US3119141A - Tool for cleaning internal-combustion engine oil passages - Google Patents

Description

TOOL FOR CLEANING INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE OIL. PASSAGES Filed May 31, 1962 Jan. 28, 1964 F. D. NUTTALL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2.

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INVENTOR Jan. 28, 1964 F. D. NUTTALL 3,

TOOL FOR CLEANING INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE OIL PASSAGES Filed May 51, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fm. a.

INVENTOR United States Patent Ofi ice 3,119,141 Patented Jan. 28, 1964 3,119,141 TOOL FOR CLEANING INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE OIL IASSAGES Fred D. Nuttall, P.(). Box 65, Gnley, Va., assignor of one.- fourth to George W. Mapp, .Ir., Accomac, Va. Filed May 31, 1962, Ser. No. 199,071 1 Claim. (ill. 15-406) This invention relates generally to an engine cleaning device and more particularly to a tool for cleaning out clogged oil passages in an internal-combustion engine.

Internal-combustion engines, particularly those of the overhead-valve type, are noted for the problem of accumulating sludge and contamination in the lubricating oil passages which, particularly when the engine is quite old, produces inefficient operation of the valve actuating mechanism and leads to an abnormally high rate of oil consumption and rapid wear of the moving parts.

Heretofore, in order to clean out the clogged oil veins or passages on the valve operating mechanism, it has been necessary to completely disassemble the rocker arms and rocker shaft assembly in overhead-valve engines and to individually clean each part to remove the accumulated sludge lodged in the oil passages of the parts.

The present invention contemplates a simple tool which, when connected to a suitable source of fluid under pressure, may be quickly and easily attached to the assembled valve operating mechanism, whereby in only a matter of a few moments the entire lubricating system of the rocker shaft and rocker arm mechanism can be cleared of obstructing sludge deposits.

Should the main oil galleys of the particular engine being treated also be clogged, then the rocker shaft and rocker :arms may be removed and this same tool conveniently connected directly to the galleys, whereby the main oil supply lines can be readily unclogged.

Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning tool for the lubricating oil passages in an internal-combustion engine whereby said passages may be unclogged without disassembly of any of the valve actuating mechanism from the engine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cleaning tool which may be usedfor unclogging both the rocker shaft and rocker arm oil veins as well as the main oil galleys leading to the valve head of an internal combustion engine.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an oil passage cleaning tool having valve means incorporated therein in order to permit operation of the engine being treated without the problem of having the engine oil under pressure flowing back through the fluid supply line attached to the tool.

Another object of the invention is to provide an oil passage cleaning tool having mounting means adapting the tool for installation upon valve operating mechanisms of different designs.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, hereinafiter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 a perspective view of the invention showing the compressed fluid supply line in dotted lines.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view of the cleaning tool with the ball check shown in alternate positions.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view showing the tool mounted in position for use upon a typical overhead valve mechanism.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the lines 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a detail view partly in section, on the order of FIGURE 4, but showing the tubular body in elevation.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the valve seat end of the tubular body.

As most clearly illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2., the cleaning tool comprises a body portion 1 having an injection nozzle 2 at one lower end and provided with threads 3 at its other upper end for detachably receiving a valve housing 4. An axially aligned bore 5 passing through each of the above elements is enlarged within said valve housing to provide a valve chamber 6.

The free end 7 of the valve housing 4 is of reduced outside diameter and is adapted to receive the end of a suitable line 8 for supplying fluid under pressure. The main body portion 1 is provided with threads 9 adjacent the nozzle 2 for receiving and retaining a mounting bracket 10. The mounting bracket 10' preferably comprises a pair of oppositely disposed forked ends, each including a pair of parallel spaced mounting tongues 11, forming a channel 12 therebetween.

A sealing ring 13 of suitable resilient material is fitted about the nozzle 2 in abutting relationship with the mounting bracket 10 for reasons which will later become apparent.

The end of the main body portion 1 disposed within the valve housing is provided with a plurality of radially disposed ports 14 cut through the uppermost extremity of the body portion and projecting into the valve chamber 6. The wings 15 or the upstanding portions adjacent the ports 14 are provided with a spherical seat for the ball check 16 so that when the ball is in its normal position, shown in full lines in FIGURE 2, it is resting on this spherical seat; however, any fluid directed downwardly through the valve chamber 6 and bearing down upon the top of the ball check 16 will readily pass around the ball and through the ports 14 and be directed through the bore 5 and out from the nozzle 2 of the tool.

vWhenever any back pressure, in the form of engine oil under pressure, is directed upwardly through the bore 5 of the tool, it will be seen that the ball check 16 will be pushed by such oil under pressure into the dotted position shown in FIGURE 2. In this position, the ball check 16 seals the axial bore 5 in the valve housing 4 of the tool to prevent any of the oil from getting into the compressed fluid supply line *8. It will thus be apparent that a suitable b all seat 17 is provided in the upper wall of the valve chamber 6 adjacent the bore 5 in the valve housing.

FIGURES 3 and 4 illustrate a typical overhead valve installation in an internal combustion engine. The rocker shaft 18 is supported by a plurality of upstanding rocker shaft supports 19 and is secured thereto against axial and rotational movement by means of rocker shaft support caps 20 fastened to the supports by means of suitable bolts 21. Disposed between the rocker shaft supports are the rocker arms 22 which are biased against adjacent rocker shaft supports 19 by means of rocker shaft springs 23. Reciprocable movement of the push rods 24 actuates the rocker arms 22 which transmit this movement to the valves 25.

