Fuel preparation for internal combustion engines

Claim 1

In an internal combustion engine having structure defining an induction passage and a spray bar for spraying fuel into the induction passage wherein the spray bar comprises a tube disposed transversely of the direction of flow through the induction passage and a plurality of spray orifices disposed along the length and on the downstream facing side thereof for spraying fuel in a direction generally downstream of the induction passage, the improvement comprising a fuel dispersion element disposed parallel to and downstream of the spray bar tube and having a convex upstream facing surface and disposed such that fuel sprayed from the orifices in the spray bar tube impinges upon the upstream surface of the dispersion element, said element having at least one groove which bounds the upstream convex surface thereof so as to provide a sharp edge at which the convex upstream surface terminates across which fuel sprayed onto the upstream surface is sheared by induction air passing across the element to thereby improve atomization of fuel.