Cylinders Opposite Patents (Class 123/55.2)
  • Patent number: 10539113
    Abstract: A method for operating a belt-driven starter generator of an internal combustion engine, in which a time interval between an onset of a rotary motion of the belt-driven starter generator and an onset of a rotary motion of the internal combustion engine is determined, the determined time interval is compared to a reference value, and the structural change of a belt of the belt-driven starter generator is inferred therefrom, and a torque of the belt-driven starter generator and/or a torque of a component connected to the belt is restricted as a function of the structural change of the belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: SEG Automotive Germany GMBH
    Inventors: Benjamin Klein, Tobias Trzebiatowski
  • Patent number: 10190492
    Abstract: The timing or phasing of port openings and closings during operation of an opposed-piston engine is varied in response to changing engine speeds and loads by changing crankshaft phasing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: ACHATES POWER, INC.
    Inventors: Kevin B. Fuqua, Fabien G. Redon
  • Patent number: 9702273
    Abstract: Counterrotating cam and follower apparatuses (C-CAFA) capable of converting reciprocating to rotational motion, and visa versa, utilizing counterrotating cams cooperating with at least one reciprocating cam follower. Apparatus cam counterrotation is ensured to be synchronously timed without necessity of prior art stationary geartrains, by and through apparatus cam follower(s) combining with counterrotating cam surfaces acting as moving follower constraints, provided that disclosed structural limitations, including those regarding cam and follower surface interface engineering slop, multiple degree of freedom cams, rotating and reciprocating follower(s), and electromechanical limitations are met when specified. Optional apparatus usages include reciprocating mass balancer, differential to reverse and or multiply shaft rotations, and apparatus combinations with connecting rods, pistons, cylinders, and or engines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Inventor: Matthew Cobb
  • Patent number: 9032917
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed toward implementations of internal combustion engines. The disclosure describes various embodiments of internal combustion engines where most of the internal elements rotate. Such engines allow for more efficient transfer of the energy created by combustion to the motive components of a vehicle such as wheels or propellers. One specific embodiment includes a rotating cylinder with a single piston which both reciprocates and rotates. The rotating motion of the piston is transferred to the cylinder, which in turn is connected to a driveshaft. Various embodiments of the invention employ differing numbers and configurations of pistons. All embodiments have the advantage of decreasing engine volume and increasing efficiency over traditional internal combustion engines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Inventor: Mark McNitt
  • Patent number: 8985071
    Abstract: The converting of linear motion into rotational energy when using the cylinders and pistons of an internal combustion engine without the use of a crankshaft. The replacement with dual high lead cam-screws and dual cam-followers allows for the efficient use of a complete combustion stroke without the resistance from the crankshaft at top dead center, and a greatly reduced resistance for the return stroke as there is no crankshaft turning resistance at the outer limit of the piston stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Inventor: Graeme Harold Newman
  • Patent number: 8875673
    Abstract: An improvement to the Waissi type opposed piston internal combustion engine is proposed. The engine has at least one pair of aligned and opposed cylinders with one reciprocating double-headed piston assembly in each cylinder pair. The reciprocating motion of the piston is transmitted to the driveshaft by a rotating crankdisk, which is off-centered mounted to the driveshaft. The high friction metal to metal contact between the crankdisk and the piston contact wall is replaced by a combination of a roll resistance and friction under hydrodynamic conditions resulting to a significantly reduced total resistance between the piston and the crankdisk. This is accomplished by utilizing a bearing ring assembly slidably installed on the annular perimeter surface of the crankdisk. The bearing ring is held in place by a linear U-profile groove, which is casted or machined on each the piston contact slot wall of the integrated piston assembly respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Inventors: Gary Ray Robert Waissi, Robert Waissi
  • Patent number: 8839760
    Abstract: An apparatus for rotating a crankshaft is described. The crankshaft includes a main shaft and an axially offset crank pin connected to the main shaft. The apparatus includes a first piston that alternately drives an attached connecting frame in reciprocating motion. A hub is rotatably mounted within the connecting frame with the hub defining a channel and the crank pin disposed therein. The apparatus includes a locking mechanism with a locked state in which the hub is prevented from rotating and an unlocked state in which the hub freely rotates. The reciprocating motion of the first piston and the connecting frame imparts reciprocating travel of the crank pin between ends of the channel and consequent rotation of the main shaft in the locked state; while the crankshaft and the hub rotate freely in the unlocked state, with the first piston and the connecting frame in a stationary position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Inventor: Achim H. Hedrich
