US1764371A - Automatic radiator shutter - Google Patents

Description

June 17, 1930. s. VERNET AUTOMATIC RADIATOR SHUTTER 'Fild Feb. 8, 192'! 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 avwwntoz fzze /a/ VAT/V47 flumw- June 17, 1930.

s. VERNET 4 7 1,764,371

AUTOMATIC RADIATOR SHUTTER Filed Feb. 8, 1927 z Sheets-Sheet 2 8 vwcn f0 z .fae /a/ 1 5? (1/47 @51 Gite (May Patented June 17, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEBGIUS VEBINET, OF BBOOKLYN,- NEW YORK, 'ASSIGNOR OF OFTE HALF T WILLIAM 1. HAMMOND, OF SCABSDALE, NEW YORK -AUTOMATIG RADIATOR SHUTTER Application filed February 8, 1927. Serial No. 166,633.

This invention relates to radiators for automotive internal combustion engines and more particularly to automatic means for limiting and controlling the flow of air through the radiator in accordance with variations in the operating temperature of the engine and specifically due to the variations in the temperature of the exhaust gases.

An object of the invention is to provide an automatic control means for automobile ra- Y riator shutters which will be more quickly responsive to variations in the exhaust temperature of the engine.

Another object of the invention is to provide automatic control means for automobile radiator shutters which will be more simple and inexpensive in their construction, cost of operation, and of few and rugged parts.

A further object of this invention is to provide an automatic control means for automobile radiator shutters which is'mounted on the exhaust manifold of the engine and is subjected to the temperature variations caused by the hot exhaust gases'of the engine so as .to cause a more positive and quicker operation of the control than is possible when operated by engine temperatures or by any other means of control.-

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic radiator shutter control means which will close the shutter much more quickly after the engine is stopped than is possible. when the engine temperature varia tion is used to eflect the control means.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic radiator shutter control means which will operate at a temperature higher than engine temperature and over a greater range of temperature thereby making the actual operation of the device more positive and more reliable.

A further object of this invention is to rovide an automatic shutter for control 0 incoming cooling air to an internal combustion engine which is operated by the heat of the exhaust gases of the engine.

A further object of this invention is to pro-- vide an automatic radiator shutter control means which is adapted to open the shutter froma point above the boiling point of the cooling medium and to close it independent of the cooling medium.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

Referring now to the drawings which illustrate several possible forms of embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a side view partially in section of an automotive internal combustion engine and radiator with the shutter and control means in position thereon.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View partially in section of a modified form of control means.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the lower portion of an automobile radiator shutter showing how the shutter controlling mechanism is installed therein.

Fig. 4 is a view of the control means taken at right angles to Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a modified type of control mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view through the automobile radiator showing the control mechanism mounted from the rear portion thereof.

Fig. 7 is a view of a further modified type of construction in which the radiator shutter is electrically controlled.

.Fig. 8 is a front elevational View of the shutter showing the location of the dummy frame section. V

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

' Fig. 10 .is a rear elevational view partly in section showing a modified form of actuating element.

Fig. 11 is an end view on the line 11--1l of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a detail view showing the arrangement to fasten the dummy vane to the shutter.

In automatic control radiator shutters as previously constructed, it has been customary to provide for the control of the thermostat or other automatic actuating means through the temperature of the water in the cooling system. Upon starting a cold engine the thermostat is not actuated to open the shutter until the temperature of all of the water in the cooling system has been raised substantially.

The opening of the shutter is slow, and in case a volatile liquid, such as alcohol, is used to prevent freezing of the cooling fluid, por tions of this may be lost through volatilization because of a temporary over-heating of the cooling liquid before the control mechanism operates to open the shutter and preserve the desired temperature. Likewise, in control mechanisms actuated b the temperature of the cooling water in t e engine, the closing of the shutter, when the engine is stopped, is considerably retarded. Durin the running of the engine, a great amount 0 heat is gathered in the walls of the cylinders and cylinder heads, and when the engine is stopped, this heat is absorbed by the water the escape of all of the heat trapped in the engine, and hence, the wide variations in the temperature of the. engine between periods of operation and periods of inaction.

It is the prime purpose of the present invention to mount the automatic shutter control mechanism in position where it can be influenced'and actuated b the temperature of the exhaust manifold o the engine, name- 1y; on or adjacent to the exhaust manifold.

On stopping the engine at the period of operation, the exhaust manifold very quickly cools to the temperature of the surrounding atmosphere, regardless of the temporary rise in the temperature of the cooling water due to the heat trapped in the cylinder walls and as the spring is now tending to close the shutter, the shutter is quickly closed, trappin and holding this heat within the engine hoo and maintaining the temperature of the en ine above that of the surrounding atmosp ere for a longer period of time than is possible in the case of a snutter controlled by the temperature of the cooling water. It completely does away with the extensive lag which exists in thermostatic elements controlled by the retained heat of the cooling water.

In the embodiment chosen in Fig. 1 to illus trate the invention, the c linder block of the engine is indicated at 1, t e radiator at 2, the outlet from the radiator at 3 and the inlet to the radiator atA. Any suitable type of pum '5 and cooling fan 6 may be provided as wi lbe'readily-understood. A ty ical arrangement of nlet manifold for t e engine cylinders is indicated at 7 and a typical arrangement of the exhaust manifold is indicated at 8. The radiator shutter 9, which is mounted in the front of the radiator, comprises the usual frame 10 and pivoted shutter vanes 11, and may be of any desired construction, such as, for example, as is illustrated in my copending application Serial No. 138,392, filed September29, 1926. It will be understood that any other construction of shutter mechanism may be used. The vanes of the shutter are preferably pivoted in the frame member 10 at approximately the mid points thereof, as indicated at 12, and are each provided with a rearwardly projecting ear 13 adapted to be secured by means of a pivot 14 to an actuating bar 15 extending vertically upward near one side of the frame so that when the bar 15 is moved upward relative to the shutter frame 10, the vanes will be swung in a clockwise direction around their pivots 12, as shown in Fig. 3, to close the shutter and when the actuating bar is moved downward relative to the frame 10, the vanes will be swung in the opposite direction to permit free flow of air to the radiator. The actuation of the bar 15 is preferably controlled by means of a thermally expansive corrugated tube or bellows 16 secured in the lower portion 17 of the shutter frameand provided with an actuating rod 18 connected to the short arm of a bell crank lever 19 which is pivoted in the brackets 20 in the shutter frame, the long arm of the bell crank 19 being secured by means of a loose connection 21 with the lower end of the actuating bar 15.

Extending from a portion of the'bellows opposite the rod 18 is a tubular conduit 22 which extends to a suitable hollowed bulb or other receptacle 23 adapted to be mounted in any suitable position on the exhaust manifold 8 of the engine 1.

The bulb 23, pi e 22 and bellows 16 are filled with a suita le fluid such as, for example alcohol, benzol, ether or the like, WhlCh vaporize at suitable temperatures and which expand greatly upon vaporization within the range of temperatures of the exhaust -manifold. The pressure generated is transmitted to the bellows 16 which directly operates the rod 18, forcing it to the right, as shown in Fig. 4. Upon cooling of the bulb 23, and the hquid or vaporized gas therein, the bellows 16 will return to its normal position and with the aid of the spring 40, the rod 18 will move to the left and actuate the bell crank. lever to close theshutter vanes. As shown in Figure 3, the spring 40 in1uriously affected by the extreme heatato which this manifold is subjected in normal" operation and which effectively, quickly,

and "adequatelyopens and closes a shuttercontrolling'this air inflow in much less time than is consumed by devices of the prior art, and further, that it closes the device in a period of from five to eight minutes after the'engine has stopped.

It will be understood that the shutter and controlmechanism is typical of one'form of embodiment which-has'been found satisfactory in the practice of the invention and that the construction is by no meanslimited to the details illustrated therein and it is to be.

construed to be within thescopeof this invention to applythis or any other embodi-fl ment to the front portion of anautomobile, whether airor water or otherwise cooled, to

tor is to be understood not only a coolin tank containing a liquid to be cooled by ra iator;

' but to include the screen or other device that encompasses. the path of the inflowing cool- Y ing air, such as commonly found in place of the usual radiator in automobiles whose engines are cooled by air.

Fig. 5, for example, illustrates a modified type'of construction in which the tube 22 extending from the bellows 16passes through the radiator and is coiled at 22 into a cylindrical receptacle 24 secured to the exhaust manifold 8 so as to receive the heat therefrom, the liquid in the coil 22* and pipe 22 expanding and contracting in accordance with variations of the temperature of the exhaust manifold to cause expansion and contraction ofthe bellows 16 in the manner previously described. j

Fig. 6, illustrates-a still further modification of the invention in which the shutters are controlled from adjacent top vanes thereofby means of a wire of cord 25 connected at one end to a curved return 26 on the top vane of the radiator shutter, and atthe other end to one arm of the bell crank lever 27 which is pivotally mounted on bracket 28 se-' cured to the back of the automobile radiator.

