Fluid motor

Claim 2

A motor adapted to be powered by pressurized fluid from a source remote from said motor, said motor comprising a housing having a cavity therein, a first vane assembly located in the cavity including a central shaft and at least one radially extending vane, a second vane assembly located in the cavity including two spaced discs and at least one vane extending between the discs and attached thereto, means mounting the vane assemblies for coaxial rotation relative to each other and to the housing with the vanes on the two assemblies moving along the same circular path and alternately positioned in said path, means holding the vane assemblies from rotation in one direction and means responsive to the relative position of the vanes for alternately injecting pressure fluid on first one side and then the other of each vane of one assembly while exhausting the fluid on the sIde opposite the side exposed to the injected pressure fluid to cause the vane assemblies to rotate in the same direction.

Claim 3

The motor of claim 1 further provided with an output shaft that is attached to the first vane assembly.

Claim 4

The motor of claim 1 in which the fluid injecting and exhausting means includes a valve for alternating the flow of fluid into and out of the chamber through the ports, a valve actuator that operates the valve by reciprocation of the actuator and means responsive to the relative position of the vanes on the first and second vane assemblies to control the valve means, said valve control means including first and second valve-actuating members attached to the first and second vane assemblies respectively for rotation with the assemblies around the same axis, means operatively connected to the valve actuator and mounted on one of the valve-actuating members to rotate with the member while reciprocating axially relative to the member, and link means pivotally connected to the means and the other member to reciprocate the means and the valve actuator to operate the valve as the relative angular position of the valve-actuating members change.

Claim 5

The motor of claim 1 in which the means for holding the vane assemblies from rotation in one direction includes means for holding each vane assembly from rotation in each direction and means for selectively actuating the holding means to permit the vane assemblies to be rotated in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

Claim 6

The motor of claim 1 in which the cavity in the housing has a cylindrical side surface to combine with the discs of the second vane assembly and the central shaft of the first vane assembly to form said annular chamber.

Claim 7

An engine adapted to be powered by pressurized fluid from a source remote from the engine comprising a housing with spaced end walls and a sidewall having a cylindrical inner surface to combine with the end walls to provide a cylindrical cavity in the housing, an output shaft positioned in the cavity for axial rotation relative to the housing, two parallel discs located in the cavity and mounted for rotation coaxial with the shaft and relative to the shaft and the housing, said discs being spaced from each axially along the shaft to form with the shaft and the cylindrical inner surface of the housing an annular cylindrical chamber, at least one abutment vane extending axially of the shaft between the discs and attached to the discs for rotation therewith, at least one power vane extending axially of the shaft between the discs and attached to the shaft for rotation therewith, each of said abutment and power vane extending radially from the shaft to the cylindrical inner surface of the housing, means holding the shaft and discs from rotating in one direction, first ports through one of the discs, each port located adjacent to one of the abutment vanes to travel ahead of the vane as it moves around the annular cavity, second ports through the other disc, each port located adjacent one of the abutment vanes to trail said vane as the vane travels around the annular chamber, means responsive to the relative position of the abutment vanes and power vanes for injecting pressurized fluid into the annular chamber through the first and second ports alternately to move each of the power vanes in the same direction away from the trailing abutment vane when the fluid is injected through the first ports and then to move each of the trailing abutment vanes ahead toward the preceding power vane when the pressurized fluid is injected through the second port.

Claim 8

An engine adapted to be powered by pressurized fluid from a source remote from the engine comprising a housing with spaced end walls and a sidewall having a cylindrical inner surface to combine with the end walls to provide a cylindrical cavity in the housing, an output shaft positioned in the cavity for axial rotation relative to the housing, two parallel discs located in the cavity and mounted for rotation coaxial with the shaft and relative to the shaft and the housing, said discs being spaced from each axially along the shaft to form with the shaft and the cylindrical inner surface of the housing an annular cylindrical chamber, at least one abutment vane extending axially of the shaft between the discs and attached to the discs for rotation therewith, at least one power vane extending axially of the shaft between the discs and attached to the shaft for rotation therewith, each of said abutment and power vane extending radially from the shaft to the cylindrical inner surface of the housing, means holding the shaft and discs from rotating in one direction, first ports through one of the discs, each port located adjacent to one of the abutment vanes to travel ahead of the vane as it moves around the annular cavity, second ports through the other disc, each port located adjacent one of the abutment vanes to trail said vane as the vane travels around the annular chamber, means responsive to the relative position of the abutment vanes and power vanes for injecting pressurized fluid into the annular chamber through the first and second ports alternately to move each of the power vanes in the same direction away from the trailing abutment vane when the fluid is injected through the first ports and then to move each of the trailing abutment vanes ahead toward the preceding power vane when the pressurized fluid is injected through the second port.

Claim 9

The fluid motor of claim 6 in which the means for alternately injecting pressurized fluid through the first and second ports includes valve means for switching the flow of such fluid to said ports, a member attached to one of the discs and extending alongside the shaft for coaxial rotation with the shaft, means operatively connected to the valve and mounted on one of said shaft and member for rotation therewith aNd for movement axially of the shaft, and link means connecting the means with the other of the shaft or member upon which said means is not mounted to cause axial movement of the means due to changes in the relative angular position of the shaft and member.