CA1036501A - Internal combustion engine with gyratory piston and cylinder movement - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
An internal combustion engine wherein a piston element with rectilinear sides operates within a movable cylinder-piston element having rectilinear sidewalls, and wherein the combustion chamber has a polyhedral shape. Rotatable crankshafts are mounted in each of the piston and cylinder-piston elements so that said elements follow gyratory paths in opposite directions to effect a variable volume combustion chamber. A cylindrical valve member is rotated in timed sequence to the rotation of the crank-shafts so that intake and exhaust ports are sequentially opened and closed during the combustion cycles. One or both of the crankshafts may operate or be joined to a drive shaft or shafts for work output, said crankshafts being interconnected by gear means to coordinate gyratory movement of the piston and cylinder-piston elements.

Description

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S P E C I F I C A T I O N
,~ . , Field of the Invention This invention relates to an internal combustion rotary engine in which rotatable piston and cylinder-piston elements and stationary cylinder walls, collectively forming a combustion chamber, having coating flat rectilinear faces. The piston and cylinder- piston elements follow opposite gyratory paths during operation o~ the engine to ef~ect a variable yolume combustion chamber which follows an oscillating up and down path, whereby balancing of the engine, minimal vibration operation, necessary sealing of the combustion chamber, proper cooling, and improved efficiency of operation are attained.
Reference to the Prior Art Numerous ef~orts have been made to depart from the con- ;
ventionAl engines having a reciproaating piston and a stationary cylinder so that disadvantages of such engines may be overcome, and new advantages may be reali~ed. One popular approach has been generally to develop various types of rotary internal combustion engines or so called swirl-piston or rotary piston devices repre-sented by the well known Wankel engine. Representative rotary engines may be seen in prior art patents such as U.S. 1,249,881;
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U.S. 2,590,132; and U.S. 2,179,401. A further representative teaching of the Wankel type may be found in U.S. Patent No. 3,584,984.` ~-The prior art represented by such teachings involves a great number of rotary engines having arcuate or curvilinear surfaces ~;
between co-working elements. ~his presents serious problems in ef~icient sealing, and ad~uate sealing is neaessary ko assure ~; -efficient operation.

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Ob~ects and Advanta~es o~ the-lnvention It is one important obJect of the present invention to provide an improved pr~me mover or compressor wherein a variable volume chamber ~ollows a generally up and down movement as a re-sult of piston and cylinder-piston elements following opposite gyratory movements, such gyratory movements attalned by a poly-hedral piston element with opposite pairs of parallel sides operat- ;
ing between opposite rectllinear walls o~ a cylinder-piston element. ; ~
Another important ob~ect of the present invention is~to 1.` :
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provide an improved internal combustion rotary engine wherein a ;~
combustlon chamber follows a generally up and down movement as a result of piston and cyllnder-pi~ton elements following opposite ~yratory movements~ such gyratory movements attalned by a pol~
hedral piston element With opposlte pair~ o~ parallel sldes operat-ing between opposlte rectllinear walls of a oylinder~piston element to thereby attain improved sealin~ in operation and improved operating e~iciency.
Yet another important object of the invention is an improved rotary internal combustion engine wherein gyratory move- .
ments of the piston and cylinder-piston elements are between `
stationaryJ rectilinear, ~lat walls, which partly form the com-bustion chamber, thus allowing improved sealing between the sta-tionary walls and the gyratory piston and cylinder-piston elements thereby providing increased e~ficiency of operation.
Still yet another important obJect o~ the present inven-tion i~ to realize the advanta~e~ o~ a polyhedral plston element operatin~ between quadri.lateral sidewalls o~ a cylinder-plston element by movin~said elements in opposite ~yratory paths with the aicl Or cranksha~ts which are coordinatecl relatlve to thelr m~vements.
Yet stlll another important obJect ~.s an improved inter-nal combustion rotary en~ine whereln ~yratory movements o~ piston

