Internal combustion device and methods of use

An internal combustion device for securing a fuel source and receiving fuel from the fuel source, comprising:

• a piston;
• a frame having a cylinder, the piston being positioned within the cylinder and dividing the cylinder into a combustion chamber and a purging chamber, the cylinder having an upper end and a lower end, the frame further having an exhaust port extending from the cylinder, an injection port for receiving fuel from the fuel source into the combustion chamber, and a conduit for routing air from the purging chamber to the combustion chamber;
• a conduit valve for allowing air from the conduit into the combustion chamber when open, and blocking air from entering the conduit from the combustion chamber when closed;
• a connecting rod attached to the piston and slidably extending from the cylinder lower end through the frame;
• a resilient bias member operationally connected to the connecting rod such that the piston is biased to return from a second position in the cylinder lower end, to a first position in the cylinder upper end;
• an igniter;
• and
• an actuator assembly operationally connected to the fuel source for causing the fuel source to deliver fuel to the combustion chamber for mixture with air in the combustion chamber, and operationally connected to the igniter for causing the igniter to ignite the fuel-air mixture, the resulting combustion event forcing the piston to move along a cylinder downstroke first length, wherein fresh air is forced out of the purging chamber through the exhaust port, and then along a cylinder downstroke second length, wherein fresh air is forced from the purging chamber through the conduit, the fresh air opening the conduit valve to allow fresh air into the combustion chamber, the fresh air expelling post-combustion fuel-air mixture from the cylinder through the exhaust port;
• and further wherein, when the piston completes the movement along the cylinder downstroke second length, the conduit valve closes and the bias member moves the piston back to the cylinder upper end, first along a cylinder upstroke first length, wherein the piston forces post-combustion combustion chamber contents through the exhaust port, then along a cylinder upstroke second length wherein fresh air from the conduit is trapped within the combustion chamber.

A method of starting a parent engine having a crankshaft, utilizing a single power stroke internal combustion engine having a cylinder and a piston positioned within the cylinder to form a combustion chamber and a purging chamber, the single power stroke engine being in communication with a fuel subsystem and operationally connected to a gear train which is operationally connected to the crankshaft of the parent engine, the method comprising:

• a. injecting fuel into the combustion chamber from the fuel subsystem;
• b. igniting the fuel within the combustion chamber, thereby causing the piston to move downward within the cylinder;
• c. as the piston travels downward within the cylinder, initiating the movement of the gear train in a first direction causing the crankshaft of the parent engine to rotate;
• d. simultaneously with step c., and as the piston moves downward, expelling air from the purging chamber and routing the air to the combustion chamber, the air entering the combustion chamber forcing spent gases from the combustion chamber through an exhaust port;
• e. decoupling the gear train from the parent engine crankshaft as the piston completes its downward travel;
• and
• f. returning the gear train and the piston to their original positions.

An internal combustion device for starting a parent engine, the parent engine having a crankshaft, comprising:

• a frame having a cylinder and a piston in the cylinder forming a combustion chamber and
• a purging chamber, the frame further having means for receiving air and fuel into the combustion chamber;
• means for operationally connecting a gear train to a crankshaft of the parent engine;
• and
• means for initiating a combustion process using the received fuel and air within the combustion chamber, wherein the piston is driven one power stroke within the cylinder, causing the crankshaft of the parent engine to rotate.

An internal combustion device for starting a parent engine, the parent engine having a crankshaft, comprising:

• a frame having a cylinder and a piston in the cylinder forming a combustion chamber, the frame further having an air passage and a fuel passage for receiving air and fuel into the combustion chamber;
• a rod interconnecting the piston to a gear train, the gear train being operationally connected to a crankshaft of the parent engine;
• and
• an ignition mechanism operationally connected to the combustion chamber, the ignition mechanism for initiating a combustion process using the received fuel and air within the combustion chamber, wherein the piston is driven one power stroke within the cylinder, causing the crankshaft of the parent engine to rotate;
• the device further comprising a fuel subsystem in operative communication with the frame wherein a controlled amount of fuel is supplied into the combustion chamber, and an actuator assembly operationally connected to the fuel subsystem, for causing the fuel subsystem to deliver the fuel to the combustion chamber for mixture with the air in the combustion chamber, the actuator assembly being operationally connected to the ignition mechanism for causing the ignition mechanism to ignite the fuel-air mixture.