Apparatus for changing the compression of a cylinder of a piston engine

An apparatus for changing the compression in a cylinder of a piston engine, the piston engine having a piston and a piston rod, one end of which is secured to the piston and an opposite end of which is secured to a crankshaft, comprising:

• an eccentric for eccentrically mounting the one end of the piston rod to the piston, the eccentric being pivotable about a pivot axis;
• an eccentric swing component secured to the eccentric;
• a linkage assembly connected to the eccentric swing component for controlling the swing movement of the eccentric swing component to follow a predetermined path such that an angular pivoting movement of the eccentric about its pivot axis is a function of the swing movement of the eccentric swing component, whereby an adjustment of the swing movement of the eccentric swing component effects a change in the angular pivoting movement of the eccentric and, thus, a corresponding change in the compression in the cylinder created by the relationship of the piston and the cylinder to one another, the linkage assembly including a position coupling moveably mounted at one end to the eccentric swing component and at another end to a position coupling securement element such that the position coupling guides the eccentric swing component to swing through a predetermined swing movement during stroke movement of the piston;
• and
• a guide assembly for guiding the movement of a selected one of the eccentric swing component and the position coupling along a predetermined path during its respective movement during a piston stroke, the guide assembly including one cooperative element mounted to the respective one of the eccentric swing component and the position coupling and another cooperative element mounted to another component of the piston engine, the cooperative elements moving relative to one another during a piston stroke and cooperating with another to guide the movement of the respective one of the eccentric swing component and the position coupling along the predetermined path.