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and cylinder-piston elements in an engine housing or casing com-press air so that means may be provided to deliver said compressed air for char~ing or supercharging operation of the combustion chamber. ~`
Still yet another important ob~ect of the present inven-tion is to provide improved geometry o~ the combustion chamber to provide flexibility in the design of various compressicns ratios.
Yet another important ob~ect o~ the present invention is to provide an internal combustlon engine of the type described which operates to further advantage in association with an improved cylindrical valve member which is timed to rotate in relationship to the gyratory movement of the cylinder-piston and piston elements to provide desired opening and closing o~ intake and exhaust ports.
Still yet another lmportant ob~ect o~ the present Lnven-tlon is to provide an improved rotary internal combust:lon en~l.ne of the type descrlbed whlch has relatlvely ~ew parts, and is rela-tively lightweight, and provides high volumetric efficiency and more horsepower per pound of weight. In attaining this ob~ect, there is provided an engine which has advantages of simplicity in design, economy in manufacture, ruggedness of construction, ease of use, and efficiency of operation.
Summary of the Invention ;~
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To attain particular advantages of good sealing and en~
gine operation, there is provided a polyhedral type of piston element which has opposite pairs of parallel sides. The piston element reciprocates between parallel rectllinear, flat sidewalls of a c~linder-plston element so adJoining rec~ili.near, flat sides ~ ;
o~ a polyhedral type pi~ton element, together with seal elements, located in walls of the piston element can lead to desired sealing ef~iciency in lon~ lastin~ operation. The cylinder-piston element al~o has a polyhedr~l type of body portion with oppos:Lte pairs of .. .
parallel sldes. The cylinder-piston element likewise operates in

