United States Patent (19) (11 3,745,979 Williams (45) July 17, 1973

54. ROTARY COMBUSTION ENGINE valve bore is connected to said chamber by fuel port 76 Inventor: Robert H. Williams, Rt. 2, Bandera, means formed in said stator. A rotary piston means is Tex. 78003 rotatably mounted in cyclic sliding relation with said stator chamber to cyclically produce an expanding sub 22 Filed: Sept. 27, 1971 chamber adjacent to said valve bore and communicat (21) Appl. No.: 184,110 ing therewith through said fuel ports. A rotary sleeve valve means rotatably journals in a pair of opposed sleeve sectors occupying said valve bore and held in 52) U.S. Cl...... 123/8.15, 123/8.31 spaced relation with each other by said valve means, 51) Int. Cl...... F02b 53/06 the latter having a diametral slot through which gas 58 Field of Search...... 60/39.81, 39.61, eous fuel vapor is fed between juxtaposed lower cdges 60/39.78; 23/8.15, 8.27, 8.31; 137/614.16 of said sleeve sectors and through said fuel ports into said subchamber. One of said sleeve sectors is fixed in 56 References Cited said bore while the other is rotatable to have the effect UNITED STATES PATENTS of a throttle by decreasing or increasing the spacing be 894,492 711908 Fulton...... 123/8.31 X tween lower juxtaposed edges of said sleeve sectors. 2,468,451 411949 Kutzner ...... 23/8.31 X The engine includes means for rotating the sleeve valve 2,131,216 9, 1938 Brooke...... 60/39.78 X in a fixed timed relation with the rotary piston means 1,147,428 71915 Peterson ...... 123/8.15 but the amount of fuel fed through said sleeve valve is 2,412,949 12/1946 Brown et al...... 123/8.15 X controlled by a pedal actuated throttle for rocking the rockable sleeve sector to vary the spacing of the lower Primary Examiner-Carlton R. Croyle edge of this from the lower edge of the fixed sector. Si Assistant Examiner-Michael Koczo, Jr. multaneously with such variation, said pedal corre Attorney-Dana E. Keech spondingly advances or retards the timing of the igni tion distributor of the engine so as to retard the ignition 57 ABSTRACT as the speed of the engine slows down due to the throt The engine of the invention embraces a stator provid tle being relatively closed. ing a closed piston chamber and a closed fuel valve bore on parallel axes and closely juxtaposed so that said 6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures

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y D alé-(e--- A Yoaves/. 3,745,979 2 ROTARY COMBUSTON ENGINE FIG. 3. The control system of the invention automati cally functions to ignite the fuel charge above men Inasmuch as the delivery of the fuel charge in the tioned immediately following the point of time illus present invention occupies a certain period of time and trated in this view in the operation of the invention. as the rotor of the engine is turning at high speed during FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 and shows the ad this period of time and inasmuch as said period of time justable sleeve sector of the rotary valve of the inven varies in proportion to the volume of the fuel charge tion actuated to substantially advance the point of time delivered behind said vane, the subchamber behind at which the delivery of a charge of fuel is consum said vane into which said charge is delivered automati mated and likewise substantially decrease the volume cally varies in volume approximately in true proportion 10 of said fuel charge while coordinately advancing the fir to the volume of the fuel charge delivered thereto. ing of said charge so that this takes place immediately Thus, the pressure existing in the fuel charge at the following the point of time in the operation of the en time the firing of the latter occurs is approximately uni gine of the invention illustrated in this view. form at all throttle settings and this pressure is only slightly less than the pressure under which the gaseous 15 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED fuel is maintained in said reservoir. EMBODIMENT As shown in the drawings, the invention is embodied SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION in a rotary combustion engine 10 which includes a cen It is a broad object of the present invention to pro tral body 11 in which is provided an ellipsoidal cham vide in an internal combustion engine a control system 20 ber 2 which is closed at its ends by end walls 13 and including a reservoir. means for maintaining a supply of 14 having bearings 15 in which a shaft 16 journals. gaseous fuel therein compressed to a predetermined Fixed on shaft 16 and making a rotatable sealing fit at pressure and rotary valve means for successive delivery its ends with the end walls 13 and 14 is a cylindrical from said reservoir to a combustion chamber in said en rotor 17 having three equally spaced radial vane guid gine at cyclically spaced moments when said chamber 25 ing slots 18 in which three vanes 19 are mounted for ra is starting to expand and wherein said valve cuts off the dial sliding movement. Each of these vanes has a pair flow of compressed fuel from said reservoir to said of concentic rollers 20 mounted on its ends which combustion chamber after a short interval of time, and travel in double walled cam slots 21 provided in end wherein said control system provides means for con walls 13 and 14, to guide the pathway over which the jointly