Valve actuating apparatus in internal combustion engine

Claim 1

A valve actuating apparatus for intake and exhaust valves in an internal combustion engine having a swing rocker arm which is rotatably connected at its one end to a rocker arm shaft supporting the rocker arm and at its opposite end bears against a valve stem of an associated intake or exhaust valve, and a rotatable cam which is supported on a cam shaft and which bears against the rocker arm to swing the same about the rocker arm shaft, wherein said rocker arm is composed of two arms which are interconnected to each other by means of a connecting shaft extending in parallel to the rocker arm shaft for relative rotation about the connecting shaft, one of which arms bears against the valve stem, so that the two arms can selectively occupy an operative position in which the two arms are integral with each other and extend substantially straight so as to form a single rocker arm, and an inoperative position in which a relative rotation between the two arms takes place to absorb the rotation of the cam, and wherein said apparatus comprises means for causing the cam to bear only against said one arm bearing against the valve stem.