Internal combustion engine

Claim 1

In an internal combustion engine having a plurality of combustion chambers: an inlet lower cover portion having a first set of inlet ports communicating with respective ones of said combustion chambers; an inlet upper cover having a second set of inlet ports respectively aligned, in operation, with said first set of inlet ports in said inlet lower cover portion; an exhaust lower cover portion having a first set of exhaust ports equal in number to the number of said combustion chambers and communicating with respective ones thereof; an exhaust upper cover having a second set of exhaust ports respectively aligned, in operation, with said first set of exhaust ports; an intake valve shaft assembly including a plurality of rotary valves supported to communicate, in a predetermined time sequence, between the ports in said first set of inlet ports and respective ones of the ports in said second set of inlet ports; an exhaust valve shaft assembly including a plurality of rotary valves supported to communicate, in a predetermined time sequence, between respective ones of said ports in said first and second sets of exhaust ports; means for driving said intake and exhaust valve shaft assemblies synchronously with respect to each other; said inlet and exhaust valve shaft assemblies being segmented between adjacent rotary valves; each of said rotary valves including a rotor portion having a port passing diametrically therethrough, said rotor portion terminating in a pair of axles, and a cylindrical cap portion having inner and outer surfaces and being coaxial with and enclosing said rotor portion except for openings at opposite ends of said cup portion for passage of said axles therethrough and diametrically opposed ports positioned to communicate with said port in said rotor.