US2550897A

US2550897A - Oil level gauge

Info

Publication number: US2550897A
Application number: US780243A
Authority: US
Inventors: Earl R Wilson
Original assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
Current assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
Priority date: 1947-10-16
Filing date: 1947-10-16
Publication date: 1951-05-01
Anticipated expiration: 1968-05-01

Description

E, R. WILSON v OIL LEVEL GAUGE May 1, 1951 Filed Oct. 16, 1947 Patented May 1, 1 951 OIL LEVEL GAUGE Earl R. Wilson, Flint, Mich, a'ssignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Application October 16, 1947, Serial No, 780,243

This invention relates to a detail improvement in dip sticks, such as are used to measure oil level in an engine crankcase. Motor trucks re-v cently placed in production have the front end sheet metal so designed that the wheel fenders are relatively high with respect to engine position so as to make unhandy access to the gauge rod as heretofore arranged.

To meet the situation the access opening in the crankcase for removable reception of the usual dip stick has been provided with an upstanding extension tube for supporting a much longer ullage rod, whose upper terminal handle is within convenient reach when the engine hood is raised.

The added rod length makes the rod more susceptible. to breakage and to vibration fatigue failure if the conventional rod is merely in?- creased in length below the Ordinary friction sprin retainer by which it would be supported only at the upper end of the extension tube with the lower unsupported free end projected a considerable distance downwardly into the liquid and subjected to long leverage whipping tendency,

To minimize whipping for projected unsupported length is one of the objects Of this invention and particularly an object is to provid a more simple, easier formed and less expensive single piece rod which will be durable in use and quick.-

ly and conveniently removable and then replace able in a long extension tube and snugly fitted thereto mainly in the final stage of home positioning.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the intermediate portion of the rod to be housed within the extension tube has integral deformations to fit the tube wall under slight stress and preferably throughout most of the length of the tube so as to have substantial area of supporting longitudinal contact with the tube and to engage near both of the widely spaced apart tube eX- tremities for a stable mounting. More specifically the deformations integral with the intermediate mounting portion of the rod consist of a series of longitudinally spaced lateral offsets alternating in opposite directions and which can be conveniently coined between dies in a single stroke. It is to be noted that in an arrangement of three successive ofisets the dimensioning can be such that a snug friction fit with the tube walls occurs only when all three offset seating sections are housed. Within the tube. Thus upon insertion the rod can be dropped downwardly by its own weight except in the final short length of axial travel when an added Push will be required as 8 Claims. (01. 33--1 26.7)

the uppermost offset enters the tube and causes all three onsets to frictionally engage the tubewalls and similarly upon removal a greater pull is needed to overcome friction sliding contact of the three offsets only in the initial short length upward lift until the uppermost offset clears the top of the extended mounting tube. Consequently, the effort required to manipulate the rod corresponds to that with the conventional short length gauge rod but a much longer range of friction bearing or seating in the home position is afforded by the cooperation of the rod and extension tube for resisting displacement and increasing rod stiffness.

A better understanding of the structure will be had upon inspection of the accompanying drawing wherein Figure l is a front elevation with parts broken away of a motor vehicle embodying the invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged frag.- ment corresponding to the showing of Figure l and with parts in section and Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the mounting tube in section and the corrugated intermediate portion of the gauge rod fitted to the tube.

Figure 1 illustrates the position of the engine I between and in relation to the very high sheet metal fenders 2.-2 over the front wheels. When the engine cover or hood 3 is lifted for inspection or replenishment of the oil supply the depth of the engine makes it rather inaccessible from above the top of the fenders and accordingly the conventional filler tube 4 is shown provided with a supplementary or adapter tube section 5 pro jected upwardly and secured by a split clamp 53.

' As usual the side wall of the engine crankcase is provided with a hollow boss 7 for the reception of an oil level stick. In the present instance there is press fitted within the hollow boss the lower end of an upstanding extension tube 8 terminating at a more convenient height in relation to the top of the wheel fender 2.

The dip stick, to be received within the mount.- ing tube 8, will need to be of unusual length in order that the opposite terminals will project downwardly into the crankcase oil and upwardly within convenient reach for manual manipulation from the top of the engine compartment. For example, an overall length of slightly more than two feet has been prescribed for a commercial embodiment. Circular rod stock of cold rolled steel has been selected from which to produce the gauge and as usual the lower end portion. 9 terminates in a flattened length and contains markingfi .or inclicia to facilitate reading of the liquid level by reason of the lubricating oil clinging thereto and upon withdrawal of the rod for inspection. The upper end Ill of the rod, which may project quite a bit beyond the top of the extension tube 8, preferably terminates in a curled eye or the like for handling purposes. A stop washer or disk II is secured on the handle portion H] by means of staking for engagement with the top of the extension tube 8 for fixing the depth to which the lower end of the rod can extend into the liquid reservoir. If desired a felt washer, not shown, may cover the underside of the stop washer I! for sealing the contact with the end of the tube. Throughout its intermediate portion, which is to be housed within the mounting tube 8, the rod has a series of friction seating portions pressed outwardly in different directions and soformed as to provide a slight degree of springiness o-r flexibility which insures a snug fit and also eliminates need for extreme accuracy in manufacture. Three of such offsets are shown in the drawing in longitudinally spaced relation to each other as at 12, E3 and Hi. These are formed by a coining operation so that the round section stock at spaced intervals is deformed to a substantially D-shape in cross section providing an arcuate peripheral surface corresponding somewhat to the internal circular outline of the tube 8. Each offset will extend on a straight line for a distance of one-half inch or thereabouts and will be connected at opopsite ends by inwardly sweeping or inclined portions with the round cross sectional portions of the rod. With the intermediate ofiset l3 pressed in opposite direction to the endmost offsets l2 and i i a zigzag intermediate length of the rod will provide for a sliding frictional engagement at three places between the ;rod and tub By properly dimensioning the parts to insure a close fit there will be a certain .strain on the parts in their normal relation which will assist in stabilizing the opposite free ends of the rod against vibration flutter. The lengths of the offsets and the longitudinal spacing between them shouldbe such that the endmost offsets l2 .and id engage with the tube fairly close to the -.opposite ends of the tube to take greatest advanztage to the mutual stifiening available. It will be 'noted particularly that when the rod is to be withdrawn the first stage of its pull will be upwardly until the offset l2 clears the top of the tube, after which the ofisets l3 and it nolonger will provide a close binding slip fit on the interior of the tube 8 and the further withdrawal of the tube can be accomplished by merely lifting the weight of the stick directly upwardly. The path of movement of the handle end of the dip stick can be somewhat as illustrated by the broken lines in Figure 1 where it will be appreciated that a conveniently normal movement is provided for to remove the dip stick and bring it out of the engine compartment for easy inspection. Replacement of the gauge will, of course, be just as easily accomplished and in the final stage of movement as the offset [2 enters the top of the tube 8 a slightly increased push will move the stop washer I I home and assure a firm retention of the gauge rod in the engine crankcase.

I claim:

1. For measuring liquid depth in a sump which is inaccessibly located, a relatively long rod having one terminal portion insertable and removable through an opening in the sump wall for projection into the liquid, an opposite terminal portion to project upwardly for ready handling accessibility and an intermediate mounting portion, a rod mounting tube projecting upwardly from the sump wall opening to receive said rod to afford a supporting portion for said intermediate mounting portion, one of the last two mentioned portions having a series of lateral oflsets successively longitudinally spaced from one another for frictional engagement with the other of said last two mentioned portions, said offsets projecting alternately in opposite directions and being so arranged that close frictional engagement of the rod and tube is obtained only when more than two of said longitudinally spaced offsets are engaged with said other of the last two mentioned portions.

2. In a device of the character described, a liquid sump having an opening in the wall thereof, a tube portion mounted to project upwardly from said opening, a gauge rod having a level indicating lower portion and an intermediate mounting portion projected through said tube portion, one of the last two mentioned portions having a series of longitudinally spaced lateral offsets, the endmost of which offsets are in substantially axial alignment and at least one other of which offsets intermediate and longitudinally spaced from the endmost offsets is out of axial alignment and substantially diametrically opposed thereto so that the several ofisets cooperate to aiford easy introduction but a close fitting frictional contact between the rod and tube.

3. In combination, a liquid container having an opening to receive a dip stick, an extension tube projected upwardly from said opening, and a dip stick removably mounted in said tube, said stick being characterized by a longitudinally spaced succession of lateral projections in undulatory formation for frictional bearing engagement with longitudinally spaced portions of the tube alternately on opposite sides thereof and near opposite ends of the tube.

4. In the structure of claim 3, said lateral projections being integral offset deformations in the dip stick.

5. A level gauge dip stick having an upper handle portion, a lower level indicating portion and an intermediate mounting portion, said mounting portion having sinuous oifset corrugations affording frictiona-L bearing seats integral therewith and arranged in longitudinal spaced relation, said longitudinally spaced seats being successively projected laterally in alternate back and forth relation across the axis of said mounting portion.

6. An ullage rod for detachable retention within a rod mounting receiver of a liquid reservoir, said rod terminating in a level gauge portion and having a mounting portion comprising three longitudinally spaced and laterally offset friction bearing seats integrally formed therein and with the centrally ofiset seat projected in the direction opposite to that of the two endmost seating offsets.

7. A level gauge dip stick comprising an upper handle portion and a mounting portion having a plurality of laterally bent offset frictional bearing seats each of substantial length measured axially of said mounting portion, said seats being positioned in longitudinal spaced relation and being successively projected laterally in alternate back and forth relation across the longitudinal axis of said mounting portion.

8. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim 7, wherein each seat faces in the opposite direc- 5 tion from the next adjacent seat, and in which the length of each seat is several times the width file of this patent:

6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date thereof.

v 971,480 Wegner Sept. 27, 1910 EARL WILSON 5 1,658,774 Taub Feb. 7, 1928 CITED 1,681,431 Pribil Aug. 21, 1928 1,865,285 Spencer June 28, 1932 The followmg references are of record 1n the 1,981,270 Honingsworth 20, 1934