Rotary engine

Claim 1

A fluid-pressure operated rotary engine comprising: a relatively fixed hollow housing; a hub non-rotatably affixed relative to said housing, and having an outer cylindrical surface defining an annular chamber within said housing; an annular rotor mounted in said housing for relative rotation in said annular chamber, and having therein a plurality of periPherally spaced, camming cavities defining cam surfaces between intermediate bearing lands in rotational engagement with said cylindrical surface; said hub having therein peripherally spaced radial slots of predetermined radial depth from said cylindrical surface and opening toward said chamber; slide plates radially slidably received in said radial slots, and having end portions adapted to ride over said lands and said cam surfaces between the lands upon forward rotation of said rotor in said annular chamber; conduit means for providing a continuous supply of fluid-pressure medium through said relatively fixed hub to said radial slots for urging said slide plates radially outwardly toward engagement with said cam surfaces and said lands with rotation of said rotor; said slide plates having passage means for by-passing a predetermined proportion of fluid-pressure medium through said slide paltes forwardly of leading sides thereof adapted, by pressure build-up within the corresponding said camming cavities, thereby to rotate said rotor in forward direction; and outlet passage means provided in said rotor for conducting the expended fluid-pressure medium from said camming cavities at the trailing sides of said slide plates.