Патент USA US2116596

May 10, 1938.
I, E, COFIEY‘
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AUTOMATIC FUEL VAPORIZER AND AUXILIARY FUEL
2,116,596
SUPPLY FOB. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGIGINEIS
Original Filed Jan. 28, 1932
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May 10, 1938.
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2,116,596
AUTOMATIC FUEL ‘JAPORIZER AND AUXILIARY FUEL
SUPPLY FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ‘ENGIGINES
‘2 Sheets-Sheet 2
Original Filed'Jan. 28, 1932
p.
JVZXITUR ‘
JE-Z’DPFE?
JIQ‘LZENEZKE.
2,116,596
Patented ‘May 10, 1938
4
UNITED STATES PATENT 0FFlCE__
,
2,116,596
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'
n
x AUTOMATIC FUEL VAPOIHZER AND AUXIL
'
IABY FUEL SUPPLY FOB INTERNAL COM
BUSTION ENGINES
' Irven E. Coffey, Pine Lawn, Mo.
Application January 28, 1932, Serial No. 589,436
Renewed January 9, 193'!
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dclalms. (Cl. 123-119)
My invention relates to an improvement in the the electrical heat is discontinued, I provide an
fuel supply for an internal combustion engine auxiliary fuel supply with additional air to‘ carry
.
i
for the initial starting of a cold engine, and ap
plies to the type in which a liquid fuel is vapor
5 ized or gasi?ed before entering the engine cylin
ders.
such vaporized and gasliied fuel. This forms a
secondary object and feature of my invention.
A third. feature of my invention is the provi- 5
sion of a thermostatic control for the secondary
auxiliary supply whereby when the engine be
an electric starting motor is used to rotate the
crank shaft and reciprocate the pistons for cre
10 ating a suction to draw fuel into such cylinders
from the carburetor. In order to increase the
comes sufilciently hot to draw the fuel from the
carburetor in a normal manner, the auxiliary
fuel supply and the auxiliary air is cut off and 10
maintained in a cut of! condition while the en
?ow of fuel it is usually the practice to use a
choke on the air intake which. functions to in
crease, to a great extent, the amount of liquid
15 fuel in proportion to the air. Usually this fuel
tures. However, the thermostatic control is op“
erative‘that should the engine cool to such an
extent as to possibly make the starting dif?cult, 15
In the present practice of starting cold engines
is not properly vaporized in the cold intake mani-'
fold and a considerable proportion condenses in.
the manifold. Also, the fuel is in the forni of a
liquid vapor instead of gas enters the cylinder.
0 When the' gas becomes ignited and drives the
engine to the release of the starting motor, the
gine is running at its normal operating tempera
the auxiliary fuel supply will come into operation
with the auxiliary air to carry such supply, and
on use or the starting motor electrical heat will
be supplied to the auxiliary fuel and auxiliary
air. In one form of my invention the hot gasi?ed 20
fuel is fed without theauxiliary air direct into
condensed fuel is drawn into the engine, and as the intake manifold.
An important feature of my invention is that’
it is commonly necessary to maintain the choke
more or less closed until the engine becomes 'if the engine is at a su?icient temperature to
25‘ warmed, the fuel enters the cylinders in the form
of a vapor instead of a ‘dry gas, which-vapors,
especially when gasoline fuel is used, wash the
lubricating oil from the cylinder walls and pass
by the cylinders, diluting the crank case lubri
30 eating oil. Attempts have been made to remedy
this defect by installation of electric heating ele
. ments in the intake manifold but it is necessary
to heat a large proportion of air compared with
the amount of vaporized fuel; therefore, these
35 heaters are inefficient. Attempts have also been
made to have an automatically actuated choke
but this also has a disadvantage that it always
functions even’ if through inadvertence the igni
tion switch is not turned to the closed circuit
40 position, in which case the engine usually be
comes iiooded with the condensed fuel.