  • Patent number: 8783218
    Abstract: A toroidal combustion chamber shape with a side injector is disclosed for an opposed-piston engine. Fuel is injected into the toroidal volume from a fuel injector in the cylinder wall. In one embodiment, fuel is injected from each injector a plurality of times with the timing between the injections such that fuel clouds from each injection remain substantially isolated from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: EcoMotors International
    Inventors: Huixian Shen, Peter Hofbauer
  • Publication number: 20140196675
    Abstract: An improvement to the Waissi type opposed piston internal combustion engine is proposed. The engine has at least one pair of aligned and opposed cylinders with one reciprocating double-headed piston assembly in each cylinder pair. The reciprocating motion of the piston is transmitted to the driveshaft by a rotating crankdisk, which is off-centered mounted to the driveshaft. The high friction metal to metal contact between the crankdisk and the piston contact wall is replaced by a combination of a roll resistance and friction under hydrodynamic conditions resulting to a significantly reduced total resistance between the piston and the crankdisk. This is accomplished by utilizing a bearing ring assembly slidably installed on the annular perimeter surface of the crankdisk. The bearing ring is held in place by a linear U-profile groove, which is casted or machined on each the piston contact slot wall of the integrated piston assembly respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Inventors: GARY RAY ROBERT WAISSI, ROBERT WAISSI
  • Patent number: 8776761
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine that is structurally similar to a four-stroke engine. The engine comprises at least one cylinder unit, in turn, comprising a cylinder, a piston head that reciprocates within the cylinder, a combustion chamber defined between the cylinder and the front of the piston head, a fuel injector, an oxygen injector, and an exhaust port. The IC engine further comprises a piston rod, one end of which is connected to the piston head and the other end to the crankshaft. The combustion within the combustion chamber is initiated upon the injection of the fuel and the oxygen into the combustion chamber when the piston is at the top dead center. The spent gases are expelled through the exhaust port as the piston returns to the top dead center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Inventor: Seyed Meisam Aledavood
  • Patent number: 8763583
    Abstract: An opposed-piston, opposed-cylinder OPOC engine is disclosed in which the central axis of the two cylinders is collinear. In four-stroke engines, this is possible with a built up crankshaft. Disclosed are connecting rod configurations that are suitable for a two-stroke engine that can be assembled to a unitary crankshaft, including both pullrods in tension and pushrods in compression. The configuration includes pistons arranged symmetrically, but with offset timing of the intake and exhaust pistons. The offset timing leads to a slight imbalance which can be partially overcome by having the center of gravity of the crankshaft offset from the axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: EcoMotors, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Hofbauer, Adrian Tusinean
  • Patent number: 8726856
    Abstract: An Otto cycle, Atkinson cycle or supercharged internal combustion engine (10) and a timing mechanism therefor. The engine comprising: a cylinder (14) and a piston (12) reciprocally mounted within the cylinder (14) in which reciprocating movement of the piston is converted into rotational movement of an output shaft (28) by way of rollers (20, 24) engaging primary (22) and secondary (26) cam means which are affixed to, and rotatable with, the output shaft (28). The timing mechanism comprising cam means (52, 53) mounted on, and rotatable in unison with, the output shaft (28), a cam follower (54, 55) arranged to engage the cam means (52) and a linkage connecting the cam follower to a pivoting rocker arm for actuating the engine's induction and exhaust valves, the rocker arm pivot being adapted to be moveable on an arcuate locus centered on the axis of the output shaft (28).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Inventor: Stephen Richard Terry
  • Patent number: 8714119
    Abstract: The disclosed invention includes a heat engine where combustion, expansion, and compression are independent, continuous, parallel cycles. The disclosed engine includes a crankcase situated between two axially-aligned, opposed cylinder blocks. Each opposed cylinder block contains zero-clearance cylinders. An oscillating two-headed piston separates each cylinder into expansion and compression chambers. A connecting rod connects the piston heads of opposed cylinder pairs, and articulates with a central, linear-throw, planetary crank mechanism. A single, rotary disk valve mates with each external expander face of the paired, opposed cylinder blocks to regulate expansion and exhaust functions. Controllable intake and outlet valves, integrated within each internal compressor face of the paired cylinder blocks, regulate intake, compression, and regenerative engine braking functions. A separate combustion chamber with heat regeneration capabilities and at least one compressed-air storage reservoir are included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Inventor: Stuart B. Pett, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8590497
