# US 8,464,670 B2 · Guided bridge for a piston in an internal combustion engine

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- Number: US 8,464,670 B2
- Document ID: US8464670B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/723,418
- Filed: 2010-03-12
- Published: 2010-09-16
- Granted: 2013-06-18
- Earliest claimed: 2009-03-12
- Assignees: EcoMotors International
- Applicants: Peter Hofbauer; Adrian N. Tusinean; Chou Lee
- Inventors: Peter Hofbauer; Adrian N. Tusinean; Chou Lee
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8464670B2

## CPC

- F02B 75/28: Engines with two or more pistons reciprocating within same cylinder or within essentially coaxial cylinders (arranged oppositely relative to main shaft F02B75/24)
- F01B 7/14: acting on different main shafts
- F02B 75/243: {with only one crankshaft of the "boxer" type, e.g. all connecting rods attached to separate crankshaft bearings}
- F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G)
- F01B: MACHINES OR ENGINES, IN GENERAL OR OF POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT TYPE, e.g. STEAM ENGINES (of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F01C; of non-positive-displacement type F01D; internal-combustion engines F02B; combustion-product engine plants F02G; machines or engines, other than of positive-displacement type, for liquids F03B; positive-displacement engines driven by liquids F03C; wind motors F03D; positive-displacement machines for liquids F04B; rotary-piston, or oscillating-piston, positive-displacement machines for liquids F04C)

## Abstract

An improved configuration for internal combustion engine that reduces side forces on pistons during the engine cycle. The improvement is an intermediate and guided bridge element located between pull rods and pistons with articulated connections that allow side forces to be dissipated away from the pistons.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An internal combustion engine, comprising:
an engine housing (900) with a cylinder (500) defined therein, a first pair of opposed, linear sliding surfaces (804, 806), and a second pair of opposed, linear sliding surfaces (808, 810);
a piston (510) disposed in the cylinder (500) and adapted to reciprocate within the cylinder (500);
a crankshaft (700) disposed in the engine housing (900);
a first pullrod (515a) having a first end and a second end with the first end of the first pullrod (515a) coupled to the crankshaft (700);
a second pullrod (515b) having a first end and a second end with the first end of the second pullrod (515b) coupled to the crankshaft (700);
a bridge (800) having: a nose (802) that contacts a socket (315) in the piston (510) on one end of the bridge; and a base (801) on the other end of the bridge (800), the base (801) having:
a first pair of guide surfaces (904, 906) that ride on the first pair of linear sliding surfaces (804, 806) during reciprocation of the piston (510);
a second pair of guide surfaces (908, 910) that ride on the second pair of linear surfaces (808, 810) during reciprocation of the piston (510);
a first boss (803a) extending outwardly from a first end of the base (801) that couples with the second end of the first pullrod (515a); and
a second boss (803b) extending outwardly from a second end of the base (801) that couples with the second end of the second pullrod (515b).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The engine of claim 1 wherein the first pair of linear sliding surfaces (804, 806) face toward each other and the second pair of linear sliding surfaces (808, 810) face toward each other.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The engine of claim 1 wherein the first pair of guide surfaces (904, 906) face away from each other and the second pair of guide surfaces (908, 910) face away from each other.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The engine of claim 1 wherein the engine housing includes an extension cap (902) and the first and second pairs of linear surfaces (804, 806, 808, 810) are disposed in the extension cap (902).

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The engine of claim 4 wherein passages are provided in the extension cap (902), the passages adapted to allow lubricating oil to be directed onto the linear surfaces (804, 806, 808, 810).

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The engine of claim 1 wherein the nose (802) comprises a convex portion of a sphere; the socket (315) comprises a concave portion of a sphere; the diameters of the concave and convex portions of spheres have diameters such the socket (315) receives the nose (802).

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The engine of claim 1, further comprising:
a first plurality of needle bearings (514a) disposed between the second end of the first pullrod (515a) and the first boss (803a); and
a second plurality of needle bearings (514b) disposed between the second end of the second pullrod (515b) and the second boss (803b).

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The engine of claim 1 wherein the bridge (800) is generally triangularly shaped with the nose (802) at one point of the triangle, the first boss (803a) on a second point of the triangle, and the second boss (803b) on a third point of the triangle.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The engine of claim 1 and the first and second bosses (803a, 803b) are generally perpendicular to the cylinder (500).

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The engine of claim 1 wherein the nose (802) defines a hole (812) that runs perpendicular to a central axis of the cylinder, the engine further comprising:
a pin (312) fastened to an underside of the piston (310) and extending through the hole (812).

