US1310412A - Air-heater fob internal-combustion engines - Google Patents

Description

F DJQKEY. AIR HEATER FOR I'NTERNALCOMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12. 191].

1,310,412. Patented July 22, 19m.

l l I a l 1-4 lUl II I! \I ll FRANKLIN DICKEY, 0F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

,AIR-HEATER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 22, 1212.

Application filed March 12, 1917. Serial No. 154,352.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN DICKEY, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in .the' county of Marion and State of Indiana, have-invented a new and useful Improvement in Air-Heaters for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain accessories for internalcombu'stion engines, and more particularly to a device for supplying'heated air thereto. The invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description of one specific embodiment thereof, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a common form of the internal combustion engine used in automobiles, the dash-board of the auto-- mobile beingshown in section for the purpose of illustrating the control mechanism for the air heater. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the heater per se. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view substantially on a line 3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view on a line 4 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the draw ings, the numeral 10 designates a four-cylinder internal combustion engine of a common form and provided with an inlet inanifold 11 and an exhaust manifold 12, which are arranged in generally parallel relationship, the exhaust manifold lying above the inlet manifold. For the purpose of supplying heated air to the inlet manifold 11, I provide a heater, generally designated by the numeral 13, this heater being preferably constructed of cast-metal and being ofU- shape in cross-section and provided with flanges 14 at its open edge, these flanges being curved to the radius of the exhaust mani= fold 12, on which the heater is designed to rest. The ends of the heater casting 13 are closed by integral webs and air is permitted to enter the interior of the casting through a plurality bf grooves or notches 15 formed in the bearing face of one of the flanges 14 adjacent the ends of the heater. The casting-is secured in place on the top surface of the manifold-12 by some suitable means,

such as a clamp 16, illustrated in Fig. 3, be-

fold by an elbow 19 and with the heater by an elbow 20, the latter elbow carrying a plug valve 21 which may conveniently be operated by a. rod 22 passingthrough the dash-board 23 of the automobile, and having an operating handle on its inner end. in the particular construction of the invention illustrated it isv not intended that the plug. valve 21 should be used for graduating or adjusting the amount of heated air to he supplied to the inlet manifold, the valve being intended solely as a cut-off and not as a regulator. The function of regulation is accomplished in the construction shown by the pro vision of an aperture 21, of predetermined size, forming a connection between the interionof the heater 13 and the elbow 20. In order to provide sufficient metal for the adequate fastening of the threaded end of the elbow 20 and for the regulating perforation 2-1, the heater casting may have an integral lug 25 extending inwardly at the point of attaclunent of the elbow.

By reason of the fact that my air heater is formed with relatively heavy metal walls, curved to fit the wall of the exhaust pipe 12 and have contact therewith over a considerable area, the heat of the exhaust manifold isreadily conducted to the heater casting and transferrec'l by the latter to the air pass ing therethrough. Since the wall of the exhaust manifold itself forms one ofthe confining surfaces for the air in its passage through the heater, the effectiveness of the latter is further increased.

The ahnosphcric air heated as above described is supplied to the intake manifold 11 through the regulating aperture 24 and cutoff valve 21, and serves to dilute the explosive mixture within the intake manifold, increasing the density of the charge at the. same time that the dilution is effected, and by such increase in density raising the com prcssion of the engineand increasing the thermal efficiency thereof. The eifective heating of the air by the heater 13 is of hen 'efit in that a better vaporization of the fuel charge is effected, and also in that the preheating of this portion of the air raises the temperature of the entire incoming charg and by proportionately raising the maxi-v mum temperature in the cylinder, increases the thermal efficiency. For. the reasons stated, I find that my auxiliary air inlet dcvice will effect a considerable saving in fuel,

While I have shown and described in considerable detail one specific embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that this is illustrative only, and for the purpose of 5 making the invention more clear, and lhfiil? I do not regard the invention as limited o these details ,nor to any of them, exoept in so far as such limitations are included Within the terms of the accompanying claims, in which it is my intention to claim. all novelty inherent in my invention as broadly as is permissible in view of the prior art.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: "1. The combination with the exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine, of an air heater comprising a U -shaped hollow metallic member closed at its top and ends and provided with a flanged open bottom adapted to seat on said exhaust ipe in heat conducting relation therewitll, one of said flanges being provided with air-admitting hea-tercomprisinga U-shaped hollow metallie member closed at its top and ends and provided with a flan ed open bottom adapted to seat on said ex aust pipe in heatoonducting relation therewith, one of said flanges being-provided with air-admitting openings, said air heater being also provided with a relatively small air-discharging opening adjacent its top, a pipe'connecting said air-discharge with the intake pipe ofthe engine, and means in said pipe for closing the same, to out vofl theeurrent of air therethmugh.

FRANKLIN DICKEY.

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