A main object and feature of my invention is
at the same time the starting motor is energized
to turn over the engine for starting, to inject
145' an auxiliary supply of fuel, preferably from the
carburetor into the intake manifold, and to‘heat
this fuel as it is atomized and vaporized, the heat
ing preferably being done by an electrical heat
ing element. In addition, I provide an auxiliary
50 air supply which functions to carry the fuel which
is gasi?ed by heat, and thus provide a, dry gas
with heated air for the initial starting of the
engine.
‘
After the engine has been initially started and
55 the starting motor no longer functions, and also
operate directly from the fuel drawn through 25
the carburetor on starting, although the elec
tric heating element will be automatically heated,
there will be no auxiliary gas or air supply drawn
through the heating device.
’
The operations of my invention may be accom- 30
plished in various forms of appliances which may
be installed on engines now in use or may be built
into new installations.
'
In the preferred form of my invention I may
employ a piston operating directly as an auxiliary 35
fuel pump, this piston having a diaphragm which
is subject to atmospheric air pressure and also to
a moderate suction of the engine. With this ar
rangement the auxiliary fuel and air supply de
vice is placed in the cylinder in which the piston 40
operates in a position to be always in a normal
cold position ?lled with the fuel, the device pref
erably being arranged at substantially the level
of the fuel in the carburetor. A piston or pump
plunger operates in this cylinder which is filled 45
with the fuel. A diaphragm is connected to the
piston and above the. diaphragm there is an
auxiliary air connection. The piston carries one
element of‘ a needle valve. preferably the seat, the
needle being stationary and adjustable. Above 60
the needle valve there is an electrical heating
unit, and above this unit a connection to the
intake manifold, preferably below the throttle
valve.
with this arrangement, on energizing
the starting motor, the solenoid pulls downward- 55
9,116,596‘
' ly on the piston, the action being- to force the
liquid fuel below the piston upwardly through
the n‘ dle valve and inject this into an auxiliary
str
01' air and subject the air and the fuel
to the electric heating unit. The dry vaporized
gas‘thus formed passes through the intake mani
fold to the cylinders of the engine. In this con
struction, also, I provide a thermostatic control
for the auxiliary air, this supply ‘being normally
the additional fuel supply and at the same time
this fuel supply is heated and forms a dry gas.
Therefore, the closing of the starting motor
switch performs two functions of energizing the
starter and providing a heated dry gas for the 5
initial starting of the engine. My invention com
prehends that instead of using the starting mo
tor switch to energize the solenoid and the elec
tric heating coil I may use an entirely sepa
10 open when the engine is cold, but as the auxiliary rate switch devoted solely for this, purpose, or 1.
air supply becomes heated and the engine heated. , utilize the ignition switch of the ignition circuit.
the auxiliary supply is shut off. On shutting oil
of the air supply the fuel supply through the
needle valve is stopped. Therefore, when the
15 engine runs suinciently hot to draw fuel from
the carburetor, my device is inoperative to supply
auxiliary fuel and auxiliary air, but when the
I also contemplate having the solenoid and the
heating circuits either in series or parallel with
a common switch, or a separate switch may be
utilized for either feature, thus having these 1‘
circuits independent.
engine is cold and while it is .warming up, first
the auxiliary fuel heated to form a dry gas is
supplied and then an auxiliary‘ fuel without be
ing heated is supplied, unless the heating circuit
My invention is illustrated in connection with
the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. l is a diagrammatic illustration of the
fuel supply and starting system of the engine ~90
with my auxiliary fuel device illustrated in ele
is closed.
vation;
I
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_
In another form of my invention I utilize a pis
ton operating in a cylinder. This piston is nor
25 mally held in an inoperative position by coun
terbalanced spring. The piston is under the in
' ?uence of a solenoid which is connected into the
starting motor circuit, preferably as a parallel
‘circuit so that on energizing of the starting mo
30 tor the solenoid is energized to shift the piston.
