W. A. WILLIAMs May 17, 1949. DRIVING GEAR OF MULTICYLINDER 2,470,669 RCIPROCATING-PISTON ENGINES Filed Feb. 20, 1946 3. Sheets-Sheet l Ñ § ||||THË | |2ºzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzXZ ? Hº?||-H------------------V----- -~--• NZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ fiji-·--! 2zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ? IIII-III----------------•*• |N-- ??%ZZZZZZZZZZZZZºzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz §..§24& R--* ËS” ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzHi??-\–----- --~)~~~~ae. 17 NSNN SN N Zzzare 72Z27; 222-17772/zes s 2. - Ø%%<NSSSSSSSSSSSSSNZ)ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ 4%, May 17, 1949. W. A. WAMS 2,470,669 DRIVING GEAR OF UCYLINDER Filed Feb. 20, 1946 RECIPROCATING-PISTON ENGINES 3. Sheets-Sheet 2 A 39 de C 37(38) ZSNE 34 IXIX 7% ow ŠSa1 in f NŠíž zee-2- 53 66 2%azz-7/22%6S v P * W. A. WILLIAMS May 17, 1949. DRIVING GEAR OF UTCYLINDER 2,470,669 Filed Feb. 20, 1946 RECIPROCATING-PISTON ENGINES . 3. Sheets-Sheet S NSSSSSSSSSSSSNNNNNNNUÑN`SSSSSSSKRI?NNN |||| ||||| N<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<S SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSN O z2%227. 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.