July 28, 1931. w. H. HILL 1,816,432 ' INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Feb. 7. 1929

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, Maia/,1 [x 1112/ Patented July 28, 1931 1,816,432

UNITED‘ STATES PATENT OFFICE "WILLIAM H. HILL, or oAN'romonIo INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Application ?led February 7, 1929. Serial No. 838,233. The invention relates to internal combus duced at the point of highest temperature, tion engines and especiall to the design and preferably over or near the center of the pis arrangement of the com ustion chamber. ton; a radial passage extending from the ini In the usual type of combustion chamber tial chamber and communicating tangen 5 such as is in general use, the mixture after tially to an. annular secondary chamber 55v compression is ignited by a spark produced whlch may be a complete annulus or only a by a spark plu within the combustion portion of an annulus as desired. - chamber and the ame radiates more or less ~ ‘A further object is to so construct the en from the spark plug, raising the 'ressure glne that the walls of this secondary, annu 10 and consequently the tem erature o the un lar chamber are formed partly in the piston, 60 - burned portion of the mlxture as the ?ame partly in the cylinder and the remainder in progresses. This unburned portion, under the head o?dzhe cylinder. this high temperature, is catalytically dls An embodiment of the invention is illus associated where it contacts with the com trated in the accompanying. drawings, in 15 bustion chamber walls. which ' 65 As the disassociation occurs, a great Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the amount of radiant energy is liberated which. upper portion of one cylinder of an internal is realized as extreme heat and actinic rays combustion engine of the sleeve valve type, (ultra-violet) . _ :onstructed in accordance with the inven 20 This energy causes the unburned portion ion; ' ' not in contact with the walls to be ignited in- ‘ Fig. 2, a similar view showing the appli ternally, causing'an instantaneous explosion cation ofthe invention to .an overhead valve - of this portion which, being burned under type of engine; and ‘ constant volume conditions, produces ex Fig. 3, a fragmentary plan sectional view 25 treme momentary pressure which is .mani through an overhead valve type engine, 75 fested as a “knock”. _ showinglthe secondary chamber in the form The disa-ssociation of the hydrocarbon of a partial ‘annulus. ‘ ' - 1 causes a separation and deposition of molecu Similar numerals refer to similar parts lar carbon which to a certain extent is left throughout the drawing. 30 on the combustion chamber walls. ‘ Referring ?rst to Fig. 1 of the drawings, 80 Now, therefore, if the unburned, high tem the invention is shown as applied to a sleeve 1 perature portion is isolated from the combus valve motor inwhich the inner and outer tion chamber walls before disassociation can sleeves 10' and 11 may be of usual construc take place, this portion can be burned nor tion and slidably mounted around the piston ' mally under higher temperature conditions, 12 and within the cylinder 13. 8." and if it detonates, i. e., burns internally, the The piston head may have the‘central ?at . excessive momentary pressure is cushioned portion 14 and the annular recess 15 sur- . by the enveloping gases. 1 rounding the same and extending to the pe ' The object of the improvement is to pro rlphery of the piston to form a portion of the 40 vide a combustion chamber which will per wall of the secondary combustion chamber to ' mit the use’ of a much higher compression be later described. than is common inaengines now in general The initial combustion chamber 16 is cen use and which will at the same time eliminate trally located within the cylinder-head 17, detonation or knocks and consequently elim the lower wallgof which is substantially ?at, 45 inate the formation of carbon on the piston forming, with the ?at portion 14 of the piston and walls of the combustion chamber. ' ’ head, a ?at passage 18 communicating ra The above and other objects may be at 'dially with the central or initial combustion " tained‘by providing a substantially central chamber 16. _ > initial combustion chamber where the igni - - The ‘downwardly curved peripheral rim 50 tion of the first portion of the mixture is pro portion 19 is provided upon the cylinder100 2 1,816,432 head and, together with the annular curved mainder by the annular curved portion 19a portion 15 of the piston and the inner surface of the cylinder head. The usual poppet of the sleeve 10, forms an annular secondary valves 10a and 1111 are provided for inlet and combustion chamber 20 substantially circu exhaust in usual manner. lar in cross section, the ?at radial passage 18 In the operation of ‘this type of engine, 70 communicating tangentially therewith as the ignition will take place in the manner shown in Fig. 1. as above described regarding Fig. 1, the mix— ' The complete combustion chamber thus ture being initially ignited in the central comprises the central initial chamber 16, the or initial chamber, the ?ame being projected radial passage 18 and the annular secondary through the radial passage into the secondary 75 chamber 20, a spark plug, as shown at 21, chamber Where it will envelop the central being located in the initial chamber, directly portion of the mixture while in a high state over the center of the. piston and in the hot of rotation, which is accelerated by expansion test portion of vthe entire combustion of burnt gases from the initial chamber. 