An internal combustion barrel engine having rotating cylinders and pistons which together form combustion spaces. The combustion spaces are maintained at a substantially constant volume while a compressed air-fuel mixture is combusted therein.
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What is claimed is: 1. An engine block assembly comprising: a stationary housing; a cylinder bank rotatably mounted to the housing about a central longitudinal axis, the cylinder bank having a plurality of cylinders therein radially distanced from the central longitudinal axis, each cylinder having
What is claimed is: 1. An engine block assembly comprising: a stationary housing; a cylinder bank rotatably mounted to the housing about a central longitudinal axis, the cylinder bank having a plurality of cylinders therein radially distanced from the central longitudinal axis, each cylinder having associated therewith a cylinder wall formed about a major cylinder axis; a plurality of pistons wherein one piston is provided in each cylinder to form a combustion chamber therein, wherein each piston sequentially moves from a down most position within the cylinder to an up most position within the cylinder during a first portion of rotation of the cylinder bank, wherein each piston sequentially dwells about the up most position for substantially all of an air-fuel mixture to be combusted within the combustion chamber, and wherein each piston then sequentially moves from about the up most position to the down most position during a second portion of rotation of the cylinder; a plurality of connecting rods each having a proximal end attached to a respective piston, and a remote end distant from the respective piston; a thrust plate operatively connected to the remote ends of the connecting rods, the thrust plate being rotatably mounted to the stationary housing about a thrust plate axis and in a thrust plane defined by the remote ends of the connecting rods; a synchronizing member operatively connecting to the cylinder bank and the thrust plate so that the cylinder bank and thrust plate rotate at the same speed; and wherein the piston dwell motion is created by adjusting one or more of the following design parameters: (1) the angle of the thrust plane with respect to a plane that is perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis, (2) the angular rotational offset of the thrust plate about an axis which is parallel to the central longitudinal axis and which intersects the thrust plate axis, (3) the angular rotational offset of the thrust plate about the thrust plate axis with respect to a reference point in the thrust plane, (4) the lateral offset of the thrust plate axis from the central longitudinal axis, and (5) the tilt of the major cylinder axes with respect to the central longitudinal axis. 2. The engine block assembly of claim 1, wherein each piston moves substantially faster during the second portion of rotation than during the first portion of rotation. 3. The engine block assembly of claim 2; and wherein the first portion of rotation of the cylinder bank is substantially greater than 180. 4. The engine block assembly of claim 3, wherein the first portion of rotation of the cylinder bank is less than 170.degree. 5. The engine block assembly of claim 1, wherein the angle of the thrust plane (1) is measured in two rotational degrees of freedom. 6. The engine block assembly of claim 1, wherein tilt of the major cylinder axes (5) is in two rotational degrees of freedom with respect to the central longitudinal axis, so that the major cylinder axes are not parallel to the central longitudinal axis. 7. The engine block assembly of claim 6, wherein the tilt of the major cylinder axes is such that the tops of the cylinders tilt away from the central longitudinal axis and into the direction of rotation of the cylinder bank. 8. The engine block assembly of claim 6, wherein the top end of each cylinder is tilted about a tilt point so that the major cylinder axis has a yaw angle, wherein the yaw angle is the angle between two lines, a first line formed by the intersection of a first plane which includes the central longitudinal axis and the tilt point, and a second plane which is perpendicular to the first plane, parallel to the center longitudinal axis and which also includes the tilt point, and a second line which is the projection of the major cylinder axis onto the first plane. 9. The engine block assembly of claim 6, wherein a top end of each cylinder is tilted about a tilt point on the major cylinder axis adjacent a bottom end of the cylinder so that the major cylinder axis has a pitch angle, wherein the pitch angle is the angle between a first plane which includes the central longitudinal axis and the tilt point, and a line which is the projection of the major cylinder axis onto a second plane which is perpendicular to the first plane, parallel to the center longitudinal axis and includes the tilt point. 10. The engine block assembly of claim 1, wherein the angular rotational offset of the thrust plate is greater than 0.degree. and less than 35.degree. as measured about the thrust plate axis and within the thrust plane. 11. The engine block assembly of claim 1, wherein the thrust plate is toroidal in shape. 