CZ137294A3 - Engine with improved internal combustion - Google Patents

Abstract

A radial internal combustion engine, preferably two stroke, using a rotating cam unit (32) (RCU) coupled to a drive shaft (30) disposed along a centerline of the engine is disclosed. Raceways are located on the RCU. Pistons (28), preferably four, reciprocate in heads located in the engine. The pistons are each connected to one end of a rod (34). Followers (40) connected to the other end of each rod travel the raceways of the RCU as it rotates. The raceways are arranged so that some of the followers are pushed by the RCU and others are pulled by the RCU to cooperate with the reciprocating motion of the opposed pistons. Members attached to the connecting rods engage rod guides mounted on guide plates attached to the engine block. The engagement of these members on the rods with the rod guides effectively dissipates the forces acting upon the rod at the rod/RCU interface which act in any direction other than that which is parallel to the direction in which the piston reciprocates, and constrain movement of the rod and piston to the direction of reciprocation.

Description

ENGINE WITH IMPROVED INTERNAL COMBUSTION

Technical field

The present invention relates generally to internal combustion engines. More specifically, the invention relates to an internal combustion engine driven by pistons mounted within stationary cylinders disposed in a fixed radial configuration and using a rotating cam unit (RCU) having preferably three raceways to move the pistons and valve series. This RCU takes the place of a conventional crankshaft.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The history of all internal combustion engines (such as the Otto cycle, diesel and two stroke) can be inferred from 1678, when a Frenchman named Abbe Hautefeuille suggested using the gunpowder energy in the cylinder to move the piston and get work. Its principle is now used to shorten the launch of aircraft from the parent aircraft carriers. The first successfully operating engines used walking beams (Street Engine from 1794) and rack and gear arrangements (Barsanti and Mateucci in 1856, Otto and Langen in 1866) to convert the linear reciprocating motion of the pistons into a rotary motion. The steam engine was the most popular source of mechanical energy at the time, and it was not long before the crankshaft of the steam engine became a standard feature of an internal combustion engine. The steam engine of the steam engine worked very well on the steam engine. The pistons seldom made a linear reciprocating movement of more than a few hundred strokes per minute, safely below the destructive frequency limit. Oil vapor provided cooling and lubrication. The pistons were cut to a common axis so that there was no lateral pressure in the feed holes, only axial thrust. This pressure was pronounced and constant and was often used on both sides of the piston. Compare this to the environment inside a modern internal combustion engine. The pressure here is not expressive, but explosive. The heat is high enough to melt many metals. The working fluid is not oil vapor that lubricates, but white, red-hot flames containing caustic acids. This hot gas strikes the piston and converts the oil into an etching solution.

In light of this, we must admit that modern internal combustion engines are manufactured as very durable. However, although they can be considered to be highly advanced, they are in fact less efficient than is possible because the conversion of thermal energy to mechanical energy is carried out by means of a piston, connecting rod and crankshaft.

Linear movement of the piston in the drive cycle is the initial step of conversion from thermal energy to mechanical energy. This linear movement is gradually changed to the angular movement of the connecting rod, which gradually causes the crankshaft to rotate. The piston chafing at this stage of conversion is caused by the huge lateral pressure exerted on the piston by the geometry of the shaft. However, this is just one of the many difficulties of using the crankshaft.

A substantial part of the energy and hence the power is lost from the respective combustion process due to the inefficiency of the lever transmission geometry inherent in the crankshaft system. But perhaps the worst design deficiency in crankshaft engines is their own imbalance.

The relative state of dynamic balance is achieved by adding compensating weights or rotating balancing bodies. As the engine changes speed, the appropriate resonant frequency of these weights is reached and they begin to shake the machine. This creates frustrating problems for engine designers. Some modern engines require up to nine rotating and anti-rotating attachments to compensate for this natural imbalance.

But besides these balancing problems caused by the mass movement, it is the very explosive nature of the combustion process. The Otto cycle engine has an energy generating drive cycle of approximately 160 degrees that occurs only once every other rotation (720 degrees) per cylinder. This translates into a power input of only 22% of the time. Because the pressure decreases as the combustion volume increases, and because the respective leverage per piston changes with the rotation of the shaft, these forces are not transmitted by a smooth thrust as in a steam engine. This orderly and uneven pulse of energy is another inherent design problem of these engines. . To overcome it, designers followed two paths. First, they used heavy flywheels to lessen the shock of the explosion and transfer that momentum to the next drive. These machines were very heavy for their performance. Some first horsepower engines weighed more than a horse. Later constructions were processed using several pistons, each with its own seat on the crankshaft. This allowed the drive bars to overlap. The eight-cylinder engine has four overlapping drive bars per revolution. But this has brought more problems with balancing solutions and more rotating and counter-rotating counterbalancing bodies, and the associated 'gears or chains to drive them. Any excess dynamic load that must be designed for an engine to overcome this natural lack of balance only increases the inertial and frictional loads that the engine must overcome. These friction losses in the crankshaft system are well known and have been studied for many years.

The combustion process in a standard Otto engine is another area where improvements could be made. Already in 1873, American Brayton developed an engine that used the unique energy utilization of the full range of combustion gases, much like the multi-stage steam engines that made practical ocean liners. He did this by using two cylinders side by side and a very complex valve system. The first cylinder was used to pre-press the air / fuel mixture. The second was large enough to capture the entire range of explosive gases up to atmospheric pressure. Although a large amount of this engine has been produced, the friction and inefficiency of the shaft and the extensive and complicated valve series have brought only minor improvements to the competing Otto engine. Although the Brayton procedure has been abandoned on reciprocating engines, it is still being used to operate the gas turbine engine.

Over the past fifty years, many deficiencies in crankshaft engines have led to extensive research into alternative designs. The results brought several rotary designs, a turbine and other types of compact power units. However, for one reason or another, they have not yet attracted the attention of world engine manufacturers. However, there is a great need, especially in the automotive industry, to develop a better engine. Originally, this search was focused on higher specific performance per pound of weight. Eventually, development focused on increasing the number of miles traveled and reducing pollution.

However, there are a few basic reasons why the automotive industry has not started production of either of these new engine designs. Most new engine designs result in larger, heavier, more complex and expensive units than conventional propulsion devices. Also, all recent new designs represent a radical departure from well-known, proven technology. This is particularly true with regard to external combustion engines. But when considering immediate, sensible alternatives such as the Wankel engine or gas turbine, it is clear that each has its own problems. Both were not widely accepted due to their low effectiveness. Another problem they share is that these designs cannot easily be produced with the help of those billions of dollars of machine tools and special equipment and the workforce that is currently in automobile plants around the world. Tax laws and depreciation schemes make it difficult for a manufacturing company to make a quick change. Thus, while the position of these two engines in aviation production and the production of small sports cars may be assured, they are unlikely to ever be used in large quantities.

As noted earlier, a conventional internal combustion engine inefficiently converts the energy from the linear reciprocating movement of the pistons to a given drive shaft due to the energy losses generated by the connecting rod to the crankshaft mechanism. This arrangement also increases the complexity of the engine by requiring significant balancing devices. In addition, a conventional internal combustion engine cannot reduce the pressure of the respective combustion products down to atmospheric pressure and thus wastes a large percentage of this energy potential of this combustion. Conventional internal combustion engines also suffer from gas leakage problems (combustion gases leak directly into the crankcase and thus contribute to pollution), incomplete combustion of fuel, high fuel consumption, loss of power units, and polluting emissions.

