Patents Examined by David A. Okonsky
  • Patent number: 5857436
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a compression cylinder having an air inlet and outlet, a conduit extending from the compression cylinder air outlet, an expansion cylinder of larger diameter than the diameter of said compression cylinder and having an inlet and outlet, and a heat exchanger disposed in the conduit and having a first passageway for flowing compressed air from the compression cylinder outlet to the expansion cylinder inlet, the expansion cylinder outlet being in communication with a second passageway in the heat exchanger for flowing combustion exhaust gases from the expansion cylinder through the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger operates to heat the compressed air before entry into the expansion cylinder and to cool the exhaust gases before entry into an exhaust conduit in communication with the heat exchanger second passageway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1999
    Assignee: Thermo Power Corporation
    Inventor: Tze-Ning Chen
  • Patent number: 5857450
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine is provided with a top hat piston disposed in a cylinder having first and second portions of different diameters. The piston, with first and second portions of different diameters, is disposed within the cylinder and defines a compression chamber between a cylinder step and a piston step created by the different diameters. The compression chamber is connected in fluid communication with a fuel supply, such as a carburetor or fuel injector, which provides a fuel/air mixture into the compression chamber during the downstroke of the piston. When the piston is moving upward, it compresses the fuel/air mixture within the compression chamber until a second end of a transfer passage is moved into fluid communication with a transfer port formed in the wall of the first portion of the cylinder. This occurs after the exhaust port is closed by the piston and therefore significantly diminishes the chance for unburned fuel to pass directly out the exhaust port from the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1999
    Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
    Inventor: Richard E. Staerzl
  • Patent number: 5855193
    Abstract: A number of embodiments of induction systems for outboard motors wherein the induction system can be tuned to provide good performance under high low speed by utilizing two plenum chambers and a control for controlling the effective length of the intake passage serving the combustion chamber. Both inline and V-type embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1999
    Assignee: Sanshin Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masanori Takahashi
  • Patent number: 5855189
    Abstract: An exhaust controller includes an exhaust control valve. The exhaust controller is capable of adjusting an exhaust timing of a spark ignition type, two stroke internal combustion engine depending upon the rotational speed of the engine. The exhaust control valve has a structure and operation which greatly reduces exhaust leakage past the exhaust control valve. As a result, the scavenging efficiency and the charging efficiency are improved and the compression ratio of the engine is better maintained. In operation, the exhaust control valve maintains a relatively consistent cross-section throughout the exhaust gas flow passage. As a result, exhaust pressure is decreased, resulting in an increase in the output and efficiency of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1999
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ikuo Oike
  • Patent number: 5852991
    Abstract: An oil pan for an internal combustion engine is an assembly of a tank member defining a deep interior space section for storing a lubricating oil, and a main frame member having a shallow bottom defining a shallow interior space section for collecting the oil. The main frame member further includes first and second side walls defining a bottomless open interior space section for leading the oil from the shallow interior space section into the deep space section. The main member is further formed with at least one transverse bridge extending over the bottomless open space section between the side walls to improve the rigidity. The transverse bridge is reinforced by a longitudinally extending projection such as a thin wall rib projecting laterally from one of the side walls or a flow regulating barrier projecting upward from the shallow bottom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1998
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideki Yamamura, Noriomi Okamoto
  • Patent number: 5845618
    Abstract: A number of embodiments of vehicles such as scooters that are powered a compact, high performance, four-cycle crankcase compression supercharged internal combustion engine. The engine is provided with two throttle valves, one on the intake side and one on the compressor side, that are operated simultaneously and in the same direction under at least some conditions so as to improve throttle response. In addition, an arrangement is provided for limiting the maximum pressure in the compressor side under low throttle and low load conditions. This improves performance and ensures against seal degradation in the lubricating system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1998
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jun Taue, Masahisa Kuranishi
  • Patent number: 5842447
    Abstract: A cylinder block of an internal-combustion engine of an open-deck construction, in which the cooling water jacket and the oil jacket between the cylinder tube and the cylinder block housing are separated from one another by a connection web which connects the respective cylinder tubes with the cylinder block housing. In order to reduce the cylinder tube distortions in the braced condition of the cylinder block, ribs are provided at least in the water jacket or in the oil jacket. The ribs start out from the connection web and improve the linking of the cylinder tubes to the cylinder block housing. The height of these ribs is much lower than the height of the water jacket or of the oil jacket which results in a low weight increase and minimizes the linking lengths to the cylinder tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1998
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche AG
    Inventors: Peter Krotky, Guenter Helsper, Markus Bauhofer, Antonius Rehr
  • Patent number: 5839398
    Abstract: An engine cooling system (16) of a vehicle (12) includes a coolant de-gas bottle (30) which contains a body of liquid engine coolant (52). The vehicle (12) also has a second fluid system such as a fluid power assist steering system (70) or an engine lubricating oil system. The de-gas bottle (30) includes means for defining a second fluid passage (82) in the de-gas bottle for enabling flow of the second fluid through the de-gas bottle in a heat-exchanging relationship with the body of liquid engine coolant (52) in the de-gas bottle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Assignee: TRW Inc.
