W. A. WILLIAMs May 17, 1949. DRIVING GEAR OF MULTICYLINDER 2,470,669 RCIPROCATING-PISTON ENGINES Filed Feb. 20, 1946 3. Sheets-Sheet l

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2 1. -72 Patented May 17, 1949 2,470,669 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,40,669 DRIVING GEAR OF MULTICYLINDER RECIPROCATING-PISTON ENGINEs William Arthur Williams, London, England Application February 20, 1946, Serial No. 648,938 In Great Britain September 5, 1944 . . . . Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires September 5, 1964 10 Claims. (CI. 121-117) 1. 2 This invention relates to the driving gear of means which engage the rear surface of said multi-cylinder reciprocating piston engines and flange to prevent the carriage device from moving it has for its object to provide an improved con away from the can track to a substantial extent. struction of crankshaft mechanism which is ex The pistons are preferably hollow and are closed ceptionally efficient and which is particularly at their ends adjacent the cross-head member Suitable for employment in multi-cylinder engines. "each by a plug which engages with said cross It is a further object of the invention to provide head member. The pistons connected with the an improved engine of the general form described Cross-head member can be of progressively in in my British Patent Specification No. 533,047 creasing length, their working faces being dis in Which a number of mutually parallel pistons posed in a common plane at right angles to the are connected with a cross-head member having 10 cylinder axes, while their opposite outer ends lie an oblique cam track engaged by a follower upon in a line substantially parallel with the cam track. a crankpin so that reciprocation of the pistons Preferably the carriage body is divided in the and cross-head member brings about rotation of plane of the cylinder axes, into two parts accom Said Crankpin. 5 modating respectively the two end bearings of In a multi-cylinder engine comprising a plu each roller. Thus the carriage body may have rality of pistons slidable Within corresponding a recess, the inner part of which constitutes half mutually parallel cylinder bores and coupled with a crankpin bearing, the other half of said bearing a cross-head member having a cam track lying being formed upon a block which is secured within at an inclination to the cylinder axes, Said can the recess, the block being arranged to fit snugly track being connected with a rotatable crankpin 20 between the sides of the recess in the carriage so that as the latter moves around its orbit the body So as to strengthen the body as regards cross-head member and pistons reciprocate as bending due to the force transmitted between one, the invention is characterised by the fact the cam track and the crankpin. The rollers may that the crankpin is connected With the can be recessed at their ends to accommodate annular track by a carriage device comprising a body bearing flanges upon the parts of the carriage which is pivoted to the crankpin and which car body, the outer operative surfaces of the rollers ries a plurality of rollers engaging the cam track thus being Wider than the distance between the at Spaced positions. Said bearing flanges. If desired the pistons and Preferably the rollers of the carriage device are cylinders may form the sole guiding means for disposed at opposite sides of the Crankpin axis, the cross-head member. the body of the carriage device conveniently being The invention is illustrated by way of example elongated and the Crankpin being disposed sub in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in stantially halfway along the length of Said body. Which: The distance of the crankpin axis from the Sur 35 Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a four-cylin face of the can track can advantageously be der engine or engine unit; Substantially equal to the radius of the crankpin Figure 2 is a part sectional fragmentary view orbit, thus where the axes of the Crankpin and taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, drawn to an the rollers all lie in a common plane the diameter enlarged scale and showing the link connection of the rollers of the carriage are preferably sub 40 device between a piston and the Cross-head mem stantially equal to the diameter Of the crankpin ber; Orbit. Figure 3 is an elevation of one of the links. The cross-head may be formed with a plurality shown in Figure 2: of Substantially flat treads which are engaged by Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view corresponding flat surfaces upon the ends of the is through the carriage, taken on the line 4-4 of pistons, the pistons being connected. With the Figure 1 and drawn to an enlarged scale; and cross-head, each by a pair of link menbers dis Figure 5 is a fragmentary view showing in-ele posed one on each side of the corresponding tread, vation another arrangement of engine in which. said link members having a pin and transverse. the cross-head member is guided independently. slot