Suitable means are provided for supplying the hollow rocker shaft 18 with oil under pressure from the engine oil pump. In this case, one of the rocker shaft supports 19 is provided with a vertical bore 26 leading from an oil supply galley (not shown) in the valve head 27 and discharging into the inside of said hollow rocker shaft 18 through an aperture 28 therein. The rocker shaft is provided with an oil passage 29 immediately beneath each of the rocker shaft support caps 20. This passage 29 in turn communicates with an oil vein 30 disposed in the cap itself. Thus, it will be seen that oil under pressure is delivered from the main oil galleys through the support passage 26 into the inside of the hollow rocker shaft 18. Thereafter, the oil is projected through the apertures 29 of the shaft, and oil veins 30 of the caps to flow over the rocker shaft, rocker arms, push rods and valve stems.

It is not at all uncommon in engines of this type for the above described oil passages to become clogged with accumulations of sludge after the engine has been run for, say, thirty or forty thousand miles, at which time it is necessary to provide suitable means for cleaning out these oil passages in order to preclude rapid Wear of the valve operating mechanism.

To utilize the tool of the present invention, it is necessary only to remove the valve cover 31 and to insert the nozzle 2 of the tool into one of the veins 30 on a rocker shaft support cap 20.

This is achieved by loosening one of the cap retaining bolts 21 and slipping the spaced tongues 11 of the mounting bracket under the head of the bolt and then retightening the bolt to retain the tool in its operating position. Should the oil vein 30 be disposed in, say, a vertical position as shown in FIGURE 4, suitable spacer means 32 may be disposed between the tongues 11 and support cap 20 in order to provide a more secure support for the mounting bracket.

Compressed air preferably under high pressure, for example, 180 pounds, is applied to the cleaning tool through the supply line 8 by any suitable conventional means (not shown). This air, by-passing the ball check through the ports 14 is directed through the nozzle 2 and through the oil veins 3% into the hollow rocker shaft, where it will blow back all the oil therein outwardly through all of the other oil veins and passages, whereby the accumulated sludge deposits will be cleared out. Since the outer diameter of the nozzle 2 is preferably of a size small enough to fit within the oil passages of most makes of valve operating mechanisms, it is necessary to provide a seal 13 around the nozzle 2. As shown in FIGURE 4, when the tool is mounted for use, the seal 2 is compressed around the nozzle and between the bracket 10 and cap 20 to prevent the escape of air or oil from the oil vein 30.

Quite often, particularly in the case of older engines, it is necessary not only to clear out the oil veins and passages in the rocker mechanism, but also necessary to clean out the main oil galleys feeding the valve head 27. In such situations, it is necessary to remove the rocker arm, shaft, and support elements from the head. Thereafter, this same tool may be applied directly to the oil galley feeding the rocker mechanism, as shown in FIGURE 5, and compressed air applied to the tool to blow out these galleys.

Depending upon the degree of accumulated deposits in the particular engine being treated, it may be necessary to apply repeated bursts of fluid under pressure to the cleaning tool in order to satisfactorily clean out all the oil passages. It has been found that a more thorough job may be accomplished by running the engine at, say, idling speed, in order to actuate the oil pump to keep lubricating oil in the veins and passages. In this manner there is always oil in the main supply galleys which acts as a head for the fluid under pressure from the cleaning tool.

It will be understood that many modifications may be made of the particular form of the invention shown and described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

A tool for cleaning out clogged oil passages in internal combustion engines by means of fluid under pressure, comprising, a main body portion, a nozzle at one end of said body portion, a removable valve housing at the other and upper end, an axial bore passing through said valve housing, body portion, and nozzle, a valve chamber within said valve housing and having an internal diameter substantially greater than said axial bore, said chamber coaxial with said bore and adjacent the upper end of said body portion, a plurality of radial ports cut through to the end of said body portion adjacent said chamber, a plurality of upstanding wings between said ports, said wings forming a spherical seat at the end of said body portion, a ball check freely movable in said chamber and normally resting upon said spherical seat on said wings, a ball seat in the upper limits of said chamber, oppositely disposed to said spherical seat and surrounding the bore in said housing, a mounting bracket disposed transversely between said body portion and said nozzle, a resilient sealing ring surrounding said nozzle adjacent said bracket, whereby said nozzle may be inserted in an oil passage on said engine and said tool secured to the engine by means of said bracket to urge said sealing ring against the oil passage to form a fiuidtight seal between said nozzle and passage, and the subsequent application of fluid under pressure to the free end of said valve housing will clear out the clogged oil passages by passing said fluid through said bore in said valve housing, around the ball check disposed upon said spherical seat and through said radial ports to pass through the bore in said body portion and out the nozzle, whereupon, when the fluid pressure is relieved, and pressure is directed in a reverse direction from said oil passage, said ball check will be forced off of said spherical seat and urged into said ball seat to prevent the emission of oil upwardly from said tool.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,543,614 Pence June 23, 1925 2,475,860 Stronach et a1. July 12, 1949 2,820,467 Mattich Jan. 21, 1958 3,034,521 Greenfield May 15, 1962

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