Rotary valve system for motors and the like having improved sealing means

Claim 2

In a motor having a combustion chamber, fuel inlet and outlet means communicating with said combustion chamber through a single, common port coaxially located with said combustion chamber, a shaft, and rotary valve means operated in registry with said shaft, controlling flow through said inlet and outlet means and port, the improvement comprising, in combination: sliding valve means, positioned to control flow through the port between said rotary valve means and combustion chamber, comprising first and second sliding plates positioned together in facing, overlaping relationship and free of spring-biased pressure together, said first and second sliding plates each defining an aperture, said plates being movable between a first sliding position in which said apertures overlap to define a flow path through said plates and said port, and a second sliding position in which said apertures are spaced from each other to prevent flow through said plates and port; arm means attached to said sliding plates, and cam means on said shaft positioned in engaging relation with said arm means, and adapted to move said plates between first and second sliding positions and to allow said plates to remain stationary in said second sliding position, whereby rotation of said shaft reciprocates said plates between the first and second sliding positions in a manner correlating with the opening and closing of said rotary valve.

Claim 3

The motor of claim 1 which includes means for intermittently providing pressurized gas between said sliding plates while moving from said second to the first position, to facilitate said motion.

Claim 4

The motor of claim 2 in which said pressurized fluid providing means includes flow aperture means passing through said first sliding plate, air injection means for providing air as a pressurized fluid, said flow aperture means providing flow communication between said air injection means and the space between said facing sliding plates.

Claim 5

The motor of claim 3 in which means are provided for fluid flow communication between said air injection means and the face of said first sliding plate which is opposed to said second sliding plate, and the combustion chamber to provide pressurized fluid to said opposed face to further facilitate said motion from said second to the first position.

Claim 6

The motor of claim 4 in which said air injection means is a piston and cylinder system adapted to operate in correlation with the movement of said sliding plates.

Claim 7

The motor of claim 1 in which said sliding plates are enclosed about their edges in a sealing cavity defined in a housing member, the width of said sealing cavity being essentially from 0.002 to 0.005 inch greater than the combined thickness of said plates, said housing member defining a central aperture, the central portions of said sliding plates being exposed through said aperture to the exterior of said housing member.

Claim 8

The motor of claim 6 in which said arm means are connected to said first and second sliding plates at a central portion thereof, said arm means connecting with said sliding plates through the central aperture.

Claim 9

The motor of claim 7 in which said connection between the arm means and the sliding plates comprises stud means on each of said sliding plates and said arm means, and intermediate connector means between said arm means and sliding plates defining recesses to receive said stud means, to lock each plate and its connected arm means against relative motion with respect to each other in the direction of motion between the first and second positions, but to permit relative motion between each plate and its connected arm means in the direction perpendicular to said plate faces.

Claim 10

The motor of claim 8 in which one of said sliding plates is made of graphited aluminum and the other of said plates is made of a lightweight steel alloy.

Claim 11

The motor of claim 1 in which said cam means are adapted to simultaneously reciprocate said first and second plates in opposite directions while moving between said first and second sliding positions.

Claim 12

A valve system for a motor and the like which includes sliding valve means positioned to control flow through a fluid flow passage and rotary valve means also controlling flow through said fluid flow passage, said sliding valve system comprising first and second sliding plates positioned together in facing, overlapping relationship and free of spring-biased pressure together, said first and second sliding plates each defining an aperture, said plates being movable between a first sliding position in which said apertures overlap to define a flow path through said plates and a second sliding position in which said apertures are spaced from each other to prevent flow through said plates; said plates being enclosed about their edges in a sealing cavity defined in a housing member, the width of said sealing cavity being essentially from 0.002 to 0.005 inch greater than the combined thickness of said plates, said housing member defining a single central aperture, the central portions of said sliding plates being exposed through said aperture to the exterior of said housing member; arm means attached to said sliding plates; and means for reciprocating said arm means to cause reciprocation of said plates between the first and second sliding positions and means for correlating the operation of said rotary valve and sliding valve whereby both are simultaneously open and both are simultaneously closed during operation of the motor.

Claim 13

A valve system for a motor and the like which includes sliding valve means positioned to control flow through a fluid flow passage and rotary valve means also controlling flow through said fluid flow passage, said sliding valve system comprising first and second sliding plates positioned together in facing, overlapping relationship and free of spring-biased pressure together, said first and second sliding plates each defining an aperture, said plates being movable between a first sliding position in which said apertures overlap to define a flow path through said plates and a second sliding position in which said apertures are spaced from each other to prevent flow through said plates; said plates being enclosed about their edges in a sealing cavity defined in a housing member, the width of said sealing cavity being essentially from 0.002 to 0.005 inch greater than the combined thickness of said plates, said housing member defining a single central aperture, the central portions of said sliding plates being exposed through said aperture to the exterior of said housing member; arm means attached to said sliding plates; and means for reciprocating said arm means to cause reciprocation of said plates between the first and second sliding positions and means for correlating the operation of said rotary valve and sliding valve whereby both are simultaneously open and both are simultaneously closed during operation of the motor.

