US1819826A - Crankless engine - Google Patents

Description

1931. T. L. SHERMAN 1,819,826

CRANKLES S ENGINE Filed Feb. 14, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w iliwmhq.

8,1931. T. SHERMAN 1,819,826

I CRANKLESS ENGINE Filed Feb. 14, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I vim/114W Patented Aug. 18, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THOMAS L. SHERMAN, OF MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, ASSIGNOR TO MICHELL-CRANK- LESS ENGINES CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK CRANKLES S ENGINE Application filed February 14, 1929. Serial No. 339,951.

1 This invention relates to engines and particularly to engines of the crankless type, such as that disclosed in- Michell Patent No.

g In the patent referred to there is shown a crankless engine comprising a shaft on which are mounted two slants or swash plates, each slant coacting with opposed pistons.

This invention has for its salient object to provide an engine of the character specified so constructed and arranged that the engine shaft and parts carried thereby can be withdrawn from the engine casing without disturbing or removing the c linders,

taken substantially on line 22' of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. .1'

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but partly broken away, showing a slightly modified form of construction.

The invention briefiy described consists of a crankless engine of the opposed piston type, in which the shaft and operative driving connections between the shaft and the plstons are so constructed and arranged that the shaft'and parts carried thereby can be removed from theengine casing without disturbing or removing the otherparts of the engine.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional elevation of In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, there is shown a casing comprising a main casing section 10- having a central portion A and end portions B and C.

The central portion A of thecasing section 10 hascylinders 11 and 12 formed therein and also has bearings 13- and 14 for theengine shaft 15. Theshaft 15 extends. through the sections B and C andbearings 20 and 21 at the ends of the sections B and C .are provided for the shaft.

Each of thecylinders 11 and 12 has a pair ofopposed pistons 22 and 23 mounted therein. Each piston has arod 25 connected thereto, on which is mounted ayoke 26 having pivoted. theretoslipper bearing elements 27 and 28 which coact with opposite sides of aslant 30 mounted on theshaft 15. The

outer ends of the rods" 25 are mounted inbearings 31 formed at the outer ends of the casing sections B and C.

The engine construction above described is fully illustrated in Patent 1,613,116, above referred to, and the particular details of the cylinder plstons and operative connections between the pistons and the shaft form no part of the present invention and need not be further described.

Theshaft 15 rotates in the fourbearings 13, 14, 20 and 21, and each of these bearings consists of a pair ofbearing blocks 32 and 33. I If desired, thebearings 13 and 14 may be omitted and a central bearin 35, shown in dotted lines in Fig. -1, may Te substituted therefor.

The central portion A of. the engine casing is normally closed by acover plate 36 and covers 37 and 38 are rovided for the end portions B and C o the engine casing. Since each of the bearings is split and the sections A, B andC of the casing are open at the top, it will be evident that theshaft 15 and theslants 30 can be lifted vertically from the engine without in any way disturbing or removing the other parts of the engine, such as the pistons, yokes, etc. Asa matter of fact, recesses are provided in the ends of-the centralportion A and end por- "0 tions B and C for receiving the bearings for theshaft 15, so that the bearings and shaft can be lifted bodily from the lower part of the engine casing.

The construction shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 is similar to that illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 but differs therefrom in that thecylinders 40 and 41 are not formed integral with the central portion A of the engine casing but are supported at their ends intransverse frame members 42 and 43.Th'elower portion 44 of the central portion A of the engine casing may be formed integral with the end portions B and C or may be made separate and be connected thereto in any suitable manner. Theshaft 15 and parts carried thereby can be removed from the casing construction shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 in' the same manner as above described in connec tion with the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1- to 4 inclusive.

From the foregoing description it will be clear that by reason of the construction described, the engine shaft and parts carried thereby can be readily and quickly removed from the casing by removing the covers for the central and end portions of the casing and then lifting the engine shaft and bearings vertically from the casing.

Although certain specific embodiments of the invention have been particularly shown and described, it will be understood that the invention is capable of modification, and that changes in the constructlon and in the arrangement of the various cooperating parts may be made without departing from Y cylinders disposed parallel to the shaft, a

the spirit or scope of the invention, as expressed in the following claims.

What I claim is: i

1. An engine comprising a shaft, a plurality of cylinders arranged parallel to the shaft and having their axes and the axis of the shaft disposed in a single plane, a pair of opposed pistons in each cylinder, and op-- erative driving connections between said pistons and said shaft, said connections being unobstructed in a direction at right angles to said plane, said shaft, driving connections, cylinders and pistons being th'us so constructed and arranged that the shaft and parts carried thereby can be removed from the casing without disturbing the cylinders or piston. i

2. An engine comprising a casing having a plurality of vertically removable shaftbearings, a shaft mounted in said bearings,

swash plate on the shaft pistons in'said cylinders, and operative driving connections between the swash plate and pistons, said connections including members carried by the pistons, slidably engaging the swash plate and so constructed and arranged that the shaft and parts carried thereby can be re-v moved from the casing without obstruction and without disturbing the pistons.

3. An engine comprising a casing havin a plurality of vertically Temovable shat bearings, a shaft mounted in said bearings, a swash plate on the shaft, a pair of cylinders disposed parallelto and on opposite sides of the shaft, pistons in said cylinders, and vertically unobstructed, slidable operative driving connections between the swash plate and pistons, said connections being so constructed and arranged that the shaft and parts carried thereby can be removed vertically from the casing without obstruction and without disturbing the pistons.

4. An engine comprising a casing comprising a section open at the top, vertically removable bearings carried by said sections a shaft mounted in said bearings, a pair of cylinders in the casing-and disposed on opposite sides of the shaft, opposed pistons in said cylinders, swash plates on said shaft,

ders, a swash plate on said shaft and connections between said swash plate and pistons, opento permit removal of the plate and shaft.

THOMAS L. SHERMAN.-

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