Rotary valve for piston engine

A rotary valve assembly for controlling fluid flow along the intake or exhaust line of a reciprocating engine, wherein the valve generally blocks fluid flow along the line when closed and permits fluid flow along the line when open, said valve assembly comprising:

• a cylindrical sleeve element presenting diametrically opposed holes;
• and
• a cylindrical core element located concentrically within the sleeve,
• said core element including a diametrically extending surface that defines a diametrical flow-through opening,
• said holes and opening cooperatively defining, when aligned, a generally linear fluid flow passageway through the valve assembly,
• said fluid flow passageway being generally aligned with the intake when the valve assembly is open,
• one of said elements being rotatable during engine operation to intermittently block flow through the passageway and thereby close the valve assembly,
• said one element being the sleeve,
• said diametrical surface presenting a frustum shape that tapers in a downstream direction.

A reciprocating engine comprising:

• an engine body presenting an internal chamber and a fluid intake through which fluid flows to the chamber;
• a piston that oscillates within the chamber during engine operation;
• and
• a rotary valve assembly fluidly disposed along the intake so as to generally block fluid flow to the chamber when closed and permit fluid flow to the chamber when open, said valve assembly including
• a generally linear fluid flow passageway extending through the valve assembly, with the passageway being generally aligned and communicating with the intake when the valve assembly is open,
• a rotatable valve body operable to intermittently block fluid flow through the passageway and thereby close the valve assembly as the valve body rotates, and
• a valve timing adjuster that is shiftable into and out of a variable flow-obstructing relationship with the passageway so as to vary the time during which said valve body blocks flow through the passageway,
• said valve assembly being located generally at the chamber,
• said valve body comprising a cylindrical valve sleeve presenting diametrically opposed holes,
• said valve timing adjuster including a cylindrical core located concentrically within the valve sleeve,
• said core including a diametrically extending surface that defines a diametrical flow-through opening,
• said holes and opening cooperatively defining, when aligned, the flow passageway,
• said diametrical surface presenting a frustum shape that tapers in a downstream direction.

A reciprocating engine comprising:

• an engine body presenting an internal chamber and a fluid intake through which fluid flows to the chamber;
• a piston that oscillates within the chamber during engine operation;
• and
• a rotary valve assembly fluidly disposed along the intake so as to generally block fluid flow to the chamber when closed and permit fluid flow to the chamber when open, said valve assembly including
• a generally linear fluid flow passageway extending through the valve assembly, with the passageway being generally aligned and communicating with the intake when the valve assembly is open,
• a rotatable valve body operable to intermittently block fluid flow through the passageway and thereby close the valve assembly as the valve body rotates, and
• a valve timing adjuster that is shiftable into and out of a variable flow-obstructing relationship with the passageway so as to vary the time during which said valve body blocks flow through the passageway,
• said valve assembly being located generally at the chamber,
• said valve body comprising a cylindrical valve sleeve presenting diametrically opposed holes,
• said valve timing adjuster including a cylindrical core located concentrically within the valve sleeve,
• said core including a diametrically extending surface that defines a diametrical flow-through opening,
• said holes and opening cooperatively defining, when aligned, the flow passageway,
• said rotary valve assembly including a cylindrical throttle sleeve presenting diametrically opposed apertures,
• said throttle sleeve being concentric with the core and the valve sleeve, with the apertures cooperating with the holes and opening to define the passageway,
• said throttle sleeve being rotatable into and out of a variable flow-choking relationship with the passageway so as to cooperate with the core in varying the time during which the valve sleeve blocks flow through the passageway.

A reciprocating engine

• an engine body presenting an internal chamber and a fluid intake that supplies intake fluid to the chamber;
• a piston that oscillates within the chamber during engine operation;
• and
• a rotary valve assembly fluidly disposed along the intake so as to generally block intake fluid flow to the chamber when closed and permit intake fluid flow to the chamber when open, said valve assembly including
• a cylindrical sleeve element presenting diametrically opposed holes, and
• a cylindrical core element located concentrically within the sleeve,
• said core element including a diametrically extending surface that defines a diametrical flow-through opening,
• said holes and opening cooperatively defining, when aligned, a generally linear fluid flow passageway through the valve assembly,
• said fluid flow passageway being generally aligned with the intake when the valve assembly is open,
• one of said elements being rotatable during engine operation to intermittently block flow through the passageway and thereby close the valve assembly,
• the other of said elements being rotatable into and out of a variable flow-obstructing relationship with the passageway so as to vary the time during which said one of the elements blocks flow through the passageway,
• said rotary valve assembly including a second cylindrical sleeve element presenting diametrically opposed apertures,
• said second sleeve element being concentric with the core element and the first-mentioned sleeve element, with the apertures cooperating with the holes and opening to define the passageway,
• said second sleeve element being rotatable into and out of a variable flow-choking relationship with the passageway so as to cooperate with said other element in varying the time during which said one of the elements blocks flow through the passageway.

A rotary valve assembly for controlling fluid flow along the intake or exhaust line of a reciprocating engine, wherein the valve generally blocks fluid flow along the line when closed and permits fluid flow along the line when open, said valve assembly comprising:

• a cylindrical sleeve element presenting diametrically opposed holes;
• and
• a cylindrical core element located concentrically within the sleeve,
• said core element including a diametrically extending surface that defines a diametrical flow-through opening,
• said holes and opening cooperatively defining, when aligned, a generally linear fluid flow passageway through the valve assembly,
• said fluid flow passageway being generally aligned with the intake when the assembly is open,
• one of said elements being rotatable during engine operating to intermittently block flow through the passageway and thereby close the valve assembly,
• the other of said elements being rotatable into and out of a variable flow-obstructing relationship with the passageway so as to vary the time during which said one of the elements blocks flow through the passageway,
• said rotary valve assembly including a second cylindrical sleeve element presenting diametrically opposed apertures,
• said second sleeve element being concentric with the core element and the first-mentioned sleeve element, with the apertures cooperating with the holes and opening to define the passageway,
• said second sleeve element being rotatable into and out of a variable flow-choking relationship with the passageway so as to cooperate with said other element in varying the time during which said one of the elements blocks flow through the passageway.

A rotary valve assembly for controlling fluid flow along the intake or exhaust line of a reciprocating engine, wherein a fluid flow opening defined in the rotatable cylindrical outer face of the valve assembly is intermittently aligned with a fluid flow port in an adjacent stationary surface of the engine as the outer face rotates, the improvement comprising:

• a pair of flanges extending circumferentially around and projecting radially from the outer face of the valve,
• said flanges being spaced apart with the fluid flow opening located therebetween;
• a pair of elongated longitudinal seals extending longitudinally along the outer face between the flanges and adapted to be generally fixed relative to the stationary surface with the fluid flow port being located therebetween,
• said longitudinal seals sealingly engaging the outer face and the flanges when fixed relative to the stationary surface;
• and
• a pair of arcuately shaped circumferential seals adapted to be fixed relative to the stationary surface,
• said circumferential seals each sealingly engaging a respective one of the flanges between the longitudinal seals and being sealingly coupled with the longitudinal seals.

A reciprocating engine comprising:

• a stationary surface presenting a fluid flow port;
• a rotary valve assembly operable to generally control flow through the port,
• said valve assembly presenting a rotatable cylindrical outer face, a fluid flow opening that is defined in the face and intermittently communicates with the port as the outer face rotates, and a pair of radially projecting flanges extending continuously around the face with the opening located therebetween;
• and
• a valve seal assembly seal providing sealed communication between the opening and port, said seal assembly including
• a pair of elongated longitudinal seals extending longitudinally along the outer face between the flanges and generally fixed relative to the stationary surface with the port being located therebetween,
• said longitudinal seals sealingly engaging the outer face and the flanges, and
• a pair of arcuately shaped circumferential seals fixed relative to the stationary surface,
• said circumferential seals each sealingly engaging a respective one of the flanges between the longitudinal seals and being sealingly coupled with the longitudinal seals.