    Abstract: A split-cycle air-hybrid engine includes a rotatable crankshaft. A compression piston is slidably received within a compression cylinder and operatively connected to the crankshaft. An expansion piston is slidably received within an expansion cylinder and operatively connected to the crankshaft. An exhaust valve selectively controls gas flow out of the expansion cylinder. A crossover passage interconnects the compression and expansion cylinders. The crossover passage includes a crossover compression (XovrC) valve and a crossover expansion (XovrE) valve therein. An air reservoir is operatively connected to the crossover passage. An air reservoir valve selectively controls air flow into and out of the air reservoir. In an Air Compressor (AC) mode of the engine, the XovrE valve is kept closed during an entire rotation of the crankshaft, and the exhaust valve is kept open for at least 240 CA degrees of the same rotation of the crankshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Scuderi Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Riccardo Meldolesi, Nicholas Badain, Ian Gilbert
  • Patent number: 8561581
    Abstract: A radial, two-stroke uniflow internal combustion (IC) cylinder and multiple cylinder engine, the cylinder having a cylinder wall and a cylinder head, the cylinder head having an exhaust port, a fuel injector, and a spark means disposed through the cylinder head, a piston reciprocally mounted in the cylinder for movement alternately through compression and power strokes, and an inlet swirl port disposed through the cylinder wall providing fluid communication into the cylinder chamber, and having an annular exhaust air manifold in exhaust gas communication with each exhaust ports, and an exhaust-driven radial in-flow turbine that drives the inlet air compression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Inventor: Jack R. Taylor
  • Patent number: 8555828
    Abstract: The invention provides a piston which allows pressure generated downstream from the piston to be used to ventilate a combustion chamber of a cylinder in which the piston is slidingly mounted. The crank assembly to which the piston is connected is operable outside of the cylinder which is sealed at both ends. The crank assembly uses eccentric motion to allow a connecting rod which extends between the piston and the crank assembly to move linearly into and out of the cylinder in sealed manner. The piston includes a valve which allows pressurized gas to flow through the piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Inventor: Leslie Malcolm Jones
  • Patent number: 8534240
    Abstract: An improvement to the Waissi type opposed piston internal combustion (IC) engine is proposed. The engine has at least one pair of aligned and opposed cylinders with one reciprocating double-headed piston assembly in each cylinder pair. The reciprocating motion of the piston is transmitted to the driveshaft by a rotating crankdisk, which is off-centered mounted to the driveshaft. The high friction metal to metal contact between the crankdisk and the piston contact wall is replaced by a combination of a roll resistance and friction under hydrodynamic conditions resulting to a significantly reduced total resistance between the piston and the crankdisk. This is accomplished by utilizing a bearing ring assembly slidably installed on the annular perimeter surface of the crankdisk. When the crankdisk rotates the bearing ring is held in its designed place in a slot bounded laterally only by the connecting members of the integrated double-headed piston assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Inventors: Gary Ray Robert Waissi, Robert Waissi
  • Patent number: 8505501
    Abstract: A radial, two-stroke uniflow internal combustion (IC) cylinder and multiple cylinder engine, the cylinder having a cylinder wall and a cylinder head, the cylinder head having an exhaust port, a fuel injector, and a spark means disposed through the cylinder head, a piston reciprocally mounted in the cylinder for movement alternately through compression and power strokes, and an inlet swirl port disposed through the cylinder wall providing fluid communication into the cylinder chamber, and having an annular exhaust air manifold in exhaust gas communication with each exhaust ports, and an exhaust-driven radial in-flow turbine that drives the inlet air compression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Inventor: Jack R. Taylor
  • Patent number: 8499726
    Abstract: The invention provides a 2-stroke internal combustion engine comprising two opposed cylinders, each cylinder housing two opposed pistons and having at least one exhaust port and at least one intake port, and a crankshaft having asymmetrically arranged journals and scotch-yoke mechanisms for driving the journals from the pistons. The pistons in each cylinder operate to open its exhaust port or ports before its intake port or ports and to close its exhaust port or ports before its intake port or ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Cox Powertrain Ltd.
