OT - Anthony Michell’s Crankless Engines - The Engine Without a Crankshaft

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OT - Anthony Michell’s Crankless Engines - The Engine Without a Crankshaft

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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 the story at The Old Motor.

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

That setup looks just like the common R6 air conditioning compressors GM used for many years. When I went to the GM training school to learn about them I started thinking it would make a neat engine.
 
Re: Anthony Michell’s Crankless Engines - An Engine Without a Crankshaft

Otherwise known as a "swash plate" engine.

The same principle later adopted in many applications - certainly diesel engine injection pumps. Most notably used on VW diesel engines - but used certainly for at least a generation before.

Interesting pix though - thanks!

Heh. Honeycomb radiator?

Joe in NH
 
Re: OT - Anthony Michell’s Crankless Engines - The Engine Without a Crankshaft

Very cool... thanks for sharing!
 
Re: OT - Anthony Michell’s Crankless Engines - The Engine Without a Crankshaft

Also known as a barrel engine or a waffle plate engine. There's an almost unlimited variety of cylinder configurations possible.
Terry
 
Re: OT - Anthony Michell’s Crankless Engines - The Engine Without a Crankshaft

That's COOL! Is it in a 'Michell' ?
 
Re: OT - Anthony Michell’s Crankless Engines - The Engine Without a Crankshaft

Thanks for posting this. Looks like it's mounted in a mid twenties Buick to me.
 
Re: OT - Anthony Michell’s Crankless Engines - The Engine Without a Crankshaft

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This is the cylinder head end of one of Michell's mid-1920s, five cylinder engines 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
 
Re: OT - Anthony Michell’s Crankless Engines - The Engine Without a Crankshaft

Looks expensive to manufacture. I remember those GM compressors as being pretty smooth when running.
 
Re: OT - Anthony Michell’s Crankless Engines - The Engine Without a Crankshaft

My friend, Corny, had a small, single cylinder, "wobble plate" engine, run by compressed air. I don't know what it was used for???----Bill W.
 
Re: OT - Anthony Michell’s Crankless Engines - The Engine Without a Crankshaft

Look up the dynacam engine, now owned by Avec and is called the Axial vector Engine.
 
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