Abstract: The disclosed aspiration system provides an alternative to poppet valves for motor vehicle and other applications including gasoline, diesel, natural gas or other internal combustion engines. In one embodiment, an aspiration head (30) includes a housing defined by base plate (32), cover plate (34), end plates (36) and side plates (38). The base plate (32) is disposed directly above the engine cylinders and effectively forms a cylinder head. The head (30) further includes bottom ware plates (44) having elongate slots (46), a cylindrical rotor (50) having a rotor slot (48) and upper ware plates (56) having slots (46). Rotation of the rotor (50) allows for alternate charging and exhausting of the combustion chambers via the slots (46 and 48). The ware plates (44 and 58) are preferably formed from a material that is softer than the rotor (50), such as a phenolic material, such that the aspiration system is self-sealing.

Abstract: An internal combustion design which allows for enhanced control of the fuel-air mixture and complete exhaust of combustion gases during the exhaust stroke. The internal combustion engine does not require that the combustion gas outlet valve enter into the cylinder to allow combustion gases to exit the cylinder. The valving structure includes one or more ring valves which form the upper circumferential wall of the cylinder. The ring valve or valves can either reciprocate or rotate. The engine includes a variable-length piston rod manufactured in two parts, which parts can reciprocate relative to one another along their length. A spring--either mechanical or pressure-operated--or the inertial masses of the parts, may be used between the piston rod parts to control the reciprocation of the parts relative to one another.

Abstract: The electromechanical valve system consists of a new system for opening and closing intake and exhaust valves on internal combustion motor vehicle engines by using electric pulses from the electronic control module (ECM) to electromagnets surrounding ball valves equipped with permanent magnets on pivots. It is designed to eliminate the camshaft, rocker arms, lifters, springs, etc., for the engine so the engine weights less but has more power, requires minimal maintenance because of the drastic reduction in moving parts, increases fuel efficiency and allows variable valve timing because valve operation is no longer dependent on the camshaft. The electromechanical valve system uses an input signal from a crank trigger sensor to the engine control module (ECM) which sends electrical pulses to electromagnets around valve ball in which discs are equipped with magnets.

Abstract: A cylinder head for attachment to a block assembly of an internal combustion engine as a replacement for a conventional cylinder head and its conventional valves and associated mechanical components. The cylinder head includes at least one longitudinally disposed spool with ports therein. When the spool is rotated the ports are rotated in a timed manner to be in communication with fluid intake openings and exhaust openings to permit the inflow of fuel into a cylinder in the block assembly and the exit therefrom of exhuast gasses. The use of a spool with ports eliminates the need for conventional valves, thereby permitting a lighter and smaller cylinder head assembly, as well as enables an engine to operate more efficiently at higher than conventional RPMs.

Abstract: An intake and exhaust valve control apparatus includes a pair of valves rotatably disposed in a body mounted in association with a cylinder of an internal combustion engine. Each valve includes a through bore selectively disposed between ports in the body in fluid flow communication with the cylinder. Magnets of opposed polarity are mounted on one end of the valve. A magnetically coupled core and coil are associated with the magnets and are positioned to repel and attract certain of the magnets to rotate the valve between first and second positions when current flows in one of two directions in the coil and induces a magnetic field in the core. The coil is connected to a control module which supplies electric currents in opposed directions at predetermined times in the engine cycle to rotate the valves between fluid flow and fluid blocking positions with respect to the cylinder.

Abstract: In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an improvement in the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine (10) is provided. A spherically shaped rotating element (22) is mounted in the engine head (20) for rotation about a first axis (24). The rotating element has a notch which aligns between the combustion chamber and inlet and exhaust passages as the rotating element rotates. A seal assembly (42) seals against the spherical rotating element. The annular seal (54) in contact with the rotating element rotates about an axis and is self-centering in its sealing action to reduce wear and increase sealing effectiveness. The annular seal is mounted and urged into sealing engagement with the rotating element with nested annular seal retainers (56) which also rotate.

Abstract: In an internal combustion engine in which intake and exhaust rotary valves each having a spherical valve body are controlled in opening and closing through a valve operating mechanism interlockingly with the movement of a piston, the intake and exhaust rotary valves (10, 20; 110, 120; 210, 220; 310, 310', 320, 320') respectively assume the fully opened positions to open intake and exhaust passages (7, 8; 107, 108; 207, 208; 307, 307', 308, 308'), during the intake and exhaust strokes of the engine (1; 101; 201; 301), and assume the fully closed positions during the explosion stroke. In the fully opened and closed positions, the intake and exhaust rotary valves (10, 20; 110, 120; 210, 220; 310, 310', 320, 320') are held at a stop state for a predetermined period of time by the intermittently operating function of the valve operating mechanism (30; 130; 230; 330).

Abstract: In order to produce a rotary valve with short and small cross-sectional dimensions, fresh gas or exhaust gas ducts of the rotary valve are associated with adjacent cylinders and extend in some regions in a common cross-sectional plane, in different halves of the cross section of the rotary valve outside the longitudinal axis thereof, the plane also contains two diametrically opposite fresh gas and, respectively, exhaust gas openings in the rotary valve housing.

Abstract: Counterbalancing device in a rotary machine comprising at least one piston axially movable in a cylinder, such as a heat engine and equipped per cylinder with at least one rotating distributor. The distributor, on the one hand, is driven in rotation at the same angular speed as the crankshaft of the machine and in the opposite direction to it and, on the other hand, comprises a counterbalancing compensating mass, of at least one part of the primary inertia of the piston-connecting rod-crank assembly corresponding to the cylinder. Application to the counterbalancing of monocylindrical engines with a crankshaft of reduced bulkiness.

Abstract: A rotary valve system for an internal combustion engine is disclosed. Through the provision of an axially movable valve rotor, the system is capable of variable valve opening duration and timing. Ports in the rotor or in the rotor housing, or both, have edges inclined with respect to the axis of the rotor, so that relative axial movement of the rotor and housing ports effects a change in the timing of valve opening and closing. Valve opening duration is also varied. An actuator system which controls the axial translation of the rotor during operation of the engine considers factors affecting engine performance such as engine speed, road speed and engine loading in determining the optimum valve timing and duration setting.

Abstract: A rotary valve for controlling the flow of fluids, and especially the gases in an internal combustion engine. A rotatable valve member is housed in a bore defined by a two-part housing interconnected by an element serving as a hinge to allow relative movement between the housing parts about an axis parallel to the rotary axis of the valve member. The element also allows the two housing parts to move relatively to adjust differentially the separation thereof at the two ends of the bore housing the valve member. The element may be in the form of a pair of semi-circular pins, or in a ball-and-socket joint.

Abstract: The four strokes of a piston in an internal combustion engine are sequentially controlled by two rotary valves, each including a housing and a triangularly shaped rotor mounted in the housing for epitrochoidal movement. The rotor defines three chambers in the housing and a duct connects respective ports in the housing of each valve to the working chamber of an engine cylinder. The engine drive shaft is so synchronized with the rotary movement of the rotors that, for each complete stroke, one chamber in the housings is in communication with the cylinder chamber through the duct, while the intake and exhaust ports in the housing of the first valve are selectively in and out of communication with the one chamber. A surface of the rotors is exposed to gases coming from the cylinder chamber during the power stroke so that these gases contribute to the rotary movement of the rotors.