US3368345A

US3368345A - Engine for reduced exhaust smog emissions

Info

Publication number: US3368345A
Application number: US441710A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walker Brooks
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-03-22
Filing date: 1965-03-22
Publication date: 1968-02-13
Anticipated expiration: 1985-02-13

Description

Feb. 13, 1968 B. WALKER ENGINE FOR REDUCED EXHAUST SMOG EMISSIONS Filed March 22, .1965

2 Sheets-Sheet l /NVENTOR v WWW Feb. 13, 1968 B. WALKER 3,368,345

ENGINE FOR REDUCED EXHAUST SMOG EMISSIONS l Filed March 22, 1965 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /NVENTR United States Patent Oice 3,368,345 Patented Feb. 13, 1968 3,368,345 ENGINE FOR REDUCED EXHAUST SMOG EMISSIONS Brooks Walker, 1280 Columbus Ave., San Francisco, Calif. 94133 Ftled Mar. 22, 1965. Ser. No. 441,710 16 Claims. (Cl. 60-30) This invention pertains to modifications in the exhaust and intake of an engine so that when decelerating at closed throttle above a predetermined speed the fuel to idle is automatically shut off and an auxiliary path from the exhaust to the engine side of the carburetor butterfly is automatically opened at the same time a poppet or other type valve is automatically closed in the exhaust pipe or manifold so that a modest back pressure, such as 3 to 15 lbs. p.s.i., is developed in the exhaust and the suction in the intake is reduced over what it would have been if the exhaust in limited quantity were not introduced on the engine side of the carburetor butterfly. This will greatly reduce the smog producing hydrocarbon emissions from the exhaust during such decelerations.

Another feature is the introduction of a spark plug in the exhaust as the mixture in such a restricted recirculating flow may be burnable and burning in the exhaust may be desirable.

Another feature is the means for closing olf the exhaust so that if power is suddenly developed in the engine that the close off valve being suction operated will act as a relief valve to automatically release the exhaust above a predetermined pressure valve to prevent excessive back pressure in the exhaust and make opening of the valve dillicult if the valve seated with the pressure of the exhaust.

Another feature is the reduction in volume of pollutants from the exhaust during decelerations by closing olf the exhaust and feeding limited amount of exhaust gasses to the engine side of the throttle to circulate the exhaust through the engine in an essentially closed circuit somewhat like the cooling water circulates through the engine and radiator with none escaping.

Another feature is the possibility of burning some of the recirculating gasses if they possess enough fuel either in the engine during the recirculation or in the exhaust with ignition by spark or llame arrester in the circuit from the exhaust to the intake.

Another feature is an adjustable ilow control valve in the path between the exhaust and the intake to adjust the recirculating flow for preferred exhaust back pressure and intake suction.

Another feature is the use of the same engine developed suction from a single control valve that controls (l) the shu.ting off of the idle fuel, (2) automatically operates the valve that opens the circuit between the exhaust and the intake, and (3) automatically operates the exhaust f shut off valve as a relief valve against the exhaust pressure during higher speed closed throttle decelerations.

Another feature is to get more braking when decelerating due to the engine suction and exhaust back pressure developed by this invention during certain decelerations.

Other features will be more particularly pointed out in the accompanying specification and claims.

I have illustrated my invention by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a diagrammatic View, partly in section, of one form of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a slightly modified sandwich to go between the carburetor and the engine forming an invention as shown in FIG. 1.

In all figures likes numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts.

In FIGS. l and 2 I have shown an engine 10, a carburetor 11, a throttle 12, a float bowl 13, with a float 14 which controls needle valve 15, which controls the fuel from the fuel pump not shown which enters the iloat bowl through line 16.