    Inventor: David Cox
  • Patent number: 8485161
    Abstract: In an opposed piston, compression ignition engine two crankshafts are single-side mounted with respect to a row of cylinders, which is to say that the crankshafts are mounted so that their axes of rotation lie in a plane that is spaced apart from and parallel to a plane in which the axes of the cylinders lie. Each piston of the engine is coupled to one of the crankshafts by a single linkage guided by a crosshead. The piston has a piston rod affixed at one end to the piston. The other end of the piston rod is affixed to the crosshead pin. One end of a connecting rod swings on the pin and the other end is coupled to a throw on a crankshaft. Each crosshead is constrained to reciprocate between fixed guides, in alignment with the piston rod to which it is coupled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Achates Power, Inc.
    Inventor: James U. Lemke
  • Patent number: 8474435
    Abstract: In an opposed piston, compression ignition engine two crankshafts are single-side mounted with respect to a row of cylinders, which is to say that the crankshafts are mounted so that their axes of rotation lie in a plane that is spaced apart from and parallel to a plane in which the axes of the cylinders lie. Each piston of the engine is coupled to one of the crankshafts by a single linkage guided by a crosshead. The piston has a piston rod affixed at one end to the piston. The other end of the piston rod is affixed to the crosshead pin. One end of a connecting rod swings on the pin and the other end is coupled to a throw on a crankshaft. Each crosshead is constrained to reciprocate between fixed guides, in alignment with the piston rod to which it is coupled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Achates Power, Inc.
    Inventor: James U. Lemke
  • Patent number: 8464671
    Abstract: The horizontally opposed center fired engine improves on the traditional design of the horizontally opposed engines and center fired engines with a better engine geometry. The present invention utilizes four pairs of opposing pistons to compress a larger volume of air-fuel mixture within four different cylinders. The four different cylinders are radially positioned around a center axle in order to achieve a perfectly symmetric engine geometry. The center axle consists of two different shafts spinning in two different directions, which could drastically reduce engine vibrations in the present invention. Engine vibrations are caused by a change in engine speed and result in a loss of energy. Due to the design, the present invention will only experience energy loss in the form of entropy and friction. Thus, the present invention can convert a higher percentage of chemical energy into mechanical energy than any other internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Inventor: Bo Zhou
  • Patent number: 8453611
    Abstract: The present invention is an engine, including two banks of cylinders in a flat, opposed cylinder arrangement and a crankshaft having a plurality of paired throws, the two throws of each respective pair of throws being disposed adjacent to each other and coplanar with respect to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Schrick, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Fuchs, Steven M. Weinzierl
  • Patent number: 8245673
    Abstract: An engine comprising: a shaft (6) having a first multilobate cam (5a) axially fixed to said shaft (6) and an adjacent second multilobate cam (5b) differentially geared to said first multilobate and a pair of diametrically opposed pistons (1a, 1b) which pistons of a pair of pistons are rigidly interconnected by a connecting plate (4) and wherein, reciprocating motion of said pistons imparts rotary motion to said shaft via contact between said pistons and the camming surfaces of said multilobate cams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Revetec Holdings Limited
    Inventor: Bradley Howell-Smith
  • Publication number: 20120132173
    Abstract: A fuel-conditioning-method and coupled-combustion process incorporated into internal combustion engines minimizes exhaust emission and improves fuel economy. Gasification chamber 10 affixed into piston 12 is placed under piston crown 14, transfer port 18 carved into cylinder 20 wall connects into combustion chamber 22, arrow 26 indicates that gasified fuel is transferred from chamber 10 into combustion chamber 22 initiating combustion. When pressure inside combustion chamber 22 is higher than that inside chamber 10 a reverse flow fills chamber 10 with hot combustion gases. During piston 12 downstroke gasification chamber inlet/outlet 34 overpass bottom edge 36 part of transfer port 18, therefore hot combustion gases are shut close inside chamber 10 by cylinder 20 wall. When piston 12 is at BDC fuel injector 24 injects fuel that absorbs heat from entrapped combustion gases vaporizing. During piston upstroke gasification chamber inlet/outlet 34 reaches the bottom edge 36 and the cycle repeats.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2010
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Inventor: Horacio Andres Trucco
  • Publication number: 20120085302
    Abstract: Various embodiments of methods and systems for varying the compression ratio in opposed-piston engines are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an opposed-piston engine can include a first phaser operably coupled to a first crankshaft and a second phaser operably coupled to a corresponding second crankshaft. The phase angle between the crankshafts can be changed to reduce or increase the compression ratio in the corresponding combustion chamber to optimize or at least improve engine performance under a given set of operating conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Applicant: Pinnacle Engines, Inc.
    Inventor: James M. Cleeves
  • Publication number: 20120067308
    Abstract: (c) This invention relates to the converting of linear combustion force into rotational force within an internal combustion engine. Most internal combustion engines have a crankshaft, but due to the rotational friction loss and combustion force on a crankshaft at TDC, the current engine configuration has limited efficiency. The current engine takes the full thrust of combustion at TDC whilst trying to rotate a crankshaft. A further disadvantage, is the pistons exert piston slap on both sides of the cylinder bore. The crankshaft also causes friction loss from indirect alignment of the connecting rods. The present invention, by using central half-shafts linking two opposing pistons, greatly reduces friction loss, whereby lineal force is converted into rotational power by means of sliding cam followers, whereby an outer captive thickwalled tube with machined high lead cam-screws receives this power, which in turn is transferred by a central gear to the drive train.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Inventor: Graeme Harold Newman
  • Patent number: 8074619
    Abstract: An engine arrangement comprising a first assembly including a first piston in a first cylinder interconnected with a second assembly including a second piston in a second cylinder. Each of the first and second assemblies include an inlet valve for supplying a fuel mixture, and an outlet valve for removing exhaust gases. The first and second assemblies being adapted for cooperation with a gear unit to convert a translation movement into a rotary movement. The engine arrangement so includes two additional assemblies including a third piston in a third cylinder interconnected with a fourth piston in a fourth cylinder and associated valves. The two additional assemblies being adapted for cooperation with the gear unit to convert a translation movement into a rotary movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Harju Linearwandler AB
    Inventor: Bert Harju
  • Publication number: 20110162599
    Abstract: Methods and systems may include an engine having a crankshaft with a longitudinal axis and a plurality of pistons coupled to the crankshaft. The engine may also include a bore structure having surfaces that define a plurality of combustion chambers, wherein each combustion chamber contains a piston and the bore structure rotates about the longitudinal axis in response to piston displacement within the combustion chambers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2011
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Inventors: Del Wolverton, Derek Wayne Bailey
  • Patent number: 7739998
    Abstract: This invention relates to an engine (5) having axially opposed cylinders (C). The engine (5) has a first cylinder (C) having a first cylinder opening and a first cylinder head (H), a first piston (10) that reciprocates in the first cylinder opening, a second cylinder (C) having a second cylinder opening and a second cylinder head (H), and a second piston (30) that reciprocates in the second cylinder opening. The first cylinder opening and the second cylinder opening are in facing relationship such that the first cylinder and the second cylinder are axially opposed. The first piston (10) and the second piston (30) are connected such that the first piston (10) moves toward the first cylinder head (H) when the second piston (30) moves away from the second cylinder head (H) and such that the first piston (10) moves away from the first cylinder head (H) when the second piston (30) moves toward from the second cylinder head (H).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Inventor: Thomas J. Dougherty
  • Publication number: 20090314232
    Abstract: An engine comprising: a shaft (6) having a first multilobate cam (5a) axially fixed to said shaft (6) and an adjacent second multilobate cam (5b) differentially geared to said first multilobate and a pair of diametrically opposed pistons (1a, 1b) which pistons of a pair of pistons are rigidly interconnected by a connecting plate (4) and wherein, reciprocating motion of said pistons imparts rotary motion to said shaft via contact between said pistons and the camming surfaces of said multilobate cams.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Inventor: Bradley Howell-Smith
  • Publication number: 20090272343
    Abstract: A drive unit and a method for the operation thereof. The drive unit has an internal combustion engine in operative connection with a driven shaft and a reciprocating piston expansion engine in an operative connection with a crankshaft. The driven shaft is mechanically connected to the crankshaft by a clutch in such a way that torque is transmitted from the crankshaft to the driveshaft. The reciprocating piston expansion engine has at least one cylinder, and a fluid is guided from a fluid supply into an interior of the at least one cylinder at least occasionally via an inlet valve and a bypass valve which is arranged in parallel with the inlet valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Publication date: November 5, 2009
