Mechanism for internal combustion piston engines

A rocking mechanism through which linear reciprocating movement of a piston of an internal combustion engine can be transferred, from the remote end of a con rod on which the piston is mounted, to a crankshaft;

• wherein the rocking mechanism includes:
• a rocking member;
• mountings by which the rocking member is mountable, on a structure of or secured to a crankcase for the engine, for reversible rocking movement on a first axis;
• a link member pivotally connected, at one of opposite ends thereof, to the rocking member so as to be pivotable relative to the rocking member on a second axis, offset from and parallel to the first axis, between two extreme positions;
• and
• holding means by which the link member is releasably holdable in either of the two extreme positions;
• and
• wherein at its other end, the link member is adapted for pivotably connecting to the remote end of con rod so as to be pivotable relative to the con rod on a third axis which is offset from the second axis and parallel to the first and second axes and, at a location offset from the first axis, the rocking member is adapted for pivotally connecting to a little end of a further con rod, having a big end connectable to the crankshaft, for relative rotation between the rocking member and the further con rod on a fourth axis parallel to the first, second and fourth axes.

An internal combustion (IC) engine having a cylinder head and a crankcase, a plurality of cylinders defined by the cylinder head, a crankshaft journalled in the crankcase for rotation on a longitudinal axis of rotation, a respective piston in each cylinder, and a respective con rod on one end of which each piston is mounted and from the remote end of which each piston is connected to the crankshaft for transferring linear reciprocation movement of each piston in its cylinder to, and for rotating, the crankshaft;

• the engine further includes, for at least one cylinder, a rocking mechanism through which the con rod (hereinafter referred to as the “first con rod”), on which the piston of the one cylinder is mounted, is connected to the crankshaft;
• wherein the rocking mechanism includes:
• a rocking member;
• mountings by which the rocking member is mounted, on a structure of or secured to a crankcase for the engine, for reversible rocking movement on a first axis parallel to the crankshaft axis;
• a link member pivotally connected, at one of opposite ends thereof, to the rocking member so as to be pivotable relative to the rocking member on a second axis, offset from and parallel to the first axis, between two extreme positions;
• and
• holding means by which the link member is releasably holdable in either of the two extreme positions;
• wherein the other end of the link member is pivotally connected to the remote end of the first con rod so as to be pivotable relative to the first con rod on a third axis offset from and parallel to the first and second axes;
• the rocking member is pivotally connected to a little end of a second con rod having a big end journalled on the crankshaft, for relative rotation between the rocking member and the second con rod on a fourth axis parallel to the first, second and third axes;
• the first and second con rods are movable in the same plane or parallel planes and the first, second, third and fourth axes are parallel to the axis of rotation of the crankshaft;
• and wherein the arrangement is such that, with the holding means holding the link member, linear reciprocating motion of the piston of the one cylinder is able to be transferred to the crankshaft and rotate the crankshaft, by the resultant motion of the first con rod being transferred to the second con rod by rocking motion of the rocking member on the first axis, by pivoting of the link member relative to the first con rod on the third axis, and by pivoting of the rocking member relative to the second con rod on the fourth axis.

An internal combustion (IC) engine having a cylinder head and a crankcase, a plurality of cylinders defined by the cylinder head in an in-line configuration, a crankshaft journalled in the crankcase for rotation on a longitudinal axis of rotation, a respective piston in each cylinder, and a respective con rod on one end of which each piston is mounted and from the remote end of which each piston is connected to the crankshaft for transferring linear reciprocation movement of each piston in its cylinder to, and for rotating, the crankshaft;

• the engine further includes, for each of at least two cylinders, a respective rocking mechanism through which the con rod (hereinafter referred to as the “first con rod”), on which the piston of each of the at least two cylinders is mounted, is connected to the crankshaft;
• wherein the rocking mechanism includes:
• a rocking member;
• mountings by which the rocking member is mounted, on a structure of or secured to a crankcase for the engine, for reversible rocking movement on a first axis parallel to the crankshaft axis;
• a link member pivotally connected, at one of opposite ends thereof, to the rocking member so as to be pivotable relative to the rocking member on a second axis, offset from and parallel to the first axis, between two extreme positions;
• and
• holding means by which the link member is releasably holdable in either of the two extreme positions;
• wherein the other end of the link member is pivotally connected to the remote end of the first con rod so as to be pivotable relative to the first con rod on a third axis offset from and parallel to the first and second axes;
• the rocking member is pivotally connected to a little end of a second con rod having a big end journalled on the crankshaft, for relative rotation between the rocking member and the second con rod on a fourth axis parallel to the first, second and third axes;
• the first and second con rods are movable in the same plane or parallel planes and the first, second, third and fourth axes are parallel to the axis of rotation of the crankshaft;
• and wherein the arrangement is such that, with the holding means holding the link member, linear reciprocating motion of the piston of the one cylinder is able to be transferred to the crankshaft and rotate the crankshaft, by the resultant motion of the first con rod being transferred to the second con rod by rocking motion of the rocking member on the first axis, by pivoting of the link member relative to the first con rod on the third axis, and by pivoting of the rocking member relative to the second con rod on the fourth axis;
• and wherein the holding means for each of the at least two cylinders is operable to pivot the link member to bring its fourth axis into coincidence with the first axis and thereby enable its piston to be de-activated.

