US3795233A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Fuel-air ratio control for supercharged engines
Assignee: Caterpillar Inc
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Filing: 1972-05-19
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Granted: 1974-03-05
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Expires: 1992-05-19
Abstract
Abstract A fuel-air ratio control device for a super-charged engine having a governor means connected to a fuel-adjusting member and a supercharger for supplying air through an intake manifold. The control device is directly engageable with the fuel-adjusting member and is responsive to intake manifold air pressure and to engine oil pressure. The device is inoperative to restrain the adjusting member during start-up of the engine and remains so until such time as a predetermined intake manifold pressure is attained at which time the control device moves to a position which permits the metering of engine oil therethrough to permit normal governor operation and proportional increases of fuel with air pressure increases. The control device is automatically shiftable to a position which blocks the metering of engine oil therethrough and which provides a hydraulic lock and positive connection between the control device and the fuel adjusting member to preclude any undesired increase of fuel supply.
Inventors
- 👤 D Crews
- 👤 L Larson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 12:05
CPC Classifications
F; F02; F02D; F02D1/00; F02D2700/00; F02D2700/02; F02D2700/0269; F02D2700/0282; F02D2700/0284; F02D2700/0287
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
328 words
In an engine having an intake manifold, a governor-controlled fuel supply means, said fuel supply means having a control member means adapted to move in a first direction to increase the supply of fuel to the engine and in a second direction to decrease the supply of fuel to the engine, and override means for selectively overriding said governor to prevent movement of said control member means in said first direction, said override means comprising; a piston means slidable within a first chamber means, a portion of said piston means being capable of directly contacting a portion of said control member means to prevent movement of said control member means, diaphragm means movable within a second chamber means within said override means, first resilient biasing means physically disposed between said piston means and said diaphragm means for acting upon and biasing said piston means toward said first direction and for acting upon and biasing said diaphragm means toward said second direction, means for supplying fluid pressure to said first chamber means to move said piston means toward said second direction against the bias of said first resilient means, valve passage means in said piston means for selectively draining off said fluid pressure from said first chamber to allow said piston means to move in said first direction, valve spool means connected to said diaphragm means for selectively opening and closing said valve passage means, means for communicating said intake manifold to said second chamber means to supply intake manifold pressure thereto to move said diaphragm means and said valve spool means toward said first direction in opposition to said first resilient biasing means, second resilient means separate from said first resilient means for acting upon said diaphragm means and biasing said diaphragm means and said valve spool means toward said first direction, and third resilient means separate from said first and second resilient means for biasing said diaphragm means and said valve spool means in said second direction.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
328 words
In an engine having an intake manifold, a governor-controlled fuel supply means, said fuel supply means having a control member means adapted to move in a first direction to increase the supply of fuel to the engine and in a second direction to decrease the supply of fuel to the engine, and override means for selectively overriding said governor to prevent movement of said control member means in said first direction, said override means comprising; a piston means slidable within a first chamber means, a portion of said piston means being capable of directly contacting a portion of said control member means to prevent movement of said control member means, diaphragm means movable within a second chamber means within said override means, first resilient biasing means physically disposed between said piston means and said diaphragm means for acting upon and biasing said piston means toward said first direction and for acting upon and biasing said diaphragm means toward said second direction, means for supplying fluid pressure to said first chamber means to move said piston means toward said second direction against the bias of said first resilient means, valve passage means in said piston means for selectively draining off said fluid pressure from said first chamber to allow said piston means to move in said first direction, valve spool means connected to said diaphragm means for selectively opening and closing said valve passage means, means for communicating said intake manifold to said second chamber means to supply intake manifold pressure thereto to move said diaphragm means and said valve spool means toward said first direction in opposition to said first resilient biasing means, second resilient means separate from said first resilient means for acting upon said diaphragm means and biasing said diaphragm means and said valve spool means toward said first direction, and third resilient means separate from said first and second resilient means for biasing said diaphragm means and said valve spool means in said second direction.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
The override means of claim 1 wherein the biasing force exerted upon said diaphragm means by said second resilient means is substantially balanced by the opposing forces exerted upon said diaphragm means by said first and third resilient biasing means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
The override means of claim 1 wherein fourth resilient biasing means are provided for biasing said diaphragm means toward said second direction.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
The override means of claim 3 wherein said first, third and fourth resilient biasing means act in series upon said diaphragm means in opposition to the biasing forces exerted upon said diaphragm means by said second resilient biasing means and said intake manifold pressure extant in said second chamber means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
218 words
A fuel-air ratio control device for an engine having a governor-controlled, fuel-adjusting member means and a supercharger to supply air through an intake manifold to the engine comprising; resilient means responsive to intake manifold air pressure, valve means for interacting with said rEsilient means and for movement responsive to engine lubrication fluid pressure toward and away from said resilient means during normal governor-controlled engine operation, said valve means being selectively engageable in interfering relation with said fuel-adjusting member means for constraining movement of said fuel-adjusting member means upon a reduction in manifold air pressure but for disposition in non-interfering relation with said fuel-adjusting member means during cranking of the engine so that sufficient fuel is supplied to said engine upon starting in accordance with requirements set by the governor, said valve means also being effective subsequent to start-up for interfering with said fuel-adjusting member means to assure optimum fuel-air ratio for said engine and to prevent overfueling during periods of reduced pressure in said intake manifold, said resilient means comprises a diaphragm means of resilient flexible material and a plurality of separate spring means arranged on opposite sides of said diaphragm means in normally-balanced relationship to said diaphragm means and selectively acting to hold said valve means in said non-interfering position with respect to said fuel-adjusting member means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
