secured to the wheel's.

A combined clutch and brake gear is provided -by the .construction e which is described and illustrated by specification No. 180,516. The driven member of the clutch is a double-faced tone. When released, its inner surface contacts with the:driving member, the flywheel of the engine, in the usual way. When fully withdrawn, its outer surface contacts with a conical surface on the casieg.

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