' The other arm of the bell crank 27 is controlled by means of a bellows 16 which is 1 mounted in verticalposition at the rear of the radiator and fixedly secured so that expansion and contraction of the bellows will cause movement of the'bell crank 27 around its pivot to open or close the'radiator shut ter.

in .w h the shutter is controlled bymeans of a thermostat 29 mounted on the. exhaust manifold 8 in such a way that the heating of the exhaust manifold will make the electrical contacts 30 to cause flow of currentfrpm the automobile battery 31 'to the resistance coil 32-located inside the bellows 16 and cause a heating of the liquid in the bellows when the resistance element 32 is heated to expand the bellows and control the opening of the shutter.

In Fig. 8 is shown the lower portion of the radiator shutter --9 with the lowermost I movable vane removed and adummy vane 33 v tionship of parts in adiiferent manner. control the ll'lflOW of air and the term radia- Thefmodification shown in Fig. 10 com- Fig 7, illustrates a further embodiment prises a rectangular shaped diaphragm 16 l the most extended port-ion having a superposed dome like bearing 34 corresponding to and actuating the floating similarly shaped pin 35 on theoperatin arm 36 pivoted to the dummy vane 33 at 3 The other end of the operating arm 36 has a slot 38 for coaction with the vertical actuating bar 15 actuating the shutter vanes. This arrangement is more fully shown in Fig. 11.

Fig. 12 shows a simple snap catch 41 with operating spring 42 to positively but remov-' ably attach the dummy vane carrying the actuating element to the radiator shutter. 7

It will be understood that various modifica; tions and changes may be made in the invention withoutdeparting from the spirit there-'- of and scope,of the appended claims which are intended to define the invention broadly.

I claim: I

1. In an automatic radiator shutter for internal combustion engines, an exhaust manifold to remove hot gases from the engine, a radiator, a; radiator shutter in front of said radiator adapted to vary the amount of air flowing therethrough' from all to none and a thermostatic control containing. a volatile liquid adjacent to and effected by the heat of the exhaust manifold, said heat vaporizing saidliquid to operate the said shutter, by vapor pressure means. 7 Y

2. In an automobile, the combination with an'intern'al combustion engine and an exhaust manifold thereon, of a radiator, and means to v obstruct the passage of air through the radiator actuated by the variations in temperature of the exhaust gases, said means being in -front of and entirely covering the air opening in the radiator.

3. In an automobile, the combination with an internal combustion engine and an exhaust manifold, a radiator, and a means to totally obstruct the inflow of air therethrough, of a thermostat to automatically operate the obstructing means which operates above the temperature of the cooling medium and independent of said temperature.

i the radiator to permit air to pass through and 4. In a device to control the inflow of cooling air to an internal combustion engine, a

thermostat adjacent the exhaust manifold, a shutter comprising movable vanes to vary the colume of incoming air, vapor pressure means adjacent the shutter and in communication with said thermostat adapted to open and close said shutter according to variations in temperature of the exhaust gases. \5. In combination with a radiator a cooling air control device for internal combustion engines, an-automatic replacement operating unit for said control device comprising a vapor pressure actuated bellows, actuating arms for said control device and moved bv said Uellows, the said bellows being ener- 1 gized by the exhaust gas heat of the engine. 7 6. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a radiator to control the a a cooling medium therefor and a conduit for exhaust gases, means for opening and closing shut off said air, and means influenced by the exhaust of tlEengine for regulating the first named means.

tor, an adjustable shutter for the entire front of said radiator to obstruct the flow of air therethrough and a thermostatic control for said shutter comprising a vaporizing chamber b to be attached adjacent a part of the en e and operated at a temperature higher t an the prevailing engine temperature, said chamberbeing' adapted to vaporize a fluid therein and means to communicate said vapor I pressure to 'said -shutter.

8. In combination with an automotive internal combustion engine having a liquid cooling system including a radiator, an air controlling shutter for the front of said radiator, a bellows adjacent the shutter to move said shutter, a thermostatic device adapted to produce avapor pressure in said shutter bellows, to operate said; shutter, said thermostatic device being adapted to operate the shutter by temperatures corresponding to the exhaust gas of said engine. In testimony whereof I have afiixed my sig nature to this-specification.

' SERGIUS VERNET.

7. In an automobile, the combination with -.an internal combustion engine, and a radia-

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