US3854284A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Engines
Assignee: Nutron Corp
•
Filing: 1973-04-25
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Granted: 1974-12-17
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Expires: 1993-04-25
Abstract
Abstract An engine comprising a rotary piston support defining a piston bore, a porting surface and a conduit extending from the bore to the porting surface, a cam movable relative to the support and defining a generally annular cam surface of 2n cycles arranged in n sets each of two cycles, one cycle of each set being adjacent and having a displacement greater than that of the other cycle of the set, a piston mounted in the bore for movement relative to the support and engaging the cam surface, a manifold fixed with respect to the cam and defining at a porting surface thereof 4n ports arranged in n sets each of four conduits, each cycle having at least one manifold port associated therewith, a power chamber including means for increasing the internal energy of a gaseous fluid therein, and four conduits providing for, respectively, intake flow to the bore, flow from the bore to the chamber, and from the chamber to the bore, and for exhaust from the bore.
Inventors
- 👤 J Denker
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 13:47
CPC Classifications
F; F01; F01B; F01B3/00; F01B3/04; F02; F02G; F02G1/00; F02G1/02; F02B; F02B75/00; F02B75/02; F02B2075/022; F02B2075/025
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
362 words
An engine having an inlet port and an exhaust port and comprising: a rotary piston support defining a piston bore, a porting surface, and a conduit extending from said bore to a port at said porting surface; a cam defining a generally annular cam surface of 2n cycles, said cycles being arranged in n sets each of two cycles, one cycle of each set being adjacent and having a displacement greater than that of the other cycle of said each set, and said cam and said piston support being relatively rotatable, a piston mounted in said bore for movement relative to said support and engaging said cam surface; a manifold fixed with respect to said cam and having a porting surface engaging said support porting surface, said manifold porting surface defining a plurality of ports, each of said cycles having at least one of said manifold ports associated therewith, said manifold ports being arranged such that during the respective predetermined portions of the relative rotation of said manifold and said support that said piston engages each said cycle said port at said support porting surface communicates with said one manifold port associated with said each cycle, and said manifold and said support being relatively movable; a power chamber including means for increasing the internal energy of a gaseous fluid therein; a first conduit communicating with said inlet port and a first one of said manifold porting surface ports and providing for intake flow of fluid from said inlet port through said first one port to said bore; a second conduit communicating with said power chamber and a second one of said manifold porting surface ports and providing for flow of fluid from said bore through said second one port to said power chamber; a third conduit communicating with said power chamber and a third one of said manifold ports and providing for flow of fluid from said power chamber through said third one port to said bore; and, a fourth conduit communicating with a fourth one of said manifold ports and said exhaust port and providing for exhaust of fluid from said bore through said fourth one port to said exhaust port.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
362 words
An engine having an inlet port and an exhaust port and comprising: a rotary piston support defining a piston bore, a porting surface, and a conduit extending from said bore to a port at said porting surface; a cam defining a generally annular cam surface of 2n cycles, said cycles being arranged in n sets each of two cycles, one cycle of each set being adjacent and having a displacement greater than that of the other cycle of said each set, and said cam and said piston support being relatively rotatable, a piston mounted in said bore for movement relative to said support and engaging said cam surface; a manifold fixed with respect to said cam and having a porting surface engaging said support porting surface, said manifold porting surface defining a plurality of ports, each of said cycles having at least one of said manifold ports associated therewith, said manifold ports being arranged such that during the respective predetermined portions of the relative rotation of said manifold and said support that said piston engages each said cycle said port at said support porting surface communicates with said one manifold port associated with said each cycle, and said manifold and said support being relatively movable; a power chamber including means for increasing the internal energy of a gaseous fluid therein; a first conduit communicating with said inlet port and a first one of said manifold porting surface ports and providing for intake flow of fluid from said inlet port through said first one port to said bore; a second conduit communicating with said power chamber and a second one of said manifold porting surface ports and providing for flow of fluid from said bore through said second one port to said power chamber; a third conduit communicating with said power chamber and a third one of said manifold ports and providing for flow of fluid from said power chamber through said third one port to said bore; and, a fourth conduit communicating with a fourth one of said manifold ports and said exhaust port and providing for exhaust of fluid from said bore through said fourth one port to said exhaust port.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
68 words
The engine of claim 1 wherein said manifold porting surface defines 4n ports arranged in n sets each including four ports, and each of said manifold ports is associated with a respective predetermined half-one of said cycles and is arranged to communicate with said port of said support during the period of relative rotation of said support and said cam that said piston engages said respective predetermined half-one.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
The engine of claim 2 wherein each manifold port of each set of said manifold ports communicates with a respective one of said first, second, third, and fourth conduits.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
The engine of claim 3 wherein each set of said manifold ports is associated with a respective set of said cycles and communicates with said port of said support when said piston engages said respective set.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The engine of claim 1 wherein the displacement of said one cycle is in the range of 1.5 to 3.0 times the displacement of said other cycle.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
69 words