At the same time an electric heating unit also
in circuit with the solenoid is energized to pro
The
caused by the
turning of the engine by the starting motor
85 draws the liquid fuel preferably from the car
vide electrical heat.
suction_
buretor through a needle valve controlled by
' and preferably built into the piston. As the fuel
passes through this valve, it is atomized and im
mediately subjected to the hot electrical heating
unit. In this case when the engine is cold there
is no auxiliary air supply but the hot gasi?ed
fuel is injected directly into the intake mani
fold and mixed with the in?owing air through
the carburetor. The secondary fuel supply con
45 tinues to function after the starting motor cir
cuit is open by the engine operating under its
‘own power unless the suction is sumcient at this
stage to close the needle valve.
In the second form of my invention above de
50 scribed in which the liquid fuel is subjected to
the electric heating element and thus discharged
into the intake manifold as the ‘hot dry gas,
the suction for bringing the ‘fuel to the needle
valve is created by the suction in the manifold.
55 An auxiliary air supply is provided but when
p the engine is cold this is cut o? by a thermo
static control. However, as the engine becomes
' heated, the auxiliary air, which is preferably
heated by the exhaust manifold, operates the
60 thermostatic control to open the air supply to
the needle valve, which breaks the vacuum and
stops the suction of the fuel or materially lessens
the flow of such fuel. After the engine is run
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Fig. 2 is a vertical section through my auxiliary
fuel device;
Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal section on the line 25
3-3 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows;
Fig. 4 is a detail horizontal section on the
line 4-4 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the ar
rows:
~
Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of another
adaptation of my invention;
.
Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the alterna
tive form of. my invention illustrated in Fig. 5;
Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical section of the pis
ton, needle valve, and air control;
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,
Fig. 8 is a detail horizontal section on the line
8-8 of Fig. 7 in the direction of the arrows;
Fig. 9 is a detail horizontal section on the
line 9—-9 of Fig. 7 in the direction of the arrows.
Referring ?rst to the illustration of Fig. l, the
engine block with the engine cylinders is indi
cated by the numeral II, the intake manifold l2,
the exhaust manifold by IS, the carburetor by
I4_, such carburetor being indicated as having a
choke valve l5 and a. throttle valve l6, these
latter being of conventional type. While the
carburetor is illustrated as of the up draft type,
my invention applies equally to a down draft type
of carburetor.
The starting system indicates a. starting mo—
tor I1 and a. starting switch l8. This is illus
trated as having a bridging piece l9 which con
nects to the contact points 20 and 2|. The con
tact 20 is indicated as havinga, lead 22 to the
storage battery 23, such being a source of sup
ply, the negative side of this battery being
grounded at 24. The contact 2| has a lead 25
to the terminal 26 of the starting motor.
Referring particularly to the device of my in
vention shown in detail in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, I em
ploy a casing structure 21 which may be at
tached to the engine block in any suitable man
ner or, if desired, supported from the carburetor.
ning and the thermostatic control heated, the This has a. cylinder 28 therein which is pref
65 auxiliary air valves are wide open and will func
erably made of brass. A closure plug 29 is
tion to add a slight additional amount of air screwed into the lower end of the cylinder and 65
to the intake manifold, but as the suction on has a packing gasket 30 engaging the case
this manifold tends to close the needle valve, and forming a liquid-tight seal. A fuel supply
there is an automatic regulation of this additional pipe 3| is connected to a nipple 32 at the lower
70 air supply. Such supply, however, is insu?icient end of the plug. This plug is provided with a
to interfere with the normal operation of the check valve 33, such valve being formed by utiliz 70
engine.
ing a large bore 34. A tube 35 is threaded into
A main characteristic in my invention in any this bore and has a valve seat 36 on which a
of its forms is that the closing of the starting' ball check valve 31 is seated. A pin 38 limits
75 motor circuit operates the solenoid .to provide the upward movement of this ball. A small bore 75
3
2,116,596 a
39 leads, through the upper end of the plug ‘into the case 21. A stop 81 on this wall limits the
movement of the free outer end of the thermo
the fuel chamber 40.
