ROTARY ENGINE

摘要

A four cycle internal combustion, rotary engine is disclosed in which a cylindrical rotor having plural arcuately spaced, radially extending, piston carrying cylinders is mounted about a coaxially aligned central combustion chamber and main bearing for rotation therewith about a stationary main bearing support shaft which incorporates a fuel intake and exhaust manifold communicating with the combustion chamber and individual cylinders. A pair of stationary cam plates having registeringly aligned asymmetrical cam tracks are mounted in parallel spaced relation adjacent opposite axial ends of the rotor; the tracks thereof being simultaneously engaged by cooperating pairs of follower rollers slidably coupled to pistons in each of the cylinders in a manner requiring movement of the pistons radially of the rotor in response to rotational movement of the latter about the main bearing shaft. During each rotational cycle of the rotor each piston completes a four cycle operation of intake, compression, combustion and exhaust strokes in which the intake and compression strokes are selectively unequal to the combustion and exhaust strokes in accordance with a selected configuration of the cam tracks whereby to effect maximum fuel efficiency and power output for the engine in accordance with the characteristics of the selected fuel of combustion. A first modified form of the engine is disclosed wherein each cam plate provides a pair of radially spaced cam tracks engageable by individual rollers to positively control movement of the pistons radially of the rotor. A second modified form of the invention is also disclosed in which a plurality of individual rotary engines are arranged in a cluster about a single output shaft selectively coupled thereto via clutch members whereby to enable coupling one or more of the rotary engines to the output shaft in accordance with power requirements.