Patent ID: 7784280

Claim:
An engine reversing and timing control assembly in an engine comprising: at least one cylinder; a piston movably captivated within said cylinder and structured and disposed for sealed, reciprocating movement within said cylinder; a crankshaft; a crank disk linked to said crankshaft and rotatable to drivingly rotate said crankshaft; a connecting rod pivotally connected between said piston and said crank disk; an injector valve operable between a closed position and an open position to release a pressurized charge of steam into said cylinder to move said piston; a pushrod having a first end and a second end; a spring biased rocker arm operatively engaged with said pushrod and said injector valve; a cam ring movably mounted on said crankshaft and including an outer circumferential face; a lobe bulging outwardly from said cam ring about a portion of said outer circumferential face of said cam ring, and said lobe having a profile that progressively changes longitudinally from a maximum radially bulging profile to a minimum radially bulging profile; a cam sleeve axially movable on the longitudinal axis of said crankshaft and coupled to said cam ring to cause said cam ring to move longitudinally with said cam sleeve and to further cause said cam ring to partially rotate about the longitudinal axis of the crankshaft in a spiraling motion upon forced longitudinal movement of said cam sleeve and said cam ring relative to said crankshaft; and a follower operatively contacting said cam ring and said first end of said pushrod, said follower being structured and disposed to move in response to contact with said lobe on said cam ring and to urge said pushrod against said injector valve upon said follower contacting said lobe on said cam ring to momentarily open said injector valve as said cam ring rotates with said cam sleeve and said crankshaft.