US1335551A - Humidifier for internal-combustion engines - Google Patents

Description

G. W. BLACK AND LE ROY A. HANNAN.

HUMWDIFIER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 191a.

Z6 0 o mmmfow Z Gin/1% M 4 as I r mixture. the medium of our improved device mingles rrn s'rAEENr orro GEORGE W. BLACK, OF PUEBLO, AND LE ROY A. HANNAN, 01? DENVER, COLORADO.

HUMIDIFIER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 30, 192th.

Application filed May 2, 1918. Serial No. 232,176.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE W. BLACK and LE Box A. HANNAN, citizens of the United States, residing at Pueblo,.Pueblo county, and the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Humidifiers for Internal-Combustion Engines; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in means for introducing moist air into internal combustion engines. Our object is to provide an efficient device of this character which shall at the same time be simple in construction and economical in cost.

Our improvement consists of a casing preferably conveniently attached to the dash board of the automobile on the inside where the engine with which the device is employed is mounted on a motor vehicle, otherwise the device may be supported in any suitable location. This casing is connected with a conduit for introducing moist air thereto, this air passing thence from the casing into a cone shaped depending member which is perforated for the purpose, and thence through a pipe which extends downwardly into the cone shaped member, and thence through a valve into a pipe which leads to the intake of the engine. The interior of the casing is constructed withspecial reference to the prevention of water, either of'condensation or overflow from the radiator,- from passing into the engine intake, thecasing being provided with an outlet at the bottom for the escape of such water. This bottom outlet also makes provision for the entrance of air which mingles with the moist air or vapor and aids in producing the proper explosive The -moist air supplied through with the charge of gas which enters the intake manifold from the carbureter.

Having briefly outlined our improvement, we will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof. In this drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section taken through our improved device.

Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on the line 22, Fig. 1 looking downwardly.

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 8-3, Fig. 1 through the cone shaped member of our device viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 4 is an outline elevation of an internal combustion engine, showing the dash board of a motor vehicle in section. In this View our improved device is illustrated on a smaller scale.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5, Fig. 4 looking toward the left, the parts being shown on a much larger scale.

Fig. 6 is a section taken similar to that of Fig. 5 but showing a slightly modified form of construction.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate a casing which is secured to an angle bracket 6 whose vertical arm 7 is secured to the dash board 8 of a motor vehicle by means of suitable fastening devices, as screws 9. The

horizontal arm 10 of this angle bracket is slotted, as shown at 12, to receive a threaded sleeve 13 of a valve casing 20, the said sleeve after passing through the slot 12 being threaded into the upper extremity of a pipe 14 which is connected with the upper end of the casing 5, the said pipe 14 extending downwardly into a cone shaped member 15, the base of this member being secured, as shown at 16, to the top of the casing on the inside, While the apex of the cone is located well down in the casing somewhat below the inner open extremity of the pipe 14:. This cone shaped member is provided with a number of perforations 17 arranged somewhat above its vertical center. These perforations allow moist air to enter the cone shaped member from the chamber of the casing 5 and pass thence upwardly through the pipe 14 into the valve casing 20 and thence through a conduit 18 to the intake head 24 for convenience of manipulation.

The valve is manipulated by rotating the said stem. The casing chamber'is divided into upper and lower compartments 25 and 26 by means of a horizontally disposed partition 27 which is secured to the-casing by means of points 28 which space the periphcry of the partition from the adjacent surface of the casing, thus placing the two compartments 25 and 26 in communication through openings 29. These openings which are adjacent the inner surface of the wall of the casing leave ample room for any water of condensation or other character to pass downwardly into the lower compartment 26 of the casing and pass out of the casing through a nipple 30, which as shown in the drawing is secured in the lower reduced end 31 of the casing. To the outer extremity of this nipple is attached a flexible tube 32. The flexibility of this tube makes it practicable to adjust it so that the discharge of water may take place at any desired point. This is important, since the device will not always be attached in the same relative position on every automobile. Furthermore,'the arrangement of-the mechanism on different automobiles varies and it will be understood that the tube through which the water discharges should be so adjusted that the discharge will take place at such point that it will not injure any mechanism of the engine or other part of the automobile.

Furthermore, this open ended flexible tube 32 allows atmospheric air to enter the casing and mingle with the moist air which enters the casing through a relatively small conduit 33, one extremity of this conduit being threaded into a nipple an secured in a perforation formed in the casing and communicating with the upper compartment thereof. The opposite end of the conduit 33 may communicate with the space in the radiator 35 of the engine above the water level therein as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4 which show. a short pipe member 36 which is continuous with the conduit 33, the latter passing through a nipple 37 inserted in a perforation formed in a bushing 38 which is inserted in an opening formed in the rear wall of the'radiator and with which aflexible conduit member 39 is connected, this conduit member being one of the branches through which the cooling water supplied to'the jackets of the engine cylinders, circulates. If desired, the conduit 33, instead of extending upwardly into the space of the radiator above the normal liquid level, as indicated by dotted lines as shown at 36,

' may be connected with the hose pipe or conduit39, in which event it passes through anipple 40 (see Fig." 6) which is inserted 1n an opening formed'in the conduit and clamped in place by a nut 41 which coiiperates with an opposing collar d2. liquid tight joint may be formed around the conduit 33 in this form of construction by employing a coupling member 14 which is From the foregoing description the use 7 and operation of our improved device will be readily understood. WVhen the engine is in use, the valve 'which'is controlled by the stem 22 which projects through an opening in the dash board; may be opened, whereby moist air from the radiator or from the conduit'member 39 will enter the casing 5 of our improved device above the partition2? and pass thence through the perforations 17 of the hollow cone shaped member 15, and thence, downwardly therein and into the lower open extremity of the depending pipe member 14, thence through the valve casing 20 and through the pipe 18 to the intake manifold 19 of the engine, where it mingles with'the mixture of air and gasolene from the carbureter and roduces an exceedingly sensitive and jowertul explosive mixture for use in the exp osion compartments of the engine' cylinders. The atmospheric air. which enters the casing through the small opening at its lowerextremity with which the hose pipe 32 is connected also contributes to this result, as it supplies-- oxygen.

In the event that the boiling of the water in'the radiator should 'result in the entrance of water into the casing 5, this water will pass downwardly through the openings 29 and escape at the bottom of the casing and pass thence through the flexible conduit member 32. The perforations 17 are so positioned that any liquid which enters the cas.

' walls, the cone having a relatively small base and being ofconsiderable length, whereby a slim pointed conicalexterior-is produced.

It will be understood that it isimportanti to prevent moisture in liquid form from en tering the intake manifold of the engine and our improved device is constructed with, special-reference to the avoiding of this difli cultv. i i

obtained fromthe radiator or from'the. 'c'onduit member 39, the use of the deviceorthe function performed LtherebyQ isfthe same, though it is probable 'that wherethe tube 33 is connected with the conduit member'39,

hether themoist air or vapor of waterisigl25 there will be greater liability that water will enter the casing than where the moist air is taken from the upper part of the radiator above the water level therein.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casing divided by a partition into upper and lower compartments, the partition being arranged to leave openings between its outer edge and the Wall of the casing, the lower compartment having an opening at its lower end, a flexible open ended conduit communicating with said opening and connected with the atmosphere, a conduit connecting the upper compartment with a source of moist air, a hollow depending member secured to the to of the casing and located entirely within the upper compartment, said hollow member being open to moist air but closed against Water, an open ended depending pipe arranged Within the hollow member, a conduit communicating at one extremity with said pipe and at its opposite extremity with the engine.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casing having an opening at the bottom communicating with the atmosphere, and an opening intermediate its extremities communicating with a source of moist air, a hollow cone shaped member whose base is secured to the top of the easing, said member being open to permit the entrance of moist air from the casing chamber but closed against the entrance of Water, the said hollow member being in communication at the top with the engine, through a depending open ended pipe arranged within the hollow member.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

GEORGE W. BLACK. LE ROY A. HANNAN.

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