Patent Publication Number: US-2022228529-A1

Title: Air Powered Engine Assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to engine assemblies and more particularly pertains to a new engine assembly for improving efficiency. The present invention discloses an air powered engine assembly having a turbine and reciprocating compressors operationally engaged to an axle, such that rotation of the axle actuates the reciprocating compressors to generate air flow to power the turbine to rotate the axle. 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The prior art relates to engine assemblies. Prior art air powered engine assemblies may comprise engines utilizing compressed air as a power source. What is lacking in the prior art is an air powered engine assembly having a turbine and reciprocating compressors operationally engaged to an axle, such that rotation of the axle actuates the reciprocating compressors to generate air flow to power the turbine to rotate the axle. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a housing, which defines an interior space. An axle is rotationally engaged to the housing and extends through a front and rear thereof. A turbine and a cam are engaged to the axle and positioned in the interior space proximate to the front and the rear of the housing, respectively. The cam is bilobal. 
     A plate is engaged to the housing and extends around an inner circumference thereof to define a chamber within the interior space. The plate has a plurality of apertures positioned therein. A set of reciprocating compressors is engaged to the housing. Each reciprocating compressor is fluidically engaged to the chamber and comprises a piston and an arm. The arm is rotationally engaged to the piston and the housing. The reciprocating compressor is positioned to force air through the apertures such that the air turns the turbine to rotate the axle. The cam is rotated to selectively engage alternatingly positioned arms as the axle rotates to actuate associated reciprocating compressors. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of an air powered engine assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a rear view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a detail view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 4  thereof, a new engine assembly embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 4 , the air powered engine assembly  10  generally comprises a housing  12 , which defines an interior space  14 . The housing  12  may be cylindrically shaped, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . An axle  16  is rotationally engaged to the housing  12  and extends through a front  18  and rear  20  thereof. A turbine  22  and a cam  24  are engaged to the axle  16  and are positioned in the interior space  14  proximate to the front  18  and the rear  20  of the housing  12 , respectively. The turbine  22  comprises a flywheel  26 , which has a plurality of blades  28  engaged thereto and extending from a perimeter  30  thereof. The cam  24  is bilobal. 
     A plate  32  is engaged to the housing  12  and extends around an inner circumference  34  thereof to define a chamber  36  within the interior space  14 . The plate  32  has a plurality of apertures  38  positioned therein. 
     A set of reciprocating compressors  40  is engaged to the housing  12 . Each reciprocating compressor  40  is fluidically engaged to the chamber  36  and comprises a piston  42  and an arm  44 . The housing  12  has a plurality of cutouts  46  extending therethrough, with each arm  44  extending through an associated cutout  46  into the interior space  14 . The arm  44  is rotationally engaged to the piston  42  and the housing  12 . The reciprocating compressor  40  is positioned to force air through the apertures  38  such that the air turns the turbine  22  to rotate the axle  16 . The cam  24  is rotated to selectively engage alternatingly positioned arms  44  as the axle  16  rotates to actuate associated reciprocating compressors  40 . 
     Each reciprocating compressor  40  also comprises a pipe  48 , which has a first end  50  and a second end  52 . The first end  50  is open with the piston  42  extending therethrough. The second end  52  is closed and has a first hole  54  and a second hole  56  positioned therein. The pipe  48  may be arcuate and thus complementary to an external circumference  58  of the housing  12 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . The pipe  48  is positioned on the external circumference  58 . With the pipe  48  being arcuate, the piston  42  also would be arcuate and thus complementary to the pipe  48 . 
     A first check valve  60  is engaged to the pipe  48  and positioned in the first hole  54 . The first check valve  60  is configured to allow entry of air into the pipe  48  through the first hole  54  and to prevent escape of air from the pipe  48  through the first hole  54 . A tube  62  is engaged to the pipe  48  and extends from the second hole  56 . The tube  62  is engaged to the housing  12  so that the pipe  48  is in fluidic communication with the chamber  36 . A second check valve  64  is engaged to and positioned within the tube  62 . The second check valve  64  is configured to allow escape of air from the pipe  48  through the tube  62  and to prevent entry of air into the pipe  48  through the second hole  56 . 
     Each of a set of bars  66  has opposed ends  68  engaged to the plate  32  or the housing  12 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . The bar  66  extends arcuately therefrom into the interior space  14 . The bar  66  is rotationally engaged to an associated arm  44 . 
     Each of a set of springs  70  is engaged to and extends between a respective arm  44  and an associated bar  66 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . The spring  70  is configured to be tensioned as the respective arm  44  is engaged by the cam  24 . The spring  70  is configured to rebound as the cam  24  disengages the arm  44  to actuate the piston  42  to force air through the apertures  38 . 
     Each of a set of pins  72  is rotationally engaged to and positioned between a respective piston  42  and an associated arm  44 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . The pin  72  operationally engages the respective piston  42  to the associated arm  44 . 
     A set of rods  74  is engaged to the housing  12  and positioned in the interior space  14 . Each rod extends radially into the interior space  14  from the inner circumference  34  of the housing  12  so that the set of rods  74  is cross shaped. A bearing  76  is engaged to the set of rods  74  distal from the inner circumference  34  of the housing  12 . The bearing  76  is operationally engaged to the axle  16  and thus is positioned to transfer axial and radial loads from the axle  16  to the housing  12 . 
     The air powered engine assembly  10  also may comprise a starter housing  78 , which is engaged to the housing  12  and which has a starter (not shown) positioned therein. The starter would be operationally engaged to the axle  16  to initiate rotation thereof. 
     In use, a load, such as a transmission, an air conditioner compressor, or the like, is operationally engaged to the axle  16  proximate to the front  18  of the housing  12 . 
     Rotation of the axle  16  is initiated by the starter, or other means of inducing torque upon the axle  16 , such as addition of compressed air through the first check valve  60 . The air powered engine assembly  10  provides a more efficient transfer of energy from compressed air to the turbine  22  than would be obtained with an air powered engine lacking the set of reciprocating compressors  40 . 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.