Pivoting piston rotary power device

An internal combustion engine having an output shaft extending outwardly from a cylindrical block rotatable about an axis of the shaft, the block received within an external stator having a tubular portion comprising at least one elliptical cam track,

• the cylindrical block comprising:
• a central cylindrical bore extending through the block along the axis of the shaft;
• at least one circular array of a predetermined number of working compartments disposed at a single radial distance from the axis of the shaft, each compartment forming a sector of a cylinder having a respective cylindrical axis parallel to the axis of the shaft, each working compartment open to a peripheral surface of the block, each working compartment further having a respective radially inwardly directed opening communicating with the central bore;
• a predetermined number of piston assemblies, each piston assembly movable within a respective working compartment, each piston assembly having at least one cylindrical wall portion, each piston assembly comprising a pivot pin having an axis coincident with the cylindrical axis of the respective working compartment, each piston assembly further comprising a roller cam follower;
• the engine further comprising an internal stator portion received in the cylindrical bore of the block, the internal stator portion having a plurality of passageways formed therein, each of the passageways comprising a respective channel predominantly parallel to the axis of the shaft, each of the channels communicating with at least one respective radial port in the internal stator, each radial port communicating with the radially inwardly directed opening of each working compartment exactly once during each rotation of the block, at least one of the plurality of passageways comprising an inlet passageway, at least one of the plurality of passageways comprising an exhaust passageway, and at least one of the passageways comprising an ignition passageway for connecting an igniter to each of the working compartments.

A pivoting piston rotary device operable as one of a compressor and a pump, the device having an input shaft extending outward from an end of a cylindrical block rotatable about an axis of the shaft and received within an external stator having a tubular wall portion comprising at least one elliptical cam track, wherein the cylindrical block comprises:

• a central cylindrical bore extending through the block along the axis of the shaft;
• at least one circular array of a predetermined number of working compartments disposed at a single radial distance from the axis of the shaft, each compartment forming a sector of a respective cylinder having a respective cylinder axis parallel to the axis of the shaft, each working compartment open to an outer peripheral surface of the block, each working compartment further having a respective radially inwardly directed opening communicating with the central bore;
• the device further comprising:
• a predetermined number of piston assemblies, each piston assembly associated with a respective working compartment, each piston assembly comprising at least one cylindrical wall portion, each piston assembly comprising a respective pivot pin having an axis coincident with the respective cylinder axis of the respective working compartment, each piston assembly further comprising a respective roller cam follower for following the at least one cam track and for executing angular reciprocating movement when the block rotates;
• and
• an internal stator portion received in the cylindrical bore of the block, the internal stator portion having a plurality of passageways formed therein, each of the passageways comprising a respective channel predominantly parallel to the axis of the shaft, each of the channels communicating with at least one respective radial port in the internal stator, each of the radial ports communicating with each of the radially inwardly directed openings exactly once during each rotation of the block, at least one of the plurality of passageway comprising an inlet passageway and at least one of the plurality of passageways comprising an exhaust passageway.

A pivoting piston rotary device operable as one of a fluid-driven motor and a fluid expander, the device having an output shaft extending outwardly from an end of a cylindrical block rotatable about an axis of the shaft and received within an external stator having a tubular portion comprising at least one elliptical cam track, wherein the cylindrical block comprises:

• a central cylindrical bore extending through the block along the axis of the shaft;
• and
• at least one circular array of a predetermined number of working compartments disposed at a single radial distance from the axis of the shaft, each compartment forming a sector of a respective hollow cylinder having a respective cylinder axis parallel to the axis of the shaft, each working compartment open to a peripheral surface of the block, each working compartment comprising a radially inwardly directed opening communicating with the central bore;
• the device further comprising:
• a predetermined number of piston assemblies, each piston movable within a respective working compartment, each piston assembly comprising at least one cylindrical wall portion, each piston assembly comprising a respective pivot pin having a respective axis coinciding with the cylinder axis of the respective working compartment, each piston assembly further having a roller cam follower for following the cam track and for executing angular reciprocating movement as the block rotates;
• and
• an internal stator portion received in the cylindrical bore of the cylindrical block, the internal stator portion having a plurality of passageways formed therein, each of the passageways comprising a channel predominantly parallel to the axis of the shaft, each of the channels communicating with at least one respective radial port in the internal stator, each radial port communicating with the radially inwardly directed opening in each working compartment exactly once during each rotation of the block, at least one of the plurality of passageway comprising an inlet passageway, and at least one of the plurality of passageways comprising an exhaust passageway.