US1448828A - Fuel-mixing device for internal-combustion engines - Google Patents

Description

Mar. 20,1923. 1,448,828

r J; B. cHAcE FUEL MIXING DEVICE FOR IIQT ERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Original Filed Sept. 27, 1919 Patented ill lei. Ell, 19255.

srarias JOHN B. CHACE OF SOUTH ATTLEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS;

Application filed September 27,.1919, Serial No. 326,989.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jenn l3. (lunch. a citizen of the United States residing at South Attleboro, in the county of Bristol,

State of Massachusetts, have invented vertain new and useful Improvements in Fuel- Miiiing Devices for lnternah Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improved fuel-mixing device for internal-combustion or hydrocarbon engines. One object of my improvement .is to provide means forwhirling the vaporized fuel around the interior ot the intake-manifold of the engine as it passes therethrough to churn and mix the gas and air particles together, whereby a more highly explosive and efficient mixture is supplied to the co-mb ustion-chambers.

Another object of the inventionis to provide means for breaking up or dividing the particles of fuel as theypass through the intake-manifold to the engine to further facilitate the mixing of the gas with the air.

A. still further object of the improvement is to provide a fuel-mixing device which may be applied to use with carburetors of practically all types without interference with the butterfly valve which controls the egress of the fuel mixture from the carburetor.

The manner and means for carrying out the improvements are fully described in the following specification, illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate like parts. In the drawings:

Fig. l is a view of the intake-manifold of the gas-engine, showing the carburetor attached thereto, and illustrating my improved fuel-mixing device applied to use thereon;

Fig. 2 device; v s

Fig. 3, an enlarged cross-sectional view of theintake-pipe of the engine, showing my improved device applied thereto; and

Fig. 4 is a development of the blank from which the mixing-element of the device is constructed.

Re'ferringfirst to Fig. 1, C designates the fuel-supplying device or carburetor of the engine which is usually formed with a flanged pipe 2 for attaching it to the flanged end 3 of the manifold or intake pipe Usually the flanges on the carbureis a plan view of the fuel-mixing Renewed December 22, 1922.

tor and intake-pipe are of substantially triangular shape in plan-view, and are pro- Vided with opposite holes 5-5 for receiving the bolts or studsG-(S which. hold the carburetor in place; My improved mixingdevice is preferably applied to the intakeopening in the manifold, and the flanged joint between the pipe 4 and carbureton pipe 2 serves as a convenient means for holding it in position.

As shown in Fig. 2, my improved mixing-device consists essentially of a flat plate A. shaped to conform to the flanges on the pipes 2 and l and provi 1ledwith holes 7-(' for the fastening bolts t5-6 to pass through. At the center of the platedi is an aperture or orifice 8 adapted to register with the intake-opening in the manifold i, and preferahly the edge of the opening is serrated to form sharp points orv saw-teeth which assist in breaking up the particles of gas passing through the orificeS. At diametrically opposite points across the opening 8 are two ears or lugs 99 which extend inwardly and are then bent upwardly at rightnngles, as shown in. F 3, to adapt them to support the mixing-elementlO.

This latter element consists in a' vertically-extending central support or spindle 11 provided with a seriesofspaced spurs or vanes 12 extending radially therefrom. The element 10 is constructed from a sheetmetal blank 13 punched. out in the shape shown in Fig. at, and at its base is an arched bridge-piece 13. The opposite ends of the bridge-piece 13 are adaptedt-o be seated. in U-shaped sockets 14; which are formed by opposite cars 15 on the upstanding lugs9 at the sides of the opening 8 in the plateA, see Figs. 2 and 3. Before assembling the vaned-member 10 on the plate A the flat blank B. shown in Fig. 4, is twisted or bent on its central axis to bring the vanes 12 into radial position around the central spindlell. In twisting the blank B the latter is held at top and bottom and its ends given one complete turn in relation to each other.

This will cause the spurs or vanes 12 to be twisted around into staggered relation with each other. whereby their outer ends :will progress in a spiral plane forminga complete helix extending from top to bottom of the element in the manner of a screw-thread. The twisting of the blank B in the manner aoove described also acts to displace the vanes or spurs 12 at an angle to cause them plateAit passes across the I the latter and as the saw-teeth project to be set in inclined relation to the central, vertical spindle 11 from which they radiate, see Figs. 2 and 3.

After the blank B has been twisted into the shape shown in Figs. 2 and 3, its lower support or arched bridge-member 13 is set in place in the sockets 14 on the lugs 9 and united thereto by soldering its ends in place therein or by swaging the ears 15 thereagainst. In this manner a unitary structure is provided with the n'iixingelement 10 supported across and projecting above the opening or orifice 8 inthe plate A.

In applying my improved device to use with the carburetor C the latter is removed from the end of the manifold 4rby unscrewing the bolts 6-6, and the plate A is then placed across the top of its flanged-pipe 2. Suitable gaskets, represented at G--Gr in Figs. 1 and 3, are fitted to the top and bottom of the plate A and when the carburetor C is set in position again and the bolts 66 screwed through the flanges a leak-proof joint is formed, with the plate A held in place across the openmg 1n the intake-manifold 4i. It is to be particularly noted that with my device applied to the joint between the intake-manifold and the carburetor the arched bridge-piece 13 supports the mixing element 10 elevated upon the upper end of the carburetor-pipe 2. The purpose of this arrangement is to provide a clearance for the butter-fly valve V, see Fig. 8, which is pivoted to turn within the carburetor-pipe 4; to regulate the amount of fuel passing through the pipe 2 of the carburetor to the engine-intake. Through this provision the operation of the butter-fly valve V in opening it to its full extent is not impeded or ob structed in any way, so that my improved device does not interfere withthe normal controlof fuel supplied by the carburetor to the engine.

In use my improved device operates as follows: \Vhen the engine is started the fuel mixture of gas and air is sucked up from the carburetor C through the manifold 4: which communicates with the combustion-chambers of the cylinders by means of the usual arrangement of valves, not here in shown. As the fuel is drawn into the intake-pipe 4: throughthe opening 8 in the serrated edge of slightly within the edge of the opening in the manifold i, thepointed ends of the teeth assist in breaking up the particles of fuel as it flows out of the carburetor. As the fuel is sucked up through the intake-pipe 4 it comes into contact with the vanes or spurs 12 on the mixing-element 10, and the in clined edges of these vanes serve as sharp battles to further break up the globules of heavy fuel and separate it into finer part'lCjl-S- A portion of these fine particles will naaseae be drawn through the openings bet-ween the staggered vanes 12, but the main column of the mixture will have a tendency to pass across the sides ofthe vanes and follow a spiral course around the central spindle 11. It will thus be seen that the principal effect of the helically disposed vanes or spurs 12 will be to give the fuel a whirling motion as it passes through the pipe i causing it to swirl around the interior of the pipe in somewhat the manner of a water-spout or cyclone. This whirling or swirling motion imparted to the fuel sets up a churning action in the minute particles of hydrocarbon vapor, and assisted by the action of the sharp edges of the vanes 12 across which the particles of fuel pass, the whole column of gas is thoroughly broken up and mixed with the air which has been injected in through the air-ports of the carburetor C. The fuehparticles being thus disintegrated and broken up while being carried spirally around the intake with a swirling motion causes the hydrocarbon gas to be more thoroughly volatilized with the air, and consequently the mixture becomes more highly explosive, tending to increase the force and efliciency of combustion in the engine cylinders when the charge is exploded.

It has been demonstrated that thischurning action of the fuel against the multiple vanes of the mixing-element produces a maximum effect in thoroughly mixing the gas'with the air and hence, by raising the force of the explosion of the charge in the cylinders, the power of. the engine is increased to a very considerable extent. Furthermore, the thoroughly mixed gas; will be more completely consumed under combustion, thereby tending to prevent the deposit of carbon on the cylinders, pistons and valves. d

It will be observed that my device is extremely simple in construction, remarkably easy to apply to use, and universally adapted for practically all types of carburetors without interference with the operating parts thereof. It may be manufactured at relatively small cost and when once installed serves to economize fuel, increase the power of the engine and prevent carbon deposits which tend to reduce the efliciency of the motor.

Various modifications might be made in the form and structure of my improved device without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, therefore, without limiting myself to the exact embodiment herein shown and described, what I claim is:

1. In a fuel-mixing device for internalcombustion engines, the combination with the intake-manifold thereof, of a central spindle supported axially within the manifold, a plurality of sharp-edged spurs projecting radially from the spindle, said spurs being substantially rectangular in cross-secti0n and twisted spirally in a general helical plane surrounding the central axis of the spindle.

2. A fuel-mixing device comprising a flat plate having a central orifice and a mixingelement supported across said orifice, said mixing-element consisting in a strip of sheet metal formed With a central spindle and opposite spaced spurs projecting perpendicu larly therefrom, with the member twisted spirally to bring the spurs in staggered relation in a helical plane With their sides inclined to the vertical axis from which they radiate.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN B. CHACE.

Images