Patent Publication Number: US-8985071-B2

Title: Internal combustion engine , improvements in design and efficiency

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to internal combustion engines. 
     More specifically, it relates to the replacement of the crankshaft with an alternative energy receptive device. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the objective of the present invention to replace the crankshaft in the internal combustion engine with a new device that converts linear energy into rotational energy with greater mechanical efficiency. 
     One form of the present invention is a horizontally opposed engine that uses a stepped or standard piston assembly in which two stepped or standard pistons are connected by a central shaft and converts linear motion into rotational energy by the use of an overrunning clutch transitorily fastening onto this shaft on combustion stroke. 
     The central shaft is free to rotate at its central axis but it is held captive linearly which then transfers this energy onto dual cam-followers that are held captive by the central shaft but at 90° to same, which in turn transfers this energy by dual spiral high lead slotted cam-screws that energize a thick-wall tube to rotate and maintain kinetic momentum, which in turn creates a toothed gearwheel on its axis, fastened to the thick-walled tube, to transmit its rotation to a transmission. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a cross-section of an internal combustion engine in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 1A  is an end elevation of the internal combustion engine shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 1B  and  FIG. 1C  are cross-section views of one type of overrunning clutch to maintain shaft rotation in one direction. 
         FIG. 2A  and  FIG. 2B  are complete cutaway perspective views of the central shaft as removed from the engine housing, that is joined at C-C, including the thick-wall tube, viewed from the piston positioned at top dead centre  FIG. 2A ,  28  with numbers collated to  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     An internal combustion engine with opposing stepped  2  or standard cylinders (not shown) are connected by the engine body that surrounds an energy-receiving device. 
     Two pistons either stepped  1  or standard (not shown) positioned so as to move jointly in their respective cylinders  2  in two opposing directions when held axially by a central shaft  3  with this same central shaft free to rotate at its axis but held captive linearly by a pin-rod  10  with a rotating locator bearing  12  at one end and axial thrust bearing  11  to sustain and contain axial movement when the central shaft is loaded or unloaded, at the other end. 
     The pistons are positioned at the ends of the central shaft with a locating axial pin  14  that also allows the central shaft to rotate by means of a bearing  15  and is fixed beneath the piston head at  16  to hold captive the piston and rod assembly linearly with a thrust bearing at  17  to support combustive force. 
     Attached to the piston head base are cylindrical roller, right and left-handed overrunning clutches  18  that fasten onto the central shaft to transfer linear energy from the piston under combustion  28 , through the activation of the overrunning clutch transitorily fixing the position of the central shaft; this energizes the cam-followers  4  that are fixed through the central shaft at right-angles to the central shaft and at maximum stroke from the piston head, which in turn acts on the dual spiral high lead slotted cam-screws  5  machined within a thick-walled tube  6 , from the top of the stroke of the piston acting on the thick-wall tube through 180° plus or minus, to the bottom of the stroke to create rotatory motion, whereby this rotatory motion is transferred by a toothed gear wheel  9 , fastened at the axis of the thick-walled tube, whereupon the overrunning clutch will release its fixation and return by the opposing combustion cycle to its departure position. 
     The thick-walled tube is retained by its flange  7  thrusting against the engine body  26  and rotates on the thrust bearing  8  and peripheral bearing  13 , which in turn rotates the toothed gear wheel  9  fastened at the axis of the thick-wall tube which would in turn energize a toothed gear wheel (not shown) if placed on the axle at  27  to transfer energy to a transmission. The thick-walled tube operates as a flywheel to maintain kinetic momentum. 
     The alternative piston assemblies with piston rings  23  would use inlet and exhaust valves  20 ,  21  with ports  24 ,  25  with air-fuel mixture and ignition plugs (not shown) or their alternative with injectors (not shown). 
     There is one only bypass passage  29  to allow airflow from one compressive cylinder to another with an air pressure sensitive switch (not shown) or some other to forward a timing signal to an engine management system (not shown) for ignition and valve timing for inlet and exhaust, or some other device for this purpose.