Claim 14

A valve system for a motor and the like which includes sliding valve means positioned to control flow through a single fluid flow passage, said sliding valve means comprising first and second sliding plates positioned together in facing, overlapping relationship, said first and second sliding plates each defining an aperture, said plates being movable between a first sliding position in which said apertures overlap to define a flow path through said plates, and a second sliding position in which said apertures are spaced from each other to prevent flow through said plates; arm means attached to said sliding plates, and means for reciprocating said arm means to cause reciprocation of said plates between the first and second sliding positions and to also allow said plates to remain stationary in said second sliding position, and further including means for intermittently providing pressurized gas between said sliding plates to facilitate said motion by separating said plates with pressurized gas as they move from the second to the first position, and to stop said provision of gas when the plates remain stationary in their second sliding position.

Claim 15

A valve system for a motor and the like which includes sliding valve means positioned to control flow through a single fluid flow passage, said sliding valve means comprising first and second sliding plates positioned together in facing, overlapping relationship, said first and second sliding plates each defining an aperture, said plates being movable between a first sliding position in which said apertures overlap to define a flow path through said plates, and a second sliding position in which said apertures are spaced from each other to prevent flow through said plates; arm means attached to said sliding plates, and means for reciprocating said arm means to cause reciprocation of said plates between the first and second sliding positions and to also allow said plates to remain stationary in said second sliding position, and further including means for intermittently providing pressurized gas between said sliding plates to facilitate said motion by separating said plates with pressurized gas as they move from the second to the first position, and to stop said provision of gas when the plates remain stationary in their second sliding position.

Claim 16

The valve system of claim 12 in which said pressurized gas providing means includes flow aperture means passing through said first sliding plate; air injection means for providing air as a pressurized gas, said gas aperture means providing flow communication between said air injection means and a space between said facing sliding plates.

Claim 17

The valve system of claim 13 in which said sliding plates are enclosed about their edges in a sealing cavity defined in a housing member, the width of said sealing cavity being essentially from 0.002 to 0.005 inch greater than the combined thickness of said plates, said housing member defining a central aperture, the central portions of said sliding plates being exposed through said aperture to the exterior of said housing member.

Claim 18

The valve system of claim 13 in which said arm means are connected to said first and second sliding plates at a central portion thereof, said arm means connecting with said sliding plates through the central aperture.

Claim 19

The valve system of claim 12 which further includes means for intermittently providing pressurized gas to the face of said first sliding member which is opposed to said second sliding plate and the combustion chamber, to further facilitate the motion of said sliding plates.

Claim 20

In a valve system for a motor and the like for controlling flow through a conduit, which valve comprises first and second sliding plates positioned together in facing, overlapping relationship, said first and second sliding plates each defining an aperture, said plates being movable between a first sliding position in which said apertures overlap together to define a flow path through said plates and a second sliding position in which said apertures are spaced from each other to prevent flow through said plates; said sliding plates being enclosed about their edges in a sealing cavity defined in a housing member, the width of said sealing cavity being essentially from 0.002 to 0.005 inch greater than the combined thickness of said plates, said housing member defining a central aperture, the central portions of said sliding plates being exposed through said aperture to the exterior of said housing member; arm means attached to said sliding plates, and means for reciprocating said arm means to reciprocate the plates between the first and second sliding positions, said arm means being connected to said first and second sliding plates at a central portion thereof, said arm means connecting with the sliding plates through the central aperture.

Claim 21

In a valve system for a motor and the like for controlling flow through a conduit, which valve comprises first and second sliding plates positioned together in facing, overlapping relationship, said first and second sliding plates each defining an aperture, said plates being movable between a first sliding position in which said apertures overlap together to define a flow path through said plates and a second sliding position in which said apertures are spaced from each other to prevent flow through said plates; said sliding plates being enclosed about their edges in a sealing cavity defined in a housing member, the width of said sealing cavity being essentially from 0.002 to 0.005 inch greater than the combined thickness of said plates, said housing member defining a central aperture, the central portions of said sliding plates being exposed through said aperture to the exterior of said housing member; arm means attached to said sliding plates, and means for reciprocating said arm means to reciprocate the plates between the first and second sliding positions, said arm means being connected to said first and second sliding plates at a central portion thereof, said arm means connecting with the sliding plates through the central aperture.

Claim 22

The motor of claim 17 in which said connection between the arm means and the sliding plates comprises stud means on each of said sliding plates and said arm means, and intermediate connector means between said arm means and sliding plates defining recesses to receive said stud means, to lock each plate in and its connected arm means against relative motion with respect to each other in the direction of motion between the first and second positions, but to permit relative motion between each plate and its connected arm means in the direction perpendicular to said plate faces.

Claim 23

The motor of claim 18 in which one of said sliding plates is made of graphited aluminum and the other of said plates is made of a lightweight steel alloy.