Tangential internal combustion engine

An internal combustion engine having first and second cylinders having a circular arc shape in a longitudinal direction thereof, one piston being disposed in each of said cylinders so as to be movable from a position at a minimum distance from a cylinder head to a position at a maximum distance from the cylinder head, and a shaft, the cylinders being disposed such that motion of the piston in the first cylinder generated by combustion of fuel in a combustion chamber of the first cylinder and motion of the piston in the second cylinder generated by combustion of fuel in a combustion chamber of the second cylinder occur in a same direction,

• wherein:
• one piston rod having a circular arc shape in a longitudinal direction thereof, and one freewheel associated with each cylinder are present at sides of the pistons facing away from the combustion chambers, wherein the cylinders are further disposed so that an axis of the shaft is a center point of a circle defining a circular arc shape of the cylinders and of the piston rods,
• a side of each piston rod opposite the piston of the first cylinder and the second cylinder is connected to an outer side of one of the freewheels, and inner sides of the freewheels are each connected to the shaft,
• the freewheels are disposed such that motion generated by the combustion of fuel in the combustion chamber of a cylinder and transferred by the piston rod of a piston to the outer side of the freewheel is transferred to the shaft, and the freewheels each run freely in an opposite direction,
• and the outer sides of the freewheels are coupled to each other so as to perform a motion in the opposite direction, wherein the motion of the pistons in the first and second cylinders also runs in opposite directions.