Machine with rotary piston including a flexible annular member

摘要

A fluid driving or fluid driven machine includes an outer cylinder housing a stationary piston. The piston includes a generally annular flexible band of smaller circumference than the inner circumference of the cylinder, and a rotary body accommodated within the band. The rotary body has three rollers for urging the band against the inner surface of the cylinder at three angularly spaced locations so that the band defines with the cylinder three working chambers. Two separating members mounted on the cylinder are biased into contact with the band. When the rotary body is rotated the band makes nonslip contact with the wall and rotates the working chambers about the axis of the rotary body. Each separating member separates each working chamber as it passes into two discrete enclosures. A port is located on each side of each separating member to allow communication with the two discrete enclosures. The machine can be operated as a compressor when the rotary body is driven or as an engine to drive the rotary body.