Rotary power device

Claim 1

A ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE COMPRISING; A ROTOR OF CIRCULAR CROSS-SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION HAVING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED AXIALLY EXTENDING RECESSES THEREIN; A STATOR, DISPOSED IN ENCOMPASSING RELATION TO SAID ROTOR AND FORMING THEREWITH A GENERALLY ANNULAR OPERATING SPACE, SAID STATOR COMPRISING, SERIATIM, AN INTAKE SECTION OF PROGRESSIVELY INCREASING RADIUS HAVING AN AVERAGE RADIUS SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER THAN THE ROTOR RADIUS, A FIRST COMPRESSION SECTION OF PROGRESSIVELY DECREASING RADIUS, A FURTHER COMPRESSION SECTION HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT RADIUS ONLY SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN THE ROTOR RADIUS, AN EXPANSION SECTION HAVING AN AVERAGE RADIUS SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER THAN THE ROTOR RADIUS, AND A SEALING SECTION HAVING A RADIUS APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE ROTOR RADIUS, EACH SUCH SECTION INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIALLY ANGULAR PORTION OF SAID OPERATING SPACE; MEANS FOR DIVIDING SAID ANNULAR SPACE INTO A PLURALITY OF OPERATING CHAMBERS COMPRISING A CORRESPONDING PLURALITY OF RADIALLY MOVABLE CYLINDRICAL SEALING MEMBERS EACH FREELY ROTATABLY DISPOSED WITHIN ONE OF SAID ROTOR RECESSES IN ROLLING FRICTION CONTACT WITH THE SURFACE OF THE ROTOR RECESS AND THE INNER SURFACE OF THE STATOR, EACH ROLLER DEFINING ONE CIRCUMFERENTIAL LIMIT OF EACH OF TWO IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT OPERATING CHAMBERS; IGNITION MEANS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY AT THE JUNCTURE OF SAID COMPRESSION AND EXPANSION SECTIONS; A PAIR OF CIRCULAR END SEALING PLATES MOUNTED ON SAID ROTOR FOR ROTATION THEREWITH AND ENGAGEABLE IN SEALING RELATION WITH SAID STATOR, FOR SEALING OFF THE ENDS OF ALL OF SAID OPERATING CHAMBERS; INDIVIDUAL END SEALING MEANS COMPRISING RESILIENT END FACING ELEMENTS MOUNTED IN AND FACING OUTWARDLY OF INDIVIDUAL CUP-LIKE RECEPTACLES AT THE ENDS EACH ROLLERS FOR ENGAGING SAID END SEALING PLATES TO MINIMIZE LEAKAGE BETWEEN SAID CHAMBERS AROUND THE ENDS OF THE ROLLERS; AND AUXILIARY SEALING MEANS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF RESILIENT SEALING ELEMENTS MOUNTED IN AND FACING OUTWARDLY OF SAID END SEALING PLATES INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID STATOR TO INHIBIT LEAKAGE IN A CIRCUMFERENTIAL DIRECTION.