Cam Controlled Working Member Movement Patents (Class 418/38)
  • Patent number: 9447687
    Abstract: A heat engine comprises two coaxial discoidal sectors and a mechanism of control of the rotational speed of the sectors that makes their respective rotational speeds to vary cyclically between a maximum and a minimum speed. The mechanism includes a linked structure provided with four links arranged in a deformable parallelogram and connected to each other by corresponding rotary joints located at their ends, each link including a roller located adjacent one end of the link. The mechanism further includes at least one cam profile for the rollers to follow, the cam profile being the locus of the path followed by the rollers when the sectors follow a motion such that the speed of each sector is kept at a maximum for at least 90% of the duration of a half-cycle, and is kept at a minimum for at least 90% of the duration of the other half-cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Inventor: Juan Antonio Castillo Álvarez
  • Patent number: 8936004
    Abstract: A rotary piston engine is provided that combines most of the advantages of an internal combustion engine with those of a turbine engine. The rotary piston engine improves on the existing internal combustion and turbine technology by achieving the same or better high end performance, while improving the efficiency during off-peak operations. The rotary piston engine includes an engine housing, at least one continuous cylinder doughnut, piston pedals, movable wall valves, at least one rotor and at least one point of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: William Gregory Buchanan
  • Publication number: 20140348678
    Abstract: Heat engine comprising a body (2) provided with an annular cavity (3) therein, two coaxial discoidal sectors (7, 7?) that comprises two diametrically opposite tangential pistons (7a and 7c or 7?b and 7?d) that project, both radially and axially, from their corresponding discoidal sector and can slide through the annular cavity, each pair of consecutive pistons defining a chamber (Cab, Cbc, Ccd, Cda), a means of control of the rotational speed of the two discoidal sectors that makes their respective rotational speeds to vary cyclically and in antiphase between a maximum speed and a minimum speed, so that the speed of each sector is kept at a substantial maximum for most of the duration of a half-cycle, and is kept at a substantial minimum for most of the duration of the other half-cycle, and a means (8) of integration of the speeds of the sectors into a mean speed for the power transmission shaft (9).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2012
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventor: Juan Antonio Castillo Álvarez
  • Patent number: 8528506
    Abstract: A rotary internal combustion engine including: a cylinder having a cylinder circumferential wall provided with a horizontal valve groove on its inner circumferential surface; a working shaft concentrically run through said cylinder and held so as to freely rotate; a rotor comprising a rotor base made up of a circular shell and a rotor blade standing in a radial direction of a rotor base surrounding wall; a shutoff valve to perform intermittent movements of insertion and returning between an outside of said cylinder and a cylinder space; and side ribs each having a longitudinal valve groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Inventor: Makoto Murata
  • Patent number: 8528505
    Abstract: A rotary internal combustion engine including: a cylinder having a cylinder circumferential wall provided with a horizontal valve groove on its inner circumferential surface; a working shaft concentrically run through said cylinder and held so as to freely rotate; a rotor comprising a rotor base made up of a circular shell and a rotor blade standing in a radial direction of a rotor base surrounding wall; a shutoff valve to perform intermittent movements of insertion and returning between an outside of said cylinder and a cylinder space; and side ribs each having a longitudinal valve groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Inventor: Makoto Murata
  • Publication number: 20130195706
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a toroidal motor comprising a centrally located output shaft, a circular plate centrally and transversely affixed to the output shaft, a toroidal cylinder located in the same plane as and to the outside edge of the circular plate, pistons affixed to the outside edge of the circular plate and residing in the toroidal cylinder. A circular timing track may be used to time the action of a knife gate assembly which may be configured to induce a camming action in the knife gate assembly, rotating the knife gate into the toroidal cylinder, blocking the cylinder just behind a passing piston. Pressurized fluid may be introduced between the knife gate and the rear of the immediate downstream piston to cause a differential pressure to propel the piston through the toroidal cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2012
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Inventor: Marvin Wayne Hicks
  • Patent number: 8464425
    Abstract: A process for manufacturing a single-piece bladed disk, including: using an abrasive water jet to cut a block of material, so as to create blade preforms extending radially outwards from a disk, while keeping material forming a connecting mechanism between at least two directly consecutive blade preforms, the connecting mechanism being at a radial spacing from the disk; then removing the connecting mechanism; then milling the blade preforms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Serge Berlanger, Sebastien Bordu, Thierry Jean Maleville, Christophe Charles Maurice Roca
  • Patent number: 8230836
