Gearless Mechanism--4 stroke i.c. engine

[Brian Rupnow]

Progress was made today. I don't think the crankshaft idea is going to work out, but it's not a big deal. The stand is almost finished, the cam is made, and the guide and capture plate are finished.

[b.lindsey]

Brian, I realize you are making this as a proof of concept display and judging from the pictures, this would fit a rather large engine at the scale you have modeled it. Do you think it can be made successfully on a smaller scale if someone wanted to use the idea in an engine of smaller overall dimensions? Nicely done by the way!!

Bill

[Brian Rupnow]

Bill---thanks for dropping by and saying Hi. This project hasn't raised as much interest as I expected it to. In all honesty, I don't think it could be made much smaller and still have a chance of working consistently. The smallest one I have ever seen is on a Philip Duclos engine called the Maverick.---You have to really look for it, it's so small, but I have heard reports that it didn't actually work very well.

[b.lindsey]

Oh, I've been watching the  whole time Brian,  just seeing where it was going with this idea and its quite a clever mechanism. I have been around this hobby long enough that I recall the Duclos Maverick and probably have the HSM issues squirreled away somewhere from years back.

Bill

[Perry]

Hi Brian, I like your fast design to build approach. Nice mechanism indeed  P.

[Brian Rupnow]

I just had my first "test drive" of this mechanism, and it's awesome!! Even though I know how it works, even through I have watched the video 25 times, it is just "awesome" when it comes to life from parts you have made yourself, from drawings you have made yourself. What a great thrill that even after having done this kind of thing for 50 years, I still get excited when I see one of my creations run. It is not my invention, it is not my intellectual property, and it's all been done before many times by many people---but I still get excited!! Video tomorrow, maybe.

[b.lindsey]

Would be a real hit at shows Brian...one of those things kids (of all ages) would just love to crank the handle on and see it  work. Nicely done!!

Bill

[Brian Rupnow]

Tomorrow I will make a "valve" to fit into the top plate, complete with valve spring and spring retainer to hold the valve closed. I have arranged things so that I can crank the mechanism by hand, or drive the mechanism very slowly with a belt drive from a power source. I will have to see what works best before I make the video.

[Brian Rupnow]

Here ya go fellows!! Hope you enjoy. If you want a set of drawings to build your ow mechanism, email me at brupnow@rogers.com ----Brian
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuwlBj3YZMQ" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuwlBj3YZMQ</a>

[wagnmkr]

Very nicely done Brian. That was not very long for you to do this wee project.

I hope we don't have to wait too long for your next project.

Cheers

Tom

[Steamer5]

Hi Brian,
 Thats pretty nice! A fun project, cool to see how it works, not always possible in a complete engine.

Cheers Kerrin

[Admiral_dk]

Yet another Rupnow Engineering project completed 

Thank you for the show Brian 

[b.lindsey]

Well done Brian. And thanks for showing the video too!

Bill

[Johnmcc69]

Very cool Brian! Nice job!

 John

[Zephyrin]

This a very interesting thread, very  instructive, (as usual !) and I'm planing to incorporate such a device in the engine that I'm building now in lieu of its present setup : a classical camshaft, with a chain drive that I found too bulky and not tuned with its old style : a vertical 4 stroke engine on a two footed pedestal, (similar to a steam engine).
I think that I have to modify the cam profile, otherwise the exaust would stays open too long.