US1821999A - Internal-combustion engine lubrication system - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 8, 1931. A, A, WOODWARD 1,821,999

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE LUBRICATION SYSTEM Filed March 13, 1931 [ill Patented Sept. 8, 1931 PATENT OFFICE .ARTHUR A. WOODWARD, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO SKINNER morons, me;I

0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE LUBRICATION SYSTEM Application led March 13; 1931. Serial No. 522,265.'

In sliding-valve internal-combustion engines, such as those of the Knight type employing interfitting, telescoping sleevevalves and those of the style using reciprocatory, semicircular or arcuate valves, means have heretofore been provided for withdrawing the excess lubricant from the valves by suction derived from the engine intake-manifold, the air, gases and vapors accompanying or incident to such lubricant flowing through such manifold into the engine where they are consumed, the remaining oil, more or less puriied, being returned to the lubricant supply in the engine crank-case.

The present invention relates to improved means for returning such withdrawn lubricant to the crank-case or other lubricantsupply compartment and comprises a pump and its associated operating means for removing the oil from a chamber which `is under sub-atmospheric pressure and delivering it into the crank-case or other receptacle under atmospheric pressure. e

To permit those skilled in this art to fully and completely understand the invention 'and the advantages accruing from its employment, in the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a present, preferred embodiment of the invention, and throughout the views thereof like reference numerals have been used to designate the same structural parts, but in considering this ph sical embodiment of the invention it is to be orne in mind that this is presented by way of example only, and Athat the invention, as stated in the appended claims, is susceptible of a variety of satisfactory embodiments and that many more or/less major or minor changes or modifications may be made in the structure illustrated without departure from the essential principles of the invention and without the sacrifice of any of its substantial advantages.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a fragmentary, vertical section through the internal-combustion engine showing the oil pump and its actuating means;

Figure 2 is a smaller, similar view showing1 the pump parts in a different position; an

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on line 3 3 v of Figure l. -1 Referring to the views of these drawings, it will be perceived that the multi-cylinder casting 11 of theengine has at one side a chamber or oil receptacle 12 formed as a part of it, such chamber having a pair of vertical webs or division wallsl, 14 which reach from the top of the chamber down to a point near its bottom wall or floor 15, so that such walls divide the chamber into three upright compartments 16, 17 and 18 in direct communication with one another at their lower portions.

By horizontal conduits'19 and 20, connecting with the upper parts of the end compartments 16 and 18, the latter areljkoined by such passages and their cylinder ports 2.1, l21 with the interior of the several cylinders 22, 22 of the engine of which' only a part have been shown.

In such cylinders, the arcuate or curved valves 23, 23 reciprocate between the outer cylinders and stationary, inner cylinders 24, 24 located therein and spaced inwardly from the outer cylinders, all as is clearly illustrated. r

In these drawings, the means for operating the valves and for withdrawing their excess of oil has been shown in connection with only one sliding valve of each pair, but, it is to be understood, that similar or like means are or may be used for such companion valves.

The middle compartment 17 of the chamber is connected by a conduit or pipe 25 with the intake-manifold of the engine, so that suction is applied through the cylinder- ports 21, 21 to the reciprocating valves to draw off or extract their extra or surplus lubricant to prevent its finding access to the interior of the cylinders through the valve ports.

w Thus the applied suction draws the excess oil into the bottom of chamber 12, the accompanying or associated air, gas, and vapors flowing on under the suction action into the intake-manifold and engine cylinders for economical combustion or consumption in the latter, the division walls 13, 14acting in the nature of barriers or bailes preventing any of the oil proper from passing over with the air and gases into the engine.

Chamber 12 at its lower partI has an inclined discharge-passage 26 connecting at its lower end with an uprlght passage 27 closed at its top at 28 by a disc and opening at its bottom into a bearing 29 in which the pump oscillates.

Such a pump comprises a cylinder 30 rocking in the specified bearing and having a transverse, cylindrical cavity 31 open at one end, with an admission-port 32 at about the middle point of its length and reaching to its exterior surface, and with a discharge-port 33 at its otherwise closed end extending to its outer curved surface.

The pump structure which may be bolted at 34, 34, in the position shown, over an aperture through the side wall of the engine crank-case also includes a bent delivery conduit 35 connectingr the cylindrical bearing cavity 29 with the interior of the crank-case.

A plunger 36 fits and reciprocates in such cylindrical space 31 and projects a substantial distance out of the open end thereof, its terminal portion being pivoted or hinged at 37 to the connecting-rod 38 joining the rotary valve-operating crank or eccentric shaft 39 with` one of the sliding valves 23, it being understood that a number of such Valves are reciprocated by the shaft which is common to all of them and which is rotated at the proper speed in the customary manner by mechanism not necessary to depict because it is we-ll understood in the art.

