Rotary engine with sun gear drive

Claim 2

An engine comprising a cylindrically shaped rotor, a support frame defining an axis for said rotor, a sun gear concentric with said axis, shaft means for journal mounting said rotor for concentric rotation about said axis on said frame and relative to said sun gear, said rotor providing a toroidal chamber conCentric with said axis, conformingly shaped pistons disposed in said chamber for oscillatory movement about said axis relative to said rotor to define variable volume combustion chambers within said rotor, planet gears journal mounted on said rotor and meshed with said sun gear, and eccentric means drivingly connecting each said piston to one of said planet gears whereby relative rotation between said rotor and said sun gear about said axis produces oscillation of said piston relative to said rotor.

Claim 3

The engine of claim 1 in which there are four of said pistons defining four of said variable volume combustion chambers, said sun gear having a first diameter and a first number of teeth, each said planet gear having one-half the said first number of teeth and being one-half the said first diameter.

Claim 4

The engine of claim 1 in which said pistons include two pair of pistons defining four of said variable volume combustion chambers, the pistons of each pair being diametrically oppositely disposed, said sun gear having a first diameter and a first number of teeth, each said planet gear having one-half the said first number of teeth and being one-half the said first diameter.

Claim 5

The engine of claim 3 in which each piston is provided with a cylindrically-shaped bore, the axis of which is parallel to said first mentioned axis, and in which each eccentric means includes a first cylindrically-shaped eccentric axially disposed in said bore of its associated piston for rotation therein, said first eccentric having a second bore formed therein on an axis parallel to and spaced apart from the cylinder axis of said first eccentric, a second cylindrically shaped eccentric axially disposed in said second bore for rotation therein, and means for drivingly connecting said second eccentric to its associated planet gear.

Claim 6

The engine of claim 4 in which said means drivingly connecting said second eccentric to its associated planet gear includes a shaft driven by said planet gear, said second eccentric being mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, the axis of said shaft being parallel to and spaced apart from the cylinder axis of said second eccentric.

Claim 7

The engine of claim 5 in which said planet gear is mounted on said shaft so that said shaft rotates with said planet gear.

Claim 8

The engine of claim 3 in which said eccentric means for each pair of pistons are in phase so that the pistons of each pair oscillate together relative to said rotor.

Claim 9

The engine of claim 7 in which said eccentric means for one of said pair of pistons is 180* out of phase with said eccentric means for the other pair of pistons whereby diametrically opposed combustion chambers are simultaneously at their maximum and minimum volumes.

Claim 10

The engine of claim 8 in which said rotor includes an end wall providing four equally peripherally spaced ports in communication with said toroidal chamber, said frame including a mating stationary end wall in sliding engagement with said rotor end wall, said stationary end wall providing an intake port and an exhaust port, each of said intake and exhaust ports being disposed sequentially to register with said four ports in said rotor end wall to supply a fuel mixture to and remove exhaust from said combustion chambers.

Claim 11

The engine of claim 9 in which said stationary end wall is provided with a third port disposed sequentially to register with said four ports, and a spark plug disposed in said third port sequentially to be exposed to said combustion chambers.

Claim 12

The engine of claim 5 in which said second eccentric includes a rigid auxiliary shaft extending axially from at least one end thereof, said auxiliary shaft being on an axis parallel to and spaced apart from the cylinder axis of said second eccentric and diametrically oppositely disposed from the axis of said shaft driven by said planet gear, said piston including an end plate closing the said cylindrically shaped bore formed therein, said end plate being formed with a radially elongated sLot into which said auxiliary shaft extends for driving engagement, said auxiliary shaft being movable radially in said slot as said second eccentric rotates, said slot having a radial centerline passing through the axis of said bore in said piston.

Claim 13

The engine of claim 11 in which said end plate is formed with an arcuately elongated slot concentric with said rotor axis and through which extends said shaft driven by said planet gear.

Claim 14

An engine comprising a support frame defining a rotational axis, means providing a toroidal chamber concentric with said axis, a sun gear concentric with said axis, conformingly shaped pistons disposed in said chamber for oscillatory movement about said axis relative to said chamber to define, within said chamber, variable volume combustion chambers, planet gears meshed with said sun gear, and eccentric means drivingly connecting each said piston to one of said planet gears whereby rotation of said planet gear produces oscillation of said piston relative to said chamber, said planet gears being journal mounted on said means providing said toroidal chamber to be driven when there is relative rotation about said axis between said means and said sun gear, each piston being provided with a cylindrically-shaped bore, the axis of which is parallel to said first mentioned axis, and each eccentric means including a first cylindrically-shaped eccentric axially disposed in said bore of its associated piston for rotation therein, said first eccentric having a second bore formed therein on an axis parallel to and spaced apart from the cylinder axis of said first eccentric, a second cylindrically-shaped eccentric axially disposed in said second bore for rotation therein, and means for drivingly connecting said second eccentric to its associated planet gear.

