Patent ID: 7434550

Claim:
A method of reducing friction between pistons and cylinders in an internal combustion engine containing at least one pair of opposed cylinders, a pair of opposing inner and outer pistons in each cylinder, a single crankshaft, and a plurality of piston rods each connected between a piston and a corresponding asymmetric journal on said crankshaft, comprising the steps of: positioning said cylinders opposing each other to have the centers of said opposing pistons within each cylinder move along the longitudinal axis of the cylinder during engine operation; defining a centerline in each piston rod that extends between each piston connection and each journal connection positioning said crankshaft and asymmetric journals between said opposing cylinders to have the centerline of the piston rod connected between said inner piston and its corresponding journal oriented to be substantially parallel with said axis of longitudinal piston movement when the combustion forces reach their peak just after the inner piston reaches its top dead center position of the engine cycle.