Internal combustion piston engine-driven piston pump with hydraulic pressure return of combustion piston from BDC

• US 4,140,440 A
• Filed: 12/29/1975
• Issued: 02/20/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hydraulic Engine Development Group
• Original Assignee: Hydraulic Engine Development Group
• Inventors: Ferris, James J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vrablik, John J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ross, Thomas I.
• Application Number:
  US05/644,751
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 123/53 B, 123/56 BC, 123/46 SC, 123/66, 417/364, 417/339, 417/343, 417/341, 417/342, 417/380, 417/374, 417/399, 60/369, 60/371, 60/375, 60/595, 60/596, 60/698, 60/699, 60/628
• US Class Current: 417/343
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/025 two
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 63/06 for pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 17/05 driven by internal-combustion engines

Abstract

This invention relates to internal combustion engines, the energy output of which is produced as hydraulic pressure, and in one embodiment comprises two, two-cycle internal combustion engines which face each other, the piston rods of each of which are axially aligned and are linked to both of the axially aligned drive pistons of two hydraulic pumps which also face each other by means of four connecting rods of equal length, the axis of the pump rods being at right angles to that of the engine rods, and associated hydraulic circuitry which includes means for selectively initiating the compression phase of the engines when their respective pistons have thrust outward toward each other to such an extent that the angle between the axis of each of said piston rods and its associated connecting rods has passed through a right angle and said rods would otherwise be retained in said extended position through force exerted on said connecting rods by the pistons of the hydraulic pumps.

Claims

1. An internal combustion engine apparatus comprising a power piston and a primary pumping combustion piston having a power stroke and a compression stroke having rod means pivotally connecting the primary pumping piston to the power piston to freely reciprocally move the pumping piston when the power piston moves with each piston having a top dead center position and bottom dead center position;

a secondary pumping piston interconnected with the primary pumping piston to provide the energy for the compression stroke of the power piston through said rod means;

means to supply power to said secondary pumping piston to power the compression stroke;

said rod means attached to each of said pistons so that the angle x formed between the rod means and the power piston axis exceeds 90°

when the combustion piston is at bottom dead center so that any force transmitted through said rod means locks said combustion piston means at bottom dead center; and

means to selectively move the power piston out of the locked bottom dead center position.

2. An engine according to claim 1 further comprising a second power piston opposed to and having the same stroke axis as said first power piston;

a second primary pumping piston opposed to and having the same stroke axis as said first primary pumping piston;

said rod means pivotally connecting each power piston to each pumping piston.

3. A hydraulic output engine comprising:

(a). a two cycle internal combustion piston means having a reciprocating piston operating along a stroke axis and having a compression stroke and a power stroke;

(b). a primary hydraulic piston means having an inlet and outlet and having a fixed line of action;

the stroke axis of which is angularly spaced from said stroke axis of the combustion piston means;

(c). rod means for making said combustion piston means and said primary hydraulic piston means free running, pivotally connecting the combustion piston means to the hydraulic piston means to maintain a reciprocal stroke relationship therebetween and connecting said combustion piston means to said primary hydraulic piston means while maintaining a fixed distance therebetween;

(d). means providing hydraulic energy through said rod means to perform the compression stroke of the combustion piston means by displacement of the angularly spaced hydraulic piston;

(e). said rod means transmitting energy between said means providing hydraulic energy and said combustion piston means so that the resultant force transmitted on the compression stroke of said combustion piston means through said rod means increases substantially throughout the compression stroke as the cotangent of the included angle x between the axis of said rod means and the stroke axis of said combustion piston means as the angle x varies from 90° and

approaches 0°

as the combustion piston means approaches top dead center;

(f). and said rod means transmitting energy between said combustion piston means and said primary hydraulic piston means so that the resultant force transmitted on the power stroke between said combustion piston means and said primary hydraulic piston means increases substantially throughout the power stroke as the tangent of the included angle x between the axis of said rod means and the stroke axis of said combustion piston means as the angle x increases to 90°

as the combustion piston means approaches bottom dead center.

4. The engine of claim 3 in which the primary hydraulic piston means comprises two opposed hydraulic pistons the stroke of each being along the same axis and which are spaced equidistant from the stroke axis of said combustion piston means.

5. The engine of claim 4 in which the internal combustion piston means comprises two combustion pistons opposed to one another and having the same stroke axis, each said combustion piston being located equidistant from the axis of said hydraulic piston, said rod means pivotally connecting each combustion piston to each hydraulic piston.

6. The engine of claim 5 having power absorbing means associated with each combustion piston to absorb the terminal portion of the power stroke of each of said combustion pistons.

7. The engine according to claim 3 further comprising scavenging air piston means interconnected to said hydraulic piston means and aligned on the same axis while operating simultaneously with the hydraulic piston means.

8. The engine according to claim 3 comprising said rod means aligns the bottom dead center of the combustion piston with the fully extended position of the hydraulic piston.

9. The engine of claim 3 comprising in said means providing hydraulic energy a hydraulic piston means interconnected to said primary hydraulic piston to provide the energy for the compression stroke of the combustion engine.

10. The engine of claim 3 further comprising high pressure fluid storage means associated with said primary hydraulic piston means.

