Abstract: The invention relates to a method for absorbing the vibration of a five-piston engine and to a vibration-absorbed five-piston engine. At least two separate piston units are synchronized to operate in a counter action such that a certain position of one piston unit actuates forcibly and simultaneously the operation of fuel pumps and injection nozzles intended for the two piston units. Operation of the fuel pumps can be effected mechanically by means of the actions of the piston unit.

Abstract: A free piston internal combustion engine having improved valve timing. A pair of oppositely disposed combustion chamber passageways extending between the combustion chamber and the earth's atmosphere, each have a combustion chamber valve for controlling the passage of gas through the passageways. The combustion chamber valves are essentially simultaneously opened and closed to permit independent variation and control of the compression ratio, expansion ratio, and stroke of the engine. When the valves are opened, the combustion chamber is purged or supercharged with combustion supporting air, and closed to initiate compression. Variable control of the piston positions at which the valves are opened and closed permits the engine to operate at a high efficiency over a broad range of power output loading conditions.

Abstract: A compact free piston engine of the unsymmetrical type including a structure with a cylinder detachably supported therein, said cylinder having a pair of pistons with a combustion chamber therebetween and each piston having a rod extending through the adjacent end of the cylinder and having motion reversing means at one end of said cylinder and extending between said rods. Preferably, the structure is of strong but lightweight construction. It may have a skeleton type of housing with bolt type columns spaced around the cylinder. Portions of the reversing means lie along the side of the cylinder while another major portion thereof lies beyond one end of the cylinder. An energy absorbing device or devices may be connected to one only or to each of the rods, and each rod will be driven simultaneously in an opposite direction to the other by both pistons.

Abstract: A free piston combustion chamber coupled to air compression and gas expansion chambers are combined with a rotary motor. The rotary motor shaft drives the air compressor, receives power from the expanding gases in the expansion chamber and provides residual torque and power for external use. Two combustion chambers located at each end of the free piston receive compressed air and fuel for combustion outside of the rotary motor assembly. The motion of the free piston between the two combustion chambers is independent of the motor rotary motion. The air admission inside the combustion chambers, the fuel injection and the combustion initiation process are all controlled and timed by the free piston movement back and forth. A heat exchanger is located between the combustion-chamber/free-piston assembly and the rotary motor. The compressed air exiting from the compression chamber is heated by the gases exiting from the combustion chambers, before they are admitted into the expansion chamber of the rotary motor.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine in which a rotor or turbine is driven by the exhaust gases of a pair of interconnected double-acting pistons. The double-acting pistons are interconnected by a pinion gear and are internally constructed to have an inner piston slidably reciprocating within a chamber defined within an outer piston. The purpose of the inner piston is to feed additional fuel into the main combustion chamber in a controlled manner. Exhaust gases are collected and washed before being exhausted to the atmosphere or recycled within the engine.

Abstract: A free piston gas generator assembly in which the scavenging efficiency of the power cylinder is increased, by interconnecting in series a plurality of three or more identical motor-compressor cylinders, by means of a piping system, into one engine assembly. Said interconnecting piping system constitutes a closed feedback or bounce energy transfer loop, by transferring the feedback or bounce energy of the up-stream motor-compressor cylinder to the down-steam motor-compressor cylinder in a continuous stepwise sequence. Consequently, the simultaneous outward and inward synchronized piston strokes of two motor-compressor cylinders in each working step, causes the pistons of the remaining motor-compressor cylinders in the assembly to be at rest in the outward dead points, where scavenging takes place.

Abstract: A free piston engine having a pair of opposed power cylinders and pistons on a common longitudinal axis with an energy absorbing device, such as a compressor piston, being directly connected to one of the power pistons and indirectly connected to the other power piston by means of a motion reversing, synchronizing and counterbalancing mechanism on said axis. The cylinders are arranged to be fired simultaneously and due to the face that the forces from the power pistons acting on the reversing mechanism are balanced, the forces on the bearings in the mechanism are substantially reduced over those occurring in machines having cylinders that fire 180.degree. out of phase, which results in a minimum of wear and higher efficiency due to the reduced friction. The engine can also have a bounce chamber therein which gives better control and more stable operation of the power pistons than found in engines with alternately acting pairs of power pistons which do not require power piston returning means.