Abstract: Two sources of water with a temperature differential of say 20.degree. F. flow alternately through heat exchanger tubes to expand and contract a working liquid that has a high coefficient of thermal expansion, the whole working cycle being carried out below the boiling point of the working liquid. With check valves preventing reverse flow, the expansion and contraction of the working liquid provides a high pressure hydraulic output which may be used to drive a hydraulic motor. To provide substantially steady output flow, four banks of heat exchangers may be operated sequentially with hydraulic accumulator means smoothing out the flow pulsations. Each bank has a four-stage operating cycle and electrical circuitry controls the four banks simultaneously to cause the four different stages to occur in certain of the four different banks in staggered relation for producing a substantially constant overall hydraulic output.

Abstract: A rotary manifold valve mechanism for sequentially connecting a plurality of fluid flow ports with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, in which a stationary valving element has connections respectively with the fluid inlet and fluid outlet, and an operatively associated rotatable manifold is provided with the flow ports. In one form of the invention the valving element is stationary and positioned within the manifold element which is drivingly rotated by a connected shaft, while in a modified form the valving element is positioned outwardly of the manifold element which in this case comprises the shaft and wherein the flow ports are formed on the shaft periphery.

Abstract: A fluid operated engine having a pair of spaced apart disc-like plate members respectively fixedly secured to a pair of drive shaft sections having adjacent ends interconnected by a universal joint, a plurality of pressurized fluid actuated axially expansile and retractile devices extending between and being connected to corresponding circumferentially spaced points of said members, a valve mechanism for sequentially controlling the flow of actuating fluid to and from said devices, said shaft sections being rotatably supported in tiltable bearing supports selectively adjustable to vary the angular relation of the interconnected shaft sections and selectively position the connected plate members respectively in different angular nutating relationships to cause shaft rotations in opposite directions at varied speeds, and in a parallel non-nutating relationship in which the shaft remains stationary.