    Inventor: Robert A. Hamilton
  • Patent number: 5839406
    Abstract: A balance shaft seal retainer is provided having a cut out formed therein. The balance shaft seal retainer further includes at least one aperture formed therein. At least one bolt is included for being situated within the aperture of the retainer and screwably coupled within a threaded bore of an engine whereby the square cut out encompasses a balance shaft seal thereby precluding the inadvertent removal of the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Inventor: Jeffrey D. Hall
  • Patent number: 5839405
    Abstract: An engine induction system resonator that is designed to minimize emitted engine noise. The resonator includes an enclosed tube that has a first diameter and that defines a resonant chamber therein. The resonator also includes a pipe that has a second diameter smaller than the tube diameter. The pipe extends axially through the tube and has first and second ends that connect to other induction system components to channel inductive air flow therethrough. The pipe defines a plurality of perforated holes distributed along a section of the pipe housed within the tube. The plurality of perforated holes is distributed along the pipe in a manner that minimizes emitted engine noise. The resonator is designed in view of other system components to minimize overall system cost and overall required system implementation area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Assignee: Chrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Alan Falkowski, Piotr Czapski, Dennis A. Soltis
  • Patent number: 5839408
    Abstract: An exhaust control apparatus for a high level engine output and engine efficiency for obtaining a stable operation from a low speed to a high operating speed in a spark-ignition two-stroke internal combustion engine with an exhaust timing that can be adjusted. A spark-ignition two-stroke internal combustion engine is equipped with an exhaust channel that opens via an exhaust port into the cylinder, and an exhaust control valve that is supported for reciprocation along the cylinder centerline direction along the exhaust port and that allows at least the portion of the exhaust port on the cylinder head side to be blocked. A valve body depression forms a hollow from the cylinder head side to the crank side in the exhaust control valve by a bottom wall, side walls, and a control wall. A housing depression is provided that allows the above-mentioned exhaust control valve to be withdrawn from the abovementioned exhaust channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ikuo Oike, Kazunori Okada
  • Patent number: 5839399
    Abstract: A two-way rotary manifold-selecting valve forming a combustion chamber for an internal combustion engine has a frusto-conical rotor nestingly residing in a housing having a frusto-conical passage communicating with the base of the housing. The housing has a pair of ports through the side, and the rotor has a side passage entering a portion of the slanting side of the rotor and exiting at the base of the rotor. The housing is open at the bottom, and may be affixed co-axially with a cylinder of a piston-type internal combustion engine so that the interior passage within the rotor forms the combustion volume of the cylinder. The small diameter ends of the housing passage and the rotor are disposed at the bottom of the assembly when so installed. A dry-lubricated refractory sealing assembly is emplaced around the rotor and extends outwardly therefrom to engage the inner housing surface, thus holding the rotor at a standoff distance. All wear is thus confined to the seal material and the housing wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Inventor: Norris R. Luce
  • Patent number: 5836272
    Abstract: This invention provides a cylinder head capable of efficiently cooling the portion at which a large number of valve ports gather. The present invention provides a cylinder head (20) of an engine equipped with suction and exhaust valve ports (3a, 5a) inside a cooling jacket (8), characterized in that a drain port (11) allowing the cooling water jacket (8) to communicate with the outside of the cylinder head (20) opens in a corner portion at one end portion of a side wall (1a) of the cylinder head, water feed ports (10a) extending along the side wall (1a), opening to the cooling water jacket (8) and communicating with the cooling water jacket of the cylinder block are formed in a cylinder bottom wall (1c), and a partition is so disposed as to divide the portion at which the water feed ports (10a) are open and the portion at which the suction and exhaust valve ports (3a, 5a) are disposed and to guide cooling water from the water feed ports (10a) round the suction and exhaust valve ports (3a, 5a).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Isuzu Motors Ltd.