    Abstract: A highly efficient, low weight-to-power ratio and adjustable high compression, gasoline or diesel internal combustion engine consisting of a multitude of cylindrical casings parallel to each other or aligned sequentially on one axle. Each casing having one radially extending vane affixed to a shaft rotatably mounted within the casing upon two end plates and one longitudinally extending wall affixed on the inside of the casing. The casing and/or the end plates equipped with plurality of ports and conduits which enable communication between interior chambers of the cylinders, allowing for intake of combustible air-fuel mixture and exhaust thereafter. Ignition means delivering a spark at the end of each working cycle. An extendable and adjustable connecting rod assembly converting the oscillating bi-directional rotary motion of the power output shaft into a continuous unidirectional motion of the main shaft. A self lubricating mechanism incorporated into the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Inventor: Kamen George Kamenov
  • Patent number: 8151759
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes an engine having a torodial piston chamber, at least one piston positioned in the torodial piston chamber, and at least one engine valve positioned to interact with the torodial piston chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Wright Innovations, LLC
    Inventor: Michael D. Wright
  • Patent number: 7931006
    Abstract: A rotatably alternating air or water cooled two-stroke internal combustion engine comprising a cylindrical casing, and a rotor comprising two radially extending vanes affixed to a shaft rotatably mounted within the casing upon two end plates. Two longitudinally extending walls affixed to the casing. Sealing strips provided between said walls, the shaft, the vanes, the casing and the end plates respectively. Working and supercharging interior chambers between the vanes and the walls. The casing and/or the end plates equipped with ports which communicate with the interior chambers, allowing for intake of combustible air-fuel mixture and exhaust thereafter. Ignition means delivering a spark at the end of each working cycle. An extendable and adjustable connecting rod assembly converting the oscillating bi-directional rotary motion of the output shaft into a continuous unidirectional motion of the main shaft. A self lubricating mechanism incorporated into the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Inventor: Kamen George Kamenov
  • Patent number: 7866284
    Abstract: The invention relates to an oscillating piston engine comprising a housing that contains a first and at least a second piston, both of which can rotate about a fixed rotational axis in the housing and which when rotating about said axis execute counter-rotating displacements back and forth about a pivoting axis that runs perpendicular to the rotational axis through the centre of the housing. A working chamber is situated between opposing end faces of the first and at least second piston. The housing is provided with at least one gas exchange opening for admitting or discharging a gas into or from the working chamber. The pistons are arranged in such a way that the rotational axis runs through the working chamber. The pistons are mounted to slide in a piston cage, which is located in the housing, is concentric with the rotational axis, and rotates together with the pistons about said axis. The gas exchange opening is arranged eccentrically in relation to the rotational axis, on one end face of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Inventor: Herbert Huettlin
  • Patent number: 7814882
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine including a working chamber assembly housing, intake and exhaust ports, a pair of piston assemblies each of which assemblies includes at least one pair of diametrically opposed pistons within the working chamber assembly housing rotatable about a rotational axis of said piston assemblies, means for interconnecting said first and second piston assemblies for variable speed rotation in the same direction during recurrent periods of rotation, wherein the piston having a piston head and a piston vessel, the piston head of one piston assembly received by the piston vessel of the other piton assembly to form a working chamber. The connecting means includes a pair of internal gears, a plurality of planetary gears and means for transmitting variable speed rotation, a main transmission gear set, and a pair of auxiliary means that is connected to the piston assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Inventor: Masami Sakita
  • Patent number: 7793636
    Abstract: A rotary apparatus with an enclosure formed by a hollow curved housing along with two sleeves, with two vanes within the enclosure, where one vane is fitted on each sleeve and the space within the enclosure is partitioned into two segregated volumes by the vanes which can rotate along with the sleeve that the individual vane is fitted on, by use of the timing devices, couplings, brakes and shaft, resulting in a sequence of alternate, independent or simultaneous rotation and stopping of vanes that leads to increase and decrease of volume of the segregated spaces, in a fashion that results in a thermodynamic gas cycles with Variable Compression ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Inventor: Das Ajee Kamath
  • Patent number: 7472676