12. The engine block assembly of claim 11, wherein a portion of the stationary housing extends through the toroidal thrust plate for supporting the synchronizing member. 13. The engine block assembly of claim 12, wherein the synchronizing member includes a first set of gears for mating the cylinder bank to the synchronizing member and a second set of gears for mating the synchronizing member to the thrust plate. 14. An engine block assembly comprising: a stationary housing; a cylinder bank rotatably mounted to the stationary housing about a central longitudinal axis, the cylinder bank having a plurality of cylinders therein radially distanced from the central longitudinal axis, each cylinder having associated therewith a cylinder wall formed about a major cylinder axis; a plurality of pistons wherein one piston is provided in each cylinder to form a combustion chamber therein, wherein each piston is movable along the major cylindrical axis between an up most position to a down most position within the respective cylinder as the cylinder bank rotates, each piston having a connecting rod and a connecting rod end remote from the piston; and a thrust plate operatively connected to the remote ends of the connecting rods, the thrust plate being rotatably mounted to the stationary housing about a thrust axis and in a thrust plane, wherein the angle of the thrust plane is measured using two rotational degrees of freedom with respect to the cylinder bank. 15. The engine block assembly of claim 14, wherein the major cylinder axes are tilted with respect to the central longitudinal axis, so that each piston dwells about the up most position as the cylinder bank rotates thereby permitting a substantially constant volume combustion process to take place within each combustion chamber. 16. The engine block assembly of claim 15, wherein each piston sequentially moves from the down most position within the cylinder to the up most position within the cylinder during a first portion of rotation of the cylinder bank, wherein each piston sequentially dwells about the up most position for substantially all of an air-fuel mixture to be combusted within the combustion chamber, and wherein each piston then sequentially moves from about the up most position to the down most position during a second portion of rotation of the cylinder. 17. The engine block assembly of claim 16, wherein each piston moves substantially faster during the second portion of rotation than during the first portion of rotation. 18. An engine block assembly comprising: a stationary housing; a cylinder bank rotatably mounted to the stationary housing about a central longitudinal axis, the cylinder bank having a plurality of cylinders therein radially distanced from the central longitudinal axis, each cylinder having associated therewith a cylinder wall formed about a major cylinder axis; a plurality of pistons wherein one piston is provided in each cylinder to form a combustion chamber therein, wherein each piston is movable along the major cylindrical axis between an up most position to a down most position within the respective cylinder as the cylinder bank rotates, each piston having a connecting rod and a connecting rod end remote from the piston; and a thrust plate operatively connected to the remote ends of the connecting rods, the thrust plate being rotatably mounted to the stationary housing about a thrust axis and in a thrust plane, wherein the thrust plate is angularly rotationally offset about an axis which is parallel to the central longitudinal axis and which intersects the thrust plate axis. 19. The engine block assembly of claim 18, wherein the major cylinder axes are tilted with respect to the central longitudinal axis, so that each piston dwells about the up most position as the cylinder bank rotates thereby permitting a substantially constant volume combustion process to take place within each combustion chamber. 20. The engine block assembly of claim 18, wherein each piston sequentially moves from the down most position within the cylinder to the up most position within the cylinder during a first portion of rotation of the cylinder bank, wherein each piston sequentially dwells about the up most position for substantially all of an air-fuel mixture to be combusted within the combustion chamber, and wherein each piston then sequentially moves from about the up most position to the down most position during a second portion of rotation of the cylinder. 21. The engine block assembly of claim 20, wherein each piston moves substantially faster during the second portion of rotation than during the first portion of rotation. 22. An engine block assembly comprising: a stationary housing; a cylinder bank rotatably mounted to the stationary housing about a central longitudinal axis, the cylinder bank having a plurality of cylinders therein radially distanced from the central longitudinal axis, each cylinder having associated therewith a cylinder wall formed about a major cylinder axis; a plurality of pistons wherein one piston is provided in each cylinder to form a combustion chamber therein, wherein each piston is movable along the major cylindrical axis between an up most position to a down most position within the respective cylinder as the cylinder bank rotates, each piston having a connecting rod and a connecting rod end remote from the piston; and a thrust plate operatively connected to the remote ends of the connecting rods, the thrust plate being rotatably mounted to the stationary housing about a thrust axis and in a thrust plane, wherein the thrust plate is rotationally offset about the thrust axis and with respect to a reference point in the thrust plane. 