Fuel vaporizer system for internal combustion engines

Claim 1

A fuel distribution system comprising: (a) a carburetor including a throttle valve and connected to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine; (b) fuel supply means for supplying fuel to said carburetor including a fuel reservoir, a pump, a first fuel line connecting said reservoir and said pump and a second fuel line connecting said pump and said carburetor; (c) conduit means connected between said intake manifold downstream from said throttle valve and a PCV valve; (d) a fuel vaporizer having fuel inlet means, air inlet means and outlet means, said vaporizer comprising: (i) a top wall, a bottom wall and side walls defining a sealed enclosure; (ii) a fuel conduit depending internally from the top wall of said enclosure, the lower end of said fuel conduit containing an orifice defining a valve seat, said valve seat being positioned substantially equidistant from said top and bottom walls and a substantial distance from any side wall, the upper end of said fuel conduit communicating with said fuel inlet means; (iii) float means supporting a needle valve aligned with and adapted for mating with said valve seat and preventing fuel flow therethrough when a predetermined fuel level is contained in the lower portion of said enclosure; (iv) cage means affixed to said fuel conduit defining a housing coaxial with said valve seat surrounding the vertical sides of said float means and extending below said predetermined fuel level, thereby preventing lateral movement of said float means with respect to said valve seat and damping vertical movement of said float means; (v) an upstanding boss extending from said bottom wall spaced from and completely surrounding the lower end of said cage means to prevent air bubbles from entering said cage means; (vi) air conduit means for conducting air from said air inlet means to a point below said predetermined fuel level; and (vii) check valve means controlling fluid flow through said outlet means, said check valve means preventing fluid flow into said enclosure through said outlet means and permitting fluid flow from said enclosure through said outlet means only when there is a predetermined pressure differential across said check valve means; (e) first conduit means for conducting fuel from said first fuel line to said fuel inlet means; and (f) second conduit means for conducting fluid from said check valve into said conduit means connected between said intake manifold downstream from said throttle valve and said PCV valve.