KR20010023889A - Variable compression piston assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

The variable compression piston assembly 300 of the present invention includes a plurality of pistons, such as the double-sided pistons 330 and 332, a switching arm 310 connected to each piston, and a switching arm 310 connected along a magnetic axis of rotation. A rotational member such as a flywheel 322 configured to move relative to the arm 310 or a zero-stroke pivot member. The rotating member 322 changes the compression ratio of the piston assemblies 330, 332 through relative movement with respect to the switching arm 310. The diverting arm 310 is connected to approximately the center of each double side piston 330, 332. The relative movement of the rotating member 322 relative to the switching arm 310 changes the displacement and compression ratio of each double-sided piston 33, 332.

Description

Variable Compression Piston Assembly {VARIABLE COMPRESSION PISTON ASSEMBLY}

The piston of most piston driven engines is mounted in the offset region of the crankshaft so that the crankshaft rotates when the piston is moved in the reciprocating direction orthogonal to the axis of the crankshaft.

An engine mounted to a double-sided piston in the offset region of the crankshaft is described in US Pat. No. 5,535,709. A lever installed between the piston and the crankshaft is constrained to the point adjuster to impart rotational motion to the crankshaft.

The four-cylinder piston engine described in US Pat. No. 4,011,842 utilizes two double-sided pistons connected to a T-shaped connecting member that imparts rotational motion to the crankshaft. T-shaped connecting members are attached to each T-cross arm of the double-sided piston. A centrally located point on the T-cross arm is rotatably attached to a fixed point and the bottom of the T-cross arm is connected to the crankshaft by a crankthrow that includes a counter weight. It is rotatably attached to the crank pin.

In each of the embodiments described above, a double-sided piston is used to drive a crankshaft with an axis intersecting the axis of the piston.

The present invention relates to an engine having a variable compression piston assembly and a double ended piston connected to a universal joint that converts the linear motion of the piston into a rotary motion.

1 and 2 are simplified side views of the four-cylinder engine of the present invention.

3-6 are top views of the engine of FIG. 1 showing flywheels and pistons in four different positions;

7 is a plan view in partial cross section of an eight-cylinder engine of the present invention;

8 is a side view of the engine of FIG. 7 in cross section;

9 is a right side cross-sectional view of FIG. 7.

10 is a side view of FIG. 7;

FIG. 11 is a left sectional view of FIG. 7; FIG.

12 is a partial plan view of the engine of FIG. 7 showing the piston, drive member and flywheel in a high compression position;

FIG. 13 is a partial plan view of the engine of FIG. 7 showing the piston, drive member and flywheel in a low compression position; FIG.

14 is a plan view of the piston;

15 is a side view of a piston showing the drive member in two positions;

16 shows the bearing interface of the drive member and the piston;

FIG. 17 shows an embodiment of an air driven engine / pump. FIG.

18 shows the air valve in the first position.

18A, 18B and 18C are three cross-sectional views of the air valve of FIG. 18.

19 shows the air valve in a second position.

19A, 19B and 19C are three cross-sectional views of the air valve of FIG. 19.

20 shows an embodiment in which the cylinder is inclinedly arranged.

FIG. 21 shows an embodiment of a single ended piston. FIG.

Fig. 22 is a plan view showing the assembly of the two-cylinder and the double-sided piston.

FIG. 23 is a plan view of one of the assemblies of the double-sided piston of FIG. 22; FIG.

FIG. 23A is a side view of the double-sided piston shown along lines 23A-23A in FIG. 23. FIG.

24 is a plan view of the transition arm and universal joint of the piston assembly of FIG. 22;

FIG. 24A is a side view of the transition arm and the universal joint taken along line 24A-24A in FIG. 24; FIG.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of a drive arm connected to the changeover arm of the piston assembly of FIG. 22; FIG.

FIG. 25A shows a rotating member of the piston assembly taken along the line 25a-25a of FIG. 22, showing that the drive arm is connected to the rotating member. FIG.

25B is a side view of the rotating member taken along the line 25B-25B of FIG. 25.

FIG. 26 is a plan view in cross section of the piston assembly of FIG. 22; FIG.

FIG. 27 is an end view of the transition arm taken along line 27-27 of FIG. 24;

FIG. 27A is a cross sectional view of the drive pin of the piston assembly of FIG. 22; FIG.

28, 28A and 28B are top, rear and side views, respectively, of the piston assembly of FIG. 22;

28C is a top view of the secondary shaft of the piston assembly of FIG. 22.

29 is a side cross-sectional view of a zero-stroke coupling.

FIG. 29A is an exploded view of the zero-stroke coupling of FIG. 29; FIG.

30 is a graph showing operation of the non-flat piston assembly of FIG. 8.