    Abstract: A gear set is disclosed having a guide, such as a cam, engaging the output shaft of the gear shaft and being indexed thereby. The guide drives one or more followers which in turn drive one or more interfaces of a differential gear set. The output shaft may be driven by a third interface of the differential gear set. The followers may likewise engage piston assemblies in order to control the piston assemblies during execution of a process such as a four stroke combustion process, or other process involving compression or expansion of a gas. The piston assemblies are enclosed within a housing defining an annular chamber, such as a toroid. Apertures formed in the housing allow exhaust gases to leave and air to be taken in. In one embodiment, a hyper expansion port is formed in the housing to release a portion of the air during the compression stroke in order to decrease the pressure of combustion gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Inventors: Dan K. McCoin, Mark D. McCoin
  • Patent number: 7431007
    Abstract: A rotary apparatus with an enclosure formed by a hollow curved housing along with two sleeves, with two vanes within the enclosure, where one vane is fitted on each sleeve and the space within the enclosure is partitioned into two segregated volumes by the vanes which can rotate along with the sleeve that the individual vane is fitted on, by use of the timing devices, couplings, brakes and shaft, resulting in a sequence of alternate, independent or simultaneous rotation and stopping of vanes that leads to increase and decrease of volume of the segregated spaces, in a fashion that results in a thermodynamic gas cycles with Variable Compression ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Inventor: Das Ajee Kamath
  • Publication number: 20070297928
    Abstract: A rotary-vane machine, has a stationary tubular housing having a lubricated pump with an oil carter, and an oil-free section, with two pairs of ports through which a working medium enters or exits, a housing cover plate, a sun gear attached to a boss, a bearing and oil transferring member, a cover disc attachable to the end of the oil-free housing section, and a tubular rotor inside of which are fixedly attachable, two tapering vanes rotatable, together with the rotor, at a uniform speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2007
    Publication date: December 27, 2007
    Inventor: Leonid VOLFTSUN
  • Patent number: 7258082
    Abstract: An oscillating-piston machine comprises a housing, in which a first and at least a second piston are arranged, which pistons can together revolve in the housing about an axis of rotation that is fixed with respect to the housing, and which pistons, as they revolve about the axis of rotation, execute oppositely directed reciprocating pivoting movements about a pivot axis running perpendicular to the axis of rotation and through the centre of the housing, the first piston having a first end face, and the at least second piston having a second end face facing the first end face, the end faces delimiting a working chamber, characterized in that the pistons are arranged in such a way that the axis of rotation runs through the working chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Inventor: Herbert Huettlin
  • Patent number: 7222601
    Abstract: A rotatably alternating air or water cooled two-stroke internal combustion engine comprising a cylindrical casing, and a rotor comprising two radially extending vanes affixed to a shaft rotatably mounted within the casing upon two end plates. Two longitudinally extending walls affixed to the casing. Sealing strips provided between said walls, the shaft, the vanes, the casing and the end plates respectively. The casing and/or the end plates equipped with plurality of ports which communicate with interior chambers formed between the vanes and the walls, allowing for intake of combustible air-fuel mixture and exhaust thereafter. Ignition means delivering a spark at the end of each working cycle. An extendable and adjustable connecting rod assembly converting the oscillating bi-directional rotary motion of the output shaft into a continuous unidirectional motion of the main shaft. A self lubricating mechanism incorporated into the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Inventor: Kamen George Kamenov
  • Patent number: 7182061
    Abstract: A rotary internal combustion engine comprising at least one but preferably a plurality of two operating chambers each having a toroidal path of travel on an interior thereof and an interactive piston assembly comprising a pair of first or driven pistons connected to a power take-off and a pair of second or driving pistons concurrently movable along the toroidal path of travel relative to said pair of first pistons. In each chamber, the pair of second pistons is periodically positionable, during each revolution, in driving relation to the pair of first pistons and is cooperatively structured therewith to accomplish the various phases of an engine cycle during forced travel of the pair of first pistons along the toroidal path of travel, thereby causing forced rotation or driving of the power take-off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Inventor: Petrica Lucian Georgescu
  • Patent number: 7059294
    Abstract: An engine is disclosed including at least one piston which is positioned within a toroidal piston chamber. A method of operating an engine is disclosed wherein a piston is advanced in a toroidal piston chamber past a first valve and the first valve is closed to form a first ignition chamber area located within the piston chamber between the first valve and the rear side of the piston. A second valve is closed ahead of the piston to form a first exhaust removal chamber area located within the piston chamber between the second valve and the front side of the piston, the exhaust removal chamber including exhaust gases from a preceding ignition which occurred in the first ignition chamber area. A fuel mixture is introduced into the first ignition chamber area and ignited thereby advancing the piston further along the toroidal piston chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Wright Innovations, LLC
    Inventor: Michael D. Wright
  • Patent number: 6962137
    Abstract: Two-cycle, single vane impeller, hinged hub rotary engines are simple embodiments of a new class of engines. The 2-cycle, hinged hub rotary engines have dependently rotating impellers with, interdigitated, alternating hub sections, a hinge like rotation joint. These 2-cycle engines have expansion and exhaust cycles. The intake and compression cycles are performed by a synergistic air compressor (fan or piston type). Fuel and oxidizer (e.g. compressed air, from a synergistic air compressor,) are injected, to create combustion mixtures, and spontaneously ignited to start the expansion cycle in the minimized expansion sector(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Inventor: Joseph Dale Udy
  • Patent number: 6948473
    Abstract: Four-cycle rotary engines, with an even number of hinged-hub impeller vanes, utilize dependently rotating, joined, hinged-hub impellers, with interdigitated, alternating hub sections, on a shared, power output shaft, and electromagnetic fields, and timing of impeller release and capture, to provide real time compression ratio control, and to control the momentum of the rotating impellers, and mechanical clutches to transfer the rotation to the power shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Inventor: Joseph Dale Udy
  • Publication number: 20030200951
    Abstract: Internal combustion engine and method in which pistons on different rotors move relative to each other to form chambers of variable volume in a toroidal cylinder. The pistons move in stepwise fashion, with the pistons on one rotor travelling a predetermined distance while the pistons on the other rotor remain substantially stationary. Fuel is drawn into a chamber as one of the pistons defining the chamber moves away from the other, and then compressed as the second piston moves toward the first. Combustion of the fuel drives the first piston away from the second, and the spent gases are then expelled from the chamber by the second piston moving again toward the first. An output shaft is connected to the rotors in such manner that the shaft rotates continuously while the rotors and pistons move in their stepwise fashion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2002
    Publication date: October 30, 2003
    Inventor: Ralph Gordon Morgado
  • Patent number: 6422841
    Abstract: A cat and mouse type device includes at least one rod fixed to a shaft with at least one planetary gear rotatably attached to an end of the rod. Bars extending away from the planeatary gear ride in grooves on the faces of two rotors. The planetary gear rotates around a fixed sun gear attached to the housing, so that the two rotors rotate with respect to one another and with respect to the housing in a predetermined manner. Protuberances may be provided to extend away from the rotors and the planetary gear to interact with one another during rotation, preventing the rotors from deadlocking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Inventor: Mikio Kurisu
  • Publication number: 20010046446
    Abstract: A cat and mouse type device includes at least one rod fixed to a shaft with at least one planetary gear rotatably attached to an end of the rod. Bars extending away from the planeatary gear ride in grooves on the faces of two rotors. The planetary gear rotates around a fixed sun gear attached to the housing, so that the two rotors rotate with respect to one another and with respect to the housing in a predetermined manner. Protuberances may be provided to extend away from the rotors and the planetary gear to interact with one another during rotation, preventing the rotors from deadlocking.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2001
    Publication date: November 29, 2001
    Inventor: Mikio Kurisu
  • Patent number: 6293775
    Abstract: In a small oscillatory type rotary piston engine, first and second rotors are provided, having first and second independently rotatable drive shafts. An engine output shaft is affixed to a rotatable carrier bowl member which carries a pair of rockers coupled to a pair of counterweighted rotor drive shaft arms each affixed to respective rotatable rotor drive shafts via first and second connecting rods. Each rocker has a centrally positioned, bearing mounted guide pin, positioned within an elliptical cam groove formed in a stationary baseplate made of hard alloy, for changing the relative angular positioning between the rotors during oscillatory, scissor action operation of the rotary piston engine. Shock-absorbent connecting rod elements are also provided within the connecting rods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2001
    Inventor: Vladimir K. Bakhtine
  • Patent number: 6113370
    Abstract: The invention provides a rotary-vane machine having a stationary shell including a casing member (2), a camming ring (4) having an internal, noncircular camming surface (6), and a flange member (8); a rotor (10) including at least two first vanes (12) fixedly attached to, or integral with, the rotor (10), a first cover plate (14) fixedly attachable to the rotor (10); a second cover plate (16) fixedly attachable to the rotor and integral with a first shaft (22) supported on its free end by bearing (26) mounted in the casing (2), and being provided with at least four ports (a) for access or egress of a working medium; a second shaft (23) supported by a first bearing (28) accommodated in the first cover plate (14) and by a second bearing (30) accommodated in the second cover plate (16); at least two second vanes (38) fixedly attached to the second shaft (23) and oscillatably accommodated within the rotor (10), and defining, together with the rotor (10), the first vanes (12) and the first and second cover plates
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignee: Rototor Ltd.
