DICKEYBIRD

http://www.jamesengine.com/index_files/Page662.htm

Strap one of these puppies on and intimidate your adversaries! [>:]

Raymond LeFlyr

My Feedback: (2)

Your bring a model - any model - with one of those strapped up front and I will personally beat the tar out of anyone who tries to prevents it from flying any time they want - reedie race included.

digital_trucker

Lessee, if I remember the build article correctly from the latest Model Engine Builder mag...that thing turns less than 10K WITHOUT ANY PROPELLER WHATSOEVER. Why do I doubt it to be capable of powering anything through the air except in a direct trajectory to the ground? Strictly a conversation piece.

Interesting concept, though...with an intimidating look to it.

Bipe Flyer

How the heck do you mount it?

digital_trucker

zip strips should hold it back quite nicely. They do have an interesting method of crankshaft porting though. Maybe with enough time and refinement the concept could be made practical.

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

I'd just scuff it up and use Gorilla Glue

Bipe Flyer

The scary thing is that I believe you!

vicman

My Feedback: (10)

You guys are way more civil than I am.[X(]

Here I was thinking about lip gloss...[sm=what_smile.gif]

Clean

Well first, buy it a couple drinks....

Amazing though that they can take something so simple, complicate it by a factor of 10 and get something almost totally worthless out of it.

And amazing that THAT exact same process happens everyday, everywhere.

Tim Wiltse-RCU

I have been watching that website for a long time myself. He just sold the prototype engine on eBay a couple of months ago. Why would you not build it with someway to mount it? I know for ease of building he just used some hex bar stock but really...geess. And to think he wants to put a patent on it

LAter,
Tim

gkamysz

My Feedback: (19)

The patent regards the crankshaft design. Tons of friction in the design. The thing about patents is that it doesn't have to work or even be practical, just unique. My favorite patent is the golf ball with a TD.020 looking engine on it.

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

issuing a patent to something like this is an abuse of the system. Modular crankshafts have been around. If this guy is granted a patent based on that, then when someone does come along with a similar idea for an in line engine block that really works, there will be this one here acting like a roadblock.

MJD

My Feedback: (1)

Key point is that if modular crankshafts have been done before and there is nothing defendably new here, then he's sunk. Mind you, the patent examiner has to run across the prior art to reject the claims. Perhaps if someone found some info and wanted to stir the pot they could foward it to the USPTO.

MrGoodwreck

gkamysz

My Feedback: (19)

http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-adv.html&r=7&p=1&f=G&l=50&d=PG01&S1=%28jerome.IN.+AND+james%29&OS=in/jerome+and+james&RS=(IN/jerome+AND+james)

This is the patent application.

Toad

Seems to me that the rotating intake is something that HP already used but on their 4 stroke model engines of yrs gone by. Interesting to see it aplied in a 2cycle engine. rvs uses a similar thing with a rotating cly for their 4 stroke. It really is just a variation on the front rotary valve single cly we use anyway.
If his idea is patented, it really wont amount to much considering how popular electric is vs the glow engine and two cycle engines in any other aplication is pretty much frowned on by the public (snow machines, outboard moters etc) It is kinda sad to think that he really wont make much from his inovation. I hope he gets somthing from it besides a t-shirt

Silvaire

My Feedback: (50)

I remember about 25 years ago, an ultralight designer being granted a patent on the CONCEPT of using a prop reduction drive for ultralight aircraft. (Never mind the fact that the Wright Brothers used a reduction drive on their original Wright Flyer, and that thousands of aircraft designed and built since then have used prop reduction drives.) Somehow, his patent lawyer provided an acceptable argument to those reviewing the patent application that there was a significant difference between an ultralight airplane and other full size airplanes. I don't know if he ever attempted to enforce his patent though. I think there is little chance that it would have held up to a challenge. Patents are an offensive tool, not a defensive tool as many people believe. If you have the resources, you can go after any infringers at your expense. Likewise, if you do not have the rescores you will not be able to defend even a "good" patent. You may be able to obtain a patent for something, but unless your patent is based on solid original ideas you will not be able to prevail if you end up trying to defend it in court.

Let me apologize in advance! I know that this is the 1/2A forum, but when the subject of patents comes up I tend to want to throw in my $.02

Arlen

Here is a link to the ultralight reduction drive patent I mentioned: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4262863.html

The patent was filed by Chuck Slusarczyk, a former NASA engineer and early ultralight pioneer and manufacturer. In an interview that I found, Chuck stated that he never attempted to enforce his rights on this patent.