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the manner of a piston. A rotatable cranXshaft is mounted in each . ~ ~ . , of the piston and cylinder-piston elements so that each of said elements is induc~ed to follow a gyratory path in opposite direc-tions. In this way, the cylinder-piston element dynamically partic-ipates in the power transmission rather than operating as a static ; ;
member for the piston. r~he crankshafts have ends which extend out of the engine casing, and 8uch ends are interconnected by gearing means so that rotation of each sha~t, and gyratory movement of the elements are coordinated.
One or both o~ the crankshafts can then operate as a drive ~ -shaft, or can be connected to a shaft or shafts which operate as a ;
power or drive sha~t. A plurality of such piston and cylinder elements can be align~d to drive a common power or drive sha~t.
Nece~sary seals may be provided between th~ coaatlng roo-tilinearJ flat ~aces of the plston and cylinder-pis~on elements, as well as between the piston and cylinder-piston elements~ and the coacting rectilinear, ~lat en~ine stationary walls positioned at opposite sides to provide a closed~polyhedral combustion chamber of varyin~ dimensions. The oscillating path of the combustion chamber `
is there~ore defined by piston and cylinder-piston elements which ;
move in a gyratory path, and by rectilinear, flat walls which are statlonary. In addition to advantages Or efficiency in sealing the combustion chamber o~ described typeJ such an assembly is manu~ac-tured economically since the shapes involved are very simple and -~
since there is no need for the use o~ special materials.
Fuel-air mixtures and exhaust gases are moved to and ~rom the combustlon chamber by an lmproved cylindr:lcal valve member which is rotated in timed sequence to the cranksha~ts, such a valve member being interconnected to a cranksha~t by a ~ear train. The lllustrated cyl:lnclrical valve member is t:~mecl to rotate one full 360 turn for every two 360 turns o~ the cranksha~ts. In this way, both e~haust and intake por~s are registered with an aperture , .,;'"" , ' ' ~' ~
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communicating with the combustion chamber so that as intake, compression, power and exhaust occur, cylinder-piston and piston elements execute two gyratory movements. `
Descrlption o~ the Views of the Drawings Figure 1 ls a somewhat schematic side sectional view of the internal combustion rotary engine, with parts removed for pur- `
poses Or clarity.
Figure 2 i9 a somewhat schematic view partially in sec~
tion, taken along a plane normal to the view of Figure 1. ~;
Figure 3 is a somewhat schematic view in section, with ' parts removed, taken along line 3-3 in the view of Figure 2, said view o~ Figure 3 being rotated 90 ~or convenience.
Figure 4 is a somewhat schematic sectional vlew taken along line 4-4 in E~'igure 2, said view of Figure 4 b0ing rotat~d 90 for aonvenience.
Fi~ure 5 is a somewhat schematic view taken along line ' 5-5 o~ Figure 3~ but rotated 90 for convenience.
~ igure 6 is a somewhat s~hematic view, with parts re-moved, taken along line 6-6 in the view o~ Figure 2, but rotated go for convenience. I '' Figure 7 is a side elevational view taken along a section i`' plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical valve ' '' member. .'' :' ! ' Figure 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 in the '' view o~ Figure 7. ';'' ' ' Figure 9 is a side elevational view of the cylindrical valve member .; ,:
pos'itioned like the valve shown in the vlew of` Flgure 8.
Figure 10 is a sectional view taken along line 10~10 in '~
Figure 9, but rotated 90 for convenience. '~
Fi~ure 11 ls a schematic view, mostly ln section, showin~ ` `
the en~,lne at the ~nd of the e~haust ~troke and start o~ the intake `'` ' st~oke.
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3~i50~ ,",,,",",",,, Figure 12 is a secti~nal vlew taken along line 12-12 in . . ..
Figure 11, but wlth parts removed. -Figure 13 is a sectional view of the engine showing ;
execution of the intake stroke. c ,~
Figure 14 is a sectional view taken along line 14-14 of the view of Figure 13, but with parts removed. ~ ;
Figure 15 is a sectional view o~ the engine showing the end o~ the lntake stroke and the beginning of the compression stroke.
Figure 16 is a sectional view taken along line 16-16 in Figure 15, but with parts removed.
Figure 17 i9 a sectional view o~ the engine showing execu- ;~
tion o~ the compression stroke.
Figure 18 is a 8ectional view taken along llne 18-18 in Figure 17, but with parts removed.
Figure 19 is a sectional view o~ the engine ~howing the ~
end of compresslon stroke, ignition and beginnlng o~ the power `, strok~_ Figure 20 is a sectional view taken along line 20-20 in Flgure 19, but with parts removed.
Figure 21 is a sectional view of the engine showing the .: ,;", ~; power stroke.
Figure 22 is a sectional view taken along line 22-22 in the view of Figure 21, but with parts removed.
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Fi~ure 23 is a sectional view of the engine showing the end of the power stroke and the beginning o~ the exhaust stroke.
Figure 24 is a sectional view taken alon~ line ~4-2l~ in the view o~ Figure 23, but with parts removed.
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Figur0 25 is a sectional view Or the englne showing the execution o~ the exhaust stroke.
Flgure 26 ls a sectional view talcen along llne 26-26 in the view o~ Figure 25, but wlth parts removed.
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Use of the same numerals in the varlous views o~ the drawings, will indicate a rererence to like structures, parts or elements, as any case may be.
Detailed Description of the Invention Referring now to the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 show an engine housing 20 enclosing an engine housing chamber 21. Within the chamber 21 is located a rectilinear cylinder-piston element ~hown generally as 2Z. The cylinder-plston element includes a poly-hedral type body 24 with spaced, parallel rectilinear, ~lat walls 26.
The terms "cylinder-piston" or "piston-cylinder" re~r to a generally U-shaped element or body which operates in the way of bo~h a cylinder and a p~ston, although the con~iguration of the element is not at all cylindrical.
A polyhedral kype pi~ton element 28 is operat~vely po~i-tioned between the rectilinear walls 26 o~ the cylinder-piston element. The piston element 28 has a pair of opposite parallel sides 30 which ad~oin the rectiline~r, flat sidewalls 26 of the cylinder-piston element. Another pair of opposite parallel sides 32 `
in the polyhedral piston are shown, one of such sides 32 changing the dimensions of the movable polyhedral combustion chamber 34.
The cylinder-piston element has a passageway 36 in which , .
is rotatably mounted a cylinder-piston crankshaft 38. Such a crank-shaft has aligned opposite end portio~s 40, and an offset inter- -mediate portion 42. An inner pair of shoulders 44 and an outer pair ~ ~
of shoulders 46 demarcate the offset portion fron the aligned end ~ ;
portlons. Transverse portlon~ of the crankshaft e~tendin~ between ;
extremities of the lnner and outer shoulder~ rotate in cylindrical chambers 48 located in opposite sides of the cylinder-piston bocly ~4. Such cham~ers 4~ ln the opposite sides clo not al~er the essen-tially polyhedral confi~uration of the cyl:lnder~piston ~ody, lnclud-in& flan&e portlon 50, the faoe whereof p~rtl g def'ines the ~' ', .