    Inventor: Leonid Volftsun
  • Patent number: 5366356
    Abstract: A rotary-vane machine including a first and a second stationary end member connectable to one another, a rotor body contacting one face of the first end member and having a first shaft rotatably mounted in the first end member, at least two first vanes located inside the rotor body and rigidly connected thereto, a rotor cover plate fluid-tightly attachable to the rotor body, a second shaft mounted in, and extending beyond, the rotor body and rotor cover plate, and rotatable relative thereto, at least two second vanes fixedly attached to the second shaft, the second vane subdividing the spaces into chambers, a plurality of ducts in the first end member and in the bottom of the rotor body, enabling communication, at predetermined angular relationships between the rotor body and the first end member, between the fluid-handling chambers and the outside of the machine, and cams adapted to act upon the second shaft and, thus, on the second vane to periodically accelerate them and periodically decelerate them, where
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1994
    Assignee: Savgal Compressors Ltd.
    Inventor: Leonid Volftsun
  • Patent number: 5326238
    Abstract: A shaft (5) is driven in the rotary piston machine. The torque is transmitted via first cam rings (7), connected to it, to rolling bodies (9) supported in cages and from these rolling bodies to second cam rings (8), which drive the rotation bodies (3) of the rotary piston machine. The cam rings (7, 8) and the rolling bodies (9) are, in this case, partially provided with bevel-wheel teeth and partially with cam track teeth (FIG. 3 ). The rotary piston machine can also be used as an engine and is characterised by a particularly high efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1994
    Assignee: SITA Maschinenbau-und Forschungs GmbH
    Inventor: Jurgen Schukey
  • Patent number: 5192201
    Abstract: A rotary engine includes a pair of rotors each supporting opposed toroidal section pistons rotatably disposed within a crank case defining a toroidal combustion chamber. The piston rotors define pluralities of curved slots which receive interconnecting coupling pins. A drive cam cooperates with the drive pins and a slotted pin guide is captivated between the drive cam and one of the slotted piston rotors. The cooperation of the pin guide, cam and slotted rotors provides the required piston motion and power coupling for use as a rotary engine for rotary pump or compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1993
    Inventor: Jacek Beben
  • Patent number: 4938668
    Abstract: A rotating piston machine has a casing 2 with a shaft 5 borne in the casing 2. In an annular space 1 there are arranged rotating elements which bear in sealing manner against the walls of the annular space 1. Each rotating element (3, 4) has four outwardly extending sector-shaped vanes (3a-3d, 4a-4d). The two rotating elements (3, 4) are arranged coaxially; their vanes (3a-3d, 4a-4d) engage in one another, so that in each case one vane of the one rotating element is arranged between two vanes of the other rotating element. By a cam track control it is achieved that, on rotation of the shaft 5, both rotating elements execute rotations with cyclic changes in the speed of rotation and the distances between the vanes (3a-3d, 4a-4d). The cam track control has in this case for each rotating element eight rolling elements which interact with an inner and an outer curved track non-positively and free from play.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 3, 1990
    Inventor: Jurgen Schukey
  • Patent number: 4738235
    Abstract: A rotary engine has a first ring-shaped floor portion connected to an inner shaft for rotation therewith and a second ring-shaped floor portion connected to an outer shaft for rotation therewith. The annular floor portions cooperate with an engine casing to define an annular chamber. A first pair of diametrically aligned pistons are positioned within the annular chamber and are connected to the first ring-shaped floor portion while a second pair of diametrically aligned pistons are positioned within the angular chamber and connected to the second ring-shaped floor portion. The pistons cooperate to define a plurality of combustion chambers. Means are provided for causing combustion in the combustion chambers for imparting rotary motion to the inner and outer shafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 19, 1988
    Assignee: Raincor, Inc.
