Abstract: A rotary drive includes a housing; a shaft rotatably mounted within the housing and rotatable about a drive axis; a passage internal the housing and extending circumferentially about the shaft; a stator vane within the passage; and a rotor vane within the passage. The stator and rotor vanes are movable between respective closed positions in which the stator and rotor vanes separate the passage into a circumferentially expanding chamber in fluid communication with an inlet in the housing and a circumferentially collapsing chamber in fluid communication with an outlet in the housing, and respective open positions in which the rotor vane is movable circumferentially past the stator vane during rotation of the shaft.

Abstract: A rotary drive includes a housing; a shaft rotatably mounted within the housing and rotatable about a drive axis; a passage internal the housing and extending circumferentially about the shaft; a stator vane within the passage; and a rotor vane within the passage. The stator and rotor vanes are movable between respective closed positions in which the stator and rotor vanes separate the passage into a circumferentially expanding chamber in fluid communication with an inlet in the housing and a circumferentially collapsing chamber in fluid communication with an outlet in the housing, and respective open positions in which the rotor vane is movable circumferentially past the stator vane during rotation of the shaft.

Abstract: A toroidal engine that can be powered by a fuel/air mixture or by a compressed gas source. The toroidal engine uses one-way bearings to transfer torque generated in a toroidal chamber directly to a drive shaft. Pairs of pistons are mounted on two crank assemblies, which are concentric with the drive shaft. One-way bearings allow the crank assemblies to turn, one at a time, in one direction only. The crank assemblies are directly coupled to the drive shaft, which eliminates the need for complex gear and linkage arrangements. A system can be used with the toroidal engine to alternately stop the crank assemblies at a pre-determined position and to time the ignition of the engine.