BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Disclosure

This invention relates to a carburetor and unique valving therefor. A hollow tubular housing is provided having a valve in the form of a roller rotatably positioned within said housing. The roller valve has a bore through the axis thereof and a radially extending pre-mixing chamber intersects said bore. A pair of converging angular slots are provided in the roller valve which act as air guides whereby air is directed along said angular slots towards the pre-mixing chamber.

A pair of rods are telescopically interfitted at the inner ends thereof and support the roller valve for rotary movement within the tubular housing. One rod is provided with bores therethrough and radially extending orifices in the circumference thereof. A slot in the circumference of the inner reduced end of the other rod opens into a chamber and a bore through the end of the face of the reduced end opens into said chamber. The bores, chamber and orifices provide valving means for fuel to the pre-mixing chamber where it is mixed with air entering the pre-mixing chamber. The mixture of fuel passes into the lower chamber within the tubular housing where it is further mixed with additional air to achieve a perfect homogeneous mixture which enters the combustion chamber.

2. Statement of the Prior Art

In the prior art devices relating to carburetors, use of plural valves were necessary to provide for both vacuum and air-choke regulation. These devices also employed various valving arrangements and tortuous paths for regulating fuel flow into the carburetor. Some of the valving arrangements employed pin type valves whereby fuel flow regulation was achieved by adjusting the pin towards or away from an orifice. Other valving arrangements employed camming means for opening and closing a valve for regulating fuel flow. These devices have been operational to some degree but they are inefficient and do not provide precise metering and mixing of fuel and air to achieve economy and optimum operation of an engine at all operating conditions and speeds.

The following list of patents are submitted as being illustrative of the prior art:

______________________________________M. Purvis et al 1,688,285 October 16, 1928G. L. Kennedy   1,971,527 August 28, 1934G. L. Kennedy   2,004,003 June 4, 1935J. R. Fish      2,214,273 September 10, 1940T. H. Pickron et al           3,220,709 November 30, 1965R. L. Hammerschmidt et al           3,291,464 December 13, 1966Stumpp et al    4,108,117 August 22, 1978______________________________________

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a carburetor and the valving therefor and one object of the invention is to provide a carburetor which will be inexpensive to manufacture and which will be installed quickly and easily without the need for special expertise or tooling to do so.

A further object of this invention is to manufacture a carburetor which will be simple in contruction, have the least amount of moving parts and achieve greater fuel economy not herebefore possible.

A further object of this invention is to construct a carburetor which will permit exact and precise metering of fuel and air into the combustion chamber.

A further object of this invention is to construct a carburetor which will permit precise mixing of air and fuel to achieve a proper homogeneous mixture which will be rich during the initial starting condition but become more leaner as the speed of the engine increases.

A further object of this invention is to construct a unique valving mechanism which will permit automatic choke conditions without the need for conventional butterfly valves or the like presently used.

A further object of this invention is to provide a valve structure having a pre-mixing chamber therein and having unique physical characteristics as to facilitate optimum metering and mixing of air and fuel at all operating conditions of the engine.

A further object of this invention is to provide valving mechanisms whereby fuel is metered into the premixing chamber in precise proportions according to the energy requirements of the engine at all operating conditions.

A further object of this invention is to construct a valving mechanism which will permit precise metering of fuel into the interior of the carburetor and to provide unique air flow means which will accomplish the breaking up of fuel so as to provide precise homogeneous mixture of fuel and air at all operating conditions.

By this construction, a rich mixture of air and fuel is possible at the initial starting condition of the engine, continuing during the idling condition but becoming leaner as the speeds of the engine increases to the upper range. Furthermore, this structure will permit an even leaner mixture of fuel and air during the higher speed ranges of the engine for the same amount of fuel as was used during the medium operating speeds of the engine.

Other and further objects of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following specification when read in conjunction with the annexed drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the carburetor and valving therefor;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the roller valve taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the roller valve and support means showing the air guides on either side of a pre-mixing chamber and the orifices in the support rod;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the roller valve showing the converging air guides on either side of the pre-mixing chamber;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the roller valve supporting rods showing valving means in the nature of bores, orifices and a slot;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the rods inner end structures showing valving bores and orifices, reduced end section having a chamber and a bore, said rods are telescoped together to permit continuity of fluid flow into the premixing chamber of the roller valve;

FIG. 7 is a view of the fuel spray pattern as it emerges from the metering orifices;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the off-set orifice arrangement showing the knife-like edge of the slot cutting across the orifices; and

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a fuel pump, fuel valving, roller valve support tubing and roller valve.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings in more detail, the carburetor 1 of this invention has a top plate 2, a base plate 4 and a hollow tubular housing 5 secured between the top plate 2 and the base plate 4. Top plate 2 has an upper side 6, lower side 8 and an aperture 10 centrally of the top plate 2. Base plate 4 has upper side 12, lower side 14, an aperture 16 centrally of the base plate and a plurality apertures 18 in each corner thereof for bolting the base plate to a manifold.

The hollow tubular housing 5 has an upper edge 20, lower edge 22, outer opposing walls 24 and inner walls 26, 27, 29 and 31. Apertures 28 in opposing walls 24 of the tubular housing 5 receive rods 30 and 32 therein. Lower edge 22 of tubular housing 5 is secured by welding or the like within the aperture 16 in the base plate 4. The base plate 4 is a 3/4 inch aluminum plate having its lower side 14 machine polished so as to precisely correspond to the top polished surface of a manifold. By this construction, the tolerances between the plane of the bottom side 14 and the top surface of the manifold will be so precise as to eliminate vacuum leaks. Furthermore, this construction will eliminate the use of multi-gasket assemblies presently used in conventional carburetors.

Valve 36, FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, is in the form of a roller having curved surface chordal ribs 42, 44 and 46. The curved surfaces of said ribs are continuous with curved sides 43 and 45 of the roller valve, the latter terminating at ledges 47 and 49 of a triangular base surface 51. A bore 38 extends through the axis of the roller valve 36 and a radially extending pre-mixing chamber 40 in rib 46 has a wide outer opening 41 and a small inner opening 43 intersects bore 38.

Outer chordal ribs 42 and 44 of the roller valve 36 have outer vertical walls 53 and 55 parallel with each other and inner converging walls 48 and 54. Chordal rib 46 has vertical walls 50 and 52 parallel with each other and the pre-mixing chamber 40 therein converges inwardly from the outer curved surface of the chordal rib towards the bore 38. Vertical walls 48, 50 and 52, 54 thus define air guides 60 and 62 having bottom surfaces 61 and 63 through which air flows from the wider ends 64 and 66 converging towards the narrower ends 68 and 70 creating high velocity swirling turbulence at opening 41 of the pre-mixing chamber.

Roller valve 36 is rotatably positioned within the tubular housing 5, FIGS. 1 and 2, by means of rods 30 and 32 which extend through apertures 28 in opposing walls 24 of the housing and through the bore 38 of the roller valve. Vertical walls 53 and 55 of outer chordal ribs 42 and 44 abut against inner walls 29 and 31 of tubular housing 5 forming an air tight seal therebetween. Curved sides 43 and 45 of the roller valve 36 lie adjacent the inner walls 26 and 27 of the tubular housing 5. The diameter of the roller valve 36 between curved sides 43 and 45 is thousandts of an inch smaller than the distance between inner walls 26 and 27 so that minimum air passes between curved sides 43 and 45 and walls 26 and 27 when the roller valve 36 is in fully closed position. FIGS. 1 and 2.

Rods 30 and 32, FIGS. 1, 5 and 6, have outer ends 72 and 74 and inner ends 76 and 77. Rod 30 has a small bore 75 extending therethrough for the passage fuel from outer end 72 towards inner end 76. The bore opens into a larger bore 78 having circumferential inner wall 80, disc like end wall 82 and outer opening 79 having outer face 83. The circumference of inner end 76 of rod 30 has a rectangular cut-out 84 therein having a flat surface 86 through which a plurality of offset orifices 88 extend into the larger bore 78.

The inner end 77 of rod 32 has a reduced inner end portion 90 having an end section 91 and an O-ring 92 adjacent to vertical wall 94. Inner end 77 has a rectangular slot 96 cut therein having a knife-like edge 95. The slot opens into a chamber 98 within the reduced portion 90. Chamber 98 has inner walls 100, 102 and 104 and a bore 106 extends from within the chamber 98 through wall 104 to the outer face 110 of the reduced inner end portion 90.

Inner end 76 of rod 30 extends a distance into the bore 38 of roller valve 36 such that the offset orifices 88 open into and lie adjacent the smaller opening 43 of said premixing chamber 40. The rod is adjustably secured to the wall of the housing so that the orifices remain fixedly oriented perpendicularly with respect to inner wall 27 of tubular housing 5. FIGS. 2 and 3. The reduced portion 90 of the inner end 77 of rod 32 extends into the bore 38 of roller valve 36 and telescopes into and rotates within the larger bore 78 of inner end 76 of rod 30. Face 110 of end section 91 abuts against disc-like wall 82 of larger bore 78 with bore 75 and bore 106 forming a continuous path for fuel to the pre-mixing chamber. Wall 94 of rod 32 abuts face 83 of rod 30 forming a seal therebetween. The diameter of section 91 of reduced portion 90 of rod 32 is machined so precisely that no fuel can pass between inner circumferential wall 80 of larger bore 78 of rod 32 and the circumference of section 91. O-ring 92 adds a further seal which prevents fuel from escaping through face 83 of the open end 78 of rod 30 and the wall 94 of rod 32.

Rod 30 is adjustably secured within the aperture 28 in wall 24 of tubular housing 5 by an adjusting bracket 120, FIGS. 1 and 5. Bracket 120 has an opening 122 therein into which is journaled outer end 72 of rod 30 and a second slot-like opening 124 has inner knurled surface 126. Bracket 120 with rod 30 journaled thereon is adjustably fixedly attached to wall 24 of tubular housing 5 by means of screw 128. By this arrangement the rod 30 may be precisely adjusted so that the orientation of the orifices 88 may be adjusted with respect to the pre-mixing chamber 40, their perpendicular orientation with respect to the inner wall 27 of the tubular housing 5, and with respect to the knife-like edge 95 of slot 98.

The roller valve 36 is fixedly secured to the inner end 77 of rod 30, FIG. 3, by a set screw 130 which extends through a hole 132 in the bottom wall 63 of air guide 62. Journaled on the outer end of rod 32 is a rotation range stop member 134 having sides 136, 138 and 139. Side 136 has a curved end 140 which abuts against an end 142 of an adjustable screw 144 which is threadedly rotatably mounted within a bracket 146 secured to wall 24 of tubular housing 5. Rotation of rod 32 and valve 36 in the open direction is limited when side 139 strikes side 8 of top plate 2. The number of orifices remaining exposed upon complete closing of valve 36 may be set by adjusting rod 30 through bracket 120 and by adjusting screw 144 the end of which abuts side 140 of the stop member 134. Journaled to the outer end of rod 32 is a bracket 150 to which is attached by suitable means the accelerator linkage (not shown).

The roller valve 36 is positioned for rotary movement within tubular housing 5 by being fixedly secured to the rotatable rod 32 in such a manner that the knife-like edge 95 of slot 98 lies adjacent the horizontal row 87 of orifices 88 exposing the orifices and cutting across the horizontal row such that the exposure of each adjacent orifice decreases from right to left across the row. FIG. 8. Thus, when the roller valve is in fully closed position, FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, the top right orifice is completely exposed with the remaining orifices in the row being exposed as described above. By this arrangement, fuel is immediately available for injection into the primary chamber during initial start up.

The spray pattern of fuel emerging from fully open orifices is shown in FIG. 7. Full spray pattern occurs when the leading edges 160 and 162 of the sprays (sprays for two orifices shown) intersect at 164. It is difficult to achieve a complete homogeneous mixture of fuel and air when the sprays from fully exposed orifices reach full spray pattern. It has been found through experimentation that much better break up and homogenation occurs when air is mixed with a fuel spray when the leading edges 160 and 162 of the spray pattern intersects line 170. The pressure of the spray at this intersecting line is much less than the pressure of the spray at line 164. Therefore, it is much easier to break up the fuel having a fuel spray pattern as seen as line 170 than as seen at line 164 due to the differences in their respective pressures. The present invention uses the least fully developed spray.

In the present invention, the diameter of the orifices 88 are such that the spray of fuel having a spray pattern as seen at line 170 emerges from the premixing chamber 40 to be mixed with air flowing along air guides 60 and 62 which channels air at a high velocity towards the outer opening 41 of the premixing chamber 40. Some of the air flowing along air guides 60, 62 bounces off inner wall 27 and enters the pre-mixing chamber in a swirling motion causing early breakup of the fuel spray prior to its emerging from the premixing chamber 40 where it is further broken up by the greater air velocity and turbulence which occurs at the outer opening 41 of the pre-mixing chamber 40.

In fully closed position, the roller valve 36, is positioned as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 whereby the premixing chamber 40 faces upwardly at an angle towards the top 20 and wall 27 of tubular housing 5. Curved sides 43 and 45 lie closely adjacent to walls 26 and 27 and vertical walls 53 and 55 of the outer chordal ribs 42, 44 effect an airtight seal between said vertical walls and walls 29 and 31 of the tubular housing 5. In this position, minimum air is allowed to pass between walls 26, 27 of tubular housing 5 and the curved surfaces 43 and 45 of the roller valve 36. These features effect elimination of choke valves which are used in conventional carburetors.

Upon turning of the ignition switch, FIG. 9, armature 180 of solenoid valve 182 advances against piston 184 of fuel valve 186 opening the fuel valve and allowing fuel under pressure from fuel pump 190 to pass therethrough. Regulation valve 192 regulates the fuel pressure to approximately 3 lbs. psi which flows through bores 75, 110 into chamber 94 through the orifices 88 exposed by the knife-like edge 95 and into the pre-mixing chamber 40. Air from the air guides enters the pre-mixing chamber causing initial break-up of the fuel. The fuel and air mixture emerges through opening 41 of the pre-mixing chamber 40 and is further mixed with air of greater velocity and turbulence flowing along the air guides 60, 62 towards the opening 41 of the pre-mixing chamber.

Because of the roller valve structure, which limits and guides air flow within tubular housing 5; and the size of orifices 88, the position of knife-life edge 95 across the row 87 of orifices 88; a rich mixture of fuel is provided for the initial starting condition and continues during the early operating speeds of the engine. By this structure, no additional choke-valving is required at any temperature.

As the roller valve 36 turns on rod 32 within tubular housing 5, pre-mixing chamber 40 slowly turns into inner chamber 99 of tubular housing 5. Additional orifices become exposed as the knife-like edge 95 of slot 98 advances across the orifices thus exposing more of slot 98 to more orifices thus increasing the fuel discharged into the pre-mixing chamber 40 and subsequently into the inner chamber 99 of tubular housing 5. The size and arrangement of the orifices 88, the size of slot 96 and chamber 98 has been designed so that precise metering of fuel is achieved for all operating conditions and speeds of the engine. A richer mixture will be available during the initial starting of the engine and continues during the early operating speeds. The roller valve 36 is designed to channel the required amount of air along the air guides 60, 62 to achieve a proper homogeneous mixture of air and fuel at all operating conditions and temperatures of the engine.

As the roller valve turns in the open direction, the outer opening 41 of the pre-mixing chamber and the narrower edges 68, 70 of air guides 60, 62 opens into the lower chamber 99 of tubular housing 5 discharging the steadily increasing fuel mixture into said chamber. Increasingly greater air volume, velocity and turbulence occurs as the roller valve rotates in the open direction. It should be noted that edge 49 of curved side 43 of the roller valve 36 does not break away from close proximity with wall 26 of tubular housing 5 until the engine reaches the higher operating speeds, approximately 55 mph. At greater speeds, above 55 mph, the edge 49 begins to break away from wall 26 at approximately point 200, FIG. 2, opening a slot of increasing wider dimension allowing a great rush of high velocity air to flow between triangular base surface 51 and wall 26 creating violent turbulence of air within the inner chamber 99. This increasing rush of air and turbulence creates a much leaner mixture of fuel and air which is necessary at the upper operating speeds of the engine. Furthermore, it should be noted that no additional fuel is conveyed to the pre-mixing chamber and chamber 99 for these greater speeds because of the valving mechanism.

Maximum fuel is admitted into the pre-mixing chamber 40 and subsequently into the lower chamber 99 of tubular housing 5 when the edge 49 of triangular base 51 just breaks away from wall 26. This is the point of optimum operating condition of the engine with great fuel efficiency and economy being achieved because of the combined precise metering of fuel through chamber 98 and orifices 88 and the precise air metering and mixing as achieved by the roller valve 36 structure.

The spray pattern of fuel may be changed by changing the size of the orifices 88 so as to adopt this carburetor to other larger or smaller engines. Also, the diameter of the orifices 88 and the offset arrangement thereof permits the attainment of a perfect ratio of air and fuel mixture so as to eliminate flat spots which occur when the engine hesitates as when it is being starved of fuel. Thus, greater economy and efficiency is achieved for all operating conditions and speeds of the engine having this carburetor than was heretobefore possible with conventional carburetors. Furthermore, the dimension of the tubular housing may be changed to one having a different cross-sectional area, such as rectangular, triangular, or cylindrical which will attain the same benefits as heretofore described.

By attaching the carburetor to the manifold by the machined base plate 4, greater heat transfer occurs from the manifold to the carburetor. This results in the elimination of freezing of the fuel mixture during very cold temperatures. This construction also permits the elimination of vacuum leaks which is prevalent in conventional carburetors and which effects fuel economy. The top plate, base, tubular housing and roller valve of this carburetor are manufactured from aluminum material with the result that the coefficient of thermal expansion is the same for all operating temperatures. Thus, the manufacture of this carburetor is simple, inexpensive and results in greater efficiency and fuel economy being achieved than was heretofore possible.