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combustion chamber 34. A thinner outer flange portion 52 defines ;, ' ~' a terminating portion of the cylinder-piston body 24, and is remote -from the combustion chamber 34.
Piston element 28 likew~se has a passageway 53 similar to 36 in cylinder-piston element 22, and a piston crankshaft 56 which i9 simllar to the crankshaft 38. Features in crankshaft 56 similar to those in crankshaft 38 shall not be described in detailJ and de- ", scriptlon relatin~ to crankshaft 38 should be carried cver when considering cranksha~t 56. Also, piston element 28 has cylindrical chambers in opposite sides of similar construction and for similar purposes as described in association with the cylinder-piston element 22.
Crankshaft 56 ha~ one o~ its aligned end portions ~our~
naled at 58, the o~r~et and end portlons inaluding bearing sur~aces ~, in their associated pa~sageway~. Cranksha~t 56 has a circular gear 60 keyed or okherwise ~ixed thereto. Cranksha~t 38 also has ' ', an aligned circular gear 62 keyed or otherwise fixed to end portlon ~"
40, as shown. A power or drive sh'aft 64 is connected to end 40 of cranksha~t 56 or may be an integral extension thereof. The power ~' ' or drive shaf~t 64 is ~oined to work output means, not shown. Crank- -;
sha~t 38 has one of its end portions 40 ~ournaled at 67, crankshaft , :
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38 rotating clockwise in the view of Figure 1. Crankshaft 56 rotates countercloc~lise as shown ln the view o~ Figure 1, and such oppositely rotating cranksha~ts move the piston-cylinder and piston elemen~s in opposite gyratory paths. Such crankshaf'ts are connected through gears 60, 62 to coordinate or synchronize their^rotation and the gyratory movements Or the piston and oylinder-pi~ton elements. '' Such gear interconnection also provides power transmissions to drive shaft 64.
The combustion chamber is ~urther de~lned by statlonary , , rect:llinearJ f'lat part 68 having a cont:Lnuous combustion chamber ; ', sldewall 70. Another rectilinear stationary eng:ine part 72 wlth chamber sid~lall 73 is at ~he..opposite side to complete definition o~ the polyhedral combustion chamber 3~. Sidewall 73 has a sub-stantially elongated communica~ing aperture 76. Stat~onary part 72 further includes a curvilinear wall portion 78, said stationary engine parts 68J 72 further havi~g a plurality of communicating coolant cham~ers and circulatlng cooling fluid commonly shown as 80. It will be understood that coolant chambers and circulating M uid 80 wlll be located in other engine parts, as shown in other views.
Curvilinear chamber wall portion 78 substantially en-closes a passageway 81 in which i9 located rotatable cylindrical valve member 82. Looklng partlcularly at Figures 7-10, such a cylindrical valve member is shown to include a substantially con-kinuous annular wa].l 84J and ~urther includes a diagonal sepa~ator l;
or web member 86 inglde the valve member~ An exhau~t ~i.de or space 88 is to one si~e o~ the separator~ and an intake side or space 89 is on the other side of the separator. An exhaust or `~
outlet port 92 communicates with the exhaust side~ and an inlet or ``
intake port 94 communicates with the intake side. A midwall portion ~ :
g6 separates th~ two ports~ and the balance of the annular wall portion extends from the port to the other port. Dia~onal separa~
tor 86 extends to the midwall portion as shown.
The illustrated valving means is timed to rotate one ~ `
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complete 360 turn for every two 360 turns of the crankshafts.
A gear traln ls shown connecting the cylindrical valve member and one o~ the crankshafts 38. The cylindrical valve member i.s shown with a helical gear 98 ~ormed in the annular wall 84. Actuation o~ ;
this ~ear through ~he gear train rotates the c~lindrical valve member at desired rotational rela~ionship to the cranksha~ts, as well as the plstorl and cylinder~-plston element~. The gear train includes a ~car lO0 keyed or o~herwise ~ixed to an end 40 o~ the cyli.nder-p-lston cranksha~t 38~ Gear 100 meshes wit~l gear 101, the `~

