Internal combustion engine having opposed pistons

An opposed piston internal combustion engine comprising:

• an output shaft;
• at least one cylinder;
• at least one pair of first and second opposed pistons slidable in said cylinder, said pair of pistons defining a space within said cylinder;
• first connecting means comprising a first cam connected to the output shaft and a first cam follower assembly connecting the first piston to the first cam;
• second connecting means comprising a second cam connected to the output shaft and a second cam follower assembly connecting the second piston to the second cam;
• intake valve means comprising a slide valve obtained by said first piston covering and uncovering an intake port provided in a sidewall of said cylinder at a first end of said cylinder;
• and
• exhaust valve means comprising a slide valve obtained by said second piston covering and uncovering an exhaust port provided in the sidewall of said cylinder at a second opposite end of said cylinder, the first and second connecting means cooperating to provide a cycle of relative movements between the pistons and of valve actions giving rise to five portions of said cycle:
• (i) intake, at a beginning of which said first piston uncovers said intake port and said second piston is near said first piston, and at an end of which said second piston has moved near a midpoint between said first and second ends, (ii) compression, during which said first piston moves toward said midpoint, (iii) expansion, during which said first and second pistons move towards said first and second ends respectively, (iv) exhaust, at a beginning of which said second piston uncovers said exhaust port and at an end of which said first piston travels towards said second piston to expel gases from said cylinder, and (v) return, during which said pistons both move towards said first end, said expansion portion including burn and work subportions.

An opposed piston internal combustion engine comprising:

• an output shaft;
• at least one cylinder;
• at least one pair of first and second opposed pistons slidable in said cylinder, said pair of pistons defining a space within said cylinder;
• first connecting means comprising a first cam connected to the output shaft and a first cam follower assembly connecting the first piston to the first cam;
• second connecting means comprising a second cam connected to the output shaft and a second cam follower assembly connecting the second piston to the second cam;
• intake valve means comprising a slide valve obtained by said first piston covering and uncovering an intake port provided in a sidewall of said cylinder at a first end of said cylinder;
• exhaust valve means comprising a slide valve obtained by said second piston covering and uncovering an exhaust port provided in the sidewall of said cylinder at a second opposite end of said cylinder, the first and second connecting means cooperating to provide a cycle of relative movements between the pistons and of valve actions giving rise to five portions of said cycle:
• (i) intake, (ii) compression, (iii) expansion, (iv) exhaust, and (v) return, said expansion portion including burn and work subportions;
• and
• wherein said first and second connecting means further comprise first and second complementary cams and first and second complementary cam follower assemblies, said first and second complementary cams and said first and second complementary cam follower assemblies cooperating with said first and second cams and cam follower assemblies to provide a solid mechanical linkage between said first and second pistons and said output shaft for reciprocal motion of said first and second pistons in said cylinder.

An opposed piston internal combustion engine comprising:

• an output shaft;
• at least one cylinder;
• at least one pair of first and second opposed pistons slidable in said cylinder, said pair of pistons defining a space within said cylinder;
• first connecting means comprising a first cam connected to the output shaft and a first cam follower assembly connecting the first piston to the first cam;
• second connecting means comprising a second cam connected to the output shaft and a second cam follower assembly connecting the second piston to the second cam;
• intake valve means comprising a slide valve obtained by said first piston covering and uncovering an intake port provided in a sidewall of said cylinder at a first end of said cylinder;
• exhaust valve means comprising a slide valve obtained by said second piston covering and uncovering an exhaust port provided in the sidewall of said cylinder at a second opposite end of said cylinder, the first and second connecting means cooperating to provide a cycle of relative movements between the pistons and of valve actions giving rise to five portions of said cycle:
• (i) intake, (ii) compression, (iii) expansion, (iv) exhaust, and (v) return, said expansion portion including burn and work subportions;
• and
• wherein said cylinder is a segment of a toroid, said first and second cam follower assemblies comprise first and second pivot arms connected to said first and second pistons respectively, said first and second pivot arms pivoting about a center of said toroid segment in the same plane as the rotational plane of said cams.

An opposed piston internal combustion engine comprising:

• an output shaft;
• at least one cylinder;
• at least one pair of first and second opposed pistons slidable in said cylinder, said pair of pistons defining a space within said cylinder;
• first connecting means comprising a first cam connected to the output shaft and a first cam follower assembly connecting the first piston to the first cam;
• second connecting means comprising a second cam connected to the output shaft and a second cam follower assembly connecting the second piston to the second cam;
• intake valve means comprising a slide valve obtained by said first piston covering and uncovering an intake port provided in a sidewall of said cylinder at a first end of said cylinder;
• exhaust valve means comprising a slide valve obtained by said second piston covering and uncovering an exhaust port provided in the sidewall of said cylinder at a second opposite end of said cylinder, the first and second connecting means cooperating to provide a cycle of relative movements between the pistons and of valve actions giving rise to five portions of said cycles:
• (i) intake, (ii) compression, (iii) expansion, (iv) exhaust, and (v) return, said expansion portion including burn and work subportions;
• and
• wherein said cylinder is a segment of a toroid, said first and second cam follower assemblies comprise first and second pivot arms connected to said first and second pistons respectively, said first and second pivot arms pivoting about a center of said toroid segment in a plane radial to the rotational axis of said cams.

An opposed piston internal combustion engine comprising:

• an output shaft;
• at least one cylinder;
• at least one pair of first and second opposed pistons slidable in said cylinder, said pair of pistons defining a space within said cylinder;
• first connecting means comprising a first cam connected to the output shaft and a first cam follower assembly connecting the first piston to the first cam;
• second connecting means comprising a second cam connected to the output shaft and a second cam follower assembly connecting the second piston to the second cam;
• intake valve means comprising a slide valve obtained by said first piston covering and uncovering an intake port provided in a sidewall of said cylinder at a first end of said cylinder;
• exhaust valve means comprising a slide valve obtained by said second piston covering and uncovering an exhaust port provided in the sidewall of said cylinder at a second opposite end of said cylinder, the first and second connecting means cooperating to provide a cycle of relative movements between the pistons and of valve actions giving rise to five portions of said cycle:
• (i) intake, (ii) compression, (iii) expansion, (iv) exhaust, and (v) return, said expansion portion including burn and work subportions;
• and
• wherein a shape of said cylinder is of a straight cylindrical form, said first and second cam follower assemblies comprise first and second pivot arms connected to said first and second pistons respectively by a first and second piston pins and rods.