초록 ▼

Engines, pumps and compressors having one or more pistons mechanically connected to a crankshaft (30; 100; 200) incorporates an eccentric disc (35, 35; 111, 112; 210) skewered by and mounted on a crankshaft crankpin (34; 101; 201-203). The eccentric disc is either a part of the piston (220) or is it

Engines, pumps and compressors having one or more pistons mechanically connected to a crankshaft (30; 100; 200) incorporates an eccentric disc (35, 35; 111, 112; 210) skewered by and mounted on a crankshaft crankpin (34; 101; 201-203). The eccentric disc is either a part of the piston (220) or is itself the piston (35, 36; 111, 112), and it tangentially engages the internal sidewall (42, 43) of the cylinder or "piston Chamber" so as to receive the brunt of the piston side force. The eccentric disc may also include a freely rollable peripheral portion (90; 115) to minimize internal frictional resistance and wear. The embodiment of FIG. 3 additionally features the combination of double-acting pistons; a four-to-one piston-stroke to crankpin-offset ratio; and two 90° out-of-phase eccentric discs rigidly connected together side-by-side with each eccentric disc contained in a different piston chamber that are banked 90° from one another. A completely sealed (48, 49, 63, 67, 73) lubrication system (64, 65, 68, 69, 70, 71, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 83) forcibly lubricates crankshaft bearings (46, 47, 62, 66).

대표청구항 ▼

1. In a device defining internally therein a piston chamber having an internal sidewall, said device also including a crankshaft having both an axis of rotation and an eccentric portion having another axis offset therefrom, the improvement comprising: eccentric disc means moveably contained withi