Connection at one end to allow the piston to 50 of the pistons. -- - move laterally relative to the cross-head member The engine unit. shown in Figure 1 comprises in aligning itself with its cylinder bore. If de a Water-jacketed cylinder block. having four sired the cam track may be provided upon a flange mutually parallel cylinder bores , 2, 3 and 4, formed along the edge of the cross-head member, the cylinder bores i? and 2 being lengthened the carriage device being provided With retaining downwards by forming the cylinder block to with 2,470,669 3 4. tubular extensions 5 and 6. The cylinder block part 57 of this recess is of semi-cylindrical shape 0 is mounted upon a crank case comprising a and is arranged to fit around the upper part of base portion 7 and an upper portion 8, a hori the crankpin 20 So as to provide a rotatable bear ZOntal crank shaft 9 having its axis in the plane ing. A block 58 is fitted snugly into the recess of separation of the parts 7 and 8 and being defined by the Walls 55 and 56, said block being formed with a crankpin 20. shaped at its upper part with a semi-cylindrical Disposed within the crank case f l and 8 is a Surface 59 arranged to fit against the lower part cross-head member 2 f which is formed along its of the crankpin 20 so as to complete the bearing under Side with a cam track 22 arranged at a Surface. The block 58 is secured in position by substantial inclination, preferably 45° with re 0. bolts 60. It will thus be seen that the carriage Spect to the axes of the cylinder bores - 4. body 5, 52 is Snugly rotatable upon the crankpin The cross-head member 2 is connected positively 29 and it can be readily assembled on said crank with four pistons 23, 24, 25 and 26 which are pin owing to the provision of the removable arranged to reciprocate in the bores , 2, 3 block 58. and 4 respectively and which are provided at 5 At its two end parts the carriage body 5, 52 their upper ends with the usual piston rings in has its mating surface hollowed for the reception dicated at 27. Each of the pistons 23-26 is hol of four bearing rollers 61, 62, 63 and 64, these low and is in fact of inverted cup shape, the rollers being arranged to run upon the cam track pistons having their lower ends closed by means 22 and being each mounted in the manner shown of flanged plug members 28, 29, 30 and 3 re 20 in Figure 4, which of course shows a section spectively, these being secured in position by bolts through the roller 6 ?. The roller is shaped with or screws (not shown). The lower part of each a rim portion 65 having an outer working surface plug member 28-3? is formed with a flat surface 66 which is substantially wider than the centre which is indicated at 32 and is arranged to bear part 67 of the roller. The latter has an integral against a corresponding horizontal “tread' upon 25 Spindle 68 projecting from both sides into a pair the cross-head member 21, said tread being of bearing bushes 69 and 0 mounted in the body shown at 33, 34, 35 and 36. The pistons 23-26 parts 5 and 52 respectively; these bushes con are positively connected with the cross-head stitute tubular bearings extending inwards as member 2 each by a pair of links 37 and 33 far as the centre part 67 of the roller, i. e. fur which are arranged in the manner shown in Fig 30 ther inwards than the corresponding edge of the lures 2 and 3. Each of the links has at its upper Working Surface 66 so that by this means the part a hole 39 for the reception of a shouldered Carriage is made very compact and at the same bolt 40 by which it is secured to the correspond time each roller is provided with a wide periph ing piston plug (say 29) while at its lower part eral Working surface and with sturdy central the link has a transversely extended hole or slot 35 bearings of generous area, 4 by which said link is arranged to be secured It will be seen in Figure 4 that the lower part to the cross-head member 2 by a shouldered bolt of the Cross-head member 2 is enlarged in width 42. The length of the links 37 and 38 is such to form a relatively wide cam track 22, the en that the flat surface 32 upon the bottom of the largement constituting a pair of longitudinal piston is retained in smooth sliding engagement 40 flanges and 12. These are used for retaining with the corresponding tread (say 34) upon the the carriage member 58 at all times in engage cross-head member 21, the slots 4f enabling the ment with the cross-head member 2 and for piston to move slightly in a lateral direction so this purpose the parts 5 and 52 of the carriage as to slide truly within the corresponding cylin body are fitted along their upper edges with der bore. In the case of the longest piston 23, 45 strips 3 and 74 respectively arranged to fit however, the cross-head member 2 is formed Snugly upon the flanges 7 and 12. It should be With upwardly extending shoulders or abutments pointed out that during the normal running of 43 and 44 at the respective ends of the tread 33, the engine the carriage member 50 always tends thus positively locating the cross-head