The ‘fuel pump comprises a loose ?tting, cyl . static strip. I‘employ an electric lead 92 which
inder or plunger 4! preferably having a number is illustrated as connected to a selector switch 92'
of vertical grooves 42. This has a recess 43 at connecting to a source of power and ground.
the bottom ‘and is urged upwardly by a compres _ The solenoid has a ?rst terminal 93 to which the
sion spring M seated in this recess and bearing on lead 92 connects, and a second terminal 56, this
the plug 29. A diaphragm $5 is attached at its extending through the case 21, and an electrical
periphery to the connecting ?anges 46 of the case,
10 the case thus having a lower and an upper sec
tion. The center portion of the diaphragm bears
on a shoulder ti on a piston or plunger M.
A
threaded nut 58 threaded on the plug t9 clamps
the center portion of the diaphragm and this is
15 held by a lock nut 50. The nut it has a. plurality
of outwardly projecting ?ngers M. The cylinder
or plunger M has a fuel duct 52, which duct is
carried upwardly by an upwardly extending small
i’uel tube 53, this arising above the plug 159, and is
20 provided with a valve seat 54 forming a needle
valve as hereinunder detailed.
‘
lead '95 connects to the terminal so.
‘
In my invention the chamber below the dia 10
phragm designated 96 may be considered. with
the chamber 40 as the fuel chamber because the _
device is installed at substantially the level of the
fuel in the carburetor so that the fuel seeking its
own level will rise'past the check valve 33 and 15
into the fuel duct 52. The arrangement, how
ever, must be such thatsthe needle valve seat 54
is never below the level at which the fuel would
rise in the auxiliary fuel device when the liquid
seeks its own level. The upper part of the cham 20
her 9'! above the diaphragm-may be considered
The casing 2'? has a cylindrical upwardly pro
jecting portion 55 with a tube 56 extending there—
above. This tube has a head 5‘? in which is
threaded the plug 58 to which is connected the
stem b3v of the needle til, which forms the needle
as the air chamber.
valve operating in connection with the needle
winding iii, terminal 95, lead 915, terminal 93 to
The manner of operation and functioning of
my device is substantially as follows:
‘When the selector switch M’ is closed, the cur 25
rent ?ow is by lead 92 to terminal 93, solenoid
89 through closed contact 88 to thermostat coil
86 when this is cold, through terminal 84 to
heating element 82 and ground at 85. The cur-.
so
rent through thermostat 86 heats and expands
this, which, together with the heated air drawn
from around the exhaust manifold at 66 through
pipe 55 causes the thermostat to actuate the air
35
35 ‘The air supply employs an intake air pipe 85 _ valve iii and also to open contact at tit.
Presuming the engine is cold, the compression
which has a heating coil 6t surrounding the ex
spring [it maintains the combination piston and
haust manifold. This pipe has an open‘ end ex
posed to atmosphere. A rotary air valve desig
plunger (ii in an elevated position, the limit to
nated by the assembly numeral 67 is constructed movement being by the ?ngers 5! engaging the
40 in the upwardly projecting portion 555 of the case. bottom‘ plate til of the rotatable air valve 6?’.
This has a cylindrical wall 58, a bottom closure When in this position the stem of the needle valve
plate 5d, a top plate ‘it, this having a sleeve it is adjusted so that the needle valve is closed or through which the stem 59 of the needle extends. _ substantially closed and in this position the ports
The top is provided with a series of ports it which ‘52 and “it are in registry. The thermostatic strip
are adapted to register with ports ‘it in the closed is cold so that the free end 88 is in contact with 45
top ‘it of the upwardly projecting portion 55 of the contact point 89 of the terminal 93. In this
position the chamber til below the plunger iii and
the case. The side wall 88 is provided with a plu
rality of circumferential slots ‘is, through which the chamber 95 below the diaphragm are ?lled
valve seat M. A knurled head ti allows adjust-‘
ment of the stem and, hence, of the needle in
preference to the needle valve seat. A nipple 62
is connected to the tube 5% and to this nipple
there is a fuel pipe 63 which leads to the intake
manifold M, preferably below the throttle valve
indicated it.
extend stop screws ‘it. These screws limit the
rotation of the valve and also support the valve
‘ in the upwardly projecting portion 55 of the case.
with liquid fuel.
