Rotary valve engine

Abstract

A reciprocating engine includes an engine body presenting an internal chamber and a fluid intake that supplies intake fluid to the internal chamber. The engine also includes a piston that oscillates within the internal chamber during engine operation. The engine body includes a block and a head that form the internal chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A reciprocating engine comprising:
 an engine body presenting an internal chamber and a fluid intake that supplies intake fluid to the internal chamber;   a piston that oscillates within the internal chamber during engine operation,   said engine body including a head that presents a passage intersecting the internal chamber; and   a head plug adjustably axially positioned at least partly within the passage, with movement of the head plug axially along the passage serving to adjust the compression ratio of the internal chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 1 ,
 said head plug presenting a lower combustion surface that defines a plug concave opening.   
     
     
         3 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 2 ,
 said plug concave opening defining a spherical cap shape.   
     
     
         4 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 2 ,
 said piston presenting a side surface and an upper combustion surface that defines a piston concave opening spaced from the side surface, with the concave openings being opposed to one another.   
     
     
         5 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 4 ,
 said concave openings each defining a spherical cap shape,   said concave openings being adjacent one another and cooperatively forming an approximately spherical combustion volume within the internal chamber when the piston is located at top dead center.   
     
     
         6 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 5 ,
 said piston concave opening comprising a semispherical opening.   
     
     
         7 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 6 ,
 said upper combustion surface including a planar upper surface that surrounds the semispherical opening and cooperates with the engine body to define a bump clearance dimension when the piston is located at top dead center.   
     
     
         8 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 1 ; and
 a plug drive mechanism operably engaged with the head plug to shift the head plug along the passage.   
     
     
         9 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 8 ,
 said passage comprising a threaded passage,   said head plug presenting threads that complementally engage the threaded passage, with rotation of the head plug relative to the head causing corresponding axial movement of the head plug along the passage.   
     
     
         10 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 9 ,
 said plug drive mechanism including driven gear attached to the head plug and a powered worm gear in driving engagement with the driven gear, with rotation of the worm gear causing axial movement of the head plug along the passage.   
     
     
         11 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 1 ,
 said engine body presenting another internal chamber and another fluid intake that supplies intake fluid to the another internal chamber;   another piston that oscillates within the another internal chamber during engine operation,   said head presenting another passage intersecting the another internal chamber; and   another head plug adjustably axially positioned at least partly within the another passage, with movement of the another head plug axially along the another passage serving to adjust the compression ratio of the another internal chamber.   
     
     
         12 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 11 ; and
 a plug drive mechanism operably engaged with the head plugs to shift the head plugs along the respective passages.   
     
     
         13 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 12 ,
 said passages each comprising a threaded passage,   said head plugs each presenting threads that complementally engage the corresponding threaded passage, with rotation of the head plugs relative to the head causing corresponding axial movement of the head plugs along the passages.   
     
     
         14 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 13 ,
 said plug drive mechanism including driven gears attached to respective ones of the head plugs and a powered worm gear in driving engagement with the driven gears, with rotation of the worm gear causing simultaneous axial movement of the head plugs.   
     
     
         15 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 1 ,
 said piston oscillating along a piston axis,   said passage and said axis being substantially coaxial with one another.   
     
     
         16 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 1 ; and
 a spark plug,   said head plug presenting a plug opening that removably receives the spark plug.   
     
     
         17 . A reciprocating engine comprising:
 an engine body presenting an internal chamber and a fluid intake that supplies intake fluid to the internal chamber,   said fluid intake defining an inner intake port adjacent the internal chamber and an outer intake port located upstream from the inner intake port;   a piston that oscillates within the internal chamber during engine operation; and   a rotary valve assembly fluidly disposed along the fluid intake to control the inner port so as to generally block fluid flow to the internal chamber when closed and permit fluid flow to the internal chamber when open, said rotary valve assembly including
 a generally linear fluid flow passageway extending through the valve assembly between the outer intake port and the inner intake port, with the passageway being generally aligned and communicating with the intake ports when the valve assembly is open, 
 said rotary valve assembly including a ceramic material, with the ceramic material presenting an outer valve surface that substantially covers the rotary valve assembly and restricts heat transfer into the rotary valve assembly from engine combustion. 
   
     
     
         18 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 17 ,
 said rotary valve assembly including a rotatable valve body operable to intermittently block fluid flow through the inner intake port and thereby close the valve assembly as the valve body rotates.   
     
     
         19 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 18 , said valve body including a ceramic outer layer that presents the outer valve surface. 
     
