An engine comprises a housing and a combustion assembly carried by the housing. The combustion assembly comprises an annular bore defined by the housing, at least one combustion piston disposed within the annular bore, and a sealing mechanism configured to selectively seal the at least one combustion piston relative to at least one corresponding wall of the annular bore. The engine comprises at least one rotary valve configured to move between a first position within the annular bore to allow the at least one combustion piston to travel within the annular bore from a first location proximate to the at least one valve to a second location distal to the at least one rotary valve and a second position within the annular bore to define a combustion chamber relative to the at least one combustion piston at the second location.

A rotary engine rotor (10) comprising three rotor flanks (12) arranged in a generally equilateral triangle shape, each rotor flank (12) having a leading edge (16) and a trailing edge (17), an elongate lip (21) being provided on the leading edge (16) of at least one of the rotor flanks (12), the elongate lip (21) extending the full axial length of the rotor flank (12). In another aspect, at least one rotor flank (12) comprises a cavity having a leading edge and a trailing edge, and at least a portion of the base of the cavity proximal to a trailing edge thereof is curved outwardly.

A rotary engine rotor (10) comprising three rotor flanks (12) arranged in a generally equilateral triangle shape, each rotor flank (12) having a leading edge (16) and a trailing edge (17), an elongate lip (21) being provided on the leading edge (16) of at least one of the rotor flanks (12), the elongate lip (21) extending the full axial length of the rotor flank (12). In another aspect, at least one rotor flank (12) comprises a cavity having a leading edge and a trailing edge, and at least a portion of the base of the cavity proximal to a trailing edge thereof is curved outwardly.

A stator for a helical gear device includes a first section having first helically convoluted chamber with a set of radially inwardly extending lobes and a second section adjacent to the first section. The second section includes a stack of cutter disks. Each cutter disk includes a front surface, a rear surface, an interior surface defining a central opening extending from the front surface to the rear surface, a forward cutting edge, and a rearward cutting edge. The interior surface forms a same number of lobes for the central opening as the set of radially inwardly extending lobes in the first section. Each cutter disk is aligned along a common centerline, and each cutter disk is rotated slightly relative to each other to form a second helically convoluted chamber with a same pitch as the first helically convoluted chamber. The second helically convoluted chamber exposes, to materials passing through, portions of the forward cutting edge or the rearward cutting edge of each cutter disk.

The disclosure provides rotary machines that include, in one embodiment, a shaft defining a central axis A, the shaft having a first end and a second end. The shaft can have a first gearbox disposed thereon defining one or more cavities therein. At least one contour is slidably received into an arcuate cavity in an exterior surface of the gearbox. The contour has a convex outer surface that cooperates with an inwardly facing curved surface of a housing to form a working volume. A gearbox mechanism consisting of gears, crankshafts, bearings and connecting rod creates an oscillatory motion 2 times per revolution such that the contour can navigate about the arcuate cavity without contacting the cavity at a high rate of rotating speed. Thus, said working volume can expand and compresses twice per rotatable shaft revolution.

A rotor can comprise a body having arcuate voids each presenting away from a rotation axis and, for each void, a vane. The vane is mounted to the body for pivotal movement between retracted and extended positions; is adapted to sweep the void in the manner in which a piston sweeps a cylinder during movement between the positions; and terminates in a tip. A stator defines the rotation axis; and has an annular surface which, in use, is swept by the tips during rotation of the body. The surface is positioned such that, in each rotation, each vane cycles between its extended and retracted positions. A sealing arrangement defines a pair of ports and, in combination with the rotor and stator, defines, in use, chambers that increase in volume when in communication with one of the ports and that decrease in volume when in communication with the other of the ports.

A rotor can comprise a body having arcuate voids each presenting away from a rotation axis and, for each void, a vane. The vane is mounted to the body for pivotal movement between retracted and extended positions; is adapted to sweep the void in the manner in which a piston sweeps a cylinder during movement between the positions; and terminates in a tip. A stator defines the rotation axis; and has an annular surface which, in use, is swept by the tips during rotation of the body. The surface is positioned such that, in each rotation, each vane cycles between its extended and retracted positions. A sealing arrangement defines a pair of ports and, in combination with the rotor and stator, defines, in use, chambers that increase in volume when in communication with one of the ports and that decrease in volume when in communication with the other of the ports.

A rotary piston and cylinder device (1) comprising a rotor (2), a stator (4) and a rotatable shutter (3), a rotary piston and cylinder device comprising a rotor, a rotatable shutter, the rotor comprising a piston (5), the piston comprising a first side (5b) and a second side (5a), the first side (5b) arranged to seal with a slot of the shutter, and comprises a working face, the second side being a substantially oppositely directed side to the first side, and the second side (5a) comprising a sealing portion arranged to seal with the shutter slot and/or stator and a non-sealing portion arranged not to seal with the shutter slot.

A rotary piston and cylinder device (1) comprising a rotor (2), a stator (4) and a rotatable shutter (3), a rotary piston and cylinder device comprising a rotor, a rotatable shutter, the rotor comprising a piston (5), the piston comprising a first side (5b) and a second side (5a), the first side (5b) arranged to seal with a slot of the shutter, and comprises a working face, the second side being a substantially oppositely directed side to the first side, and the second side (5a) comprising a sealing portion arranged to seal with the shutter slot and/or stator and a non-sealing portion arranged not to seal with the shutter slot.

A first rotor configured to rotate adjacent to a second rotor is disclosed. The second rotor includes a circular main body with a first axis of rotation and a vane extending radially from the main body. The first rotor includes a first curved surface that corresponds to a curve swept at a constant radius about a second axis of rotation, a second curved surface that corresponds to a curve swept by a leading edge of the vane when the second rotor is simultaneously rotated about the first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation, a third curved surface that corresponds to a curve swept by a trailing edge of the vane when the second rotor is simultaneously rotated about the first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation, and a vane-receiving groove disposed between the second curved surface and the third curved surface.