US 8,757,126 B2Granted

Non-reciprocating piston engine

OwnerJerome L. Sullivan, IVinventor

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Abstract

An engine with pistons (7, 8, 67, 68, 69) that follow a circular motion (6) and respective cylinders (11, 15, 77, 78, 79) that follow a counter-circular motion (13, 17) relative to the pistons, such that each piston follows a linear path (S) relative to the respective cylinder, and at least a top surface (8T) of each piston remains within the cylinder throughout engine operation, resulting in a stroke length (S) four times a radius (R) of the circular motion. The pistons may be interconnected by connecting rods (9) without wrist pins, forming a multi-piston assembly (7-8-9, 115) as a single dynamic unit. Intake (110) and exhaust gas passages may go through the crankshaft (20, 20A) and the connecting rod assembly (115) to ports (130, 132) in the tops of the pistons via rotary valves (126, 128) in the connecting rod assembly.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A piston engine comprising;

first, second, and third planetary gears and a central sun gear that engages the three planetary gears;
first, second, and third cylinders, wherein first, second, and third crank throw bearings mount the first, second, and third cylinders to the respective first, second, and third planetary gears in a radial engine configuration, each crank throw bearing comprising a respective first, second, and third crank throw axis that is parallel to and offset from a rotation axis of the respective planetary gear, causing the cylinders to follow a second circular motion;
first, second, and third pistons, wherein the three pistons are fixed in radially outward-facing positions on three interconnected connecting rods that are radially oriented in the same plane, the pistons and connecting rods form a piston unit, at least a top surface of each piston remains within a respective cylinder at all times during operation of the engine;
and
a fourth crank throw bearing that mounts the piston unit to the sun gear on a fourth crank throw axis that is offset from a rotation axis of the sun gear, causing the pistons to follow a first circular motion;
wherein the second circular motion is in a courter-circular direction from the first circular motion, and each piston follows a linear motion relative to the respective cylinder.

3 more elements

A piston engine comprising:

a crankshaft comprising an intake gas flow channel and an exhaust gas flow channel;
a piston assembly comprising a plurality of pistons and a connecting rod subassembly connecting the pistons to each other;
the connecting rod assembly mounted to the crankshaft on a piston assembly crank throw bearing that causes the piston assembly to follow a first circular motion;
an intake gas flow path from the intake gas flow channel through the connecting rod subassembly to an intake port in the top surface of each piston;
an exhaust gas flow path from the exhaust gas flow channel through the connecting rod subassembly to an exhaust port in the top surface of each piston;
a plurality of cylinders, each cylinder mounted on a respective cylinder crank throw bearing geared to the crankshaft to follow second circular motion in a counter-rotating direction relative to the piston assembly;
wherein a to surface of each piston remains slidably within a respective one of the cylinders at all times during operation of the engine, and a stroke length of each piston relative to the respective cylinder is four times a radius of the first circular motion.

4 more elements

A piston engine comprising;

first, second, and third spur gears engaged with each other in a linear sequence, the second gear being between the first and third gears and counter-rotating relative to the first and third gears;
a first cylinder;
a second cylinder opposed to the first cylinder;
a first piston in the first cylinder;
a second piston in the second cylinder;
a connecting rod that interconnects the first and second pistons in fixed relation to each other, forming a piston unit;
a first crank bearing that mounts the first cylinder to the first gear on a first crank throw axis that is offset from a rotation axis of the first gear, causing the first cylinder to follow a second circular motion;
a second crank bearing that mounts the connecting rod to the second gear on a second crank throw axis that is offset from a rotation axis of the second gear, causing the pistons to follow a first circular motion;
and
a third crank bearing that mounts the second cylinder to the third gear on a third crank throw axis that is offset from a rotation axis of the third gear, causing the second cylinder to follow the second circular motion;
wherein the second circular motion is in a counter-rotating direction relative to the first circular motion;
wherein the pistons follow a linear motion relative to the cylinders, and at least a top surface of each piston remains in a respective one of the cylinders at all times during operation of the engine;
and
wherein the first and third crank throw axes pass through respective centers of mass of the first and second cylinders.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/088,376Filed 23 Nov 2013 · us provisional application
Priority: 24 Nov 2012
Published: US 2014/0144405 A129 May 2014
Granted: 24 Jun 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

F02B 75/32
Other engines: engines characterised by connections between pistons and main shafts and not specific to preceding main groups
F01B 9/026
With crankshaft: rigid connections between piston and rod; Oscillating pistons
F01L 7/00
Rotary or oscillatory slide valve-gear or valve arrangements
F01L 7/02
Rotary or oscillatory slide valve-gear or valve arrangements: with cylindrical, sleeve, or part-annularly shaped valves