‘
When the starting switches are actuated to the 50
closed circuit position, a circuitis closed to the
starting, motor which rotates the crank shaft and
The bottom 69 of the valve is provided with an
opening ‘ll from which extends upwardly a tube ‘ reciprocates the pistons and to the ignition cir~
‘i8,which tube has an inturned flange end l9,there cuit is also closed. At the same instant the sole
55 being a small annular opening til between this noid Si is energized and a current is conducted
?ange and the tube 53 which carries the seat of through the bi-metallic thermostatic strips to
the heating coil 82, which is designed to substan
the needle valve.
The electrical system employs a solenoid iii, tially- instantly become hot. The solenoid ex
the winding of which is indicated 'as being on erts an attraction on the cylinder or plunger M
till the outside of the cylinder 28 in the lower portion which functions as the armature of the solenoid
of the case 21. An electrical heating coil 82 is and draws this downwardly, this action also pull
mounted in the air valve 61. There is illustrated ing down on the diaphragm, causing this portion
of the device to operate as a pump and force the
a terminal 33 which extends through the cylin
drical wall 68. The lower end of the heating coil liquid fuel ‘in the chambers til and Q6 upwardly
through the liquid ‘duct 52 and through the
65 is connected to this terminal at tit and the
upper end is connected to the sleeve ‘ii at'85. needle valve at the top of the tube 53 where the
Thus, the heating coil may rotate with the air ?ne atomized fuel immediately comes into con
valve housing. The thermostatic control is by tact with'the heating coil 82. As the pistons are
means of a bi-metallic thermostatic strip 86, reciprocating they create a suction in the intake
70 which is arranged in the form of a spiral, one end manifold but as the auxiliary fuel pipe 63 is con:
being connected at 81 to the insulated terminal nected below the throttle valve, that is, on the
83 on the outside of the valve 61. The opposite carburetor side of such valve, there is but a slight
end has an outwardly bent ?nger 38 which op
suction. This, however, is sui?cient to draw at
2:5
erates between the contact 89 of electric terminal
90, which terminal extends through the wall of
55
60
65
70
mospheric air through the air pipe 65 into the
chamber 91 above the diaphragm. This air 75
4
9,116,598
blows upwardly through the annular opening 80
surrounding the needle valve, causing an imme
diate mixture of the air and the fuel, both being
subjected to the heating action of the heating
coil. This heating action immediately changes
the atomized liquid fuel into a dry gas which is
drawn through the intake manifold into the en
gine cylinders. This action takes place without
the closing of the choke valve I5.
,
.
The secondary action of my device is ‘after the
engine is started and the starting switch I3 is
opened, in which case the solenoid is deener
gized, as is also the heating coil. The spring 44
then forces the piston or plunger upwardly but,
15 as above mentioned, when this is in its upper
position the needle valve is partly opened. The
auxiliary air with a reduced amount of liquid
fuel is then drawn by suction through the ports
12 and ‘I3, which are open, and the fuel pipe 63
into the intake manifold. This gas is not auto
ma'ticaliy heated, however. At the same time
the engine draws fuel directly from the carburetor
and the exhaust manifold becomes heated, and
by means of the heating coil 66 heats the air
through the pipe 65. As the air becomes heated
in the chamber 81 the thermostatic strip 86 is
heated and expands so that the free end 88 moves
from the contact end 88 of the terminal 80 and
abuts against the stop 9i. The further expan
sion of the thermostatic strip then causes the’
rotation of the valve 61, bringing the ports ‘I2
and 13 out of registry and stopping the upward
flow of air and vaporized fuel. In addition, the
conduction of heat from the engine block tends
to heat the thermostatic strip so that as long as
the engine is running normally and drawing fuel
from the carburetor with the engine hot, the
the tube I", this sleeve being contracted at the
upper end I23 with an inwardly turned ?ange.
