Internal combustion engine

Abstract

An illustrative embodiment of a reciprocating internal combustion engine of the present invention comprises a rotatable drive shaft, a cam coupled to the rotatable drive shaft, a plurality of internal combustion cylinders symmetrically located about the drive shaft, plurality of rocker arms, each rocker arm being coupled to a piston rod of one of the cylinders, and a wheel mounted on each rocker arm and engaging the cam, whereby the rocker arm drives the cam during a power stroke while the cam drives the rocker arm during a compression stroke.

1 . An internal combustion engine comprising: 
 a rotatable drive shaft;    a cam coupled to said drive shaft and rotating with it;    a first plurality of internal combustion cylinders symmetrically located about the drive shaft, each cylinder comprising a cylinder head and a movable piston that define a combustion chamber therebetween and a piston rod coupled to said piston, said piston rod moving said piston toward said cylinder head to compress a fuel-air mixture during a compression stroke and said piston moving said piston rod away from said cylinder head during an expansion stroke, and    each piston rod being coupled to a rocker arm that engages the cam, whereby the rocker arm drives the cam during an expansion stroke while the cam drives the rocker arm during a compression stroke.    
   
   
       2 . The engine of  claim 1  wherein the drive rod in each cylinder moves along a longitudinal axis of the cylinder.  
   
   
       3 . The engine of  claim 2  wherein the longitudinal axis of each cylinder is at the same angle with a radial line from the rotatable drive shaft.  
   
   
       4 . The engine of  claim 1  wherein each rocker arm is mounted on a pivot, the drive rod of a cylinder being coupled to the rocker arm at one end and the wheel being mounted at the other end of the rocker arm.  
   
   
       5 . The engine of  claim 1  wherein the cylinders are two-stroke cylinders having a compression stroke and a power stroke.  
   
   
       6 . The engine of  claim 1  wherein the cylinders are four-stroke cylinders having an intake stroke, a compression stroke, a power stroke and an exhaust stroke.  
   
   
       7 . The engine of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a second plurality of internal combustion cylinders symmetrically located about the drive shaft at a position different from that at which the first plurality of cylinders is located, each cylinder comprising a cylinder head and a movable piston that define a combustion chamber therebetween and a piston rod coupled to said piston, said piston rod moving said piston toward said cylinder head to compress a fuel-air mixture during a compression stroke and said piston moving said piston rod away from said cylinder head during an expansion stroke, and    each piston rod being coupled to a rocker arm on which is mounted a wheel that engages the cam, whereby the rocker arm drives the cam during an expansion stroke while the cam drives the rocker arm during a compression stroke.    
   
   
       8 . The engine of  claim 1  wherein the position at which the piston rod is coupled to the rocker arm may be varied.  
   
   
       9 . The engine of  claim 1  further comprising a positioning mechanism mounted on the rocker arm and coupled to the piston rod for adjusting the position at which the piston rod is coupled to the rocker arm.  
   
   
       10 . The engine of  claim 9  wherein the positioning mechanism is a servo motor.  
   
   
       11 . The engine of  claim 1  further comprising a wheel mounted on the rocker arm for engaging the cam.