An internal combustion (IC) engine having a cylinder head and a crankcase, a plurality of cylinders defined by the cylinder head in an in-line configuration, a crankshaft journalled in the crankcase for rotation on a longitudinal axis of rotation, a respective piston in each cylinder, and a respective con rod on one end of which each piston is mounted and from the remote end of which each piston is connected to the crankshaft for transferring linear reciprocation movement of each piston in its cylinder to, and for rotating, the crankshaft;

• the engine further includes, for each cylinder, a respective rocking mechanism through which the con rod (hereinafter referred to as the “first con rod”), on which the piston of each cylinder is mounted, is connected to the crankshaft:
• wherein each rocking mechanism includes:
• a rocking member;
• mountings by which the rocking member is mounted, on a structure of or secured to a crankcase for the engine, for reversible rocking movement on a first axis parallel to the crankshaft axis;
• a link member pivotally connected, at one of opposite ends thereof, to the rocking member so as to be pivotable relative to the rocking member on a second axis, offset from and parallel to the first axis, between two extreme positions;
• and
• holding means by which the link member is releasably holdable in either of the two extreme positions;
• wherein the other end of the link member is pivotally connected to the remote end of the first con rod so as to be pivotable relative to the first con rod on a third axis offset from and parallel to the first and second axes;
• the rocking member is pivotally connected to a little end of a second con rod having a big end journalled on the crankshaft, for relative rotation between the rocking member and the second con rod on a fourth axis parallel to the first, second and third axes;
• the first and second con rods are movable in the same plane or parallel planes and the first, second, third and fourth axes are parallel to the axis of rotation of the crankshaft;
• and wherein the arrangement is such that, with the holding means holding the link member, linear reciprocating motion of the piston of the one cylinder is able to be transferred to the crankshaft and rotate the crankshaft, by the resultant motion of the first con rod being transferred to the second con rod by rocking motion of the rocking member on the first axis, by pivoting of the link member relative to the first con rod on the third axis, and by pivoting of the rocking member relative to the second con rod on the fourth axis;
• and wherein the holding means for each rocking mechanism is operable in unison with each other holding means to vary the stroke of each piston between two extreme settings.

An internal combustion (IC) engine having a cylinder head and a crankcase, a plurality of cylinders defined by the crankcase cylinder head in an in-line configuration, a crankshaft journalled in the crankcase for rotation on a longitudinal axis of rotation, a respective piston in each cylinder, and a respective con rod on one end of which each piston is mounted and from the remote end of which each piston is connected to the crankshaft for transferring linear reciprocation movement of each piston in its cylinder to, and for rotating, the crankshaft;

• the engine further includes, for each cylinder, a respective rocking mechanism through which the con rod (hereinafter referred to as the “first con rod”), on which the piston of each cylinder is mounted, is connected to the crankshaft;
• wherein each rocking mechanism includes:
• a rocking member;
• mountings by which the rocking member is mounted, on a structure of or secured to a crankcase for the engine, for reversible rocking movement on a first axis parallel to the crankshaft axis;
• a link member pivotally connected, at one of opposite ends thereof, to the rocking member so as to be pivotable relative to the rocking member on a second axis, offset from and parallel to the first axis, between two extreme positions;
• and
• holding means by which the link member is releasably holdable in either of the two extreme positions;
• wherein the other end of the link member is pivotally connected to the remote end of the first con rod so as to be pivotable relative to the first con rod on a third axis offset from and parallel to the first and second axes;
• the rocking member is pivotally connected to a little end of a second con rod having a big end journalled on the crankshaft, for relative rotation between the rocking member and the second con rod on a fourth axis parallel to the first, second and third axes;
• the first and second con rods are movable in the same plane or parallel planes and the first, second, third and fourth axes are parallel to the axis of rotation of the crankshaft;
• and wherein the arrangement is such that, with the holding means holding the link member, linear reciprocating motion of the piston of the one cylinder is able to be transferred to the crankshaft and rotate the crankshaft, by the resultant motion of the first con rod being transferred to the second con rod by rocking motion of the rocking member on the first axis, by pivoting of the link member relative to the first con rod on the third axis, and by pivoting of the rocking member relative to the second con rod on the fourth axis;
• wherein the mountings comprise an opening defined by the rocking member or by a fitting secured to the rocking member;
• and wherein the with the first axis on which it is rotatable relative to the rocking member, an eccentric rotatable with the adjusting shaft or axle to orbit around the first axis and a holding arm which is journalled at one end on the eccentric and extends therefrom radially with respect to the first axis to a pivotable coupling between its other end and the link member, whereby the holding arm is moved with orbiting of the eccentric in response to rotation of the adjusting shaft or axle to pivot the link member on the second axis relative to the rocking member;
• and wherein the engine includes means drivingly connecting the adjusting shaft and the crankshaft to provide a fixed rotational ratio of one or two respectively, whereby said engine is operable with an Atkinson Cycle motion.