Patent ID: 8622039

Claim:
A desmodromic valve system for an internal combustion engine having a plurality of valves with valve stems operatively connected to a camshaft, said system comprising: a semirigid basket disposed about said camshaft, said semirigid basket secured to a first valve stem by an integral retainer on a bottom portion thereof and constrained to motion along the valve stem axis, said basket having a pair of downwardly oriented cam followers in the upper portion thereof, spaced apart from the valve stem axis, said basket being flexible enough to elongate to contribute to the dynamic lash of the valve; and a central cam and a parallel pair of side cams fixedly mounted on said camshaft so as to rotate therewith, said cams substantially surrounded circumferentially by said basket and cooperating therewith to provide reciprocating valve action with positive bidirectional drive, said central cam aligned with the valve stem axis, said side cams spaced apart from the valve stem axis, parallel to said central cam and respectively aligned with said cam followers, said central cam pushing said valve stem down so as to positively open the associated valve during a first part of a valve cycle, said valve stem pulling said basket down with it via said retainer, said side cams pushing said basket up via their respective cam followers and thereby causing said basket to pull said valve stem so as to positively close the valve during a second part of the valve cycle.