Thomas Engine Company, LLC Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20110253082 | FLYWHEEL FOR BARREL ENGINE - A barrel engine has a longitudinal output shaft defining a longitudinal axis. A plurality of cylinders is disposed about the output shaft and are each generally parallel to the longitudinal axis. A cam plane is defined perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and disposed between the open ends of the cylinders and a second end of the engine housing. A cam plate is disposed in the engine housing and supported for rotation about the longitudinal axis. The cam plate has a central portion and an outwardly extending cam portion. The cam portion has a cam surface that undulates from one side of the cam plane to the other. A flywheel has a plurality of lobes, each lobe being disposed generally in alignment with an area where the cam surface undulates closest to the open end of a cylinder. | 10-20-2011 |
20110253081 | CAM PLATE BEARINGS FOR BARREL ENGINE - A barrel engine has a housing with a longitudinal bore with a pair of spaced apart bearing surfaces. An output shaft is disposed in the bore and has an outer surface with engagement elements. A cam plate has a central portion and a cam portion. The central portion has an outer surface with a pair of spaced apart bearing surfaces and a bore with an inner surface with engagement elements. The cam plate is received on the output shaft with the engagement elements on the inner surface of the cam plate bore being mechanically coupled to the engagement elements on the outer surface of the output shaft such that the shaft and cam plate are coupled for rotation and the cam plate is longitudinally slidable with respect to the shaft. The cam plate is disposed such that the bearing surfaces are generally aligned with the bearing surfaces of the bore. | 10-20-2011 |
20100199932 | COMPACT VALVE ACTUATION MECHANISM FOR BARREL INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES - A multi-cylinder barrel internal combustion engine includes a valve actuation mechanism having generally L-shaped rockers for actuating valves in the engine. The rockers are arranged in pairs each pivotally coupled to a common rocker support. The pair of rockers actuate respective valves of an adjacent pair of cylinders in the engine. | 08-12-2010 |
20100162975 | LASH ADJUSTMENT BETWEEN ROLLERS AND A CAM PLATE OF A BARREL ENGINE - A lash adjustment system for a roller is provided which includes a cam plate surface and a frustoconically shaped roller in mechanical communication with the surface. Means for moving the roller relative to the surface are included to urge the roller inwardly with respect to the cam plate in order to reduce lash. | 07-01-2010 |
20090145377 | Piston Assembly For Barrel Engine - A barrel engine includes a central drive shaft and a cam plate interconnected to the drive shaft. The barrel engine includes a plurality of cylinders each having a longitudinal axis that is generally parallel with the drive shaft. The axes of the cylinders are arranged in a generally circular manner about the drive shaft. A pair of guide rods are provided, which correspond to each cylinder of the engine. Each guide rod has an axis generally parallel with the axes of the cylinders. The barrel engine includes a plurality of piston assemblies. Each piston assembly includes a piston head slidably coupled to one of the cylinders for reciprocal movement along the axis of the cylinder Each piston assembly also includes a guide block slidably coupled to a respective pair of guide rods for guiding the piston head during reciprocal movement along the axis of the cylinder. | 06-11-2009 |
20090133666 | HOMOGENEOUS CHARGE COMPRESSION IGNITION ENGINE WITH COMBUSTION PHASING - A homogenous charge compression ignition barrel engine includes an engine housing, a power shaft and a plurality of cylinders surrounding the shaft. Each cylinder has a closed end and an open end. An intake system introduces a combustible mixture into the cylinders. A track is disposed between a first end of the housing and the open ends of the cylinders. The track has a cam surface that longitudinally undulates with respect to the open ends of the cylinders. A piston is moveably disposed in each of the cylinders and is in mechanical communication with the cam surface of the track such that as the cylinders and the track move with respect to each other, the pistons reciprocate within the cylinders. Each cylinder is operable to compress a combustible mixture until the mixture auto ignites, without the introduction of a spark. | 05-28-2009 |