A Stirling cycle machine. The machine includes at least one rocking drive mechanism which includes: a rocking beam having a rocker pivot, at least one cylinder and at least one piston. The piston is housed within a respective cylinder and is capable of substantially linearly reciprocating within the respective cylinder. Also, the drive mechanism includes at least one coupling assembly having a proximal end and a distal end. The linear motion of the piston is converted to rotary motion of the rocking beam. Also, a crankcase housing the rocking beam and housing a first portion of the coupling assembly is included. The machine also includes a working space housing the at least one cylinder, the at least one piston and a second portion of the coupling assembly. An airlock is included between the workspace and the crankcase and a seal is included for sealing the workspace from the airlock and crankcase. A burner and burner control system is also included for heating the machine and controlling ignition and combustion in the burner.

A Stirling cycle machine. The machine includes at least one rocking drive mechanism which includes: a rocking beam having a rocker pivot, at least one cylinder and at least one piston. The piston is housed within a respective cylinder and is capable of substantially linearly reciprocating within the respective cylinder. Also, the drive mechanism includes at least one coupling assembly having a proximal end and a distal end. The linear motion of the piston is converted to rotary motion of the rocking beam. Also, a crankcase housing the rocking beam and housing a first portion of the coupling assembly is included. The machine also includes a working space housing the at least one cylinder, the at least one piston and a second portion of the coupling assembly. An airlock is included between the workspace and the crankcase and a seal is included for sealing the workspace from the airlock and crankcase. A burner and burner control system is also included for heating the machine and controlling ignition and combustion in the burner.

An opposed-piston engine optionally contains an ignition system that is at least partially contained within the combustion chamber to enhance the combustion efficiency of a fuel-air mixture within the combustion system. More specifically, the ignition system contains at least one spark plug having an elongated center electrical delivery electrode, and, an elongated ground electrode. Accordingly, the elongated electrodes extend from an area adjacent to the inner periphery of the cylinder to a radially central area within the combustion chamber. Yet further, a cooling jacket is incorporated to provide cooling of the spark plug.

An internal combustion engine wherein at least two cylinders continuously communicate via the cylinder head and wherein the connecting rod in one cylinder is offset from the connecting rod in the second cylinder by a first angle between 8 and 12 degrees as measured from the crankshaft, and a camshaft having a second offset of one half of the first angle offset.

An opposed-piston engine optionally contains an ignition system that is at least partially contained within the combustion chamber to enhance the combustion efficiency of a fuel-air mixture within the combustion system. More specifically, the ignition system contains at least one spark plug having an elongated center electrical delivery electrode, and, an elongated ground electrode. Accordingly, the elongated electrodes extend from an area adjacent to the inner periphery of the cylinder to a radially central area within the combustion chamber. Yet further, a cooling jacket is incorporated to provide cooling of the spark plug.

A high-performance internal combustion engine includes: a crankshaft chamber; at least two cylinder chambers; a crankshaft linkage mechanism, disposed in the crankshaft chamber; at least two pistons, connected to the crankshaft linkage mechanism and accommodated in the cylinder chambers; an inlet pipe, only communicated with the crankshaft chamber; at least two flow guiding pipes, having one end thereof only communicated with the crankshaft chamber and another end thereof only communicated with the cylinder chamber; and a check valve unit, including a check valve disposed at a connecting location of the inlet pipe and the crankshaft chamber, and two first switch valves disposed at connecting locations of the flow guiding pipes and the cylinder chambers. Accordingly, the working efficiency of the high-performance internal combustion engine can be increased.

To provide a running gear structure of an internal combustion engine capable of reducing the size of the internal combustion engine. In a running gear structure of an internal combustion engine including a supercharger and a supercharger driving mechanism transmitting power to the supercharger and driving the supercharger, the supercharger driving mechanism is provided with driving force transmission members (a third intermediate gear and a fourth intermediate gear) disposed on a side opposite to cylinders of the internal combustion engine across valve trains driving a valve gear using, as a power supply, driving force of the crankshaft rotated by explosion in the cylinders. The valve train is disposed closer to an inner side of the internal combustion engine.

A balance device for an internal combustion engine includes a crankshaft and a balance shaft. The crankshaft includes a CS eccentric weight. The balance shaft includes a BS eccentric weight. A CS connected point deviated from the CS main shaft, and a BS connected point deviated from the BS axial shaft are connected with a connection rod. A CS connection mechanism that enables relative rotation of the crankshaft and the connection rod is provided at the CS connected point. A BS connection mechanism that enables relative rotation of the balance shaft and the connection rod is provided at the BS connected point. A guide section guides a motion of the connection rod so that the balance shaft rotates in an opposite direction to the crankshaft.

An internal combustion engine wherein at least two cylinders continuously communicate via the cylinder head and wherein the connecting rod in one cylinder is offset from the connecting rod in the second cylinder by a first angle between 8 and 12 degrees as measured from the crankshaft, and a camshaft having a second offset of one half of the first angle offset.

An internal combustion engine; wherein at least two cylinders continuously communicate via the cylinder head; and wherein the connecting rod in one cylinder is offset from the connecting rod in the second cylinder by a first angle between 8 and 12 degrees as measured from the crankshaft, and a camshaft having a second offset of one-half of the first angle offset.