At the lower end of the sleeve there is a cup I24
with-an upwardly extending ?ange I25. This
?ange has an arcuate notch I26, into which ex cu
tends a pin I21 ?tted in the wall of the piston.
To this cup and at the bottom there is secured
the lower end of a helically wound bimetallic
thermostatic strip I28. The upper end I29 of
this strip is secured to~the piston, preferably tov 10
the top. The tube III has a series of ports I30,
and the sleeve I22 has ports I3I, these ports be
ing adapted to align for flow‘ of air. The air in
take is by means of an air duct I32 through the
top I04, there being an air tube I33 connected
to. this duct, and this air tube has a heating coil
I34 wound around the exhaust manifold.
There is an air chamber I35 between the piston '
and the cover I04.
The piston is provided with counteracting or
counterbalaneing springs, there being a lower
spring I36 which rests on a washer I31. This
washer is connected to a ring I38 on the inside,
and on the outside rests on a split ring I39 which
?ts in an annular groove I40 in the lower end
of ‘the cylinder IN. The upper end of the spring
bears on the shoulder ill of the piston. Above
the piston there is a second spring I42 which at
its lower and bears on the cup I24, and its upper
end is seated in a recess I43 in the cap or cover
I04. It is to be noted that the sleeve I I I is free
ly rotatable on the lower end of the cylinder _IOI
and it is provided with a wrench grip head I44‘
to effect this rotation for a purpose hereinunder
detailed. A packing washer I45 ?ts between the
head I44 and the bottom plate H0.
The automatic heating arrangement utilizes
ports ‘I2 and ‘I3 are maintained out of registry and
a tubular housing designated generally by the
thus the valve 6'! closed.
numeral I46.
'
Should the engine stop and be started while
the engine is still hot and the thermostatic strip‘
86 still hot, the circuit is broken at 88 and SI,
This has an uppersection I41 pro
viding a relatively large chamber I48, and this 40
has a screw threaded connection I49 with the
sleeve III. A set screw I50 allows clamping to
hence, neither the solenoid nor the heating coil is I gether of these parts.
energized and no auxiliary fuel fed to the engine.
In the construction illustrated in Figs. 5
through 9, the air valve control device designated
generally by the numeral I00 employs a cylinder
IOI at the upper end of which there is a solenoid
I02, thewindings being indicated, and outside of
50 this solenoid there is a cover or case I03. A clo
sure head I04 is secured to the top of the case, and
in a large recess I05 there is threaded a tubular
plug I06. This plug has a nipple I01 to which is
connected a gasoline feed tube I08, this tube be
55 ing indicated as connected to the‘ carburetor at
the base thereof at I08. A bottom closure H0 is
connected to the lower end of the case I03 and
connects to the cylinder IOI. A sleeve III is
fitted on the lower portion of the cylinder and is
retained in position by a ring II2 secured to the
lower end of the cylinder IN. A piston II3
-
A depending tube I5I is screw threaded and
threads into the intake manifold. An end plate 45
I 52 is secured to the depending portion I Si by
pins I53, there being spacers I54. This provides
a plurality of radial slots I55 for discharging in
the intake manifold. A packing gasket I56 is
provided outside of the intake manifold. An 50
electric heating coil I5'I ‘has its lower .end I58
connected to the closure member I52, this form- _
ing a ground connection. To the upper end there
is a lead I56 which is connected to an insulated
connector I60 which extends through the wall of 55
the upper section I41. An electric lead I6I ex
tends from this connector I60 and to one end I62
of the solenoid coil. The opposite end of this
coil has a lead I63 which is illustrated as'being
connected to a lead I64 from the starting motor 60
switch I8 and the connection 26 of the starting
(note Fig. '7) slides in the cylinder I 0|. This motor I'I. Therefore, when the starting motor
piston has a downwardly projecting portion II4. switch is closed to energize the starting motor, the
A relatively small bore “5 extends upwardly solenoid is energized and also the heating coil.
