Patent ID: 7900454

Claim:
In an engine having an arrangement of cylinders with reciprocating pistons for drivingly rotating a crankshaft, an assembly comprising: a crank journal orbitally linked to the crankshaft and having a central axis offset and parallel to a central axis of the crankshaft; a spider bearing coaxially fixed to said crank journal and including a plurality of round cavities spaced at equal intervals about a central axis of said spider bearing at a common radius from said the central axis of said spider bearing, and each of said plurality of round cavities having an open mouth on an outer circumferential periphery of said spider bearing; a wrist pin fitted within each of said plurality of round cavities to define an annular channel about said wrist pin in each of said plurality of round cavities, and said annular channel communicating with the open mouth in each of said plurality of round cavities on the outer circumferential periphery of said spider bearing; a plurality of connecting rods each having opposite ends including a first end structured for pivotal linkage to a respective one of the reciprocating pistons and an opposite second end structured for pivotal receipt within a respective one of said plurality of round cavities and about said wrist pin to pivotally link said second end to said spider bearing; said plurality of connecting rods being structured, disposed and arranged for moving said spider bearing in an orbital path relative to a rotational axis of said crankshaft while maintaining said spider bearing on a steady vertical and horizontal axis without rotating; said open mouths of said plurality of said round cavities of said spider bearing being structured and disposed to limit angular deflection of said connecting rods as said spider bearing moves in said orbital path relative to the rotational axis of said crankshaft; and wherein reciprocating movement of the pistons within the cylinders drives the connecting rods to move the spider bearing through said orbital path, and to thereby rotate the crankshaft.