    Inventor: Noriyuki Sakurai
  • Patent number: 5836273
    Abstract: A reciprocating machine includes a cyclical kinematic chain in which power is transferred between translational and rotational motion. The kinematic chain includes a piston (2) reciprocating in a cylinder (1), connected by two connecting rods (9, 10) to dual counter rotating crankshafts (7, 8). The crankshafts (7, 8) are displaced symmetrically from the axis of movement of the piston (2), and the crank pins (15, 16) of the crankshafts (7, 8) to which the connecting rods (9, 10) are connected are symmetrically aligned about the axis of movement of the piston (2). The connecting rod small ends (13, 14) abut at their connection to the piston (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Qintessential Concepts Limited
    Inventor: Kelvin John Hair
  • Patent number: 5836576
    Abstract: An apparatus for removing copies and/or documents from a machine has a catch and removal tray (2) which can be extended telescopically out of the machine (1). The catch and removal tray (2) consists of a fixed section (3) inside the machine (1) and a movable section (4) which can be drawn out of the machine (1). The fixed section of the tray (3) acts as a catch tray for documents processed by the machine (1) and has a drive mechanism (6, 7, 19) which drives a sliding panel (5) which extends downwards into the fixed section of the tray (3) and which pushes the stack of documents (8) from the fixed section of the tray (3) into the extended movable section of the tray (4). The fixed section of the tray (3) has a photoelectric cell (20) which activates the sliding panel (5) when the stack of documents reaches the maximum height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Felix Ebner, Ulrich Fischer, Gerhard Glemser, Peter Herbster, Juergen Ries, Helmut Stohrer
  • Patent number: 5836290
    Abstract: A fuel system (10,10') including apparatus (12) for gasifying volatile liquid fuels by introducing dried air and a volatile liquid fuel into a round mixing chamber (46) for circular flow and mixing. Liquid fuel that flows downwardly to a lower extremity (48) of the mixing chamber is removed through a liquid outlet (56). A gas mixture of air and fuel at an upper extremity (50) of the mixing chamber is delivered through a gas outlet (60) for combustion by an internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: The Gasifier Corporation
    Inventor: Jack J. Gilbert
  • Patent number: 5836577
    Abstract: A bill handling machine is provided with a bill stacking device including a bill press member whose leading end portion is swingably supported and which is adapted to guide bills downwardly, a solenoid for pressing the leading end portion of the bill press member downwardly, a sensor for detecting rear end portions of bills to be stacked, and a controller for actuating, based on a detection signal, the solenoid when a predetermined time period has passed after the sensor detected the rear end portion of the bill. According to the thus constituted bill handling machine, it is possible to stack bills whose lengths in the bill transport direction differ greatly so that one end portions thereof are aligned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Laurel Bank Machines Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Arikawa, Yoshiyuki Katoh, Toru Inage, Wataru Iida, Hideo Atsumi
  • Patent number: 5829393
    Abstract: A free-piston engine comprises a combustion part (1), a hydraulic control system (2), an energy consumption system and an engine control system. The combustion part comprises a combustion cylinder with at least one combustion piston (4). The hydraulic control system (2) comprises a hydraulic piston (24) which, together with a combustion piston (4), forms a piston assembly, and which has a first surface that, when under hydraulic pressure, exerts a force on the piston assembly (24) that is directed towards the combustion space (6) and a second surface, smaller than the first surface, that, when under hydraulic pressure, exerts a force on the piston assembly that is directed away from the combustion space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: Innas Free Piston, B.V.
    Inventors: Peter Augustinus Johannes Achten, Theodorus Gerhardus Potma
  • Patent number: 5829403
    Abstract: An intake manifold providing a plurality of manifold passages, for supplying air toward engine cylinders arranged on a periphery of a pipe member, in the same number of engine cylinders in an axial direction, of which a plurality of intake passage inlets are opened on a pipe wall of the pipe member for delivering the air from the inside of the pipe member to the manifold passages, and a plurality of intake passages formed by rounding the each manifold passage of each engine cylinder being adjacent to the axial direction of the pipe member, and arranged by connecting in series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: Aisan Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Isamu Suzuki, Makoto Fujimori
  • Patent number: 5826567
    Abstract: In a two-stroke internal combustion engine, total hydrocarbon (THC) exhaust is decreased as a result of small structural changes and without loss of output power. A Schnurle scavenging-type combustion chamber has a hemispherical main surface and an annular skirt-like squish band, and a spark plug is disposed for a spark point to be substantially at the center of the combustion chamber. The squish band has minimized width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1998
    Assignee: Kioritz Corporation
    Inventors: Yukio Sakaguchi, Noboru Nagai, Shigeru Sato, Yasuharu Sato