Abstract: A method of damping hydraulic pressure waves and of removing peaks from pressure variations in the feed ducts of a hydraulic pump resulting from excess fluid returned with high kinetic energy to a feed chamber uses this kinetic energy directly to increase temporarily the volume of the feed chamber by a value lying in the range 10% to 30% of the maximum cylinder capacity of the hydraulic pump. The pump has a resiliently movable wall disposed in a feed chamber perpendicularly to the direction of a high kinetic energy jet of fluid from a passageway opening into the chamber. The wall is located on the axis of the passageway at a distance from the opening that is not more than 1.5 times the smallest diameter of the passageway. The invention also relates to a hydraulic pump for implementing the method. Applicable to fuel injection pumps in Diesel engines.

Abstract: A method of changing the direction of rotation of an internal combustion engine, and in particular of a marine engine, in which the camshafts (15) include two cams (16, 17) for each tappet (20) of a controlled member, each of said cams being suitable for use in one direction of rotation, the direction of rotation of the engine being changed by shifting said camshafts in translation, wherein, prior to shifting said camshafts, the tappets are rotated through one-fourth of a turn so as to put the axis of rotation of each tappet cam-follower wheel (10) orthogonal to the direction of camshaft translation. The invention also applies to an engine employing the method.