Uniflow steam engine

A uniflow engine-compressor comprising:

• a. a hollow cylinder having a longitudinally extending slot therein;
• b. a piston reciprocably movably disposed within said cylinder;
• c. a cylindrical cam member in surrounding relation with said cylinder and having a circumferentially extending sinusoidal cam track therein, said cylinder being rotatable within said cam member;
• d. a cam follower mounted on said piston and extending radially outward therefrom through said longitudinal slot in said cylinder and into said cam track, whereby reciprocable movement of said piston within said cylinder will cause said piston and cylinder to rotate relative to said cam member;
• e. a cylinder head at each end of said cylinder, said longitudinal slot in said cylinder being proportioned to prevent said piston from engaging either of said cylinder heads, whereby to define a clearance space at each end of said cylinder;
• f. said cylinder having an aperture therethrough at each end thereof leading into said clearance spaces;
• and
• g. means for periodically passing compressible fluid through said apertures in said cylinder between said clearance spaces and outside of said cylinder comprising;
• i. a pair of superposed bands at each end of said cylinder in overlying relationship with said cylinder and being relatively movable with respect to said cylinder apertures and with respect to each other;
• ii. said bands each having an aperture therein registrable with said cylinder aperture at the corresponding end of said cylinder;
• and
• iii. means for moving said bands whereby to adjust the amount of register of said band apertures and said cylinder aperture and the point of such register, whereby to adjust the amount of compressible fluid passing through said cylinder apertures and the timing of such passage.