US4086879A — Rotary engine with revolving and oscillating pist…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 357 words

A rotary engine comprising: (a) a cylindrical hollow housing having closed ends; (b) a power shaft extending axially through said housing and having its ends rotatably supported by the ends of said housing; (c) a stationary disc-shaped stator mounted near each end of said shaft and having a center bore for rotatably receiving the shaft, the two stators being inclined toward each other and the planes of said stators making a 45° angle with respect to the shaft axis; (d) a pair of piston carrying rotors rotatably mounted on said shaft, each rotor having an annular recess with the annular recesses of the two rotors facing each other; (e) a pair of diametrically opposed pistons mounted in each annular recess of each piston carrying rotor and having their outer ends received in the annular recess of the adjacent rotor and slidably contacting with the adjacent wall surface of the recess, the four pistons forming four compartments between adjacent pistons in the two annular recesses for receiving a combustible mixture; (f) a ring-shaped port housing positioned between the adjacent inner ends of the piston carrying rotors and including an intake port for delivering a combustible mixture into successive compartments as said rotors and pistons rotate for causing these compartments to successively move into registration with said intake port, said ring-shaped port housing also having an exhaust port positioned so that as the compartments make substantially a complete revolution about the axis of said housing, the moving compartments will register with said exhaust port just prior to registering with said intake port; (g) a ring-shaped rotor rotatably mounted on the circular ring of each inclined disc-shaped stator with means interconnecting said piston carrying rotors with said shaft for causing said piston carrying rotors to oscillate during their rotation for causing the two pistons of one piston carrying rotor to move toward and away from the two pistons of the other piston carrying rotor so that each successive compartment as it passes said intake port will be enlarging to receive the combustible mixture and then will be contracting for compressing the mixture; (h) a spark plug associated with each compartment;

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 357 words

A rotary engine comprising: (a) a cylindrical hollow housing having closed ends; (b) a power shaft extending axially through said housing and having its ends rotatably supported by the ends of said housing; (c) a stationary disc-shaped stator mounted near each end of said shaft and having a center bore for rotatably receiving the shaft, the two stators being inclined toward each other and the planes of said stators making a 45° angle with respect to the shaft axis; (d) a pair of piston carrying rotors rotatably mounted on said shaft, each rotor having an annular recess with the annular recesses of the two rotors facing each other; (e) a pair of diametrically opposed pistons mounted in each annular recess of each piston carrying rotor and having their outer ends received in the annular recess of the adjacent rotor and slidably contacting with the adjacent wall surface of the recess, the four pistons forming four compartments between adjacent pistons in the two annular recesses for receiving a combustible mixture; (f) a ring-shaped port housing positioned between the adjacent inner ends of the piston carrying rotors and including an intake port for delivering a combustible mixture into successive compartments as said rotors and pistons rotate for causing these compartments to successively move into registration with said intake port, said ring-shaped port housing also having an exhaust port positioned so that as the compartments make substantially a complete revolution about the axis of said housing, the moving compartments will register with said exhaust port just prior to registering with said intake port; (g) a ring-shaped rotor rotatably mounted on the circular ring of each inclined disc-shaped stator with means interconnecting said piston carrying rotors with said shaft for causing said piston carrying rotors to oscillate during their rotation for causing the two pistons of one piston carrying rotor to move toward and away from the two pistons of the other piston carrying rotor so that each successive compartment as it passes said intake port will be enlarging to receive the combustible mixture and then will be contracting for compressing the mixture; (h) a spark plug associated with each compartment;

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 141 words

(i) means for firing each spark plug when its associate compartment has compressed the combustible mixture thereby causing the mixture to explode and burn for moving the two pistons forming this compartment, to relatively move away from each other for enlarging the compartment while it's still rotating about the housing axis for causing these two pistons to deliver rotative power to said shaft through said means that interconnects said piston carrying rotors with said ring-shaped rotor; and (j) said means that interconnects said piston carrying rotors with said ring-shaped rotor causing the two pistons that form the compartment that has just passed through its firing stroke, to move relatively toward each other while they rotate about the housing axis for compressing the burnt gases as the compartment means passes said exhaust port for exhausing the burnt gases through this exhaust port.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 141 words

(i) means for firing each spark plug when its associate compartment has compressed the combustible mixture thereby causing the mixture to explode and burn for moving the two pistons forming this compartment, to relatively move away from each other for enlarging the compartment while it's still rotating about the housing axis for causing these two pistons to deliver rotative power to said shaft through said means that interconnects said piston carrying rotors with said ring-shaped rotor; and (j) said means that interconnects said piston carrying rotors with said ring-shaped rotor causing the two pistons that form the compartment that has just passed through its firing stroke, to move relatively toward each other while they rotate about the housing axis for compressing the burnt gases as the compartment means passes said exhaust port for exhausing the burnt gases through this exhaust port.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 50 words

The combination as set forth in claim 1: and in which (a) means is associated with said inlet port for altering the mixture of combustible gas with atmospheric air for controlling the proportions of the two before they are fed into the compartments as they move past the inlet port.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 51 words

