Multi-piston prime mover

Claim 1

A MULTI-PISTON PRIME MOVER COMPRISED OF HOUSING MEANS HAVING A RING OF PISTON BORES, A ROD-LIKE PISTON SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN EACH OF SAID PISTON BORES, SAID HOUSING MEANS HAVING AN END WALL CLOSING OFF ONE END OF SAID PISTON BORES TO PROVIDE GAS CHAMBERS BETWEEN SAID WALL AND SAID PISTONS, SAID PISTONS EXTENDING FROM THE OTHER ENDS OF SAID PISTON BORES, A ROTATABLE OUTPUT MEMBER HAVING A CIRCURLAR CAM SURFACE FACING SAID PISTONS SAID PISTONS HAVING LOW-FRICTION MEANS ABUTTING SAID CAM SURFACE ARRANGED SO THAT SAID OUTPUT MEMBER CAN BE TURNED IN RELATION TO SAID PISTONS, SAID CAM SURFACE HAVING PROFILE SO THAT WHEN SAID PISTONS ARE SUCCESSIVELY MOVED TOWARD SAID OUTPUT MEMBER DURING POWER STROKES A TURNING FORCE WILL BE EXERTED ON SAID OUTPUT MEMBER AND SO THAT SAID PISTONS WILL BE SUCCESSIVELY RETURNED IN SAID PISTON BORES TO A POSITION ADJACENT SAID END WALL DURING RETURN STROKES, A HOT GAS SUPPLY CHAMBER, GAS INLET MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID GAS SUPPLY CHAMBER AND SAID PISTON BORES OPERABLE TO ADMIT GAS TO SAID BORES SO THAT SAID PISTONS ARE SUCCESSIVELY MOVED TOWARD SAID OUTPUT MEMBER TO PROVIDE POWER STROKES, SAID HOUSING MEANS HAVING EXHAUST OUTLETS, AND GAS OUTLET MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID PISTON BORES AND SAID EXHAUST OULETS OPERABLE TO RELEASE GAS FROM SAID PISTON BORES WHEN SAID PISTONS ARE SUCCESSIVELY RETURNED DURING RETURN STROKES, SAID GAS INLET MEANS INCLUDING AN INLET VALVE ROD FOR EACH PISTON, SAID HOUSING MEANS HAVING A RING OF INLET VALVE BORES ADJACENT AND PARALLEL TO SAID RING OF PISTON BORES, SAID GAS INLET MEANS INCLUDING THE PARTS OF SAID INLET VALVE BORES ADJACENT SAID END WALL AND AN AXIAL FEED PASSAGE OPENING CENTRALLY TO EACH OF SAID INLET VALVE BORES, SAID INLET VALVE RODS BEING SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID INLET VALVE BORES AND EXTENDING FROM SAID INLET VALVE BORES, SAID OUTPUT MEMBER HAVING A CIRCULAR INLET VALVE CAM SURFACE FACING SAID INLET VALVE RODS, SAID INLET VALVE RODS HAVING ROLLER MEANS ABUTTING SAID INLET VALVE CAM SURFACE, SAID INLET VALVE CAM SURFACE HAVING A PROFILE CONSTRUCTED SO THAT SAID INLET VALVE RODS AT SAID AXIAL FEED PASSAGES BLOCK FLOW DURING PISTON RETURN STROKES AND PERMIT FLOW DURING PISTON POWER STROKES.