Connecting rod assembly
AssigneeAchates Power, Inc.
InventorsJohn M. Kessler, Marc-Ellis H. Brandt, Christopher L. Freestone
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A connecting rod assembly has a connecting rod with a large end and a small end, a piston wrist pin, and fasteners to connect the connecting rod to the piston wrist pin and optionally one or more shims in between the connecting rod and piston wrist pin. A notch on the wrist pin allows for the seating of a flat surface on the small end of the connecting rod in the connecting rod assembly. Side walls on both the notch and the small end of the connecting rod limit twist. The connecting rod assembly allows for the adjustment of piston location in a cylinder while limiting connecting rod twist.
Claims21
A connecting rod assembly comprising:
- a connecting rod with a large end and a small end with a planar top;
- a piston wrist pin with an oil reservoir;
- an oil channel in the connecting rod to conduct a flow of oil from the large end to the piston wrist pin;
- and,
- fasteners to connect the connecting rod to the piston wrist pin;
- wherein, the piston wrist pin comprises a notch and the small end planar top comprises a flat seating surface dimensioned to fit into the notch;
- wherein the piston wrist pin comprises an oil opening in the notch that aligns with the oil channel and allows oil to pass into the oil reservoir ;
- wherein the piston wrist pin comprises openings in the notch that receive the fasteners;
- and,
- wherein the small end planar top comprises a dowel pin and the notch comprises an orientation opening to receive the dowel pin.
An opposed-piston engine comprising at least one cylinder with longitudinally-separated exhaust and intake ports, a pair of pistons disposed in opposition to one another in a bore of the cylinder, and two crankshafts disposed in a generally parallel relationship and positioned outside of respective intake and exhaust ends of the at least one cylinder, each piston connected to one of the two crankshafts by a connecting rod assembly, the connecting rod assembly comprising:
- a connecting rod with a large end and a small end with a planar top;
- a piston wrist pin with an oil reservoir;
- an oil channel in the connecting rod to conduct a flow of oil from the large end to the piston wrist pin;
- and,
- fasteners to connect the connecting rod to the piston wrist pin,
- wherein the piston wrist pin comprises a notch and the small end planar top comprises a flat seating surface dimensioned to fit into the wrist pin notch;
- wherein the piston wrist pin comprises an oil opening in the notch that aligns with the oil channel and allows oil to pass into the oil reservoir;
- wherein the piston wrist pin comprises openings in the notch that receive the fasteners;
- and,
- wherein the small end planar top comprises a dowel pin and the notch comprises an orientation opening to receive the dowel pin.
A connecting rod assembly, comprising:
- a connecting rod with a large end and a small end;
- a wrist pin with an oil reservoir;
- an oil channel in the connecting rod to conduct a flow of oil from the large end to the wrist pin;
- threaded fasteners connecting the wrist pin to the small end;
- and
- a transition fit acting between the wrist pin and the small end to resist twist of the connecting rod along its length;
- wherein the wrist pin comprises an oil opening that aligns with the oil channel and allows oil to pass into the oil reservoir;
- wherein the piston wrist pin comprises openings within the transition fit that receive the threaded fasteners;
- and,
- wherein the small end comprises a dowel pin and the wrist pin comprises an orientation opening within the transition fit to receive the dowel pin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.