Claim 15

An engine comprising a support frame defining a rotational axis, means providing a toroidal chamber concentric with said axis, a sun gear concentric with said axis, conformingly shaped pistons disposed in said chamber for oscillatory movement about said axis relative to said chamber to define, within said chamber, variable volume combustion chambers, planet gears meshed with said sun gear, and eccentric means drivingly connecting each said piston to one of said planet gears whereby rotation of said planet gear produces oscillation of said piston relative to said chamber, said planet gears being journal mounted on said means providing said toroidal chamber to be driven when there is relative rotation about said axis between said means and said sun gear, each piston being provided with a cylindrically-shaped bore, the axis of which is parallel to said first mentioned axis, and each eccentric means including a first cylindrically-shaped eccentric axially disposed in said bore of its associated piston for rotation therein, said first eccentric having a second bore formed therein on an axis parallel to and spaced apart from the cylinder axis of said first eccentric, a second cylindrically-shaped eccentric axially disposed in said second bore for rotation therein, and means for drivingly connecting said second eccentric to its associated planet gear.

Claim 16

The engine of claim 13 in which said means drivingly connecting said second eccentric to its associated planet gear includes a shaft driven by said planet gear, said second eccentric being mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, the axis of said shaft being parallel to and spaced apart from the cylinder axis of said second eccentric.

Claim 17

An engine comprising a support frame defining a rotational axis, means providing a toroidal chamber concentric with said axis, a sun gear concentric with said axis, conformingly shaped pistons disposed in said chamber for oscillatory movement about said axis relative to said chamber to define, within said chamber, variable volume combustion chambers, planet gears meshed with said sun gear, and eccentric means drivingly connecting each said piston to one of said planet gears whereby rotation of said planet gear produces oscillation of said piston relative to said chamber, said planet gears being journal mounted on said means providing said toroidal chamber to be driven when there is relative rotation about said axis between said means and said sun gear, said pistons including two pair of pistons defining four of said variable volume combustion chambers, the pistons of each pair being diametrically oppositely disposed, said sun gear having a first diameter and a first number of teeth, each said planet gear having one-half the said first number of teeth and being one-half the said first diameter.

Claim 18

An engine comprising a support frame defining a rotational axis, means providing a toroidal chamber concentric with said axis, a sun gear concentric with said axis, conformingly shaped pistons disposed in said chamber for oscillatory movement about said axis relative to said chamber to define, within said chamber, variable volume combustion chambers, planet gears meshed with said sun gear, and eccentric means drivingly connecting each said piston to one of said planet gears whereby rotation of said planet gear produces oscillation of said piston relative to said chamber, said planet gears being journal mounted on said means providing said toroidal chamber to be driven when there is relative rotation about said axis between said means and said sun gear, said pistons including two pair of pistons defining four of said variable volume combustion chambers, the pistons of each pair being diametrically oppositely disposed, said sun gear having a first diameter and a first number of teeth, each said planet gear having one-half the said first number of teeth and being one-half the said first diameter.

Claim 19

The engine of claim 15 in which said eccentric means for each pair of pistons are in phase so that the pistons of each pair oscillate together about said axis.

Claim 20

The engine of claim 16 in which said eccentric means for one of said pair of pistons is 180* out of phase with said eccentric means for the other pair of pistons whereby diametrically opposed combustion chambers are simultaneously at their maximum and minimum volumes.

Claim 21

The engine of claim 17 in which said means defining said toroidal chamber includes a rotor rotatable relative to said sun gear, said rotor including an end wall providing four equally peripherally spaced ports in communication with said toroidal chamber, said frame including a mating stationary end walL in sliding engagement with said rotor end wall, said stationary end wall providing an intake port and an exhaust port, each of said intake and exhaust ports being disposed sequentially to register with said four ports in said rotor end wall to supply a fuel mixture to and remove exhaust from said combustion chambers.

Claim 22

The engine of claim 18 in which said stationary end wall is provided with a third port disposed sequentially to register with said four ports, and a spark plug disposed in said third port sequentially to be exposed to said combustion chambers.

Claim 23

The engine of claim 14 in which said second eccentric includes a rigid auxiliary shaft extending axially from at least one end thereof, said auxiliary shaft being on an axis parallel to and spaced apart from the cylinder axis of said second eccentric and diametrically oppositely disposed from the axis of said shaft driven by said planet gear, said piston including an end plate closing the said cylindrically shaped bore formed therein, said end plate being formed with a radially elongated slot into which said auxiliary shaft extends for driving engagement, said auxiliary shaft being movable radially in said slot as said second eccentric rotates, said slot having a radial centerline passing through the axis of said bore in said piston.

Claim 24

The engine of claim 20 in which said end plate is formed with an arcuately elongated slot concentric with said rotor axis and through which extends said shaft driven by said planet gear.