As mentioned above, previous internal combustion engines, including radial engines, have suffered great inefficiency as they inadequately coped with all forces applied to the piston and connecting rod. Prior to prior art engines, while utilizing forces that act parallel to the piston axis, they inadequately cope with those forces that act on the piston and the connecting rod and do not act parallel to the center line. These foreign forces, such as those acting on the crankshaft connecting rod, when not lying along the bore axis of the combustion chamber, are typically transmitted to the piston or connecting rod. When transferred to the piston, the piston seizes against the walls of the combustion chamber. When transmitted to a connecting rod that passes through a bushing, this rod tends to seize.

In both cases, these foreign forces reduce the efficiency of the engine as these frictional forces on the piston and / or connecting rod increase.

Thus, an improved internal combustion engine is desirable to: (a) efficiently control and dissipate foreign forces from the piston and connecting rod; (b) convert more energy from gas combustion expansion to power; (c) ensure efficient conversion of direct reciprocating motion to rotary motion. (e) was internally dynamically balanced, (f) gave a large number of driving impulses per revolution for smooth running, (g) provided a simple design to minimize component parts, (h) was easy to production using existing infrastructure, which is currently found in most engine plants.

Among the prior art references considered to be contemplated are U.S. Patents 3,482,554 (N. Marthins), 3,948,230 (A. Burns) and 4,334,506 (A. Albert).

U.S. Patent 3,482,554 to Marthins discloses a type V internal combustion engine having a wing cam disk 3 with cams 4 equidistant from each other. The piston rod 9 is fixedly attached to the piston 8 at one end and the cylindrical grip 10 at the other. Rotation of the cam disc 3 results in upward movement of the pistons 8 and downward movement is caused by the combustion pressure in the cylinder.

U.S. Patent No. 3,948,230 to Burns discloses a rotary engine consisting of a basic, triangular shaped rotor 14 with four-leaf shaped secondary rotors 15 rotatably mounted on each of the three wings 16 of the base (first) rotor 14. it moves in the reverse direction with each wing engaging in the concave base portion 29 of each third piston.

U.S. Patent 4,334,506 to Albert discloses a reciprocating rotary engine having a hollow stationary block with an elliptically shaped cam surface 62. The pistons 28 are also coupled by a piston connecting rod 30 to a roller bearing 42.

The elliptical surface allows the piston to perform a full stroke within a predetermined number of degrees of rotation within one revolution.

The prior patents, however, do not disclose an improved internal combustion engine that provides an effective conversion of a linear reciprocating motion to a rotating motion while reducing pollutant emissions and providing a simple design that minimizes the number of component parts. Both Marthins and Albert do not describe a piston engine in a radial arrangement of cylinders. Also, these patented inventions do not eliminate all unburned exhaust emissions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the limitations of the prior art by providing a radial internal combustion engine that efficiently converts a linear reciprocating motion into a rotary motion, while reducing polluting emissions and providing a simple design that minimizes. number of component parts.

According to the present invention, it is an internal combustion engine comprising:

- engine block,

- drive shafts,

- a plurality of rollers arranged in a radial pattern in a plane fixed perpendicular to said drive shaft,

- a plurality of pistons arranged one by one in each said cylinder,

- a plurality of connecting rods having each of the first and second ends, each of said pistons being connected to one of said connecting rods to said front end,

- cams rotating about said shaft in said plane, with a plurality of cam faces around said cam, the first and second of said faces facing inwards towards said drive shaft, the third of said faces facing outward from said drive shaft, and said first and second surfaces are on both sides of said third surface, a plurality of cam followers coupled to each of said connecting rods in said second ends, first and second of said followers adapted to engage said first and second cam surfaces, and a third follower adapted to engage said third cam surface, such that in use, when said cam rotates, said first and second cam surfaces engage said first and second cam followers to draw the connecting rod to which they are attached and said third cam surface engages a third cam follower kt lacquer of said connecting rod.

The present invention also provides a radial internal combustion engine comprising:

- engine block,

- drive shafts rotatably arranged along the central axis of the engine block,

- a rotary cam unit, said rotary cam unit having a plurality of cam extensions and each of said cam extensions having a rising edge and a falling edge, said rotating cam unit being mounted to said drive shaft, said cam rotating in a plane fixed perpendicular to said drive shaft ,

- a plurality of rollers arranged in a radial pattern around said rotary cam unit,

- a piston arranged in each of said cylinders,

- a number of connecting rods, the number of said connecting rods corresponding to the number of said pistons, each piston having one end of one of said connecting rods connected to each other,

- at least one cam follower coupled to the end of each connecting rod opposite the end attached to said piston, said cam follower being adapted to engage said cam extensions on said rotary cam unit, a connecting rod guide device to maintain alignment to said common connecting rod axis, and restricting the movement of any connecting rod in all directions, except along its longitudinal axis, said guide means comprising internal and external engagement members, a first category of said members associated with said connecting rod for moving therewith, a second category of said members with respect to said connecting rod fixed.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a cam for an internal combustion engine for converting a reciprocating reciprocating motion of a piston into a rotational movement of a drive shaft comprising a central cam body, a central innermost surface on said cam body, and two outer surfaces of said cam body, on the opposite side of said central cam surface.

The present invention also provides a connecting rod assembly for connection to the piston of an internal combustion engine in which it is. a linear reciprocating motion of said piston converted by said connecting rod to a rotating cam, said assembly comprising:

- shafts with a longitudinal axis and two ends, the first end of which is adapted to connect said piston,

- a plurality of cam followers, each with a cam engaging surface mounted to said second end of said shaft with said surface firmly perpendicular to said axis, said cam followers comprising at least one primary cam follower seated symmetrically about said axis of said connecting rod and at least one secondary rollers offset from said axis.

More specifically, in a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a central rotary cam unit (i.e., RCU) that is coupled to a drive shaft. This RCU has a series of cam extensions formed into its outer edge. In a preferred embodiment, the RCU is designed to operate with four pistons. The specific shape of the RCU is designed to ensure constant acceleration of these pistons. The four pistons are arranged radially around the RCU and within each cylinder there is one piston. The pistons have cam followers on their bases. When the RCU rotates, the piston is pushed upward in the cylinder by the rising edge of one of the cam extensions. This causes the piston to compress the air and fuel mixture. The spark plug in the cylinder gradually ignites this mixture, causing the combustion forces to push the piston down. As the piston moves down in its cylinder, the cam follower engages the falling edge of the cam, thereby pushing the RCU and the coupled drive shaft aside, inducing their rotational movement. Cooling is provided when the piston opens both the inlet and exhaust ports at the bottom of the stroke, thereby allowing air from the intake compressors to move into the piston and out through the respective exhaust. Consequently, the present invention produces high torque at low speeds, eliminating the need for gearboxes.

The present invention also increases the number of drive bars per revolution of the drive shaft than conventional engines and minimizes the equipment necessary to achieve balance by using the RCU by eliminating the need for a crankshaft. Further friction losses are minimized since the present invention requires only two main bearings. In an alternative diesel version of the present invention, unburned exhaust emissions are eliminated using a lean fuel mixture.

