Patent ID: 8713934

Claim:
A drivingly coupled free-piston Stirling machine and at least one rotary electromagnetic transducer and having a casing, the Stirling machine including at least one piston reciprocating in its cylinder and having a connecting rod fixed to the piston, the coupled free-piston Stirling machine and rotary electromagnetic transducer more particularly comprising: (a) at least one pulley oriented in a plane of the connecting rod and having an axis of rotation perpendicular to the plane, the pulley having an arcuate peripheral surface that extends adjacent to the connecting rod; (b) at least one motion translating drive link drivingly connecting the connecting rod to the pulley by at least two straps and driving or being driven by the pulley in rotationally oscillating motion of the pulley, (i) one strap being fixed to a side of the pulley that is distal from the piston and extending in a first direction (clockwise or counter clockwise) along a peripheral arcuate surface of the pulley into fixed connection with the connecting rod at a location along the piston rod that is nearer the piston than the pulley axis of rotation, (ii) another strap being fixed to a side of the pulley that is proximal to the piston and extending opposite the first direction along a peripheral arcuate surface of the pulley into fixed connection with the connecting rod at a location along the piston rod that is farther from the piston than the pulley axis of rotation; and (c) a mechanical drive link between each pulley and a rotary electromagnetic transducer and moving the rotary electromagnetic transducer and the pulley in rotationally oscillating motion.