Internal combustion engine with rotatable rocker arm shaft for friction reduction
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorMarvin P. Schneider
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An internal combustion engine includes a housing; a camshaft rotatably carried by the housing and having a plurality of cams; a rocker arm shaft rotatably carried by the housing and rotatably driven by the camshaft; and a plurality of rocker arms rotatably carried by the rocker arm shaft, with each rocker arm being associated with a respective cam. The rocker arm shaft and camshaft each include a gear these two gears enmeshing with each other. Rotating the camshaft in turn rotatably drives the rocker arm shaft within the rocker arms.
Claims15
A method of operating an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of:
- providing a rocker arm shaft and a plurality of rocker arms carried by said rocker arm shaft, each rocker arm being separate from and at least one of freely pivotable and freely rotatable relative to said rocker arm shaft, each rocker arm having an elongate expanse, said elongate expanse including a first operative end and a second operative end, each rocker arm being mounted on said rocker arm shaft at a position between said first operative end and said second operative end of said each rocker arm;
- and
- rotating said rocker arm shaft within said rocker arms, said rocker arm shaft being rotated independently of said rocker arms.
An internal combustion engine, comprising:
- a housing;
- a camshaft rotatably carried by said housing and including a plurality of cams;
- a rocker arm shaft rotatably carried by said housing and rotatably driven by said camshaft;
- and
- a plurality of rocker arms rotatably carried by said rocker arm shaft, each rocker arm having an elongate expanse, said elongate expanse including a first operative end and a second operative end, said first operative end being operatively associated with a respective said cam, said second operative end for actuating an engine valve, each rocker arm being mounted on said rocker arm shaft at a position between said first operative end and said second operative end of said each rocker arm.
An internal combustion engine, comprising:
- a housing;
- a rotational drive source;
- a rocker arm shaft rotatably carried by said housing and rotatably driven in a single direction by said rotational drive source;
- and
- a plurality of rocker arms rotatably carried by said rocker arm shaft, each rocker arm being separate from and at least one of freely pivotable and freely rotatable relative to said rocker arm shaft, each rocker arm having an elongate expanse, said elongate expanse including a first operative end and a second operative end, each rocker arm being mounted on said rocker arm shaft at a position between said first operative end and said second operative end of said each rocker arm.
An internal combustion engine, comprising:
- a housing;
- a camshaft rotatably carried by said housing and including a plurality of cams;
- a rocker arm shaft rotatably carried by said housing and rotatably driven in a single direction by said camshaft;
- and
- a plurality of rocker arms rotatably carried by said rocker arm shaft, each rocker arm having an elongate expanse, said elongate expanse including a first operative end and a second operative end, said first operative end being operatively associated with a respective said cam, each rocker arm being separate from and at least one of freely pivotable and freely rotatable relative to said rocker arm shaft, each rocker arm being mounted on said rocker arm shaft at a position between said first operative end and said second operative end of said each rocker arm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.