65 through theportion II 4 of the piston and there
The needle valve construction employs a valve
is a relatively large bore H6 at the top or at the seat ‘I65 which is formed in the' ?xed tube II5 65
piston proper. A ?xed fuel and air tube II‘I ex‘
adjacent the lower portion of such tube and
tends through the bores H5 and H6 rising to a ‘through this seat extends the needle point I66
considerable height above the piston, and this is on the stem I6'I. This stem is connected to a
70 retained in place by a screw threaded connection raised center portion I68 of the end plate I52.
'I I8 with the lower part of the bore. The tube The needle may be adjusted as to its seat by
has a head I I9 with wrench kerfs I20 and a down
loosening the set screw I50 and rotating the sleeve
wardly extending sleeve I2I.
III. As the lower structure I46 is held in a
The air control is by means of a rotatable fixed position in the intake manifold and the
75 sleeve I22 which is ?tted over the upper end of upper part of the casing having the solenoid is
‘2,116,596
5
held from rotation by its connection to the fuel fuel is drawn upwardly into the auxiliary fuel
supply and auxiliary air supply, the rotation of supply device when the engine is running nor
the sleeve Hi threads the upper part of the ‘ mally hot.‘ There is, however, a slight additional
housing with the solenoid and the valve seat up metered air supply to that in the intake manifold,
and down with reference to the ?xed housing I45.
An initial adjustment- may thus be obtained of
the needle valve suitable for different engines.
The manner of operation and functioning of
the device of Figs. 5 through 9 is as follows:
Normally the ports I30 and E3! in the ?xed
10
tube H5 and the rotatable sleeve I22, respec
tively, are in the closed position when the engine
is cold, that is, when the thermostatic strip is
in the cold condition. This represents the posi
15 tion on starting the cold engine. The piston is
supported on the lower spring. This piston has a
relatively loose ?t in its cylinder so that the needle
valve is but partly open. The sleeve HZ has a
fairly close sliding fit in the tubular plug 165. .
On closing the starter motor switch the engine
is turned over by such starting motor creating a
suction in the intake manifold through the car
buretor, at the same time the solenoid is ener
gized and elevates the piston i it. This carries
for when the throttle is nearly closed the suction on the piston maintains the needle valve
nearly closed due to the increased vacuum in the
intake manifold; but when the throttle is opened
the vacuum in the manifold is decreased and the
piston elevates, opening the needle valve wider, 10
thus allowing a greater in?ow of air which has
been preheated by the coil I35. Thus the device
operates to function as an air metering device
for operating the engine under normal condi
tions. When it is desired to start the engine 15
while hot, the ports I30 and 138 are open so that
on closing the starting motor switch, although the
solenoid is energized and the heating coil i5?
is also energized, there is no liquid fuel drawn
through the auxiliary fuel device but only an 20
additional flow of air.
It is believed obvious that my device may be
made as an integral part of a carburetor in both
forms. The form of Fig. 2 is illustrated as sup
25 the valve seat away from the needle and. opens ported by the carburetor but the form of Fig. 6
the needle valve.‘ At the same time the heating ' could also be mounted on the carburetor for di
coil‘ i5? is energized and becomes hot._ The suc ‘ rect connection to the intake manifold. It may
tion of the engine quickly draws the liquid fuel be advisable in cold climates to connect the heat
upwardly through the pipe tilt. This liquid fuel ing element with the ignition switch so that the
?ows downwardly through the tube i 95 and past heating coil may be‘ maintained hotter for a‘ 30
the needle valve where it becomes atomized, and longer time. Therefore, in the construction of
as the liquid fuel is subject to the hot wire coil Fig. 2 the heating coil would be maintained hot
l?l" the drops of liquid fuel are immediately con
until the thermostatic strip' opened the circuit.
verted into a gas, which gas in expansion forces In the construction of Fig. 2 when it is desired
its way outwardly through the slots i255 into to pump additional charges of fuel, the switch. 35
the intake manifold and is carried with the intake controlling the solenoid after being opened may
air and any generated gas from the carburetor again be closed and this may be done a number
into the engine. The gas is too rich to be com . of times until the engine is running properly. I
bustible by itself but on mixing with the intake find that a suitable diaphragm may be made from
air in the intake manifold develops an explosive fabric which is impregnated with varnish; this do
mixture in the engine. As soon as the engine is withstands the action of the gasoline.
