Patents Examined by David A. Okonsky
  • Patent number: 5769039
    Abstract: A multi-cylinder engine of a crankcase compression type shown for use in an outboard motor. The engine has a very compact V type arrangement. The intake system for admitting the charge to the crankcase chambers and the exhaust manifold is located in the valley between the cylinder banks. The compressor delivery to the cylinder head intake ports is on the outside of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1998
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jun Taue, Masahisa Kuranishi
  • Patent number: 5769041
    Abstract: A two-cycle internal combustion engine control method and system wherein economy of fuel consumption and emission control is achieved by skipping fuel injection for a number of cycles dependent upon a decrease in the engine speed and load below a predetermined value. When fuel injection is skipped, the duration of fuel injection is increased. The escape of unburned fuel from the exhaust port is achieved when the fuel injection amount is increased by advancing the timing of the fuel injection and by retarding the opening of the exhaust port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1998
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takahiro Suzuki, Takeo Yoshida
  • Patent number: 5769045
    Abstract: An air induction system for an internal combustion engine featuring a throttle body and air cleaner assembly vibrationally isolated from the engine by a resilient air transmitting zip tube interconnecting the throttle body with the engine air intake manifold. The zip tube flexes to isolate the throttle body from engine vibrations and oscillations thereby eliminating a cause of throttle body fractures or looseness from its mounting. Furthermore, with such isolation, the throttle body can be readily formed from plastics and provide long service life. With the throttle body isolated, engine generated throttle pedal vibration is eliminated. Additionally with the remote location, throttle body and throttle plate coking and icing from recirculating exhaust gases is obviated. The throttle body and air cleaner assembly is supplied as a unit to augment vehicle assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1998
    Assignee: Chrysler Corporation
    Inventors: James R. Edwards, Thomas M. Knowles
  • Patent number: 5765823
    Abstract: The apparatus has a plurality of carrying elements (20) which are arranged at a distance one behind the other on a drawing member (14), driven in the circulating direction (U). The longitudinal direction (L) of the carrying elements (20) extends at an acute angle (.alpha.) with respect to the circulating direction. At the discharge locations (36), feed devices (12) discharge a sheet-like product to each carrying element (20) which is moved past said discharge locations. While having a considerable processing capacity and a relatively low circulating speed, the apparatus requires only a modest amount of space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignee: Ferag AG
    Inventors: Jacques Meier, Werner Honegger
  • Patent number: 5765512
    Abstract: Apparatus for converting between rotary motion and reciprocating linear motion includes a sleeve mounted for rotation about a predetermined axis, radially reciprocable pistons located radially outwardly of the sleeve, and axially reciprocable pistons located radially inwardly of the sleeve. The radial pistons are operatively connected to an outer diameter portion of the sleeve which is formed with a lobed cam surface having multiple angularly spaced lobes for simultaneous reciprocation of the radial pistons and rotation of the sleeve, and the axial pistons are operatively connected to a groove formed in the inside diameter portion of the sleeve for simultaneous reciprocation of the axial pistons and rotation of the sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Inventor: Burt Loren Fraser
  • Patent number: 5762035
    Abstract: An internal-combustion engine includes a cylinder head; a cylinder valve supported for reciprocating motion in the cylinder head to assume open and closed positions; and an electromagnetic actuator for operating the cylinder valve. The electromagnetic actuator includes a housing; and a first and a second electromagnet received in the housing and secured thereto at a fixed distance from one another. The first electromagnet has a first pole face and the second electromagnet has a second pole face oriented toward the first pole face. The actuator further has an armature positioned between the first and second pole faces for a reciprocating motion therebetween; return springs arranged for exerting oppositely oriented forces on the armature, whereby the armature executes reciprocating motion against a spring force; a connecting arrangement for coupling the armature to the stem of the cylinder valve; and a setting unit for displacing the housing relative to the cylinder valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: FEV Motorentechnik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Michael Schebitz
  • Patent number: 5762038
    Abstract: A piston and connecting rod arrangement for internal combustion engines, including an upper piston part, a lower piston part and a connecting rod with a spherical connecting rod end. The spherical connecting rod end defines an upper spherical segment and a lower spherical segment, and a recess having a snoutlike cross section. The spherical connecting rod end is slidingly supported with the upper spherical segment in the spherical segmental indentation, and the recess is situated between the upper spherical segment and the lower spherical segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: Kolbenschmidt AG
    Inventor: Siegfried Mielke
  • Patent number: 5762036
