Variable volume rotary vane pump having an integral opposed reciprocating piston internal combustion engine

Claim 2

Pumping apparatus, comprising: a shaft slidably mounted for reciprocation parallel to its length; an internal combustion engine cylinder mounted at each end of said shaft with the piston of said cylinder connected to said shaft for reciprocal motion parallel to the length of said shaft; a cam follower extending radially from said shaft at a point located between said cylinders; an annular sleeve having a continuous camming groove formed in its internal cylindrical surface, said sleeve located coaxially to the axis of said shaft between the cylinders connected to the ends of said shaft, and said cam follower which extends radially from said shaft engaging the camming groove in the interior cylindrical surface of said sleeve; said camming groove having side camming surfaces which comprise dwell flats, the leading portion of said dwell flats positioned for contact by said cam follower when one of said pistons is at the beginning of its power stroke, for maintaining said one piston in its compression position for a dwell period; and a variable volume vane pump, the inner sleeve of which is coaxial with and connected to said annular sleeve, for rotary movement of said vane pump.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said variable volume vane pump includes a unitary adjustment block, in which said pump is mounted, said adjustment block slidably mounted for movement transverse to the direction of reciprocal motion of said shaft for changing the eccentricity of its inner sleeve to the remainder of the pump mechanism.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1, additionally comprising a cam surface on the end surface of said inner sleeve, and a pump cam follower mounted for engagement with said cam surface on the end surface of said inner sleeve, for initiating ignition of a combustible mixture in an engine cylinder.

Claim 5

Pumping apparatus, comprising: a shaft slidably mounted for reciprocation parallel to its length; an internal combustion engine cylinder mounted at each end of said shaft with the piston of said cylinder connected to said shaft for reciprocal motion parallel to the length of said shaft, wherein the piston for at least one cylinder comprises a cylindrical block everywhere having an H-shaped cross-section, the major axis of said H-shaped cross-section parallel to the axis of said shaft, and an end of said shaft connected to the portion of said cylindrical block which forms the cross bar of said H-shaped cross-section; and wherein at least one of said engine cylinders additionally comprises a fuel intake valve opening into said engine cylinder near the base of the engine cylinder below said piston; an intake passage extending from about the level of said intake valve, through the wall of the block in which said engine cylinder is bored, and connecting the upper portion of said engine cylinder at a point above the piston face of said piston when said piston is in its lowest position; and an exhaust port located in the side wall of said engine cylinder; and said piston having a port in the cylindrical flange which forms the lower side wall of said H-shaped cross-section, for operative alignment with the lower opening of said intake passage in the side wall of said engine cylinder; said piston also having a port therein in the cylindrical flange which forms the upper side wall of said H-shaped cross-section, extending into the piston face for operative alignment with the exhaust port in the side wall of said engine cylinder; a cam follower extending radially from said shaft at a point located between said cylinders; an annular sleeve having a continuous camming groove formed in its internal cylindrical surface, said sleeve located coaxially to the axis of said shaft between the cylinders connected to the ends of said shaft, and said cam follower which extends radially from said shaft engaging the camming groove in the interior cylindrical surface of said sleeve; said camming groove having side camming surfaces which comprise dwell flats, the leading portion of said dwell flats positioned for contact by said cam follower when one of said pistons is at the beginning of its power stroke, for maintaining said one piston in its compression position for a dwell period; means for injecting a second fluid into an engine cylinder; and a variable volume vane pump, the inner sleeve of which is coaxial with and connected to said annular sleeve for rotary movement of said vane pump, said means for injecting a second fluid into an engine cylinder being actuatable by a cam surface on the end surface of said inner sleeve.

Claim 6

Pumping apparatus, comprising: a shaft slidably mounted for reciprocation parallel to its length; an internal combustion engine cylinder mounted at each end of said shaft with the piston of said cylinder connected to said shaft for reciprocal motion parallel to the length of said shaft, wherein the piston for at least one cylinder comprises a cylindrical block everywhere having an H-shaped cross-section, the major axis of said H-shaped cross-section parallel to the axis of said shaft, and an end of said shaft connected to the portion of said cylindrical block which forms the cross bar of said H-shaped cross-section; and wherein at least one of said engine cylinders additionally comprises a fuel intake valve opening into said engine cylinder near the base of the engine cylinder below said piston; an intake passage extending from about the level of said intake valve, through the wall of the block in which said engine cylinder is bored, and connecting the upper portion of said engine cylinder at a point above the piston face of said piston when said piston is in its lowest position; and an exhaust port located in the side wall of said engine cylinder; and said piston having a port in the cylindrical flange which forms the lower side wall of said H-shaped cross-section, for operative alignment with the lower opening of said intake passage in the side wall of said engine cylinder; said piston also having a port therein in the cylindrical flange which forms the upper side wall of said H-shaped cross-section, extending into the piston face for operative alignment with the exhaust port in the side wall of said engine cylinder; a cam follower extending radially from said shaft at a point located between said cylinders; an annular sleeve having a continuous camming groove formed in its internal cylindrical surface, said sleeve located coaxially to the axis of said shaft between the cylinders connected to the ends of said shaft, and said cam follower which extends radially from said shaft engaging the camming groove in the interior cylindrical surface of said sleeve; said camming groove having side camming surfaces which comprise dwell flats, the leading portion of said dwell flats positioned for contact by said cam follower when one of said pistons is at the beginning of its power stroke, for maintaining said one piston in its compression position for a dwell period; means for injecting a second fluid into an engine cylinder; and a variable volume vane pump, the inner sleeve of which is coaxial with and connected to said annular sleeve for rotary movement of said vane pump, said means for injecting a second fluid into an engine cylinder being actuatable by a cam surface on the end surface of said inner sleeve.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said means comprises a fluid supply conduit connected to a pumping mechanism actuatable by a pump cam follower mounted for engagement with the cam surface on the end surface of said inner sleeve, and a fluid conduit connecting the exit of said pumping mechanism to a jet nozzle located on the internal surface of the cylinder head.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 5, additionally comprising a pump cam follower mounted for engagement with said cam surface on the end surface of said inner sleeve, for initiating ignition of a combustible mixture in an engine cylinder, said pump cam follower located to contact said cam surface when the cam follower which extends radially from the reciprocating shaft starts to contact a dwell flat, and said pump cam follower located to contact said cam surface just before the cam follower which extends radially from the reciprocating shaft leaves said dwell flat.