    Applicant: MAN Nutzfahzeuge Oesterreich AG
    Inventors: Gottfried RAAB, Markus RAUP, Josef KLAMMER
  • Patent number: 7584725
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine wherein a combustion chamber is formed by moveably fitting a bottomed tubular moveable sleeve on a stationary piston in which a valve mechanism is incorporated, and the moveable sleeve is connected to a crankshaft via a connecting rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kengo Ishimitsu
  • Publication number: 20090139476
    Abstract: A two-stroke internal combustion engine is disclosed having opposed cylinders, each cylinder having a pair of opposed pistons, with all the pistons connected to a common central crankshaft. The inboard pistons of each cylinder are connected to the crankshaft with pushrods and the outboard pistons are connected to the crankshaft with pullrods. Each opposed cylinder further comprises an integrated scavenge pump for providing positive intake pressure. This configuration results in a compact engine with a very low profile, in which the free mass forces can be substantially balanced. The engine configuration also allows for asymmetrical timing of the intake and exhaust ports through angular positioning of the journals on the crankshaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2008
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Inventors: Peter Hofbauer, Adrian Tusinean
  • Patent number: 7520251
    Abstract: A piston type internal combustion engine having a fixed position stub shaft mounted on a base. The piston, piston pin and piston rod rotate about this fixed position shaft. The piston assembly does not reciprocate. The cylinder block assembly is mounted to an output shaft whose center line does not coincide with the center line of the axis of the fixed position shaft such that it is offset from the fixed position shaft. The block assembly consists of cylinders, end cap, air intake shroud and exhaust collecting hood. The cycle of combustion is two, three or four cycle regulated by the fuel injection and/or spark plug firing sequence. Air is drawn through a filter into a turbo charge type air intake shroud. Air is accelerated through openings in the cylinders and pistons. Fuel is pumped through the output shaft and to the fuel injectors. Exhaust is dispatched to a rotating collector having a labyrinth type seal, then to a non-rotating hood attached to the base and through an exhaust port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Inventor: Robert S. Saari
  • Patent number: 7434550
    Abstract: An improved configuration for an opposing piston-opposing cylinder (“OPOC”) internal combustion engine with a single camshaft to reduce friction between the pistons and the cylinder walls during the combustion phase of the engine cycle. The improvements are presented in two embodiments that provide offsets between the bore axes of the cylinders and the crankshaft axis of rotation to cause the connecting rods to achieve an orientation substantially parallel to the cylinder bore at TDC and shortly thereafter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Advanced Propulsion Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Peter Hofbauer
  • Publication number: 20080121196
    Abstract: An internal-combustion engine (1) with improved reciprocating operation comprises at least one hollow cylinder (C), which contains a chamber for the evolution of a working fluid and has one end closed by a head and the opposite end closed by a piston (2) which can slide with a reciprocating rectilinear motion between a bottom dead center (BDC) and a top dead center (TDC), and a device (3) for converting the reciprocating rectilinear motion of the piston (2) into a rotary motion of an engine shaft (4) which comprises a push rod (5), which is substantially perpendicular to the engine shaft (4) and in which a first end (5a) is connected to the piston (2) and a second end (5b) is connected to at least one pin (13) for supporting at least one pusher roller (7) and at least one return roller (8), which rotate in mutually opposite directions, a rotating contoured body (9), which is fixed to the engine shaft (4) and is provided with at least one pusher circuit (10) and at least one return circuit (11), along which th
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Inventor: Luciano Fantuzzi
  • Patent number: 7373905
    Abstract: The present invention is an engine, including two banks of cylinders in a flat, opposed cylinder arrangement and a crankshaft having a plurality of paired throws, the two throws of each respective pair of throws being disposed adjacent to each other and coplanar with respect to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Schrick, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Fuchs, Steven M. Weinzierl