    Abstract: An intake manifold assembly (10) for use with an internal combustion engine. The manifold assembly (10) includes three main components, a cover (12), base (14) and runner beam (16). The cover (12) and base (14) mate to form cavity (18), encompassing a variable plenum (54) upstream of variable runners (52) formed by runner beam (16) and the variable runners (52). The variable plenum (54) of the exemplary embodiment is selectively split into two sections by a divider wall (34) and middle runner blade (48a). Rotation of the runner beam (16) causes a change in the length and/or cross-sectional area of the variable intake runners (52) as well as changing the variable plenum (54), thus varying the tuning of the intake flow into the engine, to optimize engine operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald Luce Verkleeren
  • Patent number: 5758611
    Abstract: A two-stroke, U-type uniflow engine includes a cylinder block forming parallel first and second cylinders and a common combustion chamber connecting the first and second cylinders. First and second pistons are mounted for reciprocal, linear movement within the first and second cylinders respectively. The engine also includes a crank shaft having a crank pin and a one-piece forked connecting rod connecting each of the first and second pistons to the crank pin. The connecting rod is elastically, bilaterally flexible to accommodate variations between a maximum distance between the first and second pistons and a minimum distance between the first and second pistons and is in a relaxed state half-way between the maximum distance and the minimum distance. The central wall has a slot for passage of the connecting rod therethrough and angled notches which correspond to maximum angles of the connecting rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Inventor: Imack L. Collins
  • Patent number: 5758609
    Abstract: An internal combustion rotary engine with multiple cylinders and rotary crankcase supported on a pair of engine stub shafts. The connecting rods are each connected to a different center arranged evenly around the drive center of a stepdrive element. The stepdrive element which is polygonal or circular is offset from the rotational axis of the crankcase within which it revolves. The stepdrive element drives the crankcase through a series of links. As each piston fires the connecting rod is inclined to the piston travel axis and the angle between the connecting rod and the stepdrive element center is close to 90 degrees. As the piston moves through its power stroke the cylinder rotates with the crankcase maintaining the mechanically advantageous 90 degree angle for about 100 degrees of crankcase rotation. Symmetric and asymmetric cylinder layouts, Diesel and 2-stroke layouts are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Continuous Cycle Engine Development Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Roger J. Smith
  • Patent number: 5758871
    Abstract: A signature handling apparatus includes a plurality of saddles and a plurality of signature openers. Each signature opener is associated with a respective saddle. The signature openers move together with the saddles in a first direction along an endless path past a signature feeding mechanism with the saddles extending transversely to the first direction. Each signature opener opens one respective signature as the signature opener moves past the signature feeding mechanism to enable positioning of the one signature in an opened condition on the saddle associated with the signature opener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Heidelberg Finishing Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: James R. Schlough
  • Patent number: 5758610
    Abstract: An air-cooled self-supercharging four stroke internal combustion engine having four pistons which move in unison. There are two downward piston strokes in each four stroke cycle. The downward strokes of the pistons are used to compress the air in the crank case and supercharge the engine by forcing more air and fuel into the two combustion chambers. Each combustion chamber serves two piston cylinders. The compressed air and fuel mixture is forced into only one combustion chamber during each downward stroke of the pistons. The two combustion chambers are charged with air and fuel on alternating downward piston strokes. The engine is air-cooled by the flow of the combustion intake air which passes through the crank case. At the same time, heat transferred from the engine pre-heats the intake air to improve combustion efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Inventor: Gile Jun Yang Park
  • Patent number: 5758614
    Abstract: An air diffuser (20) for an air intake system of an internal combustion engine. The air intake system includes a throttle body (22) up stream from an intake manifold (24), with the air diffuser (20) mounted between them. The air diffuser (20) includes vanes (62, 64) extending into its main bore (52) in order to diffuse and redirect the air flowing from the throttle body (22) into the intake manifold (24). The diffusion and redirection of the air reduces the noise emanating from the intake manifold (24) for particular engine operating conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Choi
  • Patent number: 5755195
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine has a piston reciprocating in a cylinder within an engine block. A piston rod extending from the piston is rotatably connected to a crankshaft. The engine block has two stationary gears mounted thereon, one at each side. The crankshaft has two orbital gears mounted thereon, the orbital gears being located so that each orbital gear intermeshes with one of the stationary gears. As the piston reciprocates, the orbital gears move around the stationary gear and the crankshaft rotates about its longitudinal axis. Preferably, the size ratio of the stationary gear to the orbital gear is 2:1 respectively. With that ratio, the crankshaft rotates about its longitudinal axis three times during each stroke of the engine. The piston stops approximately midway through the downstroke and midway through the upstroke and the movement of the piston to and from top dead center is much faster than the movement of the piston with conventional engines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Inventor: Lyle E. Dawson
