Reciprocating valve actuator device

A valve actuator comprising:

• a support structure;
• a valve;
• a rod, having a continuous helical path and an angled cam surface, held adjacent the valve by the support structure;
• a rotatable drive collar engaging the continuous helical path and constrained from linear movement along the axis of the rod, so that the collar slides the rod linearly when the collar is rotated;
• and,
• a valve driver, slidably engaging the cam surface and connected to the valve, so that movement of the cam surface causes the valve driver to open or close the valve.

A valve train actuator comprising:

• a valve train including a plurality of valves;
• a base plate;
• a plurality of guide blocks each having a hole therein, mounted on the base plate to form a cylindrical track;
• at least one shaft having at least one bi-level cam slot slidably disposed within the track;
• a plurality of rockers slidably disposed on the shaft in contact with the bi-level cam slot;
• each rocker constrained by the guide blocks to a position directly adjacent and operatively coupled to one valve in the valve train;
• a rotary-to-linear conversion means, operatively attached to the shaft and constrained from linear motion with respect to the shaft by the guide blocks, for translating rotary motion to linear motion of the shaft;
• the rockers, shaft, guide blocks and rotary-to-linear conversion means cooperating to oscillate the shaft along its axis upon rotation of the rotary-to-linear conversion means and rotate the rockers about the axis of the shaft in response to pressure from the bi-level cam slot whereby the valve train is actuated.

An internal combustion engine utilizing a valve train actuator comprising;

• an engine block having open cylinders and a cylinder head;
• a plurality of pistons operatively disposed in the cylinders;
• a crankshaft pivotally connected to the engine block and the pistons so that as the pistons reciprocate the crankshaft turns;
• a valve train held in sealable relation with the open cylinders by the cylinder head;
• a slotted guide member mounted on the cylinder head, forming two longitudinal cylindrical tracks and having one latitudinal slot for each valve;
• a first timing bar, having a plurality of tiered camways generally parallel with the axis of the bar at one end and a continuous helical drive path at the other end, slidably disposed in one cylindrical track;
• a second timing bar, having a plurality of tiered camways generally parallel with the axis of the bar at one end and continuous helical drive path at the other end, slidably disposed in the second cylindrical track;
• a first rotary-to-linear conversion means, operatively attached to the continuous helical drive path of the first timing bar and rotatively coupled to the crankshaft, for the linearly reciprocating the first timing bar once when the crankshaft is rotated through an angle alpha;
• a second rotary-to-linear conversion means, operatively attached to the continuous helical drive path of the second timing bar and coupled to the crankshaft, for linearly reciprocating the second timing bar once when the crankshaft is rotated through an angle beta;
• a first group of valve drivers slidably mounted on the first timing bar so that each driver fits within one latitudinal slot and contacts one valve of the valve train;
• a second group of valve drivers slidably mounted on the second timing bar so that each driver fits within one latitudinal slot and contacts one valve of the valve train;
• a plurality of drive pins, each pin rigidly attached to one valve driver and slidably engaging one tiered camway of each timing bar so that as the timing bar linearly reciprocates, the drive pin slides within the tiered camway, forcing the valve driver to rotate about the axis of the timing bar, whereby the valve driver forces the valve it contacts to open or close.