US2935060A - Fuel injection system - Google Patents

Description

y 3, 1960 P. E. BRAUN 2,935,060

FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM Filed Nov. 19, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 P. EBRAUN. INVENTOR.

y 3, 1960 P. E. BRAUN 2,935,060

FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM Filed Nov. 19, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 P. E. BRAUN.

IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent O FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM Paul E. Braun, Birmingham, Mich., assignor to Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, Mich., a corporation of Delaware 6 Application November 19, 1956, Serial No. 622,973

4 Claims. (Cl. 123-139) This invention pertains to a fuel injection system of an inexpensive design and which is particularly suitable for gasoline internal combustion engines.

a It has been an object, especially in recent years, to provide a relatively inexpensive fuel injection system which is capable of providing gasoline under high pressure and in the proper amount at the proper time to a series of combustion chambers. This invention undertakes to provide a device which accomplishes the above objects by using a shuttle or free piston mounted in a rotor which has a fuel intake passage leading to either side of the shuttle and a fuel discharge passage extending from either side of the shuttle. The rotor is mounted between two stationary plates with one plate having fuel intake ducts and the opposite plate having outlet ducts. As the rotor is turned by means such as a camshaft, a fuel intake passage in the rotor communicates with a high pressure fuel source and at the same time a fuel discharge passage in the rotor'and from the opposite side of said shuttle communicates with a combustion chamber or cylinder.-

In this manner the shuttle is always forced towards an open discharge passage by incoming fuel under high pressure at the opposite side of the shuttle. The travel of shuttle and hence the amount of fuel forced through the discharge passages on each stroke is-controlled by a movable stop which under large absolute manifold vacuum pressures restricts the shuttle travel and under low absolute pressures corresponding to wide open throttle permits maximum shuttle travel.

In this invention the fuel inlet passages are fedfrom duets in a plate on one side of the rotor and the fuel discharge passages discharge through ducts in a plate on the opposite side of the rotor. Because of this separation of intake and discharge passages each passage aperture can be much larger thereby increasing the duration of contact with its respective plate duct thereby insuring complete filling and discharge even at high speeds.

These and other objects will become more apparent when a preferred embodiment is described and shown in drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a fuel injection assembly;

Figure 2 is a section taken at 22 of Figure 1 showing the top portion of the rotor and its housing with the inlet and discharge passages shown;

Figure 3 is a section taken at 3-3 of Figure 2 showing the inlet and discharge passages which are connected to the bottom of the shuttle and also showing means for restricting the shuttle travel according to manifold vacuum pressures; I

Figure 4 is a section taken through a portion of the assembly shown in Figure 2 showing the inlet and discharge passage which are connected to the top of the shuttle;

Figure 5 is a section taken at 55 of Figure 1 showing the inlet ducts and annulus which communicate with the two inlet passages in the rotor; and

Figure 6 is a section taken on the line of separation 2,935,060 Patented May 3, 196 0 between the metering assembly and the housing at 6-6 of Figure 3 showing discharge ducts leading to eight cylin-' tiers and which communicate with the two discharge passages in the rotor.

In Figure 1 is shown housing 21 which supports metering assembly 22 having intake manifold connection 23. Shown in housing 21 is fuel inlet 24 and fuel discharge ducts 48, 49. In Figure 2 is shown rotor 31 which is rotatably mounted in housing 21 and has discharge passages A and D and inlet passages B and C. In the rotor there are only two inlet passages, B and C, both entering from the bottom of rotor 31 and with B going to the bottom of shuttle 32 and C to the top. Similarly, there are only two discharge passages, A and D, both leading to the top of rotor 31 and passage A connected to the bottom of shuttle 32 and passage D to the top.

In Figure 3 is seen in more detail metering assembly 22 and its connection with shuttle 32 and rotor 31. Rotor 31 is'mounted in housing 21 and urged against discharge plate 33 by Belleville washer 34. Discharge plate 33 and inlet plate 36 are held stationary while rotor 31 is turned by cam shaftportion 37. Inlet and discharge plates 36, 33 composed of a carbon material impregnated with bronze and lead, similar to a material available under the trade name Microlite, have worked satisfactorily with high rotational speeds of rotor 31. Reciprocating in rotor31 is shuttle 32 which travels between fixed stop 38 and movable stop 39 which is controlled by longitudinal movement of cone .41. Spring 42 urges diaphragm 43 and cone 41 leftwardly against manifold vacuum depressions, The left end of come 41 is received in housing 44 which may contain, means for positioning the cone axially in response to altitude and temperature. Since this structure is not considered to be "patently pertinent to this application, it has not been fully illustrated or described. ,Also shown is fuel inlet 24 which communicateswith annulus 46 and inlet ducts 47. Inlet passagesB and C in rotor 31 register with ducts 47, which are shown also in Figure 5, as rotor31 is turned and passage B communicates .with the lower portion of shuttle 32 as does discharge passage A which registers with discharge ducts 48 which are shown in Figure 6. A portion of discharge passage D is also shown in Figure 3 but more completely shown in Figure 4. Dis charge passage D registers with ducts 49 and, with passage C, is connected to the top of shuttle 32. Discharge ducts 48 and 49 lead to combustion chambers in the vehicle engine and are supplied at their ends with suitable atomizing nozzles, not shown. While eight ducts are shown corresponding to an eight cylinder engine, this may be varied.

