Patent EA-001670-B1 (EA)
Title: Improvements in axial piston rotary engines
Inventor: MANTHEY STEVEN CHARLES
IPC: F02B57/00
Filed: 1997-08-11
Abstract: 1. A rotary internal combustion engine of the type having a rotor assembly supported in a housing for rotation about a longitudinal axis, said housing having two spaced apart end plates and said axis being the axis of rotation of an output shaft operatively connected at one end to said rotor assembly, the other end being free and passing through an aperture in one of said end plates, said rotor assembly including a plurality of pistons mounted for reciprocating movement in respective cylinders arranged in spaced relation around said longitudinal axis, and cam follower means operatively connected to each piston and adapted to coact with undulating cam track means supported around said axis of rotation and between said end plates, means being provided for conveying combustible fuel to, and for conveying exhaust gases from the operative ends of the cylinders whereby cyclical combustion of said fuel in said cylinders imparts reciprocation to said pistons with resultant thrust against said cam track means so as to cause rotation of said rotor assembly and output shaft, characterised in that said undulating cam track means includes an annular track mounted to a support stem or shaft disposed substantially centrally thereof and extending in the direction of said longitudinal axis, said support stem or shaft being supported at one end by the other of said end plates and the axis of said annular cam track means being the axis of rotation of said rotor assembly. 2. A rotary internal combustion engine of the type having a rotor assembly supported in a housing for rotation about a longitudinal axis, said housing having two spaced apart end plates and said axis being the axis of rotation of an output shaft operatively connected at one end to said rotor assembly, the other end being free and passing through an aperture in one of said end plates, said rotor assembly including a plurality of pistons mounted for reciprocating movement in respective cylinders arranged in spaced relation around said longitudinal axis, and cam follower means operatively <DP=2connected to each piston and adapted to coact with undulating cam track means supported around said axis of rotation and between said end plates, means being provided for conveying combustible fuel to and for conveying exhaust gases from the operative ends of the cylinders whereby cyclical combustion of said fuel in said cylinders may impart reciprocation to said pistons with resultant thrust against said cam track means so as to cause rotation of said rotor assembly and output shaft; characterised in that said plurality of pistons are arranged in two or more sets, each set having two or more pistons arranged in spaced relation around said axis of rotation and interconnected by piston connecting means so that the pistons of each set move in unison, said cam follower means and said undulating cam track means being arranged so that the direction of movement of one set of pistons is generally opposite to the direction of another set of pistons and that said undulating cam track means includes an annular track mounted to a support stem or shaft disposed substantially centrally thereof and extending in the direction of said longitudinal axis, said support stem or shaft being supported at one end by the other of said end plates and the axis of said annular track being the axis of rotation of said rotor assembly. 3. A rotary internal combustion engine according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said cylinders are provided in a cylinder block and said support stem or shaft is coaxial with said output shaft and rotatably supports said cylinder block. 4. A rotary internal combustion engine according to claim 3, wherein said output shaft is operatively connected to said cylinder block by an output plate assembly, said cylinder block and said output plate assembly together defining a chamber about said support stem or shaft and said cam track means, said cam follower means being housed within said chamber. 5. A rotary internal combustion engine according to claim 4, wherein said cylinder block is sealably supported by said support stem or shaft and said output plate assembly is sealably connected to said cylinder block. 6. A rotary internal combustion engine according to claim 3, wherein said support stem or shaft is supported at its other end by said output shaft or said output plate assembly. 7. A rotary internal combustion engine according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein each said piston connecting means includes a ring extending about said support stem or shaft and said ring connecting one set of pistons is reciprocable within the ring connecting another set of pistons. 8. A rotary internal combustion engine according to claim 7, including torque transfer means for transferring torque from the respective ring to said output shaft. 9. A rotary internal combustion engine according to claim 8, wherein said torque transfer means includes a ball rotatably captured partly in a recess associated with the respective ring and partly in a recess associated with said cylinder block and/or said output plate assembly. 10. A rotary internal combustion engine according to claim 8, wherein said torque transfer means includes a linear guide shaft extending between said cylinder block and said output plate assembly and secured therein and a linear bearing assembly slidably mounted on said linear guide shaft and secured to said ring. 11. A rotary internal combustion engine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said cam track means is supported by said other end plate for pivoting movement about said longitudinal axis. 12. A rotary internal combustion engine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said undulating cam track means is movable towards and away from said other end plate. 13. A rotary internal combustion engine according to claim 12, and including means for moving said cam track means towards and away from said other end plate and/or pivoting said cam track means relative to said other end plate. 14. A rotary internal combustion engine according to claim 7 or claim 8, wherein each cam follower means includes a roller mounted for rotation about an axis at right angles to said longitudinal axis. 15. A rotary internal combustion engine according to claim 14, wherein each roller is in non-captive relation to its cam track means by virtue of the or each cam track means having a single continuous undulating face against which each roller is engageable only at that part of the periphery of each roller which is furthermost from the respective piston. 16. A rotary internal combustion engine according to any one of claims 3 to 15, wherein said other end plate has openings therein provided with port means adapted to register with corresponding movable ports in said cylinder block for admitting fuel to the operative ends of the cylinders, said other end plate being at the induction and exhaust end of the engine and constituting a mounting for fuel injector means, spark plug or equivalent as required for the particular engine and exhaust outlet means. 17. A rotary internal combustion engine according to Claim 16 wherein said other end plate has a pair of diametrally opposed spark plugs constituting said spark plug or equivalent means, a pair of diametrally opposed fuel injector assemblies constituting said fuel injector means, and a pair of diametrally opposed exhaust outlets constituting said exhaust outlet means, all said pairs being arranged at spaced intervals to coact with cylinder ports to permit successive intake, compression, power and exhaust functions of the pistons. 18. A rotary internal combustion engine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said support stem or shaft has a bore adapted to provide coolant entry means to said rotor assembly, inlet passages being provided from said bore to said cylinder block. 19. A rotary internal combustion engine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said housing includes a substantially cylindrical casing body connected sealably to and between said two spaced apart end plates. 20. A rotary internal combustion engine of the type having a rotor assembly supported in a housing for rotation about a longitudinal axis, said housing having two spaced apart end plates and said axis being the axis of rotation of an output shaft operatively connected at one end to said rotor assembly, the other end being free and passing through an aperture in one of said end plates, said rotor assembly including a plurality of pistons mounted for reciprocating movement in respective cylinders arranged in spaced relation around said longitudinal axis, and cam follower means operatively connected to each piston and adapted to coact with undulating cam track means supported around said axis of rotation and between said end plates, means being provided for conveying combustible fuel to and for conveying exhaust gases from the operative ends of the cylinders whereby cyclical combustion of said fuel in said cylinders may impart reciprocation to said pistons with resultant thrust against said cam track means so as to cause rotation of said rotor assembly and output shaft; characterised in that said plurality of pistons are arranged in two or more sets, each set having two or more pistons arranged in spaced relation around said axis of rotation and interconnected by piston connecting means so that the pistons of each set move in unison, said cam follower means and said undulating cam track means being arranged so that the direction of movement of one set of pistons is generally opposite to the direction of another set of pistons; characterised in that each said piston connecting means includes a ring extending about said support stem or shaft and said ring connecting one set of pistons is reciprocable within a ring connecting another set of pistons. 21. A rotary internal combustion engine according to claim 1, including two set