23. The engine block assembly of claim 22, wherein the major cylinder axes are tilted with respect to the central longitudinal axis, so that each piston dwells about the up most position as the cylinder bank rotates thereby permitting a substantially constant volume combustion process to take place within each combustion chamber. 24. The engine block assembly of claim 22, wherein each piston sequentially moves from the down most position within the cylinder to the up most position within the cylinder during a first portion of rotation of the cylinder bank, wherein each piston sequentially dwells about the up most position for substantially all of an air-fuel mixture to be combusted within the combustion chamber, and wherein each piston then sequentially moves from about the up most position to the down most position during a second portion of rotation of the cylinder. 25. The engine block assembly of claim 24, wherein each piston moves substantially faster during the second portion of rotation than during the first portion of rotation. 26. An engine block assembly comprising: a stationary housing; a cylinder bank rotatably mounted to the stationary housing about a central longitudinal axis, the cylinder bank having a plurality of cylinders therein radially distanced from the central longitudinal axis, each cylinder having associated therewith a cylinder wall formed about a major cylinder axis; a plurality of pistons wherein one piston is provided in each cylinder to form a combustion chamber therein, wherein each piston is movable along the major cylindrical axis between an up most position to a down most position within the respective cylinder as the cylinder bank rotates, each piston having a connecting rod and a connecting rod end remote from the piston; and a thrust plate operatively connected to the remote ends of the connecting rods, the thrust plate being rotatably mounted to the stationary housing about a thrust axis that does not intersect with the central longitudinal axis. 27. The engine block assembly of claim 26, wherein the major cylinder axes are tilted with respect to the central longitudinal axis, so that each piston dwells about the up most position as the cylinder bank rotates thereby permitting a substantially constant volume combustion process to take place within each combustion chamber. 28. The engine block assembly of claim 26, wherein each piston sequentially moves from the down most position within the cylinder to the up most position within the cylinder during a first portion of rotation of the cylinder bank, wherein each piston sequentially dwells about the up most position for substantially all of an air-fuel mixture to be combusted within the combustion chamber, and wherein each piston then sequentially moves from about the up most position to the down most position during a second portion of rotation of the cylinder. 29. The engine block assembly of claim 28, wherein each piston moves substantially faster during the second portion of rotation than during the first portion of rotation. 30. An engine block assembly comprising: a stationary housing; a cylinder bank rotatably mounted to the housing about a central longitudinal axis, the cylinder bank having a plurality of cylinders therein radially distanced from the central longitudinal axis, each cylinder having associated therewith a cylinder wall formed about a major cylinder axis; a plurality of pistons wherein one piston is provided in each cylinder to form a combustion chamber therein, wherein each piston sequentially moves from an up most position within the cylinder to a down most position within the cylinder during a first portion of rotation of the cylinder bank and wherein each piston then sequentially moves between the down most position to the up most position during a second portion of rotation of the cylinder bank; and wherein the first portion of rotation of the cylinder bank is less than 180.degree., so that each piston moves faster during the first portion of rotation than during the second portion of rotation; a plurality of connecting rods each having a proximal end attached to a respective piston, and a remote end distant from the respective piston; and a thrust plate operatively connected to the ends of the connecting rods, the thrust plate being rotatably mounted to the stationary housing about a thrust axis and in a thrust plane, wherein the thrust plane forms an oblique angle with respect to a plane that is perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis. 31. The engine block assembly of claim 30, wherein each piston sequentially dwells about the up most position resulting in a substantially constant volume combustion cycle within each combustion chamber. 32. The engine block assembly of claim 31, wherein the substantially constant volume combustion cycle is created by adjusting one or more of the following design parameters: (1) the angle of the thrust plane with respect to a plane that is perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis, (2) the angular rotational offset of the thrust plate about an axis which is parallel to the central longitudinal axis and which intersects the thrust plate axis, (3) the angular rotational offset of the thrust plate about the thrust plate axis with respect to a reference point in the thrust plane, (4) the lateral offset of the thrust plate axis from the central longitudinal axis, and (5) the tilt of the major cylinder axes with respect to the central longitudinal axis. 33. An engine block assembly comprising: a stationary housing; a cylinder bank rotatably mounted to the housing about a central longitudinal axis, the cylinder bank having a plurality of cylinders therein radially distanced from the central longitudinal axis, each cylinder having associated therewith a cylinder wall formed about a major cylinder axis; a plurality of pistons wherein one piston is provided in each cylinder to form a combustion chamber therein, wherein each piston sequentially moves from a down most position within the cylinder to an up most position within the cylinder during a first portion of rotation of the cylinder bank, wherein each piston sequentially dwells in the up most position for a substantially constant volume combustion cycle to take place within each combustion chamber, and wherein each piston then sequentially moves from about the up most position to the down most position during a second portion of rotation of the cylinder bank; a plurality of connecting rods each having a proximal end attached to a respective piston, and a remote end distant from the respective piston; and a thrust plate operatively connected to the ends of the connecting rods, the thrust plate being rotatably mounted to the stationary housing about a thrust axis and in a thrust plane, wherein the thrust plane forms an oblique angle with respect to a plane that is perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis. 34. The engine block assembly of claim 33, wherein the piston moves substantially faster during the second portion of rotation of the cylinder bank than during the first portion. 35. The engine block assembly of claim 34, wherein a crank angle duration of the second portion of rotation of the cylinder bank is substantially less than a crank angle duration of the first portion of rotation of the cylinder bank. 36. A method of combusting fuel in an internal combustion engine having a rotating barrel-type cylinder bank configuration in which a piston moves within a cylinder, wherein the piston is operatively connected so as to rotate an output shaft, the method comprising the steps of: Moving the piston upward in the cylinder while the cylinder bank rotates during a compression stroke, Causing the piston to dwell near a top of the cylinder while the cylinder bank rotates while combusting substantially all of an air-fuel mixture, and Moving the piston downward in the cylinder while the cylinder bank rotates during a power stroke. 37. The method of claim 36, wherein the moving step includes moving the piston downward in the cylinder during the power stroke at a rate which is faster than during the compression stroke. 38. An engine block assembly comprising: a stationary housing; a cylinder bank rotatably mounted to the housing about a central longitudinal axis, the cylinder bank having a plurality of cylinders therein radially distanced from the central longitudinal axis, each cylinder having associated therewith a cylinder wall, an intake port, an exhaust port, a valve assembly for opening and closing the intake port, a piston moveable within the cylinder between an up position and a down position, and a connecting member having an inner end connected to the piston and an outer end; at least one closed-loop passageway self contained within the cylinder bank, each passageway having a hot area and a cooler area; a heat expansive liquid within the closed-loop passageway which flows from the hot area to the cooler area as the cylinder bank rotates; and a thrust plate operatively connected to the outer ends of the connecting members and operatively engaged with the cylinder bank so that the thrust plate rotates in synchronization therewith, the thrust plate being rotatably mounted in a thrust plane defined by the outer ends of the connecting members and which makes an oblique angle to a plane perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis, so that as the cylinder bank rotates the thrust plate sequentially guides each piston from the up position to the down position during a first portion of a rotation of the cylinder bank and then sequentially guides each piston from the down position to the up position during a second portion of the rotation of the cylinder bank. 39. An internal combustion engine block assembly comprising: a stationary housing; a cylinder bank rotatably mounted to the housing about a central longitudinal axis, the cylinder bank having a cylinder carriage, a plurality of cylinders each of which has a lower end mounted to the cylinder carriage and an upper end, and a plurality of cooling fins thereon; a cylinder head fixedly mounted to the upper ends of the plurality of cylinders for rotation therewith, the cylinder head having associated with each of the plurality of cylinders an intake port, an exhaust port, a valve assembly for opening and closing the intake port and the exhaust port in a timed sequence, and a plurality of cooling slots therein; a plurality of pistons, each of which is moveable within a respective one of the plurality of cylinder between an up position and a down position, a plurality of connecting members, each of which has an inner end connected to a respective one of the plurality of pistons and an outer end; a thrust plate operatively connected to the outer ends of the connecting members and operatively engaged with the cylinder bank so that the thrust plate rotates in synchronization therewith, the thrust plate being rotatably mounted in a thrust plane defined by the outer ends of the connecting members and which makes an oblique angle to a plane perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis, so that as the cylinder bank rotates the thrust plate sequentially guides each piston from the up position to the down position during a first portion of a rotation of the cylinder bank and then sequentially guides each piston from the down position to the up position during a second portion of the rotation of the cylinder bank; and an air compressor for receiving ambient air through an air intake, and for providing a first portion of compressed air to the plurality of cooling slots in the cylinder head for cooling thereof, a second portion of compressed air across the cooling fins in the cylinder bank for cooling thereof; and a third portion of compressed air into the plurality of cylinders for combustion. 40. An engine block assembly comprising: a stationary housing having an exhaust manifold thereon, a back pressure passageway adjacent the exhaust manifold, and at least one seal adjacent to the back pressure passageway; a cylinder bank rotatably mounted to the housing about a central longitudinal axis, the cylinder bank having a plurality of cylinders therein radially distanced from the central longitudinal axis, each cylinder having associated therewith a cylinder wall, an intake port, an exhaust port which opens to the exhaust manifold, a valve for opening and closing the intake port, a piston moveable within the cylinder between an up position and a down position, and a connecting member having an inner end connected to the piston and an outer end; an air compressor for providing compressed air to the back pressure passageway to back pressure the seal; and a thrust plate operatively connected to the outer ends of the connecting members and operatively engaged with the cylinder bank so that the thrust plate rotates in synchronization therewith, the thrust plate being rotatably mounted in a thrust plane defined by the outer ends of the connecting members and which makes an oblique angle to a plane perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis, so that as the cylinder bank rotates the thrust plate sequentially guides each piston from the up position to the down position during a first portion of a rotation of the cylinder bank and then sequentially guides each piston from the down position to the up position during a second portion of the rotation of the cylinder bank. 41. An engine comprising: a stationary housing; a cylinder bank rotatably mounted to the housing about a central longitudinal axis, the cylinder bank having a cylinder carriage, and a plurality of cylinders each of which has a lower end mounted to the cylinder carriage and an upper end; a cylinder head fixedly mounted to the upper ends of the plurality of cylinders for rotation therewith, the cylinder head having associated with each of the plurality of cylinders an intake port, an exhaust port, and a valve assembly for opening and closing the intake port and the exhaust port in a timed sequence; a plurality of pistons, each of which is moveable within a respective one of the plurality of cylinder between an up position and a down position; a plurality of connecting members, each of which has an inner end connected to a respective one of the plurality of pistons and an outer end; a thrust plate operatively connected to the outer ends of the connecting members and operatively engaged with the cylinder bank so that the thrust plate rotates in synchronization therewith, the thrust plate being rotatably mounted in a thrust plane defined by the outer ends of the connecting members and which makes an oblique angle to a plane perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis, so that as the cylinder bank rotates the thrust plate sequentially guides each piston from the up position to the down position during a first portion of a rotation of the cylinder bank and then sequentially guides each piston from the down position to the up position during a second portion of the rotation of the cylinder bank; an air compressor for providing compressed air to the plurality of cylinders; stationary fuel injector means for injecting fuel into the compressed air to create a fuel-air mixture; and a throttle mounted to the stationary housing and having a variable sized throttle opening through which the fuel air mixture is simultaneously delivered and regulated to the intake ports, the throttle having a throttle control for varying the size of the throttle opening based on engine conditions.
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