Rotary Valve Internal Combustion Engine

Abstract

A rotary cylinder valve, reciprocating piston, internal combustion engine, has a crankshaft 2 and a transmission drive to drivingly connect the crankshaft 2 to the rotary cylinder 1 , the axis of the cylinder 1 being at an angle to the axis of the crankshaft 2 , the transmission drive including a gear train having a first gear 4 rotationally fast on the crankshaft 2 , a second gear 8 rotationally fast on the rotary cylinder 1 and an idler gear 5 to transmit drive between the first and second gears.

1 . A rotary cylinder valve, reciprocating piston, internal combustion engine, having a crankshaft and a transmission drive to drivingly connect the crankshaft to the rotary cylinder, the axis of the cylinder being at an angle to the axis of the crankshaft, the transmission drive including a gear train having a first gear rotationally fast on the crankshaft, a second gear rotationally fast on the rotary cylinder and an idler gear to transmit drive between the first and second gears, wherein the idler gear has a further gear rotationally fast thereto, the further gear comprising an axially extending face gear adapted to mesh with a spur gear on the rotary cylinder. 
   
   
       2 . An engine according to  claim 1  wherein said angle is a right angle. 
   
   
       3 . An engine according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein a balance weight is integrally formed in the idler gear, the balance weight thereby contra-rotating relative to the direction of rotation of the crankshaft. 
   
   
       4 . An engine according to  claim 1  wherein a balance weight is secured to the idler gear in a rotationally fast manner the balance weight thereby contra-rotating relative to the direction of rotation of the crankshaft. 
   
   
       5 . An engine according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the first gear and the idler gear have straight cut gear teeth. 
   
   
       6 . An engine according to any one of  claims 1  to  5 , wherein the first gear and the idler gear have helical cut gear teeth. 
   
   
       7 . An engine according to any one of  claims 1  to  5 , wherein the first gear and the idler gear have bevel cut gear teeth. 
   
   
       8 . An engine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the spur gear is formed in the rotary cylinder. 
   
   
       9 . An engine according to any one of  claims 1  to  7 , wherein the spur gear is a gear ring mounted on the rotary cylinder. 
   
   
       10 . An engine according to  claim 9  wherein the spur gear ring is shrunk on to the rotary cylinder. 
   
   
       11 . An engine according to any one of  claims 9  or  10 , wherein the gear ring incorporates a resilient bushing to accommodate oscillatory motion between the gear ring and the cylinder. 
   
   
       12 . An engine according to  claim 11  wherein the degree of oscillatory motion is limited by a lug on the gear ring engageable with clearance in a recess in the cylinder, or by a lug on the cylinder engageable with clearance in a recess in the gearing. 
   
   
       13 . An engine according to  claim 12  wherein said clearance incorporates resilient material. 
   
   
       14 . A rotary cylinder valve reciprocating piston internal combustion engine, having a crankshaft and a transmission drive to drivingly connect the crankshaft to the rotary cylinder, the axis of the cylinder being at an angle to the axis of the crankshaft, the transmission drive including a gear train having at least a first gear rotationally fast on the crankshaft, and a second gear rotationally fast on the rotary cylinder, wherein the transmission drive incorporates a drive cushioning element. 
   
   
       15 . An engine according to  claim 14 , wherein the drive cushioning element is incorporated in the said first gear. 
   
   
       16 . An engine according to  claim 14  or  15  wherein the cushioning element includes one or more coil springs. 
   
   
       17 . An engine according to  claim 14  or  15  wherein the cushioning element comprises a resilient bush. 
   
   
       18 . An engine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the idler gear is mounted in an engine housing so that its axis of rotation is adjustable towards and away from the axis of rotation of the crankshaft and/or the rotary cylinder. 
   
   
       19 . An engine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the face gear of the idler gear is adjustable axially towards and away from the spur gear on the rotary cylinder. 
   