FIG. 31 shows a reinforcement drive pin. FIG.

32 is a top view of a four-cylinder engine that applies combustion pressure directly to the pump piston.

32A is an end view of a four-cylinder engine taken along lines 32a-32a of FIG.

According to the invention, the variable compression piston assembly comprises a plurality of pistons, a switching arm connected to each piston, a rotating member connected to the drive member of the switch arm and configured to slide along an axis of the drive member. The compression ratio of the piston assembly changes as the rotating member is moved relative to the drive member.

Embodiments according to this aspect of the invention may include one or more of the following features.

The piston is a double sided piston. The diverting arm is connected to approximately the center of each of the double side pistons. By moving the rotating member relative to the switching arm, the compression ratio and the degree of displacement of each of the double-sided pistons change.

The assembly comprises two pistons, the axis of rotation of the rotating member and the axis of the two pistons being on a common plane. The rotating member is a flywheel. A control rod is operatively connected to the flywheel, and by operation of the control rod the flywheel is linearly moved relative to the switching arm.

In the particular embodiment illustrated, the rotating member is configured such that the rotating member can be placed in a zero-stroke position, which is the position at which the rotating member is to be rotated without the corresponding movement of the piston. The rotating member has a pivot member pivotally mounted to the control member. The operation of the control member moves the pivot member to change the compression ratio.

The pistons can be arranged with their axes parallel or non-parallel.

The diverting arm is connected to the piston by a drive pin. The drive member extends into the hole of the rotating member adjacent the circumference of the rotating member. The drive member extends into a pivot pin located in the rotating member. The main drive shaft is connected to the rotating member. The drive shaft axis is parallel to the axis of each piston. The diverting arm is connected to the support by a universal joint.

At least one of the plurality of pistons is an output pump piston for driving the pump.

According to another aspect of the invention, a method for varying the compression ratio of a piston assembly comprises a plurality of pistons, a switching arm connected to each piston, a rotation connected to the drive member of the switch arm and configured to slide about an axis of the drive member. Providing a member. The rotating member is moved relative to the drive member to change the compression ratio of the piston assembly.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for enhancing the efficiency of a piston assembly comprises a plurality of double side pistons, a diverting arm connected about the center of each double side piston, a drive member connected to the drive member and sliding with respect to the drive member. Providing a rotating member configured to be. The rotating member is moved relative to the drive member to change the compression ratio and the degree of displacement of the double side piston assembly.

1 shows a four-piston engine 10 of the present invention. The engine 10 has two cylinders 11 (see FIG. 3, 12). Each cylinder 11, 12 contains a double-sided piston. Each double-sided piston is connected to a switching arm 13 which is connected to the flywheel 15 by a shaft 14. The switching arm 13 is connected to the support 19 by a universal joint comprising a shaft 18 for moving the switching arm 13 up and down and a shaft 17 for moving the switching arm 13 laterally. The flywheel 15 shown in FIG. 1 has its upper part positioned on the position shaft 14.

In the engine shown in FIG. 2, the shaft 14 is located at the bottom of the flywheel 15 by the rotation of the flywheel 15. The diverting arm 13 is pivoted down in the shaft 18.

3 to 6 are plan views showing the switching arm 13 in four positions and the shaft for moving the flywheel 15 in 90 ° increments. FIG. 3 shows the flywheel 15 with the shaft 14 in the position shown in FIG. 3A. When the piston 1 is actuated and moved towards the middle of the cylinder 11, the changeover arm 13 is pivoted at the universal joint 16 to rotate the flywheel 15 to the position shown in FIG. 2. The shaft 14 will be in the position shown in FIG. 4A. When the piston 4 is actuated, the switching arm 13 will move to the position shown in FIG. 5. Flywheel 15 and shaft 14 will be in the position shown in FIG. 5A. When the next piston 2 is actuated, the switching arm 13 will move to the position shown in FIG. 6. Flywheel 15 and shaft 14 will be in the position shown in FIG. 6A. When the piston 3 is actuated, the switching arm 13 and the flywheel 15 will return to their original positions shown in FIGS. 3 and 3a.

When the pistons are in operation, the switching arm will move back and forth as the pistons move. Since the switching arm 13 is connected to the flywheel 15 via the universal joint 16 and the shaft 14, the linear motion of the piston is converted to the rotational motion through the rotation of the flywheel 15.

7 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a four-sided piston, eight-cylinder engine according to the present invention. In practice there are only four cylinders, but since there are double-sided pistons in each cylinder, the engine is equivalent to an eight cylinder engine. Two cylinders 32 and 33 are shown, with the cylinder 31 having double-sided pistons 32 and 33 having piston rings 32a and 33a respectively. The pistons 32, 33 are connected to the switching arm 60 (see FIG. 8) by the pistons 32, 33 and a piston arm 54a extending into the hole 55a in the sleeve bearing 55. Likewise, pistons 47 and 49 are connected to switching arm 60 by piston arm 54b in cylinder 46.

