Engine

A piston and connecting rod assembly for an internal combustion engine, the assembly comprising a piston, a connecting rod, and a spring, the connecting rod having a first end operatively associated with the piston for movement therewith, and a second end connectible to a rotary output shaft, wherein the spring acts between the piston and the connecting rod to bias the connecting rod away from the crown of the piston, and wherein the piston is movable towards the second end of the connecting rod by a distance substantially equal to the cylinder clearance volume height, wherein the piston is hollow and the connecting rod is connected to the piston by a gudgeon pin mounted within a carrier which is slidably mounted within the piston for axial movement relative thereto and wherein movement of the carrier within the piston is limited by the spring in the direction of movement towards the crown and by a stop member fixed in the interior of the piston in the direction of movement away from the crown and further including a buffer provided between the carrier and the stop member.

An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a piston and connecting rod assembly including a piston, a connecting rod, and a spring, the connecting rod having a first end operatively associated with the piston for movement therewith, and a second end connectible to a rotary output shaft, wherein the spring acts between the piston and the connecting rod to bias the connecting rod away from the crown of the piston and wherein the piston is movable towards the second end of the connecting rod by a distance substantially equal to the cylinder clearance volume height a rotary output shaft, means for igniting a fuel/air mixture in the cylinder, and means for actuating the ignition means, the actuating means being such that ignition takes place before the piston reaches TDC on the compression stroke, and the arrangement is such that the spring is compressed by the expanding gases resulting from the combustion following ignition, before the piston reaches TDC.

A piston and connecting rod assembly for an internal combustion engine, the assembly comprising a piston, a connecting rod, and a spring, the connecting rod having a first end operatively associated with the piston for movement therewith, and a second end connectable to a rotary output shaft, wherein the spring acts between the piston and the connecting rod to bias the connecting rod away from the crown of the piston, and wherein the spring is rated so that it is compressed during a compression stroke of the piston, only by expanding gases resulting from combustion following ignition of fuel/air mixture in a cylinder associated with the piston, the compression of the spring storing energy which is released as the spring expands during a subsequent power stroke.

An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a piston and connecting rod assembly including a piston, a connecting rod, and a spring, the connecting rod having a first end operatively associated with the piston for movement therewith, and a second end connectable to a rotary output shaft, wherein the spring acts between the piston and the connecting rod to bias the connecting rod away from the crown of the piston, a rotary output shaft, means for igniting a fuel/air mixture in the cylinder, and means for actuating the ignition means, the actuating means being such that ignition takes place before the piston reaches TDC on the compression stroke, and the arrangement is such that the spring is compressed by the expanding gases resulting from the combustion following ignition, before the piston reaches TDC, and wherein the piston is movable towards the second end of the connecting rod by a distance substantially equal to the cylinder clearance volume height, thereby reducing the cylinder pressure by substantially one half and storing energy equivalent to the other half in the spring for release after the piston passes TDC.