A NEW SUPERCHARGING PATENT

A NEW SUPERCHARGING PATENT

APATENT specification has recently been filed by Mr. C. ‘1’. Lelaney, the well-known racing driver, relating to a new method of applying a supercharger to an engine.

Mr. Delaney is of the opinion that supercharging has now been proved to be a definite improvement for touring and sports cars. In addition, he considers that the time is now ripe for an engine to be produced having a supercharger as an integral part of its construction, instead of as a separate unit applied more or less as an after thought, in any position allowed for by the space available under the bonnet.

One advantage denied from such an integral supercharger is that it is unnecessary to build up a high gas pressure in the induction pipe in order to fill the cylinders adequately, as is the case when a lengthy passage has to be used from an external supercharger to the combustion chambers. Briefly, Mr. Delaney’s invention consists of ID corporating in the cylinder head any supercharger of the type comprising a rotor, which carries a series of blades, rotating about a centre accentric to that of a sleeve adapted to rotate at the same

speed as the rotor, the blades bearing on the inner surface of the sleeve. For a four-cylinder engine a four-bladed rotor is used, mounted horizontally. The sleeve of the supercharger is ported, and by driving the supercharger M timed sequence with the crankshaft, the sleeve is made to function as an inlet valve, each of the four sections of the rotor supplying the Charge for one cylinder. The carburetter is bolted direct on to the inlet pipe of the supercharger. In operation mixture is drawn into the space between the blades of the supercharger. As the rotor ‘continues to rotate the charge is compressed, and when the piston is just about to commence its suction stroke the sleeve of the supercharger is so timed that a port in it starts to open by coming into register with an opening at the top of the combustion chamber. The compressd charge is thus delivered into the combustion chamber while the piston is making its downward stroke. When the piston has reached the bottom of its stroke the port in the sleeve closes by passing out of register with the opening in the top of the combustion chamber. The piston then rises and compresses the charge, which is fired by a

sparking plug in the usual way, and the combustion chamber is scavenged by means of a normal exhaust valve. In the event of the extremely high pressure of combustion in the cylinder being bac) much for the sleeve of the supercharger, Mr. Delaney has patented a modified arrangement in which the mixture is led from the port of the sleeve down a short pipe to a point in the side of the cylinder wall, below top-dead centre. The same operation takes place as the mixture is drawn into the combustion chamber, but as the piston on its compression stroke rises two-thirds Of the way to top-dead-centre, it passes the inlet port in the cylinder wall and compresses the gas in an ordinary combustion chamber, thereby relieving the supercharger

of excessive pressure. the piston descends and. uncovers the port once more, the ignited charge in the pipe leading to the supercharger is exposed to the flame of combustion in the cylinder and creates a second explosion which tends to increase the power of the engine, particularly at lovv Speeds.

Mr. Delaney’s address is c/o Messrs. L. T. Delaney & Sons, Ltd., 115-129, Canton Vale, Ma ida Vale, London, N.W .6.