A reciprocating engine having a housing, having at least two cylinders with inlet
orifices and outlet orifices which are to be opened and are closable by means of
controllable valves, in each of which cylinders a piston can be linearly reciprocated,
and having at least one shaft rotatingly mounted in the housing, comprises a gear
device by means of which the linear reciprocation of the pistons is convertible
into a rotary motion of the shaft, or the rotary motion of the shaft is convertible
into a linear reciprocation of the pistons. The gear device comprises a rocking
lever which is pivotable about a centrally disposed swivel axis which is mounted
in the housing, and on which rocking lever a rotatable roller is disposed at each
of the two end areas, the axes of rotation of which rollers are each perpendicular
to the swivel axis, which rollers roll on a track fixed to the shaft which is so
disposed that it runs between the two rollers, and which track is provided with
elevations and depressions which are so attuned to one another that the rollers
disposed opposite one another on the rocking lever are in contact with the track,
and that further one link rod is hinged to each of the two end areas of the rocking
lever, which link rod is connected to the respective piston.
