Valve operating device for internal combustion engine

Claim 1

IN A VALVE-OPERATING DEVICE FOR OPERATING A VALVE ON AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE TO A SEATED POSITION AND AN UNSEATED POSITION, SAID VALVE HAVING A STEM, MEANS IN SAID DEVICE FOR RAPIDLY SEATING AND UNSEATING SAID VALVE COMPRISING, A RECIPROCABLE PLUNGER OPERABLY CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE STEM AND ACTUATABLE LONGITUDINALLY THROUGH AN OPERATING STROKE HAVING A GIVEN LENGTH, A FIRST PISTON AND A SECOND PISTON DISPOSED FOR MUTUALLY ACTUATING EACH OTHER THROUGH A GIVEN PORTION OF THE STROKE OF SAID PLUNGER CORRESPONDING TO THE FULL LENGTH OF AN OPERATING STROKE OF SAID FIRST PISTON AND DISPOSED COAXIALLY WITH SAID PLUNGER, MEANS OPERABLY CONNECTING SAID SECOND PISTON TO SAID PLUNGER FOR ACTUATING SAID PLUNGER, SAID PLUNGER BEING MOVABLE RELATIVELY TO SAID FIRST PISTON, MEANS IN SAID DEVICE DEFINING CYLINDER MEANS IN WHICH SAID FIRST AND SECOND PISTONS AND PLUNGER ARE MOUNTED FOR RECIPROCATION, COMPRISING MEANS TO LIMIT SAID OPERATING STROKE OF SAID FIRST PISTON TO A LENGTH LESS THAN THE GIVEN LENGTH OF SAID OPERATING STROKE OF SAID PLUNGER AND MEANS TO LIMIT AN OPERATING STROKE LENGTH OF SAID SECOND PISTON TO THE OPERATING STROKE LENGTH OF SAID PLUNGER, SAID PLUNGER HAVING AN AREA TO WHICH FLUID UNDER PRESSURE IS APPLIED FOR ACTUATING IT DURING TRAVEL ALONG THE FULL GIVEN LENGTH OF ITS STROKE IN ONE DIRECTION, SAID FIRST PISTON HAVING AN AREA TO WHICH FLUID UNDER PRESSURE IS APPLIED FOR ACTUATING SAID FIRST PISTON IN SAID ONE DIRECTION AND THEREBY ACTUATING SAID SECOND PISTON BY SAID FIRST PISTON, SAID AREA OF SAID FIRST PISTON BEING GREATER THAN SAID AREA OF SAID PLUNGER, SAID SECOND PISTON HAVING AN AREA TO WHICH FLUID IS APPLIED UNDER PRESSURE TO ACTUATE SAID SECOND PISTON IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO SAID ONE DIRECTION THE FULL GIVEN LENGTH OF SAID STROKE OF SAID PLUNGER THEREBY TO ACTUATE SAID PLUNGER AND SAID FIRST PISTON THE FULL GIVEN STROKE LENGTH OF SAID PLUNGER AND SAID LIMITED STROKE LENGTH OF SAID FIRST PISTON RESPECTIVELY IN SAID OPPOSITE DIRECTION, AND MEANS TO APPLY FLUID UNDER PRESSURE TO SAID AREA OF SAID FIRST PISTON AND SAID AREA OF SAID PLUNGER, THROUGHOUT THE STROKE OF SAID PLUNGER IN SAID ONE DIRECTION FOR ACTUATION THEREOF SIMULTANEOUSLY AND JOINTLY AND FOR APPLYING FLUID UNDER PRESSURE ALTERNALTELY TO SAID AREA ON SAID SECOND PISTON TO RECIPROCATE SAID PLUNGER THEREBY TO UNSEAT AND SEAT SAID VALVE.