Abstract: The lubrication system for rotary mechanisms of the Wankel type, having a housing in which a rotor planetates, comprises an elongated, shallow trough in the inner peripheral surface of the trochoid housing of the mechanism, which trough extends substantially across the entire width of the surface and with its longitudinal axis canted relative to the trace line of the inner peripheral surface. A supply means is provided to conduct metered amounts of lubricant to the trough from a suitable source of lubricant to fill and maintain the trough in a full condition so that the apex seal blade carried by the rotor picks-up and distributes lubricant along the inner peripheral surface.

Abstract: The normally engaged spring clutch assembly has a helical spring in interference fit with driving and driven clutch drums to transmit rotation from one clutch drum to the other. A control sleeve surrounds and is in close spaced relation to the spring. Each of the opposite end portions of the spring are engageable with the sleeve so that, in the engaged condition of operation, the sleeve rotates with the spring and, in the disengaged condition of operation when rotation of the control sleeve is arrested, the spring is caused to release its grip on a clutch drum. The disengagement of the spring clutch assembly is achieved whichever clutch drum is the driving clutch drum.In another embodiment, the spring is so formed that, upon disengagement by arresting rotation of the control sleeve, a portion of the spring engages the control sleeve to stop the overrun of the driven clutch drum.

Abstract: A rotary combustion engine comprising a housing having an inner trochoidal surface and a rotor mounted within the housing and having apex portions having sealing cooperation with said trochoidal surface to form a plurality of working chambers therebetween and in which said trochoidal surface is modified at least in the region at the ends of its minor axis by displacing said surface outwardly in this region to avoid the usual crest in each of these regions and further in which the rotor periphery is modified so that it is substantially the inner envelope of this modified trochoidal surface.

Abstract: A rotary combustion engine having a fuel nozzle for discharging fuel into each working chamber just prior to combustion and in which means are provided for increasing the width of the spray angle of the fuel discharged by said nozzle as the quantity of fuel discharged by the nozzle into each working chamber is increased.

Abstract: The built-up tube and tubesheet assembly for multi-conduit heat exchangers having a plurality of conduits each of which have end portions of four-sided polygonal shape in cross-section comprises a plurality of peripheral walls secured together to form a four-sided polygonal shaped frame and, at least, one partition wall connected at opposite ends to opposite peripheral walls to thereby form two openings shaped and dimensioned to receive therein the end portions of the conduits. A securing and sealing means is provided to connect the end portions of the conduits and the peripheral and partition walls together and seal the interstices between the surfaces of the end portions and the adjacent surfaces of the peripheral and partition walls. In the method of fabrication the securing and sealing means is provided by dip soldering or brazing within a molten solder bath.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine having an intake port with a valve movable to open and close the intake port and with the duration of the period in which the valve is fully open during each intake phase being varied to regulate the power output of the engine.

Abstract: A rotary combustion engine designed for operation as a stratified charge engine with two separately controllable fuel injection means combined into a single unitary fuel injection nozzle structure.

Abstract: Molding apparatus and method for producing die castings having high, closely spaced projections extending therefrom formed by mold portions which are re-entrant or interleaved between the projections of the casting. Such re-entrant mold portions do not cool rapidly between casting shots and their tips are liable to stick to the casting, making it difficult or impossible to release. The invention provides a die mold having such re-entrant portions and a method of rapidly cooling such portions between casting shots in order to provide acceptable production rates.

Abstract: The invention relates to a support means for an actuating arm which is pivotally movable into and out of engagement with a stop element of a spring control element of a spring clutch. The support means includes a frame having a suitable opening for slidably receiving the actuating arm and a retaining member resiliently gripping the frame to retain the actuating arm in the opening in the frame.

Abstract: An improved oil seal arrangement for a rotary engine in which one side of the rotor has an adapter ring attached thereto with the ring having circumferentially-spaced ribs aligned with the internal partitions of the rotor and in which the outer periphery of the adapter ring has an annular notch to provide an annular recess between the ring and rotor to receive therein an oil seal assembly, and in which the other side of the rotor has a gear ring attached to the rotor with the gear ring having circumferentially-spaced ribs aligned with the internal partitions of the rotor and in which the outer periphery of the rotor gear ring has an annular notch to provide an annular recess between the gear ring and rotor to receive an oil seal assembly.

