Piston type energy conversion machine
AssigneeVadetec Corporation
InventorYves J. Kemper
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A piston type energy conversion machine such as an internal combustion engine in which the thrust of piston reciprocation is converted to nutational movement of a tube-like member journalled in a support which is driven in rotation about a primary engine axis. Also supported for rotation on the primary engine axis is a biconical element to which torque is transmitted by friction from the nutating member. The pistons operate in a plane which undergoes a swashing movement on a point at the intersection of the primary axis with the axis of nutation. Also the connection of the pistons to the nutating member is by way of linkage including swivel links which function to absorb the thrust of each piston power stroke.
Claims18
An energy conversion machine comprising a frame, a torque transmitting member supported by said frame for rotation about a first axis, means including a piston to define a working fluid chamber on said frame, said piston being reciprocable on a second axis, transmission means drivably interconnecting said piston and said torque transmitting member and including a nutatable member having interior rolling surfaces of revolution about a third axis intersecting said first axis at an angle to establish a point of axes intersection, said third axis being revolvable in a biconical path about said first axis, said torque transmitting member having exterior rolling surfaces of revolution about said first axis and in rolling frictional engagement with said interior rolling surfaces at two points of contact on opposite sides of said point of axes intersection, an arm-like extension having one end connected to said nutatable member and another end connected pivotally at a fulcrum point to said piston, said fulcrum point lying in a plane perpendicular to said third axis and passing through said point of axes intersection.
An energy conversion machine comprising a frame, a torque transmitting member supported by said frame for rotation about a first axis, means including a piston to define a working fluid chamber on said frame, said piston being reciprocable on a second axis, transmission means drivably interconnecting said piston and said torque transmitting member and including a nutatable member having a third axis intersecting said first axis at an angle to establish a point of axes intersection, said third axis being revolvable about said first axis, an arm-like extension having one end connected to one end of said nutatable member and another end connected pivotally at a fulcrum point to said piston, and a swivel link pivoted at opposite ends at said one end of said nutatable member and said frame, respectively, the end of said swivel link pivoted in said nutatable member being movable in a path concentric with a line extending from the opposite end of said swivel link to said point of axes intersection.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.