started
operating under its fuel, the starting
A characteristic of my invention is that the
switch is opened, which deenergizes the solenoid fuel which is initially supplied in the liquid form
and the electric heating coil. In this stage, becomes immediately converted into a gas which
however, the device will function to meter fuel ‘is a dry gas, and expands many times the volume as
to the engine. For instance, when the solenoid of its form in a liquid, and this gas immediately
is deenergized, the piston returns to its normal is taken into the intake manifold where it mixes
riding position; this is with the needle valve part~ with the air being taken into the engine. Also,
ly open. With the throttle nearly closed the suc— ‘the additional hot air supplied with the addi
tion on the piston is greater and pulls this down, tional fuel forms a dry gas mixture. Therefore, 50
closing the needle valve to a greater extent, al» if the engine does not immediately start but this
lowing but little fuel to pass such valve; but when dry gas is pumped through the engine, it will not
the throttle is opened wide the piston is forced condense on account of the fuel being in the dry
upwardly by the lower spring, thus opening the
needle valve to a greater extent and allowing an gas state.
Various changes may be made in the details 55
increased injection of atomized liquid fuel into
of
construction without departing from the spirit
the intake manifold where it is mixed with the air
or scope of the invention as de?ned by the
and fuel vapor from the carburetor.v
appended claims.
There is always a certain amount of air suc
I claim:
.
tion around the piston, which has a relatively
1. In the methods of supplying fuel‘ to an en 60
60 loose ?t, so that in all stages of operation there
gine having an electrically operated auxiliary
is an air flow through the air intake pipe I33
which has the heating coil I34, and as the vair liquid fuel valve, comprising on starting the en
gine and by the suction of the engine drawing
- becomes heated, passing around the piston, which
heats the thermostatic strip, which functions to auxiliary liquid fuel, at the same time sucking an
65 obtain a relative rotation of the piston‘and the auxiliary, air supply into intimate contact with 65
sleeve E22 ?tting over the tube H5, which action the auxiliary liquid fuel, heating both the auxil
is to open the ports E36 and HI, that is, bringing , iary liquid fuel and air to form a dry gas, intro
such ports into registry. In addition, the intake ducing such dry\gas into the main fuel supply,
heating the auxiliary air by the engine heat and
manifold itself becomes heated and the conduc
70 tion of heat heats the thermostatic strip. Thus, after discontinuing the heating of the auxiliary 70
when the engine becomes hot there is an air liquid and air, causing the heat of this auxiliary
air to stop the ?ow of the auxiliary air and
circulation through the tube I33, the ports IN
.
and W0, and the slightly opened needle ‘valve. auxiliary liquid.
2. The methods of supplying auxiliary fuel to
This connection to atmosphere operates to break
75 the vacuum in the fuel pipe I08 and, hence, no J an internal combustion engine during the warm 75
2,110,000
up period, whether the engine is idling or oper
ating at a higher rate of speed which consists in
utilizing the suction of the- engine to draw a
fuel ,and air mixture of substantially uniform
proportions into the engine intake and varying
>
'
utilizing engine suction to supply an auxiliary
fuel and air mixture of substantially uniform
proportions to the engine intake during the
warm-up period, heating the auxiliary mixture,
and controlling the quantity of auxiliary mixture 5
the quantity or mixture supplied in accordance A supplied and the heat applied thereto in accord
with temperature.
ance with temperature.
.
3. The method of supplying auxiliary priming
4; The method described in claim 3 in which
and warm-up fuel to an internal ‘combustion en
10 gine having a starting device and a priming pump
device, consisting in utilizing the same manual
movement to operate both or said devices, there
after rendering said starting device inoperative.
the priming charge initially supplied upon start
ing the engine is heated for vaporizing the 10'
charge.
IRVEN E. COFFEY.