member to remain in firm engagement with the cross 2 with respect to the piston 23 so that the latter 50 head member 21, as, during the power stroke, serves as an efficient guide for locating the cross the pistons - 4 press the carriage member head member 2f throughout its reciprocating 5 downwards while on the upward stroke the movement. It is found that the provision of the crank shaft 9, through the carriage body 50, flat treads 34, 35 and 36 effectively maintains the presses the pistons upwards; the strips 73, 74 cross-head member 2 at the correct inclination 55 however are usually required to bring about the for which it is designed. It Will of course be un reciprocation of the pistons during starting. derstood that in Figure 1 the usual cylinder head, In order to Secure the smoothest and most effi valve gear and ignition or injection means of the cient action of the crank mechanism it is desir engine have been omitted as these form no part able that the carriage device 50 should be de of the present invention and can be of any form 60 Signed so that the distance of the axis of the to Suit the type of engine to which the improved crankpin 20 from the cam track 22 measured at Crank mechanism is applied. right angles to the latter should be substantially The croSS-head 2 is operatively connected equal to the radius of the orbit of the crankpin with the crankpin 20 and the crank shaft 9 by i. e. the distance of the crankpin axis from the means of a carriage device which is indicated axis of the Crank shaft 9. Where the axes of generally at 50. It comprises a carriage body the rollers 6-64 all lie in a plane which con which is formed in two parts 5 and 52 as will be tains also the axis of the crankpin 20 it follows Seen in the cross sectional view constituting Fig that the diameter of the rollers should be equal lure 4, the parts 5 and 52 being arranged to abut to the diameter of the crankpin orbit in order together in a vertical plane 53 coinciding with the 70 to Satisfy the above condition. axes of the cylinders f -4. The two parts are In the modified form of engine crank mecha held together firmly by bolts 54 and at their nism shown in Figure 5, side thrust on the cross inner part they are both cut away to form a head member 2 due to the wedging action of the Substantially U-shaped recess, the side Walls of oblique can track 22 is resisted by the engage Which are indicated at 55 and 56. The “bottom' 75 ment of the left hand edge 80 of the cross-head 2,470,669 5 6 member slidable within a groove 8 formed in a face is equal to the radius of the crankpin orbit, guide member 82 constituting the side wall of the 3. An engine as defined in claim 1, wherein the crank chanber. It Will be seen that the cross pistons connected with the crosshead member head member 2 is in this case roughly triangular are of progressively increasing length so that in form SO as to provide a relatively long guiding their front ends lie in a common plane perpen edge 8. Two pistons 23a and 24a are slidable dicular to the cylinder axes and their rear ends Within cylinder bores a and F2d and they have engage the inclined crosshead member. their lower ends connected as before with the 4. An engine as defined in claim 1, wherein the cross-head member 2 by means of pairs of links carriage body comprises two parts abutting to 3 and 38 arranged to hold the lower ends of the 10 gether in the plane of the cylinder axes, bear pistons snugly in engagement with flat treads 33a ings for One end of each rollier being formed in and 34a, upon the cross-head member 2. The one part and bearings for the other end of each crankpin 29 of the crank shaft 9 is again fitted roller being formed in the other part. with a carriage device indicated at 50d, but in this 5. An engine as defined in claim 1, wherein, the instance the carriage device has only two rollers 5 carriage body comprises a block fitting into a shown in dotted lines at 62a and 63d. The body recess at the center of said body, a bearing for of the carriage device 50a is moreover formed in the crankpin being formed half in the body and two parts 83 and 84 which are joined together half in the block. along the plane containing the axes of the rollers 6. A multi-cylinder engine comprising a plu rality of cylinders disposed side by Side, a plu 62a and 63a and the Crankpin 20, the parts being 20 held together firly by bolts 85. With this ar rality of pistons slidable in Said cylinders, a rangement the two parts 83 and 84 can be hol single crosshead member connected to Said pis lowed out to receive the rollers 62d, 63d and also tons and arranged to reciprocate as one there shaped to form divided bearings for the spindles With, a Straight can track formed on the croSS head member and extending at a Substantial in 68a of said rollers; it has the disadvantage, how 25 ever, that the thrust from the pistons is trans clination to the cylinder axes, a single crankshaft, mitted by the roilers to the lower part 84 of the a crankpin on Said crankshaft disposed adjacent carriage body and is thus imparted to the upper the cam track, and a carriage device operatively connecting the crankpin With the croSShead part 83 of the crankpin 20 through the medium member and which includes a body pivotally of the bolts 85. The carriage device 5a is main 30 mounted adjacent its center upon the crankpin, tained in working contact with the CrOSS-head and a plurality of rollers pivoted to the body at member 2 by longitudinal strips 3 and 74 Which both Sides of the crankpin to engage the cam are arranged to engage with the upper surface track at Spaced positions and roll along said cam of corresponding fanges and 2 formed upon track as the pistons reciprocate. the cross-head member 2. 