Diesel engine control means

Claim 1

In an internal combustion engine having multiple cylinders and fuel supply means including multiple metering valves and injectors, one for each of said cylinders, a rack mechanism to position said metering valves to control the volume of fuel delivered therefrom to said injectors, a shut down lever moveably mounted and mechanically coupled to said rack, and shutdown lever actuation means coupled to said lever to effect sufficient movement of said lever to reposition said rack to a shut down position closing said metering valves to cease delivery of fuel therefrom, the improvement which comprises fluid pressure responsive actuator means having an actuator rod mechanically linked to said shut down lever means to effect movement thereof and a full travel from about 0.2 to about 0.5 times the lever displacement necessary to move said rack to its shut down position whereby said actuator can dethrottle, but not shut off said engine; pressure fluid supply means including a source of fluid under superatmospheric pressure and a conduit communicating therebetween with said actuator means and including valve means to open or close said conduit; an engine exhaust gas temperature sensing means to generate a sensed signal responsive to engine exhaust gas temperature; control means to receive said sensed signal, compare said signal to a preset signal level corresponding to a maximum safe operational engine temperature, and to generate a control signal therefrom when said sensed signal exceeds said preset signal level; and means interconnecting said control means to said valve means to actuate said valve means and apply pressure to said actuator means in response to said control signal.