Transparent internal combustion engine

Abstract

An operative internal combustion engine is transparent for demonstration of internal combustion engine principles. A transparent cylinder houses a noncontacting piston, a combustion chamber being sealed by means such as protruding annular teflon rings seated in an annular groove of the piston or a flexible flap formed integrally with the piston which is pressed firmly to the internal surface of the cylinder wall by pressure developed within the combustion chamber during operation of the engine. Other portions of the engine are transparent to enable their contained parts to be observed during operation. The engine also has an enlarged flywheel to permit operation of the engine at low, observable speeds. The invention burns low carbon fuels such as alcohol to keep the cylinder walls clean and operate without polluting the air.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An operative internal combustion engine for displaying the operative relationship among elements thereof comprising, piston means,   means defining a cylinder wall surrounding the piston means made of transparent material so that operation of said engine may be visually observed during operation   and means coacting with said piston and said cylinder wall for sealing the combustion chamber bounded by means including said cylinder wall and said piston,   the latter means also comprising means for establishing a dry lubricating relationship with said cylinder wall as said piston reciprocates therein during engine operation,   said engine being free from liquid lubrication inside said cylinder wall,   said means for sealing said combustion chamber comprising at least one sealing ring made of resilient self-lubricating material having a low coefficient of friction attached to said piston means and sealing the region between said piston means and said cylinder wall,   said engine including first means on said piston means for supporting said piston means to permit relative axial displacement with said cylinder wall and means cooperating with said first means and said piston means for radially spacing said piston from said cylinder wall in noncontracting relationship therewith,   said piston means made of material which if allowed to contact the cylinder wall directly would damage said cylinder wall while said sealing ring and said means for radially spacing prevent damage to said cylinder wall.   
     
     
       2. An internal combustion engine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for sealing also comprises said said means for radially spacing. 
     
     
       3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said piston means is made of high temperature material and formed with an annular groove formed in its upper face near the periphery of said piston means to define a somewhat flexible circumferentially continuous flap which bears against said cylinder wall to seal the region between said piston means and said cylinder wall, whereby increasing pressure inside the combustion chambers urges said flap toward said cylinder wall.   
     
     
       4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising, flywheel means having a moment of inertia sufficiently high for slowing the operating rate of said engine to enable visual observation of the operation of the parts thereof.   
     
     
       5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein said flywheel means comprises two flywheels on opposite sides of said engine. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means defining a cylinder wall is a high temperature glass composition. 
     
     
       7. Apparatus in accordance with claim .[.5.]. .Iadd.6 .Iaddend.wherein said means defining a cylinder wall is coated with plastic material. 
     
     
       8. Apparatus in accordance with claim .[.5.]. .Iadd.6 .Iaddend.and further comprising a transparent plastic tube surrounding said means defining a cylinder wall. 
     
     
       9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 and further comprising, a circumferential depression undercut about the region of said flap, the bottom circumference of said piston means defining a relatively inflexible portion at the bottom end thereof to seal the lower end of said piston means.   
     
     
       10. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the cylinder head of said internal combustion engine comprises a lower plate mounted on said means defining a cylinder wall in sealed relation thereto and formed with valve seats in the underside thereof,   a pair of hollow transparent manifolds defining inlet and exhaust passages above said lower plate in registry with respective ones of said valve seats,   an upper head plate above said manifolds,   a pair of overhead valve means extending through said upper and lower plates and respective ones of said manifolds movable relative thereto for valving cooperation with respective ones of said valve seats and having valve stems projecting beyond said upper plate,   and means biasing said valve means in a closed position.   
     
     
       11. Apparatus in accordance with claim .[.9.]. .Iadd.10 .Iaddend.and further comprising flexible resilient gasket means disposed between said lower head plate and said means defining a cylinder wall for effecting a seal with limited flexure therebetween. 
     
