US1447459A - Fuel-feed-control system - Google Patents

Description

Max. 6, 1923;

s. G. BARNARD FUEL FEED CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Oct.

- phoning feed the engine is running.

area

SAMUEL G. BARNABD, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTGN.

FUEL-FEEld-CONTBOL SYSTEMI.

Application filed October 17, 1921.

system for supplying and controlling the flow of fuel to the cylinders of an automobile engine, or the l1ke,aud more particularly it relates to certain valve control mechanism that may be used independently of or in connection with a well-known type of vacuum system, and by its use makes possible the elimination of the usual carburetor float mechanism. It is the principal object of the'invention to overcome the undesirable results caused by the pumping action of the float within a carburetor during travel over rough, or uneven surfaces, which causes irregular operation of the engine, and to do this by the elimination-of the float within the carburetor and providing means wherebyt'uel is delivered directly, by a siphoning action, from the vacuum tank into the intake manifold of the engine. v Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a four-way valve mechanism that can be readily adapted to a universally used 'acuum system without materially altering the latter, and which is of such construction that it may be manipulated to con trol the engine.

Other objects of, the invention reside in i the details of construction and combination of parts whereby an effective and desirable systen'i is produced.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, 1 have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration, showing in side elevation the parts of a vacuum feed system embodied by the present invention. I

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the vac uum tank equipped with a valve and sipipe, according to the present invention.

Figure 3 is an enlarged, sectional view of the valve in the position it assumes when Serial No. 508,288.

Figure lis a" similar view of the valve in position for coasting.

Figure 5 is aplan view of the valve and its control or adjusting rod.

Referring more in detail to the several views of the drawings- 1 designates what may be the fuel, or gas-.

oline storage tank of an automobile, 2 the intake manifold of the-engine and 3 the storage tank of the vacuum supply system. This latter is of a well-known type, used for the purpose of delivering an uninterrupted sup ply of'fuel from the tank 1 to the engine, with the point oi delivery at a higher level than the supply.

The tank 3 comprises an upper or vacuuin chamber l and a'lower, or gravity feed tank The chamber i has, at the top, an open ing (5 into which a supply conduit 7 from the tank 1 extends, and also openings 8 and 9' which are connected, through valve mechanism presently described, with the inta fe manifold 2. and an air vent pipe 10. 'l ..e feed tank 5 has, at the top, an air outlet chair-- nel 11 leading into the channel 9,"als'o lateral opening through which a siphoning conduit 13 extends into the tank nearly to the base thereof, and which leads to a carburetor connection 12 of the manifold 2 where it is equipped with a spray nozzle of any suitable type, as indicated at 14.

Mounted upon the tank-3 is a four-way valve 15 equipped with a plug 16 provided with a channel 17 whereby adjacent openings of the housing may be connected. A,

side opening 18 of the valve body connects with the air vent nine 10, the tonopening n 20 leads to atmos h. e the bettom ouenin ,c 21. has connection, o means of a pipe 21 with the top opening 3? in the vacuum tank and the other side opening 23 vertical channel 2% in the alve body which at the upper end, 1:; connected by a tube 25 with the manifold and at its lower end 1s connected by a pipe 26 with the vacuum chamber opening In a preferred construction, the valve plug .is connected with an actuating rod, as shown at 28, in Figures 1 and 5, which extends through the dash board 29 of the vehicle and is equipped with a handle 30 whereby it may be manipulated to move the plug to its different positions.

WVithin the chamber l ct the tank 3, is a float 35. A lever 36 overlies the float-and is connected at its ends to float and fixed.

.eads into member 37. Another lever 38 is pivotally and centrally supported from the top of the tank and has connection at one end by means of a link 39, with the lever36 and, at its opposite end, has valves 40 and 41 connected thereto that are movable to. close and open the ports 8 and 9.

The bottom of the chamber 4 has an outlet45 equipped with a valve flapper 46 which opens automatically to permit a flow down wardly therethrough.

