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US 5,526,778 AGranted
Internal combustion engine module or modules having parallel piston rod assemblies actuating oscillating cylinders
OwnerJoseph E. Springerinventor
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OwnerJoseph E. Springerinventor
Estimating the term…
An internal combustion engine having one or more modules each employing fluidly-communicating, oscillating, power cylinder and air cylinder. The power and air cylinders oscillate about separate, individually supporting sets of trunnions positioned non-linearly with respect to each other and permitting the passage of air therethrough. The air cylinder includes a pre-combustion chamber for the purpose of withholding the delivery of a portion of compressed air to the power cylinder until all spent gases have been evacuated from the power cylinder. The air in the pre-combustion chamber enhances the delivery of fuel from a fuel delivery system into the power cylinder. The power cylinder includes multiple barrels which share a common combustion chamber. Each barrel houses a reciprocating piston linked to discrete piston rods mechanically joined about a single crank throw. A separate air crank throw is linked to an air piston in the air cylinder. The sets of trunnions are supported in linearly movable portions of crank case support plates that permit the trunnion supporting the power cylinder to be moved linearly relative to the power pistons, thus changing the volume of the combustion chamber.
An improved engine for maximizing combustion efficiently by minimizing the loss of fuel through exhaust flow and maximizing the purge of spent gases prior to a subsequent combustion step, said improved engine including a module having a fuel delivery system and corresponding first and second oscillating cylinders, the first cylinder being an air cylinder for compressing air, and the second cylinder being a power cylinder for effectuating combustion of fuel and air during periodic combustion steps, the improvement comprising:
An internal combustion engine comprising an air cylinder and power cylinder each oscillating independently about separate axes that are concentric with separate first and second sets of trunnions which are in non-collinear relationship with each other, the first set of trunnions being air trunnions for supporting the air cylinder in an oscillating fashion, the second set of trunnions being power trunnions for supporting the power cylinder in an oscillating fashion, the power cylinder trunnions comprising, in part, a hollow power trunnion conduit that is configured to be in fluid communication with an external air source in one direction and with said air cylinder in an opposing direction wherein the air cylinder includes exhaust ports that permit fluid communication with the power cylinder in such a manner that air is delivered to said power cylinder in two discrete stages, the first stage introducing only air so as to purge spent gases out of said power cylinder, the second stage being a combination of air and fuel for combustion within said power cylinder.
An improved engine including a module having first and second oscillating cylinders, the first cylinder being an air cylinder for compressing air for delivery to the second cylinder, said second cylinder being a power cylinder for effectuating combustion of fuel and air, the improvement comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.