External combustion engine
AssigneePower Shaft Engine
InventorAlbert J. Molignoni
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This disclosure relates to an external combustion engine including an engine housing forming at least one pair of opposed cylinders, a piston mounted for reciprocating motion in each cylinder, a rotatable power output shaft mounted between the pistons, and a roller assembly connecting the pistons with the shaft. A boiler and a condenser are connected to supply a pressurized vapor to the cylinders in order to reciprocate the pistons and rotate the shaft. The moving pistons operate as an air pump for moving air through the condenser and the boiler.
Claims20
An engine utilizing a heated vapor, comprising:
- (a) an engine housing forming at least one pair of cylinders;
- (b) a piston mounted for reciprocating motion on the axis of each of said cylinders;
- (c) a rotatably mounted power output shaft positioned between said pistons, the axis of rotation of said shaft extending substantially perpendicular to said axes of reciprocation of said pistons;
- (d) a roller assembly connecting said pistons with said shaft, said assembly including two rollers which roll across said pistons as said shaft rotates and said pistons reciprocate, said rollers being on opposite sides of said axis of said output shaft, whereby each of said pistons moves through a complete cycle of reciprocation for each roller in each rotation of said shaft;
- (e) said cylinders and said pistons forming expansion chambers therebetween, and said housing having vapor inlet and outlet ports therein leading to and from said chambers, and vapor under pressure passing through said inlet ports to said expansion chambers exerting forces on said pistons for turning said shaft.
An engine comprising at least one piston including a cylindrical skirt and a dome across one end of said skirt, cylinder means mounting said piston for reciprocating motion on a centerline, a power output shaft mounted for rotating motion on an axis, said centerline and said axis being substantially perpendicular, and a roller assembly attached to said shaft, said assembly including at least one roller that engages and rolls across said dome, support link means connecting said roller with said shaft and said roller being rotatably mounted on said support link means, the axis of said roller being to one side of and parallel to said shaft.
An external combustion engine system comprising:
- (a) an engine housing forming at least one pair of cylinders;
- (b) a piston mounted for reciprocating motion in each of said cylinders;
- (c) vapor inlet and outlet ports leading to said cylinders and valves in said ports for controlling the flow of a pressurized vapor to cause said piston to reciprocate;
- (d) said housing forming a chamber and air inlet and outlet ports, the reciprocating motion of said piston varying the volume of said chamber and thereby pumping air through said air inlet and outlet ports and said chamber;
- (e) a boiler for heating a pressurized vapor and connected to said vapor inlet ports, said boiler further being connected to said air outlet port;
- and
- (f) a condenser for cooling the pressurized vapor and connected to said vapor outlet ports, said condenser further being connected to said air inlet port.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.