Fluid-operated engine

Claim 1

A fluid-operated engine comprising in combination, a supporting member, a main shaft non-rotatably supported at one end by said member and having a bearing bore extending longitudinally therethrough eccentrically to the axis thereof, an auxiliary shaft rotatably mounted within said bearing bore and one end thereof extending beyond the opposite end of said main shaft, a cylindrical cylinder block supported rotatably upon said one end of said auxiliary shaft, a cylindrical power takeoff drum completely enclosing said cylinder block, bearing means supporting said drum rotatably and coaxially upon said main shaft, fluid inlet and exhaust passages extending axially through said auxiliary shaft and terminating at the inner end in arcuate peripheral recesses disposed in the portion of said shaft which supports said cylinder block, said cylinder block having a plurality of similar circumferentially spaced and radially extending cylinder bores therein each having a similar series of progressively smaller diameter cylindrical sections extending from the outer ends to the inner ends thereof and the inner ends communicating successively with said peripheral recesses in said auxiliary shaft as said cylinder block rotates thereon, fluid passages extending transversely outward from the walls of said sections of said bores and also extending between said sections of each cylinder bore for passage of pressure and exhaust fluid therebetween, similar pistons complementary in shape to said cylinder bores reciprocable axially therein, connecting rods extending between and connected at opposite ends respectively to the outer ends of said pistons and pivot means circumferentially spaced evenly around the inner periphery of said drum to effect rotation of said drum around said main shaft as said pistons successively move outwardly in said cylinder bores, and link means extending between said cylinder block and drum to maintain the same in coordinated rotary relationship.