Southwest Research Institute

Scuderi Group, Inc.

Lumenium LLC

Clive B Lacy

Riccardo Meldolesi

Anthony S Perkins

Dustin B Kramer

Ian Paul Gilbert

William R Anderson

William Lukaczyk

Trent Lukaczyk

John A Schwoerer

Glenn R Wendel

Ian P Gilbert

Anthony Perkins

Ian Gilbert

A spool valve for controlling the flow of a fluid into a reciprocating piston cylinder. A spool is slideably inserted into an outer casing, the spool valve having a first and a second non-waisted end portions and having a waisted middle portion. The casing has an intake port and output port for fluids entering and exiting the casing. A first non-waisted end portion covers the intake port during a first valve-closed event as the spool slides in one direction within the casing. The waisted middle portion is sufficiently wide to uncover both the intake port and the output port during a valve-open event as the spool slides in one direction within the casing. A second non-waisted end portion covers the output port during a second valve-closed event as the spool slides in the same one direction within the casing.

Fast acting shuttle spool valve

A valve system that includes a housing defining an intake port, a cylinder port and a valve bore; wherein the intake port defining a valve seat portion at an interface between the intake port and the cylinder port. The valve system also includes a valve to control fluid communication between the intake port and the cylinder port. The valve includes a valve stem disposed within the valve bore and extending into the cylinder port and extending out of the housing, the valve stem having an open face exposed to atmospheric pressure and a valve head coupled to the valve stem comprising a first face and an opposing second face. A diameter of the valve stem is selected to control a closing force on the first face of the valve head.

Intake valve systems

A hydraulic lash assembly (HLA) for use in a valvetrain. The HLA preferably includes a first arm configured to transition a valve between a closed orientation and an open orientation. The first arm can include an engagement surface to receive a driving force from a timing member and to cause the valve to transition to the open orientation for a predetermined period. The HLA further preferably includes a second arm to receive a holding force from an actuator and a pivot section to couple to the first arm and displace the first arm based on the holding force from the actuator. Preferably, the first arm and the second arm form a lever arrangement whereby the pivot section of the second arm underlies and supports the first arm and allows for rotational movement of the first arm that is independent from the second arm.

Hydraulic lash assembly and valvetrain implementing same

A reciprocating piston engine, comprising an engine block having a piston cylinder; a piston disposed in the piston cylinder; an intake port to the piston cylinder, an intake valve to open and close the intake port to the piston cylinder; a rotatable crankshaft; a flywheel connected to the crankshaft which is rotatable with the crankshaft, the flywheel having a circumferential profile; and a cam lobe forming a portion of the circumferential profile of the flywheel wherein, during rotation of the crankshaft, the cam lobe acts on the intake valve to open the intake valve.

Integrated flywheel and intake cam lobe

The disclosure provides rotary machines that include, in one embodiment, a rotatable shaft defining a central axis A, the shaft having a first end and a second end. The shaft can have an elongate first island disposed thereon. The first island can have a body with a volume generally defined between front and rear surfaces that are spaced apart. The front and rear surfaces can lie in a plane parallel to a radial axis R. The perimeters of the front and rear surfaces can define a curved perimeter surface therebetween. The disclosure further provides embodiments having stationary islands and casings that rotate about the island.

Rotary machine

Valve actuation systems are disclosed herein that allow valve opening timing to be varied using a cam phaser and that allow valve closing timing to be varied using a lost-motion system. In one embodiment, an actuation system is provided that has a locked configuration in which a bearing element is held in place between a cam and a rocker to transmit cam motion to an engine valve. The actuation system also has an unlocked configuration in which the bearing element is permitted to be at least partially ejected from between the cam and rocker, such that cam motion is not transmitted to the engine valve. The actuation system is switched to the unlocked configuration by draining fluid therefrom through a main valve which is piloted by a trigger valve. The actuation system also includes integrated autolash and seating control functionality.

Lost-motion variable valve actuation system

The present invention provides a valve actuation system comprising a valve train for actuating a valve, the valve train including actuating elements and a valve lash, and a valve lash adjustment system for adjusting the valve lash, wherein the valve train and the valve lash adjustment system do not share any common actuating elements.

Valve lash adjustment system for a split-cycle engine

A hydro-mechanical system is disclosed for actuating an outwardly opening valve of an engine, such as a crossover passage valve of a split-cycle engine. A developed embodiment includes a body having a plunger cylinder in hydraulic fluid communication with a valve cylinder. A plunger in the plunger cylinder is reciprocated to displace hydraulic fluid into the valve cylinder, the engine valve being opened by the hydraulic fluid displaced by the plunger into the valve cylinder and acting against the valve piston. A valve spring, preferably an air spring returns the engine valve to engage an outwardly facing valve seat to close a gas passage of the engine. Control valves and an energy reusing accumulator, along with valve seating control and lift brake features may also be included.

Growing community of inventors

West Sussex, United Kingdom

Clive B Lacy