Internal combustion engines

Claim 1

In an internal combustion engine, rotor means having a central axis of rotation, an outer periphery extending along a circle whose center is in said axis, and at least one pair of diametrically opposed projections projecting radially from said periphery, housing means housing said rotor means and having an inner periphery extending along a circle whose center is in said axis and being in the same plane as and of a diameter larger than the circle along which said outer periphery of said rotor means extends so that said peripheries define between themselves an annular channel, said projections having outer ends slidably and fluid-tightly engaging the inner periphery of said housing means for dividing said channel into a plurality of channel portions, fluid-control means operatively connected with said housing means and communicating with said channel for controlling flow of combustible fluid into said channel and flow of exhaust gases out of said channel, and combustion-chamber means connected with said housing means and communicating with said channel for receiving combustible fluid from said channel and for releasing the fluid after combustion thereof into said channel for expansion therein while engaging first one and then the other of said projections for driving said rotor means in rotation with respect to said housing means, whereby the combustible fluid, the exhaust gases, and the expanding gases of combustion are all compelled to flow circumferentially along said channel in said channel portions thereof defined between said projections, said fluid-control means and said combustion-chamber means are each in the form of a rotary sealing means capable of rotating with respect to said housing means while having a sealed, fluid-tight engagement therewith, each rotary seal means including a rotary member extending into said channel and having a fluid-tight engagement with said outer periphery of said rotor means between said projections thereof, each rotary member being formed with at least one pocket for receiving each projection as it turns past each rotary member, and drive means extending between and operatively connected with said rotor means, on the one hand, and the rotary members, on the other hand, for rotating the latter in timed relation with respect to said rotor means for situating said pocket of each rotary member at an angular position for receiving each projection as it travels past each rotary member and wherein said rotor means rotates at a substantially constant speed while said drive means drives said rotary members at a variable speed which is at a maximum when each projection is in the vicinity of and travels past a rotary member and which becomes gradually smaller and then increases as each projection travels away from one rotary member and approaches the next rotary member, respectively, and wherein an output shaft is fixed to said rotor means for rotation therewith and extends therefrom outwardly beyond said housing means, said output shaft forming part of said drive means, and said drive means further including a lobed gear fixed to said output shaft and having at least one lobe, an eccentric gear meshing with said lobed gear to be driven thereby, an eccentric shaft fixed eccentrically to said eccentric gear and extending therefrom, a further gear fixed to said eccentric shaft for rotation therewith, an ring gear surrounding said output shaft and meshing with said further gear, and a pair of gears fixed coaxially to said rotary members and meshing with said ring gear, so that through said gears of said drive means said rotary members are rotated in timed relation with said rotor means while said lobed gear provides the variable speed of rotation for said rotary members.