Oscillating internal combustion engine

Claim 2

An oscillating piston engine comprising a cylinder, pistons in said cylinder movable toward and away from each other under the influence of explosive charges, or of gas or fluid pressure, a work shaft to be driven, and means operatively connecting the pistons and said shaft, said means including mechanism for insuring unvarying travel at a predetermined sequence of said pistons in their movements under the influence of exploding fuel charges said mechanism including two hollow cylindrical members, mounted for oscillatory movements about a common axis and each having an arcuate series of gear engaging teeth affixed to its inner surface, and gearing engaging said arcuate series of teeth and insuring that said shaft members oscillate through equal angles of travel in opposite directions when the pistons are actuated by explosive charges, or pressure in general.

Claim 3

The combination set forth in claim 1 in which means is interposed between the engine and shaft to be driven, whereby oscillatory movement of the pistons effects continuous unidirectional movement of the work shaft, said means including two members mounted for oscillation about a common axis and spaced-apart axially on said axis, one such member being operatively connected to the pistons of the engine and the other through a housing, to the shaft to be driven, and means for operatively connecting said members whereby the oscillatory movement of one is communicated to the other, said means including a cylindrical gear secured to each oscillatory member and two intermeshing gears operatively connecting said cylindrical gears, whereby said oscillatory members are constrained to move angularly through identical angles of travel.

Claim 4

The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said pistons are operatively connected to two output shafts by means which maintains them in synchronism at all times.

Claim 5

The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said mechAnism includes a housing and concentric shafts the housing being connected to the pistons of the engine for oscillatory movement, and means interposed between said housing and shafts for converting the oscillatory movement of the housing into unidirectional rotary motion of the shafts.

Claim 6

In an oscillating piston engine, in combination, an engine cylinder of circular type (64), a power output shaft (S), opposed pistons in said cylinder arranged to be propelled in opposite directions by exploding charges (65, 70) and mechanism connecting each such piston to said power output shaft for rotating said shaft in one direction of rotation, said mechanism including a housing (47) and concentric shafts (44 and 39), the housing (47) being connected to the pistons (65 and 70) for oscillatory movement (50, 55, 63), and means interposed between said housing and said shafts (52, 39, 53, 44) for converting the oscillatory movement of the housing into unidirectional rotary motion of the inner shafts.

Claim 7

In an oscillating piston engine, in combination, an engine cylinder of circular type (64), a power output shaft (S), opposed pistons in said cylinder arranged to be propelled in opposite directions by exploding charges (65, 70) and mechanism connecting each such piston to said power output shaft for rotating said shaft in one direction of rotation, said mechanism including a housing (47) and concentric shafts (44 and 39), the housing (47) being connected to the pistons (65 and 70) for oscillatory movement (50, 55, 63), and means interposed between said housing and said shafts (52, 39, 53, 44) for converting the oscillatory movement of the housing into unidirectional rotary motion of the inner shafts.

Claim 8

In an oscillating piston engine, in combination, an engine cylinder of circular type (64), a power output shaft (S), opposed pistons in said cylinder arranged to be propelled in opposite directions by exploding charges (65, 70) and mechanism connecting each such piston to said power output shaft for rotating said shaft in one direction of rotation, said mechanism including an oscillating housing (47) operatively connected to the oscillating pistons (65 and 70), said housing sets of gears (52 and 53) against rotation in one direction while permitting free rotation in the opposite direction, one set of gears being free to rotate in one direction during oscillation of the housing in one direction, the other set being free to rotate about their axes when the housing oscillates in the opposite direction, and two concentric shafts (44 and 3a) each set of gears being operatively connected to one of the two concentric shafts within the housing to effect the rotation thereof, whereby said shafts are driven in opposite directions about their common axis.

Claim 9

In an oscillating piston engine, in combination, an engine cylinder of circular type (64), a power output shaft (S), opposed pistons in said cylinder arranged to be propelled in opposite directions by exploding charges (65, 70) and mechanism connecting each such piston to said power output shaft for rotating said shaft in one direction of rotation, said mechanism including an oscillating housing (47) operatively connected to the oscillating pistons (65 and 70), said housing sets of gears (52 and 53) against rotation in one direction while permitting free rotation in the opposite direction, one set of gears being free to rotate in one direction during oscillation of the housing in one direction, the other set being free to rotate about their axes when the housing oscillates in the opposite direction, and two concentric shafts (44 and 3a) each set of gears being operatively connected to one of the two concentric shafts within the housing to effect the rotation thereof, whereby said shafts are driven in opposite directions about their common axis.

Claim 10

In an oscillating piston engine, in combination, an engine cylinder of circular type (64), a power output shaft (S), opposed pistons in said cylinder arranged to be propelled in opposite directions by exploding charges (65, 70) and mechanism connecting each such piston to said power output shaft for rotating said shaft in one direction of rotation, said mechanism including coaxial shafts, means for driving said shafts, in opposite directions, and gearing (38, 39, 40, 43, 37, 34) connecting said shafts to the output shaft whereby the output shaft is driven in one direction of rotation by power derived from the engine.

Claim 11

In an oscillating piston engine, in combination, an engine cylinder of circular type (64), a power output shaft (S), opposed pistons in said cylinder arranged to be propelled in opposite directions by exploding charges (65, 70) and mechanism connecting each such piston to said power output shaft for rotating said shaft in one direction of rotation, said mechanism including coaxial shafts, means for driving said shafts, in opposite directions, and gearing (38, 39, 40, 43, 37, 34) connecting said shafts to the output shaft whereby the output shaft is driven in one direction of rotation by power derived from the engine.

Claim 12

In an oscillating piston engine in combination, an engine cylinder of circular type, opposed pistons in said cylinder arranged to be driven in opposite directions by exploding charges (65, 70), a shaft to be driven (59), two members mounted for oscillation about a fixed axis (63, 69) each such member being rigidly connected to a piston, means operatively connecting said members for integrating the power delivered by said pistons and insuring that the angular travel thereof, on their working strokes is invariable (67, 68), and means operatively and permanently connecting one of said oscillating members to the shaft to be driven whereby the oscillatory motion of said member effects rotation of said shaft in one direction (61, 62).

Claim 13

In an oscillating piston engine in combination, an engine cylinder of circular type, opposed pistons in said cylinder arranged to be driven in opposite directions by exploding charges (65, 70), a shaft to be driven (59), two members mounted for oscillation about a fixed axis (63, 69) each such member being rigidly connected to a piston, means operatively connecting said members for integrating the power delivered by said pistons and insuring that the angular travel thereof, on their working strokes is invariable (67, 68), and means operatively and permanently connecting one of said oscillating members to the shaft to be driven whereby the oscillatory motion of said member effects rotation of said shaft in one direction (61, 62).

Claim 14

The combination set forth in claim 8 in which said last-mentioned means comprises a link (61) connecting one of said oscillating members to the driven shaft, one end of the link being pivotally connected to the oscillating member at a point remote from the axis of oscillation and the other end pivotally connected to the shaft at a point offset from the axis of rotation of said shaft.