Internal combustion engine and cam drive mechanism therefor
This patent describes a cam mechanism for driving the camshaft of a four-stroke internal combustion engine having one or more sets of n number of cylinders where n is a positive integer, a piston connected to a crankshaft and reciprocable in each cylinder and is either in phase or out of phase with any other piston in the set to which it belongs by a phase angle A/sup 0/, or an integral multiple thereof. A camshaft carries rotatable cams for actuating inlet and/or exhaust valves for each cylinder in the set. Characterized in the cam drive mechanism consist of means for rotating the camshaft with a rotational movement which is a combination of a circular motion about its axis of rotation which has a predetermined phase relationship with the circular movement of the crankshaft and an oscillatory motion about its axis of rotation to advance and retard the angular position of the cams relative to the valves with which they are associated. The oscillatory motion has a predetermined phase relationship with the crankshaft, and means for varying the amplitude of the oscillatory motion whereby the timing of the opening and closing of the valves may be varied, characterized in that the speed of the circular movement of the camshaft is half the speed of the crankshaft. The frequency of oscillations of the camshaft is f times the frequency of rotation of the crankshaft. The cam drive mechanism consists of a rotatable drive member drivable by the crankshaft. A connection is between the drive member and camshaft for transmitting the rotary motion of the drive member thereto. The connection including a sleeve element rotatable by the drive element and axially slidable relative thereto and having a helically splined connection with the camshaft whereby axial movement of the sleeve element effects a rotation of the camshaft relative to the drive member.
- Assignee:
- Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, MI
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4577598
- OSTI ID:
- 5745498
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: Filed date 30 Jan 1985
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
MECHANICAL TRANSMISSIONS
SHAFTS
DESIGN
AMPLITUDES
CYLINDERS
EXHAUST SYSTEMS
INCIDENCE ANGLE
OSCILLATIONS
PISTONS
POSITIONING
ROTATION
VELOCITY
ENGINES
HEAT ENGINES
MACHINE PARTS
MOTION
330100* - Internal Combustion Engines
330602 - Vehicle Design Factors- Engine-Transmission Matching