Each end of the cylinder 31 has an inlet valve and an outlet valve controlled by a rocker arm and a spark plug. The piston end 32 has rocker arms 35a and 35b and a spark plug 41, while the other piston end 33 has rocker arms 34b and 34b and a spark plug 41. Each piston is associated with a valve, rocker arm and spark plug set. The operation of the spark plug and the opening and closing timing of the inlet valve and the discharge valve are controlled by the timing belt 51 connected to the pulley 50a. Pulley 50a is attached to gear 64 via shaft 63 (see FIG. 8) that is rotated by output shaft 53 operated by flywheel 69. Belt 50a also rotates gear 39 and pulley 50b connected to dispenser 38. Gears 39 and 40 are attached to camshaft 75 (see FIG. 8) which engages in push rods attached to rocker arms 34 and 35 and other rocker arms not shown.

The illustrated outlet manifolds 48, 56 are attached to the cylinders 46, 31, respectively. Each outlet manifold is attached to four outlet ports.

8 is a side view of the engine 30 taken along section 8-8 of FIG. 7 with one side removed. The switching arm 60 is provided on the support part 70 by the pin 72 which moves the arm up and down (refer FIG. 8), and the pin 71 which moves the arm laterally. Since the switching arm 60 is movable up and down as well as moving laterally, the flywheel 69 can be driven in a circular path by the shaft 61. Four connecting piston arms (piston arms 54b and 54d shown in FIG. 8) are driven to swing around pin 71 by four double-sided pistons. The end of the shaft 61 in the flywheel 69 allows the switching arm to move up and down when the connecting arm is moved back and forth. The flywheel 69 has gear teeth 69a on one side, which is used to rotate the flywheel 69 with the starter motor 100 (see FIG. 11) to start the engine.

The gear 65 is rotated by the rotation of the flywheel 69 and the drive shaft 68 connected thereto, and the other gears 64 and 66 are rotated according to the rotation. The gear 64 is mounted to the shaft 63 for rotating the pulley 50a. The pulley 50a is attached to the belt 51. The belt 51 rotates the pulley 50b and the gears 39 and 40 (see FIG. 7). The cam shaft 75 has cams 88-91 on one end side and cams 84-87 on the other end side. Cams 88 and 90 actuate push rods 76 and 77 respectively. Cams 89 and 91 actuate push rods 93 and 94 respectively. Cams 84 and 86 operate push rods 95 and 96, respectively, and cams 85 and 87 operate push rods 78 and 79, respectively. The push rods 77, 76, 93, 94, 95, 96, 78 and 79 are used to open and close the intake and exhaust valves of the cylinder above the piston. The left side of the engine in the disassembled state includes the same but opposite valve drive mechanism.

Gear 66, rotated by gear 65 on drive shaft 68, rotates pump 67, such as a water pump or oil pump, for example, used in an engine cooling system (not shown).

9 is a rear side view of the engine 30 showing the relative positions of the cylinder and the double-sided piston. The pistons 32 and 33 are indicated by dashed lines and have valves 35c and 35d respectively disposed under the lift arms 35a and 35b. Belt 51 and pulley 50b are shown under dispenser 38. Two piston arms 54c, 54d of the shifting arm 60 and four piston arms 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d are shown in the pistons 32-33, 32a-33a, 47-49, 47a-49a. It is.

FIG. 10 is a side view of the engine 30 showing the exhaust manifold 56, the intake manifold 56a and the carburetor 56c. Pulleys 50a and 50b including timing belts 51 are also shown.

FIG. 11 is a front end view of the engine 30 showing the relative positions of the cylinder and the double-sided pistons 32-33, 32a-33a, 47-49, 47a-49a, with four piston arms 54a, 54b in the piston. 54c and 54d are disposed. A pump 67 is shown below the shaft 53 and a pulley 50a and a timing belt 51 are shown above the engine 30. The gear 101 of the starter 100 meshes with the gear teeth 69a of the flywheel 69.

It is a feature of the present invention that the compression ratio for the engine can be varied while the engine is running. The end of the arm 61 installed in the flywheel 69 is moved in a circular path at the point where the arm 61 enters the flywheel 69. Referring to FIG. 13, the end of the arm 61 is located in the sleeve bearing ball bush assembly 81. The stroke of the piston is adjusted by the arm 61. Arm 61 forms an angle of about 15 ° with respect to shaft 53. By moving the flywheel 69 on the shaft 53 to the left or right as shown in FIG. 13, the angle of the arm 61 can be changed, thereby changing the stroke and compression ratio of the piston. The position of the flywheel 69 is changed by rotating the nut 104 at the threaded portion 105. The nut 104 is keyed to the shaft 53 by a thrust bearing 106a fixed in place with the ring 106b. In the position shown in FIG. 12, the flywheel 69 is moved to the right to extend the stroke of the piston.