     
       12. Apparatus in accordance with claim 16 and further comprising, a source of fuel characterized by combustion products substantially free of material that would coat said cylinder wall to reduce the transparency thereof,   and means for supplying a mixture of said fuel and air to said combustion chamber.   
     
     
       13. .[.A method of operating the internal combustion engine of claim 1 which method includes the steps of.]. .Iadd.Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said engine operates by .Iaddend.supplying to said combustion chamber a mixture of ai.[.d.]..Iadd.r .Iaddend.and fuel characterized by combustion products substantially free of material that would coat said cylinder wall to reduce the transparency thereof, and then igniting said mixture to relatively displace said piston means and cylinder wall while the latter remains transparent.   
     
     
       14. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein said piston means is formed with an annular groove accommodating said sealing ring and further comprising, spring means inside said annular groove for urging said sealing ring against said cylinder wall.   
     
     
       15. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein said piston means is formed with first and second spaced annular grooves accommodating first and second pairs of said sealing rings and further comprising spring means inside each of said annular grooves for urging said sealing rings against said cylinder wall. .Iadd.16. An operative internal combustion engine comprising, piston means,   a crankshaft,   a rigid piston rod interconnecting said piston means and said crankshaft,   means defining a cylinder wall surrounding the piston means,   and means coacting with said piston and said cylinder wall for sealing the combustion chamber bounded by means including said cylinder wall and said piston,   the latter means also comprising means for establishing a dry lubricating relationship with said cylinder wall as said piston reciprocates therein during engine operation,   said engine being free from liquid lubrication inside said cylinder wall,   said means for sealing said combustion chamber comprising at least one resilient sealing ring coacting with dry lubricating material having a low coefficient of friction attached to said piston means and sealing the region between said piston means and said cylinder wall,   said engine including first means on said piston means for supporting said piston means to permit relative axial displacement with said cylinder wall and means cooperating with said first means and said piston means for radially spacing said piston from said cylinder wall in noncontracting relationship therewith,   said piston means made of material which if allowed to contact the cylinder wall directly would damage said cylinder wall while said sealing ring and said means for radially spacing prevent damage to said cylinder wall.   
     
     
        .Iaddend. .Iadd.17.  An internal combustion engine in accordance with claim 16 wherein said means for sealing also comprises said means for radially spacing. .Iaddend. .Iadd.18. Apparatus in accordance with claim 16 wherein said piston means is made of high temperature material and formed with an annular groove formed in its upper face near the periphery of said piston means to define a somewhat flexible circumferentially continuous flap which bears against said cylinder wall to seal the region between said piston means and said cylinder wall, whereby increasing pressure inside the combustion chambers urges said flap toward said cylinder wall. .Iaddend. .Iadd.19. Apparatus in accordance with claim 18 and further comprising,   a circumferential depression undercut about the region of said flap, the bottom circumference of said piston means defining a relatively inflexible portion at the bottom end thereof to seal the lower end of said piston   
     
     
        means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.20.  Apparatus in accordance with claim 16 and further comprising, a source of fuel characterized by combustion products substantially free of material that would coat said cylinder wall,   and means for supplying a mixture of said fuel and air to said combustion chamber. .Iaddend. .Iadd.21. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said engine operates by supplying to said combustion chamber a mixture of air and fuel characterized by combustion products substantially free of material that would coat said cylinder wall,   and then igniting said mixture to relatively displace said piston means and cylinder wall. .Iaddend. .Iadd.22. Apparatus in accordance with claim 17 wherein said piston means is formed with an annular groove accommodating said sealing ring and further comprising,   spring means inside said annular groove for urging said sealing ring against said cylinder wall. .Iaddend. .Iadd.23. Apparatus in accordance with claim 17 wherein said piston means is formed with first and second spaced annular grooves accommodating first and second pairs of said sealing rings and further comprising   spring means inside each of said annular grooves for urging said sealing rings against said cylinder wall. .Iaddend.