   
       20 . An engine according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the gear interface meshing between the idler gear and the rotary cylinder is such that the cylinder is movable relative to the idler gear in a plane at right angles to the axis of rotation of the idler gear whilst still maintaining said meshing. 
   
   
       21 . An engine according to any one of the preceding claims claim, wherein the face gear is adjustable axially relative to the idler gear. 
   
   
       22 . An engine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a drive cushioning device is located between the face gear and the idler gear. 
   
   
       23 . An engine according to  claim 22 , wherein the drive cushioning device comprises a resilient bush or wave spring. 
   
   
       24 . A rotary cylinder valve, reciprocating piston, internal combustion engine, having a crankshaft and a transmission drive to drivingly connect the crankshaft to the rotary cylinder, the axis of the cylinder being at an angle to the axis of the crankshaft, the transmission drive including a gear train having a first gear rotationally fast on the crankshaft, a second gear rotationally fast on the rotary cylinder, wherein one of the gears comprises a pair of coaxial gears mounted so as to enable a predetermined degree of relative rotational movement therebetween, with an anti-backlash mechanism between the said pair of gears. 
   
   
       25 . An engine according to  claim 24 , wherein the anti-backlash mechanism is in the form of a resilient spring device which biases the two axial gears in the opposite rotational direction. 
   
   
       26 . A rotary cylinder valve reciprocating piston internal combustion engine wherein the rotary cylinder is closed at one end to form a combustion chamber between the closed end and the piston, wherein the rotary cylinder has a cooling volume at the closed end adjacent to the combustion chamber through which volume a cooling fluid flows, the cooling volume having at least two radially spaced galleries in fluid communication. 
   
   
       27 . An engine according to  claim 26  wherein the galleries are generally circular or part circular. 
   
   
       28 . An engine according to  claim 26  or  27  wherein the galleries are concentric and have a common axis. 
   
   
       29 . An engine according to  claim 28 , wherein the common axis is the axis of the cylinder. 
   
   
       30 . An engine according to  claims 26  or  27 , wherein the galleries have spaced axes. 
   
   
       31 . An engine according to any one of  claims 26  to  30  wherein adjacent galleries are in a fluid communication through passages extending between the galleries at spaced intervals, the passages being adapted to direct the fluid through the galleries in a generally circumferential direction. 
   
   
       32 . An engine according to any one of  claims 26  to  31 , wherein when three or more galleries are provided, the passages between two of the galleries are offset relative to passages between said two of the galleries and adjacent further galleries, the passages being adapted to direct the fluid through the galleries in a generally circumferential direction. 
   
   
       33 . An engine according to  claim 26  wherein the cooling volume further includes cooling passages in the cylinder wall extending from said cooling volume towards the other end of the cylinder, the cylinder being formed by two contiguous concentric cylindrical parts, one of which has a plurality of grooves in its interfacing wall surface to thereby form said passages between the two cylinder parts. 
   
   
       34 . A rotary cylinder valve reciprocating piston internal combustion engine wherein the rotary cylinder is closed at one end by a wall to form a combustion chamber between the closed end and the piston, wherein the rotary cylinder has a cooling volume at said closed end through which a cooling fluid flows, wherein the fluid is directed downwardly onto said closed end, then across the wall defining the closed end and then to an exit extending away from the wall. 
   
   
       35 . An engine according to  claim 34 , wherein the cooling volume has radially inner and outer zones defined by a dividing wall extending generally around and adjacent to the periphery of the volume and downwardly towards the wall forming the closed end of the cylinder to a position adjacent but spaced from the wall so as to provide a small gap through which fluid can flow from one zone to the other zone before passing to the exit. 
   
   
       36 . An engine according to  claim 35  wherein the dividing wall is essentially a circumferential wall co-axial with the cylinder to define the outer zone as a radial chamber extending around the periphery of the closed end of the chamber. 
   
   
       37 . An engine as claimed in the combination of any two or more of  claims 1 ,  14 ,  24 ,  26 , or  34 .