Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes an arrangement of cylinders each having a reciprocating piston operatively linked to a crankshaft. The cycle for each cylinder includes an intake stroke, a compression stroke, a power stroke, an exhaust stroke, and two free strokes during which the exhaust valve or a separate clean air valve is left open. The power stroke of each cylinder fires simultaneously with the free stroke of another cylinder. The engine and method of operation provides a six stroke cycle for each power stroke to yield three revolutions of the crankshaft per cycle, thereby increasing fuel efficiency.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes an arrangement of cylinders each having a reciprocating piston operatively linked to a crankshaft. The cycle for each cylinder includes an intake stroke, a compression stroke, a power stroke, an exhaust stroke, and two free strokes during which the exhaust valve or a separate clean air valve is left open. The power stroke of each cylinder fires simultaneously with the free stroke of another cylinder. The engine and method of operation provides a six stroke cycle for each power stroke to yield three revolutions of the crankshaft per cycle, thereby increasing fuel efficiency.

Abstract: An automatic apparatus for pressure packing of a food casing including a yoke assembly for slidably receiving a neck portion of the casing. A rotating jaw assembly grasps a forward end of the casing and pulls the casing through the throat section by wrapping a forward portion of the casing about a cylindrical member constituting the jaw assembly. A feed mechanism feeds flat clips through a sequence of operating stations. At one of the operating stations a reciprocating forming die descends onto the flat clip and bends it into an inverted U-shaped clip. At another station, a reciprocating crimping die descends onto a bent clip and carries the bent clip into the throat section to crimp the shaped clip around the neck portion of the casing being retained in the throat section.