US2097409A

US2097409A - Throttle control for internal combustion engines

Info

Publication number: US2097409A
Authority: US
Inventors: Daniel L Wertz
Original assignee: Eclipse Machine Co
Current assignee: Eclipse Machine Co
Priority date: 1931-12-28
Filing date: 1931-12-28
Publication date: 1937-10-26
Anticipated expiration: 1954-10-26
Also published as: DE611074C

Description

Oct. 26, 1937. D. L. WERTZ 2,097,409

THROTTLE CONTROL FdR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Dec. 28, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY Oct. 26, 1937. D. L. WERTZ 2,097,409

THROTTLE CONTROL FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Dec. 28, 1931 2 Shee'ts-Sheet 2 11v VENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 26, 1937' UNITED STATES THROTTLE CONTROL FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Daniel L. Wertz, Elmira, N. Y., assignor to Eclipse Machine Company, Elmira,

tion of New York N. 1., a corpora- Application December as, 1931, Serial No. 583,552

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a throttle control for internal combustion engines and more particularly to an automatic device for causing an engine throttle to be partially opened during the starting operation but to be allowed to move to normal idling position when the engine becomes self-operative.

-In starting internal combustion engines, the throttle is preferably opened a substantial amount during the cranking operation in order to admit adequate charges of mixture into the cylinders, and to permit sufflcient throttling to occur at the choke valve when the latter is closed to obtain the desired temporary enriching of the mixture. It is desirable, however, that the throttle be moved to its normal idling position as soon as the engine starts, in order to prevent racing the engine which is most harmful when the engine is cold and the lubricant sluggish.

A device for automatically controlling an engine throttle as above indicated without requiring the attention of the operator is obviously desirable, but it is especially advantageous in connection with automatic starting mechanisms in which the starting operation is brought about as a consequence of engine stall, and without the volition of the operator.

It is an object of the present invention to pro vide a novel automatic device for causing an engine throttle to be opened during the starting operation and to bemoved to its idling position when the engine starts.

Anotherobject is to provide such a device which operates to normally hold the engine throttle partly open, but allows the same to close to idling position as soon as the engine becomes self-operative.

A further object is to provide such a device in which the vacuum in the intake manifold of the engine caused by self-operation of the engine is relied upon to overcome the means which normally hold the throttle open whereby reduction in such vacuum such as might be caused by incipient stalling of the engine will immediately cause the throttle to be opened.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in this art from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation partly in section of a preferred embodiment of the invention showing the parts in their normal or idle position;

Fig. 2 is a similar view. showing the parts in the positions assumed when the engine is self-operative;

Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective of certain of the operating elements for the throttle valve;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of an engine carburetor showing a second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail thereof showing the parts in the positions assumed when the engine is not running; and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the parts in the positions. assumed under normal idling conditions of the engine.

Referring first to Fig. 1 of the drawings, there is shown a carburetor I of conventional type having a throttle passage 2 in which is located a throttle valve 3 of the usual butterfly type fixed on a cross shaft 4. The shaft 4 has fixedly mounted thereon as by means of a set screw 5 a control arm 6 adapted to be actuated by the operator in the usual manner to control the position of the throttle valve.

The control arm 6 is provided with a projection 1 adapted to engage an adjustable stop screw 8 for limiting the closing movement of the throttle. According to the present invention, this stop screw. 8 instead of being mounted, as usual, on a rigid part of the body of the carburetor is mounted on an arm 9 which is freely pivoted on the throttle shaft 4 and is provided with a projection ll arranged to cooperate with a stop screw I2 adjustably mounted in a lug l3 formed on the body of the carburetor.

The stop screws 8 and i2 and the projections l and II are so arranged that when said projections engage said stop screws, as shown in Fig. 2, the control arm 6 holds the throttle 3 in position to secure suitable idling operation of the engine.

According to the present invention, means are provided for yieldably holding the arm 9 with the projection ll spaced from the stop screw l2 whereby a substantial opening of the throttle is maintained when the engine is not self-operative. As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, this means takes the form of a compression spring l4 mounted on a guide rod I5 pivoted at III to the end of the arm 9. This spring normally holds the arm 9 in the position illustrated in Fig. 1 whereby the throttle 3 is maintained at a predetermined opening suitable for the starting operation.

Means are provided for overcoming the action of the spring It in the form of a piston I6 mounted on the lower end of the rod l5 within a cylinder H the lower end of which is suit-,

ably connected as by a tube l8 to the intake manifold of the engine.- The cylinder I1 is preferably provided with a cover l9 forming a guide for the piston rod I6 and an abutment for the spring [4.

In operation, during the actuation of the starting mechanism of the engine, the throttle-3 will be maintained partially open as illustrated in Fig. l by the action of the spring l4. The initial self-actuation of the engine, however, creates a vacuum in the intake manifold which is transmitted by the tube l8 to the cylinder l1 causing the piston l6 to be retracted, compressing the spring l4 and bringing the projection ll of the arm 3 against the stop screw I 2. The throttle arm 6 is thereupon actuated by the usual throttle return spring (not illustrated) to keep the throttle valve 3 in its idling position as shown in Fig. 2, except when moved therefrom by the operator to cause acceleration of the engine in the usual manner.

