Patent ID: 7469527

Claim:
An active chamber engine, comprising: at least one piston ( 1 ) sliding in a cylinder ( 2 ) controlled by a device for stopping the piston at top dead centre and supplied with compressed air or any other gas at high pressure contained in a storage reservoir ( 22 ) which is reduced to an average pressure called a working pressure in a work capacity ( 19 ), wherein: an expansion chamber of has a variable volume fitted with means to produce work and is joined to and in contact with a space contained above a main engine piston by means of a permanent passage( 12 ), when the piston is stopped at top dead centre, the air or gas under pressure is admitted into the expansion chamber when the expansion chamber is at its smallest volume and, under the thrust of this air under pressure, the expansion chamber increases its volume by producing work, when the expansion chamber being maintained at very nearly its maximum volume, the compressed air contained within the expansion chamber then expands into the engine cylinder thus pushing the engine piston downwards along its travel by in turn supplying work, during an upwards travel of the engine piston during an exhaust stroke, the variable volume in the expansion chamber is returned to its smallest volume to restart a complete work cycle.