The present invention provides many advantages over prior art engines. First of all, the use of a unique connecting rod guide system reduces the friction and galling of the connecting rods and pistons. The cam followers located on the connecting rod end opposite the piston contact the raceways on the RCU. As the RCU rotates, these rollers travel along these raceways, transmitting forces between the connecting rod and the RCU, causing the piston to move forward and back in the combustion chamber.

At the end distal from the piston, the connecting rod has elongate members that fit into the connecting rod guides. The connecting rod guides are preferably fixed to or part of the guide discs which are attached to or form part of the engine block. Preferably, the elongate members engage the connecting rod guide rails in the rib and groove configuration and restrict the movement of the connecting rod in all directions except for the direction in which the piston moves back and forth.

The unique way in which the connecting rod is limited in motion allows destructive forces (those that do not act along the center axis of the piston) to be converted to the engine block, where they are dispersed. This arrangement prevents these forces from being transmitted to a given piston or connecting rod where high friction and galling would result, which would render the engine ineffective.

Further, in a preferred embodiment, each revolution of the PTO of the present invention generates two drive bars per cylinder. This allows the present invention to obtain the same number of drive cycles per revolution in a four-cylinder engine as a 16-cylinder Otto cycle engine. In a preferred embodiment, the combustion chamber has one compression chamber of the same size downstream of the moving piston so that no off-gas leakage during combustion can contaminate the oil or cause contamination, but is returned to the combustion chamber and out of the engine. The pistons move forward and backward by means of said RCU, which has three raceways. The main cam surface lies in the center of the RCU, in the direction of the respective pistons, and transmits the piston energy (forces down) directly to the shaft. The other two cam surfaces are on each side of the main cam, facing away from the respective pistons and towards the central shaft, and are used to maintain the dynamic forces of the piston as it returns to the top of the bar. The RCU has two cam extension wings that are shaped to provide both acceleration and deceleration forces to the piston rod assembly.

RCU raceway surfaces travel using specially designed cam follower roller bearings. Even more specifically, at the end of each connecting rod opposite the piston are preferably three followers. One central moves along the central raceway, transmitting the downward force of the piston to the RCU, as well as the pushing piston upward as these rollers pass over one of the cam extensions. The two outer are also seated at the respective end of the connecting rod. Each of these rollers moves on one of the outer raceways of the RCU. These rollers assist in guiding the piston at its downward tact, as it maintains the piston as it returns to the top of the cylinder.

The piston and top of this engine operate somewhat similar to the Brayton engine cycle, but with fewer components and one shorter cycle, there were usually two pistons and two cylinders in the Brayton engine. Brayton's engine also had a separate combustion chamber above and between the two pistons. One piston compressed the gaseous fuel dose into the combustion chamber where it exploded and then entered the drive chamber where it pushed the piston during its drive cycle. At this drive cycle, the filling piston pulled in another fuel charge. At the upper bar, the drive piston sucked off its burned dose and the process began from the beginning.

In the present invention, there are two piston chambers at the top of the cylinder, at the top of the piston. When the drive bar pushes the piston down, it compresses the respective air dose below the piston and pushes it into the pre-combustion chamber next to the piston where, with explosive force, it enters the combustion chamber as soon as the respective opening is opened. Until then, the exhaust port has been opened and the burned dose is partially aspirated.

Thus, there is no exhaust cycle in the drive chamber, but only compression and drive cycle.

Thus, in the engine of the present invention, the piston pushes air into the chamber next to the piston (pre-combustion chamber) rather than the crankcase, as is the case with most conventional two-stroke engines. This increases the engine power of the present invention prior to a standard two-stroke and eliminates the need to supply oil to gasoline. It also eliminates the obvious emission problems caused by them. Ventilation is accomplished through a combination of piston openings and shut-offs and steam valves at the respective intake.

The dynamics of the present invention are internally balanced. Each piston has its counterpart, which is in perfect dynamic synchronization. In addition, in a preferred embodiment, ninety degrees in both directions within the common plane is another pair of pistons that also move in the same way but in the opposite phase. The dynamics of all four pistons are the same in time and force. For every movement and force in the engine there is the same and exactly the opposite force to neutralize it. This, in conjunction with eight drive pulses per revolution (twice that of the V-8) allows the present invention to compete with the electric motor for smooth running.

This balance and smooth dynamic operation is achieved by design and not by adding several power-taking counterweights or counter-rotating extensions. Indeed, the high polar axis of the RCU eliminates the need for a heavy flywheel.

Also, the lack of an energy-consuming cam line further increases the performance of this engine. The simple configuration of the present invention reduces the overall weight of the engine, which translates into less vehicle weight and more power.

The present invention has further advantages over prior art engines. In its preferred embodiment, the present invention uses 12 oil pressure bearings and 2 anti-friction bearings, as opposed to up to 40 bearings of various metals in a standard V-8 engine. In addition, the invention has in its preferred embodiment only nine larger moving parts: RCU, four pistons and four connecting rods. Compare this to an average V-8 engine with one crank, eight pistons, eight connecting rods, two camshaft sprockets, timing chain, one camshaft, sixteen camshaft adjusters, sixteen push rods, sixteen valve timing springs, sixteen valve springs and sixteen valves, or about ten times as many moving parts as the present invention. A smaller number of components also favorably translates into a less expensive and lighter engine that has less internal friction per output power unit.

In addition, the engine of the present invention is operated at a somewhat lower speed range than conventional engines because the RCU receives power from the piston at a greater distance from the center of the output shaft than 1.5 to 2 inches, as is the case with a standard automobile engine. The piston forces here have a larger lever ratio with respect to the load and consequently produce considerably higher output torque. The engine of the present invention is small in size and has a low center of gravity, allowing greater flexibility of use in many applications. Indeed, the present invention can be configured to be coupled to a standard available transmission or transverse drive shaft, with only minor modifications that can be made by any person skilled in the art. Other configurations of the present invention are not difficult to design because oil does not splash against the bottom of the piston.

Overview of the drawings

Giant. 1 is a perspective view of an engine of the invention; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the engine of the invention with a quarter section of the engine removed;

Giant. 3 is a perspective view of a rotating cam unit for an engine of the invention;

Giant. 4 is an illustration of the shape of a rotary cam unit for an engine of the invention;

Giant. 5 is an illustration of another shape of a rotary cam unit for an engine of the invention;

Giant. 6 is an illustration of a preferred shape of a rotary cam unit for an engine of the invention;

Giant. 7 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the engine of the invention showing connecting rod, followers, connecting rod guide rails and connecting rod guide plates.

Giant. 8 is a perspective view of a connecting rod and mounting of a connecting rod for the engine of the invention.

Giant. 9 is a partial perspective view of an engine block for an engine of the present invention;

Giant. 10 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the area around the connecting rod, followers and RCUs, showing the channels for supplying lubricant to the followers;

Giant. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the engine of the invention taken along a plane perpendicular to the drive shaft;

Giant. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the engine of the invention taken along a plane parallel to the drive shaft;

Giant. 13 and 14 are cross-sectional views of a four-cycle engine of an alternative embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Numerous details, such as specific component shapes and amounts, are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough description of the invention. In other instances, well-known components and manufacturing methods are described by generic terms in order not to obscure the present invention.

