Self-charging and -scavenging lever engine

Claim 2

Apparatus for use with an engine having a crankshaft, comprising opposed first and second cylinder assemblies each including integral combustion and compression cylinder portions formed with inner diameters, a piston assembly reciprocable within each cylinder assembly and being formed with a plurality of outer diameters which slidingly mate with said inner diameters, and a lever assembly of the bellcrank-type interconnecting said piston assemblies to the crankshaft, said lever assembly including first and second lever arms integrally formed with and extending radially from a sleeve supported for rotary movement about a shaft, said second lever arm being offset axially of said sleeve from said first lever arm.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising opposed third and fourth cylinder assemblies spaced From said first and second cylinder assemblies, and valve means for controlling charge pressures from compression cylinder portions.

Claim 4

Engine apparatus comprising at least two pairs of opposed substantially coaxial cylinder assemblies, each of said cylinder assemblies including a combustion cylinder portion formed with a charge port and an exhaust port, and a compression cylinder portion having an inner diameter larger than the inner diameter of said combustion cylinder portion; a piston assembly mounted for reciprocable movement within each of said cylinder assemblies, each of said piston assemblies including a combustion piston portion reciprocable within a respective combustion cylinder portion, and a compression piston portion integral with said combustion piston portion and reciprocable within a respective compression cylinder portion; valve means for controlling fluid flow through said ports; a crankshaft extending substantially perpendicularly with respect to longitudinal axes of the cylinder assemblies; and a lever assembly of the bellcrank-type interconnecting opposed piston assemblies with said crankshaft assembly, said lever assembly including first and second lever arms integrally formed with and extending radially from a sleeve supported for rotary movement about a shaft, said second lever arm being offset axially of said sleeve from said first lever arm.

Claim 5

Engine apparatus comprising at least two pairs of opposed substantially coaxial cylinder assemblies, each of said cylinder assemblies including a combustion cylinder portion formed with a charge port and an exhaust port, and a compression cylinder portion having an inner diameter larger than the inner diameter of said combustion cylinder portion; a piston assembly mounted for reciprocable movement within each of said cylinder assemblies, each of said piston assemblies including a combustion piston portion reciprocable within a respective combustion cylinder portion, and a compression piston portion integral with said combustion piston portion and reciprocable within a respective compression cylinder portion; valve means for controlling fluid flow through said ports; a crankshaft extending substantially perpendicularly with respect to longitudinal axes of the cylinder assemblies; and a lever assembly of the bellcrank-type interconnecting opposed piston assemblies with said crankshaft assembly, said lever assembly including first and second lever arms integrally formed with and extending radially from a sleeve supported for rotary movement about a shaft, said second lever arm being offset axially of said sleeve from said first lever arm.

Claim 6

Engine apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said two pairs of opposed cylinder assemblies include first, second, third and fourth cylinder assemblies, each combustion cylinder portion being formed with a combustion chamber and each compression cylinder portion being formed with a compression chamber, said first and second cylinder assemblies being opposed, each of said cylinder assemblies being formed with a fuel supply opening therethrough in an end portion of said combustion cylinder portion, and means for supplying fuel to each of said combustion chambers through said fuel opening.

Claim 7

Engine apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said fuel supply means includes a fuel injection nozzle disposed within said fuel supply opening.

Claim 8

Engine apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said two pairs of opposed cylinder assemblies include first, second, third and fourth cylinder assemblies each formed with a combustion chamber and a compression chamber, said chambers communicating with each other, said first and second cylinder assemblies being opposed, each of said cylinder assemblies being formed with an opening therethrough in an end portion of said combustion cylinder portion, and ignition means located in said opening for initiating combustion of fuel supplied to said combustion chamber.

Claim 9

Engine apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising valve means for permitting a charge to flow from the compression chamber of said third cylinder assembly to the combustion chamber of said first cylinder assembly during firing of said fourth cylinder assembly.

Claim 10

Engine apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising valve means for permitting a charge to flow from the compression chamber of said second cylinder assembly to the combustion chamber of said fourth cylinder assembly during firing of said first cylinder assembly.

Claim 11

Engine apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said first and third cylinder assemblies are disposed in side-by-side relationship with respect to each other in a horizontal zone, said apparatus further comprising first conduit means interconnecting the outlet port of said third cylinder assembly with the charge port of said first cylinder assembly, said first conduit means further interconnecting the outlet port of said first cylinder assembly with the charge port of said third cylinder assembly.

Claim 12

Engine apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising second conduit means interconnecting the outlet port of said second cylinder assembly with the charge port of said fourth cylinder assembly, said second conduit means further interconnecting the Outlet port of said fourth cylinder assembly with the charge port of the second cylinder assembly.

