Anthony Michell’s Crankless Engines - An Engine Without a Crankshaft

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2014: Anthony Michell’s Crankless Engines - An Engine Without a Crankshaft
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Greenlees on Saturday, May 17, 2014 - 07:53 am:



Anthony Michell’s Crankless Engines: Michell invented this engine in the mid-teens based on a simple yet ingenious method of eliminating many
moving engine parts by replacing the crankshaft, connecting rods and the bearings of a conventional engine with a wobble plate. See many more
photos and learn more @ http://theoldmotor.com/?p=119936


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Will Copeland - Trenton, New Jersey on Saturday, May 17, 2014 - 08:58 am:

Really neat concept but I can see where the mechanics would not have lasted very long. Either the piston would have worn or wobble plate would have worn through very fast. I would think the balance would have been a real problem also. But good old American ingenuity will prevail!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tom Miller, Mostly in Dearborn on Saturday, May 17, 2014 - 09:18 am:

This swash plate drive design is common to many automotive air conditioner compressors.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Gregush Portland Oregon on Saturday, May 17, 2014 - 11:13 am:

Not American. Australian/English know how.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Elliott on Saturday, May 17, 2014 - 11:57 am:

It's still a crank shaft, or output shaft. Is this thingy like a two cycle. Stroke it's still a stroke


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By mark herdman on Sunday, May 18, 2014 - 02:19 am:

Looks like an 8 cylinder equivalent engine with each "piston end" having 2 firing points (via the slotted skirts). Very smart man to work all that out!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Greenlees on Sunday, May 18, 2014 - 07:21 am:



As far as I know all of Michell's engines were four-strokes. This one pictured here was built in the
mid-1920s and is a five cylinder w/two plugs a cylinder. It was part of a self contained unit including
the flywheel, clutch and transmission. More photos and info @ http://theoldmotor.com/?p=119936


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ken Kopsky, Lytle TX on Sunday, May 18, 2014 - 08:45 am:

The principle was invented by an American named Walter Macomber and patented in 1909 and 1913. There were a number of variations to the design by others. Michell's "copy" replaced a connecting rod design by introducing a thrust ball design. So, as usual, the "imperials" just copied the design. :-)

As Tom Miller mentioned, the axial piston design is still in use today in automotive air conditioning compressors.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Greenlees on Sunday, May 18, 2014 - 09:20 am:



The photo above shows the engine used by the Eagle Macomber Motor Car Company and you can learn more @ http://theoldmotor.com/?p=26452

Many of W.G. Macomber’s Rotary Engine patent drawings one of which can be seen below are at @ http://theoldmotor.com/?p=27472

I would not call Michell's engine a "copy" as Macomber's engines were rotary and many of the 80 engines Michell built used opposing pistons and were not arranged in a circle.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Greenlees on Sunday, May 18, 2014 - 09:26 am:



It looks like the wobbly /swash plate engine goes all the way back to DK West’s 1875 steam engine.

http://www.google.com.br/patents/US165139


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ken Kopsky, Lytle TX on Sunday, May 18, 2014 - 10:49 am:

The cylinders have to be arranged in a circle or the swash plate doesn't work. Michell's cylinders most certainly were arranged in a circle around the shaft. That's why the engines were round. The cylinders also have to fire in sequence around the plate to push it forward and turn the shaft. It makes no difference that Michell's cylinders had opposing pistons. The pistons/cylinders opposite the firing cylinder are fired in an off-set sequential sequence. Just more of the same.

Interesting on the steam "motor". Technically, steam is not an engine as it requires an external force. Was DK West an American?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Herb Iffrig on Sunday, May 18, 2014 - 11:40 am:

Was that patent information auto-transcribed? It comes across part gobble-gook. I'm not sure where the owner of the patent was from. It could be England.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Greenlees on Sunday, May 18, 2014 - 01:23 pm:

Ken & Herb, D.K. West was apparently was from England. Sometimes Google Patent weirds out
and displays nonsense like it is doing with this patent.


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