The surplus oil delivered into chamber 12, even though the latter is at sub-atmospheric pressure by reason of the suction exerted through the pipe 25, flows by gravity down the connected passages 26 and 27 and 1nto the rocking port 32 of the oscillatory cylinder 30.

The movements of the valve-actuating connecting-rod 38 reciprocate the plunger 36, and, as the latter approaches the end of its backward stroke, as shown in Figure 1, it uncovers and opens the inlet-port 32 while the latter is in communication with the passage 27, and the oil fiows into the cylinder 31 in advance of the end of the plunger, the discharge-port 33 at this time being closed because it is out of register or communication with the delivery passage 35.

Obviously, due to the up and down travel of the end of the plunger hinged at 37 to the connecting-rod, as the plunger is lengthwise reciprocated it is also rocked up and down, causing a like turning or swinging of the cylinder member 30, which operation is employed for the automatic opening and closing of the ports at the proper time.

The cylinder 31 having received its charge of oil, the plunger 36 advances and soon closes port 32, and, during its further forward travel, it rocks the member 30 bringing port 33 into communication with the stationary passage 35, whereby during the remainder of the advance of the'plunger, the latter eX- pels the oil in cylinder 31 through the open port 33 and conduit 35 into the engine crankcase (see Figure 2).

As the plunger recedes with the accompanying swinging of the cylinder, port 33 is soon disconnected from passage 35, so that during the continued retraction of the plunger it creates a partial vacuum in its cylinder, and, when it again opens port 32, the oil is drawn into the cylinder by reason of the vacuum condition therein, regardless of the sub-atmospheric pressure condition in chamber 12.

The cylinder having thus received another load of oil, the plunger again advances with a repetition of the functions and results above stated.

Thus the oil is intermittently removed from the chamber, which is under reduced atmospheric pressure, and returned to the crank-case in which atmospheric pressure prevails.

I claim:

1. In an internal-combustion engine, the combination of a valve, means to operate said valve, a pump member having an internal bearing and inlet and discharge passages connecting with said bearing, a cylindrical member oscillatory in said bearing and having a cylindrical chamber with inlet and delivery ports co-operating with said inlet and discharge passages, a plunger reciprocatoryin said cylindrical chamber, means connecting said plunger with said valve operating means to reciprocate and to rock said plunger, thereby eiecting the oscillation of said cylindrical member, said inlet-port being opened and closed by the reciprocations of said plunger and said exhaustport being opened and closed by the oscillations of said member, and means to withdraw excess oil from the engine and to deliver it into said inlet-passage, whereby the pump will receive the oil through said inlet-port and deliver it through said discharge-port and passage.

2. In an internal-combustion engine, the combination of a sliding valve, means to reciprocate said valve, a pump member having an internal bearing and inlet and discharge passages connecting with said bearing, a cylindrical member oscillatory insaid bearing and having a cylindrical chamber with inlet and-delivery ports co-operating with said inlet anddischarge passages, a plunger reciprocatory in said cylindrical chamber, means connecting said plunger with said valve reciprocating means to reciprocate and rock said plunger, thereby eecting the oscillation of said cylindrical member, said inlet-port being opened and closed by the reciprocations of said plunger and said exhaust-port being opened and closed by the oscillations of said member, and means to withdraw excess oil from said valve and to deliver it into said inlet-passage, whereby the pump will receive the oil through said inlet-port and deliver it through said discharge-port and passage.

3. In an internal-combustion engine, the combination of a sliding valve, means to reciprocate said valve, a pump member having an internal bearing and inlet and discharge passages connecting with said bearing, a cylindrical member oscillatory in said bearing and having a cylindrical chamber with inletand delivery ports co-operating with said inlet and discharge passages, a plunger reciprocatory in said cylindrical chamber, means connecting said plunger with said valve reciprocating means to reciprocate and rock said plunger, thereby effecting the oscillation of said cylindrical member, said inlet-port being opened and closed by the reciprocations of said plunger and said exhaust-port being opened and closed by the oscillations of said member, a chamber, suction means to withdraw excess oil from said valve into said chamber, and a conduit connecting the lower portion of said chamber with said inlet-passage.

4. In an internal-combustion engine, the combination of a sliding valve, means to reciprocate said valve, a pump member having an internal bearing and inlet and 'discharge passages connecting with said bearing, a cylindrical member oscillatory in said bearing and having a cylindrical chamber with inlet and delivery ports co-operating with said inlet and discharge passages, a plunger reciprocatory in said cylindrical chamber, means connecting said plunger with said valve reciprocating means to reciprocate and rock said plunger, thereby effecting the oscillation of said cylindrical member, said inlet-port being opened and closed by the reciprocations of said plunger and said exhaust-port being opened and closed by the oscillations of said member, a chamber, means connecting said chamber with the engine inL take-manifold to apply suction to said chainber, conduit means connecting said chamber with said valve, and a condilit connecting the lower portion of said chamber with said inlet-passage. y

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand. c

ARTHUR A. WODWRD.

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