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horizontal axis of gears lOO and lOl lying in a common plarle ~-(Figures 4 and 5). Gear lOl Is` keyed or otherwise fixed ~o the shaft bevel gear 102 which, in turn meshes with bevel gear 104 at ~`:
right angles in a conventional way. A helical gear 106 is keyed or ~ :
otherwlse fixed to the shaft of bevel gear 104, and such helical gear me~hes with annular valve helical gear 98 to complete the gear train. The shafts o~ the bevel gears are rotatably mounted in a .
passageway o~ the engine housing, and are ~ournaled at other parts ~:
o~ the engine housing, as best indicated in the view of Figure 5 It will be understood that the intake fuel-air mixture may be ~ .
dellvered in usual ways by carburetor or in~ection and that the mixture wLll be ignited by a spark, a sparkplug 108 belng shown mounted ln an engine housing part ln the vlew of Figure 6. In the compre~sion-ignition (Diesel c~cle) version o~ thl~ en~ln~ a ~u~
in~ector will replace the sparkplug in generally the same location The Operakion o~ the Invention Re~erence to Figures 11-26 will indicate a representative ~. .
illustration o~ the operation of the inventlon. The view of Fi~ure ;.
11 shows the midwall portion 96 o~ the cylindrical valve member :
partially closing the communicating aperture or gap 76 leading to .
the combustion chamber. This can be taken as representing the end :.
of the exhaust stroke and the start of the intake.stroke, the crank-sharts being so positionçd that the offset portions 42 are laterally d~splaced from end portions 40.
The cylindrical valve member continues its rotation in a clockwlse manner in these views so that intake port 94 re~isters w~th the gap 76 to allow intake o~ th~ ~uel-alr mi~ture into com bustlon chamber 34. mis ls shown in the view o~ Figures 13 and ll~, and is representative of execution o~ the intake stroke.
Cont:Lnued rotatlon o~ ~he cylindrlcal valve member results in closlng the gap 76 b~ portions of tile annu].ar wall 84. Thls is shown in the views o~ Figures 15 and 16, such view i.ndicatln~ the ~i .