Abstract: A composite rotor construction for a rotary engine in which the rotor gear has a self-centering spline connection to a steel sleeve having a tight fit in the rotor bore.

Abstract: A multi-piece apex seal for a rotary engine in which the seal includes a main seal piece and corner seal piece at one or both ends of the main seal piece and in which at least one of the adjacent engaging surfaces of the main seal piece and a corner seal piece is arcuate to insure a flat fit between the corner seal piece and the adjacent housing end wall.

Abstract: A rotary combustion engine having two fuel nozzles for discharging fuel into each engine working chamber with fuel being discharged from only one of the nozzles during low power operation of the engine and being discharged from both nozzles during high power operation of the engine.

Abstract: The system and method of this invention is directed to effecting combustion of fuel in a rotary piston, internal combustion engine having a housing defining a trochoidal-shaped, multi-lobe cavity in which a rotor is mounted for planetary rotation and defines with the housing working chambers that successively expand and contract in volumetric size as the rotor orbits within the housing cavity. The system and method comprises a precombustion chamber which communicates with successive working chambers through an outlet port. When the outlet port is open to the working chamber at approximately the initiation of the expansion cycle of the working chamber, all the fuel for a particular engine operating condition of speed and load is mixed in the precombustion chamber with a relatively small quantity of air at a pressure substantially greater than the pressure in the working chamber to thereby cause ignition and flash of the fuel into the working chamber.

Abstract: The method of inspecting shot peened surfaces of a workpiece for the extent of coverage comprises coating the surface to be peened of a workpiece with a material containing a fluorescent dye and then shot peening the part to be peened until the amount of fluorescent coating remaining, as indicated by the amount of fluorescent radiation given off when exposed to ultraviolet light, compares with the amount of fluorescent radiation given off from a previously prepared control specimen which has the same material characteristics as the workpiece and was coated with the same fluorescent material and shot peened to a desired coverage.

Abstract: An improved rotor and gear assembly for rotary mechanisms of the trochoidal type, in which a rotor having a central bore is mounted for rotation on a shaft, and an internally toothed ring gear is secured to a side face of the rotor for engagement with a stationary gear to maintain phasing between the rotor and its trochoidal housing during the planetary and rotary motion of the gear within the housing. The ring gear is mounted on the rotor by resilient tubular pins circumferentially disposed, the pins being angularly slanted with respect to the rotor axis in such a manner as to maintain concentricity of the rotor and gear while permitting differences in thermal expansion therebetween, restraining the gear from axial displacement, and providing resilience for intermittent circumferential shock loading of the gear without imposing undue stresses or causing distortion of the gear or the rotor.

Abstract: A rotary combustion engine designed for operation as a stratified charge engine in which a relatively lean fuel-air mixture is supplied to each engine working chamber through the main air intake port and in which just prior to combustion in each engine working chamber, a relatively-rich, high-pressure, fuel-air mixture is supplied to each working chamber through individual passages in the rotor for each working chamber.

Abstract: The improved ignition means for a rotary combustion engine of the type, having a rotor which planetates within a multi-lobed housing cavity which is partly defined by an inner peripheral wall surface, comprises a spark plug having an axis which extends substantially normal to the peripheral wall surface and has means forming a spark-gap disposed in an ante-chamber adjacent the inner peripheral wall surface. An ignition channel of small size in relation to the size of the ante-chamber extends from the ante-chamber through the peripheral wall surface and is disposed in offset substantially parallel relationship with the longitudinal axis of the spark plug.

Abstract: A die-cast peripheral housing for the rotor of rotary combustion engines, having cast-in passages for liquid cooling, the passages providing optimum wall thickness and coolant flow at the region of high heat input.

Abstract: An inexpensive rotor and cooperating sealing grid for trochoidal rotary engines, in which the gas seals at each side of the rotor are simple circular elements interlocking and coacting with the sealing elements at the rotor apexes, whereby the chambers of variable volume formed between the rotor working faces and the housing are isolated from each other and from axial leakage of gas, the circular gas seals also serving as oil seals between the rotor and the housing side walls.