Rotary radial piston machines

Claim 1

IN A ROTARY FLUID MACHINE HAVING A ROTOR FORMED WITH ANGULARLY SPACED RADIAL BORES CONSTITUTING CYLINDERS, PISTONS RECIPROCABLE IN SAID CYLINDERS DURING ROTATION OF SAID ROTOR TO CYCLICALLY VARY THE EFFECTIVE VOLUMES OF THE CYLINDERS INWARDLY OF THE PISTONS FOR DISPLACEMENT OF FLUID INTO AND OUT OF SAID CYLINDERS, A HOUSING MOUNTING SAID ROTOR, AND GUIDE MEANS IN SAID HOUSING MOUNTING RECIPROCATE AND PISTONS RESPONSIVE TO ROTATION OF SAID ROTOR: THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING SAID ROTOR HAVING AN AXIALLY NARROW PERIPHERAL PORTION CENTERED ON SAID CYLINDERS AND HAVING A WIDTH, AXIALLY OF SAID ROTOR, LESS THAN THE INTERNAL DIAMETER OF SAID CYLINDERS WHEREBY TO FORM SLOTS EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE CYLINDERS AND PARALLEL TO THE ROTOR AXIS; EACH PISTON HAVING A CYLINDRICAL BORE EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THEREOF ADJACENT ITS OUTER END, AND A SLOT EXTENDING FROM SAID BORE THROUGH THE OUTER END OF SAID PISTON SAID LAST-NAMED SLOT AND BORES EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THE ROTOR AXIS; GUIDE SHOES COOPERABLE WITH SAID GUIDE MEANS AND EACH OPERABLE TO RECIPROCATE A RESPECTIVE PISTON, EACH GUIDE SHOE INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL TRUNNION HAVING DIRECT SEATING ENGAGEMENT IN THE BORE OF THE RESPECTIVE PISTON FOR TRANSMISSION OF RADIAL FORCES DIRECTLY FROM EACH SHOE TO THE ASSOCIATED PISTON, AN ARCUATE SHOE PORTION INTERFITTED WITH SAID GUIDE MEANS, AND A STEM CONNECTING THE TRUNNION TO THE SHOE PORTION; AND MEANS RESTRAINING EACH TRUNNION AGAINST MOVEMENT RADIALLY OUTWARDLY OF ITS ASSOCIATED PISTON WHEREBY SAID GUIDE SHOES MAY EXERT DIRECT COMPRESSION AND TRACTION FORCES ON THE ASSOCIATED PISTONS; THE DIMENSIONS OF EACH TRUNNION, STEM AND SHOE PORTION, CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF THE ROTOR, BEING LESS THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE ASSOCIATED PISTON; WHEREBY, IN THE RADIALLY INWARD LIMITING POSITION OF EACH PISTON, THE TRUNNION, STEM AND SHOE PORTION OF ITS ASSOCIATED SHOE MAY ENTER SUBSTANTIALLY FULLY INTO THE ROTOR SLOT OF THE ASSOCIATED CYLINDER; WHEREBY, FOR A GIVEN ROTOR DIAMETER, THE EFFECTIVE STROKE OF EACH PISTON IS SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED.