Janicke

Claim 1

A FREE PISTON ENGINE INCLUDING AN ENGINE CYLINDER HAVING DISPOSED THEREIN TWO OPPOSITELY RECIPROCATING ENGINE PISTONS DEFINING BETWEEN THEM AN INNER COMBUSTION CHAMBER, A PAIR OF PISTON RODS AND A PAIR OF COMPRESSOR PISTONS, EACH OF WHICH IS RIGIDLY CONNECTED BY ONE OF SAID PISTON RODS TO THE OUTER SIDE OF ONE OF SAID ENGINE PISTONS, A PAIR OF COMPRESSOR CYLINDERS ALIGNED WITH SAID ENGINE CYLINDER AND SLIDABLY MOUNTING SAID COMPRESSOR PISTONS, THE COMPRESSOR PISTONS DEFINING INNER AND OUTER COMPRESSION CHAMBERS WITHIN THE COMPRESSOR CYLINDERS ARRANGED SYMMETRICALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID ENGINE CYLINDER, THE COMPRESSION IN SAID ENGINE CYLINDER BEING EFFECTED BY ENERGY TAKEN FROM THE OUTER COMPRESSION CHAMBERS OF SAID COMPRESSOR CYLINDERS, SUPPLY CONDUITS FOR SUPPLYING GAS UNDER SUPER-ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE TO SAID COMPRESSOR CYLINDERS, THE PRESSURE OF THE GAS IN SAID SUPPLY CONDUITS VARYING UNDER OPERATING CONDITIONS, DELIVERY CONDUITS FOR DELIVERING THE COMPRESSED GAS FROM SAID COMPRESSOR CYLINDERS, AND FIRST BRANCH CONDUITS CONNECTING SAID SUPPLY CONDUITS TO THE INNER COMPRESSION CHAMBERS OF EACH OF THE ASSOCIATED COMPRESSOR CYLINDERS, THROUGH WHICH CHAMBERS THE PISTON RODS CONNECTED TO THE ENGINE PISTONS EXTEND, IN ORDER TO CONTINUOUSLY EXPOSE THE INNER SIDES OF THE ASSOCIATED COMPRESSOR PISTONS TO THE SUPPLY PRESSURE OF THE GAS; SECOND BRANCH CONDUITS CONNECTING SAID SUPPLY CONDUITS TO THE OUTER COMPRESSION CHAMBERS OF EACH OF THE ASSOCIATED COMPRESSIONS CYLINDERS; VALVE MEANS IN EACH OF SAID SECOND BRANCH CONDUITS FOR INTERMITTENTLY EXPOSING THE OUTER SIDES OF THE ASSOCIATED COMPRESSOR PISTONS TO THE SUPPLY PRESSURE OF THE GAS.