Power transmission system and method

Claim 2

An internal combustion engine, including at least one cylinder and a reciprocating piston for said cylinder, a multiple air induction means, air and fuel mixture inlet means, exhaust outlet means, said engine including a crank shaft operably connected to said piston by connecting means including a connecting rod, said induction means enabling said piston to be reciprocated at speeds from zero up to at least 6,000 feet per minute, said induction means also including an unheated air intake means for supplying to said cylinder substantially all of the air inducted by said engine, and a heated intake means including a carburetor means, for supplying to said cylinder all of the engine''s fuel requirements and a small percentage of said inducted air, said heated intake means including a heating means adapted to heat the inducted air and fuel, said carburetor means adapted to supply fuel to said cylinder to form in said cylinder an ignitible and thereafter self-burning gaseous mixture comprised of about 4 percent fuel, piston guiding means in the form of a roller cross head assembly adapted to float said piston axially within said cylinder and free said piston from said connecting rod''s tendency to thrust said piston onto said cylinder and thereby preventing said connecting rod forces from bearing said piston on said cylinder and thereby limiting said piston speed whereby said engine''s potential power output also becomes limited, said roller cross head assembly including a Roller rotatably received by said connecting rod, said piston including a head portion and an annular skirt portion extending toward said connecting rod, a cup-shaped piston guide member opening toward said piston and receiving said piston skirt and a pair of opposed guideways rotatably receiving said roller and extending in the reciprocating axis of said piston, whereby said piston guiding means enables said induction system to be used to its full potential in said engine''s power output, and whereby the maximum power loss for a given size piston displacement engine resulting from the lean fuel-air mixture supplied to said cylinder to substantially eliminate air polluting emissions is offset by the increased engine speed enabled by said piston guiding means instead of increasing said engine''s piston displacement to recover said power loss.

Claim 3

The internal combustion engine defined in claim 1, characterized in that said piston guiding means includes said piston, and said connecting means, said cup-shaped piston guide member being adapted to be installed at each cylinder of said engine for guiding said connecting means and a wrist pin operably joining said piston and said connecting means within said guide member whereby said piston, said connecting means, said guide member and said wrist pin can be assembled as a unit and as a unit installable in each cylinder of said engine.

Claim 4

The internal combustion engine defined in claim 1, characterized by said roller being cylindrical and rotatably secured to said cross head by a wrist pin and thereby retaining said cross head and said piston in an assembled unit.

Claim 5

The internal combustion engine defined in claim 1, wherein said cup-shaped member is retained within said cylinder below the combustion area, said piston guiding means further including a sealing means biased against said pistons.

Claim 6

The internal combustion engine defined in claim 4, characterized in that said guideways extend toward said piston head within said piston skirt.

Claim 7

The internal combustion engine defined in claim 1, characterized in that only said piston head can engage the cylinder wall while said skirt portion clears the cylinder.

Claim 8

The internal combustion engine defined in claim 6, characterized in that each of said guide members have a sealing means engaging said piston skirt portion and adapted to seal the space between said skirt portion and said guide member, whereby engine lubricating oil is substantially prevented from getting into said cylinder and said cylinder combustion gas blown by said piston is substantially prevented from getting into said engine''s crankcase whereby engine air polluting emissions derived from fuel combustion and said lubricating oil becomes substantially eliminated from said engine and its exhaust.

Claim 9

The internal combustion engine defined in claim 1, characterized in that said guide member includes a guideway portion integral with said guide member and extending toward said piston head.

Claim 10

The internal combustion engine defined in claim 1, characterized in that said roller is generally cylindrical, has an axis of rotation perpendicular to the reciprocating axis of said piston and said roller including a plurality of small rollers known as needles within said roller''s inside diameter and between said inside diameter and said wrist pin, to facilitate substantially frictionless rotation of said roller upon said wrist pin during said piston reciprocation.

Claim 11

The internal combustion engine defined in claim 1, characterized in that said crosshead means includes a fluid flow control means adapted to control the flow into said cylinders of said engine lubricating fluid from said engine''s usual crankcase reservoir of said lubricating fluid, said fluid flow occurring during said engine operating occasions, said flow control means also adapted to conduct away from said cylinders the usual leakage of combusting gases, past said pistons, said flow control means includes a conventional pIston ring operable disposed in said crosshead means and slidably engaging said piston whereby said engine lubricating fluid is kept out of said cylinders and whereby the exhaust emissions of unburned hydrocarbons as derived alone from said lubricating fluid exposure to the combustion portion of said cylinders, become thereby, substantially eliminated.

