Patent ID: 7467609

Claim:
Valve-stroke control apparatus for continuously varying the stroke of a valve in an engine, and for selectively maintaining said valve closed, while said engine is in operation, said apparatus comprising a force-transmitting rod driven by a cam, which causes said force transmitting rod to pivot about an articulation point, via a cam-contact roller; wherein: a rocking lever, which activated said valve, is articulate at said articulation point on a first end of said force transmitting rod; a second end of said force-transmitting rod has an additional roller that engages a contact surface of a stroke-length setting lever; said contact surface extends substantially transversely to a longitudinal axis of said stroke-length setting lever; said contact surface has a contour such that pivoting of the force-transmitting rod by said cam and said cam contact roller causes movement between said contact surface and said additional roller, which movement in turn causes said force-transmitting rod be displaced longitudinally in a direction of movement of said force transmitting rod that is associated with opening the valve; and a displacement is introduced by way of said articulation point into said rocking lever.