Caterpillar Inc.

John M Sloma

Willibald G Berlinger

Charles E Grawey

Brett M Bailey

Kurtis C Kelley

John F Szentes

Francis J Raab

T Pin Shyu

L Ted Johnson

A free piston internal combustion engine includes a housing with a combustion cylinder and a second cylinder. A piston includes a piston head reciprocally disposed within the combustion cylinder; a second head reciprocally disposed within the second cylinder; a plunger rod with a first end attached to the piston head, a second end attached to the second head, and a longitudinal axis; and a plurality of radially extending vanes attached to the plunger rod and the second head. The radially extending vanes face toward the piston head and are disposed at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis.

Free piston internal combustion engine with rotating piston

A free piston internal combustion engine includes a combustion cylinder having an inside surface. A piston which is reciprocally disposed within the combustion cylinder includes a piston head and a plunger rod. The plunger rod is attached to the piston head and has a longitudinal axis. The piston head includes a non-metallic cap and a metallic skirt. The cap has a outside surface lying closely adjacent to and defining a bearing surface with the inside surface of the combustion cylinder. The cap is substantially immovably attached to the skirt in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the plunger rod, and is movably attached to the skirt in a radial direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the plunger rod.

Free piston internal combustion engine with piston head having a

A piston is provided for use in a free-piston engine and includes a crown portion having a predetermined thickness, a plunger connection portion having a passage extending therethrough along the axis of the piston and being connected to the crown portion, a sealing portion extending from the crown portion, and a strut portion having a plurality of struts disposed between the sealing portion and the plunger connection portion. The piston of the subject invention provides a compact, high strength, low weight design that is effective in use to provide efficient operation and effectively conduct heat from the piston during use.

Piston for use in an engine

A slotted bus bar for a piezoelectric solid state motor stack having a housing encasing a plurality of piezoelectric disks which are interleaved with a plurality of electrodes. When the electrodes are connected to the slotted bus bar and the bar is biased by a source of electrical potential, an axial displacement is produced between the opposite end surfaces of the piezoelectric stack. The slotted bus bar has a spine and an attached or integral connector for connecting the slotted bus bar to a source of electrical potential. Also, the slotted bus bar has a plurality of integral ribs extending from the spine, between which are formed slots. When the slotted bus bar is assembled with the piezoelectric stack, the electrode tabs fit into the slots and contact the slotted bus bar. As results, the electrodes are structurally supported and good electrical contact is assured.

Slotted bus bar for a piezoelectric solid state motor

A single-piece multiple electrode conductor for a piezoelectric solid state motor stack with piezoelectric disks arranged with a plurality of electrodes. When the electrodes are connected to and biased by a source of electrical potential, an axial displacement is produced between opposite end surfaces of the stack. The single-piece multiple electrode conductor has a spine member for conducting an electrical potential to the piezoelectric disks. Extending from the spine member are a plurality of rib portions which conduct electrical potential to the piezoelectric disks which form the piezoelectric stack.

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Lacon, IL, United States of America

John M Sloma