Fuel-operated device

Abstract

Apparatus having fuel combustion cylinders for urging the rods of pistons operating therein through power strokes, and fluid pressure pistons, also operating in cooperating cylinders, which are correspondingly urged during said power strokes through movement causing the production of a pressure fluid which is thereafter utilized, on demand, to do work. In the transmission of said movement-producing forces of said fuel-powered apparatus input to said pressure fluid output, a linkage mechanism is advantageously utilized to provide a pressure pattern in the pressure fluid which starts at an optimum low value and progressively builds up. This effectively reverses the pressure pattern of the combustion fuel which consists of a rapid-expansion gas having an initial maximum value and, due to expansion, progressively diminishes in value. In this way, the operation of the within apparatus is characterized by such a high degree of efficiency that in place of gasoline it is feasible to use a non-fossil fuel, such as methanol or the like.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An improved fuel-operated device comprising a pair of combustion cylinders having pistons therein each having slidably disposed piston rods extending therefrom operatively arranged in opposing facing relation to each other such that said piston rods are urged through power strokes towards each other along a first movement path, means for admitting a gas-producing type fuel for said combustion cylinders effective to cause an initially maximum pressure expanding gas in said cylinders for powering said piston rods through said power strokes, a pair of pressure transfer fluid cylinders having pistons therein each having slidably disposed piston rods extending therefrom operatively arranged in opposing facing relation to each other such that said .Iadd.transfer cylinder .Iaddend.piston rods are urged through fluid pressure strokes away from each other along a second movement path oriented perpendicularly and in crossing relation to said first movement path, passage means connected from said pressure transfer fluid cylinders to a storage means for flowing said pressure transfer fluid thereto, an outlet connection from said storage means to a pressure fluid-operated motor for allowing said pressure transfer fluid to power said motor in operation in the performance of work utilizing said pressure transfer fluid energy, and a coupling linkage means strategically located at the intersection of said first and second movement paths operatively interconnected between said piston rods of said combustion and said pressure transfer fluid cylinders so as to produce said fluid pressure strokes in the latter in response to said power strokes of the former, said coupling linkage means .[.including pivotally interconnected links in a diamond-shaped configuration.]. .Iadd.comprising a first criss-crossing pair of links pivotally interconnected to each other at an intersection therebetween and a second cooperating group of an additional four links bounding a diamond-shaped configuration and in the interior thereof having the free ends of said criss-crossing pair of links respectively pivotally connected to a medial location to each said link of said additional group of four links such that the links defining the four ends of said diamond shape are adapted to be urged through movement in opposite directions along first and second movement paths and wherein the interconnection of said links in said diamond-shaped configuration is .Iaddend.effective to initially cause an amplification of said movement occurring along said first movement path in said corresponding extent of movement occurring along said second movement path and subsequently a reversal therein, whereby despite an initial maximum pressure in said expanding gas of said fuel there is produced in said fluid a pressure at a desirable starting minimum value which subsequently builds up therein to thereby contribute to the efficiency of the conversion of said fuel energy into usable pressure fluid energy. 
     
     
       2. An improved fuel-operated device as claimed in claim 1 including motor cylinders having pistons therein connected to said pressure transfer cylinder piston rods, passage means interconnecting said combustion and motor cylinders to each other effective to channel the discharging gas produced from said fuel in said combustion cylinders to said motor cylinders so as to urge said piston rods of said pressure transfer fluid cylinders back to their starting positions thereof, whereby said piston rods of said combustion cylinders are correspondingly urged to return to starting positions thereof by said coupling linkage means interconnecting said pistons rods. 
     
     
       3. An improved fuel-operated device as claimed in claim 2 including an air heat exchange chamber in surrounding relation to each combustion cylinder for heat exchange between said gas produced by said fuel and air, and means for channeling said pre-heated air into said combustion cylinder upon demand incident to the operation of said combustion cylinders. 
     
     
       4. An improved fuel-operated device comprising a pair of combustion cylinders having pistons therein each having slidably disposed piston rods extending therefrom operatively arranged in opposing facing relation to each other such that said piston rods are urged through power strokes toward each other along a first movement path, means for admitting a gas-producing type fuel for said combustion cylinders effective to cause an initially maximum pressure expanding gas in said combustion cylinders for powering said piston rods through said power strokes, a pair of pressure transfer fluid cylinders having pistons therein each having slidably disposed piston rods extending therefrom operatively arranged in opposing facing relation to each other such that said .Iadd.transfer cylinder .Iaddend.piston rods are urged through fluid pressure strokes away from each other along a second movement path oriented perpendicularly and in crossing relation to said first movement path, an operative arrangement of pivotally interconnected links in a diamond-shaped configuration operatively interconnected between said piston rods of said combustion and said pressure transfer fluid cylinders so as to produce said fluid pressure strokes in the latter in response to said power strokes of the former, a criss-crossing pair of links pivotally interconnected to each other at an intersection therebetween, a cooperating group of an additional four links bounding said diamond-shaped configuration and in the interior thereof having the free ends of said criss-crossing pair of links respectively pivotally connected to a medial location to each said link of said additional group of four links such that the links defining the four ends of said diamond shape are adapted to be urged through movement in opposite directions along said first and second movement paths to produce corresponding movements in said piston rods of said combustion and pressure transfer fluid cylinders, passage means connected from said pressure transfer fluid cylinders to a storage means for said pressure fluid, and an outlet connection from said storage means to a pressure fluid-operated motor, whereby said pressure fluid is adapted to power said motor in operation in the performance of work utilizing said pressure fluid energy. 
     
     
       5. An improved fuel-operated device as claimed in claim 4 including motor cylinders having pistons therein connected to said pressure transfer cylinder piston rods, passage means interconnecting said combustion and motor cylinders to each other effective to channel the discharging gas produced from said fuel in said combustion cylinders to said motor cylinders so as to urge said piston rods of said pressure transfer fluid cylinders back to their starting positions thereof, whereby said piston rods of said combustion cylinders are correspondingly urged to return to said starting positions thereof by said coupling linkage means interconnecting said piston rods. 
     
     
       6. An improved fuel-operated device as claimed in claim 5 including an air heat exchange chamber in surrounding relation to each combustion cylinder for heat exchange between said gas produced by said fuel and air, and means for channeling said pre-heated air into said combustion cylinder upon demand incident to the operation of said combustion cylinders.