The combination as set forth in claim 1: and in which (a) said ring-shaped port housing may be rotated angularly about the housing axis to alter the timing of the feeding of the combustible mixture from the inlet port into the chambers as they are successively moved by the inlet port.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 88 words

The combination as set forth in claim 1: and in which (a) the inner portions of each annular recess in each piston-carrying rotor being semicircular in longitudinal section; and (b) U-shaped fluid-sealing members positioned in U-shaped fluid-sealing grooves formed in that portion of the outer surfaces of said pistons which are slidably received in the adjacent annular recess; (c) whereby said U-shaped fluid-sealing members will slidably contact with the adjacent surface of the annular recess in which the piston is slidably received for making a fluid-tight seal therewith.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 54 words

The combination as set forth in claim 4: and in which (a) spring means is positioned in the semicircular portions of said sealing grooves in said pistons and yieldingly forcing the semicircular portions of said U-shaped fluid-sealing members into yielding and fluid-sealing contact with the semicircular inner wall portions of the adjacent annular recess.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 77 words

The combination as set forth in claim 1: and in which (a) said cylindrical hollow housing has a plurality of integral ring-shaped fins extending outwardly from the outer surface of said housing for cooling the housing; (b) said housing being enclosed by two cylindrical shrouds which encircle some of the fins; (c) said housing having a fan housing for sucking in atmospheric air and for forcing it between said shrouds and said fins for cooling the engine.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 115 words

The combination as set forth in claim 1: and in which (a) said means for firing each spark plug includes a contact plate mounted within the interior of said housing and being insulated therefrom; (b) the spark plugs associated with each compartment being carried by said piston-carrying rotors and having electrically conveying terminals projecting outwardly beyond said rotors traveling in a transversely extending plane that is normal to the shaft axis and also extending through said contact plate; (c) whereby the rotation of said piston-carrying rotors will successively move said terminals into electrical contact with said plates for firing the spark plugs and exploding the combustible mixture in said compartment associated with the spark plug.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 312 words

The combination as set forth in claim 1: and in which (a) the means interconnecting said ring-shaped rotors with said piston-carrying rotors including: (b) a pair of diametrically opposed quadrant-shaped change rods having one of their ends pivotally connected at diametrical points on each of said ring-shaped rotors, the other ends of said change rods being pivotally secured at diametrically opposite points to a pair of extension arms, that parallel each other and parallel the shaft axis and are disposed on opposite sides thereof, the pivot points between the change rods and the extension arms lying in a plane that is normal to the shaft axis and cuts through the midpoint of the axial line for the pivotal connections between the ring-shaped rotors and the quadrant-shaped change rods; (c) said pair of extension arms for each ring-shaped rotor being connected to said piston-carrying rotors so that they rotate as a unit; (d) a pair of shaft couplers for each ring-shaped rotor and having one of their ends keyed to the shaft so as to rotate therewith as a unit and having their other ends pivotally connected to each ring-shaped rotor at diametrically opposite points thereon being spaced 90° from the pivotal connections of said quadrant-shaped change rods and said ring-shaped rotors; (e) whereby a continuous rotation of said shaft in one direction will cause said inclined ring-shaped rotors to rotate on said inclined disc-shaped stators for causing said piston-carrying rotors to rotate their pistons with respect to the pistons carried by the other rotor for causing adjacent pairs of pistons, one from each rotor, to move toward and away from each other twice during one complete rotation of said shaft so that each of the four compartments formed between adjacent pairs of pistons will enlarge and contract twice to simulate the intake, compression, firing and exhaust strokes of a four cycle engine.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 67 words

The combination as set forth in claim 3: and in which (a) the exhaust port in said ring-shaped port housing has a flexible exhaust pipe communicating therewith and communicating with a stationary exhaust pipe so as to permit the angular rotation of said ring-shaped port housing without affecting the flow of exhaust gases from the exhaust port, through the flexible exhaust pipe and the stationary exhaust pipe.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 47 words

The combination as set forth in claim 1: and in which (a) said pistons being hollow and having air passages communicating with the interior of said housing; (b) whereby air and oil can circulate between the piston interiors and the interior of the housing for cooling purposes.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 65 words

The combination as set forth in claim 1: and in which (a) two spark plug containing chambers encircle the piston-carrying rotors; (b) said chambers containing fins mounted about the rotors, the rotation of which draws air through a plurality of openings in said cylindrical housings and forces air through openings located within the said cylindrical housing forcing oil away from the spark plug containing chambers.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 41 words

The combination as set forth in claim 1: and in which (a) said power shaft having an axial bore therein and means for feeding oil into the bore and for delivering oil from the bore to lubricate and cool the engine.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1981-05-01	1981-10-31	1982-05-02	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1985-05-01	1985-10-31	1986-05-02	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1989-05-01	1989-10-31	1990-05-02	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Rotary engine with revolving and oscillating pistons

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