Claim 12

The internal combustion engine defined in claim 10, characterized in that said piston rings in the head of said piston and in said crosshead means are coated with one of the well known dry lubricants, namely molybdenum disulphide, for example, whereby the usual said lubricating fluid can be substantially eliminated from said piston rings and said cylinders, said cylinder surfaces engaged by said piston rings may be coated with said dry lubricant instead of said piston rings or both said cylinders and said piston rings may be so coated.

Claim 13

An internal combustion engine, including at least one cylinder and reciprocating piston for said cylinder, a multiple air induction means, air and fuel mixture inlet means, exhaust outlet means, said engine including a crank shaft operably connected to said piston by connecting means including a connecting rod, said piston having a skirt extending toward said crank shaft, said induction means enabling said piston to be reciprocated at speeds from zero up to at least 6,000 feet per minute, said induction means also including an unheated air intake means for supplying to said cylinder substantially all of the air inducted by said engine, and a heated intake means including a carburetor means for supplying to said cylinder all of the engine''s fuel requirements and a small percentage of said inducted air, said heated intake means including a heating means adapted to heat the inducted air and fuel mixture, said carburetor means adapted to supply fuel to said cylinder to form in said cylinder an ignitible gaseous mixture comprised of about 4 percent fuel, piston guiding means including a roller cross head assembly adapted to float said piston axially within said cylinder and free said piston from said connecting rod''s tendency to thrust said piston onto said cylinder, said piston guiding means including a pair of opposed guideways extending in the axis of said cylinder and in the axis of said piston reciprocating path, said guideways extending toward said piston head within said piston skirt, said piston guiding means further including a cup-shaped member retained within said cylinder below the combustion area and a sealing means biased against said piston, said crosshead forming a part of said connecting means and being received within said guideways, said crosshead assembly including a roller means at the connection between said connecting means and said piston, said roller means rotatably received within said guide ways, said guide ways including a linear channel extending in the axis of reciprocating movement of said piston and receiving said roller, whereby said piston guiding means enables said induction system to be used to its full potential in said engine''s power output, and whereby the loss in maximum power for a given size piston displacement engine resulting from the lean fuel-air mixture supplied to said cylinder to substantially eliminate air polluting emissions is offet by the increased engine speed enabled by said piston guiding means instead of increasing said engine''s piston displacement to recover said power loss.

Claim 14

An internal combustion engine, including at least one cylinder and reciprocating piston for said cylinder, a multiple air induction means, air and fuel mixture inlet means, exhaust outlet means, said engine including a crank shaft operably connected to said piston by connecting means including a connecting rod, said piston having a skirt extending toward said crank shaft, said induction means enabling said piston to be reciprocated at speeds from zero up to at least 6,000 feet per minute, said induction means also including an unheated air intake means for supplying to said cylinder substantially all of the air inducted by said engine, and a heated intake means including a carburetor means for supplying to said cylinder all of the engine''s fuel requirements and a small percentage of said inducted air, said heated intake means including a heating means adapted to heat the inducted air and fuel mixture, said carburetor means adapted to supply fuel to said cylinder to form in said cylinder an ignitible gaseous mixture comprised of about 4 percent fuel, piston guiding means including a roller cross head assembly adapted to float said piston axially within said cylinder and free said piston from said connecting rod''s tendency to thrust said piston onto said cylinder, said piston guiding means including a pair of opposed guideways extending in the axis of said cylinder and in the axis of said piston reciprocating path, said guideways extending toward said piston head within said piston skirt, said piston guiding means further including a cup-shaped member retained within said cylinder below the combustion area and a sealing means biased against said piston, said crosshead forming a part of said connecting means and being received within said guideways, said crosshead assembly including a roller means at the connection between said connecting means and said piston, said roller means rotatably received within said guide ways, said guide ways including a linear channel extending in the axis of reciprocating movement of said piston and receiving said roller, whereby said piston guiding means enables said induction system to be used to its full potential in said engine''s power output, and whereby the loss in maximum power for a given size piston displacement engine resulting from the lean fuel-air mixture supplied to said cylinder to substantially eliminate air polluting emissions is offet by the increased engine speed enabled by said piston guiding means instead of increasing said engine''s piston displacement to recover said power loss.