US1953611A

US1953611A - Oil cooled valve

Info

Publication number: US1953611A
Application number: US516068A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jardine Robert
Original assignee: Wilcox Rich Corp
Current assignee: Wilcox Rich Corp
Priority date: 1931-02-16
Filing date: 1931-02-16
Publication date: 1934-04-03
Anticipated expiration: 1951-04-03

Description

p 1934- R. JARDINE 1,953,611

OIL COOLED VALVE Filed Feb. 16, 1931 INVENTOR Fake/d J? 2/1 My.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 3, 1934 PATENT? OFFICE om COOLED VALVE Robert Jardine, Detroit, Mich, assigimr to Wilcox-Rich Corporation, a corporation of Michigan Application February 16, 1931,8eria1 No. 516,068

Claims.

My invention relates to internal combustion engine valves and particularly to valves of the poppet type and to means connecting the valve to the actuator, such as a cam, which eliminates i continual adjustment for clearance, and to cooling means for such valves operable through and in conjunction with said connecting means.

It has been the practice in the past, when providing valves for internal combustion engines, to

10 employ adjusting means adjacent to the end of the valve stem by means of which suflicient clearance could be effected between the valve stem and the tappet for absorbing the expansion or lengthening of the valve stem which occurred when the valve became heated. When the clearance thus provided was too great, considerable noise was developed and when too small the valve head was prevented from completely seating and soon became pitted and burned away by the heat of the escaping gases. Some attempts, heretofore, have been made to muflie the noise developed when there is excessive clearance between the parts and other attempts have been made to minimize the expansion of the valve stem by cooling, all of which have been more or less unsatisfactory.

By means of my invention I am able to reduce the necessary clearance between the valve and tappet to a minimum by actuating the valve from its seat independently of the valve stem, provide means for cooling the tappet and insulating it to a substantial degree from the heat generated around the valve, provide means for cooling the valve head and stem, and provide means for muflling eifectively such slight noise as may be developedby engagement and re-engagement of the valve and tappet.

One object of my invention is to provide a valve of the above mentioned type with a spring and an operating member, the former of which shall cooperate with the valve stem for biasing the valve to closed position and the latter of which shall actuate the valve to open position independently of the valve stem.

Another object of my invention is to provide a valve of the above mentioned type with an operating member which shall apply an actuating force directly to the head of the valve and thereby eliminate the expansion of the valve stem as a clearance factor in the adjustment of the parts.

A further object of my invention is to provide the operating member, which directly engages the head of a valve, with a fluid which shall first pass through the central bore of said member to cool it and thereafter pass over the outer surface of (Cl. 1231Tl) the member to insulate it from the surrounding heat. I

A further object of my invention is to provide means for projecting fluid lubricant for cooling a valve and cooling and insulating the operating member therefor and for supplying lubricant to the guide members of the valve for the purpose of lubrication.

With these and other objects, which shall become apparent, in mind, my invention will be best understood by referring to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in sectional elevation of. a valve embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the ope ating member for the valve shown in Fig. i.

Fig. 3 is a broken view, in elevation, of the structure shown in Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a broken sectional view, in elevation, of a modified valve operating structure which may be employed in conjunction with the structure disclosed in Fig. 1.

My invention comprises, in general, a conduit 1 for a fluid which is provided with a valve seat 2, a valve 3 which cooperates with the valve seat 2, operating means 4 which actuate the valve 3 toopen position, and a frame 5 which supports and guides the valve 3 and the operating member 4.

It will be readily recognized, by one skilled in the art, that the frame 5 is a portion of a cylinder block of an internal combustion engine and that conduit 1 thereof is an intake or exhaust port for the cylinder. It should be home in mind that, while my valve was invented particularly for internal combustion engines, it may be employed advantageously on any structure requiring a valve which is subjected to changes intemperature. A fluid compressor is one example of a structure to which my valve readily adapts itself.

The valve 3 comprises a head 6 having a. face '7 of truncated conical shape which cooperates with the valve seat 2 in the frame 5 to completely seal the conduit or fluid port 1. The valve head 6 is provided with a stem 8 in the form of a hollow extension projecting from the under surface of the head. A valve stem guide 9 is provided in the frame 5 of such length and diameter that the valve stem is retained in vertical position with the valve-head face 7 in exact alignment with the valve seat 2.

The lower extremityof the valve stem 8 is provided with a removable spring-retaining member 10 which may be of any conventional type well known in the art. The spring-retaining member herein shown comprises a pairof split members 11 of truncated conical shape provided with a corrugated central opening 12. The corrugations correspond to similarly constructed annular lands and grooves 13 provided about the lower end of the stem 8. A spring-engaging ring 14 having a central opening of truncated conical shape, corresponding to the shape of the outer surface of the split members 11, is first slid over the stem 8 against the bias of a spring 15 which abuts against the valve stem guide 9. The split members 11 are then placed about the lower end of the stem, the inner corrugations thereof engaging the lands and grooves 13 on the stem. The spring-retaining means 14 is then released and is biased by the spring 15 into firm engagement with the split members 10 in such manner that the downward bias of the spring, reacting on the valve-stem guide 9, causes the spring-retaining member 10 to firmly engage the valve stem 8 and the valve 6 to be biased downwardly until its engaging face 7 is firmly seated in the valve seat 2.

The valve operating mechanism 4 comprises a valve tappet 16 which is retained in alignment with the valve stem 8 by a tappet guide 17, which is a portion of the frame 5. A valve tappet cam shaftl8 is provided below the valve tappet l6 and is of the conventional design, the manner of operation of which is well known in the art.

The tappet 16 is of the conventional design with the exception of the provision of a shouldered central bore 19 which is provided in its upper end and which communicates through passages 21 with an elongated annular channel 22 provided in its outer surface, the purpose of which will be more fully explained hereinafter. The upper enlarged portion of the bore- 19 in the tappet 16 engages and retains the lower end of a tubular extension 23 in prolongation of the tappet. The tubular extension 23 projects within the hollow stem 8, of the valve 3, and directly engages the under side of the valve head 6.

An enlarged head 24 is provided on the upper end of the tubular extension 23, having cross slots 25 cut in its top surface which extend downwardly across the side surface of the head to constitute communicating passages with the central opening of the hollow tubular extension 23. The head and the passages are more clearly illustrated in the enlarged views of Figs. 2 and 3.

A supply conductor 26 is provided in the wall of the tappet guide 17 and is in direct communication with the elongated annular channel 22 of the tappet 16. As the tappet moves upwardly and downwardly, in conformity with the movementofthe cam 18, the channel 22 is of such length as to be in constant communication with the supply conductor 26, and to be always enclosed within the confines of the tappet guide 1'7.

The supply conductor 26 is in communication with a pump for supplying a cooling fluid to the tappet and the hollow extension, which pump is not disclosed in the drawing and may be a separate distinct element in itself although I prefer to connect the supply conductor 26 directly to the pump of the high pressure oil feed line which is customarily provided with the conventional type of internal combustion engines or similar. devices.

Such a connection is further advantageous when the lubricating feature of the oil is utilized in a manner which will be explained hereinafter.

It is to be understood that fluids other than oil, such as water, air and the like, may be emtappet 16, is also in its uppermost position bearing directly against the under portion of the valve head 6. Accordingly, the valve head 6 is shown unseated and raised to its uppermost position against the bias of the spring 15. While in this position, oil is being fed through the conductor 26 through the channel 22, the passages 21 to the centralbore 19 of the tappet 16, from which it flows upwardly through the tubular extension 23 across the slots 25 in the head of the extension and downwardly across the outer surface of the extension and within the hollow portion of the valve stem 8.

In this construction, the cool oil, passing through the center of the tubular extension 23, cools the extension and, upon passing between the tubular extension and the valve stem, insulates the extension from the heat of the stem.

The passage of the fluid'through the slots 25 causes the fluid to intimately contact with the head 6 of the valve 3 and thereby cools the valve head and also cushions and muflies the engagement of the members.

