US2230308A - Internal combustion engine - Google Patents

Description

R. E. OLDS 2,230,308

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Feb. 4, 1941.

Filed Jan.

INVENTOR. Y RANSOMIEDLDS zfmw WW ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT tries 3 Claims.

The invention relates to multi-cylinder internal combustion engines of the two-cycle fuel injection type. It is the object of the invention to obtain a construction which provides, first for thoroughly scavenging the cylinders from exhaust gases, and second for supercharging the same. To this end, the invention consists in the construction as hereinafter set forth.

The drawing which is partly diagrammatic,

1 illustrates a central longitudinal section through the several cylinders of the engine and their connections.

As illustrated, I, 2 and 3 are cylinders of a multi-cylinder engine. Each cylinder has a small diameter portion A and a larger diameter portion B, the former being used as a power cylinder and the latter for compression of air. C is a piston having a portion C for engaging the cylinder A and a portion C engaging the cylinder B. Each piston is connected by a rod D with a crank E on the crank shaft F, and where the number of cylinders is three, the angle between cranks is 120.

The several cylinders may be arranged in any desired relation to each other, and if desired may be formed in an integral block. However, I have diagrammatically represented the cylinders as separate and arranged in rectilinear alignment. The cylinder portion B of cylinder l is con- 3 nected by a conduit G with cylinder portion A of cylinder 2. The cylinder portion B of cylinder 2 is connected by a conduit H with the cylinder portion A of cylinder 3, and the cylinder portion B of cylinder 3 is connected by a conduit I with the cylinder portion A of cylinder I, thereby forming an endless series. These several air conduits communicate with the cylinders A through ports including a scavenging air admission port J located adjacent to the end of the power stroke of the piston and controlled solely by said piston. A second supercharging port K is located at an intermediate point in the stroke of the piston and is controlled by a valve L in a valve casing L, which is closed during the power stroke by a spring L but is opened during the compression stroke subsequent to the scavenging of the cylinder. The exhaust port M is arranged on the opposite side of the cylinder from the ports J and K, and is located to be uncovered by the piston slightly in advance of the opening of th scavenging port J.

Air is admitted to each of the air compression cylinders B from a manifold N, which communicates through a port 0 with a chamber P, and the latter through a port Q with the cylinder B.

A check valve R controls the port 0, closing during the compression stroke of the large piston 0 A port S delivers the compressed air from the cylinder B into the conduit G.

With the construction as described, the operation is as follows. Assuming that the piston in the portion A of cylinder l is in the early part of its power stroke, then the piston in the portion A of cylinder 2 is in its compression stroke, and the piston in the portion A of cylinder 3 is in scavenging position. In the latter cylinder, air previously compressed by the piston C in cylinder 2, passes through the conduit H and through the scavenging port J to sweep the exhaust gases from the cylinder out through the exhaust port M. The valve L will also be opened against the tension of the spring L by the more than atmospheric pressure in the conduit H, and as soon as the piston has closed the exhaust port M, a supercharge of air will be introduced into the cylinder portion A (due to an accumulated pressure in H) and compressed by the continuing upward stroke of the piston. The large piston C in the portion B of cylinder 3 has just completed its suction stroke, air having been drawn in from the manifold N, past the valve R, and through the port Q. This will be compressed during the upward stroke of the piston and conveyed through the conduit I to cylinder l ready for use in scavenging and supercharging. In cylinder I fuel has been admitted through the nozzle T (this forming no part of the instant invention), and as before stated, the piston C is in the early part of the power stroke. The large piston C in portion B of cylinder I is at the beginning of its suction stroke and the valve R is opened for admission of air. In cylinder 2 compression is taking place in both the large diameter portion B and small diameter portion A.

From the description above given, it is believed that the successive phases of the cycle in each cylinder will be understood, the efiect being to thoroughly scavenge the exhaust gases from each cylinder and to then introduce a supercharge. The construction is simple, avoiding the necessity of a separate supercharger and doing away with cam shaft gears, cam shafts, and cams. All of the cylinder units are the same in construction and, may be assembled in any desired relation to each other.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In an internal combustion engine of the twocycle fuel injection type, a series of stepped cylinders and cooperating pistons each having a small diameter power portion and a large diameter air compression portion, the latter displacing a measured volume of air, a conduit connecting the air compression portion of each cylinder with the power portion of another cylinder in endless series, each of said conduits communicating with the power cylinder through a piston controlled scavenging port located adjacent to the end of the power stroke of the piston and also through a separate valve controlled supercharging port located at an intermediate point in the stroke of the piston there being also an exhaust port in each power cylinder located intermediate said air inlet ports whereby a definite portion of the measured volume of air displaced in each air compression cylinder is utilized for supercharging the next cylinder in the series.

2. In an internal combustion engine of the twocycle fuel injection type, a series of stepped cylinders and cooperating pistons each having a small diameter power portion and a large diameter air compression portion, the latter displacing a measured volume of air, a conduit connecting the air compression portion of each cylinder with the power portion of another cylinder in endless series, each of said conduits communicating with the power cylinder through a piston controlled scavenging port located adjacent to the end of the power stroke of the piston and also through a separate supercharging port located at an intermediate point in the stroke of the piston there being an exhaust port in each power cylinder located intermediate said air inlet ports and on the opposite side of the cylinder, and a valve controlling said supercharging port closed during the power stroke of the piston and opened when the air pressure within said conduit exceeds that in the cylinder whereby a definite portion of the measured volume of air displaced in each air compression cylinder is utilized for supercharging the next cylinder in the series.

3. In an internal combustion engine of the twocycle fuel injection type, a series of stepped cylinders and cooperating pistons each having a small diameter power portion and a large diameter air compression portion, the latter displacing a measured volume of air, a conduit connecting the air compression portion of each cylinder with the power portion of another cylinder in endless series, each of said conduits communicating with the power cylinder through a piston controlled scavenging port located adjacent to the end of the power stroke of the piston and also through a separate supercharging port located at an intermediate point in the stroke of the piston there being also an exhaust port in each power cylinder located intermediate said air inlet ports and upon the opposite side of the cylinder, and an automatic valve controlling said supercharging port closed by pressure within the cylinder in excess of pressure within the conduit and open by excess of air pressure in the conduit over that in the cylinder whereby a definite portion of the measured volume of air displaced in each air compression cylinder is utilized for supercharging the next cylinder in the series.

RANSOM. E. OLDS.

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