12 shows the flywheel moved to the right to increase the stroke of the piston and provide a high compression ratio. The nut 105 is screwed to the right to move the shaft 53 and flywheel 69 to the right. Arm 61 is further inserted into bush assembly 80 and protrudes out of the rear of flywheel 69.

13 shows the flywheel moved to the left to reduce the stroke of the piston and provide a low compression ratio. The nut 105 is screwed to the left to move the shaft 53 and flywheel 69 to the left. Arm 61 extends less into bush assembly 80.

The piston arm on the diverting arm is inserted into the sleeve bearing in the bush in the piston. FIG. 14 shows a double-sided piston 110 having a piston ring 111 at one end and another piston ring 112 at the other end. There is a slot 113 on the side of the piston. The position of the sleeve bearing is indicated by reference numeral 114.

FIG. 15 shows a piston arm 116 extending through the piston 110 through the slot 116 and into the sleeve bearing 117 in the bush 115. Piston arm 116 is located in a second position, indicated by reference numeral 116a. The two piston arms 116, 116a show the limits of movement of the piston arm 116 during engine operation.

16 shows the piston arm 116 in the sleeve bearing 117. Sleeve bearing 117 is in pivot pin 115. The piston arm 116 is freely rotatable within the sleeve bearing 117, with the piston arm 116, sleeve bearing 117 and pivot pin 115 assembly and sleeve bearings 118a and 118b in the piston 110. As it is rotated at, the piston arm 116 can be moved axially with respect to the axis of the sleeve bearing 117 to enable the linear operation of the double-sided piston 110 and the switching arm to which the piston arm 116 is attached. Can be.

FIG. 17 shows how the four-cylinder engine 10 of FIG. 1 can be configured as an air motor using the four-way rotary valve 123 on the output shaft 122. Each of the cylinders 1, 2, 3, and 4 is connected to the rotary valve 123 through respective hoses 131, 132, 133, and 144. The supply of air for the operation of the engine 120 uses the air inlet port 124. Air is sequentially supplied to each piston 1a, 2a, 3a, 4a to move the piston back and forth within the cylinder. Air is exhausted out of the discharge port 136 from the cylinder. The diverting arm 126 mounted to the piston by connecting pins 127 and 128 is moved as described with reference to FIGS. 1-6 to rotate the flywheel 129 and the output shaft 22.

18 shows a rotary in position when compressed air or gas is supplied to cylinder 1 via inlet port 124, annular passage 125, passage 126, passage 130 and air hose 131. A cross sectional view of the valve 123. The rotary valve 123 is composed of several passages in the housing 123 and the output shaft 122. The pistons 1a and 3a are moved to the right side (as seen in FIG. 18) by the compressed gas entering the cylinder 1. Exhaust air is forced from cylinder 3 through line 133 and into chamber 134 to exit outlet 136 through passage 135.

18A, 18B and 18C are cross-sectional views of the valve 23, showing the air passages within the valve in three positions along the valve 23 when positioned as shown in FIG. 18.

FIG. 19 shows the rotary valve 123 rotated 180 ° such that the direction of the pistons 1a and 3a is reversed when compressed gas is applied to the cylinder 3. Compressed air enters the inlet port 124 and is supplied to the cylinder 3 through the annular passage 125, the passage 126, and the air line 133. This in turn causes air in the cylinder 1 to exit the discharge port 136 through the line 131, the chamber 130, the line 135, and the annular chamber 137. The shaft 122 will be rotated 360 ° counterclockwise when hit by the pistons 1a, 3a completely to the left.

Only the pistons 1a and 3a are shown in the figures to show the operation of the air engine and the valve 123 for piston operation. The operation of the pistons 2a and 4a is the same except that the 360 ° cycle starts at 90 ° shaft rotation, reverses at 270 ° and again at 90 ° completes the cycle. Power strokes occur every 90 ° of rotation.

19A, 19B and 19C are cross-sectional views of the valve 123 showing the air passages of the valve in three positions along the valve 123 when positioned as shown in FIG. 19.

The operating principle of operating the air engine of FIG. 17 may be reversed, and the engine 120 of FIG. 17 may be used as an air or gas compressor or pump. By rotating the engine 10 clockwise by applying rotational power to the shaft 122, the exhaust port 136 draws air into the cylinder, and the port 124 is used to drive an air tool, for example. Or supply air that can be stored in an air tank.

In the above embodiment, the cylinders are shown to be parallel to each other. However, the cylinders need not be parallel. FIG. 20 illustrates an embodiment similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-6, wherein the cylinders 150 and 151 are not parallel to each other. Piston arms 152 and 153 may be disposed by universal joint 160 at an angle other than 90 ° with respect to drive arm 154. Although the cylinders are not parallel to each other, the engine is functionally identical.

Still other variations of the engine of FIGS. 1-6 are possible. This embodiment shown in FIG. 21 may have a single end piston. Pistons 1a and 2a are connected to universal joint 170 by drive arms 171 and 172 and to flywheel 173 by drive arm 174. The basic difference is the number of strokes of the piston to rotate the flywheel 173 360 degrees.

Referring to FIG. 22, there is shown a two-cylinder piston assembly 300 comprising cylinders 302 and 304, each containing a respective double-sided piston 306 and 308 having a variable stroke. The piston assembly 300 has the same power stroke / rotation value as a conventional four cylinder engine. Each of the double-sided pistons 306, 308 is connected to the switching arm 310 by drive pins 312, 314, respectively. The switching arm 310 is installed on the support 316 by, for example, a universal joint 318 (U-joint), a constant velocity joint or a spherical bearing or the like. Drive arm 320 extending from the diverting arm 310 is connected to a rotating member such as a flywheel 322.

The diverting arm 310 transmits the linear motion of the pistons 306 and 308 to the rotational motion of the flywheel 322. The axis A of the flywheel 322 is parallel to the axes B and C of the pistons 306 and 308 (the axis A may not be parallel as in FIG. 20), the axial or barrel type engine, Form a pump or compressor. U-joint 318 is center aligned with axis A. As shown in FIG. 28A, the pistons 306, 308 are spaced 180 degrees apart from the axes A, B, and C along the common surface D to form a planar piston assembly.

Referring to FIGS. 22 and 23, each of cylinders 302, 304 includes left and right cylinder halves 301a, 301b installed in assembly case structure 303. Each of the double-sided pistons 306, 308 includes two pistons 330, 332; 330a, 332a coupled by a central joint 334, 334a, respectively. The piston is shown to have the same length even considering other lengths. For example, the joint 334 is off center so that the piston 330 is longer than the other piston 332. When the pistons 330a, 332, 330, 332a are operated sequentially from the position shown in FIG. 22, the flywheel 322 is rotated clockwise as shown in the direction of the arrow 333. The piston assembly 300 is a four stroke cycle of the engine, ie such engine in which each piston operates once every two revolutions of the flywheel 332.

When the piston is moved back and forth, the drive pins 312 and 314 are free to rotate about their common axis E (arrow 335), and the radial distance of the piston relative to the center line B is the turning angle α of the switching arm 310. ), It slides along the axis (E) as it changes with about ± 15 ° and should be pivoted around the center (F) (arrow 309). Joint 334 is configured to provide a degree of freedom of this movement.

The joint 334 defines a slot 340 (see FIG. 23A) for receiving the drive pin 312 and a hole 336 perpendicular to the slot 340 that houses the sleeve bearing 338. In the sleeve bearing 338, a cylinder 341 is disposed and rotated in the bearing. Sleeve bearing 338 forms a side slot 342 that is aligned with slot 340 and is similar in shape to that slot. The cylinder 341 forms the through hole 344. Drive pin 312 is received in slot 342 and through hole 344. An additional sleeve bearing 346 is located in the through hole 344 of the cylinder 341. The combination of the slots 340, 342 and the sleeve bearing 338 can move the drive pin 312 along the arrow 309. Sleeve bearing 346 allows drive pin 312 to rotate about its axis E and slide along that axis E. As shown in FIG.

When the two cylinders of the piston assembly are configured to be spaced at an angle other than 180 ° or when two or more cylinders are employed, the cylinder 341 is moved in the direction of the arrow 350 within the sleeve bearing 338, thereby When subjected to the eight-shaped operation described later, additional degrees of freedom of movement are obtained to prevent the piston from restraining. Slot 340 should be provided with a size that allows tolerance for the eight-shaped operation of the pin.

Referring to FIGS. 24 and 24A, the U-joint 318 forms a center pivot 352 (the axis E of the drive pin passes through its center 352), and the vertical pin 354 and A horizontal pin 356. The transition arm 310 is pivoted around the pin 354 along the arrow 358, and can be pivoted around the pin 356 along the arrow 360.

25, 25A and 25B, as an alternative to the sphere bearing connecting the diverting arm 310 to the flywheel 322, the drive arm 320 is received in a cylindrical pivot pin 370 mounted to the flywheel. The flywheel is biased about 2,125 inches radially from its center 372 to allow the switching arm to achieve the desired turning angle α (see FIG. 22).

Pivot pin 370 has a through hole 374 for receiving drive arm 320. Within the through hole 374 there is a sleeve bearing 376 providing a bearing face for the drive arm 320. Pivot pin 370 has cylindrical extensions 378 and 380 located within each sleeve bearing 382 and 384. When the flywheel is moved axially along the drive arm 320 to change the pivot angle α and thus the compression ratio of the assembly as described below, the pivot pin 370 is rotated within the sleeve bearings 382 and 384. Maintain alignment with drive arm 320. Torsional forces are transmitted through thrust bearings 388 and 390, one or the other of which support the load depending on the direction of rotation of the flywheel along arrow 386.

Referring to FIG. 26, to change the displacement and compression of the piston assembly 300, the axial position of the flywheel 322 along the axis A is changed through the rotation of the shaft 400. The shaft 400 is provided with a sprocket 410 is rotated together with the shaft 400. The second sprocket 412 is connected to the sprocket 410 through the roller chain 413. The sprocket 412 is installed in the threaded rotating barrel 414. The threaded portion 416 of the barrel 414 is in contact with the threaded portion 418 of the fixed outer barrel 420. Rotation of the shaft 400 along the arrow 401 and thus rotation of the sprockets 410, 412 causes the barrel 414 to rotate. Since the outer barrel 420 is fixed, the barrel 414 is linearly moved along the axis A in the direction of the arrow 403 by rotation. The barrel 414 is located between the collar 422 and the gear 424, both of which are fixed to the main drive shaft 408. Drive shaft 408 is again secured to flywheel 322. Thus, the movement of the barrel 414 along the axis A is converted to the linear movement of the flywheel 322 along the axis A. From this the flywheel 322 is slid along the axis H of the drive arm 320 of the switching arm 310 such that the angle β changes and thus the stroke of the piston changes. The thrust bearing 430 is located at both ends of the hollow 414, and the sleeve bearing 432 is located between the barrel 414 and the shaft 408.

To maintain alignment of the sprockets 410 and 412, the shaft 400 is screwed into the region 402 and received in the threaded hole 404 of the cross bar 406 of the assembly case structure 303. The gear tooth number ratio of the sprocket 412 to the sprocket 410 is for example 4: 1. Therefore, the shaft 400 should make four revolutions of the barrel 414 in one revolution. To maintain alignment, threaded region 402 should have four times the helix per inch of barrel helix 416, eg, if helix region 416 has 32 helixes per inch, helix 416 of the barrel. Has eight helices per inch.

When the flywheel is moved to the right as seen in Fig. 26, the stroke of the piston is increased, thereby increasing the compression ratio. When the flywheel is moved to the left, the stroke and compression ratios are reduced. Another advantage of the change in stroke is that the degree of displacement of each piston and thus the degree of displacement of the engine changes. The horsepower of the internal combustion engine is closely related to the displacement of the engine. For example, in a two-cylinder balanced engine, the displacement increases by about 20% when the compression ratio rises from 6: 1 to 12: 1. This results in an increase in horsepower of about 20% or more just due to increased displacement. Increasing the compression ratio also increases horsepower at a rate of about 5% per point or results in an increase in horsepower of about 25%. If horsepower remains constant and the compression ratio increases from 6: 1 to 12: 1, fuel consumption will decrease by about 25%.

The flywheel has sufficient strength to withstand the large centrifugal forces seen when the assembly 300 functions as an engine. The position of the flywheel and thus the compression ratio of the piston assembly can be varied while the piston assembly is traveling.

Piston assembly 300 includes a pressure lubrication system. The pressure is provided by an engine driven positive displacement pump (not shown) having a pressure relief valve that prevents overpressure. The bearings 430 and 432 of the drive shaft 408 and the interface between the drive arm 320 and the flywheel 322 are lubricated through the port 433 (see FIG. 26).

Referring to FIG. 27, for lubrication of the U-joint 318, the piston pin joints 306, 308 and the cylinder wall, the top of the vertical pivot pin 354 through an oil-fixed U-joint bracket under the pressure of the oil pump. And a lower end. Oil ports 450 and 452 extend from the vertical pins to respective holes 454 and 456 of the transition arm. As shown in FIG. 27A, each of the fins 312 and 314 forms a through bore 458. Each through bore 458 is in fluid communication with one of the holes 454, 456. As shown in FIG. 23, holes 460 and 462 in each pin are connected to the chamber 465 of each piston through a slot 461, a port 463, and a sleeve bearing 338. Several oil lines 464 extend from these chambers and connect to the skirt 466 of each piston, thereby lubricating the cylinder wall and the piston ring 467. Likewise, the orifice extending from the chamber cools the oil by directly ejecting the oil into the upper inside of each piston.

