Abstract: A rotary internal combustion engine including a housing defining a combustion chamber; a first vane mounted for rotation in the combustion on a fixed axis; a second vane mounted for rotation in the combustion chamber on the fixed axis independently of the first vane; a separate ratchet mechanism respectively engaging the first and second vanes to preclude rotation of the vanes in one direction about the axis while allowing free rotation in the other direction; a converter mechanism, including an output shaft, drivingly connected to the vanes and operative to convert the rotation of the vanes into a unidirectional, constant speed rotation of the output shaft of the converter means; and a supercharger drivingly connected to the output shaft of the converter mechanism and operative to deliver a continuous charge under boost pressure to the input port of the combustion chamber to facilitate starting of the engine and preclude stalling of the engine under idling conditions.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine of the rotary type in which a pair of axially spaced combustion chambers are provided and a common ratchet or control mechanism is positioned between the spaced combustion chambers. A pair of vanes are mounted in each combustion chamber with the vanes mounted on concentric shafts and free to rotate relative to each other. The ratchet mechanism positioned between the combustion chambers functions to resist counterclockwise movement of the vanes in one combustion chamber while allowing free clockwise movement thereof and to resist clockwise movement of the vanes in the other combustion chamber while allowing free counterclockwise movement thereof. The reaction forces generated in the ratchet mechanism from the two combustion chambers thus tend to cancel each other out.

Abstract: The present invention concerns an improvement in the electric furnace process for making elemental phosphorus. The invention features the deliberate addition of an alkali to the burden or charge that is fed to the furnace. Several advantages are gained by the addition of an alkali: pollution is reduced by scavenging fluorine compounds, operating efficiencies are gained, and control over the process is simplified.