The present invention relates to a new, two-stroke, radial internal combustion engine, with a reciprocating piston movement by means of a light rotating cam unit (RCU), which is preferably made of high carbon hardened steel. The invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the engine 10 of the present invention preferably has four radially arranged cylinder heads 12, 10. Each cylinder head has an inlet port 14 and an injector port 16. An inlet port 14 is used to supply air while an inlet port 16 is used to supply fuel. The required fuel injection mechanism and air supply hardware are known in the art and have been omitted from the drawing. A spark plug 18 is located on top of each cylinder head 12.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a disk 20 of belt attachment accessories 20 or the like known in the art is attached to the shaft 30. An additional bell sleeve device 24 is attached to one end of the engine block 22 through which energy is transferred by coupling the shaft 30 to another shaft seated at 90 degrees to this shaft and coupled by the drive system 56. a bell sleeve device 24 for mounting a starter to the engine 10.

Giant. 2 provides a cross-sectional view in which a quarter section of the engine 10 is cut to show the internal structure of the two cylinder heads 12 and the engine block 22. As shown in the drawing, a preferred embodiment of the present invention uses drive shafts 30 coextensive with an imaginary centerline. mounted concentrically with the drive shaft 30 is a rotary cam unit 32, hereinafter referred to as RCU. The central raceway 38a and the two outer raceways 38b are located on the RCU 32.

Each piston 28 is arranged radially with respect to the drive shaft 30 and performs a linear reciprocating movement in the radial direction. The connecting rod 34 is connected at one end to the piston 28 and has at its other end three cam followers 40a and 40b. These cam followers are preferably rollers that move in the raceways 38a and 38b of the RCU 32 to translate the movement of the piston 28 of the driven connecting rod 34 to the RCU 32 or more versa. On each connecting rod 34 there are preferably three cam followers: a central main 40a and two outer 40b. The connecting rod guide plates 36, with the connecting rod guide rails 37 on top of each other, are located on each side of the connecting rod 34 so as to maintain alignment on the axis of the connecting rod 34 when performing its linear reciprocating motion.

Giant. 3 provides a perspective view of the RCU 32 when used in conjunction with a preferred embodiment of a four-cylinder engine 10. The RCU 32 generally consists of a central core 33 having an outwardly facing central raceway 38a and outer wings 35 with inwardly facing external raceways 38b. As will be described in more detail below, on the surfaces of the raceways 38a and 38b the cam followers 40a and 40b located at the base of each connecting rod are coupled to the piston 28. Thus, the central follower 40a moves on the outwardly facing surface 38a and the outer follower 40b. 40b move on the inwardly facing surfaces 38b and 38b.

Since the cam followers 40 travel on the raceways 38a and 38b of the RCU 32, the shape of the raceways 38a has reached its bottom. An oval shape in which a 38b determines the movement of the pistons 18 as the RCU 32 rotates. The special shape of these raceways 38a and 38b is therefore important because it dictates the movement of all pistons 18. As shown in FIG. 3, as in FIG. 11 and 13 to drive the four pistons 28 in two cycles per revolution of the RCU 32, the RCU 32 must have two upward surfaces pushing the piston 28 upward and two downward surfaces allowing the piston 28 to have the RCU 32 in this case. overall, it finds two cam wings or extensions 58 which act as part of the RCU 32. when the piston 28 is at the top of its stroke.

However, it is desirable that the secondary forces acting on the pistons 18 and the connecting rods 34 are minimized and controlled. To achieve this, the running grooves 38a and 38b are designed to have a cam shape that will cause the piston 28 and the connecting rod 34 to move through constant acceleration. In this way, random maximum forces are eliminated and constant acceleration is selected so that the resulting forces are less than the desired maximum, this maximum selected primarily by limiting the respective materials from which the engine 10 is made. Further, the cam shape of constant acceleration (in terms of piston movement) provides a dwell time of the piston 28 at the top and bottom of its stroke. This dwell time allows more time for exhaust replacement at the bottom of the piston stroke 28 and more complete ignition of gases and fuel at the top of the piston stroke 28. Although other cam shapes may be designed to maximize this dwell time, these cams are less desirable because they are not constant acceleration.

In a constant acceleration cam design, the exact shape of the raceways 38a and 38b is a function of the respective cam follower diameters 40a and 40b, the stroke of the piston 18 and the desired maximum RCU 32 diameter, and the raceway dimension 38a and 38b. In a preferred embodiment, the piston stroke 18 represents two (2) inches. The two inch stroke is selected to minimize the force on the connecting rod 34 while still providing sufficient variation of the volume in the combustion chamber 42 to achieve good combustion. as small as possible and at the same time large enough to be placed on bearings having a load transfer capacity greater than the forces that will be applied to the roller 40. The largest external dimension of RCU 32 (and thus the outer raceways 38b) is minimized. to keep this engine 10 as small as possible.

Once the above parameters have been selected, the exact shape of the raceways 38a and 38b is determined mathematically. This can be done manually by evaluating the respective values to form the cam shape from the raceways 38a and 38b. or it can be done using a computer program that both calculates the relevant points and puts them into the appropriate graphical form. In both cases, the task of determining the shape of the raceways 38a and 38b of the RCU 32 is simplified because it is preferred to use four pistons. In this case, in order for all four pistons to have exactly the same movement at each RCU 32 revolution, each 90 ° segment of the RCU 32 must be the same. Therefore, only one 90 ° segment of the profile of a given RCU needs to be determined and then superimposed four times to create the corresponding 360 degree profile.

When using the manual method, the shape of the raceway 38a and 38b is determined by drawing the profile of the cam. First, the displacement scheme is worked out. This diagram illustrates the position of the respective piston and connecting rod as plotted on the Y axis as opposed to a certain cam rotation angle or time T as indicated on the X axis. In other words, this diagram is a linear representation of the respective piston and connecting rod movements.

The X-axis is initially divided into a number of increments, for example in 5-degree increments. It is known that the piston is to move from the bottom of the combustion cylinder to its top and from the top to the bottom, in a preferred embodiment each time at 90 degrees. The stroke of this piston, here preferably 2 in., Is thus indicated on the Y axis. Because this piston must be in 0 degrees to 0 in. and in 90 degrees to 2 in. - these points are indicated on the relevant diagram.

Next, a straight line is drawn from the beginning of these axes at an acute angle. Since the given piston must rise the full stroke distance in 90 degrees, and since we know that the points are marked every 5 degrees, we have to determine the movement points in 18 time increments. As the piston moves with constant acceleration, the distance traveled by the piston each time or during angular increment is proportional to the respective time squared. Thus, for a time increment of time 1, i.e. within 0 to 5 degrees, the piston is shifted by an increment of distance 1. During the second time increment, from 5 to 10 degrees, the piston is shifted to 4, etc.

It is therefore clear that during 9 time increments between 0 and 45 degrees, the given piston must perform a 81 increment offset. Therefore, 81 marks are plotted at the same distance from each other on the drawn line. Draw a line from the 80th mark on the Y axis, corresponding to a 2 in stroke. Then the lines are drawn to this parallel, from the first, fourth, ninth, etc. increment to the first, fourth, etc. increment here to the Y axis. Then lines parallel to the X axis are drawn from these intersection points across until they merge with the lines 5, 10, 15, etc. degrees. These intersection points lie on the respective offset line. Draw a line through each of these points to document the displacement. A critical line is drawn and the same way of plotting points is used to obtain the appropriate displacement curve for a portion of this graph from 45 to 90 degrees. Of course, since this cam is used in conjunction with four pistons, the displacement scheme for each 90-degree segment will be the same, so you only need to identify one.

In the next step, the cam profile (and thus the running groove) is plotted from the processed displacement graph. First, the maximum outer dimension of the cam (thus the raceways 38b) is taken. for example, 10 in. The diameter of the roller (roller) is selected as described above, 2 inches will be used here for the purpose of Example 2. The respective connecting rod and follower are scaled. The central point O is located along the center axis of the connecting rod at a distance of 4 in. from the circumference of the follower (this distance is determined by subtracting twice the stroke and twice the radius of the given follower from the maximum cam dimension). Once point O is established, a circle is drawn around it that passes through the center of the follower. This circle is further divided into angular increments corresponding to those used in the displacement graph. From this graph the distances along the connecting rod to the center of the respective follower are indicated. Then, an arc is drawn from each increment, with the center of that arc at O until it touches the corresponding angular line starting from O. Each of these arcs is drawn until a series of points is plotted at 360 degrees around point 0. A line joining these points whose line defines the path of the respective end of the connecting rod. The profile of the raceway, and thus the points along which the roller contacts, is located at a distance equal to the radius of the roller within the center of its path.

When a computer program is used, the aforementioned manual method for determining the respective points is converted into a plurality of relevant formulas, with the result that the raceway 38a and 38b is determined by the number of points having the X and Y coordinates. 38a and 38b are printed.

First, the 360 degree cam is arbitrarily divided according to some incremental unit of measure K. For example, the cam may be divided into 1 degree increments, thus creating 360 sets of cam profile points. Certainly, the smaller this K increment, the more accurate the profile will be. It is assumed that the piston starts running at the bottom of its stroke so that the center of the follower C when K is O is equal to O. Then the position of the follower (and thus the piston) in the next increment of the cam (K equals 1) is calculated. This position C is equal to the previous position of the follower plus the square of the time factor T multiplied by the factor F of the arbitrary acceleration index. T is only an incremental unit selected to divide the total time it takes a given piston to move from the bottom to the top and from the top to the bottom of its stroke. In this example at hand, when 0.333 is selected for T, T will range from 0 to 15 when the cam profile is calculated from 0 to 90 degrees and the increment K is 1 degree. Then T will be from 15 to 0 for the next 90 degrees. Factor F of any index represents a constant acceleration number and is selected to be small enough that during a full 90 degree rotation in which a given piston performs its entire stroke, this factor times the total time T, on the other hand, gave a distance that is at least a degree greater than the total stroke distance of the piston.

In the current example, when TO is 33 and K is 1 degree, F equal to 0.000269 works well.

Furthermore, the distance E is calculated from the center of the cam to the center of the respective roller. Initially, this distance E is equal to any selected distance X, which is selected based on an estimate of the size of the cam that will fit within this proposed engine. After one increment of time, position E will be equal to X plus the distance C calculated above.

ZE can be determined by XC and YC, the coordinates defining the center of the follower in the specific increment K. The XC position is determined by taking the cosine of E multiplied by the number of radians represented by the angular increment K. The YC position is determined by taking the sine of E multiplied the number of radians represented by the angular increment K.

If we know the coordinates XC and YC of the center of the given roller, we calculate the corresponding coordinates of the XP and YP of the cam profile. To do this, the incremental distance F by which the center of the follower has moved from the center of the cam as this roller has moved to its new position in the new increment K is calculated by subtracting the previous radial position E from the current radial position E. Next, the angular relation is calculated. between a straight line between the points through which the center of the follower moved and the approximate radial line. This angle A is equal to the arc tangent of G divided by F, where G is E expressed in radians.

The cam coordinate XP of the cam profile in the increment K is then XC minus cosine A multiplied by the respective radius of the given roller (as described above, is preselected). The cam coordinate YP of the cam increment K is then YC minus the sine of A multiplied by the radius of the follower. Keep this in mind as this calculation gives the position of the central raceway cam profile coordinates. If the cosine and sine values of angle A, multiplied by the respective radius, are added to XC and YC, coordinates for the outer race cam profile are obtained.

By repeating the above steps for 360 degrees, a set of points represented by X and Y are obtained, which points define the entire profile of the desired raceway or cam.

Giant. 4 shows the profile of one raceway 38a and 38b. In this figure, only the profile of the central raceway 38a is shown. This raceway 38a ensures constant acceleration of the pistons 18 when the widest dimension of raceway 38a is 14.5 in., The piston stroke 28 is two inches and the diameter of the rollers 40a and 40b is 1.375 in. These RCU 32 and hence the raceway 38a and 38b are considered to be acceptable in terms of performance, but this design is not most preferred due to the large external dimension of the RCU 32 and hence the corresponding relatively large motor. As can be seen, this profile still retains the shape in which there are two cam extensions 58.

Giant. 5 shows yet another shape of raceway 38a and 38b. This figure shows the profile of both raceways 38a. tak 38b. on circular RCU. This shape also provides constant acceleration, but the RCU and raceway 38b are only 10.5 inches wide at their widest. The respective stroke is two inches and rollers 40a and 40b having a diameter of 1.375 inches are used. The shape of raceways 38a and 38b on this RCU is less preferred. This is because these small external dimensions cause these raceways 38a and 38b to have sharp corners. As the rollers 40a and 40b move along the raceways 40a and 40b of the RCU, these sharp edges exert considerable forces on the rollers 40a and 40b.

Giant. 6 illustrates a preferred shape of raceway 38a and 38b. This figure shows both raceway profiles 38a and 38b. same as RCU 32. which has an outer circular profile. Adding such an external peripheral surface provides a structure that facilitates RCU production and contributes beneficial flywheel effect. This raceway profile 38a and 38b provides constant acceleration when the RCU 32 and raceway 38b are 12 inches wide at their widest point. This raceway 38a and 38b is designed to provide constant acceleration when the piston 18 has a two-inch stroke and the followers 40 have a diameter of 1.375 inches. This RCU 32 design is preferred because it minimizes the largest external dimension and at the same time has a raceway profile 38a and 38b. which does not exert excessive force on the rollers 40.

RCU 32 can be manufactured in several different ways. One way is to forge RCU 32 from high carbon steel in three parts: the core 33 and the two outer wings 35 (see Fig. 3). These wings 35 are laser welded to the core 33 in the illustrated configuration and after annealing the RCU 32 is induction hardened and tempered. Then, the RCU is pressed onto the main drive shaft 30. In the next step, the surfaces of the RCU 32 raceways 38a and 38b are precisely ground and the whole unit is then dynamically balanced.

Preferably, however, the RCU is forged in two pieces which are then joined together. Giant. 6 shows one half of an RCU made in this way. In this embodiment, each half of the RCU comprises one half of the central core 33 and one wing .35. The two halves are rigidly assembled together by screwing or the like, and then the RCU 32 is mounted to the main drive shaft 30. The RCU is precisely ground to ensure appropriate tolerances.

As best seen in FIG. 3, the RCU may have an outer shape mirrored to the corresponding shape of raceways 38a and 38b. As shown in FIG. 6, however, the RCU 32 is preferably cast in such a way that its outer dimension is circular and therefore not of the same general shape as the raceways 38a and 38b. In this method, extra mass is added to the RCU, although it does not currently affect the amount of engine space required to incorporate the RCU 32. This extra weight allows the RCU to act as a flywheel to provide smoother rotation. The cut areas 39 in this circular RCU achieve optimum flywheel characteristics while reducing overall weight.