The engine of claim 1 including a source of compressible fluid connected to said inlet port and means for increasing the internal energy of fluid in said chamber, whereby, in response to relative rotation of said cam and support, fluid from said source is drawn into and compressed in said bore, discharged in compressed condition into said chamber, and thereafter increased in internal energy and discharged from said chamber.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
51 words
The engine of claim 6 wherein said fluid is a combustion supporting fluid and including a source of combustible fuel and means for intermixing fuel from said source with said fluid and for combusting said mixed fuel and fluid in said chamber prior to discharge of the same from said chamber.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
11 words
The engine of claim 7 wherein said means includes an ignitor.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
The engine of claim 7 wherein said fuel source is connected to said inlet port whereby said mixed fuel and fluid are drawn into said inlet port.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
The engine of claim 7 wherein said fuel source is connected to said chamber and including means for injecting said fuel into said chamber.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
The engine of claim 6 wherein said means for increasing said internal energy includes a heater for non-combustingly heating fluid within said chamber.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
32 words
The engine of claim 6 including a compressor intermediate said fluid source and said inlet port for compressing fluid from said source prior to said fluid being drawn into said inlet port.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
The engine of claim 12 including an expander connected to said exhaust port and arranged to be driven by fluid from said exhaust port, said expander being coupled to and driving said compressor.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
74 words
The engine of claim 1 wherein said support includes a plurality of piston bores and a conduit extending from each of said bores to a respective port at said support porting surface, each of said respective ports being arranged successively to communicate with said manifold ports during relative rotation of said support and said manifold, and a piston is mounted in each of said bores for movement therein in engagement with said cam surface.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
38 words
The engine of claim 14 wherein n is not less than 2 and the displacement of each cycle of one set is equal to the displacement of a respective cycle of each of the others of said sets.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
27 words
The engine of claim 15 wherein the displacement of said one cycle is in the range of 1.5 to 3.0 times the displacement of said other cycle.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
88 words
The engine of claim 14 wherein said manifold porting surface defines 4n ports arranged in n sets each of four ports, each set of said cycles is associated with a respective one of said sets of manifold ports, and each of said pistons engages said each set of said cycles during the portion of relative rotation of said support and said cam that said port of said conduit associated with said each piston communicates with the manifold ports of said respective one of said sets of manifold ports.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
54 words
The engine of claim 17 including a second cam identical to said first-mentioned cam, and a second piston mounted in each of said bores for movement therein in engagement with said second cam, each of said cams being fixed with respect to said manifold with corresponding cycles thereof in axial alignment with each other.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
112 words
The engine of claim 17 wherein each of said piston bores and the piston therein provides a working chamber the volume of which changes during rotation of said rotor relative to said cam with said piston in contact with said cam, and each port of said manifold communicating with said second conduit and the respective rotor port associated with said each bore are arranged such that flow therebetween is prevented during an initial portion of the period of said rotation that the volume of said working chamber is contracting with said piston in contact with a said other cycle and that flow therebetween is permitted during a remaining portion of said period.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
112 words
The engine of claim 17 wherein each of said piston bores and the piston therein provides a working chamber the volume of which changes during rotation of said rotor relative to said cam with said piston in contact with said cam, and each port of said manifold communicating with said third conduit and the respective rotor port associated with said each bore are arranged such that flow therebetween is permitted during an initial portion of the period of said rotation that the volume of said wOrking chamber is expanding with said piston in contact with a said one cycle and that flow therebetween is prevented during a remaining portion of said period.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
27 words
The engine of claim 20 wherein said initial period commences when said volume begins to expand and ends when said volume reaches about one-half its maximum volume.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
92 words
The engine of claim 21 wherein each port of said manifold communicating with said second conduit and the respective rotor port associated with said each bore are arranged such that flow therebetween is prevented during the portion of said rotation with said piston in contact with a said other cycle commencing where said volume begins to contract and ending when said volume is about one-half the volume at such beginning, and that such flow is permitted during the remaining portion of said rotation with said piston in contact with said other cycle.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
56 words
The engine of claim 22 wherein each port of said manifold communicating with said first conduit and the respective rotor port associated with said each bore are arranged such that flow therebetween is permitted substantially throughout the portion of said rotation with said piston in contact with a said other cycle that said volume is expanding.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
56 words
The engine of claim 23 wherein each port of said manifold communicating with said fourth conduit and the respective rotor port associated with said each bore are arranged such that flow therebetween is permitted substantially throughout the portion of said rotation with said piston in contact with a said one cycle that said volume is contracting.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-12-16 | 1978-06-17 | 1978-12-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-12-16 | 1982-06-17 | 1982-12-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-12-16 | 1986-06-17 | 1986-12-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |