Patent US4996498A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US4334506A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4334506A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Reciprocating rotary engine
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1979-09-11
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Granted: 1982-06-15
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Expires: 1999-09-11
Abstract
Abstract Rotary engine having a hollow, stationary block with manifolds for air inlet and exhaust valving and means for supplying fuel. The block supports one or more in-line cylinders which are provided with opposed pistons equipped with rigid and constrained piston rods. The rods carry bearings that run along a cam track surface interior to a disc, the outer surface of which is a right circular cylinder. The surrounding right circular cylinder rotates as a result of the linear movement of the opposed pistons thereby providing mechanical power. The cam surface is a continuous track which determines the out-put motion of the piston movement between top and bottom dead center. Arcuate areas at top and/or bottom dead center permit constant volume combustion and/or exhaust as desired during a particular cycle, whether that cycle be Otto or Diesel and whether it be two or four stroke.
Inventors
- 👤 Albert F. Albert
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 17:27
CPC Classifications
F; F01; F01B; F01B7/00; F01B7/02; F01B1/00; F01B1/06; F01B1/0603; F01B1/0606; F01B1/061; F01B1/0613; F01B13/00; F01B13/04; F01B13/06; F01B13/061; F01B9/00; F01B9/04; F01B9/06; F02; F02B; F02B57/00; F02B57/08; F02B57/10; F02B75/00; F02B75/16; F02B75/18; F02B75/22; F01B2009/061; F01B2009/065; F02B1/00; F02B1/02; F02B1/04; F02B75/02; F02B2075/022; F02B2075/025; F02B2075/027; F02B3/00; F02B3/06
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 43
Claim 1
Independent Claim
363 words
A reciprocating, rotary, combustion engine, comprising: (a) a hollow, non-rotatable support block member of predetermined length and adapted to be supported in an operative position, (b) at least one cylinder member support in said block member such that the ends of said cylinder open to the outside of said block member and whereby within said block member there is space externally of the cylinder, said cylinder including opposed pistons with piston rods extending out of the opposed ends of said cylinder and said piston rods being provided at their outer ends with follower bearing means for engaging a driven cam surface, (c) a rotary output member mounted for rotation around said support block member and including a generally round exterior surface and a continuous interior driven cam surface for said cylinder, pistons and piston rods spaced from said support block, said driven cam surface being engaged by said follower bearing means to rotate said output member, (d) said driven cam being shaped such that it includes predetermined arcuate areas of constant radius from the axis of the rotary member at least for radially opposed top dead center positions for said pistons in order to allow for predetermined periods of time and degrees of rotation at which the chamber between the pistons is at constant volume, said cam also providing at least radially opposed bottom dead center positions, and said cam further being so shaped that every radius therein has an equal and opposite counterpart radius, (e) said cam also being shaped after the top dead center constant volume areas to provide radially opposed rapid expansion areas of a predetermined number of degrees of rotation of the rotary output member in which a first portion of each of said rapid expansion areas moves the piston away from top dead center at an accelerating velocity and a second portion moves the pistons away at a decelerating velocity toward bottom dead center, and (f) said cylinder being provided with means for admitting fuel thereto, means for timed ignition of the same and further provided with air intake and exhaust gas manifolds and means for selectively opening and closing said cylinder to said intake and exhaust manifolds.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
363 words
A reciprocating, rotary, combustion engine, comprising: (a) a hollow, non-rotatable support block member of predetermined length and adapted to be supported in an operative position, (b) at least one cylinder member support in said block member such that the ends of said cylinder open to the outside of said block member and whereby within said block member there is space externally of the cylinder, said cylinder including opposed pistons with piston rods extending out of the opposed ends of said cylinder and said piston rods being provided at their outer ends with follower bearing means for engaging a driven cam surface, (c) a rotary output member mounted for rotation around said support block member and including a generally round exterior surface and a continuous interior driven cam surface for said cylinder, pistons and piston rods spaced from said support block, said driven cam surface being engaged by said follower bearing means to rotate said output member, (d) said driven cam being shaped such that it includes predetermined arcuate areas of constant radius from the axis of the rotary member at least for radially opposed top dead center positions for said pistons in order to allow for predetermined periods of time and degrees of rotation at which the chamber between the pistons is at constant volume, said cam also providing at least radially opposed bottom dead center positions, and said cam further being so shaped that every radius therein has an equal and opposite counterpart radius, (e) said cam also being shaped after the top dead center constant volume areas to provide radially opposed rapid expansion areas of a predetermined number of degrees of rotation of the rotary output member in which a first portion of each of said rapid expansion areas moves the piston away from top dead center at an accelerating velocity and a second portion moves the pistons away at a decelerating velocity toward bottom dead center, and (f) said cylinder being provided with means for admitting fuel thereto, means for timed ignition of the same and further provided with air intake and exhaust gas manifolds and means for selectively opening and closing said cylinder to said intake and exhaust manifolds.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
The engine according to claim 1 and in which the cam is shaped after bottom dead center to provide opposed return areas of a predetermined number of degrees of rotation of the rotary output member for returning the pistons to the next top dead center area.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
67 words
The engine according to claim 2 and in which said cam is shaped after the top dead center constant volume areas to provide an expansion section having acceleration and deceleration areas and wherein the maximum value of the radius in the acceleration area cannot be greater than any point on a line which is tangent to the last constant radius value of the top dead center area.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
53 words
The engine according to claim 3 and in which the deceleration area of the expansion section in limitation (a) is defined as a curve which continues to move the piston outwardly at a decelerating rate and which rate decreases in reverse order of changes in the radii by which the acceleration area increased.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
The engine according to claim 4 and in which the expansion section may be of a greater or lesser amount than 90° of rotation in order to extend the pistons to bottom dead center position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
48 words
The engine according to claim 5 and in which the exhaust section is shaped after bottom dead center position to return the pistons to top dead center position at first slowly and then increases the speed so as to minimize thrust loads on the piston rods and bearings.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
67 words
The engine according to claim 6 and in which said driven cam surface is provided with predetermined arcuate areas of constant radius from the axis of the rotary member for radially opposed bottom dead center positions for the pistons in order to allow for predetermined periods of time and degrees of rotation at which the chamber between the pistons is at constant volume at bottom dead center.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
The rotary engine according to claim 3 and in which said intake and exhaust manifolds are opened to said cylinder by ports and which ports are opened and closed according to the position of the pistons.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
The rotary engine according to claim 3 and in which said intake and exhaust manifolds are provided with openings which are provided with and opened and closed by valve members actuated in accordance with the requirements of the engine.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
49 words
The rotary engine according to claim 9 and in which said valve members are provided with stem portions which engage valve cam means against which resilient means are provided to urge said valve members, said valve cam means forming an endless surface and rotating with said rotary output member.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
56 words
The rotary engine according to claim 10 and in which said valve member for said intake manifold is actuated by a first valve cam means and said valve member for said exhaust manifolds is actuated by a second valve cam means, said first and second valve cam means being on opposite sides of said continuous cam.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
33 words
The engine according to claim 3 and wherein said pistons are positively biased outwardly so as to ensure continuous engagement of the follower bearings with the cam surface particularly during the intake stroke.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
The engine according to claim 3 and in which said engine includes multiple generally parallel, in-line, spaced apart cylinders with opposed pistons and each cylinder having its own driven and valve cams.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
The engine according to claim 13 and in which the driven cams for the individual cylinders are angularly positioned with respect to each other so that the mass of the rotary output member is balanced.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
88 words
The engine according to claim 3 and wherein the expansion section from the last constant radius of the top dead center area to the first or only radius at bottom dead center is a harmonic curve setting forth the radii as R.sub.θ =S+[1-Cos (u)] where ##EQU2## k=beginning radius point of the harmonic curve (last constant radius at top dead center) m=ending radius point for the harmonic curve (first or only radius at bottom dead center) L=180-(k+m) S=1/2 distance of travel of one piston θ=angle of R from 0°.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
53 words
The engine according to claim 15 and in which the deceleration area of the expansion section in limitation (a) is defined as a curve which continues to move the piston outwardly at a decelerating rate and which rate decreases in reverse order of changes in the radii by which the acceleration area increased.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
35 words
The engine according to claim 16 and in which the expansion section may be of a greater or lesser amount than 90° of rotation in order to extend the pistons to bottom dead center position.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
48 words
The engine according to claim 17 and in which the exhaust section is shaped after bottom dead center position to return the pistons to top dead center position at first slowly and then increases the speed so as to minimize thrust loads on the piston rods and bearings.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
67 words
The engine according to claim 18 and in which said driven cam surface is provided with predetermined arcuate areas of constant radius from the axis of the rotary member for radially opposed bottom dead center positions for the pistons in order to allow for predetermined periods of time and degrees of rotation at which the chamber between the pistons is at constant volume at bottom dead center.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
36 words
The rotary engine according to claim 15 and in which said intake and exhaust manifolds are opened to said cylinder by ports and which ports are opened and closed according to the position of the pistons.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
39 words
The rotary engine according to claim 15 and in which said intake and exhaust manifolds are provided with openings which are provided with and opened and closed by valve members actuated in accordance with the requirements of the engine.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
49 words
The rotary engine according to claim 21 and in which said valve members are provided with stem portions which engage valve cam means against which resilient means are provided to urge said valve members, said valve cam means forming an endless surface and rotating with said rotary output member.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
56 words
The rotary engine according to claim 22 and in which said valve member for said intake manifold is actuated by a first valve cam means and said valve member for said exhaust manifolds is actuated by a second valve cam means, said first and second valve cam means being on opposite sides of said continuous cam.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
33 words
The engine according to claim 15 and wherein said pistons are positively biased outwardly so as to ensure continuous engagement of the follower bearings with the cam surface particularly during the intake stroke.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
32 words
The engine according to claim 15 and in which said engine includes multiple generally parallel, in-line, spaced apart cylinders with opposed pistons and each cylinder having its own driven and valve cams.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
35 words
The engine according to claim 13 and in which the driven cams for the individual cylinders are angularly positioned with respect to each other so that the mass of the rotary output member is balanced.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
360 words
A reciprocating, rotary, combustion engine, comprising: (a) a hollow, non-rotatable support block member of predetermined length and adapted to be supported in an operative position, (b) at least one cylinder member supported in said block member such that the ends of said cylinder open to the outside of said block member and whereby within said block member there is space externally of the cylinder, said cylinder including opposed pistons with piston rods extending out of the opposed ends of said cylinder and said piston rods being provided at their outer ends with follower bearing means for engaging a driven cam surface, (c) a rotary output member mounted for rotation around said support block member and including a generally round exterior surface and a continuous interior driven cam surface for said cylinder, (d) said cam being shaped such that it includes predetermined arcuate areas of constant radius from the axis of the rotary member at least for radially equal and opposed top dead center positions for said pistons in order to allow for predetermined periods of time and degrees of rotation at which the chamber between the pistons is at constant volume, said cam also providing at least radially equal and opposed bottom dead center positions, and said cam further being shaped such that every radius therein has an equal and opposite counterpart radius, (e) said cam being shaped after the top dead center constant volume areas to provide an expansion section having an acceleration area for moving the pistons away from top dead center at an accelerating velocity and then a deceleration area for moving the pistons away from top dead center at a decelerating velocity toward bottom dead center, and wherein the maximum value of the radius in the acceleration areas cannot be greater than any point on a line which is tangent to the last constant radius value of the top dead center area, and (f) said cylinder being provided with means for admitting fuel thereto, means for timed ignition of the same and further provided with air intake and exhaust gas manifolds and means for selectively opening and closing said cylinder to said intake and exhaust manifolds.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
360 words
A reciprocating, rotary, combustion engine, comprising: (a) a hollow, non-rotatable support block member of predetermined length and adapted to be supported in an operative position, (b) at least one cylinder member supported in said block member such that the ends of said cylinder open to the outside of said block member and whereby within said block member there is space externally of the cylinder, said cylinder including opposed pistons with piston rods extending out of the opposed ends of said cylinder and said piston rods being provided at their outer ends with follower bearing means for engaging a driven cam surface, (c) a rotary output member mounted for rotation around said support block member and including a generally round exterior surface and a continuous interior driven cam surface for said cylinder, (d) said cam being shaped such that it includes predetermined arcuate areas of constant radius from the axis of the rotary member at least for radially equal and opposed top dead center positions for said pistons in order to allow for predetermined periods of time and degrees of rotation at which the chamber between the pistons is at constant volume, said cam also providing at least radially equal and opposed bottom dead center positions, and said cam further being shaped such that every radius therein has an equal and opposite counterpart radius, (e) said cam being shaped after the top dead center constant volume areas to provide an expansion section having an acceleration area for moving the pistons away from top dead center at an accelerating velocity and then a deceleration area for moving the pistons away from top dead center at a decelerating velocity toward bottom dead center, and wherein the maximum value of the radius in the acceleration areas cannot be greater than any point on a line which is tangent to the last constant radius value of the top dead center area, and (f) said cylinder being provided with means for admitting fuel thereto, means for timed ignition of the same and further provided with air intake and exhaust gas manifolds and means for selectively opening and closing said cylinder to said intake and exhaust manifolds.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
46 words
The engine according to claim 27 and in which the cam is shaped after bottom dead center to provide opposed return areas of a predetermined number of degrees of rotation of the rotary output member for returning the pistons to the next top dead center area.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
53 words
The engine according to claim 28 and in which the deceleration area of the expansion section in limitation (e) is defined as a curve which continues to move the piston outwardly at a decelerating rate and which rate decreases in reverse order of changes in the radii by which the acceleration area increased.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
35 words
The engine according to claim 29 and in which the expansion section may be of a greater or lesser amount than 90° of rotation in order to extend the pistons to bottom dead center position.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
22 words
The engine according to claim 30 and in which the areas of acceleration and deceleration may be of unequal degrees of rotation.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
89 words
The engine according to claim 28 and in which the expansion section from the last constant radius of the top dead center area to the first or only radius at bottom dead center is a harmonic curve setting forth the radii as R.sub.θ =S+[1-Cos (u)] where ##EQU3## k=beginning radius point of the harmonic curve (last constant radius at top dead center) m=ending radius point for the harmonic curve (first or only radius at bottom dead center) L=180-(k+m) S=1/2 distance of travel of one piston, θ=angle of R from 0°.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
48 words
The engine according to claim 28 and in which the exhaust section is shaped after bottom dead center position to return the pistons to top dead center position at first slowly and then increases the speed so as to minimize thrust loads on the piston rods and bearings.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
67 words
The engine according to claim 33 and in which said driven cam surface is provided with predetermined arcuate areas of constant radius from the axis of the rotary member for radially opposed bottom dead center positions for the pistons in order to allow for predetermined periods of time and degrees of rotation at which the chamber between the pistons is at constant volume at bottom dead center.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
36 words
The rotary engine according to claim 28 and in which said intake and exhaust manifolds are opened to said cylinder by ports and which ports are opened and closed according to the position of the pistons.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
39 words
The rotary engine according to claim 28 and in which said intake and exhaust manifolds are provided with openings which are provided with and opened and closed by valve members actuated in accordance with the requirements of the engine.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
49 words
The rotary engine according to claim 36 and in which said valve members are provided with stem portions which engage valve cam means against which resilient means are provided to urge said valve members, said valve cam means forming an endless surface and rotating with said rotary output member.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
56 words
The rotary engine according to claim 37 and in which said valve member for said intake manifold is actuated by a first valve cam means and said valve member for said exhaust manifold is actuated by a second valve cam means, said first and second valve cam means being on opposite sides of said continuous cam.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
33 words
The engine according to claim 28 and wherein said pistons are positively biased outwardly so as to ensure continuous engagement of the follower bearings with the cam surface particularly during the intake stroke.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
32 words
The engine according to claim 28 and in which said engine includes mulitple generally parallel, in-line, spaced apart cylinders with opposed pistons and each cylinder having its own driven and valve cams.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
35 words
The engine according to claim 40 and in which the driven cams for the individual cylinders are angularly positioned with respect to each other so that the mass of the rotary output member is balanced.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1985-06-14 | 1985-12-14 | 1986-06-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1989-06-14 | 1989-12-14 | 1990-06-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1993-06-14 | 1993-12-14 | 1994-06-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |