US 5,203,287 AGranted

Oscillating piston engine

AssigneeTommy Hasbun

InventorBruce C. Wiley

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Abstract

An internal combustion engine has a rotating annular cylinder containing a plurality of mutually oscillating pairs of pistons, one of each pair being rigidly fixed to a first axially-oscillating tube, the other of each pair being fixed to a second such tube concentric with the first. Each of the tubes is connected, by a "Scotch yoke", to a crank throw on a crank shaft. Each Scotch yoke includes an arm fixed at one end to its associated tube for oscillation therewith. The arm includes an elliptical slot that carries an annular ball bearing race for movement therein, one crank throw being journaled within each race. The cylinder is rotated by the crankshaft through a gear train in a fixed ratio to the rotation rate of the shaft. The pistons, having conical end faces, impart a rotational motion to the crankshaft during the power stroke of the cycle, the rotation of the crankshaft, in turn, imparting an oscillation to the piston pairs to actuate them in accordance with the strokes of the engine cycle. The rotation of the cylinder brings the piston pairs into registration with spark plugs, intake ports, and exhaust ports at appropriate times during the cycle. A magnetic ignition system is employed, in which magnetic transducers on the cylinder are rotated past an array of magnets to generate triggering pulses that are transmitted to an ignition voltage generation circuit, which, in response, delivers an ignition voltage to the spark plugs at the appropriate time.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An internal combustion engine, of the type having a rotating annular cylinder containing a plurality of mutually oscillating pairs of pistons, first means for oscillating the pistons so as to move the pistons in each pair toward and away from each other in accordance with the strokes of the operational cycle of the engine, a crankshaft having at least two crank throws, second means coupled to the crank throws for converting the oscillation of the pistons during the power stroke of the cycle into rotation of the crankshaft, and third means for rotating the cylinder in response to the rotation of the crankshaft, wherein the engine includes an improvement in the second means, comprising:

first and second concentric tubes aligned coaxially with the axis of rotation of the cylinder and journaled for rotation along said axis, each of the tubes having a proximal portion extending into the cylinder, and a distal portion spaced from the cylinder, one piston of each pair of pistons being rigidly fixed to the proximal portion of the first tube, and the other piston of each pair of pistons being rigidly fixed to the proximal portion of the second tube;
a first rigid arm having a first end fixed to the distal portion of the first tube, and a second rigid arm having a first end fixed to the distal portion of the second tube, the first and second arms each having a substantially elliptical aperture spaced from its first end;
and
fourth means for journaling each of the crank throws in the elliptical aperture of one of the arms so as to operatively engage each of the arms with one of the crank throws;
whereby the oscillation of the pistons axially rotates the first and second tubes in mutually opposite directions, thereby oscillating the first and second arms in mutually opposite directions to rotate the crankshaft by means of the engagement between the crank throws and the arms.

2 more elements

An internal combustion engine, of the type having an annular cylinder rotatably journaled within a crankcase and containing a plurality of mutually oscillating pairs of pistons, first means for oscillating the pistons so as to move the pistons in each pair toward and away from each other in accordance with the strokes of the operational cycle of the engine, a crankshaft, second means coupled to the crankshaft for converting the oscillation of the pistons during the power stroke of the cycle into rotation of the crankshaft, and third means for rotating the cylinder in response to the rotation of the crankshaft, wherein the improvement comprises:

magnetic ignition means, comprising:
at least two diametrically-opposed spark plugs disposed within the cylinder;
magnet means fixed to the crankcase so as to be disposed toward the cylinder;
magnetic pick-up means, mounted on the cylinder for rotation therewith, and disposed so as to be brought into proximity to the magnet means as the cylinder rotates, for generating a triggering pulse in response to the proximity of the magnet means;
ignition voltage generation means, electrically connected to the spark plugs, the magnetic pick-up means, and the electrical power source, for delivering an ignition voltage pulse to the spark plugs in response to the triggering pulse.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.