  • Publication number: 20070209616
    Abstract: The present invention is an engine, including two banks of cylinders in a flat, opposed cylinder arrangement and a crankshaft having a plurality of paired throws, the two throws of each respective pair of throws being disposed adjacent to each other and coplanar with respect to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Publication date: September 13, 2007
    Inventors: Michael J. Fuchs, Steven M. Weinzierl
  • Patent number: 7263966
    Abstract: A device for translating linear reciprocal motion to rotational motion includes a reciprocating linearly moving piston with a central slot. The aperture has a set of recessed annular gears opposite each other which engage corresponding gear teeth on a cog located on a crankshaft that rotates inside the piston. Connecting braces on the crankshaft imparts an offset on the crankshaft and a corresponding lateral force on the cog, keeping the cog engaged with the recessed annular gear which imparts a rotational force upon the crankshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Inventor: Mark Andrew Robison
  • Patent number: 7191742
    Abstract: The present invention is an engine, including two banks of cylinders in a flat, opposed cylinder arrangement and a crankshaft having a plurality of paired throws, the two throws of each respective pair of throws being disposed adjacent to each other and coplanar with respect to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Schrick, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Fuchs, Steven M. Weinzierl
  • Patent number: 6955151
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine has two cylinders located opposite to one another, two pistons each movable in a respective one of the cylinders and connected with one another so as to move jointly in said cylinders in two opposite directions, and means for converting the joint movement of the pistons into a rotary movement, valve means provided in the cylinders, so that when the cylinders jointly move in one direction one of the cylinders perform a working stroke in one of the cylinders, while when the pistons jointly move in an opposite direction the other of the pistons perform a working stroke in the other of the cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Inventors: Oleg Naljotov, Valentin Potienko
  • Publication number: 20040255879
    Abstract: The invention disclosures a new type of connection of a crankshaft with pistons in piston engines. Pistons and crankshaft are connected using so called sinusoidal or harmonic mechanism. Such mechanism allows to reduce quantity, dimensions and mass of piston group details, to simplify their shape and manufacturing technology. The mechanism improves density of connection between cylinder and the piston, ensures smoother motion of the piston, improves conditions of combustion of fuel. New variants of an arrangement of cylinders and pistons allow to reduce dimension and mass of the cylinder block and whole engine. Reduction of kinematic links number lets to reduce vibration, mechanical noise, deterioration of pistons and walls of cylinders. The invention can be used in design and production of many types of piston engines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2003
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Inventor: Igor Zaytsev
  • Patent number: 6742482
    Abstract: A two-cycle engine having improved performance characteristics includes a block and a cylinder head coupled to the block, the cylinder head defining a cylinder bore and a precombustion chamber. The head of piston located in the cylinder bore divides the bore into first and second variable volume intake chambers. An intake port allows fresh air to be drawn into the variable volume intake chamber and be compressed by the moving piston and delivered to the precombustion chamber. Fuel is added to the compressed air, which is heated, and then delivered to the variable volume combustion chamber. In one embodiment, the piston drives a crankshaft which is mounted both for rotation and for translation. Another embodiment of the invention is a lubricating system for a piston where movement of the piston up and down generates a pumping effect moving lubricant through the piston for lubricating piston rings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Inventor: Jorge Artola
  • Patent number: 6629514
    Abstract: A piston mechanism for gas driven engines, fluid motors, pumps and the like that has a piston in a chamber that is moveable in the chamber in a reciprocating action and a rotating shaft that is driven by or drives the piston, wherein a double eccentric drive mechanically connects the piston and the drive shaft and the double eccentric drive has a minor eccentric engaged by a minor internal gear that is fixed to the inside of the piston, which converts the piston reciprocating drive motion to an orbiting axle of the minor eccentric and a major eccentric that engages a major internal gear that is fixed to the outside of the chamber and carries the output drive shaft, and the eccentrics are connected at their orbiting axles so that the major eccentric converts the orbiting motion of the minor eccentric axle to a rotational motion of the drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2003
