Rotary valve for an internal combustion engine

In a rotary valve for supplying a fuel-air mixture to and exhausting exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine, comprising

• (a) an outer stationary support member formed with a hollow interior,
• (b) an inner member housed within the hollow interior, and
• (c) bearing means supporting the inner member for rotation about an axis,
• the outer support member and the inner rotatable member being formed with duct means and porting means for selectively enabling and preventing the flow of intake and exhaust gases through the valve duct means in accordance with the angular position of the inner rotatable member with respect to the outer support member,
• the improvement comprising impeller means mounted within the portion of the duct means formed within the inner rotatable member, the impeller means moving in close proximity to an engine cylinder location at the porting means for providing the flow of intake gases to the cylinder, the impeller means comprising means for producing a mixing and supercharging effect in said intake gases introduced through the porting means to the cylinder upon rotation of the inner rotatable member, the impeller means comprising a plurality of blades fanning out from the axis of rotation and curving outwardly and rearwardly with respect to the direction of rotation.

In a rotary valve for supplying a fuel-air mixture to and exhausting exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine, comprising

• (a) an outer stationary support member formed with a hollow interior,
• (b) an inner member housed within the hollow interior, and
• (c) bearing means supporting the inner member for rotation about an axis,
• the outer support member and the inner rotatable member being formed with duct means and porting means for selectively enabling and preventing the flow of intake and exhaust gases through the valve duct means in accordance with the angular position of the inner rotatable member with respect to the outer support member,
• the improvement comprising impeller means mounted within the portion of the duct means formed within the inner rotatable member, the impeller means moving in close proximity to an engine cylinder location at the porting means for providing the flow of intake gases to the cylinder, the impeller means comprising means for producing a mixing and supercharging effect in said intake gases introduced through the porting means to the cylinder upon rotation of the inner rotatable member the impeller means including blades in longitudinal registration with an opening from within the inner rotatable member and located proximate the opening from within the inner rotatable member to impart a centrifugal force to the air-fuel mixture opening.

In a rotary valve for a multi-cylinder internal-combustion engine, comprising

• (a) an outer stationary support member formed with a hollow interior,
• (b) an inner valve member housed within the hollow interior, and
• (c) bearing means supporting the valve member for rotation about an axis,
• the outer support member and the inner rotatable member being formed with duct means and porting means for selectively enabling and preventing the flow of intake and exhaust gases through the valve duct means in accordance with the angular position of the inner rotatable member with respect to the outer support member,
• the improvement wherein the outer support member and the inner rotatable member define separate duct means for each cylinder,
• wherein the bearing means comprises a bearing at each end of the inner rotatable member, relatively distant from the engine cylinders, and
• wherein the valve further comprises split collector and distribution pieces forming portions of the duct means and positioned in planes that lie between engine cylinders.

In a rotary valve for supplying a fuel-air mixture to and exhausting exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine, comprising

• (a) an outer stationary support member formed with a hollow interior,
• (b) an inner member housed within the hollow interior, and
• (c) bearing means supporting the inner member for rotation about an axis,
• the outer support member and the inner rotatable member being formed with duct means and porting means for selectively enabling and preventing the flow of intake and exhaust gases through the valve duct means in accordance with the angular position of the inner rotatable member with respect to the outer support member,
• the improvement coomprising said inner rotatable member having sections of larger diameter aligned with engine cylinder locations and sections of smaller diameter between engine cylinder locations, side walls on the enlarged diameter sections extending inwardly to the smaller diameter sections, a port through at least one side wall of each enlarged diameter section, the duct means including a passage aligned with the smaller diameter sections and external of the rotatable member, said passage communicating with an opening out of the valve means, said outer member having a further opening at each cylinder location for communication with the cylinder, the enlarged diameter section having at least one opening in fluid communication with the side wall port and registering with the further opening in the outer member once each rotation of the inner rotatable member to place the cylinder location in fluid communication with the opening out of the valve means.