US1572457A - Foot accelerator for automobiles - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 9,1926. 7 1,512,457

W. J. WINTER ET AL FOOT ACCELERATOR FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Oct. 19, 1925 Wliiam wuier,

flan McKinley Y/almea.

Patented Feb. 9, 1926.

UNITED STATES P'TENT or c FOOT ACCELERATOR FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed October 19, 1925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM J. 11vrm and FRANK McKinney HOLMES, citizens of the United States, residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foot Accelerators for Automobiles; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in foot accelerators for automobiles;

The power and speed of an internal com bustion engine is controlled by controlling the amount and richness of the fuel mixture admitted to the engine. For this purpose a butterfly valve is provided between the mixing chamber of the carburetor and the intake manifold. WVhen this valve is opened, the engine is supplied with a greater amount of fuel and. produces an increased amount of power. In most of the automobiles the fuel valve is controlled by an apparatus that includes a pedal or plunger that is controlled by the foot of the driver; these devices are usually referred to as foot accelerators. In one type of automobile of which large numbers are in use, the fuel valve is controlled entirely by a hand lever. Some drivers. however, prefer to control the fuel supply by some foot operated mecha nism and to supply the demand for such de vices various types of foot accelerators have been devised.

Itis the object of this invention to produce an accelerator mechanism that can be readily applied to an automobile, of the type referred to, which shall be of simple sub stantial construction, positive in its operation and which can be cheaply made and readily installed.

The present invention can be most clearly described and will be most readily understood when reference is had to the accompanying drawing in which it has been illustrated and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view looking down on the automobile engine and shows the control mechanism in place, parts being shown broken away to simplify the drawing;

Serial No. 63,327.

Fig. 2 is a view taken on line 22 Fig. 1'

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3,

Fig. 2;

Fig. 1 is a detail view looking in the direc-- tion of arrow 1 in Fig. 3. p Y

Numeral 1 designates the internal combustion engine of an automobile, 2 the carburetor and 3 the intake manifold. The carburetor is connected to the fuel tank it by means of a tubular member The car- T UIQ EOI'lHIS a pivoted lever 6 that controls the fuel valve which is'located between the mixing chamber and the intake manifold 3. In the type of automobile to which this invention relates, the fuel control valve is controlled by rotating a rod 7 that carries" a crank arm 8 whose free end is provided with an opening 9 from which a rod extends to the opening in the outer end of the valve lever 6. By rotating the rod 7 in one directic-n or another, the fuel valve may be opened or. closed. a 1

Instead of connecting the end of the arm 8 with the end of lever 6 by a single rod, a double armed crank having levers 10 and. 11 thatJ-li'e in spaced parallel planes and are connected by short straight part 12 (Fig. 4) that forms a pivot which extends through the opening 9 in themanner shown in Fig. 3. The outer end of the lever 10 has an opening 13 for the reception of the hooked end 1 1 of the rod 15 whose other end is pivotally connected with the lever 6. A tension spring 16 has one end connected to the bent end 14 and the other connected to the engine as at 17 so that it constantly tends to move the rod 15 to the right and the fuel valve to closed position. By rotating the rod 7, the position ofthe fuel valve can be controlled. If we leave the rod 7 and arm 8 in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 or in any other position, the fuel valve can be opened still farther by rotating the double armed crank in aclockwise position (Fig. 3). When the force by which this crank is rotated is removed, the spring 16 will promptly return the parts to the position shown in Fig. 3. In order that the double armed crank may be moved by the drivers foot, a push rod 18 is provided. This rod is 'pivotally connected at 19 with the end 20 of the arm or lever 11 and is provided with an offset end portion 21 which projects through the floor boards 22 and is provided with a head 23. lVhen sufficient force is applied to the head 23 to overcome the action of the spring 16, the parts are moved towards dot-- ted line position (Fig. 3) and this moves the fuel valve towards open position.

By'the means just described, the fuel may be controlled by means of the usual hand control or by the foot as may be desired. The hand control may be adjusted to give suflicient fuel for moderate speed which may be increased by using the foot accelerator.

Having now described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In an engine fuel control, in combination, a source of fuel, a carburetor, an engine, an intake manifold between the engine and the carburetor, a valve for controlling the passageway between the carburetor and the engine, and means for controlling said valve, said means comprising an adjustable pivot, a double levered crank member pivoted in the'adjustablehpivot, means for connecting one end of one of said levers withthe valve, a spring means for normally holding the valve in closed position, and a push rod connected to one end of the other of said levers for moving thesame about its pivot when sufficient force is applied to the push rod to rotate the double crank member against the force of the spring. I

2. An enginevfuel' control device, comprising, in combination, an engine, a source of liquid fuel, a carburetor, means for connecting the fuel supply to the carburetor, means for connecting the carburetor to the engine,

a valve in said last mentioned connection, a crank arm, means for rotating said crank arm about an axis, the free end of said crank arm having an opening, a double crank member having two angularly related levers lying in spaced parallel planes, said levers being connected by a short part that extends perpendicular to the planes of the levers, said short part being adapted to be journaled in the opening in the end of the crank arm,

means connecting one end of one of said levers with the valve, a spring normally under tension and adapted to produce a force tending to move said valve to closed position, and a push rod connected with the free end of the other lever so that when sufficient force is applied to the push rod to overcome the force exerted by the spring, the valve will be moved toopen position.

3. Atuel valve controlling device comprising, in combination, a crank arm having an opening atone end, a double levered crank pivoted in the opening in said crank arm, a rod connected at one end to the free end of one of said levers, a spring means connected with said rod and exerting a force thereon tending to move it in one direction and a push rod connected to the free end of the other lever so that when sutficient force is exerted on the push rod it will be moved longitudinally, rotate the double armed crank and move the first mentioned rod against the tension of the spring.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

VILLIAM J. WVINTER; FRANK MCKINLEY HOLMES.

Images