EP0064836A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Valve train means in a reciprocating internal combustion engine
Assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
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Filing: 1982-04-28
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2002-04-28
Abstract
Abstract In an engine valve train, each rocker arm 20 and its associate fulcrum 40 are provided with cooperating inner 41 and outer 25 cylindrical surface contours carrying the reaction forces of rocker arm, the ratio of the radius of the outer surface contour 25 to the radius of the inner surface contour 41 being approximately in the order of 3:1 to 1.7:1 and preferably 2:1, the rocker arm 20 and fulcrum 40 having a cooperating retainer recess 29 and pin 44, intermediate the ends of the associated bearing surface 25, 41, to maintain alignment of these elements in substantially rolling contact with each other during pivotable movement of the rocker arm 20. In the preferred embodiment the radii of curvature of these bearing surfaces 25, 41 are selected in the ratio of 2:1 so as to obtain rolling motion known as cardanic motion, the recess 29 being defined by opposed inclined flat surfaces and the contact surfaces of the pin 44 being of semi-circular profile in substantial two-point contact with the surface defined by the recess 29.
Inventors
- 👤 Emil Roland Maki
- 👤 Raymond L. Richard, Jr.
- 👤 Ferdinand Freudenstein
- 👤 Meng-Sang Chew
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 01:36
CPC Classifications
F; F01; F01L; F01L1/00; F01L1/12; F01L1/18; F01L1/181; F01L1/182; F01L1/183
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
319 words
A valve train means in a reciprocating internal combustion engine of the type having an engine block defining a cylinder with a port, a valve (12) reciprocably located in said port and biased to a predetermined position, and a valve actuator (16) spaced from the valve and movable in opposite sense to reciprocate the same, said valve train means including a rocker arm (20; 20') in engagement with the valve and the valve actuator and actuated in rocking movement to reciprocate said valve against said bias to open and close the port for engine operation, characterised in that said valve train means includes: means (40; 60) defining a rocking support intermediate the length of the rocker arm (20; 20'), said means and said rocker arm defining a pair of cooperating inner (41; 30) and outer (25, 63) cylindrical bearing surface contours carrying the reaction forces of rocker arm pivotal movement, the radius of the outer contour being in the range of 3 to 1.7 times the radius of the inner contour; restrainer means to anchor the cooperating cylindrical contours for substantially rolling action in relation to each other, said restrainer means comprising a pin (44; 44') extending radially outward from the inner contour and a recess (29; 29') in the outer contour of a size to receive said pin, said recess (29; 29') defining opposed sloping guide surfaces flaring outward in the direction towards the center of the outer contour and over which the pin walks during rocker arm oscillation, the conformation of the pin being such that the pin moves in substantially walking motion during such oscillation, whereby, within the range of rocker arm oscillation, the pin (44; 44') establishes substantially rolling contact between the cylindrical contours (25, 41; 30, 63) by contact with the guide surfaces of the recess (29; 29') and itself executes substantially rolling contact with the guide surfaces defined by the recess (29; 29').
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
319 words
A valve train means in a reciprocating internal combustion engine of the type having an engine block defining a cylinder with a port, a valve (12) reciprocably located in said port and biased to a predetermined position, and a valve actuator (16) spaced from the valve and movable in opposite sense to reciprocate the same, said valve train means including a rocker arm (20; 20') in engagement with the valve and the valve actuator and actuated in rocking movement to reciprocate said valve against said bias to open and close the port for engine operation, characterised in that said valve train means includes: means (40; 60) defining a rocking support intermediate the length of the rocker arm (20; 20'), said means and said rocker arm defining a pair of cooperating inner (41; 30) and outer (25, 63) cylindrical bearing surface contours carrying the reaction forces of rocker arm pivotal movement, the radius of the outer contour being in the range of 3 to 1.7 times the radius of the inner contour; restrainer means to anchor the cooperating cylindrical contours for substantially rolling action in relation to each other, said restrainer means comprising a pin (44; 44') extending radially outward from the inner contour and a recess (29; 29') in the outer contour of a size to receive said pin, said recess (29; 29') defining opposed sloping guide surfaces flaring outward in the direction towards the center of the outer contour and over which the pin walks during rocker arm oscillation, the conformation of the pin being such that the pin moves in substantially walking motion during such oscillation, whereby, within the range of rocker arm oscillation, the pin (44; 44') establishes substantially rolling contact between the cylindrical contours (25, 41; 30, 63) by contact with the guide surfaces of the recess (29; 29') and itself executes substantially rolling contact with the guide surfaces defined by the recess (29; 29').
