Pressurized gas operated engine

In an engine having chamber structure including a head and reciprocating piston means movable in said chamber structure, said structure having associated inlet porting and valving in the head, and a rotor driven by the engine, the combination comprising:

• a. a source of relatively high pressure gas
• b. gas pressure ducting connected with said chamber structure via said porting, and
• c. distribution means operatively connected with said rotor to be driven thereby for controlling distribution of said high pressure gas from said ducting to said porting for urging the piston means in a power stroke direction in the chamber structure,
• d. said source including a resevoir for storing a supply of said gas in its liquified state, a heat exchanger for transforming said liquified gas into a high pressure gas, a container for receiving and storing said high pressure gas subsequent to the heating of the liquified gas in said heat exchanger, duct means connecting the reservoir, the heat exchanger and container for serial flow of fluid therethrough
• e. said source means further including a pump means for delivering the liquified gas from the reservoir to the heat exchanger and the to the container, said pump means being energized by a pressure responsive means, said pressure responsive means being responsive to the pressure in said container, whereby said pump is energized upon a predetermined drop in gas pressure within said container to deliver liquified gas from the reservoir, to the heat exchanger and then to said container,
• f. a duct communication between the container and said distribution controlling means, and a first control valve connected in series with said duct to variably control the flow of said high pressure gas to said distribution means, a second nonvariable valve in parallel flow relationship to said first control valve, said second valve providing a constant flow rate therethrough.
• g. said distribution means including a housing having a single inlet, and multiple outlets communicating with said ducting in the form of multiple ducts, a gas distributor rotor axially rotatable in the housing by the engine driven rotor, the gas distributor rotor controlling flow of high pressure gas from said single inlet to said multiple outlets, said outlets formed as slots which are spaced about the rotor and are relatively narrow in the rotary direction of rotor rotation, said outlet slots formed in said housing, the distribution rotor having a single rotating gas distributing outlet formed as a slot which has successive registration with said outlet slots as the rotor rotates, said outlet slots elongated in a direction generally parallel to the rotor axis, said narrow and elongated outlet slots being generally rectangular and
• h. check valve means in said ducting to pass the flow of said high pressure gas from said distribution means to said chamber structure only when the gas pressure in said ducting exceeds predetermined level as controlled by operation of said distribution means.