Assuming that the vacuum feed system is so constructed and is connected with the fuel supply tank and manifold of the engine, and is equipped with a control valve 15 as described, the operation of the system would be as follows:

By turning the valve plug to the position as it is shown in Figure 3, it will be seen that the chamber 5 normally has conuuunication with the atmosphere through the ports 11 and 27. the valve channel 17 and pipe 10'. Should there be no gasoline in either of the chambers, the float 35, by means of the levers 36 and closes the valve 41 which admits air into the vacuum chamber and at the same time opens the valve 40 connected with the suction pipe 25. On "cranking or otherwise starting theengine, a vacuum is then created within the upper chamber which closes the flapper 4-6 in the-lower part of the tank 4, thereby making the upper chamber air-tight, and causes the gasoline to be drawn from the main gasoline tank into the vacuum chamber. As the gasoline enters the upper chamber the float rises and through connccting levers the valve 40 is closed and the valve 41 opened, which permits air to enter the vacuum chamber 5 through the air vent- 10. Air entering the lower chamber causes the valve flapper 46 to open and permits the gasoline in the upper tank to flow into the lower tank by gravity, thereby causing the float to lower as the gasoline flows out. Asthefloat lowers, the operationof the levers is again brought into action and the valve 40 ,iS again opened and valve 41 closed, causing the filling action to be repeated, so that a supply of gasoline is always maintained within the tank 5.

It is then apparent that with port 8 closed operation of the engine which causes a vacuum to be created within the manltold 2 will. start asiphomngaction through the conduit 13 and the fuel will be sprayed into the manifold by means of the nozzle 14. It will be statedhere that the carburetor 12 may be equipped with an auxiliary air opening and a valve as is usually provided in carl'mretors, so that the mixture of fuel may be controlled.

When it is desired to shut off fuel from the engine for coasting or stopping, the valve plug is first given a quarter turn, so that its channel 17 connects the openinp 2-; and 21,

as is shown in dotted lines in Fi ure 4. This causes the vacuum pressure within the manifold to be opened through pipe 25 and valve 15 into the chamber 5 and a reversal of flow through the tube 13 which drains the same into the chamber 5 results. The valve is then advanced another our-fourth turn to the position as shown in Figure 4, which opens the suction to the atmosphere. This the position that the valve assumes when the engine is coasting.

It is apparent that this'system of fuel feeding is also well adapted to motorcycle fuel tanks. in that case, the siphoning pipe 13 would lead from the fuel tank to the spray nozzle as in the present case, and the opening 23 of the valve housing would be connected directly by pipe 25 with the manifold of the engine. The valve plug could then be manipulated so that the vacuum or suction within the manifold could be used to cause the siphoning action of the fuel during running or to cause the pipe 13 to be drained back into the storage tank.

I claim:

1. In a fuel supply system of the character described, in combination, a fuel storage tank, a suction manifold, a siphon conduit leading from the tank into the manifold. a valve mounted on the tank having one sideopen to atmosphere and having connections respectively with the suction manifold and with the storage tank, and operable-to provide communication between the tank and atmosphere, or between the tank and the suction manifold, or between the suction inanifold and atmosphere.

2. In combination with a fuel storage tank, a. suction manifold and a vacuum feed tank, the latter comprising a vacuum cham her and a stv'n'age chamber and having a supply conduit leading into the vacuum chamber from the storage tank and having valvedxmemngs at the top into the vacuum chamber and storage chamber that are controlled by a float mechanism within the vacuum chamber, of asiphoning conduit leading from the storage chamber to the manifold, a four-way valve mounted upon the vacuum tank having two adjacent openings communicating with atmosphere and having one of its other openings communicating both with the air inlet to the vacuum chamber and with the suction manifold, andits remaining opening communicating with the storage chamber opening, a channeled plug for the valve operable to provide communication between the suction manifold and the storage chamber, the suction manifold and atmosphere or atmosphere and the storage chau1-, her.

Signed at Seattle, lV-ashington, this 11th day of ()ctobcr, i921.

M ll'l lli G. ii iii. Mufti).

Images