varying the length of said time interval thus 30 outer edges of vanes 19 travel as the rotor 17 rotates varying the volume of the fuel charges delivered by said about its axis so that vanes 19 sweep close to but never valve means and the point of time at which the delivery touch the ellipsoidal face of chamber 12. of each of said fuel charges is consummated, and Mounted in slots in the outer edges of vanes 19 are wherein said control system also conjointly controls the light-weight carbon-seal blades 22 which are spring bi point of time at which a spark is produced for firing 35 ased outwardly into light but continuous sealing con each of such charges so that the latter occurs immedi tact with said face. Also mounted in radial slots formed ately following the point of time at which the delivery to receive these in the periphery of the rotor 17 and of said fuel charge from said storage reservoir to said equally spaced circumferentially from each other and combustion chamber is consummated. from the vanes 19 are light-weight narrow vanes 23, 40 two of which are located between each adjacent pair of BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS vanes 19. The vanes 23 do not touch the surface of FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred em chamber 12 excepting in the areas thereof at the oppo bodiment of the engine of the invention. site ends of the shorter of the dimensional axes of said FIG. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken chamber at the top and bottom thereof where, for lim on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1. 45 ited distances, chamber 12 is shaped to conform closely FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line to the cylindrical surface of the rotor 17 and thus effec 3-3 of FIG. 2. Line 2-2 is also shown in FIG.3 as in tively form a seal dividing the empty space in chamber dicating the plane from which FIG. 2 is taken. 12, disposed between the rotor 17 and said chamber, FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a modified into a fuel induction and compression chamber 24 (on form of the invention which incorporates an auxiliary 50 the left) and a compressed fuel charge combustion and fuel storage tank. expansion chamber 25 (on the right). FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a modified Formed integrally with the body 11 is a compressed form of the invention incorporating an auxiliary fuel vaporized fuel storage reservoir 26 into which com compressor power driven by said engine. 55 pressed fuel is forced from chamber 24 through spring FIG. 6 is an enlarged diagrammatic view illustrating biased check valves 27 after this fuel has been sucked the relative positions of the parts of the rotary internal into said chamber through a vaporized fuel port 28 combustion engine disclosed in the preferred embodi connected to a carburetor 29. At the lower end of ex ment of the invention with the rotary valve of the en pansion chamber 25, the body 11 is provided with an gine adjusted as shown in FIG. 3 and with the fuel exhaust port 30 connecting said chamber with an ex transmitting rotor of the valve rotated in a counter 60 haust pipe 31. clockwise direction from the position in which it is Provided transversely in the body 11 at the opposite shown in FIG.3 to the position of said valve rotor at the end of the vaporized fuel storage tank 26 from the fuel moment delivery of the fuel charge (being delivered by intake valves 27 is a bore 32 having a keyway 33. A the valve rotor while it is positioned as shown in FIG. 65 semi-cylindrical bearing sleeve sector 34 fits in said 3) has just been consummated. In other words, FIG. 6 bore with a rib 35, provided on said sleeve sector, fit illustrates the "cut-off" position of the valve rotor with ting in said keyway and preventing rotation of said the control for said sleeve valve adjusted as shown in sleeve sector in said bore. A sleeve sector 36 which 3,745,979 3 4 matches the sleeve sector 34 as to inside and outside to this chamber which brings the operation of the en radius is united at one end with a head 37 having an gine 10 into harmony at various speeds. axial control shaft 38. At its opposite end sleeve sector When the engine 10 is installed in an automobile, a 36 has a ring 36a which fits into a recess34a in that end conventional automobile foot pedal throttle would be of sleeve sector 34. The shaft 38 extends outwardly used to actuate the rack 67 which would be spring bi through end wall 14 and has mounted thereon a gear ased toward its idling position and responsive to the sector 39 for rocking the sleeve sector 36 in order to pressure of the foot thereagainst for accelerating the control the acceleration and de-acceleration of the en engine. glne. In the engine 10, the carburetor 29 is provided with The concave semi-cylindrical inner surfaces of the O a butterfly valve 76 which is automatically controlled sleeve sectors 34 and 36 and the inner surface of ring by a pressure responsive bellows 77 which is connected 36a form a bore in which a cylindrical fuel valve 40 by linkage 78 to an arm 79 mounted on the shaft 80 of journals, this valve having a slot 41 formed diametri the valve 76. The bellows 77 is connected by a pressure cally through a middle portion thereof and having a tube 81 to the fuel reservoir 26 and functions in re shaft 42 extending axially