218 words
A fuel-air ratio control device for an engine having a governor-controlled, fuel-adjusting member means and a supercharger to supply air through an intake manifold to the engine comprising; resilient means responsive to intake manifold air pressure, valve means for interacting with said rEsilient means and for movement responsive to engine lubrication fluid pressure toward and away from said resilient means during normal governor-controlled engine operation, said valve means being selectively engageable in interfering relation with said fuel-adjusting member means for constraining movement of said fuel-adjusting member means upon a reduction in manifold air pressure but for disposition in non-interfering relation with said fuel-adjusting member means during cranking of the engine so that sufficient fuel is supplied to said engine upon starting in accordance with requirements set by the governor, said valve means also being effective subsequent to start-up for interfering with said fuel-adjusting member means to assure optimum fuel-air ratio for said engine and to prevent overfueling during periods of reduced pressure in said intake manifold, said resilient means comprises a diaphragm means of resilient flexible material and a plurality of separate spring means arranged on opposite sides of said diaphragm means in normally-balanced relationship to said diaphragm means and selectively acting to hold said valve means in said non-interfering position with respect to said fuel-adjusting member means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
139 words
The control device of claim 5 wherein said valve means includes a piston means, a valve spool means connected to said diaphragm means, said valve spool means and said piston means being in a non-interfering relation with said fuel-adjusting member means until said valve spool means is moved in a first direction, chamber means for receiving engine lubrication fluid under pressure to urge said piston in a second direction, means communicating between said chamber means and said valve spool means wherein initial movement of said valve spool means in the first direction permits said piston means to be urged in the second direction and movement of said valve spool means in the second direction prevents said piston means from moving in the first direction and causes said piston means to engage said fuel-adjusting member means in interfering relation therewith.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
266 words
A fuel-air ratio control device for an engine having a governor-controlled, fuel-adjusting member means and a supercharger which supplies air through an intake manifold to the engine, said control device comprising; pressure-responsive means in communication with said intake manifold, servo unit means for engagement with said fuel-adjusting member means and for actuation by engine lubricant pressure and having an integral piston portion and valve portion, said valve portion of said servo unit means having a bore and port means, a valve spool means connected to said pressure-responsive means and slidably disposed within said bore and having an annulus for cooperating with said port means in a sliding relation thereto for controlling the flow of engine lubricant to actuate said servo unit means, resilient means on one side of said pressure-responsive means for positioning said annulus with respect to said port means to permit substantially unrestricted flow of lubricant through said servo unit means during engine start-up to render said servo unit means inoperative and to permit unrestricted operation of said fuel-adjusting member means, said servo unit means being subsequently actuated upon a predetermined increase in manifold air pressure at which time said pressure-responsive means and said valve spool means are shifted relative to said port means to restrict and meter the flow of lubricant through said servo unit means so that during any subsequent reduction in manifold air pressure said servo unit means is effective to restrain said fuel-adjusting member means against movement to preclude any disproportionate increase in fuel supply to the engine as determined with respect to the air available in the intake manifold.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
266 words
A fuel-air ratio control device for an engine having a governor-controlled, fuel-adjusting member means and a supercharger which supplies air through an intake manifold to the engine, said control device comprising; pressure-responsive means in communication with said intake manifold, servo unit means for engagement with said fuel-adjusting member means and for actuation by engine lubricant pressure and having an integral piston portion and valve portion, said valve portion of said servo unit means having a bore and port means, a valve spool means connected to said pressure-responsive means and slidably disposed within said bore and having an annulus for cooperating with said port means in a sliding relation thereto for controlling the flow of engine lubricant to actuate said servo unit means, resilient means on one side of said pressure-responsive means for positioning said annulus with respect to said port means to permit substantially unrestricted flow of lubricant through said servo unit means during engine start-up to render said servo unit means inoperative and to permit unrestricted operation of said fuel-adjusting member means, said servo unit means being subsequently actuated upon a predetermined increase in manifold air pressure at which time said pressure-responsive means and said valve spool means are shifted relative to said port means to restrict and meter the flow of lubricant through said servo unit means so that during any subsequent reduction in manifold air pressure said servo unit means is effective to restrain said fuel-adjusting member means against movement to preclude any disproportionate increase in fuel supply to the engine as determined with respect to the air available in the intake manifold.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
The fuel-air ratio control device of claim 7 wherein the said servo unit means has an extended member which has a stop means for selectively constraining said fuel-adjusting member means. Pg,23
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
The fuel-air ratio control device of claim 7 wherein said servo unit means is disposed in substantially axial alignment with said fuel-adjusting member means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
The fuel-air ratio control device of claim 7 including resilient means acting in opposition upon opposite sides of said pressure-responsive means and holding said pressure-responsive means in a normally-balanced condition.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
The fuel-air ratio control device of claim 10 wherein said opposing resilient means are positioned in substantially axial alignment with said servo unit means and fuel-adjusting member means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
17 words
The combination of claim 11 wherein said resilient means include spring means having a selectively-variable spring rate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
The combination of claim 12 including a plurality of spring means, said spring means being activated cumulatively and in a series by said pressure-responsive means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-03-04 | 1977-09-03 | 1978-03-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-03-04 | 1981-09-03 | 1982-03-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-03-04 | 1985-09-03 | 1986-03-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |