Abstract: A powered device has a center of gravity and includes an engine comprising a block member, a crankshaft having opposite first and second end portions, and generally spaced supports on the block member for supporting the crankshaft for rotation with the first end portion extending toward the center of gravity and the second end portion extending beyond the supports. A piston is located in the block member for reciprocative movement, and a connecting rod has a first end portion pivotally connected with the piston and a rotationally balanced second end portion rotationally connected with the crankshaft intermediate the supports for converting the reciprocative movement of the piston into rotation of the crankshaft about its axis.

Abstract: A modified hypocycloid gear arrangement is incorporated as a transmission converting rotary motion into linear motion or vice versa in any form of prime mover, such as a gas engine, internal combustion engine, or any form of pump or other energy converter, in place of a conventional crank-connecting rod transmission element; specific embodiments are disclosed, relating to single, twin, flat-four, vee-8 and other single and multi-cylinder piston engines and motors and their adaptions, e.g. to vibration-free surgical power saws and torpedo propulsion units, due to the improved mechanical efficiency and precise engine balancing allowed by transmission arrangemenets according to the invention disclosed.

Abstract: An in-line, two-cylinder engine comprises a crankshaft having crankpins at a 360.degree. setting and balancing means comprising a first counterweight rotating oppositely to, but at the same speed as, the crankshaft, such counterweight being so set that its center of gravity is remote from the crankpins when the pistons are at top dead center, such first counterweight being of a size and design such as to develop a centrifugal force whose amplitude is half the maximum amplitude of the reciprocating rectilinear inertia forces of the engine.

Abstract: An apparatus for driving a pair of balancers disposed on both sides of an engine, parallel to the crankshaft, and driven rotationally in opposite directions at a speed twice the rotating speed of the crankshaft by the motive power of the crankshaft. An elongate endless member engages rotors, one fitted on each balancer, on a cam shaft, and on the crankshaft. The internal side of the endless member engages with the rotor on one of the balancers. The external side of the endless member engages with the rotor on the other balancer to drive the two balancers reversely to each other without employing any particular reversing mechanism.

Abstract: An engine balancer driving arrangement is disclosed having a plurality of sprockets or belt pulleys mounted, respectively, on a driving shaft of an oil pump or the like, on the crankshaft, and on the shafts of said balancers and a single endless timing chain or corrugated belt engaged with all of said sprockets or belt pulleys. The two sprockets or belt pulleys, which are mounted on the balancer shafts, are brought into engagement with the inner and outer periphery of said timing chain, respectively. The oil pump or other auxiliary mechanism is disposed within a dead space which is formed by the cam shaft driving mechanism between the front wall of the engine and said balancer driving mechanism thereby reducing the overall length of the engine.

Abstract: An apparatus for driving at least a pair of balancers which are disposed on both sides of an engine substantially parallel to the crank shaft and so arranged as to rotate in opposite directions at a speed twice the rotating speed of the crank shaft, comprising a gear shaft for reversing one of the balancers and a driving mechanism for driving the other balancer and the camshaft by the crank shaft through a single timing belt or chain, provided in the front or rear part of the cylinder block, in order to dispense with the need of providing separate driving mechanisms for the camshaft and the balancers.

Abstract: A torsional damper for reducing the vibrations produced when a shaft is driven by the intermittent application of a discontinuous force thereto, e.g. the crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, comprising an integrally formed disk-like mass having three concentric zones, namely, an inner central zone, an outer annular zone, and an intermediate spring zone therebetween. The spring zone includes narrow, elongated, spirally-arranged, overlapping slots extending axially through the disk and radially between the inner and outer zones to provide spirally-arranged overlapping web portions which act as torsional springs or shock absorbers due to an inherent resiliency. The spirally slotted damper is formed as an integral unit by casting it from a metal such as cast iron with the spiraled slots having a predetermined size and shape to provide the desired damping effect.

Abstract: Balancer shafts are provided on the right and left of the crank shaft of an engine and so as to be driven thereby. Each balancer shaft has a balance weight divided into two portions, one on either side of a bearing supporting the balancer shaft. This construction protects the bearings from undesirable wear.

Abstract: Piston-crank mechanism for internal combustion engines, which comprises a piston, a crank-shaft having a crank-pin, a connecting rod for connecting the piston with said crank pin, an externally toothed gear disposed in side-by-side relationship with respect to the connecting rod and supported for rotation on a pin member extending axially from the crank pin, an internally toothed stationary gear having a member of teeth twice that of the external gear and meshing with the external gear, a pair of rotating balance weights provided on the external gear at the opposite sides thereof in such a manner that they will be in the lower position when the crank pin is in the top dead center, and revolving balance weight means provided on the crank shaft on the side opposite to the crank pin.

Abstract: Means for actuating a balancer of an engine including a crankshaft, pistons and connecting rods, comprising a pair of balancer shafts located opposite sides of the crankshaft and actuated thereby. One of the balancer shafts is formed to serve for a rotatable shaft of a subsidiary device of the engine, such as an oil pump, an air pump, a dynamo or a water pump.

Abstract: A four cylinder in-line engine is disclosed with a secondary balancer system, wherein at least one pair of balancer elements are arranged substantially at an identical horizontal distance from the longitudinal axes of the engine cylinders and on lines which are substantially parallel to the plane of the longitudinal axes. The distance taken between the axes of the paired balancer elements in the direction of the cylinder axes is determined at such desired values as to satisfy the engine usage and design. The paired balancer elements are rotated in the opposite directions to each other with a speed of rotation twice as high as that of the engine crackshaft, such that the lower balancer element is rotated in the opposite direction to that of the engine crackshaft.

Abstract: Apparatus for balancing or equalizing the mass forces of an engine having reciprocating pistons turning a crankshaft rotates a drive gear twice as fast as the crankshaft. A planetary gear is eccentrically carried on the drive gear and meshes with internal teeth on a stationary sun gear at a gear ratio of 1:2. The planetary gear has an eccentrically placed counterweight of a mass such that it balances the mass forces of the engine of the same order as the ratio of drive gear to crankshaft speed, Order II mass forces for this example. The drive gear also has an eccentrically placed counterweight which balances the planetary gear as they rotate with the drive gear. The counterweight on the planetary gear is preferably placed as near as possible to the pitch diameter of the planetary gear so as to make its path of travel as nearly linear as possible.

Abstract: Reaction moment, acting upon the crankcase of a conventional engine when the crankshaft is accelerated or decelerated, is minimized by the provision of a balance shaft carrying a weighted mass and arranged in parallel with the crankshaft and transmission means including a pair of intermeshing gears of an appropriate gear ratio mounted on the two parallel shafts. One of the gears in mesh is divided in two gear sections which is resiliently connected to the associated shaft normally to have an appropriate amount of phase shift therebetween to eliminate backlash.