An additional stop screw 2| mounted in a lug 22 of the carburetor casing is preferably provided to limit the automatic opening action of the throttle to the most advantageous starting position.

It will be understood that the spring l4 may be so calibrated that the piston i6 will be moved upward by said spring while there is still a certain amount of vacuum in the intake manifold. By a proper selection of the strength of said spring, it is possible to cause the throttle to be partly opened before the engine comes to rest whereby stalling of the engine may be prevented by the automatic opening of the throttle.

It will be understood that any suitable means may be employed for retracting the rod l upon self-actuation of the engine instead of the use of intake vacuum as above set forth, such as the use of-oil pressure, exhaust pressure, or a solenoid actuated from an engine-driven generator.

In the second embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, the objects of the invention are accomplished by forming a throttle valve 23 in two halves, one of which indicated at 24 is fixedly mounted on a throttle shaft 25 while the other half 26 is loosely mounted on the throttle shaft with freedom for pivotal movement limited by

stops

21 and 28 formed on the throttle part 24. The throttle shaft 25 is controlled by suitable manual operating means such as a lever 29, and the idling position thereof is determined by an adjustable abutment 3|. The abutment 28 is so arranged that when the throttle part 24 is in its idling position as determined by the adjustable stop 3 I, the throttle part 26 when in engagement with the stop 28 is also in idling position as indicated in Fig. 6. A yielding means such as a spring 32 is provided for biasing the throttle part 26 away from the stop 28 and into engagement with stop 21 as shown in Fig. 5 in which position the throttle part 26 is opened a limited amount which is predetermined to give an optimum throttle opening for starting purposes.

The spring 32 is made of such stiffness that it will yield under normal idling intake vacuum and allow the throttle part 26 to rest against the abutment 28. However, when the intake vacuum falls below the normal idling condition, such as in case of incipient stalling, the spring 32 will act to open the throttle part 26 and admit additional fuel to. the engine.

In the operation of both embodiments of the invention, during initial starting the throttle is opened to provide the most advantageous starting condition but as soon as the eng ne e omes self-operative, the intake vacuum causes the throttle to close to idling position and remain closed except as operated by the manual controlling means. Should the idling speed be set too low or should the operator apply the load to the engine without sufilciently opening the throttle, thus causing liability of stalling the engine, the reduction in the intake vacuum caused by the lowering of the engine speed allows the throttle to open sufliciently to prevent the engine from stalling.

When the engine is stopped, the throttle is allowed to open during the last few strokes of the pistons whereby a charge of fuel is drawn into the cylinders which will assist in the subsequent starting of the engine.

Although but two embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that other embodiments are possible and various changes may be -made in the design and arrangements of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:-

1. Inc. fuel control system for internal combustion engines, a throttle shaft, a throttle valve formed in two parts, one part being fixed on said shaft and the other part being pivotally mounted thereon, a stop for said shaft defining the idling position of the throttle part fixed to said shaft, a stop for the other throttle part limiting its pivoted movement toward closed position, and means for biasing said pivoted throttle part away from said stop.

2. In a fuel control system for internal combustion engines, a throttle shaft, a throttle valve formed in two parts, one part being fixed on said shaft and the other part being pivotally. mounted thereon, a stop for said shaft defining the idling position of the throttle part fixed to said shaft, a stop for the other throttle part limiting such pivotal movement in the opposite direction, and means for yieldably urging said pivoted throttle part toward said last-named stop.

3. In a carburetor, a mixture passage, a throttle controlling said passage, said throttle having a portion of its closing edge movable relatively to the remainder thereof, and means responsive to suction to control the movement of said movable portion, so that it will move towards closed position upon an increase in the suction.

4. In an internal combustion engine having a passage through which a fuel-air mixture is drawn by engine suction, means to close said passage, said means having a part biased to a position precluding maximum closure, and said part being movable by engine suction to a position enabling maximum closure.

5. In an internal combustion engine having a passage through which a fuel-air mixture is drawn by engine suction, a valve to control the flow of the fuel-air mixture through said passage, a movable member forming part of said valve, yieldable means tending at all times to move said member toward a position permitting increased passage of the fuel-air mixture past the valve, and means adjustably mounting the valve in said passage in such a position that engine suction opposes the action of said yieldable means on said movable member to maintain said movable member in a position permitting maximum closure of the passage as long as engine suction obtains, the yieldable means moving said movable member toward open position and allowing an increased passage of the tuel-air mixture past the valve upon lessening of the engine suction. 1

6. In an internal combustion engine having a passage through which a fuel-air mixture is drawn by engine suction, a butterfly valve to close said passage and comprising two complementary sections, a mounting shaft to adjustably mount both sections of the valve, one of said sections being rigidly attached to the shaft and the other being loose on the shaft to have a limited movement with respect to the shaft and said other section, said valve being so mounted in the passage that engine suction tends to hold the movable section in its position affording maximum closure, whereby maximum closure or the passage is possible as long as engine suction obtains, and a spring to move said movable section toward open position upon lessening oi engine suction.

DANIEL L. WERTZ.