Apparatus and method for a balanced internal combustion engine coupled to a drive shaft
First Claim
1. An internal combustion engine comprising:
- at least one pair of cylinders, wherein piston rods from each of said cylinder pairs are coupled;
a cam drum positioned generally parallel to each of said cylinder pairs, said cam drum having a cam groove, said groove encircling said cam drum in a predetermined path; and
a roller mechanism coupled to each of said coupled piston rods, each of said cylinder pairs positioned relative to said cam drum so that said roller mechanism is in said groove, rotation of said cam drum being determined by motion of said roller mechanism in said predetermined path, wherein said roller mechanism has a separate rotating element for contacting each side of said groove.
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Abstract
An internal combustion engine is described in which the piston movement is parallel to the drive shaft. The engine cylinders are arranged in opposed pairs and the piston rods directly coupled so that the power stroke in one cylinder can assist with the compression stroke in the associated cylinder. The coupled or common piston rods have attached thereto a carriage that engages in a cam groove in the drive shaft. The drive shaft cam groove receives the force of the carriage as it is propelled by the pistons and the resulting torque causes a rotation of the drive shaft. The cylinders include a precompression chamber that assists in the exchange of combustion products with air. The internal combustion engine does not require special cooling and does not require a starter motor.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. An internal combustion engine comprising:
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at least one pair of cylinders, wherein piston rods from each of said cylinder pairs are coupled; a cam drum positioned generally parallel to each of said cylinder pairs, said cam drum having a cam groove, said groove encircling said cam drum in a predetermined path; and a roller mechanism coupled to each of said coupled piston rods, each of said cylinder pairs positioned relative to said cam drum so that said roller mechanism is in said groove, rotation of said cam drum being determined by motion of said roller mechanism in said predetermined path, wherein said roller mechanism has a separate rotating element for contacting each side of said groove. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. The method of translating reciprocating motion of a rod into rotational motion of a cam drum and for translating rotational motion of said cam drum to reciprocating motion of said rod, said method comprising the steps of:
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constraining said cam drum to have only rotational motion, said cam drum having a groove fabricated therein; providing a carriage mechanism having at least two rotating members coupled thereto; constraining said rod to move with translational motion; coupling said carriage to said rod; and positioning said rod to provide that a first rotating member engages a first wall of said drum groove structure and that a second rotating member engages a second wall of said drum groove.
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Specification