It will be noted that by cooling and insulating the tappet extension 23, its temperature will remain substantially constant and lower than that of the valve head 6 and its associated stem 8. It therefore follows that any elongation of tappet extension 23 due to heat, is minimized and substantially less than that of the valve stem in conventional constructions. The only changes that efiect the valve setting are those due to the expansion and contraction of the valve head itself which is very slight, and the expansion and contraction of the extension 23 which would also-be very slight owing to its continually cool condition. It is therefore apparent that very little clearance between the parts is required to take care of the expansion thereof.

When employing a cooled tappet extension in direct communication with the valve head, as above described, the extension can be directly connected to the tappet and no means for adjustment need be necessarily provided for changing the over-all dimension of the tappet and extension. However, if it should be desirable to provide some adjustment between the hollow extension 23 and the tappet 16, in order to regulate the clearance between the tappet head 28 and the cam 18, I have disclosed such a feature in Fig. 4. I have-provided a protuberance 29 on the lower wall of the tappet extension 23 in the shape of a hexagon nut which may be engaged by a wrench in a well known manner. The surface of the hollow extension 31 between the hexagon-shaped protuberance 29 is threaded and is screwed into the bore'32 provided in the upper end of the tappet 16 which has been threaded to receive the thread of the hollow extension 31. A lock nut 33 is provided on the threaded section of the extension 31 between the top of the tappet 16 and the protuberance 29. The proper adjustment is effected after loosening the nut 33, by turning the hexagon-shaped protuberance 29 to the right or left, as-the case may be, to lengthen orshorten, respectively, the over-all dimension of the extension 23 and the tappet 16. The extension 23'is then retained in place while the lock nut 33 is jammed against the top of the tappet 16.

The presence of the fluid under pressure, between the surface of the head 24 and the under surface of the valve head 6, cushions the engagement of the surfaces and substantially reduces the noise customarily effected by the valve actuation. The downward thrust to the extension, and tappeteffected by the fluid, retains the tappet in firm engagement with the cam. after the valve is seated, to thereby prevent their disengagement and to eliminate the noise heretofore produced by their subsequent engagement. The pressure desirable for this function and also for cushioning the contact between the valve andextension may be controlled to some extent by the size of the notches in the head of the extension in relation to the size of the bore through the extension, and also by regulating the pressure in the fluid line. i

I have taken advantage of the employment of a lubricating oil as a cooling medium and its passage along the inner surface of a hollow valve stem 8, by providing an aperture 27 in the side wall of the stem, that is always contained within the confines of the valves guide 9. In this construction, the downwardly flowing all within the stem 8 communicates, through the aperture 27, with the surface of the guide 9 to thereby lubricate the guide and valve stem and prevent wear between their rubbing surfaces. Any excess oil from the guide 9, reaching the outer surface of the lower portion of the valve stem 8, flows downwardly thereon and joins the oil or lubricating fluid which passes outwardly from the bottom of the valve stem 8. This fluid is collected at a common point from which it is constantly being propelled, by means of a pump, through the conductor 26 and the valve stem 3 in a manner referred to heretofore.

The passage of the liquid through the conductor 26 and the channel 22 also lubricates the tappet 16 and the associated guide 1'7 to prevent wear between their engaging surfaces. It is to be understood that the fluid collected at a common point may be cooledin any manner well known in the art before being again circulated through. the valve stem. While I disclose an operating member for the valve head which is provided with a cooling and insulating means, it is to be understood that other means such as non-expansible metal, compensating strips, or the like, may be substituted therefor and still come within the purview of my invention.

It will be further noted that the forces for moving the valve to open and to closed positions are applied at opposite ends of the valve stem, which is an advancement in the internal combustion engine art.

While I have described and illustrated two embodiments of my invention, it ,will be apparent to anyone skilled in the art, that many changes, omissions, additions and substitutions may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, as set forth in the accompanying claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A valve for the seat of a fluid conducting port having a head and a hollow stem, means for operating the valve to open position including means in operative relation withthe valve head extending through said hollow stem and. movable relative thereto.

