초록 ▼

The invention disclosed herein is a cyclic power mechanism including means providing for a variable dwell between cycles of the mechanism. The mechanism produces energy during each cycle and stores the energy of each cycle for consumption. The variable dwell between cycles is terminated and a new cy

The invention disclosed herein is a cyclic power mechanism including means providing for a variable dwell between cycles of the mechanism. The mechanism produces energy during each cycle and stores the energy of each cycle for consumption. The variable dwell between cycles is terminated and a new cycle is initiated upon the consumption of a preestablished portion of the stored energy. A preferred embodiment of the mechanism is a free piston engine operation on an Otto cycle. The piston of the engine is restrained after each combustion cycle as the energy of that combustion is stored for use. When a preestablished portion of the stored energy has been consumed, the piston is released and forced into another compression and combustion cycle for further storage of the combustion energy.

대표청구항 ▼

A free piston internal combustion cyclic power mechanism including releasable restraining means within said mechanism to provide a variable dwell between each cycle of said free piston within said mechanism, storage means for storing the energy produced by each given cycle of said free piston mechan

A free piston internal combustion cyclic power mechanism including releasable restraining means within said mechanism to provide a variable dwell between each cycle of said free piston within said mechanism, storage means for storing the energy produced by each given cycle of said free piston mechanism, said mechanism further including means operable on said releasable restraining means for terminating (a) said variable dwell of said free piston within said mechanism and to initiating a cycle of said free piston within said mechanism when a preestablished portion of said energy stored in said storage means has been consumed. In a free piston engine having a cylinder, a piston reciprocably moveable within said cylinder, and a brake means operable to restrain said piston in a desired position within said cylinder, said brake means comprising: a collet means adapted to engage a means operated with said piston, said collet comprising a pair of members having cooperating inclined surfaces separated by moveable roller pins, one of said members being laterally biased in one direction with respect to the other of said members whereby lateral movement of said one member due to said bias is translated into radial movement through cooperation of said inclined surfaces and roller pins to force said collet into engagement with said means operated with said piston to restrain said piston in said desired position, and means for moving said one member in a direction opposite to said bias to cause release of said collet from engagement with said means operated with said piston to release said restraint on said piston and to permit reciprocable movement of said piston within said cylinder.