Giant. 7 shows the means of interaction of the connecting rod 34 and the RCU 32 and the respective mechanism by which the forces transmitted to the connecting rod 34 in the connecting rod 34 / RCU 32 are controlled during operation. Force control and dispersion are important for the motor 10 to operate smoothly and efficiently.

As can be seen in FIG. 7, but best documented FIG. 8, the end of the connecting rod 34 closest to the RCU 32 and the opposite end of the connecting rod 34 attached to the piston 28. is shaped to a great extent as a two-pointed fork. Referring to FIG. 7, the central cam follower 40a is seated between the two tips 71 and 72, and the outer cam followers 40b and 40b are seated on the outside of the two projections. The three pulleys 40a. 40b and 40b are preferably mounted on a common shaft 41 that extends through said connecting rod tips 34. As mentioned above, it is preferred that the rollers 40a and 40b are rollers having a diameter of 1.5 inches. and preferably comprised needle bearings therein. It is possible to have pulleys 40a and 40b in the form of a skid or sled, but these embodiments are less desirable as they lead to greater frictional resistance.

As shown in FIG. 7 and 8, each of the forks 71 and 72 has two extension members or surfaces 43 formed thereon or attached thereto. The extension members 43 are arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the connecting rod 34 and paired with each other, as such on each fork said members provide guide surfaces 68. In FIG. 8, four such surfaces are shown: two on opposite sides of each fork. The surfaces 68 are preferably raised to engage the connecting rod guide rails 37. These surfaces 68 each engage the connecting rod guide rail 37 located on or attached to the connecting rod guide plate 36, as will be described in greater detail below. A central support 70 may be positioned between the two forks 71 and 72 of the connecting rod 34 to provide the connecting rod 34 with increased rigidity and load-bearing capacity.

Returning to FIG. 7, the piston 28 (not shown) is maintained in a linear rectilinear reciprocating motion using the respective three cam followers 40a. and 40b and the four connecting rod guide rails 37 aligned with the connecting rod guide surfaces 68. The central roller 40a moves in a rolling manner along the central raceway 38a. When the RCU rotates to the approach point of one of the cam extensions 58, the RCU pushes the follower 40a and the connected connecting rod 34 and the piston 28 up into the combustion chamber 42.

The outer rollers 40b and 40b move along the outer raceways 38b and 38b. Because these outer raceways 38b are inward when the RCU moves away from one of the cam extensions 58 and to a position where the raceways 38a and 38b have a small dimension, the rollers 40b and 40b are pulled down by the outer raceways 38b and 38b of the unit. Thus, the RCUs pull the piston 28 in the combustion chamber 42 downwardly, assisting an explosive force on the piston 28, which is transferred to the central roller 40a and the central raceway 38a.

As shown, the four members 43 of the connecting rod 34 each engage with the connecting rod guide 37 mounted on the connecting rod guide plate 36. These connecting rod guide plates 36, as best seen in FIG. 9, the plates are protruding from the block 22 of this motor 10. As shown in FIG. 9, the connecting rod guide plates 36 extend from their connection with this block 22 to the space between the wings 35 of the RCU to a point near the central raceway 38a. These plates 36 are arranged in two planes, transverse to the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft 30, and continue along the block 22 on both sides of the surfaces where each connecting rod 34 is located.

Referring again to FIG. 7, each connecting rod guide 37 is attached to the connecting rod guide plate 36. On each connecting rod guide 37 there is a groove 73 for engaging a corresponding protrusion 68 extended from the member 43 on the connecting rod 34. Between the member 43 and each guide rail The connecting rod 37 is a fixed fit, which therefore effectively blocks the connecting rod 34 in contact with the guide rails 37 in two directions, while at the same time allowing the connecting rod 34 to slide up and down in the grooves 72 in the connecting rod guide rails 37.

The arrangement of guide rails 37 and members 43 on the connecting rod 34 effectively eliminates the movement of the connecting rod 34 in any direction except parallel to the axis of the piston 28 and combustion chamber 42. As described above, when the RCU rotates, one set of forces tends to push the connecting rod 34 and the piston 28 up and down as described above together with the respective cam follower 40a and 40b and the raceway 38a and 38b connection. However, at the same time, the forces tend to push and pull the followers 40a and 40b connected to the connecting rod 34 in a direction parallel to the direction in which the concept of the follower 40a and 40b is interconnected by the follower 40a of the RCU and 40b. These forces tend to push the connecting rod 34 and the piston 28 connected thereto in this same parallel direction.

In this embodiment, these forces act against and are controlled by the limitations of the connecting rod 34 by means of the apparatus of the respective connecting rod guide 37 and these are effectively dispersed through the connecting rod guide plates 36.

Furthermore, the applied forces also tend to push and pull the connecting rod 34 and hence the piston 28 connected thereto in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the followers 40a and 40b travel, or in other words, parallel to the shaft 41. Against these forces also acts the connecting rod 34 to connecting rod guide des36. since the groove arrangement of the connecting rod guides 37 of this connecting rod does not allow it to move in this direction.

Importantly, as shown in FIG. 7, these foreign forces occurring in the RCU, at the interconnection of the follower 40a and 40b, which do not exert pressure on the piston 28 upwards or downwardly, are transferred via the followers 40a and 40b to the connecting rod 34 and further to the connecting rod guide plates 36. This design is particularly advantageous because these foreign forces are diverted away from their point of action in the pulleys 40a and 40b at the same point where they are generated. These forces are directly transferred to the connecting rod guide plates and the block 22. This precludes their transmission to the piston 28 or the connecting rod 34 to prevent wear and seizure.

Giant. 10 illustrates the way in which the lubricant enters the portion of the connecting rod 34 that engages the RCU 32. As shown, the oil grooves 49 are extended through the connecting rod guide plates 36 from the central oil groove (not shown) in this block 22. These oil the grooves 49 can either be drilled into the connecting rod guide plates 36 and the connecting rod guide bars 37, or they can be formed by casting small tubes directly into the metal forming the guide plates 36. These grooves 49 are used to lubricate the connecting rod guide 37 and the connections of the columnar member 43 to reduce friction.

Giant. 11 shows a cross-sectional view of the engine of the present invention 10 in which the engine 10 is divided in half by a plane extended at right angles to the axis of the drive shaft 30 and cut through the cylinder heads 12. RCU (shown here as oval but as above other shapes RCU) are shown inside the closed cam housing 46 and relative to the cam follower 40 connecting the connecting rod 34, the piston 28, the engine block 22 and the cylinder head 12. A preferred cross-stroke configuration of the pistons 28 is also shown.

The detonation of the air / fuel mixture in the combustion chamber 42 pushes the piston 28 in the direction of the drive shaft 30. This drive cycle causes the cam follower 40a to push against the surface of the raceway RCU 38a. As a result, the RCU 32 begins its rotation around the drive shaft 30. The shape of the RCU 32 facilitates its rotation in response to the inward, radial pressure from each drive bar of the pistons 28. Indeed, the engagement of the cam extension with the cam follower 40a causes the latter In this view, the surfaces of the raceways 38a and 38b, on which the cam followers 40a and 40b are located, can also be clearly seen. As with conventional engines, each cylinder head 12 has a spark plug 18, exhaust ports 44, and a combustion chamber 42.

In a preferred embodiment, the engine 10 has four cylinders 12 and two cam extensions. The applicant has found that this arrangement results in an engine 10 having smooth and efficient operation. This is because any given moment almost always a piston exerts its force. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that a variety of rollers and cam extensions may be used without departing from the scope of the invention.

In FIG. 11, a block separation line 60 is still shown. Along this line 60, the engine block halves are assembled together during assembly.

Giant. 12 provides yet another cross-sectional view of the present invention, wherein this partial cross-section is taken along a plane extended parallel to the main drive shaft 30. FIG. 12 provides an uncovered cross-sectional view of the RCU in its largest dimension. Also shown is a cross section of the connecting rods 34 and the relationship of the three cam followers 40a and 40b to the straight section of the RCU 32 and other components. This pattern illustrates how each connecting rod 34 performs a linear reciprocating movement through a copper guide device and a neoprene seal 54 into the combustion chamber 42. Further, at the bottom of this drawing, a cross section of the oil pump 50a and the oil sump 48 can be seen. At the top of this drawing, an alternative embodiment of the engine 10 is shown, wherein a gear drive system 56 is used to redirect the shaft 90 ° power to another shaft and where the accessory drive disk 20 is located at the top of the engine. above, however, preferably the shaft 30 of the motor 10 is coupled to the transmission in the reverse manner, without any change in the direction of the force.

Fuel is supplied through the opening of the injector 16 via a jet valve 62 to the combustion chamber 42 as shown in FIG. 12. The air is introduced into the combustion chamber 42 through the inlet port 14. After combustion, the exhaust gases are forced out through the exhaust port 44 by means of the piston 28. However, as in a typical two-stroke engine, as the burnt gases are expelled, fresh air is introduced. air / fuel to the combustion chamber 42 ♦

Giant. 11 provides a good representation of the various positions of the piston and all of the above hardware in operation during the two stroke cycle of the present invention. In this illustration, it is assumed that the RCU rotates clockwise around the drive shaft .30. At the moment when the air-fuel mixture ignites with the spark plug 18, the piston 28 is located in the center of the upper dead position of the cylinder 12, with the cam followers 40a and 40b positioned on top of the cam extension 58. Immediately after the explosion of the mixture fuel and air, the piston 28 is pushed downwardly in the cylinder 12, with the roller 40a in contact with the downwardly sloping edges of the cam extension 58. This movement causes the RCU 32 and the drive shaft 30 to which the RCU 32 is wedged to rotate e.g. clockwise. The piston 28 moves to the center of the lower dead position, ie when the piston 28 and the connected connecting rod 34 have moved to their nearest point to the drive shaft 30. Next, immediately before the given fuel-air mixture explodes and as RCU 32 continues in the same direction of rotation, 28 is pushed upwardly in the cylinder 12 when the cam follower 40a is in contact with the rising edge of the cam extension 58. Partially, the piston 28 is pushed upward by the rotational inertia of the RCU 32 and partly by combustion in other cylinders 12 that have just passed the center of the dead position.

After combustion, when the piston 28 comes out of the lower center dead position, the piston 28 pushes the burnt gas out of the cylinder 12 and at the same time compresses the newly introduced air-fuel mixture. More precisely, these burnt gases are forced out of the cylinder 12 by the following three forces: first, by the vacuum produced by the suction system, secondly by the pressure of the burnt batch, and thirdly by the pressure of the introduced batch. This cycle is repeated, causing an explosion of the new mixture and again pushing the piston 28 down in the cylinder 12.

As the RCU rotates, the rising edges of the cam extension 58 push the respective cam followers 40a and 40b and the associated piston 28 into the outer end of the cylinder 12. The cylinder 28 compresses the fuel / air mixture. At a moment of low pressure in the combustion chamber 42, fresh air is drawn into it. When the piston 28 reaches the end of a given cycle, the spark plug again ignites the air / fuel mixture, causing an explosion. The piston 28 is pushed toward the center axis of the RCU 32. The respective forces are transmitted through the connecting rod 34 and the cam followers 40a to the falling edge 64 of the extension of the RCU 58, causing the RCU and the coupled drive shaft 30 to rotate. This action also compresses the next dose of air into the combustion chamber 42. As the piston 28 approaches the bottom of its stroke, the exhaust port 44 at the bottom of the cylinder 12 is opened and the burnt gases begin to escape. At this point, the prior art electronic fuel injector (not shown) injects its fuel into the injection port 16 in the combustion chamber 42. When the outgoing exhaust gas reaches a lower pressure than the pre-combustion pressure (approximately 70 psi), the spoke valve 62 allows the mixture to enter air / fuel to the combustion chamber 42 and this cycle is repeated again.

It is preferred that any two cylinders face each other in the same phase and any two cylinders at right angles are 180 degrees from the first two phase. Thus, while the opposing pistons are at the top dead center, the two remaining pistons are at the bottom dead center.

In a preferred embodiment, there are four cylinders and two wings or cam extensions on the RCU. As for the alternative embodiment, computer studies have indicated that configuring any number of cylinders in a single plane would also be within the design parameters. In all configurations, these engines could be arranged to provide even more power to any engine. The only limitation would be the amount of output torque that the output shaft could handle. This buildup of units would favorably influence the smooth running of this engine, since with each layer the number of drive pulses could be increased. Such configurations would normally result in intake motors of high output power, small size and light weight.

The engine of the invention can be used to power any device that is normally powered by internal combustion engines. Cars, compressors, pumps, power generators, outboard engines and aircraft can be potential users of the engine of this invention, or its versions in various scales or accumulations. Since the present invention results in an engine that has a high power to weight ratio and a very smooth operation, it can be used in conjunction with devices not previously used with internal combustion engines. One example is a natural gas powered two-generation system for heating, cooling and providing electricity for buildings. The surplus electricity generated could then be sold back to the electricity supplier. Such use would positively affect many of the energy problems that this country and other states are facing today. The engine of the present invention would make this system very cost-effective and easy to operate smoothly. And the owner of the reality would benefit from using this system. These and other new applications will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reviewing the disclosure herein.

Numerous modifications and additions may and may be made to the practice of our invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. By way of example, the accumulated motor units can be arranged in tandem and on a larger or smaller scale to provide small and light, high-performance engines that meet many specific applications. Alternatively, the RCU may be used in a four-stroke or diesel engine as shown in FIG. 13 and 14. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view comparable to FIG. 11, except that it illustrates the four stroke internal combustion engine. In a similar manner, FIG. 14 sec. The four-stroke alternative embodiment of the present invention provides nearly the same structures as the two-stroke preferred embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 13 and 14, the engine has radially arranged cylinders 12. Along the central axis of the engine block 22 is a drive shaft 30. As in a preferred embodiment, a rotating cam unit (or RCU) 32 is coupled to a drive shaft 30. The cam followers 40 move along The connecting rod 34 connects the cam follower 40 to the piston 28. Accordingly, the linear reciprocating movement of the cylinders 28 is thus transmitted to the rotary motion in the RCU 32 via the above structures.

