Rotary valve for internal combustion engine

A rotary valve comprising:

• a generally elongated cylindrical unitary body having first and second ends and a longitudinally extending axis of rotation and defining an intake port and an exhaust port;
• said unitary body providing an intake passageway extending between said first end of said unitary body and said intake port and an exhaust passageway extending from said exhaust port to said second end of said unitary body;
• intake acceleration means disposed in said intake passageway for accelerating a flow of intake fluid through said intake passageway from said first end to said intake port;
• exhaust acceleration means disposed in said exhaust passageway for accelerating a flow of exhaust fluid through said exhaust passageway from said exhaust port to said second end of said unitary body;
• said unitary body including a hollow cylindrical tube having an outer wall which defines said intake and exhaust ports and a dividing means for defining said intake and exhaust passageways within said cylindrical tube, said dividing means including a generally rectangular central divider plate aligned along said axis of rotation and having two elongate edges parallel to said axis of rotation and two transverse edges;
• said intake and exhaust ports being positioned on opposite sides of one of said elongate edges of said divider plate;
• said dividing means also including a first flange extending in a perpendicular direction from one of said transverse edges of said divider plate and a second flange extending in an opposite perpendicular direction from the other of said transverse edges of said divider plate.

A rotary valve comprising:

• a generally elongated cylindrical unitary body having first and second ends and a longitudinally extending axis of rotation and defining an intake port and an exhaust port;
• said unitary body providing an intake passageway extending between said first end of said unitary body and said intake port and an exhaust passageway extending from said exhaust port to said second end of said unitary body;
• intake acceleration means disposed in said intake passageway for accelerating a flow of intake fluid through said intake passageway from said first end to said intake port;
• and
• exhaust acceleration means disposed in said exhaust passageway for acclerating a flow of exhaust fluid through said exhaust passageway from said exhaust port to said second end of said unitary body;
• said unitary body including a hollow cylindrical tube having an outer wall which defines said intake and exhaust ports and a dividing means for defining said intake and exhaust passageways within said cylindrical tube, said dividing means including a divider plate having a pair of elongate edges with one of said elongate edges being positioned between said intake and exhaust ports;

A rotary valve comprising:

• a generally elongated cylindrical unitary body having first and second ends and a longitudinally extending axis of rotation and defining an intake port and an exhaust port;
• said unitary port providing an intake passageway extending between said first end of said unitary body and said intake port and an exhaust passageway extending from said exhaust port to said second end of said unitary body;
• intake acceleration means disposed in said intake passageway for accelerating a flow of intake fluid through said intake passageway from said first end to said intake port;
• and
• exhaust acceleration means disposed in said exhaust passageway for accelerating a flow of exhaust fluid through said exhaust passageway from said exhaust port to said second end of said unitary body;
• said unitary body including a hollow cylindrical tube having an outer wall which defines said intake and exhaust ports and a dividing means for defining said intake and exhaust passageways within said cylindrical tube, said intake port having a predetermined port size and including expansion means for gradually increasing said port size as a rotational speed of said unitary body increases.

In combination with an internal combustion engine of the type having an engine block defining at least one cylinder and having a reciprocal piston mounted therein, said engine also having a removable head connected to said engine block and defining a communication port over said at least one cylinder, wherein the improvement comprises:

• a rotary valve rotatably mounted in said head and comprising a generally elongated cylindrical unitary body having a longitudinally extending axis of rotation and defining an intake port and an exhaust port positioned to periodically communicate with said communication port of said head when said unitary body is rotated;
• said unitary body defining an intake passageway extending between a first end of said unitary body and said intake port and an exhaust passageway extending from said exhaust port to a second end of said unitary body;
• intake acceleration means disposed in said intake passageway for accelerating a flow of intake fluid through said intake passageway from said first end to said intake port;
• exhaust acceleration means disposed in said exhaust passageway for accelerating a flow of exhaust fluid through said exhaust passageway from said exhaust port to said second end of said unitary body;
• said intake acceleration means comprising a first generally helically-shaped blade which is disposed in said intake passageway and said exhaust acceleration means comprising a second generally helically-shaped blade disposed in said exhaust passageway, said first and second blades extending along and being helically twisted about said axis of rotation of said body.

In combination with an internal combustion engine of the type having an engine block defining at least one cylinder and having a reciprocal piston mounted therein, said engine also having a removable head connected to said engine block and defining a communication port over said at least one cylinder, wherein the improvement comprises:

• a rotary valve rotatably mounted in said head and comprising a generally elongated cylindrical unitary body having a longitudinally extending axis of rotation and defining an intake port and an exhaust port positioned to periodically communicate with said communication port of said head when said unitary body is rotated;
• said unitary body defining an intake passageway extending between a first end of said unitary body and said intake port and an exhaust passageway extending from said exhaust port to a second end of said unitary body, said unitary body including a hollow cylindrical tube having an outer wall defining said intake and exhaust ports and a dividing means for defining said intake and exhaust passageways within said cylindrical tube;
• intake acceleration means disposed in said intake passageway for accelerating a flow of intake fluid through said intake passageway from said first end to said intake port;
• exhaust acceleration means disposed in said exhaust passageway for accelerating a flow of exhaust fluid through said exhaust passageway from said exhaust port to said second end of said unitary body;
• said dividing means including a generally rectangular central divider plate aligned along said axis of rotation and having two elongate edges parallel to said axis of rotation and two transverse edges;
• said intake and exhaust ports being positioned on opposite sides of one of said elongate edges of said divider plate;
• said dividing means also including a first flange extending in a perpendicular direction from one of said transverse edges of said divider plate and a second flange extending in an opposite perpendicular direction from the other of said transverse edges of said divider plate;
• said intake acceleration means comprising a first generally helically-shaped blade extending from one of said transverse edges of said divider plate along said axis of rotation;
• said exhaust acceleration means comprising a second generally helically-shaped blade extending from the other of said transverse edges of said divider plate along said axis of rotation.

In combination with an internal combustion engine of the type having an engine block defining at least one cylindrical and having a reciprocal piston mounted therein, said engine also having a removable head connected to said engine block and defining a communication port over said at least one cylinder, wherein the improvement comprises:

• a rotary valve rotatably mounted in said head and comprising a generally elongated cylindrical unitary body having a longitudinally extending axis of rotation and defining an intake port and an exhaust port positioned to periodically communicate with said communication port of said head when said unitary body is rotated;
• said intake port having a port size and including expansion means for gradually increasing said port size as a rotational speed of said unitary body increases;
• said unitary body defining an intake passageway extending between a first end of said unitary body and said intake port and an exhaust passageway extending from said exhaust port to a second end of said unitary body;
• intake acceleration means disposed in said intake passageway for accelerating a flow of intake fluid through said intake passageway from said first end to said intake port;
• and
• exhaust acceleration means disposed in said exhaust passageway for accelerating a flow of exhaust fluid through said exhaust passageway from said exhaust port to said second end of said unitary body.

In combination with an internal combustion engine of the type having an engine block defining at least one cylinder and having a reciprocal piston mounted therein, said engine also having a removable head connected to said engine block and defining a communication port over said at least one cylinder, wherein the improvement comprises:

• a rotary valve rotatably mounted in said head and comprising a generally elongated cylindrical unitary body having a longitudinally extending axis of rotation and defining an intake port and an exhaust port positioned to periodically communicate with said communication port of said head when said unitary body is rotated;
• said unitary body defining an intake passageway extending between a first end of said unitary body and said intake port and an exhaust passageway extending from said exhaust port to a second end of said unitary body;
• intake acceleration means disposed in said intake passageway for accelerating a flow of intake fluid through said intake passageway from said first end to said intake port;
• exhaust acceleration means disposed in said exhaust passageway for accelerating a flow of exhaust fluid through said exhaust passageway from said exhaust port to said second end of said unitary body;
• said engine further including an intake housing positioned to communicate with said first end of said unitary body and an exhaust housing positioned to communicate with said second end of said unitary body, said intake and exhaust housings including turbine means for increasing a rate of flow of said intake fluids into said intake passageway,
• said turbine means comprising a turbine shaft extending parallel to said axis of rotation through said head, a first turbine blade positioned in said intake housing and mounted on one end of said turbine shaft, and a second turbine blade positioned in said exhaust housing and mounted on the other end of said turbine shaft;
• said second turbine blade being positioned to receive said exhaust fluids from said second end of said unitary body which causes rotation of said second turbine, said turbine shaft, and said first turbine which propels said intake fluids into said intake passageway.

A rotary valve comprising:

• a generally elongated cylindrical unitary body having first and second ends and a longitudinally extending axis of rotation and defining an intake port and an exhaust port;
• said unitary body providing an intake passageway extending between said first end of said unitary body and said intake port and an exhaust passageway extending from said exhaust port to said second end of said unitary body;
• said unitary body including a hollow cylindrical tube having an outer wall which defines said intake and exhaust ports and a dividing means for defining said intake and exhaust passageways within said cylindrical tube, said dividing means including a generally rectangular central divider plate aligned along said axis of rotation and having two elongate edges parallel to said axis of rotation and two transverse edges;
• said intake and exhaust ports being positioned on opposite sides of one of said elongate edges of said divider plate;
• said dividing means also including a first flange extending in a generally perpendicular direction from one of said transverse edges of said divider plate and a second flange extending in a generally opposite perpendicular direction from the other of said transverse edges of said divider plate.

A rotary valve comprising:

• a generally elongated cylindrical unitary body having first and second ends and a longitudinally extending axis of rotation and defining an intake port and an exhaust port;
• said unitary body providing an intake passageway extending between said first end of said unitary body and said intake port and an exhaust passageway extending from said exhaust port to said second end of said unitary body;
• said unitary body including a hollow cylindrical tube having an outer wall which defines said intake and exhaust ports and a dividing means for defining said intake and exhaust passageways within said cylindrical tube, and
• port overlap adjustment means provided in said tube for gradually reducing the diameter of a portion of said cylindrical wall between said intake and exhaust ports to create an overlap between said intake and exhaust ports as a rotational speed of said unitary body increases.

In combination with an internal combustion engine of the type having an engine block defining at least one cylinder, at least one reciprocal piston mounted in said at least one cylinder, and a horizontally extending crankshaft which drives said at least one piston, said engine having a removable head connected to said engine block and defining a communication port over said at least one cylinder, wherein the improvement comprises:

• a rotary valve rotatably mounted in said head and comprising a generally elongated cylindrical unitary body having a longitudinally extending axis of rotation and defining an intake port and an exhaust port positioned to periodically communicate with said communication port of said head when said unitary body is rotated, said axis of rotation of said rotary valve extending in a direction generally perpendicular to said crankshaft;
• said unitary body defining an intake passageway extending between a first end of said unitary body and said intake port and an exhaust passageway extending between from said exhaust passageway extending from said exhaust port to a second end of said unitary body;
• intake acceleration means disposed in said intake passageway for accelerating a flow of intake fluid through said intake passageway from said first end to said intake port;
• and
• exhaust acceleration means disposed in said exhaust passageway for accelerating a flow of exhaust fluid through said exhaust passageway from said exhaust port of said second end of said unitary body.