Outboard Marine Corporation

Michael J Griffith

Russell J Van Rens

George E Miller

Disclosed herein is a rotary internal combustion engine comprising housing means defining, in series, first, second, third and fourth trochoid shaped rotor cavities in aligned relation to each other, a rotatably mounted crankshaft including, in series, first, second, third and fourth eccentric portions respectively extending through the first, second, third and fourth cavities, and with the first and fourth crankshaft eccentric portions aligned with respect to each other and with the second and third crankshaft eccentric portions aligned with respect to each other at an angular spacing of 180.degree. from the first and fourth crankshaft eccentric portions, together with first, second, third and fourth rotors respectively rotatably mounted on the first, second, third and fourth crankshaft portions and respectively rotatable in the first, second, third and fourth cavities so as to respectively provide first, second, third and fourth rotating chambers in which combustion takes place, gear means on the housing means and on the rotors for effecting relative rotation between the rotors and the crankshaft and between the crankshaft and the housing means in response to combustion in the chambers, and ignition means for simultaneously initiating combustion in the first and fourth chambers and for simultaneously initiating combustion in the second and third chambers after 180.degree. of crankshaft rotation subsequent to initiation of combustion in the first and fourth chambers. Also disclosed herein is a rotary internal combustion engine comprising a lower housing assembly including housing means defining first and second trochoid shaped rotor cavities, a lower crankshaft portion rotatably and axially supported by the lower housing assembly, an upper housing assembly located above the lower housing assembly and including housing means defining third and fourth trochoid shaped rotor cavities, and an upper crankshaft portion solely supported for rotation in axial alignment with the lower crankshaft portion by the upper housing assembly, coupling means for connecting the upper and lower crankshaft portions so as to transmit axial and rotary loading from the upper crankshaft portion to the lower crankshaft portion, and means securing together the first and second housing assemblies with the coupling means connecting the upper and lower crankshaft portions. Also disclosed herein is a crankshaft for a multi-rotor rotary internal combustion engine and including, in series, first, second, third and fourth cylindrically shaped eccentric portions with the first and fourth eccentric portions being in alignment with each other and with the second and third eccentric portions being in alignment with each other and offset from the first and fourth eccentric portions by 180.degree..

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Waukegan, IL, United States of America

Michael J Griffith