April 2, 1963 Filed Nov. 8, 1958 W. G. FROEDE ROTARY MECHANISM 3,083,699 4 Sheets-Sheet II. -- QQ % INVENTOR WALTER G. REDF ATTRNFY
April 2, 1963 W. G. FROEDE 3,083,699 ROTARY MECHANISM Filed Nov. 18, 1958 4. Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. WALTER. FREDE? BY ATRNEYS
April 2, 1963 Filed Nov. 18, 1958 W. G. FROEDE ROTARY MECHANISM 3,083,699 4. Sheets-Sheet 3 };}(zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ZO ZZ!!!!!!!!!!! I'll Ø? Nzzz! % 2 %?ZZZZZZZZ?Z %* 2,22222222ZZZZZZZZZ2 INVENTOR WALTER 'ëfrüéde BY attorneys
April 2, 1963 W. G. FROEDE 3,083,699 ROTARY MECHANISM Filed Nov. 18, 1958 4. Sheets-Sheet 4 BY ATRNEY
3,033,699 Satented Apr. 2, 1963 3,083,699 *333"ARY y:ecean?sey Water G. Fr?e?e, Oststrasse 39, Neckarsunita, GermaaRuy Filed FNoy. 18, 1938, Ser. No. 774,733 Cialigxas pri Brity, appication Germany Ño Y. 28, fi957 4 Ciainais. (Ci. 12:1-68) The present invention relates broadly to the art of rotary mechanisms. More particularly this invention relates to a rotary mechanism of the type set forth in prior filed and now abandoned application Ser. No. 646,752, filed March 18, 1957 in the names of F. Wankel and E. Hoppner, and en titled Rotary Piston 4-Stroke-Cycle Internal Combustion Engine. In accordance with the teachings of said prior applica tion the rotary mechanism includes an outer component or body having spaced parallel end walls and a shaped peripheral inner surface, and an inner rotating component having opposite end faces parallel to one another and to the end walls of the outer component and a shaped outer peripheral surface. The respective peripheral surfaces of these two components are co-opsrably shaped so as to define a plurality of variable volume working chambers upon relative rotation of the two components or bodies. The inner cornponent is supported on an axis that is eccentric of and paraliel with the longitudinal axis of the outer component. The mechanism cf this type can be utilized as either an internal combustion engine or as a compressor. Further the internal peripheral surface of the outer component includes a piurality of symmetrically arranged, circum ferentially spaced, lobe-defining portions and the outer periphery of the inner component includes a plurality of apex portions. Thus the preferred arrangement is one in which the internal contour of the outer component is in the shape of an epitrochoid or of an outer curve parallel thereto. The epitrochoid can have either two or three lobe-defining portions in which event the outer contour of the rotor is either generally triangular or square shaped, respectively, so that the number of rotor apex portions is one more than the number of lobe de fining portions of the epitrochoid. In a mechanism of this type particularly where it is intended to function as an internal combustion engine some sealing means which establish an effective continuous sealing contact at the apex portions are utilized. Examples of such seating means are clearly disclosed in prior filed application Ser. No. 654,840, filed April 24, 1957 in the name of Felix Wankel and entitled Seals for Working Spaces of Rotary Piston Engines, now Patent No. 2,880,045 granted March 31, 1959; and application Ser. No. 761,339, filed September 16, 1958 in the names of F. Wankel, E. Hoppner and W. Froede and entitled Rotary Mechanism. Accordingly the present invention is directed to an im proved rotary mechanism of the type disclosed in said prior applications and the concept of this invention is ap plicable to such rotary mechanisms regardless of whether the two main components, i.e. the outer body and the in ner body are both mounted for rotation in the same direction at a fixed speed ratio determined by the num mer of apex portions relative to the number of lobe-de fining portions and with the outer body or rotor rotating 5 O 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 5 5 60 2 at a higher speed or whether the kinematic inversion of such relationship is used in which the outer body is sta tionary, and the inner generally triangular or Square shaped body is journalled on an eccentric and performs a planetary rotary movement within the stationary outer body. The present invention, however, is not to be restricted or limited to the precise structural shapes disclosed in the said prior applications because the improvement of this invention is directed primarily to two aspects of rotary mechanisms of any configuration so long as the shape of the outer and inner bodies is such that upon relative rotation variable volume working chambers are estab lished. Thus, the contour of the outer body could be either epitrochoidal, hypotrochoidal or have the shape of a parallel curve thereto. Also it could be oval-shaped or have a configuration composed of two semi-circular por tions connected by tangentially arranged straight por tions. These two aspects comprise the shape of the inner periphery of the outer body in the longitudinal direction of the mechanism and the cooperable configuration of the inner body in a longitudinal plane extending radially through the several apex portions and secondly the con struction and arrangement of sealing means carried by the inner body that are effective to maintain a continuous sealing line of contact between the bodies so as to ade quately seal the working chambers. Therefore, the present invention has for a primary object to provide in rotary mechanisms of the type referred to, a structural relationship in which the pe ripheral inner surface of the outer body and the outer contour of the inner body at the apex portions is arch shaped in a longitudinal plane passing through the inner body along the radii of the apex portions. Accordingly, this arch-shaped configuration can be either semi-circular or of inverted U-shape with a 90 arch at the junctions between the legs and the base of the U-shaped configuration. It is a further object of the invention to provide in rotary mechanisms of the type including an outer body having a peripheral inner surface shaped to include a plurality of lobe-defining portions and axially spaced parallel end walls and an inner body having opposite parallel end faces and an outer configuration including a plurality of apex portions. The inner body is mounted for relative turning movement with respect to and within the outer body about an axis eccentric to the axis of the outer body and in which a groove extends radially in wards from each apex and is shaped to accommodate sealing strip means. One or both end faces of the inner body carry sealing means that are in sealing contact with said sealing strip means so as to maintain an effective continuous sealing line of contact for the several variable volume working chambers that are formed upon relative turning movement of the bodies. Accordingly, the sealing strip means can be either of semi-circular shape or of inverted U-shape as mentioned above. Further and more specific objects will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic end elevational view of a rotary mechanism in which the inner periphery of
@ the outer body is in the shape of a 3-lobed or arched epitrochoid with one end wall removed, FIGURE 2 is a cross-section taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, - FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but illustrat ing another modification of the invention, FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 but with the sealing means removed, FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale illustrating the details of the relation ship shown in FIGURE 2, FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary elevational view of the structure of the portion of the rotor shown in FIGURE 5 as seen in end elevation, FIGURE 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIGURE 8 and illustrating a rotary mechanism including a stationary outer body or housing! and an inner body or rotor journalled on an eccentric so as to perform a planetary rotary movement within the housing, and FIGUREI 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIGURE 7, and illustrating the internal contour of the housing and the external contour of the inner body or rotor as being in the form of a 2-arched or lobed epitrochoid and the approximate inner envelope thereof, respectively. In FIGURE 1 the invention is illustrated as applicable to a rotary internal combustion engine operating under what can be termed a modified 4-cycle-stroke which pro vides for prolonged expansion. The operation of such engine is clearly set forth in application Serial No. 774,517, filed November 17, 1958, now Patent No. - 2,988,065 granted June 13, 1961 as a continuation in part of prior application Ser. No. 646,752. Accordingly, the present invention is illustrated with relation to a rotary mechanism which includes a station ary housing 1 in the shape of a 3-lobed or arched epitro choid. The housing 1 includes opposite end walls having 3,083,699 parallel facing inner wall surfaces and a peripheral inner wall surface a that is arch-shaped in longitudinal direc tion. Specifically in this form of the invention the inner surface 1a is semi-circular. Within housing 1 is supported a rotor 2. The rotor 2 is journalled on an eccentric, the center 4 of which is parallel to and spaced from the axis or center 5 of the housing and of a shaft, not shown, that. supports the eccentric for turning movement. The details of the mounting and supporting of the bodies are clearly set forth in FIGURE 7 with reference to a modified shape so that it is generally square-shaped when viewed in... elevation. Between its apex portions the outer contour of the rotor may alsó be semi-circular in cross-section. At each apex portion are disposed sealing strip means which co-operate with end face sealing means so that during relative turning movement of the rotor with respect to the housing an - effective continuous sealing line of contact is maintained between the inner surface of the housing and the outer surfaces of the rotor that delimit the boundaries of the variable volume working chambers that are formed upon relative turning movement of said rotor to said housing. These chambers are denoted at V, V, V and Va. The apex portions, as shown in FIGURE 2 in a plane lon gitudinally of the engine and passing radially through - the appex portion 6 are semi-circular. As best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, a sealing strip accommodating groove 17 extends radially inwards from each apex and this groove terminates in communication with axially extending bores formed in the end faces of the rotor for accommodating the combined coupling and sealing bodies 20 as referred to and disclosed in prior application Ser. No. 761,339. The semi-circular sealing strip means 16 are resilient and are accommodated in the grooves 17. The rotor 2 also carries end face seal means 23 and the opposite end faces 10 5 25 of the rotor are provided with axially extending grooves 50 while the rear face of each sealing element 23 is pro vided with similar groovings 60 to accommodate inter mediate sealing strip means 22 the ends of which are accommodated in recesses 20a formed in the respective intermediate coupling and sealing bodies 20. As clear from FIGURES 5 and 6 each groove 17 is wider than its associated sealing strip 16 so that during operation a gap is formed that accomodates gas under pressure as de scribed hereinafter. The engine of FIGURE 1 further includes an inlet port I, an exhaust port E, and transfer channel O that connects, in the illustrated phase position, chambers Va and V8, and a spark plug is carried in the housing at location Sp. The sides of the rotor between the respective apex portions are cut away to form cavities C which func tion to determine the compression ratio of the engine and to permit gas to flow past one of the portions of least radius on the housing when the rotor is in the phase posi tion in which one working chamber is at minimum volume. During operation of the engine gas under pressure enters the grooves 17, gets beneath the strips 16 and firmly applies them radially outwardly against the inner pe riphery of the housing. In addition the gas flows through the groove 19 formed in each body 20 and fills the bore in the space 21 behind each body 20 to apply the outer face of the coupling and sealing bodies axially outwardly against the end wall of the housing. Further gas passes 30 through the gap between the end face of the rotor and rear face of the end sealing means 23 inwards until stopped by the intermediate seal strips 22 so that the end 'face seal means 23 are firmly applied axially outwardly into sealing contact against the inner surfaces of the end 35 Walls of the housing. In the form of the invention described and illustrated in FIGS. 2, 5 and 6, the groove 17 at each rotor apex por tion and the sealing strip 16 within said groove is semi circular and is disposed in a plane including the axis of 40 said rotor. Also, in each such plane and in all relative positions of the rotor 2. and housing 1, the section of the housing peripheral inner surface 1a engaged by a rotor apex portion has a similar semi-circular profile to fit the semi-circular sealing strips 16 of said apex portion. Also said semi-circular profile of the housing inner periph eral Surface merges smoothly with the housing end walls.. In FIGURES 3 and 4 the shape of both the groove and the respective rotor and housing contours is modified. for the rotor and housing. The outer rotor 2 has op In this form the inner contour of the housing is of inverted posite axially spaced end faces and has four apex portions:50 U-shaped configuration and includes two 90 arched por tions shown at 8 and an intermediate portion 9 which - extends, parallel to the axis of the outer body. The groove 0 formed at each apex portion is of similar con figuration. In FIGURE 4 the housing and rotor are - 55 shown with all sealing components omitted. In FIGURE 3. the sealing strip means has been inserted and this in cludes the end face sealing means 15, the intermediate coupling and sealing bodies 14 that are accommodated in the axially disposed bores 21 and the sealing strip means 60 11 which is of sufficient resiliency as to be firmly pressed against the adjacent contoured surface of the housing by the gas pressure existing in the working chambers. The - U-shaped strip means can be either of one piece con struction or can be composed of plural parts 11, 12, 13, 65 as shown. In this event the adjacent end portions of the several parts of the Sealing strip means are in an overlapping relation as shown in dotted lines at 11, 12 and 53, FIGURE 3, so that a gas-tight connection exists. 70 Thus there is always an effective continuous sealing line of contact between the inner periphery of the housing and the sealing strip means. In FIGURE 2 the sealing line of contact in a radial plane through an apex is semi-circular and merges into the end walls of the housing tangentially. In the form 75 in FIGURES3 and 4 there art two tangential relationships,
5 namely at the opposite ends of the two 90 arched por tions. In both forms of the invention illustrated, namely, FIG. 2 and FIGS. 3-4, each rotor apex portion and the Sealing means within its groove is outwardly arched and is disposed in a plane including the axis of the rotor 2. Also, in all relative positions of the rotor 2 and housing l, each Section of the inner surface of the housing periph eral wall in a plane including the rotor axis and a rotor apex portion at said section, has an outwardly arched pro file similar to that of said apex portion so as to fit the sealing means of said apex portion. In addition the out wardly arched profile of the inner surface of the housing peripheral wall merges Smoothly with the inner surface of the housing end walls. FIGURES 7 and 8 illustrate the invention as applied to a 4-cycle rotary engine. In this modification the hous ing ' is composed of two half housing structures bolted together by bolt means B. The interior of the peripheral wall of the housing is in the shape of a 2-lobed epitro choid. The rotor 2 has the approximate shape of the inner envelope of the epitrochoid and thus there are three apex portions that are provided with radial grooves to accommodate Semi-circular shaped sealing strip means 6. if desired the inner contour of the housing can have the shape of a curve that is parallel to the true epitrochoid but displaced outwardly thereof. The housing has a bore therethrough that accommodates a shaft 25. An eccentric 26 on shaft 25 rotatably supports the rotor 2'. The seal ing components in this embodiment are the same as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 and include the intermediate cou pling and sealing pins 20 respectively provided with a groove to receive the opposite ends of the strip means i6 as well as with notches to receive the ends of the intermediate seal strip means 22 as in FIGURES5 and 6. Additionally, end face seal means 23 are mounted on the opposite end faces of the rotor. The shaft 25 has splined thereto counterweights 33 for counter-balancing the rotor. The surface of the rotor between the apex portions is re lieved so as to permit passage of gas from one lobe-defin ing portion to the other as the rotor approaches the posi ion shown in FIGURE 8 where the working chamber at the botton of the figure is at minimum volume. As the rotor continues to rotate the volume of this working cham ber increases to the left of the point P of minimum dis tance from the center of the shaft 25 while the volumetric capacity of the working chamber on the right of point P is diminished. The output shaft 25 performs three revo lutions for every one revolution of the rotor. Further this speed ratio is permanently maintained by the provi sion of an internally toothed gear 27 fixed to the rotor which is in mesh with an external gear 28 that is fixed to the housing. This gear 23 is formed at one end of a dual diameter sleeve member, the other and wider end of which supports the outer race of a ball bearing means for journalling the left hand end portion of shaft 25. Spark plug 32 is mounted in the housing and Suitable ignition means, not shown, effect firing of the Spark plug at the phase position of the rotor relative to the housing that approaches a position that could be termed equivalent to top dead center in a reciprocating engine. A fuel air inlet is denoted at 29 and the duct thereof terminates in an opening 33 in the left hand half of the housing while an outlet duct 31 serves as an exhaust. It is clear therefore, that in ail illustrated forms, this invention provides the combination including a rotor shaped to have a plurality of circumferentially spaced symmetrically arranged apex portions, a cooperable Sur rounding outer body having in its median transverse plane a multilobed configuration with the lobes being symmetri cally arranged and one less in number than the number of apex portions of the rotor. Further in any longitu dinal plane through the housing the inner contour has an outwardly arched shape. Two such shapes have been illustrated. In one said housing inner contour is semicir 8,083,699 5 O 5 20 40 50 60 65 6 cular in certain planes as described with the opposite ends merging tangentially with the respective inner end wall surfaces of the housing and in another it is of inverted U-shape having 90 arched corners interconnected by a portion that is parallel to the axis. At each apex portion of the rotor there is a groove that extends radially inwards and around the longitudinal periphery of the apex por tion to terminate in communication with an axially ex tending bore. Resilient strip means are accommodated in the groove and axially movable coupling and sealing bodies having radial notches therein fit within the bores to receive the respective ends of the strip means. The opposite end faces of the rotor are recessed to accommo date end face seal means. The rear face of each end face seal means and the surface of the adjacent end face of the rotor are provided with groovings that extend between the respective bores and communicate therewith. Each of the coupling and sealing bodies are provided with a pair of notches or recesses spaced angularly apart a distance such as to form continuations of the groovings and inter mediate resilient strips are accommodated in the groov ings and in these last-mentioned recesses so that during operation of the engine an effective continuous sealing line of contact is made between the respective sealing com ponents and the inner surfaces of the housing. This seal ing line of contact at each apex portion is effectively maintained by the pressure of the gas and this invention provides a sealing arrangement which has eliminated any seal structure that could be termed corner seals since in both arrangements illustrated the arched profile of the inner surface of the outer body peripheral wall merges smoothly with its end walls. What is claimed is: 1. A rotatable body member and seal combination for use within a hollow outer body of a rotary mechanism to form working fluid chambers between said bodies; said combination comprising a rotatable body member having substantially-flat end faces spaced along its axis and hav ing an outer peripheral surface with a plurality of circum ferentially-spaced apex portions with each of said apex portions having an outwardly arched profile in a plane including said axis and having a radially-outwardly-open ing groove along its outer edge in said plane; a plurality of radially-movable arch-shaped apex sealing strip means carried by the rotatable body member, there being one such apex sealing strip means for and received within each said apex groove with each apex sealing strip means having a seal face along its radially outer edge; a plural ity of end face seal strips carried by the rotatable body member within end face grooves in said rotatable mem ber, said end face seal strips being movable in a direction parallel to said axis and there being one such end face seal strip extending between each pair of adjacent apex portions; and a plurality of axially-movable intermediate seal bodies carried by the rotatable member at each end face thereof with each intermediate seal body being dis posed adjacent to an apex portion of the rotatable body member radially inwardly of the junction of the arched profile of said apex portion and the adjacent flat end face of the rotatable body member, each intermediate seal body having a seal face at its outer end and having sealing cooperation with the sealing strip means of the adjacent apex portion and with the ends of the two adjacent end face seal strips the intermediate seal bodies and the end face seal strips being independently movable in a direc tion parallel to said axis. 2. The combination recited in claim 1 and in which the outer edge seal face of each apex portion sealing strip means lies substantially in a plane including the rotatable member axis and the profile of said seal face in said plane is semi-circular. 3. The combination recited in claim 1 and in which the outer edge of each apex portion sealing strip means lies substantially in a plane including the rotatable mem ber axis and the profile of said sealing strip means in
- - 7. - - - said plane includes two - 90 arched portions and an 1689,209 intermediate straight portion extending between the arched 818,399 portions parallel to said axis... : 1,054,729 4. The combination recited in claim 3 and in which 2,189,976 each said apex sealing strip means compirses a plurality 5 2,193,178 of strip elements arranged to overlap one another. 2,880,045 References Cited in the file of this patent - UNITED STATES PATENTS......???????????? 570,889. Wilson et al. ----------. Nov. 3, 1896 `853807 663,570 Cornish --------------- Sept. 26, 1899 8,083,699. - 1,125,876 8???.,, Meyer,Dec"---?-?----------------- ;17 Wright. --------------- Apr. 17, Whittinghill ----------- Mar. 4, de Lavaud ------------- Feb. 13, Laythorpe -----------. Mar. 12, Wankel --------?------------ Mar. 31, FOREIGN PATENTS Germany -------------- June 12, Denmark ------------- - Dec. 27, France ---------------- Dec. 16, - France --------------- July 16, 1901 1906 1913 1940 1940 1959 1899 1937 1939 1956