Referring to Figures 28-28C, the assembly 300 is configured to be used as an aircraft engine 300a, with the ignition portion of the engine having two magnet generators 600 for inverting a piston spark plug (not shown). It includes. The magnet generator 600 and the starter 602 are driven by each of the drive gears 604, 606 (see FIG. 28C) on the lower shaft 608 installed in parallel below the main drive shaft 408. The shaft 608 extends over the entire length of the engine and is driven by the gear 424 (see FIG. 26) of the drive shaft 408 with a gear ratio of 1: 1 to the drive shaft 408. The gear connection of the magnet generator reduces its speed to half the speed of the shaft 608. The starter 602 is geared to give sufficient starting torque of the engine.

The camshaft 610 actuates the piston push rod 612 via the lifter 613. Camshaft 610 is geared down from two to one through bevel gears 614 and 616 driven from shaft 608. The center of the gears 614 and 616 is preferably aligned with the U-joint center 352 so that the camshaft is centered in the piston cylinder, even considering other configurations. A single carburetor is disposed below the center of the engine, which has four induction tubes 622 connected to each of the four cylinder intake valves (not shown). Discharge is made into two manifolds 624 via a cylinder discharge valve (not shown).

The engine 300a has a length L of about 40 inches, a width W of about 21 inches, and a height H of about 20 inches (a state in which the support portion 303 is excluded).

Referring to Figures 29 and 29A, a variable compression compressor or pump with zero stroke capability is shown. Here, the flywheel 322 has been replaced with a rotating assembly 500. The assembly 500 includes a pivot arm 504 pivotally connected to the hollow shaft 502 and a pin 506 to a hub 508 of the shaft 502. Hub 508 forms a hole 510, and pivot arm 504 forms a hole 512 for receiving a pin 506. The control rod 514 is disposed in the shaft 502. Control rod 514 includes a link 516 that is pivotally connected to the remainder of rod 514 by pin 518. Rod 514 forms a hole 511, and link 516 forms a hole 513 for receiving pin 518. The control rod 514 is supported by two sleeve bearings 520 for movement along its axis z. Link 516 and pivot arm 514 are connected by pin 522. Link 516 forms a hole 523, and pivot arm 514 forms a hole 524 for receiving pin 522.

The cylindrical pivot pin 370 of FIG. 25 that receives the drive arm 320 is located within the pivot arm 504. Pivot arm 504 defines a hole 526 that accommodates cylindrical extensions 378 and 380. The shaft 502 is supported by a bearing 530 such as a ball, sleeve or roller bearing for rotation. The compressor or the pump is driven by a driving device such as a gear provided in the pulley 532 or the shaft 502.

In operation, in order to set the piston to achieve the desired stroke, the control rod 514 is moved in the direction of the arrow 515 along its axis M such that the pivot arm 504 moves the pin 506 along the arrow 517. By pivoting about), the axis N of the pivot pin 370 is the axis when the pivot arm 504 is slid along the axis H (see FIG. 26) of the drive arm 320 of the switching arm. Is moved out of alignment with (M) (indicated by the dashed line). If a zero stroke is desired for the piston, then the axis M and axis N are aligned so that rotation of the shaft 514 does not cause the piston to move. This configuration applies to both double-sided pistons and single-ended pistons.

The ability to change the stroke of the piston allows the shaft 514 to run at a constant speed by the drive device 532, while the output of the pump or compressor can be continuously changed as needed. If no output is needed, the pivot arm 504 is only spun around the drive arm 320 of the transition arm 310 without turning the drive arm. If output is needed, the shaft 514 already travels at full speed, resulting in an immediate stroke that is accelerated without delay when the pivot arm 504 is conveniently pulled off the shaft by the control rod 514. Therefore, there is a very low stress load on the drive system in the absence of a start / stop action. The ability to quickly reduce the stroke to zero prevents damage, especially in liquid pumps, when clogging on the downstream side occurs.

If the two cylinders are not spaced at 180 ° (as viewed from the end) or when two or more cylinders are employed in the piston assembly 300, the ends of the pins 312 and 314 connected to the joints 306 and 308 are shown in FIG. You will experience an eight-character movement together. 30 shows the eight-shaped operation of a piston assembly with four double-sided pistons. Two of the pistons are arranged flat (as shown in FIG. 22) and do not experience eight-shaped operation, and the other two pistons are arranged at equal intervals between the flat pistons (and thus the largest possible It is conveniently located in an 8-character shape.) The degree to which the pins connected to the second set of pistons are biased on a straight line (y-axis in FIG. 30) depends on the pivot angle (mast angle) of the drive arm and the distance of the pins to the central pivot point 352 (x− Axis).

In a four-cylinder type with the pin set at 45 ° from the axis of the central pivot through the piston pivot assembly of each of the four double-sided pistons, the eight-shaped motion at each piston pin is the same. In the event of an eight-way movement, restraint is prevented through movement in the piston pivot bush.

When the piston assembly 300 is configured to be used, for example, as a diesel engine, extra support can be provided in the attachment of the pins 312 and 314 of the switching arm 310 to make the diesel engine a higher compression ratio than the spark ignition engine. have. Referring to FIG. 31, the support 550 is bolted to the transition arm 310 with a bolt 551 and includes a hole 552 for receiving the end 554 of the pin.

The engine according to the invention can be used to apply the combustion pressure directly to the pump piston. 32 and 32A, a four-cylinder, two-stroke engine 600 (each of the four pistons 602 operating once in one revolution) applies combustion pressure to each of the four pump pistons 604. Each pump piston 604 is mounted to the output side 606 of the corresponding piston assembly 608. Pump piston 604 extends into pump head 610.

The diverting arm 620 is connected to each cylinder 608 and flywheel 622 as described above. A secondary output shaft 624 is connected to the flywheel 622 to rotate with the flywheel.

The engine is a two-stroke engine because every stroke of the piston 602 (when the piston 602 is moved to the right in FIG. 32) must be a power stroke. The number of engine cylinders is selected as required by the pump. The pump may be a fluid or gas pump. When used as a multi-stage air compressor, each pump piston 606 may be of different diameter. The pumping action does not generate bearing loads, and therefore no friction except for that generated by the pump piston itself.

Other embodiments are included within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (20)

A variable compression piston assembly A plurality of pistons, A switching arm connected to each piston, A rotating member connected to the drive member of the switching arm and configured to slide along the axis of the drive member, the rotating member changing the compression ratio of the piston assembly through relative movement to the drive member; Variable compression piston assembly comprising a. The variable compression piston assembly of claim 1 wherein each piston is a double ended piston. 3. A variable compression piston assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said diverting arm is connected to approximately the center of each double-sided piston. 3. A variable compression piston assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said switching arm is connected to each piston such that displacement and compression ratio of each double-sided piston is changed by linear movement of the rotating member relative to said arm. 2. The variable compression piston assembly of claim 1 wherein the plurality of pistons are two pistons, wherein the axis of rotation of the rotating member and the axes of the two pistons are on a common plane. 6. The variable compression piston assembly of claim 5 wherein each piston is a double sided piston. The variable compression piston assembly of claim 1 wherein said rotating member is a flywheel. 8. The variable compression piston assembly of claim 7, further comprising a control rod operatively connected to the flywheel such that the flywheel moves linearly with respect to the transition arm. The variable compression piston assembly of claim 1 wherein said rotating member is configured to be disposed in a zero-stroke position that is the position at which said rotating member is rotated without corresponding movement of the piston. 10. The variable compression piston assembly according to claim 9, wherein the rotating member is a pivot member rotatably installed on the control member, and the pivot member is moved by the operation of the control member to change the compression ratio. The variable compression piston assembly of claim 1 wherein each piston has an axis and the plurality of pistons are arranged parallel to each other. 10. The variable compression piston assembly of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of drive pins, each drive pin connecting the diverting arm to a corresponding piston. The variable compression piston assembly of claim 1 wherein the drive member extends into the aperture of the rotatable member adjacent the perimeter of the rotatable member. 14. The variable compression piston assembly of claim 13 wherein the drive arm extends into the pivot pin in the rotatable member. The variable compression piston assembly of claim 1 further comprising a main drive shaft connected to the rotatable member, the axis of the drive shaft being parallel to the axis of each piston. 10. The variable compression piston assembly of claim 1 further comprising a universal joint connecting the diverting arm to the support. The variable compression piston assembly of claim 1 wherein the pistons are not parallel to each other. The variable compression piston assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of pistons comprises an output pump piston for driving the pump. A method of varying the compression ratio of a piston assembly, Providing a plurality of pistons, a switching arm connected to each piston, and a rotating member connected to the driving member of the switching arm and configured to slide along an axis of the driving member; Moving the rotating member relative to the drive arm to change the compression ratio of the piston assembly Method comprising a. As a method of doubling the efficiency of the piston assembly, Providing a plurality of double-sided pistons, a switching arm connected about the center of each double-sided piston, and a rotating member connected to the drive member of the switch arm and configured to slide along an axis of the drive member; Moving the rotating member relative to the drive arm to change the compression ratio and displacement of the double-sided piston assembly Method comprising a.