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This invention relates to a rotary piston engine.
The rotary piston engine, also called the cat and mouse engine or the central axis rotating piston machine has four pistons rotating with variable angular velocity about a common axis, whereby the volume of the four chambers formed between the rotating pistons continuously varies in such a way that the four chambers complete the four independent thermodynamic cycles in one revolution. During this time the rotating pistons are subjected to two accelerations and two decelerations.
An object of this invention is to propose a rotary piston engine with the pistons running at variable angular velocities, as in the case of the known rotary piston engine, by means of a specially designed Hooke's joint. The advantage of this mechanism in the proposed engine is that it can withstand inertia forces safely; at the same time, the manufacturing process of the elements of the said mechanism is rendered simple.
This invention has an efficient sealing system for
the combustion chambers, keeping in mind various
factors such as differential thermal expansion,
continuously varying centrifugal force,
continuously varying inertia force, continuously
varying distance travelled by the sealing elements
and continuously varying frictional force.
This invention also has efficient cooling system.
Heat and frictional losses are also reduced in this invention.
The rotary piston engine, according to this invention, provided with a cooling system, comprises four rotary pistons defining an equal number of combustion chambers therebetween; an output shaft coupled to the said pistons; second and third shafts respectively connected to the output shaft by Hooke's joints, said second and third shafts being respectively attached to two pairs of the said pistons.
This invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which also
illustrate, by way of example, one of various possible embodiments of the rotary piston engine propose herein and wherein
Fig.l illustrates the known rotary piston engine driven by a
planetary gear system G
Figs. 2 illustrate, schematically, the four strokes
of the known rotary piston engine completed in 90 deg.
rotation of the output shaft
Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a pair of rotary pistons in coplanar
to a female body and a male body respectively
Fig. 5 illustrates the assembled view of the female body and
male body 1,2 with the stationary cylinder in between them
(cf. the views shown in Figs.3 and 4). The inlet and exhaust
ports are indicated by I and E. C is the stationary
cylinder, the inner surface of which has a partial toroidal
shape.
Fig. 6 illustrates the common output shaft S coupled to the
first shaft S1 through a Hooke's joint H1. S1 is connected to
body 2.
Fig.7 illustrates the common output shaft S coupled to the
second shaft S2 through a Hooke's joint H2. S2 is connected
to body 1.
Fig. S illustrates the assembled view of the Hooke's joint arrangement and
Fig. 9 illustrates the cooling system.
The rotary engine proposed herein will be seen to comprise four rotary pistons P defining a equal number of combustion chambers C therebetween. As in the case of the known rotary engine the pistons consist of two pairs, the pistons of a pair being coupled together. The operation of the engine to provide the four strokes of suction, compression, expansion and exhaust are the same as those associated with the known rotary engine and is therefore not discussed here in detail. However, in the rotary engine proposed herein, the pistons P are provided with a torodial shape and are made an integral part of bodies 1 and 2.
and female, the other end each of said second and third shafts being respectively attached to two pairs of the said pistons, so that the two pairs of pistons convey power through the respective shafts S1 and S2 through the Hooke's joints to the common output shaft S.
Rotating piston seals K are arranged in grooves on the periphery of the rotating pistons P. Stationary cylinder seals SK and SRK and shaft seals CK and CRK are provided efficent sealing.
A cooling system comprises a cooling jacket J with two halves joined together, with gaskets in between, to form a water tight seal, said jacket having fins F for dissipation of heat.
The terms and expressions in this specification are of description and not of limitation, there being no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features illustrated and described, but it is understood that various other embodiments of the rotary engine proposed herein are possible without departing, from the scope and ambit of this
I Claims
1. A rotary piston engine, provided with a cooling system and comprising four rotary pistons defining an equal number of combustion chambers therebetween; an output shaft coupled to the said pistons; second and third shafts respectively connected to the output shaft by Hooke's joints, said second and third shafts being respectively attached to two pairs of the said pistons.
2. An engine as claimed in Claim 1 wherein each of the said pistons has a toroidal shape.
3.An engine as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the cooling system comprises a cooling jacket with two halves joined together, with gaskets in between, to form a water tight seal, said jacket having fins for dissipation of heat.
4.An engine as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the Hooke's joints comprise male and female couplings.
5.An engine as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein rotating seals are provided in grooves provided on the periphery of the rotating pistons; along with cylinder seals and shaft seals.
6.A rotary piston engine substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated in, (the accompanying drawings.
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