Abstract: An internal combustion engine comprises a hollow rotary engine body, an axially opposite pair of main pistons capable of rotating with but slidably reciprocating relative to the engine body, a cam mechanism for causing the main pistons to make one full rotation with the engine body as the piston makes two reciprocations, and a pair of axially fixed auxiliary pistons coaxially inserted into the respective main pistons. A main combustion chamber is formed in the engine body between the main pistons, whereas a pair of auxiliary combustion chambers are formed in the respective auxiliary pistons. Explosive combustion takes place alternately in the main combustion chamber and each auxiliary combustion chamber.
Abstract: An internal combustion engine has a rotating annular cylinder containing a plurality of mutually oscillating pairs of pistons, one of each pair being rigidly fixed to a first axially-oscillating tube, the other of each pair being fixed to a second such tube concentric with the first. Each of the tubes is connected, by a "Scotch yoke", to a crank throw on a crank shaft. Each Scotch yoke includes an arm fixed at one end to its associated tube for oscillation therewith. The arm includes an elliptical slot that carries an annular ball bearing race for movement therein, one crank throw being journaled within each race. The cylinder is rotated by the crankshaft through a gear train in a fixed ratio to the rotation rate of the shaft. The pistons, having conical end faces, impart a rotational motion to the crankshaft during the power stroke of the cycle, the rotation of the crankshaft, in turn, imparting an oscillation to the piston pairs to actuate them in accordance with the strokes of the engine cycle.
Abstract: An engine and method in accordance with this invention includes a plurality of parallel cylinders equally spaced from a longitudinally extending engine axis with a pair of opposed pistons in each cylinder for controlled reciprocation therein. Respective rotatably mounted axial-faced cams and followers control the motion of the pistons through the operating cycle to permit at least one power stroke from each cylinder during each rotation of the engine. A controllable divider valve located between the opposed faces of the pistons defines, on one side, a first air/fuel receiving compression chamber and, on the other side, a second relatively high-pressure ignition air receiving chamber.
Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes an annular or ring-type cylinder and piston therein; exhaust ports from the cylinder lead to an afterburner reactor situated generally medially of the annular cylinder; the exhaust gases are further burned within the afterburner section; to further reduce pollulants during the afterburning process, additional air is pumped into the afterburner section by the ring piston due to its special configuration enabling it to accomplish, for example, triple functions such as: (a) to act as a power transmitting means, (b) to act as a pumping means to supply the engine's combustion chamber with scavenging air and/or an air-fuel mixture, and (c) to act as an air pumping means to supply desired quantities of ambient air into the afterburner section even in timed intervals with a constant predetermined pressure and predetermined quantities in order to thereby maximize the degree of control of the temperature generated in the afterburner and thereby more nearly fully oxidize the unburn