US3798897A — Toroidal chamber rotating piston machine

Claim 1

Independent Claim 205 words

Apparatus of the type described, comprising a pair of complementary inner and outer chamber members of smoothly curved arcuate cross-section defining a toroidal chamber therebetween of circular or oval cross-section, said outer member being unitary and substantially continuously inwardly concave relative to the axis of said chamber and said inner member being unitary and substantially continuously outwardly concave relative to said axis, mounting means for supporting the chamber members, said inner member being supported for turning movement with respect to said mounting means about said axis of said toroidal chamber and having a piston rigidly fixed thereto and projecting therefrom into said chamber with a surface arranged to sweep a mating surface of the outer member, means including a fixed tube extending centrally of said chamber along said axis and divided by transverse partition for defining intake and exhaust passages centrally of said chamber, means including mating ports in said tube and said inner member and valve means embedded within the last-mentioned member for establishing communication between said passages and said chamber at opposite sides of said piston, and a further tube within the first-mentioned tube having a passage extending longitudinally thereof through said partition, said tubes defining paths for recycling fluid through said chamber.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 205 words

Apparatus of the type described, comprising a pair of complementary inner and outer chamber members of smoothly curved arcuate cross-section defining a toroidal chamber therebetween of circular or oval cross-section, said outer member being unitary and substantially continuously inwardly concave relative to the axis of said chamber and said inner member being unitary and substantially continuously outwardly concave relative to said axis, mounting means for supporting the chamber members, said inner member being supported for turning movement with respect to said mounting means about said axis of said toroidal chamber and having a piston rigidly fixed thereto and projecting therefrom into said chamber with a surface arranged to sweep a mating surface of the outer member, means including a fixed tube extending centrally of said chamber along said axis and divided by transverse partition for defining intake and exhaust passages centrally of said chamber, means including mating ports in said tube and said inner member and valve means embedded within the last-mentioned member for establishing communication between said passages and said chamber at opposite sides of said piston, and a further tube within the first-mentioned tube having a passage extending longitudinally thereof through said partition, said tubes defining paths for recycling fluid through said chamber.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 27 words

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising means within the first-mentioned tube for heating fluid exhausted from said chamber before it is readmitted to said chamber.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 143 words

A closed cycle system including a rotary engine having an annular chamber with a piston supported for rotation in said chamber about the axis of the chamber, a tube extending centrally of the chamber along axis thereof, intake and exhaust ports coupled to said chamber at opposite sides of said piston, means for injecting fluid from said exhaust port into one end of said tube, means for injecting fluid from the opposite end of said tube into said intake port, and means for heating the fluid before injecting the same into said intake port, said tube being located in an outer tube extending centrally of said cHamber and divided by a transverse partition through which the first-mentioned tube extends, there being a cavity defined between the tubes at each end of the first-mentioned tube, and there being fluid heating means in each cavity.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 143 words

A closed cycle system including a rotary engine having an annular chamber with a piston supported for rotation in said chamber about the axis of the chamber, a tube extending centrally of the chamber along axis thereof, intake and exhaust ports coupled to said chamber at opposite sides of said piston, means for injecting fluid from said exhaust port into one end of said tube, means for injecting fluid from the opposite end of said tube into said intake port, and means for heating the fluid before injecting the same into said intake port, said tube being located in an outer tube extending centrally of said cHamber and divided by a transverse partition through which the first-mentioned tube extends, there being a cavity defined between the tubes at each end of the first-mentioned tube, and there being fluid heating means in each cavity.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 35 words

An engine in accordance with claim 3, said means for injecting said fluid into the first-mentioned tube comprising a venturi, said heating means comprising a nozzle directed through said venturi and into the first-mentioned tube.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 32 words

An engine in accordance with claim 4, the heating means at the opposite end of the first-mentioned tube also comprising a nozzle propelling said fluid in the direction of said intake port.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 118 words

A closed cycle system comprising a rotary engine having a core and having an annular chamber with a piston supported for rotation in said chamber about the axis of the chamber, a tube extending in the core centrally of the chamber along the axis thereo, intake and exhaust ports coupled to said chamber at opposite sides of said piston, means for injecting fluid from said exhaust port into one end of said tube, means for injecting fluid from the opposite end of said tube into said intake port, and means in said core and associated with said tube for adding energy to the fluid from said exhaust port before the injecting of the same into said intake port.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 118 words

A closed cycle system comprising a rotary engine having a core and having an annular chamber with a piston supported for rotation in said chamber about the axis of the chamber, a tube extending in the core centrally of the chamber along the axis thereo, intake and exhaust ports coupled to said chamber at opposite sides of said piston, means for injecting fluid from said exhaust port into one end of said tube, means for injecting fluid from the opposite end of said tube into said intake port, and means in said core and associated with said tube for adding energy to the fluid from said exhaust port before the injecting of the same into said intake port.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 30 words

An engine in accordance with claim 6, the last-mentioned means comprising a venturi and means for driving the fluid from said exhaust port through said venturi to said intake port.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 22 words

An engine in accordance with claim 7, the last-mentioned means comprising means for adding heat to the fluid from said exhaust port.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1977-03-25	1977-09-24	1978-03-26	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1981-03-25	1981-09-24	1982-03-26	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1985-03-25	1985-09-24	1986-03-26	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Toroidal chamber rotating piston machine

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag