US1587922A - Lubricating device for internal-combustion engines - Google Patents

Description

June 8 1926. 1,587,922

J. E. w. ROSSON LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Oct. 23. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 A TTORNYS June 8,1926. 1,587,922

J. E. W. ROSSON LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed OctM-23, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a @mm' Patented June 8, 192%,

U star -a rent 1: 'F FIQ JAMES E. W. nosson, or nornrnsvrttn, immens ty, nssrenon, 'BY Mns vn ASSIGN- Mnn'rs, '10 eisr-icomrnny, ive, or LO'ULISVIIJLE, gnnrnonrz, i oo'nronn rron on KENTUCKY.

ewe em Perm emeevee ie ieeeea En mi s Application filed Qctober 23, 1 92%. seri al 745,486.

My invention relates to devices for maintaining the oil level inthe crank cases internal coigi ibustion engines, and it is particularly designed for use in connection with the engines of Ford automobiles in which type of engine it is Off especial'iniportance that the supply of oil in the main sump be maintained at a constant level and that a small quantity otoil shall'be continuously added to take the plac-e of the small portions which are continuously used during the running of the car.

In internal combustion engines to which ny invention is particularly applicable, the oil supply is distributed 'to the engine parts by the rotation of the fly Wheel or other i'otatab .l e member and the oil supply should he maintained at a heightin thecasi ng to pei'i nit the distriln tion by centrifugal ac tion of the rotating part and soon as the rotating member ceases to distribute a nedeterinincd amount of oil the supply should be renewed; a comparatively small. amount of oil constantly renewed is obviously all that is required to maintain proper lubrication.

Instead of endeavoring to determine the height or the oil in the casing by meansof a iloat or other device OPQI'EttlllgZ-I in ,tl'ie oil, which is frequently imp "actical' le by reason of the narrow space between the rotating member and the bottom of the casing, and utilizing this float or the height of the oil in the casing to openthe oil tank for an additional supply, I have adopted a certain novel construction and arrangement of parts in which the oil tank is closed by a valve electro-magnetically operated to open the supply the moment the rotating member fails to throvvthe oil to thetop of the ra s ng, wh ch novel construct on and arrangement of parts will be hereinaifter more particularly 'pointed out and claimed.

"ln -the'dra vingsl i i Figure l isa perspective View o f the casing eta type of -Fo'rd gasoline engine yvith any lubricating devi'c'eattached.

i men is a cen veric;

the oil supply tank. Figure Bis a perspectiveyieyv of the sole noiclfor op'erating'tl s l'y va ve.

, lfiigu e horizontal s tiofn of the oil us c w a A .eestioi re Figure 5 a detail section taken through the cover" plate of the transmission casing shtming the automatic device or circuit breaker for operating the solenoid.

Figu re'G is a top lan view of the automatic device or *circiiit breaker removed from the cover.

" Figure 'T'is a cross section of a modified t rm for controlling the solenoid.

Figure 8 is a perspective vievv of the coupling for the oil supply tube.

"I'have illustrated in the drawings a perspective view of atype of Foitl'autoinobile engine easingl with the fly wheel casing 2 and the transmission casing 3 adjacent the fly Wheel casing, provided" with a cover 41. llhe engine casing is in the ordinary construction supplied with "lubricating oil through an opening at ;5 provided with a 'capfi and the oil runs down into the fly Wheel casing; whence it is distributed by the centrifugal'actionof the fly heel rotating in the oil. A drainage plug? is provided for this casing ivith t'Wo' gauge cocks 8 and 9, by which the height'ofoil in the casing is determined, and between Which the oil level is ordinc rily to be naintainedQ VJith this construction there is no Way of determining the amount or oil except crawling under the machine and testing the height through these gauge cocks. If the oil'is consumedbelow the level of the lower gauge cock, great'harm inay be "done by running Without Oil, too much may easily he added. to be Wasted and burnt up inthe .form of smoke, fouling spark plugs; and carbonizthe cylinder". i i It is the object o-finy invention to maintain the oil level automatically; for proper distribution of the oil by the fly Wheel, sup- ;plying' the exact amount or oil for continuous distribution. i To accomplish this, I employ the districeases todistrihute oil'to the't'op at the oils slit should, an oil valve-in' an oil tank opened and foil l -pro er distriimn To accomplish this, I provde an oil tank or reservoir 10 preferably rectangular in shape and of narrow width which is secured to the side of the engine casing by metal straps 12. This tank is provided with a filling opening closed by a cap 13 with an air hole therein to supply air. The tank is provided with a glass gauge 14 and the location of the tank on the side of the engine casing adjacent to exhaust manifold not only warms the oil for proper flow in cold weather, but the location is such that the gauge can be inspected through the air ventilators of the hood without raising the hood and the user can tell whether he has a sufficient supply of oil on hand at a moments glance.

The oil is automatically supplied to the casing through the pipe 15, in the bottom oi the tank, provided with an elbow coupling 16. The elbow is connected by a short tube 17 to the supply opening 5 of the engine casing.

In order that this connection can be .made without drilling any holes and at a moments notice, I provide the sleeve 18 shown in Fig ure 8 and the cap 6 is removed, the sleeve inserted and the tube 17 passedthrough the opening 19 and the cap replaced. The innor end of the elbow coupling 16 is provided with a valve seat 20 upon which is seated a needle valve 21 with a heavy metal stem, so that the valve seats by gravity. Surrounding the pipe 15 inside of the tank is a solenoid winding of fine wire 22 of which the shank of the valve 21 forms the core. This wire iswound on a libre core 22 with fibre disks 23 at top and bottom so as to prevent any metal contact to avoid accidental short circuit and the ends of the coil properly encased are connected with insulated binding posts 24; on top of the oil tank by the wires Normally the oil alve 21 will remain closed by its own weight. Vv'hen a current of electricity is passed through the solenoid winding, the valve is lifted from its seat to allow oil to discharge. To serve as a stop for the valve, I pass a cotterpin 26 through the top of the pipe 15. The cur rent for the solenoid is obtained. by con nection with the magneto or from the generator by connection between the generator and the relay, so that when, the car stops no current is furnished.

One of the wires 25 is connected with the metal casing and the other wire with a binding post 27, on the cover plate of the transmission casing near the fly wheel casing. This binding post is provided with an inwardly projecting metal pin Piv- "otally mounted in a bracket 28 secured to the undersurfaee of the cover plate on the I pintle 34.- is a tray or bucket 29 whichis provided with a resilient copper contact strip 30 and aweight 31 tends to bring the contact strip into connection with the pin. hen this contact takes place the current is passed through the solenoid and the oil valve is lifted to allow oil to discharge from the tank into the fly wheel casing.

The bucket 29 is, however, located at the top of the casing and as long as there is sutficient oil in the casing, it is thrown by the wneel to the top and some of this oil is caught by and fills the bucket causing it to tip outwardly shown in the full lines in Figure It follows that as long as there is oil to be distributed the contact between the pin and the strip 30 will be broken and the oil valve 21 will remain closed. The bucket is provided with two holes to allow the oil to discharge from the bucket as it is constantly filled by the oil thrown up by the fly wheel. When no oil is supplied the bucket at once tips back into the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 5 and contact is made. In order that vibration of the bucket may not make and break the circuit, the strip 30 is made resilient so that connection is maintained under any vibration. To insure a proper circuit from the strip 30 to the engine casing, I have shown the pint-1e 34: upon which the bucket is pivoted as connected by wire 35 with the cover plate.

To prevent the floor boards 01'' the car from pressing down upon the binding post and wire, I protect this connection by a strap 36.

Instead of a pivoted bucket or tray to make and break the solenoid connection, I can provide a fixed bucket 37 secured to the cover at, and provide a cork float 38 to make and break the electrical connection as shown in FigIn-c '1'. As this bucket .lills the cork will float and break the connection at 39 and as the oil runs out through holes in the button as in the preferred construction without oil being constantly filled therein, the cork float will drop down and make the necessary connection.

lVhile I have illustrated my invention with special reference to the construction as found in the standard Ford machine, it-is obvious that it may be applied to any type of construction in which the oil as distributed is thrown to the top of the casing, there to be caught by any form of tray or bucket which when oil is filled into it will effect a breaking of an electric circuit and which when empty shall close the circuit through an electric-magnet controlling a valve member in an oil reservoir. I, therefore, do not desire to be in any way limited to the specific details shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a lubricating device of the character specified, the combination with a. recep- Ill) Fill

tacle in the engine casing for holding the lubricant and a rotating member to distribute the lubricant throughout the casing, of an oil supply reservoir for supplying lubricant to the casing, a valve in the oil supply line normally closed, and an electro-magnet adapted when energized to open said valve and means actuated upon the failure of the oil distribution to close the current when the oil distribution ceases.

2. In a lubricating device of the character specified, the combination with a receptacle in the engine casing for holding the lubricantand a rotating member to distrib' ute the lubricant throughout the casing, of an oil supply reservoir for supplying lubricant to the casing, a valve in the oil supply line normally closed, and an electro-magnet adapted when energized to open said valve and means located in the upper portion of the engine casing actuated upon the failure of the oil distribution to maintain an open circuit during oil distribution and to close the circuit when oil distribution ceases.

3. In a lubricating device of the character specified, thecombination with a receptacle in the engine casing for holding the lubricant and a rotating member to distribute the lubricant throughout the casing, of an oil supply reservoir for supplying lubricant to the casing, a valve in the oil supply normally closed, and an electroenagnet adapted when energized to open said valve, and a pivoted member located in the upper portion of the engine casing actuated upon the failure 01: the oil distribution to open the electro-magnetic circuit and adapted to close the circuit when oil distribution ceases.

4;. In a lubricating device of the character specified, the combination with an engine casing for holding the lubricant and a rotating member to distribute the lubricant throughout the casing, of an oil supply reservoir for supplying lubricant to the casing, a valve in the oil supply normally closed, and an electro-magnet adapted when energized to open said valve, and an oil tray carrying a contact member in the upper portion of the engine casing, the tray adapted to catch the oil, with means for breaking the electric circuit when oil is filling the tray and for closing the circuit when the oil tray is discharged.

5. In a lubricating device of the character specified, the combination with an engine casing for holding the lubricant and a rotating member to distribute the lubricant throughout the casing, of an oil supply reservoir for supplying lubricant to the casing, a valve in the oil supply normally closed, and an electro-magnet adapted when energized to open said valve, and an oil tray carrying a contact member in the upper portion of the engine casing, with pivot for the tray to permit the tray to tip when receiving oil distributed by the rotating member and to open the circuit to the electromagnet and means for lifting the tray to close the circuit when oil is not received by the tray.

(iqIn a lubricating device of the character specified, the combination with an engine casing having a receptacle for the distribution of oil, and a fly wheel rotating in said receptacle, of an oil supply reservoir located above the receptacle with a supply line to deliver oil from the reservoir to the receptacle, a metal needle valve in said supply line normally closed and a solenoid coil to lift the metal valve from its seat, an oil tray in the upper part of the casing above said receptacle with means for closing the solenoid circuit when said tray is filled with oil, and to open the circuit when no oil is being distributed.

7 In a lubricating device of the character specified, the combination with an en e ine casing having a receptacle for the distribu tion of oil, and a fly wheel rotating in said receptacle, oi? an oil supply reservoir located above the receptacle with a supply line to deliver oil from the reservoir to the receptacle, a metal needle valve in said supply line normally closed and a solenoid coil to liftthe metal valve from its seat, an oil tray pivoted in the upper part of the casing adapted to tip when filled, with an electric circuit through said tray, adapted to be opened when oil is discharged into said tray and to close when no oil is being received by the tray.

JAMES E. W. ROSSON.

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