7. An engine as defined in claim 6, Wherein the Although the assemblies shown in Figures 1 body of the carriage is elongated and the crank and 5 may by the use of a fly Wheel be used as an pin is disposed Substantially midway the length engine, it will be understood that normally such of Said body. assemblies would be used in pairs, the carriages 8. A multi-cylinder engine comprising a plu being mounted on crankpins disposed 180° apart 40 rality of cylinders disposed side by side, a plu So as to obtain an effective balance. rality of pistons slidable in said cylinders, a Single It will be understood, moreover, that the ar crosshead member connected to said pistons and rangements which have been described are given arranged to reciprocate as one therewith, a plu merely by way of example and that various modi rality of Substantially flat treads in descending fications are possible. Thus, any number of pis 45 Succession down the crosshead member, each be tons can be provided in conjunction. With a ing in line With, and perpendicular to, the axis single cross-head member and a number of Such of One of the corresponding cylinders, a flat Sur cross-head members may be used in conjunction face upon the corresponding piston engaging said with a single crank shaft, separate Crankpins tread, a Straight cam track formed on the cross suitably disposed being provided. The invention 50 head member and extending at a substantial in can, of course, be used in any type of reciprocat clination to the cylinder axes, a single crank ing engine such as steam engines and internal Shaft, a Crankpin on Said crankshaft disposed combustion engines generally. In some nulti adjacent the cam track, and a carriage device cylinder internal combustion engines it will be Operatively connecting the crankpin with the found to be advantageous and economical to shut 55 CrOSShead member. off fuel from certain cylinders when the full 9. An engine as defined in claim 8, wherein a power of the engine is not required. pair of link members connect each piston with What I claim is: the CrOSShead member, Said link members being 1. A multi-cylinder engine comprising a plul disposed one on each Side of the corresponding rality of cylinders disposed side by Side, a plu 60 tread, a pin and transverse slot connection being rality of pistons slidable in said cylinders, a provided at one end to allow the piston to move single crosshead member connected to Said pis laterally relative to the crosshead member in tons and arranged to reciprocate as One there aligning itself With the cylinder bore. With, a straight cam track formed on the croSS 10. A multi-cylinder engine comprising a plu head member and extending at a Substantial in 65 rality of cylinders disposed side by side, a plu clination to the cylinder axes, a single crank rality of pistons Slidable in Said cylinders, a single shaft, a crankpin on said crankshaft disposed ad crosshead member connected to said pistons and jacent the can track, and a carriage device Op arranged to reciprocate as one therewith, a eratively connecting the crankpin. With the croSS straight can track formed on the bottom of the head member and which includes a body pivot 70 crosshead member and extending at a Substan ally mounted on the crankpin and a plurality tial inclination to the cylinder axes, a lateral of rollers, pivoted upon the body to roll along flange formed along the whole length of the the can track as the pistons reciprocate. CrOSShead member extending the cam track 2. An engine as defined in claim 1, wherein the laterally, a Single crankshaft, a crankpin on said distance of the crankpin axis from the calm Sur 75 crankshaft disposed adjacent the can track, and 2,470,669 a carriage device operatively connecting the ERENri's firi Crankpin with the crosshead member and which REFERENCES CITED includes a body pivotally mounted on the crank- the following references are of record in the pih, a plurality of rollers pivoted on the body to file of this patent: tainingroll along means the surfaceon the ofbody the engagingcam track, the and upper re- 5 UNITED - STATES , PATENTS, surface of the lateral flange to keep the rollers Number Name Date in contact with the cam surface. 1,823,681 Felies ------Sept. 15, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS WILLIAM ARTHUR WILLIAMS. 10 Naber Country Date 322,090 Germany ------June 11, 1920