Dual rotary valved internal combustion engine

Claim 2

In an internal combustion engine, a housing means having at least one cylinder arrangement therein comrpising a combustion chamber and a pre-combustion chamber in communication with said combustion chamber, said housing means having a first fuel and air supply passage means extending to said combustion chamber, a second fuel and air supply passage means extending to said precombustion chamber, and an exhaust passage means extending to said combustion chamber, a first valve shaft rotatably journalled in said housing in position to intersect said first fuel supply passage means whereby to control the flow of fluid therethrough and having at least one radial extending passage therethrough axially positioned therein for alignment with said first fuel supply passage means, a second valve shaft rotatively journalled in said housing means in position to intersect said second fuel supply passage means and said exhaust passage means, said second shaft having a radially extending first passage therethrough and a radially extending second passage therethrough axially spaced from said first radially extending passage, said first passage being positioned for alignment with said second fuel supply passage means and said second passage being positioned for alignment with said exhaust passage means and, drive means operatively connected to said first valve shaft and to said second valve shaft to effect synchronous rotation of said first valve shaft relative to said second valve shaft in timed relation to the operation of said engine.

Claim 3

In an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein said first fuel and air supply passage means and wherein said second fuel and air supply means and said exhaust passage means in said housing means are each enlarged to provide a recess adjacent to and on diametrically opposite sides of said first valve shaft and said second valve shaft, respectively, a spring and an apertured valve seat insert slidably positioned in each of said recesses,, each said spring being positioned to bias said valve seat insert with which it is associated into sealing engagement against the one of said shafts with which it cooperates.

Claim 4

In an internal combustion engine, a housing means having at least one cylinder arrangement therein comprising a combustion chamber and a pre-combustion chamber in communication with said combustion chamber, said housing means further including therein a first induction passage means including a first rotatable valve controlling flow therethrough, said first induction passage means connecting at one end to said combustion chamber and at its other end being connectable to a first source of induction fluid, a second induction passage means and an exhaust passage means including a second rotatable valve controlling flow through both said second induction passage means and said exhaust passage means, said second induction passage means being connected at one end to said pre-combustion chamber and at its other end being connectable to a second source of induction fluid, said exhaust passage means being in communication with said combustion chamber, said first rotatable valve including a first shaft rotatably journalled in a first cylindrical bore in said housing means and extending longitudinally of the engine above said cylinder arrangement, said first valve shaft having a radially extending passage therethrough positioned whereby upon rotation of said first valve shaft, when said passage is in alignment with said first induction passage means, will permit flow therethrough and when out of alignment therewith said valve shaft will block flow therethrough, said second rotatable valve including a second valve shaft rotatably journalled in a second cylindrical bore in said housing means extending longitudinally of said engine above said cylinder arrangement, said second valve shaft having axially, spaced apart, radially extending first and second passages therethrough positioned to control the flow through said second induction passage means and said exhaust passage means, respectively, and drive means operatively connected to said first shaft and to said second shaft and to said engine to effect rotation of said first shaft and said second shaft in unison with each other and at a speed directly related to the rotational speed of the engine.

Claim 5

In an internal combustion engine, a housing means having at least one cylinder arrangement therein comprising a combustion chamber and a pre-combustion chamber in communication with said combustion chamber, said housing means further including therein a first induction passage means including a first rotatable valve controlling flow therethrough, said first induction passage means connecting at one end to said combustion chamber and at its other end being connectable to a first source of induction fluid, a second induction passage means and an exhaust passage means including a second rotatable valve controlling flow through both said second induction passage means and said exhaust passage means, said second induction passage means being connected at one end to said pre-combustion chamber and at its other end being connectable to a second source of induction fluid, said exhaust passage means being in communication with said combustion chamber, said first rotatable valve including a first shaft rotatably journalled in a first cylindrical bore in said housing means and extending longitudinally of the engine above said cylinder arrangement, said first valve shaft having a radially extending passage therethrough positioned whereby upon rotation of said first valve shaft, when said passage is in alignment with said first induction passage means, will permit flow therethrough and when out of alignment therewith said valve shaft will block flow therethrough, said second rotatable valve including a second valve shaft rotatably journalled in a second cylindrical bore in said housing means extending longitudinally of said engine above said cylinder arrangement, said second valve shaft having axially, spaced apart, radially extending first and second passages therethrough positioned to control the flow through said second induction passage means and said exhaust passage means, respectively, and drive means operatively connected to said first shaft and to said second shaft and to said engine to effect rotation of said first shaft and said second shaft in unison with each other and at a speed directly related to the rotational speed of the engine.

Claim 6

In an internal combustion engine, a housing means having at least one inline arrangement of cylinders each comprising a combustion chamber and a pre-combustion chamber, a spark plug means for each of said cylinders, each of said spark plug means having its electrode in communication with said precombustion chamber for said cylinder, a first induction passage means in said housing means for each of said cylinders in communication at one end with said combustion chamber of said cylinder and connectable at its opposite end to a first source of induction fluid, a cylindrical first bore in said housIng means positioned to intersect each of said first induction passage means intermediate the ends thereof, a first valve shaft with a radial through passage therein for each of said first induction passage means rotatably journalled in said first bore for sequentially controlling the flow of induction fluid through said first induction passage means upon rotation of said valve shaft, a second induction passage means for each of said cylinders in said housing means with each extending at one end from said precombustion chamber of said cylinder and being connectable at its opposite end to a second source of induction fluid, exhaust passage means in said housing for each of said cylinders in communication with said combustion chamber of said cylinder, a cylindrical second bore in said housing means positioned to intersect each of said second induction passage means and each of said exhaust passage means, a second valve shaft with a radial through passage therein for each of said second induction passage means and a radial through exhaust passage therein for each of said exhaust passage means rotatably journalled in said second bore to control, upon rotation of said second shaft, induction fluid flow through said second passage means and exhaust flow through said exhaust passage means and, drive means operatively connected to said first valve shaft and to said second valve shaft to effect synchronous rotation of said first valve shaft relative to said second valve shaft in timed relation to the operation of said engine.

Claim 7

In an internal combustion engine, a housing means having at least one inline arrangement of cylinders each comprising a combustion chamber and a pre-combustion chamber, a spark plug means for each of said cylinders, each of said spark plug means having its electrode in communication with said precombustion chamber for said cylinder, a first induction passage means in said housing means for each of said cylinders in communication at one end with said combustion chamber of said cylinder and connectable at its opposite end to a first source of induction fluid, a cylindrical first bore in said housIng means positioned to intersect each of said first induction passage means intermediate the ends thereof, a first valve shaft with a radial through passage therein for each of said first induction passage means rotatably journalled in said first bore for sequentially controlling the flow of induction fluid through said first induction passage means upon rotation of said valve shaft, a second induction passage means for each of said cylinders in said housing means with each extending at one end from said precombustion chamber of said cylinder and being connectable at its opposite end to a second source of induction fluid, exhaust passage means in said housing for each of said cylinders in communication with said combustion chamber of said cylinder, a cylindrical second bore in said housing means positioned to intersect each of said second induction passage means and each of said exhaust passage means, a second valve shaft with a radial through passage therein for each of said second induction passage means and a radial through exhaust passage therein for each of said exhaust passage means rotatably journalled in said second bore to control, upon rotation of said second shaft, induction fluid flow through said second passage means and exhaust flow through said exhaust passage means and, drive means operatively connected to said first valve shaft and to said second valve shaft to effect synchronous rotation of said first valve shaft relative to said second valve shaft in timed relation to the operation of said engine.