    Inventor: Eleuterio P. Silvoza
  • Patent number: 4604909
    Abstract: Two shafts rotatable about the same axis and having hubs are connected to each other by a transverse beam. One end of the beam is pivotally connected to one hub and the other end of the beam is pivotally connected to the other hub. Two roller followers are mounted to the beam with one follower located on each side of the beam's mid-point. The followers are guided by the interior surface of a closed path guide cam. In operation, the beam first pivots about the axis of one follower and then pivots about the axis of the other follower in a repetitive alternating sequence. For a given hub, the distance between the beam's pivot point and the hub connection changes each time the pivot point moves from one follower axis to the other. This causes one hub to alternately rotate at speeds which are relatively faster than, and then relatively slower than, the rotational speed of the other hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1986
    Inventor: James E. Marson
  • Patent number: 4605361
    Abstract: An oscillating vane rotary pump or motor. The pump or motor comprises a cylinder with a pair of co-axial rotors journaled in the cylinder. Each of the rotors defines a pair of spaced apart sector shaped vanes with the vanes of one rotor intermediately juxtaposed with the vanes of the other. A power shaft journaled in the cylinder includes a quill or sleeve shaft which drivingly engages the co-axial rotor shafts. Inlet ports and outlet or exhaust ports are provided in the cylinder for receiving and exhausting pressure fluid. Operative coupling means are provided for oscillating the rotors and vanes with respect to each other as the rotors rotate with respect to the cylinder. A drive pin extends through the rotor shaft and power shaft quill. An elongated slot is provided in the quill to permit axial reciprocation of the pin as the power shaft rotates. Helical slots are defined in each of the co-axial rotor shafts, one of the helical slots having a left-hand curve and the other having a right-hand curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1986
    Inventor: Robert K. Cordray
  • Patent number: 4413961
    Abstract: A motion conversion device comprising a cam mounted for rotation about an axis eccentric to a central axis, said eccentric axis being rotatable about said central axis, the cam having N lobes the outermost points of which are equally spaced around and equidistant from the eccentric axis, N being an odd integer other than 1, means for effecting relative rotation between the central axis and the cam on rotation of the eccentric axis about the central axis or rotation of the cam about its eccentric axis whereby the cam is arranged to rotate about its eccentric axis at an angular velocity of (2/N+1) times the angular velocity of the eccentric axis about the central axis, a pair of cam followers rotatable about an axis substantially coincident with the central axis, the cam followers being in contact with the cam on opposed sides of the central axis and equidistant from the central axis, the cam being formed such that on rotation of the eccentric axis about the central axis at a substantially constant velocity the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 8, 1983
    Inventor: Peter J. Griffin
  • Patent number: 4334841
    Abstract: The invention provides the mechanism for an internal combustion engine that utilizes a radial flow of combustible gases about the axis of a toroid or annulus cylinder. The principal components consist of a rhomboid linkage mechanism operating within a stationary cam. The mechanism sustains torque from two coaxial drive shafts upon which the mechanism imposes a compound rotary motion whereby an angular harmonic is superimposed over a constant angular velocity. This motion is applied through discs to two pair of pistons within the cylinder to effect a radial flow with a precisely defined theoretical cycle. Where the mechanics are used for a radial flow engine, the power generated is taken from the rhomboid mechanisms by a coupling and final drive shaft.Further the invention includes within its scope a method by which the discs are self sealing and the means of producing a multicylinder unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1979
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1982
    Inventor: Henry A. Barlow
  • Patent number: 4194871
    Abstract: The engine of the present invention provides a pair of piston members which rotate intermittently relative to one another within a cylindrical chamber. The piston members' intermittent rotation provides intake, compression, firing and expansion, and exhaust processes for the spaces or chambers formed in the cylindrical chamber between the piston members. The engine includes an output shaft and a mechanism for controlling the motions of the piston members relative one another and to translate or convert the non-uniform or intermittent motion of the piston members to a uniform rotation of the output shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1980
    Inventor: Karl E. Studenroth
  • Patent number: 4153396
    Abstract: A control system for a rotary internal combustion engine or pump compressor including a pair of shaft-mounted controllers, the two shafts being co-axial with one being disposed within the other for the in seriatim rotation of the shafts as to each other. Additional to the controllers, two pairs of balls are provided with the shafts, controllers and balls being disposed within an elliptical cam extended through a wall of a housing for the control of the rotation of the shafts wherefor a first one will rotate through an arc of say 60.degree. while the second one will rotate through an arc of say 120.degree. and an alternation takes place so that the first one next moves through an arc of 120.degree. and the second one moves through an arc of 60.degree..