36SOl end o~ the intake stroke and the beginning of the compression . ~. ~ . .
stroke. me gap 76 remains closed during execution of the com~
pression stroke as indicated in the views of Figures 17 and 18.
~ hen the crankshafts complete their revolution to assume the posit~on shown in Figures 19 and 20, the piston and cylinder~
piston elements will also assume positions as shown in these figures. The cylindrical valve member, however, will be rotated '' 180 from that shown in the view o~ Figure 11. Such a relationship will indicate the end o~ the compression stroke and the start of '~
the power stroke. The execution of the power stroke will then be illustrated by the positions of the crankshafts, piston and , cylinder-piston elements, as shown in the views of Figures 21 and 22;', but the cylindrical valve,member wlll again be rotated 180 ~rom `' ;
that shown in the view o~ Figure 13. The end o~ the power stroke ~,' , and the start or the ~xhaust stroke Will be lllustrated by the i' ~ "
posltions of the cranksha~ts, piston and cyllnder-piston elements ',;,' as shown in the views of Figures 23 and 24, the cylindrical valve ;~ ' member again being rotated 180 from the position shown in Figure ' '' "
15. The execution o~ the exhaust stroke will then be represented by the relationship o~ the crankshafts~ piston and cylinder-piston ~,, , ' ~' elements as shown in the views of Figures 25 and 26, the cylin~ ~ ~' drical valve member being rotated 180 from the position shown in -`
Flgure 17. , The gyratory movement o~ the piston and cylinder-piston ,, elements is best shown in the vlews of` Figures 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, ,,~
22, 24 and 26, such gyratory movement being further understood by ,',' no~ing the relatlve positions of the of~aet and end portlons o~ the cranksha~ts. The rotation o~ the cran~sha~ts are indicated by '' arrows in the views o~ Figures 11, 13, 15, 17~ 19, 2], 23 and 25, ;' An illustratLve ~yratory turn is seen as co~mencing ~ith the off~sQt portions belng laterally and interiorly disp~ ced in Figure 12. "' "
In this posltion the piston and the cyllnder elements are centrally ,'''' '''''.','.

~ 3 6 5 0 located within the englne casin~. The offset portions are then moved to assume a vertical upper position to thereby raise the piston and cylinder-piston elements and move the piston-cylinder element to the right, and the piston element to the left, as indicated by the view of Flgure 1~. The offset portions are then laterally and exteriorly displaced to move the piston and piston-cylinder elements downwardly, the piston-cylinder element to the right and the piston element to the le~t, as indicated in the view of Figure 16. The of~set portions are then displaced vertically downward to lower the piston and cylinder-piston elements and initiate movement of the cylinder-piston element to the lef't and ;
piston element to the right, as shown in the view of Figure 18.
~he gyratory movement will be completed by assuming the po~ition shown in Figure 20.
~ le improved rotary internal oombustlon englne disolo~ed herein has been parti.cularly described in relation to ~our cycles of operation. It should be understood, however, that the features o~ this invention can be applied in a similar manner to the opera-tion of other cycles, f'or example, two cycle operation, in accord-ance with recognized practice. m e features o~ two cycle operation àre well known, and practitioners will readily apply such features ~;
to the engine disclosed herein. ~
The internal combustion rotary engine is the pref'erred - -embodiment in practice, compresslon ignition, spark ignition, two ~ ~;
cycle, f'our cycle and the like. It should be understood, however, that the illustrated embodiments may operate otherwise as prime movers. Fuels other than hydrocarbon ~uels may be used, ~or example hydrogen Other pres~ure ~luids may also be used to operate the movable elements in the expansion and contraction chamber~ the variable volume chamber, or the dynamic volume chamber, which volume is varied by expandlng and contractin~ fluid pressure~, or dynamlc ~luid pressures. Such ~luid pressures may -lnclude hydraullc, non-103~5C31 combustible gases such as steams, refrigerants and still others.
In all such embodiments, the piston and cylinder-piston elements -~
follo~ opposite gyratory paths in executing power generating ~ ~ :
cycles.
The claims of the invention are now presented, and the ~ :
terms in such claims may be further understood by reference to the ~ `~
language of the preceding specification and the views of the drawings. ~ :
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Claims (13)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A prime mover in which piston and cylinder-piston elements follow a gyratory path in executing power generating cycles, including a cylinder-piston element having spaced, parallel recti-linear, flat sidewalls, a piston element having spaced, parallel sides adjoining said cylinder-piston rectilinear sidwalls, said piston and cyl-inder-piston elements partly forming a polyhedron variable volume chamber, in which fluid pressures operate to expand and contract said chamber, rectilinear, flat housing parts adjoining opposite sides of the said cylinder-piston and piston elements to further define said polyhedron combustion chamber, a rotatable cylinder-piston crankshaft mounted in said cylinder-piston element, an oppositely rotatable piston crankshaft mounted in said piston element, and being 180° out of phase, with said cylin-der-piston crankshaft, and gearing means interconnecting said crankshafts so that said piston and cylinder-piston elements follow opposite rotation and coordinated gyratory paths.