1. In a device defining internally therein a piston chamber having an internal sidewall, said device also including a crankshaft having both an axis of rotation and an eccentric portion having another axis offset therefrom, the improvement comprising: eccentric disc means moveably contained within said piston chamber and having a generally circular periphery that is in essentially continuous tangential contact with the piston chamber sidewall for receiving at least the major portion of the side force exerted by the sidewall; said eccentric disc means being eccentrically mounted on said crankshaft for rotation relative thereto around its offset axis at the same angular speed as said crankshaft but in the opposite direction, said eccentric disc means also having a centroidal axis parallel to the crankshaft's offset axis so that the direction of movement of the eccentric disc within the piston chamber is at a 90° angle relative to the eccentric disc means' centroidal axis. 2. The device as set forth in claim 1, including two piston chambers lying side-by-side longitudinally of the crankshaft, and also a different eccentric disc means in each of the piston chambers, said different eccentric disc means being rigidly coupled directly together at a 90° orientation relative to one another. 3. The device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said two piston chambers are oriented at a 90° angle relative to one another. 4. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the eccentric disc means comprises the piston and has a rectangular peripheral shape in a cross section taken transverse of the piston chamber, and also wherein the piston chamber has a conforming rectangular cross sectional shape in a cross section taken transversely thereof and defined by four generally flat surfaces. 5. The device as set forth in claim 4, wherein the eccentric disc means includes a base portion and a separate peripheral portion mounted thereover, the peripheral portion being angularly moveable relative to the base portion whereby it is free to roll over the internal sidewall. 6. The device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said eccentric disc means includes circular piston rings mounted peripherally therearound that are biased away from one another and against two of the four flat surfaces, and further wherein said piston rings are free to roll over either of the other two flat surfaces. 7. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said device also defines internally thereof a crankshaft passageway in which at least a part of the crankshaft rotates, and means defining an enclosure forming a part of the crankshaft passageway for carrying lubricant to crankshaft associated bearings and for isolating that lubricant from the rest of the crankshaft passageway. 8. In a device including a housing enclosing a piston chamber defined in part by an internal sidewall, said piston chamber containing a piston therein, said piston chamber being cylindrical and said piston including a cylindrical portion concentric therewith, the improvement being characterized by: said piston including pivotal means having a circular periphery of a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the piston chamber, said pivotal means being carried within the piston cylindrical portion and jutting out of each diametrically opposite side thereof and also having a centroidal axis extending transversely of the direction of movement of the piston, said pivotal means being in rolling contact with said sidewall for intercepting at least the bulk of the side force reaction exerted by the sidewall. 9. The device as defined in claim 8, wherein the device includes a crankshaft having an eccentric connected to said pivotal means, and also including a lubrication system defined at least in part by a lubricant enclosure between the piston and the crankshaft, said lubricant enclosure being sealed from said piston chamber by means of rotary dynamic seals. 10. A mechanical arrangement for devices incorporating at least two pistons that are mechanically connected together, comprising: a housing defining internally thereof at least two elongate piston chambers arranged side-by-side and banked 90° from one another, each having a midportion proximate the midportion of the other and each having a gas chamber at each longitudinal end thereof; said housing also defining internally thereof a crankshaft passageway that extends transversely of the piston chambers and intersects them generally at their midportions; a crankshaft mounted in said crankshaft passageway for rotation around a fixed axis, said crankshaft also including a portion having a circular cross section with a centroidal axis offset from and parallel to said fixed axis; a pair of eccentric discs mounted on the same crankshaft circular portion, one of said eccentric discs being confined to reciprocate in one of said piston chambers and the other eccentric disc being confined to reciprocate in the other of said piston chambers, said eccentric discs having an eccentricity equal to the crankshaft circular portion offset to produce a four-to-one ratio of piston stroke to centroidal axis offset during rotation of the crankshaft, the eccentric discs being rigidly coupled together with their geometric centers canted 90° from one another relative to their common eccentric axis whereby constrained motion is achieved between eccentric discs and the crankshaft, each of said eccentric discs forming at least a part of a double-acting piston in its respective gas chamber. 11. The mechanical arrangement as defined in claim 10, wherein the eccentric discs are coupled together by a sleeve that is dynamically sealed to the crankshaft circular portion so as to form at least a part of a lubricant enclosure therebetween for lubricating bearing surfaces between the sleeve and crankshaft circular portions. 12. The mechanical arrangement as defined in claim 11, wherein the lubricant enclosure also includes at least one passageway within the crankshaft leading to the bearing surfaces, and also another passageway leading away from the bearing surfaces so as to permit lubricant to be forcibly circulated to the bearing. 13. The mechanical arrangement as defined in claim 12, wherein said crankshaft extends from inside to outside of said housing, wherein a pressure seal is emplaced at the interface where the crankshaft exits the housing, and wherein the housing is otherwise totally enclosed and designed to withstand internal elevated pressures. 14. The mechanical arrangement as defined in claim 13, wherein a portion of said lubricant enclosure lies adjacent said pressure seal whereby said seal is exposed to liquid lubricant within the housing. 15. A mechanical arrangement for a piston device including a crankshaft, said device utilizing a lubricant to lubricate bearing surfaces associated with the crankshaft, comprising: a housing defining internally thereof at least one expansible piston chamber and internal sidewalls defining a crankshaft passageway; a reciprocating piston in said piston chamber; means journaled on and connecting said crankshaft and said piston; lubricant enclosure means at least in part surrounding the crankshaft and said bearing surfaces for containing said lubricant in a confined space that includes said bearing surfaces but excludes said piston chamber; and rotary dynamic seals emplaced between the crankshaft and the lubricant enclosure means to sealingly separate the lubricant from the space external of the lubricant enclosure means. 16. The Stirling device as defined in claim 15, wherein said crankshaft contains passageways therethrough leading to and from the bearing surfaces, and wherein said dynamic seals are located between the lubricant enclosure means and the crankpin. 17. In a device defining internally therein a cylindrical piston chamber having an internal sidewall, said device also including a crankshaft having both an axis of rotation and a crankpin, the improvement comprising: a piston having a circular transverse cross section generally concentric with the cross section of said piston chamber; eccentric disc means forming a part of the piston, moveably contained within said piston chamber, and also having a generally circular periphery that is in essentially continuous tangential contact with the piston chamber sidewall for receiving at least the major portion of the side force reaction exerted by the sidewall, said piston being mounted on said eccentric disc means for rotation relative thereto; said eccentric disc means being eccentrically mounted on said crankshaft for rotation relative thereto around said crankpin, said eccentric disc means also having a centroidal axis parallel to the crankpin such that the direction of movement of the eccentric disc means within the piston chamber is at a 90° angle relative to the eccentric disc means' centroidal axis.