11. A hydraulic output engine comprising:

(a) a two cycle internal combustion piston means having a reciprocating piston operating along a stroke axis and having a compression stroke and a power stroke;

(b) a primary hydraulic piston means having an inlet and outlet and having a fixed line of action;

the stroke axis of which is angularly spaced from the stroke axis of the combustion piston means;

(c) rod means for making said combustion piston means free running, pivotally connecting the combustion piston means to the primary hydraulic piston means to maintain a reciprocal stroke relationship therebetween and a fixed distance therebetween;

(d) means providing hydraulic energy through said rod means to perform the compression stroke of the combustion piston means by displacement of the angularly spaced primary hydraulic piston means;

(e) said rod means transmitting energy between said means providing hydraulic energy and said combustion piston means so that the resultant force transmitted on the compression stroke of said combustion piston means through said rod means increases as the cotangent of angle x as the combustion piston means approaches top dead center;

(f) said rod means transmitting energy between said combustion piston means and said primary hydraulic piston means so that the resultant force transmitted between said combustion piston means and said primary hydraulic piston means increases as the combustion piston means approaches bottom dead center;

(g) said rod means connected to said combustion piston means and to said means providing hydraulic energy so that the angle between the rod means and the combustion piston axis passes through 90°

when the combustion piston is at bottom dead center so that any force transmitted through said rod means holds said combustion piston means at bottom dead center;

means to selectively move the combustion piston out of locked bottom dead center position.

12. The engine of claim 11 in which the primary hydraulic piston means comprises two opposed hydraulic pistons the stroke of each being along the same axis and which are spaced equidistant from the stroke axis of said combustion piston means.

13. The engine of claim 12 in which the internal combustion engine means comprises two pistons opposed to one another and having the same stroke axis, each said combustion pistons being located equadistant from the axis of said hydraulic piston.

14. The engine according to claim 13 further comprising scavenging air piston means interconnected to said hydraulic piston means and aligned on the same axis while operating simultaneously with the hydraulic piston means.

15. The engine according to claim 14 comprising said rod means aligns the bottom dead center of the combustion piston with the fully extended position of the hydraulic piston.

16. The engine of claim 15 comprising in said means providing hydraulic energy to perform the compression including hydraulic piston means interconnected to each said primary hydraulic piston to provide the energy for the compression stroke.

17. The engine of claim 16 further comprising high pressure fluid storage means associated with said primary hydraulic piston means.

18. The engine of claim 17 having power absorbing means associated with each combustion piston to absorb the terminal portion of the power stroke of each of said combustion pistons.

19. The engine of claim 18 wherein said power absorbing means comprising hydraulic piston means connected to said high pressure storage.

20. The engine of claim 18 wherein said hydraulic piston means comprises a first and second stage piston.

21. The engine of claim 18 wherein said power absorbing means comprises a hydraulic piston means interconnected with a spring means for absorbing shock.

22. The engine of claim 18 comprising in said scavenging air means super charging means to selectively provide high pressure air to the combustion pistons.

23. The engine of claim 22 comprising exhaust ports in each said internal combustion piston means located at the lower end of the combustion cylinder to permit exhaust when the top of the combustion piston cylinder passes said exhaust port;

means to inject high pressure air intermediate to said exhaust port and the top of the combustion piston chamber.

24. The engine of claim 18 further comprising hydraulic motor means interconnected to said high pressure storage.

25. In a hydraulic output internal combustion engine having power pistons having a power stroke and a compression stroke and having hydraulic output pistons and a constant force means to perform the compression stroke, the improvement comprising rod means connecting said hydraulic output pistons and said power pistons such that the resultant force from the power stroke transmitted to said hydraulic output pistons increases as the tangent of angle x between said rod means and the stroke axis of said power pistons as angle x varies between 0°

and 90°

as the power pistons approach bottom dead center;

rod means connecting said power pistons and said constant force means such that the resultant force from the constant force means transmitted to said power pistons increases as the cotangent of angle x as angle x travels from 90° and

approaches 0°

as the power pistons approach top dead center.

26. A hydraulic output engine comprising:

(a) a two cycle piston means having two reciprocating internal combustion engine pistons opposed to one another and having the same stroke axis and having a compression stroke and a power stroke;

(b) two opposed hydraulic pistons the stroke of each being along the same axis and which are spaced angularly equidistant from the stroke axis of said combustion piston means;

said hydraulic pistons having an inlet and outlet and having a fixed line of action;

(c) rod means for making said combustion pistons and said hydraulic pistons free running, pivotally connecting each combustion piston to each hydraulic piston to maintain a reciprocal stroke relationship therebetween and connecting said combustion pistons to said hydraulic pistons while maintaining a fixed distance therebetween;

(d) means providing hydraulic energy through said rod means to perform the compression stroke of the combustion pistons by displacement of the angularly spaced hydraulic pistons;

(e) said rod means transmitting energy between said means providing hydraulic energy and said combustion pistons so that the resultant force transmitted on the compression stroke of said combustion pistons through said rod means increases as the combustion pistons approach top dead center;

(f) and said rod means transmitting energy between said combustion pistons and said hydraulic pistons so that the resultant force transmitted between said combustion pistons and said hydraulic pistons increases as the combustion piston means approaches bottom dead center.

27. The engine of claim 26 having power absorbing means associated with each combustion piston to absorb the terminal portion of the power stroke of each of said combustion pistons.