Radial internal combustion engine with different stroke volumes

A crankshaft assembly for a radial internal combustion four-cycle engine having at least three cylinders and a housing for the crankshaft assembly, comprising:

• a crankshaft disposed in the engine housing, the axis of rotation of the crankshaft being generally parallel to the orientation of the crankshaft;
• an annular outer cogwheel mounted within the housing and being oriented concentric with the axis of rotation of the crankshaft;
• the crankshaft having at least one throw arm extending perpendicularly from the crankshaft axis;
• an inner cogwheel rotatably connected to each throw arm, engaging the annular cogwheel and having a cogshaft extending therefrom perpendicular to its axis of rotation;
• each cylinder having a piston disposed therein, with one end of the piston being pivotably connected to the outer end of a connecting rod;
• and
• the inner end of each connecting rod being rotatably attached to a cogshaft journal;
• whereby the crankshaft assembly allows the inner end of the connecting rod to move hypocycloidally with respect to the axis of the crankshaft, thus enabling a different piston displacement during the intake cycle compared to the combustion cycle of a four-cycle engine.

A crankshaft assembly for a radial internal combustion engine having at least three cylinders and a housing for the crankshaft assembly, comprising:

• a crankshaft disposed in the engine housing, the axis of rotation of the crankshaft being generally parallel to the orientation of the crankshaft,
• the housing having an integral annular cogwheel oriented concentric with the axis of rotation of the crankshaft,
• the crankshaft having at least one throw arm extending perpendicularly from the axis,
• an inner cogwheel rotatably connected to each throw arm and engaging the annular cogwheel,
• each cylinder having a piston disposed therein, with one end of the piston being pivotably connected to the outer end of a connecting rod,
• the inner end of each connecting rod being rotatably attached to a cogshaft journal which attaches perpendicular to the end of cogshaft which itself extends from the inner cogwheel perpendicular to its axis of rotation,
• whereby the crankshaft assembly allows the inner end of the connecting rod to move hypocycloidally with respect to the axis of the crankshaft, thus enabling a different piston displacement during the intake stroke as opposed to the combustion stroke.

In a radial internal combustion engine having a housing, a plurality of pistons each pivotally connected to one end of a connecting rod, each connecting rod having a medial end spaced apart from the end connected to the piston, a crankshaft having throw arm to accommodate each piston, and a linkage between the crankshaft and the connecting rod, the improvement which comprises:

• the linkage for each piston comprising an inner cogwheel rotatably mounted on the throw arm,
• a cogshaft integral with each inner cogwheel, to which is rotatably connected the medial end of the connecting rod;
• and an annular cogwheel within the housing with which each inner cogwheel is engaged;
• such that the medial end of the connecting rod moves hypocycloidally with respect to the axis of the crankshaft to enable a different piston displacement during the compression stroke as compared to the combustion stroke.