Fuel to idle is admitted through opening 16, vertical passage 17, past anti-siphon port 18, down passage 19, past transfer port 21, to needle valve 22, which controls the flow through idle port 23. This can be used with a carburetor that does not have smog control. However, with smog control a passage 24 leads to passage 25 in the sandwich 9, which is mounted between the carburetor 11 and the intake manifold 26. Needle valve 27 controls the flow of rich idle fuel and air from the float bowl and the bleed ports 18 and 21 as it flows through line 28 to port 29 in idle fuel and air mixing tube 31. Most of the air to idle passes through line 40 from the clean side of the air cleaner A, past heater 41, which is heated by the exhaust in line 5t). The air for idle, then passes through line 42, line 43, past choke valve 44 and into mixing tube 31. The ow through mixing tube 31 is controlled by adjustable abutment 45, the position of which is controlled by adjustment screw 46. An abutment 45 is mounted on rod 47 and urged to the open position by spring 48.

Diaphragm motor B is actuated by suction through

lines

51 and 52 from valve V. Valve V has a double faced valve 61 which is urged to its upper position by spring 62 to close off port 63 to shut olf suction from the intake manifold 64 flowing through line 65. The lower face of valve 61 opens bleed port 66 to admit atmospheric air through

lines

52, 51 to the spring side of the diaphragm in motor B so that the spring in motor B will cause arm 70 to move to the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 where valve 71 is closed to close off flow from the exhaust manifold 72 through line 73 past llame arrestor 74 through pipe 75 past flow control valve 76 (as adjusted by screw 77), line 78 and line 79 to opening 81. The relation of valve 71 to opening 81 is slightly different in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In this same position of arm 71B abutment 45e will be held in its open position by a spring 48, as shown, the amount of opening being adjusted by screw 46 to admit the premixed idle fuel and air through mixing tube 31. This shuts off flow of the exhaust to the intake below the butterfly through opening S1 and allows normal llow of premixed idle fuel and air through opening tube 31 on the engine side of throttle butterfly 12 for normal idle operation. At the same time line connects valve V to motor C by line 52. Diaphragm motor C is similar to B but probably somewhat larger to exert a greater force on valve stem 86 and valve 87 when valve 61 has been drawn to the low position by solenoid S when energized.

In this low position of valve 61 port 63 will be opened so that suction from intake manifold 64 flows through pipes 65, past port 63, through pipes 52 and 85, to act on the spring side of the diaphragm in motor C to pull up on valve stem 86 to close valve 87 against seat 72a in exhaust manifold 72 with a yielding force sufficient to hold the valve 87 against exhaust pressure during decelerations of 3 to 15 p.s.i. as the suction with a closed throttle on such decelerations may be around 10 Hg (equal to 5 p.s.i. plus or minus).

When decelerating at speeds above, say, 30 m.p.h. with a closed throttle 12, switch G will be closed by suitable speed sensing devices, series mounted. Switch T will be closed when the throttle is closed and the solenoids will be energized. Valve 86 will close olf the flow of exhaust gas from manifold 72 to exhaust pipe 50 and on to muiller 90. Valve 71 will be open to admit exhaust gas in quantities limited by the position of valve 76 to flow into the intake manifold on the engine side of throttle 12. At the same time that valve 86 is closing and valve 71 is opening, abutment 45 will close the flow of idle fuel and idle air that was flowing through tube 31 so that during such a deceleration exhaust will not fiow into the exhaust pipe 50 and mutiier 90 and on to the atmosphere but will be recirculated through the intake and back into the engine with a somewhat raised pressure in the exhaust, probably in the nature of 3-15 p.s.i. depending upon the speed of the motor and with a suction of Hg plus or minus in the intake manifold 64. The amount of pressure and amount of suction mentioned here may vary appreciably according to the amount of exhaust gas to be recirculated.

The resistance of the engine to operation with the increased exhaust pressure over normal exhaust pressures and the suction in the intake manifold will result in greater braking of the car and less emissions during deceleration and the engine than when operating normally or with many of the fuel off or burning in engine anti-smog devices.

The breathing of the crankcase may be fed into line 43 by line 91 being connected to breather tube or valve cover connection 92. If the breathing is more than is taken in through line 43, a line 93 can connect to line 4f) which comes from (or leads to) the clean side of the air cleaner.

