US1374901A - Cooling system - Google Patents

Description

G. S. BLANKENHORN.

COOLING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 5, 1917.

Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

controlled by the temperature of the cool- UNITED STATE-S PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE S. BLANKENHORN, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGN'OR TO ALLIS- CHALMERS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A

CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.-

COOLING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

Application filed February 5, 1917. Serial No. 147,243.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Gnonon S. BLANKEN- HORN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of \Visconsim-have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Cooling Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in cooling systems for engines, being especially applicable to cooling systems for the engines of motor vehicles.

An object of the invention is to provide a cooling system which is simple in construction and efiicient in operation. Another object is to provide a thermostatic control for the air flowing past the radiator. One of the more specific objects is to provide means dependent upon the temperature of the water in an engine cooling system, for controlling the flow of cooling air, past the radiator of the system.

It has heretofore been proposed to regulate the temperature of the cooling water in the cooling system of an internal combustion engine by determining the flow of cooling water through the system, such determination being effected by a mechanism ing water. In this prior system the quantity of cooling air passing the radiator was maintained constant for a given speed of the engine,-thereby causing the flow of more air than necessary past the radiator, at certain times. This prior system also failed to provide means for preventing ready freezing of the water in the radiator.

The improved system forming the sub ject of the present invention, provides thermostatic means for controlling the quantity of air flowing past the radiator, without affecting the flow of liquid through the cooling system. The system of the present invention also provides means for effectively preventing excessive rise in temperature and for preventing ready freezing of thewater in the radiator.

While the invention is disclosed as applied to an engine in which the flow of air past the-radiator is induced by fan'means, it is to be noted that such fan means. are not essentialand that impositive flow induction means may be utilized.

A clear conception of an embodiment of the invention may be had by referring to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various views.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in section, of an internal combustion engine cooling system.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation, partly in section, of a modified form of clutch mechanism.

The internal combustion engine cooling system disclosed in Fig. 1 comprises a jacket of ordinary construction formed as conduit means located adjacent the cylinders 1, a casing 2 forming a water chamber communicating with the upper end of the jacket, a pipe 3 connecting the casing 2 with the upper chamberof the radiator 4, a plurality of tubes or other conduit means connecting the upper and lower chambers of the radiator 4, a pipe 5 connecting the lower chamber of the radiator 4 with the pump, 6, the pump 6 or similar flow-producing means of ordinary construction, and a pipe 7 connecting the dischargeof the pump 6 with the cylinder jacket.

The radiator 4 is provided with one or more through passages communicating with acasing 10 within which is located a rotary fan 9. The fan 9 is rotatably mounted upon the stationary stub shaft 21 which engages the bore of the fan hub 20. The fan 9, while rotating, draws air through the radiator\fl, the rate offlow of the air being proportional to the speed of rotation of the fan. Upon the shaft 21 adjacent the fan hub 20, is located a. fan clutch pulley 12. The pulley 12 is rotatably connected by means of a belt 14 with the main fan pulley 13 which is driven by the engine, in the usual manner.

A thermostat comprising a rod 8 formed of suitable metal such as brass, and having its one end fixed to the casing 2, is mounted within and is surrounded by the liquid in the casing 2. The rod 8 penetrates the easing 2 through a stuffing box 18 and has its end provided. with an elongated slot 19 which engages a. pin secured to the mid portion of the lever 11. A hellcal compression spring 16 embraces the rod 8 and has its opposite ends in engagement respectively with a collar 17 adjustably secured to the rod 8, and with the lever 11,

The lever 11 has its upper end pivoted upon a suitable bracket fixed to the pipe 3, and has its lower extremity in engagement with an. annular recess 15 in the fan pulley 12. The mounting and arrangement of the lever 11 is .such that as it is moved in a clockwise direction, the lower end moves the pulley 12 toward the left and produces frictional engagement between the pulley 12 and the hub 20 of the fan 9, thereby causing the fan to rotate and the speed of rotation being proportional to the engaging pressure.

In the modified form of clutch disclosed in Fi 2, the fan 22 ihas'a hub 23 and is rotata ly mounted upon the stub shaft 21. The hub 23 has several pawl members 25 pivotally mounted thereon and normally held in the position shown by means of helical compression springs 27. The fan pulley 24 is provided with an end surface adapted for frictional engagement with the fan hub 23, and has a series of notches 26 formed around the interior thereof. As the pulley 24 is shifted into engagement with the fan hub 23 by means of the thermostat and the lever 11, the pawl members 25 move outwardly, due to the action of centrifugal forces thereon, and eventually engage the notches 26. With the pawl members 25 in engagement with the pulley notches 26, the fan 22 and pulle 24 rotate at the same speed, this speed eing proportional to the speed of the engine.

During the normal operation of the en gme, the cooling liquid, which ordinarily is water, is caused to circulate through the jacket of the cylinders 1 and through the radiator 4 by means of the pump 6 orany other means ordinarily employed to produce such circulation. The water afterbe- 1ng heated in the cylinder jacket enters the casing 2 from which it flows to the radiator 4 through the pipe 3. After being cooled 1n the radiator, the water is withdrawn through the pipe 5 and is delivered back to the cyllnder jacket or to a storage tank by means of thepump 6.

{is the temperature of the water in the caslng 2 rises, the rod 7 expands, this expansion acting through the collar 17 and spring 16 and causing the lever 11 to swing in a clockwise direction about its stationary upper pivot. The swinging of the lever 11 moves the rotating fan pulley 12 bodily toward the left and causes the pulley hub to engage the fan hub 20 and to rotate the fan 9 more or less in accordance with the engaging pressure. After the limit of travel of the lever 11 and pulley 12 has been attained, excess expansion of the rod 8 is compensated for by the spring 16 and opening 19, the opening 19 permitting relative movement of the rod 8 and lever 11 during compression of the spring. It will thus be noted that the quantity of air flowing through the radiator, which quantity is proportional to the speed of the fan 9, is controlled by the temperature of the water in the cooling system through the medium of the thermostat. If the water in the cooling system becomes undesirably cool, the lever 11 will disengage the fan hub 20 and pulley 12, thereby eliminating the induced flow of air past the radiator. By eliminating the flow of air past the radiator, ready freezing of the water is prevented.

In the modified clutch mechanism dis-f closed in Fig. 2, the speed of the fan will be proportional to the temperature of the cooling water only during the time that the pawl members 25 are out of engagement with the notches 26. When the pawl members 25 engage the notches 26 the speed of the fan is proportional to the speed of the en ine.

It is to be noted that while the thermostat is disclosed as dependent upon the temperature of the cooling water, it may be desirable to have the operation of the thermo-' stat dependent upon the atmospheric tem-- perature, such modification being within the contemplated scope of the present invention.

It should be understood that it is not desired to be limited to the exact details of construction herein shown and described, for obvious modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent In' an engine cooling system, conduit means adjacent the engine providing a passage for cooling water, a radiator connected with said conduit means, a fan for inducing a flow of air ast said radiator, a thermostat operable y variations in temperature of the cooling water, a friction clutch operable by said thermostat to vary the speed of said fan, and means for positively connecting said fan to the engine upon attainment of a predetermined speed.

In testimony whereof, the signature of the inventor is affixed hereto. I

GEORGE S. BLANKENHORN.

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