  • Patent number: 5755191
    Abstract: The invention concerns a two-stroke internal-combustion engine with a charging pump, an outlet channel controlled by the main piston being subjected to additional control by the charging-pump plunger. Circulation losses are minimized and a higher means working pressure is obtained by early mechanical closure of the outlet channel by means of the charging-pump plunger or by injecting a pulse of exhaust gases into the outlet channel in the direction opposite to the direction of flow or by injecting part of the intake charge through the outlet channel into the main cylinder. In addition, the formation of oxides of nitrogen is reduced by controlled exhaust gas retention at the combustion stage. The invention also allows a catalytic converter to be used if required, since an increase in the oxygen concentration owing to circulation losses in the outlet channel is avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Inventor: Helmut Kottmann
  • Patent number: 5752477
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a two-stroke engine comprising at least a cylinder (111) in which a piston (112) moves and one end of which communicates with a pump sump (115) crossed by the crankshaft (114) of the engine, a capacity under pressure (87) opening at one end into said pump sump, at the other end into the combustion chamber (113) of cylinder (111), a valve (86) providing an intermittent seal between chamber (113) and capacity (87), a means (88) for carburetting the gases passing through said capacity (87), a means (82) for controlling the motion of said valve (86), comprising a supple membrane (89) separating a first chamber (95a) and a second chamber (95b), said membrane being connected to the valve rod. According to the invention, said engine further comprises a first means (92) for connecting the second chamber (95b) to the cylinder, the means being intended to retard the opening of said valve (86) by controlling the pressure in said chamber (95b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventor: Jean-Charles Dabadie
  • Patent number: 5749338
    Abstract: A method and device for increasing the amount of fuel to an engine during acceleration is provided. A secondary source of fuel in addition to a first source of fuel is introduced into the engine during acceleration. The secondary source of fuel is introduced through a secondary fuel delivery line which is opened by a valve actuated in response to throttle control movement. In a first embodiment, the secondary fuel delivery line communicates with a fuel delivery area from which fuel is supplied to the first fuel source. The valve is pressed open by the throttle control along with a primary fuel source needle valve control, allowing fuel from the fuel delivery area to flow through the second fuel line in addition to the first fuel source. In second and third embodiments, the secondary fuel line communicates with an excess fuel return line. A valve extends across the fuel return line and secondary fuel line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Assignee: Sanshin Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Gohara, Hiroaki Fujimoto, Masayoshi Nanami
  • Patent number: 5749337
    Abstract: A barrel type engine with two-stroke cycle of operation. The engine of the present invention comprises two engine halves, each half having a plurality of pumping cylinders and a matching number of power cylinders. Double-ended pistons impart rotational motion to the engine shaft by a cam. The cylinder arrangement of the present invention facilitates efficient communication of intake air between the pumping cylinders and the power cylinders contained within each engine half, and further establishes a natural and beneficial timing relationship between the action of the pumping cylinders and the action of the corresponding power cylinders. In operation, intake air is drawn into the pumping cylinders and then transferred to the power cylinders by a transfer duct system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Inventor: Dennis Palatov
  • Patent number: 5746162
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus for punching a sheet having a detachable punching unit for accomplishing wide varieties of combinations of punching conditions such as a number of the hole, diameter of the hole, and a position of the hole at a sheet. A sort of the punching unit which is mounted to the apparatus is recognized by a recognition device and one of a sheet conveying speed, a punching speed, and a punch operation timing is controlled by a controller in accordance with a condition predetermined for each sort of the punching unit which is recognized by the recognition device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masatoshi Hosoi, Yoshihide Sugiyama, Mitsuru Ichikawa, Norihisa Masamura
  • Patent number: 5746163
    Abstract: A low emission power generating apparatus which comprises a modified two-stroke diesel engine component and a modified turbocharger component which has a relatively low aspect ratio. The diesel engine component is a modification of a conventional two-stroke diesel engine design and includes an exhaust valve cam of unique design that has a cam profile which results in a later-than-normal exhaust valve opening and an earlier-than-normal valve closing so that the time during which the exhaust valve remains open is shorter than normal, thereby causing a substantially greater volume of residual gases to remain in the combustion chamber following the scavenge stroke. Reduction in peak combustion temperature advantageously results in the lower than normal production of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and, therefore, allows advancement of the injection timing, while still maintaining the NOx emissions coming from the engine lower than those legislatively mandated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignee: Clean Cam Technology Systems
    Inventor: Edward Green