Engine combustion monitor

Claim 2

A combustion monitor in combination with an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber defined in part by wall means wiped by a combustion seal element, said wall means having an opening to said combustion chamber, said combustion monitor comprising a pressure sealed viewing plug sealingly mounted in said wall opening, said viewing plug mounting a light transmitting member having a surface forming a continuation of said wall means and being engageable by said seal element, said viewing plug being arranged to transmit light from combustion within said combustion chamber to points external thereto, a viewing panel at a point remote from said engine and convenient for observation by the engine operator, said panel having an opening, and at least one fiber optic light transmitting element having one end received by said viewing plug so as to receive light from its light transmitting member and having its other end received in said viewing panel opening and viewable on said panel, whereby an operator of said engine may observe the quality of combustion in said combustion chamber by observation of said remote viewing panel.

Claim 3

A combustion monitor in combination with an internal combustion engine having a plurality of variable volume combustion chambers respectively defined by closed end cylinders and pistons reciprocably movable in said cylinders, said pistons each having a cylinder engaging gas seal ring disposed annularly therearound adjacent the combustion chamber end thereof, said combustion monitor comprising means defining an opening in a wall of each of said cylinders and connecting with said combustion chambers at points reached by the travel of said piston rings near the end of their movement toward the cylinder closed end, a pressure sealed viewing plug sealingly mounted in each of said opening defining means, each viewing plug mounting a light transmitting member having a surface forming a continuation of the respective cylinder surface and being engagable by the piston ring of its respective cylinder, said viewing plugs being mounted so as to transmit light from combUstion within their respective cylinders to points external thereto when their surfaces are uncovered by the respective pistons, a viewing panel at a point remote from said engine and convenient for observation by the engine operator, said panel having a plurality of spaced openings equal to the number of engine cylinders, and a plurality of fiber optic light transmitting elements, each element having one end received in one of said viewing plugs so as to receive light from the respective light transmitting member, each said element having its other end received in a respective one of said panel openings with said other end being viewable on said panel, whereby said engine operator may observe and compare combustion in the various engine cylinders by observation of said remote viewing panel.

Claim 4

A combustion monitor in combination with an internal combustion engine having a plurality of variable volume combustion chambers respectively defined by closed end cylinders and pistons reciprocably movable in said cylinders, said pistons each having a cylinder engaging gas seal ring disposed annularly therearound adjacent the combustion chamber end thereof, said combustion monitor comprising means defining an opening in a wall of each of said cylinders and connecting with said combustion chambers at points reached by the travel of said piston rings near the end of their movement toward the cylinder closed end, a pressure sealed viewing plug sealingly mounted in each of said opening defining means, each viewing plug mounting a light transmitting member having a surface forming a continuation of the respective cylinder surface and being engagable by the piston ring of its respective cylinder, said viewing plugs being mounted so as to transmit light from combUstion within their respective cylinders to points external thereto when their surfaces are uncovered by the respective pistons, a viewing panel at a point remote from said engine and convenient for observation by the engine operator, said panel having a plurality of spaced openings equal to the number of engine cylinders, and a plurality of fiber optic light transmitting elements, each element having one end received in one of said viewing plugs so as to receive light from the respective light transmitting member, each said element having its other end received in a respective one of said panel openings with said other end being viewable on said panel, whereby said engine operator may observe and compare combustion in the various engine cylinders by observation of said remote viewing panel.