Patent ID: 7644695

Claim:
A rotary machine comprising: a housing; a plurality of rotor spindles, each of which has centerline about which that rotor spindle rotates, and wherein the plurality of rotor spindles are mounted in said housing and arranged in an array around a central axis of rotation and on the surface of an imaginary cone so that each rotor spindle of the plurality of rotor spindles has its centerline on the surface of the imaginary cone, said imaginary cone having a vertex angle that lies between 0 and 180 degrees; a plurality of rotor blades, each of which is located on a corresponding different one of the plurality of rotor spindles for rotation therewith, wherein the plurality of rotor blades are arranged relative to each other so that each rotor blade is in tangential sliding contact with at least two other rotor blades and collectively the plurality of rotor blades forms a working chamber having a volume which changes as the rotor spindles of the plurality of rotor spindles rotate; a plurality of gears, each of which is located on one end of a corresponding different one of the plurality of rotor spindles; a rotary shaft defining said central axis of rotation and operatively coupled to the plurality of gears; and the rotary shaft is for transferring rotational energy into or out of the machine.