     
         20 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 18 ,
 said valve body including a cylindrical sleeve element presenting diametrically opposed holes,   said rotary valve assembly including a cylindrical core located concentrically within the sleeve,   said core including a diametrical flow-through opening that cooperates with the holes, when aligned with one another, to form the passageway.   
     
     
         21 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 20 ,
 said sleeve element and said core each including a ceramic outer layer that presents the outer valve surface.   
     
     
         22 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 20 ,
 said cylindrical core including two core elements that cooperatively form the flow-through opening,   said core elements being shiftable relative to one another to change the shape of the flow-through opening.   
     
     
         23 . A reciprocating engine comprising:
 an engine body presenting an internal chamber and a fluid intake that supplies intake fluid to the internal chamber,   said fluid intake defining an inner intake port adjacent the internal chamber and an outer intake port located upstream from the inner intake port; and   a piston that oscillates within the internal chamber during engine operation,   said piston presenting a side surface and an upper combustion surface that defines a piston concave opening spaced from the side surface,   said upper combustion surface including a planar upper ring surface that extends about the piston concave opening and cooperates with the engine body to define a bump clearance dimension when the piston is located at top dead center.   
     
     
         24 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 23 ,
 said piston including an integrally formed upper ring that presents the ring surface and extends endlessly about the piston concave opening.   
     
     
         25 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 24 ,
 said upper combustion surface including an annular portion that projects radially outwardly from the upper ring, with the upper ring projecting upwardly from the annular portion of the upper combustion surface.   
     
     
         26 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 25 ,
 said piston oscillating along a piston axis, with the ring surface being orthogonal to the piston axis.   
     
     
         27 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 25 ,
 said annular portion of the upper combustion surface comprising a convex domed surface.   
     
     
         28 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 25 ,
 said piston including a projection spaced from the upper ring and projecting upwardly from the annular portion of the upper combustion surface,   said projection being inserted into the inner intake port when the piston is located at top dead center.   
     
     
         29 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 23 ,
 said piston oscillating along a piston axis, with the ring surface being orthogonal to the piston axis,   said engine body including a head that presents a lower head surface shaped complementally to the upper combustion surface of the piston,   said ring surface and said lower head surface cooperatively defining the bump clearance dimension.   
     
     
         30 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 29 ,
 said piston including an integrally formed upper ring that presents the ring surface and extends endlessly about the piston concave opening,   said upper combustion surface including an annular portion that projects radially outwardly from the upper ring, with the upper ring projecting upwardly from the annular portion of the upper combustion surface,   said annular portion and said lower head surface cooperatively defining an outer clearance dimension greater than the bump clearance dimension.   
     
     
         31 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 30 ,
 said annular portion of the upper combustion surface comprising a convex domed surface.   
     
     
         32 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 30 ,
 said piston including a projection spaced from the upper ring and projecting upwardly from the annular portion of the upper combustion surface,   said projection being inserted into the inner intake port when the piston is located at top dead center.   
     
     
         33 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 32 ,
 said projection and said lower head surface cooperatively defining a projection clearance dimension greater than the bump clearance dimension.   
     
     
         34 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 23 ,
 said bump clearance dimension preferably ranging from about fifty thousandths of an inch to about seventy thousandths of an inch.   
     
     
         35 . A reciprocating engine comprising:
 an engine body presenting an internal chamber and a fluid intake that supplies intake fluid to the internal chamber,   said fluid intake defining an inner intake port adjacent the internal chamber and an outer intake port located upstream from the inner intake port,   a piston that oscillates within the internal chamber during engine operation; and   a rotary valve assembly fluidly disposed along the fluid intake to control the inner intake port so as to generally block fluid flow to the internal chamber when closed and permit fluid flow to the internal chamber when open, said rotary valve assembly including
 a generally linear fluid flow passageway extending through the valve assembly between the outer intake port and the inner intake port, with the passageway being generally aligned and communicating with the intake ports when the valve assembly is open, 
 a rotatable valve body operable to intermittently block fluid flow through the inner intake port and thereby close the valve assembly as the valve body rotates, and 
 a gas seal that provides a seal between the valve body and the engine body, said engine body presenting an internal tubular surface that extends transversely to the 
 fluid intake and includes a seal channel, said gas seal including a blade seal located partly within the seal channel and positioned 
 in sliding engagement with the valve body, said gas seal further including a flexible synthetic resin that at least partly fills the seal 
 channel to restrict gas flow between the blade seal and the seal channel 
   
     
     
         36 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 35 ,
 said seal channel extending endlessly around the inner intake port.   
     
     
         37 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 35 ,
 said blade seal extending endlessly around the inner intake port.   
     
     
         38 . The reciprocating engine as claimed in  claim 35 ,
 said flexible synthetic resin comprising a silicone material.