Reciprocating multicylinder vee machines with secondary counterbalancers
US4683849A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 20, 1984 |
| Grant date | Aug 4, 1987 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 20, 2004 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T74/2183
- WIPO fieldEngines, pumps, turbines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An engine is disclosed in which two cylinders or guideways are mounted in a Vee or L formation with a reciprocable piston or crosshead in each. Connecting rods interconnect each reciprocable member to a crankshaft. Countershafts with balance weights thereon are referred to as balance shafts and these are driven at twice cranshaft speed in opposite directions and they serve to counterbalance the secondary reciprocating inertia forces. The balance shafts are mounted substantially parallel to the crankshaft instead of at right angles to the crankshaft as taught by Lanchester in a Vee machine. Thus, ordinary gearing can be used to drive the balance shafts instead of the skew gearing taught by Lanchester in a Vee machine. When the angle between the two cylinders is 90 degrees, only two not four balance shafts are required. When the machine has four cylinders in a 90 degree Vee, only two parallel balance shafts are required to serve all four cylinders. For some applications, three balance shafts are used.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.