Claim 13

Engine apparatus, comprising: a. first and second opposed substantially coaxial cylinder assemblies each being formed with a combustion chamber and a compression chamber, said compression chamber communicating with said combustion chamber and having a larger internal diameter than the latter; b. a piston assembly reciprocable within each of said cylinder assemblies, said piston assembly including a combustion piston portion slidably supported within said combustion chamber, and a compression piston portion integral with said combustion piston portion and slidably supported within said compression chamber; c. a piston connecting rod being pivotably connected at an outer end thereof to each of said piston assemblies, inner ends of said piston connection rods pivotably engaging each other at a first pivot axis; d. a lever assembly housing; e. a shaft supported by said housing and extending substantially perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal axes of said cylinder assemblies; and f. a first bellcrank lever assembly comprising a first sleeve supported by said shaft for rotary movement therearound, and first and second levers integral with and extending radially from said first sleeve, said second lever being offset axially of said sleeve from said first lever, an end of said second lever pivotably engaging said inner ends of said piston connecting rods at said first pivot axis such that linear movement of said piston assemblies will impart rotary movement to said first sleeve, said connecting rods extending at substantially identical angles from the longitudinal axes of said cylinder assemblies during movement of said piston assemblies.

Claim 14

Engine apparatus, comprising: a. first and second opposed substantially coaxial cylinder assemblies each being formed with a combustion chamber and a compression chamber, said compression chamber communicating with said combustion chamber and having a larger internal diameter than the latter; b. a piston assembly reciprocable within each of said cylinder assemblies, said piston assembly including a combustion piston portion slidably supported within said combustion chamber, and a compression piston portion integral with said combustion piston portion and slidably supported within said compression chamber; c. a piston connecting rod being pivotably connected at an outer end thereof to each of said piston assemblies, inner ends of said piston connection rods pivotably engaging each other at a first pivot axis; d. a lever assembly housing; e. a shaft supported by said housing and extending substantially perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal axes of said cylinder assemblies; and f. a first bellcrank lever assembly comprising a first sleeve supported by said shaft for rotary movement therearound, and first and second levers integral with and extending radially from said first sleeve, said second lever being offset axially of said sleeve from said first lever, an end of said second lever pivotably engaging said inner ends of said piston connecting rods at said first pivot axis such that linear movement of said piston assemblies will impart rotary movement to said first sleeve, said connecting rods extending at substantially identical angles from the longitudinal axes of said cylinder assemblies during movement of said piston assemblies.

Claim 15

Engine apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a crankshaft, a rod interconnecting an end of said first lever with said crankshaft, said second lever being longer than said first lever.

Claim 16

Engine apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said combustion and compression piston portions are hollow, said outer ends of said connecting rods extending through said compression piston portion and into said combustion piston portion.

Claim 17

Engine apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said piston connecting rods and said crankshaft connecting rod are each formed with a longitudinal weight-saving slot therethrough.

Claim 18

Engine apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising: a. third and fourth opposed substantially coaxial cylinder assemblies each being formed with a combustion chamber and a compression chamber, said first and third cylinder assemblies being disposed in horizontal side-by-side relationship with each other; b. third and fourth piston assemblies being reciprocable within said respective third and fourth cylinder assemblies; c. third and fourth piston connecting rods being pivotally connected at outer ends thereof to said respective third and fourth piston assemblies, inner ends of said third and fourth piston connecting rods pivotally engaging each other at a second pivot axis; and d. a second bellcrank lever assembly comprising a second sleeve supported coaxially with respect to said first sleeve by said shaft for rotary movement therearound, and third and fourth lever integral with and extending from said second sleeve, said fourth lever being offset axially of said sleeve from said third lever, an end of said third lever pivotally engaging inner ends of said third and fourth piston connecting rods at said second pivot axis such that linear movement of said third and fourth piston assemblies will impart rotary movement to said second sleeve.

Claim 19

Engine apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said third and fourth piston connecting rods extend at substantially identical angles from the longitudinal axes of said cylinder assemblies during movement of said third and fourth piston assemblies.

Claim 20

Engine apparatus according to claim 16, wherein each of said cylinder assemblies is formed with inlet and outlet ports each communicating with said compression chamber, and charge and exhaust ports each communicating with said combustion chamber.

Claim 21

Engine apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising conduit means for supplying air from an outlet port of one cylinder assembly to the charge port of another.

Claim 22

Engine apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising valve means cooperating with said conduit means for controlling said air supply.

Claim 23

Engine apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said valve means includes a reed-type valve.