from one end thereof 15 sponse to changes in pressure in said reservoir to open through left end wall 13 for rotation of this valve in or close the butterfly valve 76 in the carburetor 29 so timed relation with the rotation of the engine shaft 16. as to maintain, while the engine 10 is operating, a rela This relative rotation is effected through a gear 43 tively uniform vaporized fuel pressure in the reservoir mounted on shaft 42 by a set screw 44 so that said gear 26. is rotationally adjustable on said shaft for timing pur 20 An optional extra fuel storage tank 82 (see FIG. 4) poses. A gear 45 with one and one-halftimes the num may be connected to storage reservoir 26 to store fuel ber of teeth of gear 43 is mounted on the main shaft 16 under pressure to be drawn out and used for fast accel and connected with gear 43 by a train of idler gears 46 eration when needed for a short time, and for helping and 46a. The drive ratio between the shaft 16 and valve to start the engine if the fuel mixture has all leaked out 40 is thus 2 to 3. In other words, for each two revolu 25 of the reservoir 26. The larger tank 82 is well sealed by tions of the shaft 16 the valve 40 rotates three revolu valves to hold the storage mixture. This tank is nor tions. mally filled by the overflow from the reservoir 26. Dur Also mounted on shaft 42 is the internal cam 47a of ing the time that tank 82 is filling, the engine will per a distributor 47 which distributes high tension current form with somewhat less than its maximum power, as from a coil 48 through a wire 49 to a spark plug 50 30 fuel is drained off into tank 82 and the bellows 77 holds mounted in a recess 51 formed in the chamber 12 in a the carburetor 76 open during this time. The fuel mix position just in advance of the location of bore 32. Con ture is free to flow from reservoir 26 into extra storage necting the bore 32 respectively with the fuel reservoir tank 82 through a check valve 82. Where the engine 10 26 and with the chamber 12 are transversely aligned is provided with a foot accelerator for controlling the upper and lower ports 52 and 53. 35 throttle, this can be equipped with a manual self Mounted on the distributor 47 and extending up closing valve 84 which can be opened by stepping down wardly therefrom is a gear sector 54 which is equal in hard on the accelerator pedal so as to supply added fuel pitch diameter with the gear sector 39 mounted on the from the tank 82 to the reservoir 26 as this is needed. axial sleeve operating shaft 38. The reservoir 26 has a An optional compressor 90 driven by the engine shaft cap plate 55 on which are mounted two bearings 56 40 16 may also be used as shown in FIG. 5 for filling the and 57 in which a control shaft 58 journals. Fixed on extra storage tank 82. As shown in this view, the flow opposite ends of the shaft 58 are pinion gears 59 and of fuel is from the auxiliary compressor 90 through 60 which mesh respectively with gear sectors 54 and pipe 91 and check valve 83; and from the tank 82 back 39. Also fixed on the shaft 58 is a throttle control worm into the reservoir 26 by way of self-closing valve 84 and gear sector 61. Journalled in bearings 62 and 63 pro 45 check valve 92. An optional check valve 93 can be in vided on cap plate 55 and bearing 57 is a shaft 64 on stalled just outside the auxiliary compressor 90 for pre which is fixed a worm gear 65, which meshes in a driv venting a reverse flow of fuel to said compressor while ing relation with worm sector 61, and a rack gear 66 the engine is temporarily throttled down or shut off. which rotatably meshes with a rack 67 slideably The auxiliary compressor 90 is provided with a carbu mounted on bearing 62. 50 retor 94, the intake valve of which is also operated by It is also to be noted that when sleeve sector 36 is ro a pressure controlled bellows 77' so that the two carbu tated in a clockwise direction by a rightward retraction retors in the system are coordinately actuated to main of the rack 67 from the position in which it is shown in tain a cosntant pressure of fuel mixture in the reservoir FIG. 1, the point of time, in that power cycle of the en 26 and the extra fuel storage tank 82. gine, at which the lower end of the valve slot 41 will be 55 Thus by pedal manipulation of the rack 67 the sleeve entirely closed by sleeve sector 36 will be advanced. sector 36 is adjustable to decrease or increase the space Coordinately with this advancing of the point of time between the lower edges of the sleeve sector 34 and where the delivery of fuel to the combustion chamber sleeve sector 36 and coordinately to advance or retard 75 will have been consummated, the time at which the the timing of the spark plug 50 by the distributor 47. spark plug 50 will be energized to ignite this charge of 50 The throttle 67 functions thus as the narrower the fuel will also be advanced a like amount. Thus, coordi space is between the lower edges of the sleeve sectors nation is maintained between the timing of the consum 34 and 36 the smaller is the amount of fuel vapor ad mation of the delivery of a fuel charge to the combus mitted into the combustion chamber 75, which is the tion chamber 75 and the igniting of this charge. As pre space confined above and behind the vane 19 which viously pointed out, the volume of the combustion 65 has just swung past the spark plug recess 51. The coor chamber 75 is also caused to vary in size in proportion dinate advancing of the point in time at which the spark to the variation in the size of the fuel charge delivered plug 50 fires causes the combustion chamber 75 to be 3,745,979 5 6 substantially smaller at the moment the explosion takes charge. place than when the throttle rack 67 is in an advanced 2. A combination as recited in claim 1 wherein throttle position. In the latter case, the opening be a groove is provided in said valve bore; and tween the lower edges of the sleeve sectors 34 and 36 a boss formed on said other one of said sleeve sectors is relatively wide so as to admit a correspondingly which fits into said groove to prevent rotation of larger volume of compressed fuel into the combustion said other sector in said bore. chamber 75 while the corresponding retarding of the 3. A combination as recited in claim 2 wherein point in time that the spark plug 50 is energized causes said rotary sleeve valve rotates in a counterclockwise the delivery of the spark by the latter to be delayed direction to bring said diametral slot in to commu until the combustion chamber 75 has a larger size due nication with said fuel port means, and wherein to the vane 19 involved in this cycle having travelled a said rockable sleeve sector rocks in a clockwise di substantially greater distance past the spark plug recess rection in moving towards said fixed sleeve sector 51 before the larger charge of fuel just delivered to the adjacent said fuel port means to decrease the open combustion chamber 75 is fired. ing formed by juxtaposed edges of said sleeve sec It is to be noted that the lower end of the slot 41 in 15 the fuel valve 40 always travels in an anti-clockwise di tors and forming a passage between said rotary rection as seen in FIG. 3 and the timing in the control sleeve valve means and said fuel port means, and of the engine 10 by the rack 67 does not alter the tim to advance, timewise, the closing of said diametral ing with which the lower end of slot 41 is uncovered by valve slot by the latter passing behind the lower the lower edge of sleeve sector 34 because the cylindri edge of said rockable sleeve sector. cal valve 40 rotates in constantly uniform timed rela 4. A combination as recited in claim 1 wherein tion with the shaft 16. the rocking of said sleeve sector to diminish the I claim: amount of fuel in a given fuel charge advances the 1. In a rotary internal combustion engine, the com consummation of the delivery of said charge and binatio of: 25 the rocking of said sleeve sector to increase the a stator providing a closed chamber, a fuel valve bore amount of fuel in a given fuel charge retards the being provided in said stator closely juxtaposed to consummation of the delivery of said charge. and parallel with said chamber; rotary piston 5. A combination as recited in claim 1 wherein means; a fuel reservoir is provided which connects with said means for rotatably mounting said piston means in 30 fuel valve bore to supply fuel to said rotary sleeve cyclic sliding relation with said chamber to cycli valve means; cally produce an expanding subchamber in said a carburetor; chamber adjacent said valve bore; fuel compression pump means power driven by said there being fuel port means in said stator connecting engine, said pump means receiving vaporized fuel said bore with said subchamber; 35 from said carburetor and delivering the same to a rotary sleeve valve means having a diametral slot said reservoir, said carburetor having an air intake therein for introducing a gaseous fuel charge under valve; and superatmospheric pressure into said subchamber pressure responsive means connected to said reser while the latter is relatively small, voir and controlling said carburetor valve for main a pair of opposed sleeve sectors fitting into said valve 40 taining the pressure of fuel in said reservoir at a bore, one of said sectors being rockable in said predetermined value. bore relative to the other sector, said sleeve valve 6. A combination as recited in claim 5 wherein rotatably journalling within said sleeve sectors; an extra fuel storage tank is provided and is con means powered by rotation of said piston means for nected with said reservoir to accumulate an ade timely rotation of said sleeve valve means to deliver 45 quate reserve supply of vaporized fuel under pres said fuel charge to said sub-chamber and then shut sure from the normal operation of the engine, for off at a given point of time in the expansion of said use in starting the engine and in operation thereof subchamber, for a short burst of speed; said last mentioned means also causing the firing of an auxiliary fuel compression pump power driven by said charge after said valve means has shut follow 50 said engine to increase the power potential of the ing delivery of said charge; and engine; and throttle means operating to rock the rockable sleeve a separate carburetor supplying vaporized fuel to said sector relative to the other sleeve sector to increase auxiliary pump, the valve of said separate carbure or diminish the amount of the fuel charge delivered tor being also controlled by a pressure responsive to said subchamber, and, simultaneously therewitn, 55 means connected to said reservoir. advance or retard the timing of the firing of said sk sk k k

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