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The engine of claim 10 wherein the pin (312) is fastened to the underside of the piston (310) by bolts (314, 316) that are inserted through ends of the pin (312).

### Claim 12

An opposed-piston, internal-combustion engine, comprising:
an engine housing (900) with a first cylinder (500) defined therein and a first pair of opposed, linear sliding surfaces (804, 806), and a second pair of opposed, linear sliding surfaces (808, 810) formed on the engine housing (900);
a crankshaft (700) disposed in the engine housing (900) with the crankshaft (700) located between the first cylinder (500) and the second cylinder (600)
an outer piston (510) and an inner piston (520) disposed in the cylinder (500) with the pistons (510, 520) adapted to reciprocate within the cylinder (500);
a first pullrod (515a) having a first end and a second end with the first end of the first pullrod (515a) coupled to the crankshaft (700);
a second pullrod (515b) having a first end and a second end with the first end of the second pullrod (515b) coupled to the crankshaft (700);
a first bridge (800) having: a nose (802) that contacts a socket (315) in the piston (510) on one end of the bridge; and a base (801) on the other end of the bridge (800), the base (801) having:
a first pair of guide surfaces (904, 906) that ride on the first pair of linear sliding surfaces (804, 806) during reciprocation of the piston (510);
a second pair of guide surfaces (908, 910) that ride on the second pair of linear surfaces (808, 810) during reciprocation of the piston (510);
a first boss (803a) extending outwardly from a first end of the base (801) that couples with the second end of the first pullrod (515a); and
a second boss (803b) extending outwardly from a second end of the base (801) that couples with the second end of the second pullrod (515b).

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The engine of claim 12 wherein the engine, further comprises:
a second cylinder (600) defined in the engine housing (900) wherein the first cylinder (500) is disposed opposite the second cylinder (600) with respect to the crankshaft (700) and the engine is an opposed-piston, opposed-cylinder engine.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The engine of claim 13 wherein the second cylinder (600) has an outer piston disposed therein and a third pair of opposed, linear sliding surfaces, and a fourth pair of opposed, linear sliding surfaces formed on the engine housing (900), the engine further comprising:
a third pullrod having a first end and a second end with the first end of the third pullrod coupled to the crankshaft (700);
a fourth pullrod having a first end and a second end with the first end of the fourth pullrod coupled to the crankshaft (700);
a second bridge having: a nose that contacts a socket in the outer piston disposed in the second cylinder on one end of the second bridge; and a base on the other end of the second bridge, the base having:
a third pair of guide surfaces that ride on the third pair of linear sliding surfaces during reciprocation of the outer piston disposed in the second cylinder;
a fourth pair of guide surfaces that ride on the fourth pair of linear surfaces during reciprocation of the outer piston disposed in the second cylinder;
a first boss extending outwardly from a first end of the base associated with the second bridge that couples with the second end of the third pullrod; and
a second boss extending outwardly from a second end of the base associated with the second bridge that couples with the second end of the fourth pullrod.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The engine of claim 14 wherein each nose (802) defines a hole (812) that runs perpendicular to a central axis of the cylinder, the engine further comprising:
a pin (312) fastened to the undersides of each piston (310) and extending through the holes (812).

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The engine of claim 15 wherein each pin (312) is fastened to the underside of an associated piston (310) by bolts (314, 316) that are inserted through ends of the pin (312).

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The engine of claim 12 wherein the first pair of linear sliding surfaces (804, 806) face toward each other and the second pair of linear sliding surfaces (808, 810) face toward each other.

### Claim 18 (depends on 12)

The engine of claim 12 wherein the first pair of guide surfaces (904, 906) face away from each other and the second pair of guide surfaces (908, 910) face away from each other.

### Claim 19 (depends on 12)

The engine of claim 12 wherein the engine housing includes an extension cap (902) and the first and second pairs of linear surfaces (804, 806, 808, 810) are disposed in the extension cap (902).

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The engine of claim 19 wherein passages are provided in the extension cap (902), the passages adapted to allow lubricating oil to be directed onto the linear surfaces (804, 806, 808, 810).

### Claim 21 (depends on 12)

The engine of claim 12 wherein the nose (802) comprises a convex portion of a sphere; the socket (315) comprises a concave portion of a sphere; the diameters of the concave and convex portions of spheres have diameters such that the socket (315) receives the nose (802).

### Claim 22 (depends on 12)

The engine of claim 12, further comprising:
a first plurality of needle bearings (514a) disposed between the second end of the first pullrod (515a) and the first boss (803a); and
a second plurality of needle bearings (514b) disposed between the second end of the second pullrod (515b) and the second boss (803b).