Rotary motor

Abstract

A rotary vanes type motor having a plurality of vane mounted for reciprocal movement in a housing in a radial direction with respect to a shaft journalled in the housing. A piston member is eccentrically mounted on the shaft in the housing so that the piston member will orbit without rotation in the housing as the shaft rotates. The vanes are connected to the piston member so as to reciprocate when the piston member orbits. The housing, vanes, and piston member defining a plurality of chambers to which a working fluid may be admitted in sequence to induce orbiting of the piston member and resulting rotation of the shaft.

I claim: 
     
       1. An engine comprising a housing having a cavity defined by an internal peripheral wall and opposed end walls; a shaft rotatably supported in said housing; a piston member journalled eccentrically on said shaft to describe an orbital path within said cavity upon relative rotation between said shaft and housing; a plurality of vanes disposed .[.radially to and spaced equally.]. about the axis of said shaft and supported in said housing for reciprocal movement .[.radially.]. with respect to said shaft axis, each of said vanes being connected to said piston member so that said piston member can move relative to each vane in a direction at right angles to the direction of reciprocation of the respective vane and at right angles to said shaft axis to permit orbiting of said piston member upon reciprocation of said vanes relative to said housing; .Iadd.a plurality of flat faces on the periphery of the piston member, the radially inner face of each vane engaging a respective flat face on the piston member parallel to the direction of relative movement between the vane and the piston member throughout the extent of said movement; .Iaddend.sealing means operatively disposed between each of said vanes and said piston member, said housing peripheral wall and said housing end walls to divide said cavity into a plurality of chambers, the volume of each chamber varying as said piston member orbits; and means to regulate the admission to and exhausting from each of said chambers in sequence of a working fluid to induce orbiting of said piston member and resultant relative rotation between said shaft and housing. 
     
     
       2. An internal combustion engine comprising a housing having a cavity defined by an internal peripheral wall and opposed end walls; a shaft rotatably supported in said housing; a piston member journalled eccentrically on said shaft to describe an orbital path within said cavity upon relative rotation between said shaft and housing; a plurality of vanes disposed .[.radially to and spaced equally.]. about the axis of said shaft and supported in said housing for reciprocal movement .[.radially.]. with respect to said shaft axis, each of said vanes being connected to said piston member so that said piston member can move relative to each vane in a direction at right angles to the direction of reciprocation of the respective vane and at right angles to said shaft axis, whereby orbiting of said piston member effects reciprocation of said vanes relative to said housing; .Iadd.a plurality of flat faces on the periphery of the piston member, the radially inner face of each vane engaging a respective flat face on the piston member parallel to the direction of relative movement between the vane and the piston member throughout the extent of said movement; .Iaddend.sealing means operatively disposed between each of said vanes and said piston member, said housing peripheral wall, and said housing end walls to divide said cavity into a plurality of chambers, the volume of each chamber varying as said piston member orbits; and means to regulate the admission to, ignition in and exhausting from each of said chambers in sequence of a gaseous mixture to induce orbiting of said piston member and resultant relative rotation between said shaft and housing. 
     
     
       3. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of said vanes is slidably supported in respective slots in each of said end walls and said peripheral wall of said housing. 
     
     
       4. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 2, further comprising at least one member having two journal sections eccentric with respect to one another, one of said sections rotatably supported in said housing and the other of said sections rotatably supported in said piston member, with the axis of each section parallel to said shaft axis, the eccentricity of said journal sections and the location thereof relative to said shaft being such as to guide said piston member in the orbital path when said shaft rotates. 
     
     
       5. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of said vanes has a radially inwardly extending portion at each axial end thereof, each said portion being connected to said piston member to prevent relative movement between said vane and piston member in the radial direction and to permit relative movement therebetween in a direction at right angles to the direction of reciprocating movement of said vane.  .[.6. An engine comprising a housing having a generally cylindrical cavity defined by a peripheral wall and opposed end walls; a shaft rotatably supported in said housing coaxial with said cavity; a piston member disposed within said cavity and journalled eccentrically on said shaft to describe an orbital path about the axis of said shaft when said shaft rotates; a plurality of vanes disposed radially to and spaced equally about said shaft axis, each of said vanes being slidably supported in respective slots in each of said end walls and said peripheral wall for reciprocal movement radially with respect to said shaft axis; each of said vanes being connected to said piston member to reciprocate relative to said housing upon orbiting of said piston member relative to said housing; sealing means operatively disposed between each of said vanes and said piston member, said housing peripheral wall, and said housing end walls to divide said cavity into a plurality of chambers, the volume of each chamber varying as said piston member orbits; and means to regulate the admission to and exhausting from each of said chambers in sequence of a working fluid to induce orbiting of said piston member and resultant rotation of said shaft..]. .[.7. An engine as claimed in claim 6, further comprising at least one member having two journal sections eccentric with respect to one another, one of said journal sections rotatably supported in said housing, and the other of said journal sections rotatably supported in said piston member with the axis of each section parallel to said shaft axis, the eccentricity of said journal sections and the location thereof relative to said shaft being such as to guide said piston member in the orbital path when said shaft rotates..]. .[.8. An engine as claimed in claim 6, wherein said piston member has an external peripheral surface including a plurality of flat sections spaced equally about the axis of said piston member, and extending the full width of said piston member in the axial direction thereof, said flat sections sealably engaging with the radially inner end of one of said vanes and extending in a plane normal to the direction of reciprocation of the respective 
     
     
        vane..]. 9. An engine as claimed in claim .[.6.]. .Iadd.3.Iaddend., wherein each of said vanes has a radially inwardly extending portion at each axial end thereof, located in said respective slots in each of said end walls, each of said portions being connected to said piston member to prevent relative movement between said vane and piston member in the radial direction and to permit the relative movement therebetween in the direction at right angles to the direction of reciprocation of said vane. .[.10. An engine comprising a housing having a generally cylindrical cavity defined by a peripheral wall and opposed end walls; a shaft rotatably supported in said housing coaxial with said cavity; a piston member disposed within said cavity and journalled eccentrically on said shaft to describe an orbital path about the axis of said shaft when said shaft rotates; a plurality of vanes disposed radially to and spaced equally about said shaft axis, each of said vanes being slidably supported in respective slots in each of said end walls and said peripheral wall for reciprocal movement radially with respect to said shaft axis, said vanes being independently connected to said piston member so that said piston member can move relative to each vane in a direction at right angles to the direction of reciprocation of the respective vane and at right angles to said shaft axis to permit orbiting of said piston member upon reciprocation of said vanes relative to said housing; sealing means operatively disposed between each of said vanes and said piston member, said housing peripheral wall and said housing end walls to divide said cavity into a plurality of chambers, the volume of each of said chambers varying as said piston member orbits; and means to regulate the admission to and exhausting from each of said chambers in sequence of a working fluid to induce orbiting of said piston member and resultant rotation of 
     
     
        said shaft..]. 11. An engine as claimed in claim .[.10.]. .Iadd.3.Iaddend., further comprising at least one member having two journal sections eccentric with respect to one another, one of said journal sections rotatably supported in said housing and the other of said journal sections rotatably supported in said piston member with the axis of each section parallel to said shaft axis, the eccentricity of said journal sections and the location thereof relative to said shaft being such as to guide said piston member in the orbital path when said shaft rotates.  .[.12. An engine as claimed in claim 10, wherein said piston member has an external peripheral surface including a plurality of flat sections spaced equally about the axis of said piston member, and extending the full width of said piston member in the axial direction thereof, said flat sections sealably engaging with the radially inner end of one of said vanes and extending in a plane normal to the direction of 
     
     
        reciprocation of the respective vane..]. 13. An engine as claimed in claim .[.12.]. .Iadd.2.Iaddend., wherein each of said vanes has a radially inwardly extending portion at each axial end thereof, each said extending portion of said vanes having a slipper member mounted thereon, said piston member having radial end walls at each axial end thereof, and a pair of slots associated with each of said flat sections of said peripheral surface, one of said slots in each of said end walls, each of said slots extending parallel to the associated flat section, said slipper members on each of said vanes slidably engaging the respective slots to connect said vane to said piston member to prevent relative movement between said vane and piston member in the radial direction and to permit relative movement therebetween in a direction parallel to said flat section of said piston member peripheral surface with which the vane engages.  .[.14. An engine as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of said vanes has a radially inwardly extending portion at each axial end thereof, located in said respective slots in each of said end walls, each said portion being connected to said piston member to prevent relative movement between said vane and piston member in the radial direction and to permit the relative movement therebetween in the direction at right angles to the direction of 
     
     
        reciprocation of said vane..]. 15. An engine as claimed in claim .[.10.]. .Iadd.2.Iaddend., wherein said piston member is hollow, and a counter-weight is mounted within said piston member and rotatably supported by said piston member of rotation in unison with said shaft about said shaft axis, said counter-weight being of a mass and disposition relative to said shaft to statically and dynamically balance said shaft.