A spark plug 95 is provided with a spark producing energy by wire 96 from coil 97, the primary of which is made and broken by switch D. The normal ignition could be switched over to operate spark plug 96 during deceleration, as shown in U.S. Patent No. 3,058,296, dated Oct. 16, 1962, entitled Engine Afterburner System, or U.S. Patent No. 2,895,292, dated July 21, 1959, entitled Fuel and Exhaust Gas Combination Control of Internal Combustion Engine, if either of these types of ignition is desired for plug 95.

I have illustrated my invention in these various forms; however, many other variations may be possible within the scope of this invention.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, many changes in construction and Widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The disclosures and description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

I claim as my invention:

1. An engine including a throttle controlled fuel feeding system, a main induction passage, a first throttle valve in said induction passage, an exhaust manifold and pipe, a second valve in said exhaust manifold or pipe for closing off the flow of exhaust gases through said exhaust pipe, means for feeding fuel and air to idle to said main induction passage, a bypass conduit connecting said exhaust manifold to said main induction passage on the engine side of said first throttle valve to conduct exhaust gases to the main induction passage, a third valve in said bypass conduit for controlling the fiow therethrough, automatic means for simultaneously closing off the fiow Of said idle fuel to the main induction passage, closing said second valve and opening said third valve when decelerating above a predetermined engine speed at no power, said automatic means simultaneously turning on the fiow of said idle fuel, closing said third valve and opening said second valve when said throttle is opened for power operation.

2. A control means for use with an internal combustion engine including an exhaust system including a manifold and exhaust pipe, a carburetor, an intake manifold, a shut off first valve in said exhaust system to shut off flow of exhaust gasses from flowing from the said engine to the part of the exhaust pipe most remote from said engine, a conduit connecting said exhaust on the engine side of Said first valve to conduct exhaust gasses from said engine to said intake manifold on the engine side of said carburetor.,

a second valve for shutting off the ow of gasses through said conduit, means for feeding fuel to idle said engine from said carburetor to said engine, means for shutting off the ow of said fuel to idle by a single control means, said single control means also automatically controlling the closing of said first exhaust shut off valve and simultaneously opening said second valve in said conduit from the exhaust to said intake manifold, all said actions being accomplished substantially automatically and all by means of said single control means.

3. A device as defined in claim 1, in which said single control means simultaneously controls the (1) opening of said first valve, (2) closes said second valve in said conduit and (3) starts the ow of fuel to idle that was shut off.

4. A device as defined in claim 3, said carburetor having a throttle valve, said single control means being controlled by a closed throttle sensing device and an engine speed sensing device to (l) close off the idle fuel tiow (2) close off said first valve, (3) open said second valve when said engine is decelerating with closed throttle above a predetermined engine speed.

5. A device as defined in claim 3, in which said single control means acts to perform the functions defined in conjunction with the shutting off of said fuel to idle when engine conditions differ substantially from normal power driving conditions.

6. A device as defined in claim 3, in which said single control means acts to perform the functions as defined in connection with the shutting ofic of the ow of fuel to idle, shuts off said first valve and opens said second valve during high speed no power decelerations of said engine.

7. An engine having an exhaust pipe, an intake manifold, a first valve between said engine and said exhaust pipe, a motor operated by suction from said intake manifold, a conduit leading from said exhaust on the engine side of said first valve for conducting exhaust gasses from said exhaust system to said intake manifold, a second valve in said conduit, means for simultaneously closing said first valve and opening said second valve responsive to the engine decelerating at no power above a predetermined engine speed, said means including power developed by said motor to operate said first valve.

8. A device as defined in claim 7, in which there is a spark plug in the exhaust system for said engine, said spark plug being located in said exhaust system between said engine and said first valve, the points of said plug being exposed to exhaust gasses between said engine and said first valve, means for creating a rapidly repeating spark in said pug promptly after said first valve is closed.

9. A device as defined in claim 2, one motor for closing off the flow of fuel to idle and closing said second valve, a second motor for closing said first valve, each of said motors being powered by suction from said intake manifold.

10. A device as defined in claim 9, said single control means including a combination suction from intake manifold flow control valve and a bleed to atmosphere valve, said combination valve being in the open to ow of suction from said intake manifold to said motor and bleed to atmosphere closed position when said fiow of fuel to idle is shut off, said first Valve is closed and said second valve is open by the power of suction from said intake manifold, as controlled by said combination valve.'