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
66 words
A valve train means according to claim 1, characterised in that the radius of the outer contour (25, 63) is substantially twice the radius of the inner contour (41; 30), and the contact surfaces of the pin (44, 44') are of semi-circular profile so that the pin moves in said substantially walking motion during such oscillation in substantial two-point contact with the opposed sloping guide surfaces.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
161 words
A valve train means according to claim 1 or 2, in which the rocker arm (20) has one end thereof operatively associated with the valve (12), there is a fulcrum (40) operatively associated with the rocker arm intermediate the ends thereof, and there is a retainer means (50) fixed to said engine block and having a portion thereof extending through both the rocker arm and the fulcrum for holding these elements in operative engagement with each other, characterised in that said fulcrum (40) defines a convex, semi-cylindrical fulcrum bearing surface (41), said fulcrum further includes said pin (44) extending radially outward from said fulcrum bearing surface (41) intermediate the ends thereof; and said rocker arm (20) includes a concave, semi-cylindrical bearing surface (25), which includes a recess (29) of such a size as to form said guide recess and to operatively receive said pin (44) and define said pair of opposed sloping guide surfaces for operative engagement by said pin (44).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
234 words
A valve train means according to claim 1 or 2, in which there is a fulcrum means (60) operatively associated with the rocker arm (20'), and a retainer means (61) fixed to the engine block and having a portion thereof extending through both the rocker arm (20') and the fulcrum means (60) for holding these elements in operative engagement with each other, characterised in that said rocker arm (20') includes a pair of spaced apart side flanges (26') extending upward from opposite longitudinal sides of a base (24') having an aperture (28') extending therethrough, said aperture being located intermediate the ends of said base and being sized so as to operatively receive the retainer means (61), there is a pair of fixed opposed cylindrical rocker members (31) defining semi-cylindrical bearing surfaces (30) extending transversely between said flanges (26') toward said aperture (28'), each of said bearing surfaces having said pin (44') extending radially outward therefrom intermediate its ends; and said fulcrum means (60) includes a semi-cylindrical fulcrum surface (63) of a substantially uniform radius engaging said bearing surfaces (30) of said rocker members (31), said fulcrum means further including a pair of guide slots (29') defining a pair of said guide recesses with opposed sloping guide surfaces which extend in a direction parallel to the axis of said fulcrum surface (63) intermediate the ends thereof so as to operatively receive said respective pins (44').
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
98 words
A valve train means according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said recess (29; 29') defines opposed sloping guide surfaces of such degree of flare as to define substantially the envelope of the laterally most extended points of rolling contact between said bearing surfaces (41, 25; 30, 63) during rocker arm oscillation, and the pin (44; 44') has opposed convex working surfaces of such a profile that said pin (44; 44') remains in said recess (29; 29') with the contact surfaces thereof in substantially rolling engagement with said guide surfaces during such oscillation. •
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
134 words
A valve train means according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 4, characterised in that said recess (29; 29') defines opposed sloping guide surfaces of such degree of flare as to define substantially the envelope of the laterally most extended points of rolling contact between said bearing surfaces (41, 25; 30, 63) during rocker arm oscillation, and the pin (44; 44') has opposed working surfaces located symmetrically about a line of symmetry passing through the center of curvature of said inner bearing surface (41; 30), each contact surface consisting of circular arcs whose centers of curvature lie on the contact points of said inner bearing surface (41; 30) with said outer bearing surface (25, 63) on the opposite side of said line of symmetry during rolling engagement between said bearing surfaces.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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