80 chamber. - In each of the forms above described, the As the charge is compressed by the up secondary chamber is shown as a complete ward movement of the piston, the greater annulus entirely surrounding the piston but portion of the mixture will be forced from it should be understood that the invention the initial chamber, through the ?at radial may be carried out by forming the second 85 20, passage 18, into the secondary chamber in ary chamber as only a partial annulus in the which it will be rapidly rotated in the direc manner illustrated at 20?) in Fig. 3, this sec tion of the arrows shown on the drawings, at ondary chamber extending only a portion the instant of ?ring. ' of ‘the way around the piston 12?) and ter When the spark is ?red, the mixture within minating at each end in the tapered end por the initial chamber will ignite first and will tions 22 communicating at their extreme ends 90 be burned under the initial compression with the radial passage which is provided in pressure, the pressure gradually rising, but the same manner as above described, ‘to form before it reaches the detonation stage, the communication between the initial cham ?ame will be projected through the radial ber 16b and the secondary chamber 206. 95 30 passage 18 into the secondary chamber,where The valves 10?; and 11b, of usual construc in the mixture will be burned by the sheet tion, may be provided for the inlet and ex of ?ame issuing from the initial chamber haust and otherwise the engine may be sub and enveloping the central portion of the stantially as illustrated and described with mixture in the secondary chamber, while the reference to Fig. 2. same is in a high state of rotation, which By providing the tapered ends to the sec will be accelerated by the expansion of the ondary chamber, the mixture will be caused burnt gases from the initial chamber. to rotate therein throughout the entire - Thus the mixture in the secondary cham length of the chamber-and there being no ber will be ignited by .a sheet of ?ame en straight or dead ends to the secondary cham 105 40 veloping the central portion of the mixture ber, all portions of the unburned mixture and insulating the same from the walls of therein will be enveloped! by the rotating the chamber during the combustion at the ?ame and held out of contact with ‘the walls‘ higher pressure developed. during the explosion. Fig. 2 of the drawings shows the applica I claim: 110 45 tion of the invention to an overhead valve 1. An internal combustion engine includ type of engine. In this form of the inven ing‘ a cylinder provided with a head having tion the piston is shown at 12a and the cylin an ‘initial combustion chamber formed der at 13a, the head of the piston being ?at as therein, a piston reciprocating in the cylin shown at 14a and provided with the annular der, the cylinder, head and piston forming 115 50 roove -0r recess at its peripheral portion as a peripheral secondary combustion chamber indicated at 15a. terminating in tapered end portions, the _ The initial combustion chamber 16a is head and piston when at the upper limit of ' substantially centrally located in the cylin its stroke forming a ?at passage communi der head 17a and provided with the usual cating radially with the initial chamber and spark plug 21a substantially over the center communicating tangentially with the sec 120 of the piston and in the hottest portion of ondary chamber. the entire combustion chamber. 2. An internal combustion engine includ The radial passage 18a is formed between ing a cylinder provided with ,a head having the ?at head 14a of the piston and the under an initial combustion chamber formed 125 69 side of the cylinder head and communicates therein, a piston reciprocating in the cylin tangentially with the annular secondary der, the cylinder, head and piston forming a chamber 200:, the walls of which are formed peripheral secondary combustion chamber partly by ‘the annular curved portion 150. terminating in tapered end portions, the of the piston, partly by the annular con a head and piston when at the upper limit of 130 65 ,caved portion 13b of the cylinder and the re‘ its stroke forming a ?at passage communi 1,816,432‘ eating radially with the initial chamber and communicating tangentially with the second-A ary chamber, and communicatin with the 5 Eapered end portions of the secon ary cham er. 3. An internal combustion engine includ ing a cylinder provided with a head having an initial combustion chamber forme therein, the cylinder, head and piston form , 10 ing a peripheral secondary combustion cham ber of substantially.‘ circular cross section, the head and piston when at the upper limit of its stroke forming a' ?at passage communi cating radially with the initial chamber and 15 communicating tangentially with the second- - ary chamber. ' > . 4. An internal combustion engine includ ing a cylinder provided with a head having an initial combustion chamber formed sub 20 stantially centrally therein, the cylinder, head and piston forming a peripheral second ary combustion chamber of substantially circular cross section, the head and piston when at the upper limit of its stroke vform 25 ing a ?at passage communicating radially with the initial chamber and communicating tangentially with the secondary chamber. 5. An internal combustion engine includ ing' a cylinder provided with a head having 30 an initial combustion chamber formed there in, spark ignition means within'the initial chamber, the cylinder, head and piston form ing a. peripheral secondary combustion cham ber of substantially circularcross section, 35 the head and piston when at the upper limit of its stroke forming a ?at passage communi cating radially with the initial chamber and communicating tangentially with the second ary chamber. 40 6. An internal combustion engine includ ing a cylinderprovided with a head having an initial combustion chamber formed therein, the cylinder, head. and piston formin a pe _ ripheral secondary combustion cham er ofv 45 greater volume than the initial chamber, the head and piston when at the upper limit of its stroke forming a ?at passage communi cating radially wlth the initial chamber and communicating tangentially with the sec 50 onda chamber. ' i 7. ninternal combustion engine includ-v ing a cylinder provided with a head having an initial combustion chamber formed there in, a piston reciprocating in the cylinder, the 55 piston, cylinder and head having peripheral recesses adapted to form a secondary com bustion chamber of substantially circular cross section, the head and piston when at the upper limit of its stroke forming a ‘?at 60 passage communicating radially with the in ‘itial chamber and communicating tangen tially withthe secondar ‘chamber. In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name. 65 . WILLIAM H. HILL.