Internal combustion engine
First Claim
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1. An internal combustion engine comprising:
- an inner and outer piston disposed in each of a pair of cylinders, one end of the outer piston cooperating with the cylinder to form a combustion chamber, the other end of the outer piston coupled to a plunger that moves in unison with the piston;
a scavenging pump disposed at the end of a cylinder, the scavenging pump comprising first and second chambers defined by the movable plunger;
wherein the pump is configured to draw fluid into the first chamber from outside the pump when the outer piston is moving toward the inner piston, and to direct the fluid from the first chamber into the second chamber, pressurizing it, when the outer piston is moving away from the inner piston; and
wherein the pressurized second chamber is able to communicate with the intake ports of both cylinders so that the pressurized fluid is directed into each when intake ports are opened.
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Abstract
An internal combustion engine is disclosed having opposed cylinders, each cylinder having a pair of opposed pistons. All the pistons may be connected to a common central crankshaft. The inboard pistons of each cylinder may be connected to a common joint on the crankshaft with pushrods and the outboard pistons may be connected to a common joint on the crankshaft with pullrods. Each opposed cylinder may include an integrated scavenge pump for providing positive intake pressure. The engine configuration also allows for asymmetrical timing of the intake and exhaust ports through angular positioning of the journals on the crankshaft.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An internal combustion engine comprising:
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an inner and outer piston disposed in each of a pair of cylinders, one end of the outer piston cooperating with the cylinder to form a combustion chamber, the other end of the outer piston coupled to a plunger that moves in unison with the piston; a scavenging pump disposed at the end of a cylinder, the scavenging pump comprising first and second chambers defined by the movable plunger; wherein the pump is configured to draw fluid into the first chamber from outside the pump when the outer piston is moving toward the inner piston, and to direct the fluid from the first chamber into the second chamber, pressurizing it, when the outer piston is moving away from the inner piston; and wherein the pressurized second chamber is able to communicate with the intake ports of both cylinders so that the pressurized fluid is directed into each when intake ports are opened. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An internal combustion engine comprising:
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two opposed cylinders having a common axis, each cylinder having a pair of opposing inner and outer pistons that define a combustion chamber and reciprocate on the common axis, the pairs of pistons being coupled to a crankshaft disposed between the cylinders, the crankshaft comprising two outer piston journals and an inner piston journal that is disposed between the outer piston journals, each journal being commonly coupled to either a pair of inner pistons or outer pistons from opposite cylinders, the journals being arranged so that the outer pistons open and close an intake port for a cylinder, and the inner pistons open and close an exhaust port for a cylinder; a pair of scavenging pumps, one disposed at each end of a cylinder, the scavenging pumps each comprising first and second chambers and a movable plunger defining the volume of the chambers, the plunger being coupled to and moving in unison with an outer piston so that it draws fluid into the first chamber as the plunger moves with the outer piston toward the crankshaft, and so that it directs the fluid into the second chamber as the plunger moves with the outer piston away from the crankshaft; and wherein the pressurized second chamber is in fluid communication with intake pods of one or both cylinders so that pressurized fluid is directed into the intake pods of the one or both cylinders as they are opened. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. An internal combustion engine comprising:
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two opposed cylinders having a common axis, each cylinder having a pair of opposing inner and outer pistons that define a combustion chamber and reciprocate on the common axis, the pairs of pistons being coupled to a crankshaft disposed between the cylinders; a pair of scavenging pumps, one disposed at each end of a cylinder, the scavenging pumps each comprising first and second chambers and a movable plunger defining the volume of the chambers, the plunger being coupled to and moving in unison with an outer piston so that it draws fluid into the first chamber as the plunger moves with an outer piston toward the crankshaft, and so that it directs the fluid into the second chamber as the plunger moves with the outer piston away from the crankshaft; wherein the pressurized second chamber is in fluid communication with an intake port of one or both cylinders; wherein the first chamber is defined by an end of a housing and a plunger extending rearward from the outer piston, the movement of the plunger away from the crankshaft directing fluid from the second chamber into the intake port of the cylinder that is opposite the one to which the pump is disposed. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. An internal combustion engine comprising:
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two opposed cylinders having a common axis, each cylinder having a pair of opposing inner and outer pistons that define a combustion chamber and reciprocate on the common axis, the pairs of pistons being coupled to a crankshaft disposed between the cylinders; and the crankshaft comprising two outer piston journals and an inner piston journal that is disposed between the outer piston journals, each journal being commonly coupled to either a pair of inner pistons or outer pistons from opposite cylinders, the journals being arranged so that the outer pistons open and close an intake port for a cylinder, and the inner pistons open and close an exhaust port for a cylinder. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 20)
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16. An internal combustion engine comprising:
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at least two opposed cylinders aligned on a common axis, each cylinder comprising a pair of opposed pistons reciprocating along the common axis, and an end of each opposed piston, in conjunction with a cylinder, defining a combustion chamber; and the pair of opposed pistons comprising an inner piston and an outer piston; each cylinder comprises at least one exhaust port disposed so that reciprocation of the inner piston opens and closes the exhaust port, and at least one intake port disposed so that reciprocation of the outer piston opens and closes the intake port; a crankshaft linked to each inner piston by a push rod and linked to each outer piston by a pull rod, wherein rotation of the crankshaft causes asymmetric pod timing so that the exhaust ports are opened by their respective inner pistons before the intake ports are opened by their respective outer pistons, and the exhaust ports are closed by their respective inner pistons before the intake ports are closed by their respective outer pistons. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. An internal combustion engine comprising:
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at least two opposed cylinders having a common axis, each cylinder including at least one first piston, the first pistons in the opposing cylinders reciprocating on the common axis; a crankshaft disposed between the two cylinders, the crankshaft having a first journal; and a pair of connecting elements that are commonly coupled to the journal and respective first pistons, the connecting elements rotateably disposed over the journal and being movably alignable on the common axis.
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21. An internal combustion engine comprising:
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at least two opposed cylinders having a common axis, each cylinder including at least one first piston, the pistons in the opposing cylinders reciprocating on the common axis; a crankshaft disposed between the cylinders comprising at least one journal, wherein the first pistons are each coupled to respective ends of inner-piston pushrods, and the opposite ends of the inner-piston pushrods are commonly coupled to the journal, wherein the journal comprises a nested assembly of two coaxial components. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification