GB2044704A

GB2044704A - Apparatus for Feeding Fuel to a Marine Engine

Info

Publication number: GB2044704A
Application number: GB7912882A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: ORFORD J
Current assignee: ORFORD J
Priority date: 1979-03-20
Filing date: 1979-04-11
Publication date: 1980-10-22

Abstract

In a marine vessel having an internal combustion engine, which is fed with fuel feed pipe (26) from a fuel tank (20) a tubular liquid or gas-tight casing (34) surrounds the whole of the length (26C) of feed pipe within the vessel's hull and is open to atmosphere through a hole (32) in the hull. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for Feeding Fuel to a Marine Engine This invention relates to apparatus for feeding fuel to an internal combustion marine engine.

There is a danger in vessels that fuel will collect in the bilges of the vessel if there is a slight leak. Such a collection of fuel, which may be gas or liquid, gives rise to a risk of explosion and if there is an explosion it may have disastrous consequences such as sinking the vessel or setting it on fire. An aim of the invention is to provide a reasonably inexpensive, yet safe and practical installation for feeding fuel to a marine engine.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided apparatus for feeding fuel to a marine engine including a fuel feed pipe leading from a fuel storage container to a fuel intake of a carburettor, the pipe having one portion which is outside the hull of the vessel and a further portion which is inside the hull of the vessel, the apparatus also including a tubular gas- or liquidtight casing which surrounds the whole length of the said further portion of the feed pipe and extends to a fitting on the carburettor, the tubular casing at its end remote from the fitting being open to atmosphere.

The invention may be applied both to a downdraught carburettor and to a horizontal air intake flow type carburettor.

The invention may be applied whether the fuel is liquid or gas; for example the fuel could be petrol, any liquid hydrocarbon fuel, or low pressure hydrocarbon gas.

In accordance with an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, there is provided apparatus for feeding low pressure gas to a marine engine including a gas feed pipe leading from a liquid-to-gas converter, to an adaptor block and passing through a flame trap device, the block being connectable in a gas-tight manner to a carburettor of the engine and the flame trap being connected in a gas-tight manner to the adaptor block; the apparatus also including a tubular gas-tight casing which surrounds the whole length of that part of the gas feed pipe which is within the hull of the vessel and extends to a fitting or flange on the flame trap device, the tubular casing at its end remote from the flange being open to atmosphere.

In a modification of the invention, the adaptor block is part of a unitary block which contains the working parts of the carburettor.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the adaptor block is secured to the carburettor and has a fuel exit port which is connected by a rigid pipe to a fuel entry port on the carburettor.

Preferably, the adaptor block has a central hole therethrough and is bounded by a pair of plane faces, one of the faces having a fuel entry orifice laterally spaced from the central hole, the orifice leading to a passageway which terminates on a different face of the block.

The tubular casing may be at least partly of flexible material.

The invention will be better understood from the following non-limiting description of an illustrative example thereof, given with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic longitudinal crosssection through part of a vessel in which one example of apparatus according to the invention is installed; Figures 2 and 3 are respectively front and side views of a flange included in the apparatus of Figure 1; Figures 4 and 5 and 6 are views of one form of adaptor block, Figure 4 being a front view, Figure 5 being a side view, and Figure 6 being a partial cross section on the line A-A Figure 4; and Figure 7 shows a second embodiment of the invention.

Referring to Figure 1, a marine vessel has a deck 10, a transom 12, and an internal combustion engine 14. The remainder of the vessel is conventional and so is not shown. A container 1 6 with an open top and having a drain hole 18 connected directly through the transom 12 to the outside. In the container 16 are a cylinder 20 of compressed LPG in liquid form, a fuel lock 22, and a liquid-to-gas converter 24.

These are known items of equipment and therefore will not be described in detail. A gas feed pipe generally indicated at 26 extends from the converter 24 to an adaptor block 30. A first portion 26A of the pipe 26 passes through a wall of the container 1 6 and through the transom 12.

A second portion 268 is outside the vessel. A third portion 26C passes through a hole 32 in the transom 12 and within and through a tubular casing 34. A fourth portion 26D of the pipe 26 passes through a flame trap 36 and the pipe 26 terminates at a suitable bore or fitting 30A in the adaptor block 30.

The engine 14 is conventional and has a carburettor 40 of known design fixed thereto. The adaptor block 30 is securely fixed, e.g. by bolts and suitable sealing washers, to the carburettor 40. The fixing is done in a gas-tight manner. The flame trap 36, which may also serve as an air cleaner, and which may consist of a casing or chamber having wire wool packing therein, is fixed in a gas-tight manner, to the adaptor block 30 in such a way that its interior is in communication with a central hole in the adaptor block, and, via said hole, with an air entry port of the carburettor 40. A flange member 50 is secured also in a gas-tight manner to another wall of the flame trap 36.

The tubular casing 34, which may be at least partly of a flexible material, for example a rubber or plastics bellows, is connected between the flange member 50 and a flange 52 on the inner side of the transom and surrounding the hole 32.

The connections, are made at each end in such a way that LPG cannot leak therethrough. The flexible nature of the tubular casing 34 assists in ensuring that the integrity of these gas-tight connections is maintained even though there is relative vibration between the flange member 50 (which vibrates with the engine) and the transom 12 of the vessel.

As stated, the adaptor block 30 has a central hole 30E, Figure 4, and this serves as the air entry pathway for air sucked into the carburettor from outside the engine via holes in the flame trap 36.

The gas feed pipe 26, surrounded over most of its length by the casing 34, is fixed to the fitting 30A of the block 30. From fitting 30A a bore 30B in the block extends to a fitting 30C. A rigid pipe 54 connects the fitting 30C with a fuel inlet port of the carburettor 40. The flange 52 is fixed in a gastight manner to the transom 12 and the casing 34. The adaptor block 30 has flanges 30F and holes 30G whereby it can be bolted to the carburettor 40. The block 30 may be made of aluminium alloy. The flange 52 and the flange member 50 could of course be replaced by other suitable fittings.

In a modification of the invention, not illustrated, the separate adaptor block 30 and rigid pipe 54 are dispensed with, and the carburettor comprises a block containing its working parts and already provided with bores providing the passageway 308, 54 from the end of the fuel feed pipe 26 to the fuel entry port of the carburettor.

It will be realised that there has been particularly disclosed herein an arrangement which offers the possibility of feeding fuel to the engine with improved safety in marine vessels without undue complexity or expense. Even if there should be a leak between the pipe 26D and the fitting 30A in the block 30, any escaping fuel cannot reach the bilges of the vessel but instead is conducted harmlessly to the exterior via the tubular casing 34. Equaliy, any leak between or at the parts 20, 22, 24 26A results in the fuel collecting in the bottom of the container 1 6 from whence it passes harmlessly to the exterior via the drain hole 1 8. The supply of air to the carburettor is not impeded, and only relatively slight modification of a conventional vessel is needed.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 7, a downdraught carburettor 100 has an air intake at its top surface and carries thereon a flame trap 102, fixed for example by bolts 104.

The air control butterfly is denoted by 105. A fuel inlet pipe 106 leads to a fuel control valve 108 and fuel flows therefrom into the body of the carburettor. The engine inlet manifold is shown at 110. In accordance with this embodiment of the invention, a fuel feed pipe 112 is secured in a liquid- or gas-tight manner to a 900 elbow bend pipe 114 which is likewise fitted in a liquid- or gas-tight manner onto the fuel inlet pipe 1 06. A right angle bracket 11 6 is clamped between the flame trap 102 and the carburettor 100 and has a downwardly depending flange 118. From this flange 11 8 extends a circular rib 120 to which is connected in a liquid- or gas-tight manner a tubular casing 122. The tubular casing 122 extends from the flange 11 8 to the transom of the vessel, in a similar way to the tubular casing 34 of Figure 1. With such an arrangement, any fuel which leaks from the fuel feed pipe 112 is prevented from descending into the bilges of the boat but instead passes to atmosphere along the casing 122 and through the transom in a similar way as described with reference to Figure 1.

Claims

1. Apparatus for feeding fuel to a marine engine including a fuel feed pipe leading from a fuel storage container to a fuel intake of a carburettor, the pipe having one portion which is outside the hull of the vessel and a further portion which is inside the hull of the vessel, the apparatus also including a tubular gas- or liquidtight casing which surrounds the whole length of the said further portion of the feed pipe and extends to a fitting on the carburettor, the tubular casing at its end remote from the fitting being open to atmosphere.

2. Apparatus for feeding fuel to a marine engine including a fuel feed pipe leading from a fuelvstorage container to an adaptor block and passing through a flame trap device, the block being connectable in a liquid- or gas-tight manner to a carburettor of the engine and the flame trap being connected in a liquid- or gas-tight manner to the adaptor block; the apparatus also including a tubular liquid- or gas-tight casing which surrounds the whole length of that part of the feed pipe which is within the hull of the vessel and extends to a fitting or flange on the flame trap device, the tubular casing at its end remote from the flange being open to atmosphere.

3. A modification of the apparatus according to claim 2 in which the adaptor block is part of a unitary block which contains the working parts of the carburettor.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which the adaptor block is secured to the carburettor and has a fuel exit port which is connected by a rigid pipe to a fuel entry port on the carburettor.