Patent ID: 8631885

Claim:
A power unit comprising: a conversion device for converting mechanical energy of rotation into a different form of energy, the conversion device comprising a rotor shaft which has first and second axial ends opposite each other and which is supported for rotation about an axis; a first internal combustion engine having a rotary output member which rotates in a given direction; a second internal combustion engine having a rotary output member which rotates in the same direction as the rotary output member of the first internal combustion engine; a first clutch through which the rotary output member of the first engine can be selectively coupled to the first axial end of the rotor shaft of the conversion device for transmitting mechanical energy of rotation from the rotary output member of the first engine to the rotor shaft of the conversion device when the first clutch is coupling the rotary output member of the first engine to the rotor shaft of the conversion device; and a second clutch through which the rotary output member of the second engine can be selectively coupled to the second axial end of the rotor shaft of the conversion device for transmitting mechanical energy of rotation from the rotary output member of the second engine to the rotor shaft of the conversion device when the second clutch is coupling the rotary output member of the second engine to the rotor shaft of the conversion device; the rotary member of the first engine, the first clutch, the rotor shaft of the conversion device, the second clutch, and the rotary member of the second engine being arranged in that order lengthwise of the power unit; and a mechanism for inverting the rotation of one of the first and second engines to the rotor shaft of the conversion device.