Patent ID: 8839757

Claim:
A rotary valve internal combustion engine, comprising: a crankshaft; a cylinder; a piston connected to the crankshaft, wherein the piston is reciprocatable in the cylinder; a combustion chamber being defined in part by the piston, in the cylinder; a valve housing fixed relative to the cylinder, the valve housing defining a valve bore; a rotary valve disposed in the valve bore, wherein the rotary valve comprises a valve body containing a volume defining, in part, the combustion chamber a wall part defining a lower peripheral edge, and a port in the wall part, wherein the port is a recess formed through the wall part that extends upwardly from the lower peripheral edge, and during rotation of the valve body, the port provides fluid communication successively to and from the combustion chamber; inlet and exhaust ports in the valve housing, wherein the inlet and exhaust ports cooperate with the port to provide fluid communication successively to and from the combustion chamber during rotation of the valve body; a bearing arrangement rotationally supporting the rotary valve, wherein the bearing arrangement comprises a single ball-race, located remote from the combustion chamber, and wherein the bearing arrangement is an active seal so that, while being subjected to combustion pressure forces, provides an amount of play permitting the rotary valve to rock within the valve bore to reduce a leakage path between the combustion chamber and the inlet and exhaust ports; and an endless belt connected between the crankshaft and the rotary valve for driving the rotary valve.