2. A valve for the seat of a fluid conducting port having a head and a hollow stem, means for operating the valve to open position including means in operative relation with the valve head extending through said hollow stem and movable relative thereto, and means for cooling the last said means.

3. The combination with a fluid conducting.

port provided with a valve seat, of a valve cooperating with said seat and comprising a head and a stem, means associated with said stem for biasing said valve into engagement with said seat and means operable independently of said stem for moving said valve from .said seat.

4. The combination with a fluid conducting port provided with a valve seat, of a valve cooperating with said seat and comprising a head and a stem, means associated with said stem for biasing said valve into engagement with said seat and means separate from but directly engageable with said head for moving said valve from said seat.

5. The combination with a fluid conducting port provided with a valve seat, of a valve cooperating with said seat and comprising a head and a stem, means associated with said stem for biasing said valve into engagement with said seat, means operable independently of said stem for moving said valve from said seat and means for cooling the last said means.

6. The combination with a fluid conducting port provided with a valve seat, of a valve cooperating with said seat and comprising a head and a stem, means associated with said stem for biasing said valve into engagement with said seat, means operable independently of said stem for moving said valve from said seat and means for thermally protecting the last said means from the heat of said valve.

'7. The combination with a fluid conductor having a valve seat associated therewith, of a valve for said seat including a head and a hollow stem, a guide associated with said stem, a projection on the lower portion of said stem, a spring associated with said projection for biasing said valve into engagement with said seat, a tappet, a cam for actuating said tappet and an extension associated with said tappet and engageable with said valve head within said stem. for moving said valve against the bias of said spring from engagement with said seat when said tappet is actuated by said cam.

8. The combination with a fluid conductor having a valve seat associated therewith, of a valve for said seat including a head and a hollow stem, a guide associated with said stem, a projection on the lower portion of said stem, a spring associated with said projection for biasing said valve into engagement with said seat, a tappet, a hollow extension association with said tappet for engaging said valve head within said stem and means for conducting a cooling fluid within said hollow extension into engagement with said head and. stem.

9. The combination with a fluid conductor having a valve seat associated therewith, of a valve for said seat including a head and a hollow stem, a guide associated with said stem, a projection on the lower portion of said stem, a spring associated with said projection for biasing said valve into engagement with said seat, a tappet, a guide for said tappet, conducting ports between said guide and tappet for a fluid, a hollow extension associated with the port in said tappet and engageable with said valve head within said stem and a cooling fluid conductibie through said port and hollow extension into engagement with said head and stem.

10. The combination with a fluid conductor having a valve seat associated therewith, of a valve for said seat including a head and hoilow stem, a guide associated with said stem, a projection on the lower portion of said stem, a spring associated with said projection for biasing said valve into engagement with said seat, a tappet, a hollow extension associated with said tappet for engaging said valve head within said stem and an outlet port in the wall of said hollow stem within the confines of said guide for the stem.

11. The combination with a valve having a hollow stem and a hollow tappet extending within said stem and engageable with the head of said valve, of a cooling fluid under pressure conductible through said hollow tappet and stem for cushioning the engagement between the tappet and valve head.

12. The combination with a valve having a hollow stem and a hollow tappet extending within said stem and engageable with the head of said valve, of a cooling fluid under pressure conductible through said hollow tappet and stem i'or cushioning the engagement between the tappet and valve head and for biasing the tappet at all times against its actuating member.

13. The combination with a valve having a hollow stem and a hollow tappet extending within said stem and engageable with the head of said valve, of a lubricant conductible through said hollow tappet and stem for cushioning the engagement between the tappet and valve head.

14. The combination with a valve having a hollow stem and a hollow tappet extending within said stemand engageable with the head of said valve, of a lubricant conductible through said holllowtappet and stem for cushioning the engagement between the tappet and valve head and cushioning the engagement between the tappet and valve head, for lubricating said tappet and stem and for supplying a torce for retaining the tappet against its actuating member.

ROBERT J ARDINE.