| CPC F01B 9/047 (2013.01) | 16 Claims |
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1. A reciprocating engine comprising:
an engine mainframe including an upper wall, a lower wall, a first sidewall, and a second sidewall defining an interior chamber of the engine mainframe;
an output shaft extending through the interior chamber and adapted for rotation within the interior chamber;
a pinion gear coupled to the output shaft for rotation with the output shaft, the pinion gear having teeth disposed on a portion of a circumference of the pinion gear;
a timing arm coupled to the output shaft for rotation with the output shaft, the timing arm having a timing pin disposed at a distal end of the timing arm;
a dual gear rack disposed around the output shaft and the pinion gear and configured to reciprocate within the interior chamber of the engine mainframe, the dual gear rack having oppositely-disposed first and second end plates and first and second gear racks between the first and second end plates, the first gear rack having first gear rack teeth configured to mesh with the teeth of the pinion gear and the second gear rack having second gear rack teeth configured to mesh with the teeth of the pinion gear; and
a timing plate coupled to the dual gear rack for reciprocating therewith, the timing plate defining a timing slot that has an elliptical shape and is engaged by the timing pin of the timing arm as the timing arm rotates with the output shaft, the elliptical shape of the timing slot having a first vertex at the first end plate of the dual gear rack and a second vertex at the second end plate of the dual gear rack;
wherein the first gear rack teeth are configured to mesh with the teeth of the pinion gear, causing the output shaft to rotate as the dual gear rack moves towards the upper wall of the engine mainframe and the second gear rack teeth are configured to mesh with the teeth of the pinion gear causing the output shaft to continue to rotate as the dual gear rack moves towards the lower wall of the engine mainframe, the timing pin of the timing arm travels within the timing slot as the output shaft rotates, and the teeth of the pinion gear are not engaged with any teeth of the dual gear rack when the timing pin is at the first vertex of the timing slot and when the timing pin is at the second vertex of the timing slot.
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