Energy-efficient valve gear

Abstract

A valve train comprises a cylinder head and poppet valve thereon, a valve-actuating rocker platen pivotally mounted on the cylinder head by means of a pivot member so that the platen may pivot between positions on either side of the member, a valve connected to one end of the rocker platen for movement of the valve simultaneously with movement of the rocker platen between the rocker platen positions, and actuator means for moving the rocker platen between the positions thereby positively moving the valve between its open position and its closed position, the actuator means comprising a rotary cam means and cooperating follower pivotally mounted and spring biased into engagement with the rocker platen and engaged with the cam means for pivoting the rocker arm upon rotation of the cam means, the follower comprising a pivotally mounted casing, spring biased plunger means on the casing, and biased to a roller bearing on and adapted to ride over the rocker platen, thereby moving the platen between the positions, the roller rotatably attached to the pivoted plunger means at the roller center rotation. An improvement to this valve train is provided wherein the platen is pivotally mounted at a point above the surface on which the roller rides and further, the radius of the roller equals the vertical distance from the platen to the point of pivotal mounting so that the center of rotation of the roller passes through the axis of the pivot point of the platen. The valve-actuating rocker platen may comprise two intersecting arc-shaped sections, the platen so constructed that each of the sections has the pivot point of the pivot casing as its center of curvature when the spring-biased plunger means is engaged with the respective section.