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1979
    Inventor: Edgar F. Landry
  • Patent number: 4132078
    Abstract: A piston machine has arcuately-curved, cooperating pistons and cylinders arranged on the periphery of a pair of coaxially mounted rotatable disks or arms. Swiveling movements of the disks, causing the pistons to move in the cylinders, are controlled by cams and connecting gears. The cams are fixed with respect to the disks. Each cam is scanned by a cam follower connected by an arm to a shaft journaled in one of the disks. A connector gear is affixed to the cam follower and connector gear shaft to drive the disk opposite the disk in which the connector gear shaft is carried. Gear segments on the external periphery of each disk engage interchangeably a driven shaft for power output where work is produced by the machine as in compressed air and heat engine embodiments disclosed or for power input where the machine does work on the compressible fluid as in a compressor embodiment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1977
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1979
    Assignee: Enginor AG
    Inventor: Richard Akeret
  • Patent number: 4035111
    Abstract: A rotary engine having a toroidal chamber which is stationary, and in which the pistons convey power to a common crankshaft under the control of a four-bar linkage including novel means for preventing reverse motion of any piston in the chamber. Inlet and exhaust valves to control the flow of energizing fluid are provided, and are actuated directly from the crankshaft. Novel sub-components include the four-bar linkage, the valving mechanism, and the arrangement by which rotary movement of the pistons in the chamber is eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1975
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1977
    Inventor: Peter J. Cronen, Sr.
  • Patent number: 3990405
    Abstract: An orbital rotary piston-type internal combustion engine in which a series of pistons are mounted for co-operation on a pair of rotors which are carried on a drive shaft and travel in an annular combustion chamber, with associated pre-combustion chambers which are charged with rich fuel-air mixture while the annular combustion chamber is charged with a relatively lean fuel-air mixture, the mixture in the pre-combustion chambers being ignited by primary spark plugs and the expanding gas being forced through ports into the annular combustion chamber where secondary spark plugs adjacent the ports assist in more complete combustion and help force the pistons past exhaust ports, and with a variable ratio, overriding clutch-bearing for transmitting power from the rotors to the drive shaft, a solid state ignition system, a pressurized fuel injection system, a drive shaft mounted timing system and an electromagnetic controlled starting device, the disengagement of the latter being effected by means of an engine veloc
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1975
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1976
    Inventor: Joseph Kecik
  • Patent number: 3937187
    Abstract: A toroidal cylinder is provided with a slot formed around the inner wall. A central shaft carries a sunwheel engaging a set of planet gears which in turn engage a fixed ring gear secured to the cylinder adjacent the slot. A pair of rings are provided carrying sets of pistons running within the cylinder, the edges of the rings sealably running within the slot. Pins on the planet gears engage slotted arms secured to the rings so that opposite pairs of pistons move toward and away from one another in sequence thus providing compression and expansion strokes in the cylinder together with intake and exhaust strokes. A fuel mixture ignited by spark plugs or the like may be used or, alternatively, fuel injection may be utilized and inlet and exhaust ports are formed within the walls of the toroidal cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1974
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1976
    Inventor: Henry Bergen