    Inventor: Richard A. Gale
  • Patent number: 6595167
    Abstract: A modular engine design system utilizes selectively replaceable components whereby a family of related engines having varying power outputs may be produced. A first series of engines utilizes a common piston operable in a cylinder of first predetermined dimensions. The engine design may utilize a first or second crankshaft/connecting rod combination to vary the power output. A modified engine design utilizes a second cylinder in addition to the first cylinder. A second series of engines utilizes a larger piston operable in a cylinder of second predetermined dimensions. The second series of engines shares a common engine design scheme with the first series of engines. However, corresponding parts are adapted for use with the larger piston/cylinder combination. The second series of engines may likewise utilize a first or second crankshaft/connecting rod combination to vary the power output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: MTD Products Inc
    Inventor: Hartmut Kaesgen
  • Publication number: 20030089321
    Abstract: The invention relates to a crankcase for an internal-combustion engine, particularly for a horizontally opposed engine, having two crankcase halves (10, 12) in which bearing sections (18) with bearing bores (24) for the crank pins of a crankshaft are arranged, the two crankcase halves (10, 12) being screwed to one another in the area of the bearing bores (24), as well as having cylinder bores (14, 16) for receiving the pistons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2002
    Publication date: May 15, 2003
    Inventors: Matthias Penzel, Christian Schwarzl
  • Publication number: 20020189570
    Abstract: A modular engine design system utilizes selectively replaceable components whereby a family of related engines having varying power outputs may be produced. A first series of engines utilizes a common piston operable in a cylinder of first predetermined dimensions. The engine design may utilize a first or second crankshaft/connecting rod combination to vary the power output. A modified engine design utilizes a second cylinder in addition to the first cylinder. A second series of engines utilizes a larger piston operable in a cylinder of second predetermined dimensions. The second series of engines shares a common engine design scheme with the first series of engines. However, corresponding parts are adapted for use with the larger piston/cylinder combination. The second series of engines may likewise utilize a first or second crankshaft/connecting rod combination to vary the power output. Within each series of engines, modular design concepts are utilized to provide a range of power outputs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2001
    Publication date: December 19, 2002
    Applicant: MTD PRODUCTS INC.
    Inventor: Hartmut Kaesgen
  • Patent number: 6408803
    Abstract: A cooling system for conversion of air cooled aircraft engines to liquid cooling, including replacement cylinders, light weight, flex tolerant coolant manifolds and cooling system instrumentation for monitoring coolant temperature and pressure. The replacement cylinders have internal gating of coolant flow between a cylinder jacket and cylinder head exhaust port cooling passages for continuous high power operation of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Inventor: Robert M. Atkins
  • Publication number: 20020056432
    Abstract: In a horizontally opposed type internal combustion engine, to enable rigid support of a middle journal of a crankshaft through rational utilization of first and second case halves constituting a crankcase, and to thereby contribute to a simplification in structure and a reduction in weight. In a horizontally opposed type internal combustion engine, a crankcase is split at a plane containing the axis line of a crankshaft into first and second case halves connected with first and second cylinder blocks. The first and second case halves are integrally provided with first and second journal supporting walls for supporting a middle journal of the crankshaft. The first and second journal supporting walls front cylinder bores of the first and second cylinder blocks. The first and second journal supporting walls are coupled by a plurality of first bolts inserted from the side of the cylinder bores of the first cylinder block and disposed on opposite sides of and in proximity to the middle journal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2001
    Publication date: May 16, 2002
    Inventors: Minoru Matsuda, Makoto Sanada