In Figure 4 is shown more clearly inlet passage C and exhaust passage D and their relation to shuttle 32.

In the operation of this embodiment fuel enters under high pressure at inlet 24 where it communicates with discharge ducts 47 through annulus 46. As the rotor turns, inlet passage B, and then C, communicates with one of the ducts 47 and during one complete revolution of the rotor it is seen that passages B and C each communicate four times or a total of eight with an inlet duct 47. Each time inlet passage B communicates with duct 47 exhaust passage D communicates with a discharge duct 49 supplying fuel to a cylinder. Similarly each time passage C communicates with a duct 47, discharge passage A communicates with a duct 48. During one complete turn of the rotor it is seen that each passage A and D communicates four times with a discharge duct making a total of eight communications per revolution. is in communication with a duct 47 the shuttle is moved upwardly filling the lower shuttle chamber and discharging the upper shuttle chamber, which was filled on the prior downward stroke of the shuttle, into a discharge When passage B duct 49 through passage D. Likewise, when passage C communicates with an inlet duct 47 shuttle 32 is forced downwardly discharging the contents of the lower shuttle chamber through passage A into a discharge duct 48, In this manner each stroke of the shuttle'causes fuel to be directed towards a combustion chamber and since the rotor 31 is turned at cam shaft speed the fuel is properly timed to reach the combustion area during the proper fuel intake time.

As the absolute manifold vacuum increases indicating decreasing throttle, cone 41 moves rightwardly depressing stop 39 decreasing the stroke of shuttle 32 reducing the amount of fuel into the cylinders; conversely, as the absolute pressure decreases cone 41 moves leftwardly increasing the amount'of fuel to each chamber.

Oil passages may be drilled in plates 33 and 36 to provide lubrication for the contacting surfaces of rotor 31. Leakage between the inlet 24 and discharge ducts 48, 49 is retarded by the axial sealing length between rotor 31 and housing 21. Leakage between discharge ducts 48, 49 themselves and between inlet ducts 47 is retarded by the pressure exerted by the pressure of washer 34. Also, with the design of this invention a maximum amount of space is allowed between passages and, therefore, leakage is less troublesome.

It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact construction shown and described, but that various changes-and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved fuel metering distributor for high pressure fuel injection systems comprising body means defining a cylindrical bore, a metering cylinder rotatably received therewithin and in sealing contact therewith on the side and ends of said cylinder, said cylinder defining a fuel metering chamber therewithin and fuel inlet and discharge passageways in communication with each end of said chamber, a shuttle piston reciprocally received within said chamber, said inlet passageways extending from said chamber and terminating at one end of said cylinder, said outlet passageways extending from said chamber and terminating at the other end thereof, said means defining a fuel inlet having an opening terminated at one 2. A fuel metering distributor comprising a body defining a cylindrical bore, a cylindrical valve block rotatably received in said bore and having right circular end portions, said block defining an axial metering chamber, a shuttle piston slidably received in said chamber, said block further defining separate fuel inlet and outlet passageways in communication with said chamber at opposite sides of said piston, said inlet passageways terminated in spaced relationship at one end portion of said block and said outlet passageways terminated in spaced relationship at the other end portion thereof, said body defining fuel inlet means adapted to successively communicate with said inlet passageways and further defining a plurality of outlets adapted to successively communicate with said outlet passageways upon rotation of said valve block.

3. A fuel metering distributor for an internal combustion engine having N combustion cylinders comprising a body defining a cylindrical cavity, a cylindrical valve block rotatably received in said cavity and in sealing contact with said body at the endsof said block, said block defining a metering chamber, a shuttle piston slidably received in said chamber said block defining a pair of inlet passageways leading from one end thereof to'said chamber at opposite sides of said piston, said block further defining a pair of outlet passageways one each in communication with each of said inlet passageways and leading to the other end of said block,vsaid body defining a fuel inlet registerable with said inlet passageways and further defining N fuel outlets registerable with said outlet passageways in said block.

4. The distributor of claim 3 wherein said valve block has right circular ends, each of said pair of outlet passagewaysybeing terminated at separate radii at one of said ends,- said fuel outlets staggered to be registerable with the termini of said outlet passageways upon rotation of said block.

7 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,669,398 Rathbun May 8, 1928 2,406,239 Morgenroth Aug. 20, 1946 2,731,175 Downing Jan. 17, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 113,163 Great Britain Feb. 14, 1918 653,030 Great Britain May 9, 1949 821,442 Germany Nov. 19, 1951 912,768 Germany June 3, 1954 1,080,325 France May 26, 1954

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