Old Off-set Eccentric Cam/Piston Experimental Rotary Gas Engine, hit miss

=WANTED: Old Experimental Engines, Prototypes, Patent Models, Test Engines or Unusual Engines to Add to the Collection/Museum displays here. Gas, steam, hot air engines, literature, etc.
This video is of an odd old experimental rotary gas engine that was probably made around the 1950’s/60’s era. It is not a Wankle-type rotary; instead this engine has a round off-set eccentric cam/piston with a dividing vanes on opposite sides of the housing. These dividing vanes move in & out & seal against the outer face of the eccentric cam/piston as it rotates. The dividing vanes divide the working area inside the housing into separate sections. Because of this, all 4-stroke strokes of a conventional 4-stroke engine (intake, compression, combustion/expansion, & exhaust) can be performed on the front & back sides of the eccentric cam/piston simultaneously in one revolution.
There is no name or stampings on the engine. It uses a Tillotson carburetor & a Model H1-4 “Bendix Scintilla” Magneto. The engine was found around the Detroit, Michigan area so it’s assumed to have been made locally somewhere around that area.
Rotary engines looked like a simple-solution to a “better” engine on paper but when put in practice, most rotary engines suffered from excessive friction losses, seal leakage, blow-by, lubrication problems & problems associated with combustion chamber design & heat loss.
Although this engine suffers from some of all-the-above, & it still was a good-enough design that when being motored over, it tries to run & will fire fairly consistently (for just squirting in raw fuel into its intake like we did in the video).
A lot of times experimental test engines such as this one, didn’t have cooling & were only made to test an idea. If successful or if the idea still seemed to have potential then a more robust test engine was usually made with cooling for prolonged runs.
We’re always looking for more experimental engines, prototypes, patent models & unusual engines to add to the collection/museum here. If examples of any kind turn up please give us a call at 419-492-2684 or email, Rowland AT willard-oh.com Thanks & stop into visit if through mid-Ohio. We get people & small groups visiting each week, year-round to see the over 400 engines on display & a lot of the engines get run regularly for people.
For More Information, go to:
rowland24.20megsfree.com

[@brucerogermorgan2388]

Interesting engine, but more detail would be good. I would like to see all around that engine to see how it worked.

[@jasonballamy9193]

Great set of photos Nick. Do you have any more details of that SECOR engine on your flyer as that would make a nice model. Also put me down for one of those hopper cooled RMC engines that I have not seen before if you ever get them cast.

[@nrowland56]

Thank you & I’ll definitely let you know when I get some of the “Type G” Avery Rowland engines cast. First ones will be in aluminum & then will be doing some in iron. On the Secor pic, I always liked that engine as well & thought it’d make a neat model. There’s quite a few different styles of the vertical ones, with the one shown on my namecard being what I think the nicest-looking version. Will have to dig out pics to send you later.

[@jasonballamy9193]

Thanks Nick

[@coilmotorworks]

Awesome video!