초록 ▼

A rotary piston engine (20) is shown which includes a housing (22) having a cylindrical working chamber with inlet (56) and exhaust (54) ports. First and second piston assemblies (30 and 32) each of which includes at least one pair of diametrically opposed pistons (30A and 30B, and 32A and 32B) are

A rotary piston engine (20) is shown which includes a housing (22) having a cylindrical working chamber with inlet (56) and exhaust (54) ports. First and second piston assemblies (30 and 32) each of which includes at least one pair of diametrically opposed pistons (30A and 30B, and 32A and 32B) are located in the working chamber. Backstopping clutches (44 and 46) limit rotation of the piston assemblies (30 and 32) to one direction (42). Piston assemblies (30 and 32) are connected to the engine output shaft through a differential (78) and non-circular gear sets (74 and 76), each of which gear sets includes a tear-drop shaped gear (74A and 76A) and heart shaped gear (74B and 76B). When the cusp of the tear-drop shaped gear engages the recess in the heart shaped gear, the tear-drop shaped gear is prevented from rotating. The piston assemblies rotate intermittently whereby pistons of the stopped assembly are trailing pistons during portions of the power and intake phases of engine operation. In one embodiment, the tear-drop shaped gear include teeth in the form of rollers (132). Also, pistons (150A, 150B, 152A and 152B) may include depressions (156) within which spark plugs (158) are located.

대표청구항 ▼

An internal combustion engine comprising, a housing forming a cylindrical working chamber having inlet and exhaust ports, first and second piston assemblies each of which assemblies includes at least one pair of diametrically opposed pistons within the working chamber rotatable about the cylinder ax

An internal combustion engine comprising, a housing forming a cylindrical working chamber having inlet and exhaust ports, first and second piston assemblies each of which assemblies includes at least one pair of diametrically opposed pistons within the working chamber rotatable about the cylinder axis and dividing the chambers into a plurality of pairs of diametrically opposed sub-chambers, means for interconnecting said first and second piston assemblies for intermittent rotation of the first and second piston assemblies in the same direction during recurrent periods of rotation such that at least one pair of diametrically opposed sub-chambers decrease in volume while at least one other pair of diametrically opposed sub-chambers increases in volume, each said first and second piston assemblies being stopped between periods of intermittent rotation, for each complete revolution of the first and second piston assemblies a plurality of operating cycles being completed, each operating cycle including successive power, exhausts, intake and compression phases, pistons of the stopped piston assembly comprising trailing pistons during at least portions of the power and intake phases, said interconnecting means including, first and second gear sets each of which gear sets comprises intermeshing generally tear-drop and heart shaped gears, means for connecting the heart shaped gears of said first and second gear sets to each other for simultaneous rotation thereof in out-of-phase relationship, and means for rotatably coupling the tear-drop shaped gears of the first and second gear sets to the respective first and second piston assemblies.