Giant. 14 provides a better view of the inlet 14 and exhaust port 44 located on the cylinder 12. A valve 68 has been added to ensure proper control of the air / fuel inlet and outlet, respectively of the suction. The operation of this alternative embodiment is as in a conventional four-stroke engine in which the piston 28 reaches the top dead center twice in a single cycle. That is, once to compress the air / fuel mixture and the second time to evacuate the exhaust gases. Since the operation of a four-stroke engine is well known in the art, there is no need for further explanation.

In yet another alternative embodiment, the RCU may represent a stack of cam extensions extending radially thereon. Alternatively, the engine may be further supercharged with a blower or turbocharger, both of which are well known in the art.

In yet another alternative embodiment, the spark plugs can be eliminated from the engine and the compression ratio increased to achieve the auto-ignition of the respective fuel. That is, the present invention is readily applicable to operation as a diesel engine. The foregoing examples are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the following claims.

Claims (30)

PATENT CLAIMS 1. An internal combustion engine consisting of: - engine block, - drive shafts, - a plurality of rollers arranged in a radial pattern, in a plane fixed perpendicular to said drive shaft, - a plurality of pistons arranged one by one in each said cylinder, - a plurality of connecting rods, each having first and second ends, each of said pistons being connected to one of said connecting rods to said front end, - cams rotating about said shaft in said plane, with a plurality of cam faces around said cam, the first and second of said faces facing inwards towards said drive shaft, the third of said faces facing outward from said drive shaft, and said the first and second faces are on both sides of said third face, - a plurality of cam followers coupled to each of said connecting rods at said second ends, first and second of said followers adapted to engage said first and second cam surfaces, and a third follower adapted to engage said third cam surface, such that in use, when said cam rotates, said first and second cam surfaces engage said first and second cam followers to draw the connecting rod to which they are attached and said third cam surface then engages a third cam follower to press said connecting rod. The engine of claim 1, wherein said rollers consist of rollers. The engine of claim 2, wherein said rollers are mounted to rotate about a common axis. The engine of claim 3, wherein said rollers are mounted on the same support shaft and said connecting rod is connected to said support shaft. The engine of claim 1, wherein said rollers comprise skids. The engine of claim 1, wherein the three followers are one of said followers engaging a third, central cam surface, and two of said followers with each said first and second outer cam surfaces. The engine of claim 6, wherein said second ends of said connecting rods are forked and wherein said three followers are mounted to said forked end of each connecting rod, one of said followers mounted symmetrically about the longitudinal axis of said connecting rod and the other two mounted on each side said axis. The engine of claim 1, further comprising: a valve device for introducing a fuel-air mixture into each of said cylinders, and - a plurality of cam extensions extending on the peripheral surface of said cam, each of said extensions having an upward and downward edge, by which said cam in use rotates about an axis of said drive shaft, said cam followers being moved by said upward edges of said cam extensions said pistons being pushed into said cylinders, and said combustion of said fuel-air mixture pushes said pistons in said cylinders downwards and pushes said cam followers into engagement with said descending edge of said cam extensions, thereby rotating said cam. 9. Radial internal combustion engine, consisting of: - engine block, - drive shafts rotatable along the central axis of the engine block, - a rotary cam unit, said rotary cam unit having a plurality of cam extensions and each of said cam extensions having a rising edge and a falling edge, said rotating cam unit being mounted to said drive shaft, said cam rotating in a plane fixed perpendicular to said drive shaft , - a plurality of rollers arranged in a radial pattern around said rotary cam unit, - a piston arranged in each of said cylinders, - a number of connecting rods, the number of said connecting rods corresponding to the number of said pistons, each piston having one end of one of said connecting rods connected to each other, at least one cam follower coupled to the end of each connecting rod, located opposite the end attached to said piston, said cam follower being adapted to engage said cam extensions on said rotary cam unit, connecting rod guide device to maintain alignment to said connecting rod axis and restrict movement any connecting rod in all directions, except along its longitudinal axis, said guide means comprising internal and external engagement members, a first category of said members associated with said connecting rod for moving therewith, a second category of said members with respect to said connecting rod fixed. The engine of claim 9, wherein said internal engagement members include extension members including an elevated portion thereon, and said external engagement members include groove extension members. The engine of claim 10, wherein each of said extension members is arranged rigidly parallel to the longitudinal axis of said connecting rod. The engine of claim 9, wherein said fixed members are attached, directly or indirectly, to said engine block. The engine of claim 9, wherein said inner members are disposed on said connecting rod and said outer members are affixed, directly or indirectly, to said engine block. The engine of claim 9, wherein said guide device is comprised of four extension members connected to each connecting rod, said members being arranged in two pairs, one member in each pair being facing opposite of the other. The engine of claim 9, wherein said connecting rod guide device comprises at least one guide plate that is attached to said engine, wherein movement of said connecting rod is limited by engagement of said connecting rod with said guide plate. The engine of claim 15, comprising two rows of guide plates, each row lying in a plane on both sides of said cam plane. 17. The engine of claim 16, wherein each of said guide plates in one row is located separately from adjacent members of said row to provide space for movement of one of said connecting rods therebetween, said adjacent plates provide lining guide surfaces for engagement and further displacement of said connecting rod. 18. A cam for an internal combustion engine for converting a linear reciprocating motion of a piston into a rotary motion of a drive shaft, comprising: - central cam body, the surfaces of the central cam on the body of said cam, and - two outer cam surfaces on said cam body, each of said outer surfaces lying on opposite sides of said central cam surface. 19. The cam of claim 18, wherein the surface of said central cam faces outwardly from said body and said outer surfaces face inwardly toward said body. A cam according to claim 18, wherein said outer surfaces lie in a plane circumferentially further from the center of the body of said cam than the central cam surface. The cam unit of claim 18, wherein said cam body comprises a central core and two outer wings attached thereto, and wherein the surface of said central cam is located on said central core and said outer cam surfaces are each located on one of said central cams. wings. 22. An assembly of a connecting rod for attachment to an internal combustion engine piston, wherein the linear reciprocating movement of said piston is converted by said connecting rod to a rotary cam, said assembly comprising: - shafts with a longitudinal axis and two ends, the first end of which is adapted to connect said piston, a plurality of cam followers, each with a cam engaging surface mounted to said second end of said shaft with said surface firmly perpendicular to said axis, said cam followers comprising at least one primary cam follower, symmetrically positioned about said axis of said connecting rod and at least one secondary roller, offset from said axis. The connecting rod assembly of claim 22, wherein said followers are rollers. 24. The connecting rod assembly of claim 22, wherein said second end of said connecting rod is forked and wherein said primary follower is mounted between said forks. A connecting rod assembly according to claim 22, wherein there are three followers, with two secondary, each mounted on one side of the primary follower. The connecting rod assembly of claim 22, wherein said three followers are mounted on a common axis. 27. Connecting rod assembly for connection to an internal combustion engine piston, consisting of: a connecting rod having a central axis and two ends, the first of which is adapted to be connected to the piston and the second end of said connecting rod has a fork shape and a plurality of extension guide members connected to said fork end of said connecting rod, each extending member having a longitudinal axis; which is firmly parallel to the central axis of said connecting rod. 28. The connecting rod assembly of claim 27, wherein said extension members are arranged symmetrically about said central axis. 29. The connecting rod assembly of claim 27, comprising four of said extension members, said members being arranged in two pairs, one member in each pair facing opposite of the other. 30. The connecting rod assembly of claim 27, comprising a projecting surface on each of said extension members for engaging a timing device in said engine.