US4015569A — Fuel metering and vaporizing system for internal …

Claim 1

Independent Claim 149 words

A charge forming system for an internal combustion engine including at least one cylinder and having an inlet manifold including a throttle member, comprising: manual control means; transducer means adapted to be coupled to the engine for providing a manifestation of changes in developed engine power; regulating means for controlling the flow of fuel and air to the engine, said regulating means being coupled to said manual control means and said transducer means and responsive to the latter to progressively change the fuel-to-air ratio of the charge supplied to the engine in a fixed direction as a consequence of a manifested change in developed engine power and continuing the progressive change in fuel-to-air ratio until the manifested change in developed engine power ceases; and vaporizing means coupled to said regulating means and adapted to be coupled in heat transfer relation to the engine for receiving and vaporizing liquid fuel.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 149 words

A charge forming system for an internal combustion engine including at least one cylinder and having an inlet manifold including a throttle member, comprising: manual control means; transducer means adapted to be coupled to the engine for providing a manifestation of changes in developed engine power; regulating means for controlling the flow of fuel and air to the engine, said regulating means being coupled to said manual control means and said transducer means and responsive to the latter to progressively change the fuel-to-air ratio of the charge supplied to the engine in a fixed direction as a consequence of a manifested change in developed engine power and continuing the progressive change in fuel-to-air ratio until the manifested change in developed engine power ceases; and vaporizing means coupled to said regulating means and adapted to be coupled in heat transfer relation to the engine for receiving and vaporizing liquid fuel.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 38 words

A charge forming system as defined in claim 1 wherein said vaporizing means comprises an envelope having inlet and oUtlet means, said envelope adapted to be disposed in heat transfer relation to the exhaust stream from the engine.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 24 words

A charge forming system as defined in claim 2 wherein said regulating means comprises a fuel flow regulator coupled to said manual control means.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 18 words

A charge forming system as defined in claim 3 wherein said manual control means comprises a foot pedal.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 27 words

A charge forming system as defined in claim 4 further including a control linkage for being disposed between said foot pedal and the throttle of the engine.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 44 words

A charge forming system as defined in claim 5 further including an air servo coupled to said control linkage and responsive to a manifestation of developed engine power to increase the opening of the throttle in response to a manifested increase in engine power.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 57 words

A charge forming system as defined in claim 6 wherein said regulating means further comprises means responsive to a manifestation of developed engine power for increasing the flow of fuel to the engine in response to a manifested increase in engine power, the percent increase in fuel flow being less than the percent increase in air flow.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 30 words

A charge forming system as defined in claim 7 further including adjustment means for varying the rate of fuel flow produced by a given setting of said fuel flow regulator.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 32 words

A charge forming system as defined in claim 8, further including feedback means for receiving a manifestation of engine operation and controlling the response of the throttle member to said air servo.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 59 words

A charge forming system as defined in claim 9 wherein the engine is of the spark ignited variety, further including fuel vaporizing and igniting means adapted to be associated with each cylinder of the engine and coupled to said fuel flow regulator for receiving liquid fuel and for discharging and igniting a stream of fuel vapor into each cylinder.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 159 words

A charge forming system for automatically providing a charge of the optimum fuel-to-air ratio to an internal combustion engine having intake and exhaust manifolds over a broad range of operation, comprising: manually displaceable means for affording operator control of engine operation; air throttle means coupled to said manually displaceable means; transducer means adapted to be coupled to the engine for providing a manifestation of developed engine power; air flow control means coupled to said means for providing and to said air throttle means and responsive to said manifestation of developed engine power for progressively increasing the net throttle opening in response to a manifested increase in engine power until the power developed by the engine ceases to increase; fuel vaporizing means adapted to be disposed in heat transfer relationship to the exhaust manifold of the engine and having an outlet coupled to the intake manifold of the engine; and means for supplying liquid fuel to said fuel vaporizing means.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 159 words

A charge forming system for automatically providing a charge of the optimum fuel-to-air ratio to an internal combustion engine having intake and exhaust manifolds over a broad range of operation, comprising: manually displaceable means for affording operator control of engine operation; air throttle means coupled to said manually displaceable means; transducer means adapted to be coupled to the engine for providing a manifestation of developed engine power; air flow control means coupled to said means for providing and to said air throttle means and responsive to said manifestation of developed engine power for progressively increasing the net throttle opening in response to a manifested increase in engine power until the power developed by the engine ceases to increase; fuel vaporizing means adapted to be disposed in heat transfer relationship to the exhaust manifold of the engine and having an outlet coupled to the intake manifold of the engine; and means for supplying liquid fuel to said fuel vaporizing means.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 29 words

A charge forming system as defined in claim 11, further including a pressure operated buffering means disposed between said fuel vaporizing means and said means for supplying liquid fuel.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 27 words

A charge forming system as defined in claim 12, further including shutoff valve means disposed between said fuel vaporizing means and said means for supplying liquid fuel.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 27 words

A charge forming system as defined in claim 13, further including flow restrictor means disposed between said fuel vaporizing means and said means for supplying liquid fuel.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 53 words

A charge forming system as defined in claim 11, further including fuel injecting means adopted to be operably associated with each combustion zone of the engine for injecting finely-divided liquid fuel directly into the combustion zones of the engine to aid in the ignition of vaporized fuel delivered by said fuel vaporizing means.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 133 words

A charge forming system for continuously and automatically optimizIng the charge supplied to an internal combustion engine, comprising: means for providing a manifestation of developed engine power; regulating means for controlling the flow of fuel and air to the engine, said regulating means being coupled to said means for providing to progressively lower the fuel-to-air ratio of the charge ingested by the engine in response to a manifested increase in developed engine power until a cessation of the increase is effected; vaporizing means coupled to said regulating means and operative to vaporize liquid fuel outputted by said regulating means and to supply the vaporized fuel to the engine; and fuel injector means coupled to said regulating means and operative to supply separate charges of fuel to ones of the cylinders of the engine.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 133 words

A charge forming system for continuously and automatically optimizIng the charge supplied to an internal combustion engine, comprising: means for providing a manifestation of developed engine power; regulating means for controlling the flow of fuel and air to the engine, said regulating means being coupled to said means for providing to progressively lower the fuel-to-air ratio of the charge ingested by the engine in response to a manifested increase in developed engine power until a cessation of the increase is effected; vaporizing means coupled to said regulating means and operative to vaporize liquid fuel outputted by said regulating means and to supply the vaporized fuel to the engine; and fuel injector means coupled to said regulating means and operative to supply separate charges of fuel to ones of the cylinders of the engine.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 42 words

A charge forming system as defined in claim 16 further including buffering means coupled between said regulating means and said vaporizing means for preventing variations in inlet manifold vacuum from using undue variations in the flow of fuel from said regulating means.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 43 words

A charge forming system as defined in claim 17 further including a manually positionable element and wherein said regulating means comprises a pressure regulator responsive to movements of said positionable element for varying the amount of liquid fuel outputted by said pressure regulator.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 76 words

A charge forming system as defined in claim 18 further including a cutoff valve disposed between said pressure regulator and said vaporizing means; first means responsive to the operation of an engine cranking means and to the displacement of said manually positionable element to substantially close said cutoff valve under wide throttle, cranking conditions; and second means responsive to high inlet manifold vacuum conditions to substantially close said cutoff valve under high inlet manifold vacuum conditions.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 168 words

A charge forming system for a spark-ignited internal combustion engine having a throttle, comprising: a manual control linkage adapted to be coupled to a foot pedal; a liquid fuel flow regulator adapted to be coupled to said manual control linkage; a throttle linkage for coupling said manual control linkage to the throttle of the engine; an air servo connected to said throttle linkage for varying the position of the throttle; means for applying a manifestation of developed engine power to said liquid fuel flow regulator and to said air servo; said liquid fuel flow regulator and said air servo comprising means responsive to an applied manifestation of an increase in developed engine power for continuously diminishing the fuel-to-air ratio of the charge formed thereby until the manifested, developed engine power ceases to increase; means for accepting liquid fuel from said liquid fuel flow regulator and transferring heat energy thereto for vaporizing the fuel; and a distribution conduit for transferring vaporized fuel from said last-named means to the engine.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 168 words

A charge forming system for a spark-ignited internal combustion engine having a throttle, comprising: a manual control linkage adapted to be coupled to a foot pedal; a liquid fuel flow regulator adapted to be coupled to said manual control linkage; a throttle linkage for coupling said manual control linkage to the throttle of the engine; an air servo connected to said throttle linkage for varying the position of the throttle; means for applying a manifestation of developed engine power to said liquid fuel flow regulator and to said air servo; said liquid fuel flow regulator and said air servo comprising means responsive to an applied manifestation of an increase in developed engine power for continuously diminishing the fuel-to-air ratio of the charge formed thereby until the manifested, developed engine power ceases to increase; means for accepting liquid fuel from said liquid fuel flow regulator and transferring heat energy thereto for vaporizing the fuel; and a distribution conduit for transferring vaporized fuel from said last-named means to the engine.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 24 words

A charge forming system as defined in claim 20 wherein said distribution conduit comprises exhaust recirculation passages in the inlet manifold of the engine.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 30 words

A charge forming system as defined in claim 20 further including means for adjustably varying the amount of fuel flow produced by a given setting of said fuel flow regulator.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 61 words

A charge forming system as defined in claim 20 further including fuel vapor injectors adapted to be associated with each cylinder of the engine, said injectors being coupled to said liquid fuel flow regulator and receiving liquid fuel therefrom, said injector being operative to inject a stream of vaporized liquid fuel into each of the cylinders and to ignite the stream.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 39 words

A charge forming system as defined in claim 23 wherein said liquid fuel regulator meters fuel so as to form a leaner-than-stoichiometric charge in each of the cylinders absent the introduction of additional fuel by said fuel vapor injectors.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 111 words

A charge forming system for an internal combustion engine, comprising: manually displaceable means for affording operator control of engine operation; means for providing a manifestation of changes in developed engine power; fuel flow control means coupled to said means for providing and to said manually displaceable means and responsive to a manifested change in developed engine power for progressively changing the fuel-to-air ratio of the charge admitted to the engine until said manifested change in engine power is caused to cease; and fuel vaporizing means adapted to be coupled in heat transfer relation to the engine and in fluid transfer relation to said fuel flow control means for vaporizing liquid fuel.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 111 words

A charge forming system for an internal combustion engine, comprising: manually displaceable means for affording operator control of engine operation; means for providing a manifestation of changes in developed engine power; fuel flow control means coupled to said means for providing and to said manually displaceable means and responsive to a manifested change in developed engine power for progressively changing the fuel-to-air ratio of the charge admitted to the engine until said manifested change in engine power is caused to cease; and fuel vaporizing means adapted to be coupled in heat transfer relation to the engine and in fluid transfer relation to said fuel flow control means for vaporizing liquid fuel.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 35 words

A charge forming system as defined in claim 25 further including buffering means disposed between said fuel vaporizing means and said fuel flow control means for decoupling the latter from effects of engine manifold vacuum.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 25 words

A charge forming system as defined in claim 26 further including flow restrictor means disposed between said vaporizing means and said fuel flow control means.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 53 words

A charge forming system as defined in claim 27 further including fuel injecting means adapted to be operably associated with each combustion zone of the engine for injecting finely-divided liquid fuel directly into the combustion zones of the engine to aid in the ignition of vaporized fuel delivered by said fuel vaporizing means.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1980-04-04	1980-10-04	1981-04-05	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1984-04-04	1984-10-04	1985-04-05	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1988-04-04	1988-10-04	1989-04-05	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Fuel metering and vaporizing system for internal combustion engines

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