Rotary internal combustion engine and a method of operating the same

In a seven phase rotary internal combustion engine comprising an outer stationary body;

• an inner body, said inner body being rotatable with respect to said outer body;
• said outer body including axially spaced end walls and a peripheral wall interconnecting the end walls, said peripheral wall including on the inner surface thereof three symmetrically arranged circumferentially spaced lobedefining portions, said inner body having its geometric center eccentrically displaced relative to the geometric center of said outer body and including on the outer peripheral surface thereof four symmetrically arranged circumferentially spaced apex portions, said inner surface of said peripheral wall and said outer peripheral surface being cooperatively shaped and operatively associated to define upon relative rotation of said inner body with respect to said outer body four variable volume working chambers;
• a first intake port means operatively associated with said outer body shortly beyond a point thereon spaced at a minimum distance from the center of said outer body in the direction of rotation of said inner body with respect to said outer body;
• an exhaust port means shortly before said point;
• a second intake port means in the vicinity of a third point thereon spaced at a minimum distance from the center of said outer body in the direction of rotation of said inner body with respect to said outer body;
• a transfer passage means positioned at a third point thereon spaced at a minimum distance from the center of said outer body in the direction of rotation of said inner body with respect to said outer body for placing one chamber of the engine into fluid communication with a second chamber which is next preceding in said direction of rotation once during each operational cycle of each chamber to transfer a portion of expanding combusting fuel-air mixture from said one chamber to said second chamber and for placing said one chamber in communication with a third chamber which is next following in said direction of rotation once during each operational cycle of each chamber to transfer the combustion product from said third chamber to said one chamber, a source of scavenging air communicating with said second intake port means;
• and ignition means operatively associated with said outer body and arranged to successively communicate with each chamber, said ignition means being positioned shortly before a second point thereon spaced at a minimum distance from the center of said outer body in the direction of rotation of said inner body with respect to said outer body;
• the improvement in which said second intake port means is disposed in an area of one of said end walls that is continuously covered by said inner body, said inner body having four mating ports in one end face adjacent to said one end wall and four passages therein establishing communication between said mating ports and the adjacent chambers, respectively, each of said mating ports being so disposed in said end face that it communicates with said second intake port once during each operational cycle of one of said adjacent chambers.