Apparatus for the supply of liquids in finely-divided form to an internal combustion engine

Claim 1

In an apparatus for supplying liquid in finely divided form to an internal combustion engine, said apparatus being of the type including a closed container having therein liquid, apertured distribution means in a lower region of said container for introducing air into said liquid in said container, whereby said air passes upwardly through said liquid and is moistened thereby, said air entraining therein said liquid in finely divided form, and conduit means having a first end connected to said container at the upper end thereof and a second end discharging into the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine for conveying entrained liquid to said engine, the improvement comprising: baffle means, fixedly positioned within said container at a position adjacent a maximum upper level of said liquid, for dividing said air and lengthening the flow path thereof through said liquid, said baffle means comprising a plate extending across the entire cross-sectional area of said container, said plate having elongated slits therein at positions adjacent the outer periphery thereof, the remaining area of said plate being impervious to the passage therethrough of said air, whereby the positions of said elongated slits cause said flow path of said air through said liquid to be lengthened, thus maximizing the effective entrainment of said liquid by said air, and whereby the dimensions of said slits cause said air to be divided.