Internal combustion engines that use the pumping motion of the engine pistons to supercharge the cylinder with air/charge are disclosed. The pistons may include a skirt with a field of pockets that provide a ringless, non-lubricated, seal equivalent. The piston heads may be domed with one or more depressions to facilitate the movement of air/charge in the cylinder. The engines also may have non-circular, preferably rectangular, cross-section pistons and cylinders. The engines also may use multi-stage poppet valves in lieu of conventional poppet valves, and may include a split crankshaft. The engines also may operate in an inverted orientation in which the piston is closer to the local gravitationally dominant terrestrial body's center of gravity at top dead center position than at bottom dead center position.

A mixture-lubricated four-stroke engine has a cylinder and a piston. On the piston, at least one piston ring is arranged. Between valve drive chamber and crankcase interior, at least one first channel is arranged. The first opening of the first channel lies in the bottom dead center position of the piston below each piston ring. At the first opening, the first channel defines a first middle flow direction for mixture flowing into the crankcase interior. The first middle flow direction extends inclined towards the combustion chamber and in a viewing direction perpendicular to the cylinder longitudinal plane intersects the longitudinal center axis above the first opening of the first channel.

A mixture-lubricated four-stroke engine has a cylinder and a piston. On the piston, at least one piston ring is arranged. Between valve drive chamber and crankcase interior, at least one first channel is arranged. The first opening of the first channel lies in the bottom dead center position of the piston below each piston ring. At the first opening, the first channel defines a first middle flow direction for mixture flowing into the crankcase interior. The first middle flow direction extends inclined towards the combustion chamber and in a viewing direction perpendicular to the cylinder longitudinal plane intersects the longitudinal center axis above the first opening of the first channel.

Internal combustion engines having a split crankshaft are disclosed. The engines may also have non-circular, preferably rectangular, cross-section pistons and cylinders. The pistons may include a skirt with a field of pockets that provide a ringless, non-lubricated, seal equivalent. The pistons also may have a domed piston head with depressions thereon to facilitate the movement of air/charge in the cylinder. The engines also may use multi-stage poppet valves in lieu of conventional poppet valves. The engines may use the pumping motion of the engine piston to supercharge the cylinder with air/charge. The engines also may operate in an inverted orientation in which the piston is closer to the local gravitationally dominant terrestrial body's center of gravity at top dead center position than at bottom dead center position.

Internal combustion engines having a split crankshaft are disclosed. The engines may also have non-circular, preferably rectangular, cross-section pistons and cylinders. The pistons may include a skirt with a field of pockets that provide a ringless, non-lubricated, seal equivalent. The pistons also may have a domed piston head with depressions thereon to facilitate the movement of air/charge in the cylinder. The engines also may use multi-stage poppet valves in lieu of conventional poppet valves. The engines may use the pumping motion of the engine piston to supercharge the cylinder with air/charge. The engines also may operate in an inverted orientation in which the piston is closer to the local gravitationally dominant terrestrial body's center of gravity at top dead center position than at bottom dead center position.