11. A device as defined in claim 10, in which when said combination valve is in the other position with the portion of said combination valve which controls the flow of suction from said intake manifold to said motor closed, and the bleed valve portion of said combination valve will open the ow of atmospheric pressure through said valve to said motor, so that said first valve will be opened, said second valve will be closed and the flow of fuel to idle will be reestablished.

12. An internal combustion engine having an intake manifold, a carburetor, a throttie, an exhaust manifold,

a muffler, automatic means for recirculating all of the gasses normally expelled from said exhaust manifold into said intake manifold on the engine side of said carburetor when said engine is decelerating under certain higher speed conditions thereby burning some of the recirculating gas and increasing engine braking, other means for allowing normal back pressure through said exhaust manifold and said muilier for normal full power operation.

13. An internal combustion engine having an intake manifold, a carburetor, a throttle, an exhaust manifold, a muler, automatic means for recirculating all of the gasses normally expelled from said exhaust manifold into said intake manifold when said engine is decelerating at no power above a predetermined speed thereby burning some of the recirculating gas and increasing engine braking.

14. A device as defined in claim 13, in which there is a shut off valve in the exhaust system which is closed during such decelerations, the pressure in said exhaust manifold during said decelerations being above 5# p.s.i., when said engine speed exceeds 2000 rpm., said exhaust shut off valve being open at full power operation of said engine.

15. An internal combustion engine having an intake manifold, a carburetor, a throttle, an exhaust manifold, a mniiier, automatic means for recirculating all of the gases normally expelled from said exhaust manifold into said intake manifold when said engine is decelerating at no power above a predetermined speed, other means for allowing normal back pressure through said exhaust manifold and said mufer for normal full power operation, a shut olf valve in the exhaust system which is closed during such decelerations, the pressure in said exhaust manifold during said decelerations being above 5# psi., when said engine speed exceeds 2000 rpm., said exhaust shut o valve being open at full power operation of said engine, a conduit between said exhaust manifold and said intake manifold, the suction in said intake manifold being more than 3# p.s.i. during such decelerations, this being partially caused by the restriction to the flow -of gases through the said conduit which controls the liow of gases from said exhaust manifold to said intake manifold, a flow of fuel to idle to said intake manifold during engine idle conditions, said ow of fuel to idle being automatically shut off when said shut off valve is closed and means for turning on said fuel to idle, and simultaneously opening said shut 01T valve when said throttle is Opened during engine operating conditions.

16. An internal combustion engine having an intake manifold, a carburetor, a throttle, an exhaust manifold, a muflier, automatic means for recirculating all of the gases normally expelled from said exhaust manifold into said intake manifold when said engine is decelerating at no power above a predetermined speed, other means for a'llowing normal back pressure through said exhaust manifold and said muffler for normal full power operation, a ow of fuel to idle to said intake manifold during engine idle conditions, said flow of fuel to idle being automatically shut off when said shut off valve is closed and means for turning on said fuel to idle, and simultaneously opening said shut off valve when said 'throttle is opened during engine operating conditions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1922 Badger 123-119 3/1966 Falzone 123--119

Claims

12. AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE HAVING AN INTAKE MANIFOLD, A CARBURETOR, A THROTTLE, AN EXHAUST MANIFOLD, A MUFFLER, AUTOMATIC MEANS FOR RECIRCULATING ALL OF THE GASSES NORMALLY EXPELLED FROM SAID EXHAUST MANIFOLD INTO SAID INTAKE MANIFOLD ON THE ENGINE SIDE OF SAID CARBURETOR WHEN SAID ENGINE IS DECELERATING UNDER CERTAIN HIGHER SPEED CONDITIONS THEREBY BURNING SOME OF THE RECIRCULATING GAS AND INCREASING ENGINE BRAKING, OTHER MEANS FOR ALLOWING MORMAL BACK PRESSURE THROUGH SAID EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND SAID MUFFLER FROM NORMAL FULL POWER OPERATION.