2. A prime mover as in claim 1 wherein said prime mover is an internal combustion engine operated by hydrocarbon fuels, and said chamber is a combustion chamber.

3. An internal combustion engine as in claim 2 wherein said engine is spark fired.

4. An internal combustion engine as in claim 2 wherein said engine is a compression ignition engine.

5. An internal combustion engine as in claim 2 wherein said piston element has a substantially square configuration having a second pair of parallel sides spaced apart so that the width of the piston element is coextensive with the width of the cylinder-piston rectilinear, flat sidewalls, and said rectilinear sidewalls terminating with rectilinear, flat edges which, together with said pair of piston parallel sides, operate to sealingly engage said rectilinear, flat housing parts at the opposite sides of the cylinder-piston and piston elements.

6. An internal combustion engine as in Claim 5, wherein each crankshaft has an intermediate offset portion and opposite aligned end portions, said intermediate offset portion of each rotating crankshaft moving the respective elements to diametrically opposed fully raised and lowered positions in executing a 360°
rotation.

7. An internal combustion engine as in Claim 6, wherein one of said crankshafts operates as a drive shaft for a work output joined to said drive shaft.

8. An internal combustion engine as in Claim 2 which further includes a cylindrical valve member positioned to rotate across an aperture communicating with the combustion chamber, said cylindrical valve member having separated inlet fuel and exhaust spaces, an exhaust port opening into the exhaust space, and an intake port opening into the intake space, and means to rotate said cylin-drical valve member in predetermined relation to the rotation of the crankshafts so that said valve sequentially opens and closes said ports during intake, compression, power and exhaust strokes.

9. An internal combustion engine as in Claim 8, wherein the means to rotate said cylindrical valve is a gear train inter-connecting one of said crankshafts and said cylindrical valve member.

10. An internal combustion engine as in Claim 9, wherein the ratios of the gears in said gear train are such that each crank-shaft rotates twice for each rotation of the cylindrical valve member.

11. An internal combustion engine as in Claim 10, wherein said communicating aperture to the combustion chamber is closed by a midwall portion between the ports and a wall portion extending from one port to the other port, and said cylindrical valve member hav-ing a helical gear mounted thereon which operates in said gear assembly to transmit rotational movement to the cylindrical valve member.

12. An internal combustion engine as in Claim 11, wherein said intake and exhaust spaces are separated by a diagonal divider web, a portion of said divider web extending to said midwall portion, and said helical gear mounted on the cylindrical valve member meshing with another helical gear which is rotated by a shaft of a bevel gear which, in turn, meshes with a bevel gear which is at right angles to said first bevel gear, a shaft of said second bevel gear being rotated by a first gear which meshes with a second gear mounted on one of said crankshaft ends, said first and second gears having a common vertical axis.

13. An internal combustion engine as in Claim 10, wherein said cylindrical valve member is timed to rotate so that the intake port registers with the communicating aperture to the combustion chamber during intake stroke, said communicating aperture being closed by the wall of the cylindrical valve member at the end of the intake stroke, the compression stroke? and the power stroke, and said exhaust port registering with the communicating aperture during the exhaust stroke, said exhaust stroke then being closed following substantial completion of a 360° rotation of said cylindrical valve member.