Rotary combustion engine and method of operating same

Claim 1

A ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE HAVING A CYCLE INCLUDING THE FOUR STROKES OF INTAKE, COMPRESSION, EXPANSION AND EXHAUST AND COMPRISING AN OUTER HOLLOW BODY AND AN INNER BODY SUPPORTED FOR RELATIVE TURNING MOVEMENT WITHIN THE OUTER BODY, AND TURNING ON AN AXIS ECCENTRIC OF AND PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE OUTER BODY, SAID BODIES HAVING RESPECTIVE FACING SURFACES DEFINING A PLURALITY OF VARIABLE VOLUME WORKING CHAMBERS, SAID FACING SURFACES COMPRISING THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE INNER BODY AND THE INNER SURFACE OF THE OUTER BODY WHICH INCLUDES A PLURALITY OF ARCHED LOBE-DEFINING PORTIONS SPACED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY ABOUT THE AXIS OF THE OUTER BODY, SAID OUTER SURFACE OF THE INNER BODY INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF APEX PORTIONS SPACED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY ABOUT THE AXIS OF THE INNER BODY, SAID APEX PORTIONS INCLUDING SEALS WHICH EXTEND PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE INNER BODY AND ENGAGE THE INNER SURFACE OF THE OUTER BODY, INTAKE PASSAGE MEANS ARRANGED TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE SPACE BETWEEN THE EXTERIOR OF THE INNER BODY AND INTERIOR OF THE OUTER BODY FOR SUCCESSIVELY FEEDING ALL SAID CHAMBERS AS THE BODIES RELATIVELY MOVE, EXHAUST PASSAGE MEANS ALSO ARRANGED TO COMMUNICATE WITH SAID SPACE, A NOZZLE FOR SPRAYING FUEL INTO EACH CHAMBER AFTER INTAKE AND BEFORE EXHAUST WHILE CHAMBER VOLUME IS RELATIVELY SMALL, AND IGNITION MEANS FOR IGNITING THE FUEL, THE INNER SURFACE OF THE OUTER BODY INCLUDING A RECESS WHICH IS DISPOSED TO ONE SIDE OF A LOBE JUNCTION IN A LOCATION TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH CHAMBER DURING A PRESELECTED PERIOD FOR THE INJECTION OF FUEL INTO THE CHAMBER, SAID LOCATION BEING REMOTE FROM THE INTAKE AND EXHAUST PORTS AND SUCH THAT THE RECESS CAN COMMUNICATE WITH ANY PARTICULAR WORKING CHAMBER FOR NO MORE THAN A SMALL PORTION OF THE TIME DURING WHICH SAID CHAMBER IS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE EXHAUST PORT, THE RECESS HAVING THE DISCHARGE END OF THE NOZZLE AND IGNITING END OF THE IGNITION MEANS EXTENDING THEREIN WITH SAID DISCHARGE END AND IGNITING END BEING DISPOSED CLOSELY ADJACENT TO EACH OTHER AND TO THE INNER SURFACE OF THE OUTER BODY, THE FUEL NOZZLE BEING DISPOSED TO SPRAY FUEL GENERALLY TOWARD SAID LOBE JUNCTION, THE SAID RECESS HAVING A VOLUME WHICH IS NOT MORE THAN FIVE PERCENT (5%) OF THE MINIMUM VOLUME OF A WORKING CHAMBER.