Abstract: The present invention provides a pulley assembly adapted to transmit torque from a drive pulley to first and second driven accessories. The pulley assembly generally includes a housing and an auxiliary drive component. The auxiliary drive component is rotatably supported by the housing and adapted to be coupled to the first driven accessory. The auxiliary drive component includes first and second annular drive surfaces. The first drive surface is adapted to be drivingly coupled to the drive pulley and the second drive surface is adapted to be drivingly coupled to the second driven accessory.

Abstract: A rotary valve assembly for an internal combustion engine is herein disclosed. The rotary valve assembly comprises a valve body having a number of ports formed therethrough and a bore that intersects these ports such that a valve cylinder inserted into the bore may selectively occlude or open the ports of the valve body. Cutouts formed into the valve cylinder facilitate the opening of the ports as they are rotated into alignment with the ports of the valve body. The rotary valve assembly may be used as a throttle mechanism by sliding the valve cylinder longitudinally within the bore of the valve body so as to control the aspect of the cutouts or bores formed into the valve cylinder that is presented to the ports.

Abstract: A piston-cam engine includes a drive cylinder, a drive piston operably disposed therein having a piston head and a shaft, a support frame having a drive shaft rotatably movably connected thereto, a cam connected to the drive shaft having a peripheral surface and having a plurality of lobes thereon, a roller member connected to the piston shaft and adapted for engagement with the peripheral surface of the cam, and a biasing element for biasing the roller member continuously against the peripheral surface of the cam.

Abstract: An engine having a rotary member and a first linear member includes a first axis about which the rotary member rotates and a second axis coupling the rotary member to an offset rotary element. The first linear member is coupled to the offset rotary element by a first coupling. The second linear member is coupled at one end to the offset rotary element by the first coupling and at an opposite end to a housing. The first linear member moves back and forth in lateral fashion from a first position to a second position. The lateral movement of the first linear member causing continuous rotational movement of the rotary member in one direction.

Abstract: In a cover plate for obturating a crankcase of an internal combustion engine at the bottom end thereof, which cover plate includes suction areas for collecting engine lubricant and on which a balancing shaft is rotatably supported and driven by the crankshaft of the engine via a gear structure, a first gear pump is arranged at one end of the balancing shaft for pumping lubricant from a collection area at the one end of the balancing shaft and a second gear pump is disposed at the opposite end of the balancing shaft for pumping lubricant from the other collection area at the other end of the balancing shaft, each pump having one of its gears mounted on the balancing shaft.

Abstract: A thermal transfer internal combustion engine with an air transfer cylinder located between a pair of power cylinders. The transfer cylinder has an intake valve and two transfer valves alternately feeding the two power cylinders. The power cylinders each contain a mono valve used for both intake and exhaust. Counter-flow manifolds connect the mono valves of the power cylinders to the transfer valves of the transfer cylinder. A regenerator with catalytic converter properties is located in each counter-flow manifold. The regenerator is heated by exhaust gases exiting the power cylinders, prior to exiting the engine through exhaust dump valves. Uncompressed intake air is pushed from the transfer cylinder through the regenerator where it is heated and delivered to the power cylinder for conventional processing. The heat recovery system provides high compression temperatures at low compression ratios, reducing engine fuel consumption.

Abstract: A sequential injection lubrication system for a spherical rotary valve internal combustion engine operating on natural gas or alternative fuels, the lubrication system having a plurality of injectors, one for each cylinder, the injectors and communication with a lubricant reservoir and with a control unit which sequentially opens and closes the injectors for the introduction of lubricant into the cylinder, the control unit in communication with a control panel allowing the selective setting of the duration of the pulse injection and the frequency thereof.

Abstract: A powertrain assembly having an improved engine configuration includes an engine and a transmission incorporated in a crankcase of the engine. The engine also comprises an oil pump and a water pump. The transmission is a cartridge-type shift drum transmission, which can be attached to or detached from a transmission attachment face which is a side face of the crankcase. The oil pump and the transmission attachment face are arranged in substantially non-overlapping relation in the side view of the engine. The water pump shaft is substantially coaxial with the oil pump shaft, and the water pump is positioned below a drive sprocket on the transmission countershaft so as to be overlapping while eliminating interference between them, allowing a close arrangement of components.

Abstract: A combustion-type power tool includes a cylinder and a combustion chamber disposed on top of the cylinder that accommodates a gaseous mixture of existing air in the combustion chamber and fuel injected therein. A spark plug generates a spark to combust the gaseous mixture in the combustion chamber. A trigger switch produces the spark in the spark plug when operated. A piston is movably supported in the cylinder and driven by combustion in the combustion chamber. A driving blade is integrally formed with the piston for driving a fastener. A push lever is provided at one end of the housing and coupled with the combustion chamber frame. A temperature sensor is provided, for example, on the combustion chamber frame to sense the temperature thereof. A stopper is operated to adjust the position of the push lever to be shifted from an initial position when the sensed temperature is higher than a critical value.

Abstract: Laser welding of plastic involves a laser passing through laser translucent then laser absorbent material. A technical description as envisaged here is Laser Contour Welding. Universally, laser welding is done by Quasi simultaneous techniques and rarely by Contour techniques. Regular or symmetrical parts, under 5 inches are welded by Quasi simultaneous. Asymmetric and large parts are best welded by Contour Welding. Kinematics of robots permits a complex contour. Automotive plastic manifolds exceed 5 inches with asymmetry. The pairing of robot contour and laser welding facilitates a new Automotive manifold. It requires a new split line for laser access and manufacturing as described. Encompassing the above requirements and solutions can reduce the moldings for a V8 to 2 major operations.

Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling stopping position of a crankshaft during shutdown of a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine influence cylinder pressure independent of associated intake/exhaust valves during shutdown of the engine so the crankshaft stops in a position favorable for restarting. Embodiments include an engine having variable compression ratio cylinders with the compression ratio of the cylinders controlled to vary cylinder pressure during shutdown to control stopping position of the crankshaft, or an auxiliary control valve disposed in a cylinder wall to control pressure within the cylinders during shutdown so the crankshaft stops in a position desirable for restarting.

Abstract: An engine having a rotary member and a linear member includes a first axis about which the rotary member rotates and a second axis coupling the rotary member to an offset rotary element. The linear member is coupled to the offset rotary element by a first coupling fixed in position relative to the linear member and a second coupling that moves within a space in the linear member. The linear member moves back and forth in lateral fashion from a first position to a second position. The lateral movement of the linear member causes continuous rotational movement of the rotary member in one direction.

Abstract: An intake box having an appropriate size to reduce intake noise is mounted at an upper portion of an engine by using the structural feature of a V-type engine, thereby minimizing the intake noise. The cross-sectional area of a relative intake passage is further expanded to decrease the intake resistance, resulting in an improvement of the engine output.

Abstract: The invention is intended to provide improved emission-cleaning performance by use of a three-way catalyst alone, without the need for a lean NOx catalyst, while ensuring a fuel economy improvement effect of lean burn operation. A multicylinder spark-ignition engine is constructed such that, in a pair of preceding and following cylinders whose exhaust and intake strokes overlap each other, burned gas discharged from the preceding cylinder (2A, 2D) which is currently in the exhaust stroke is introduced directly into the following cylinder (2B, 2C) which is currently in the intake stroke through an intercylinder gas channel (22) and gas discharged from only the following cylinder (2B, 2C) is led to an exhaust passage (20) provided with a three-way catalyst (24) in a low-load, low-speed operating range.

Abstract: Cooling device for a retarder of a vehicle engine, comprising a coolant circuit with a coolant cooler and a retarder cooler, and at least one further coolant circuit with a further coolant cooler and a further cooler. To allow more cooling capacity to be released for the retarder when the latter is activated, the cooling device has valves arranged to connect the coolant circuits together upon activation of the retarder so that at least two coolant coolers are then used for cooling the retarder, and to disconnect the coolant circuits from one another so that they revert to being separate circuits upon deactivation of the retarder.

Abstract: A system and method for managing inertial torque reaction of a powertrain include a selectively engageable counter-rotating component to reduce or eliminate torque reaction on stationary powertrain structure. Selectively engageable counter-rotating inertia may be provided by a simple inertial mass or by an electrical machine functioning as an integral starter/generator (ISG) to provide vehicle launch assist, regenerative braking of the vehicle, and engine cranking. Embodiments include gear-driven, chain-driven, and belt-driven counter-rotating inertias selectively coupled for counter-rotation relative to the crankshaft by a clutch, a belt-driven pulley assembly, or chain-driven intermediate shaft assembly with a hydraulically actuated coupling pin.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a crankshaft (1) of an internal combustion engine including an internal combustion engine for a portable handheld work apparatus such as a motor-driven chain saw or the like. The invention is also directed to a method for making the crankshaft (1) as well as an internal combustion engine with a corresponding crankshaft (1). The crankshaft (1) is made up of separately manufactured parts and includes a crank arm (2) having a central cutout (3) for accommodating a shaft lug (4) of the crankshaft (1) and an eccentric cutout (5) for accommodating a crank pin (6). The crank pin (6) journals a connecting rod (7). A centrifugal mass portion (8) is provided on the crank arm (2) at its end lying opposite the eccentric cutout (5). The centrifugal mass portion (8) is configured as one piece with the crank arm (2) and is bent out of a plane (9) of the crank arm (2) in the direction of the connecting rod (7).

Abstract: A combustion-engined setting tool (10) for driving in fastening elements such as bolts, nails, and the like in a constructional components includes an inlet/outlet valve arrangement (20) that connects the combustion chamber (13) of the setting tool (10), which is filled with an air-fuel mixture, with at least two tool openings (33, 34), has an inlet (21) connectable with a first tool opening (33) and an outlet (22) connectable with the second tool opening (34).

Abstract: A combined gasoline and hydrogen fueling system for a gasoline-powered internal combustion engine, including, preferably, a rapid-start catalytic reformer for producing reformate gas containing hydrogen from gasoline. The reformate from the reformer is swept by air into the intake manifold of the cold engine where it is mixed with intake air and then drawn into the cylinders and ignited conventionally to start the engine. A computer-based reformer control system optimizes the amount of reformate formed and the resulting reformate/air mixture. The reformer control system interfaces or is integral with a computer-based gasoline and air supply system for the engine, the two systems cooperating to optimize a mixture of gasoline and reformate in the intake manifold at all times during warming of the engine and its exhaust catalyst to steady-state operating temperature. Preferably, flow of reformate is terminated thereafter.

Abstract: A method for increasing the power output of an internal combustion engine is presented. The increase to the power output of the engine may be accomplished by injecting a pressurized oxygen enhancer, such as nitrous oxide, into the air intake of the internal combustion engine. A portion of the pressure derived from the injection is captured by a pressure port. The captured pressure is delivered to the fuel control device of the internal combustion engine such as the float bowl of a carburetor causing an increased quantity of fuel to enter the engine. A manifold for delivering nitrous oxide or another oxygen enhancer to the air intake of an internal combustion engine is also presented.