Variable capacity fuel delivery system for engines

Claim 2

A fuel delivery system for piston engines comprising an intake manifold having a manifold passage for delivering an air-fuel charge to cylinders of an engine from an external air-fuel source, a variable capacity engine demand responsive atomizing valve connected in the manifold passage and being in communication with said source, said valve including a biased atomizing screen assembly and coating fixed screen covering means whereby movement of the screen assembly against the biasing means in response to increasing engine demand causes a progressively greater atomizing screen area to be uncovered in the manifold passage, and a manifold passage variable closure means carried by the screen assembly and moving therewith and progressively increasing the effective cross section of the manifold passage as engine demand increases.

Claim 3

A fuel delivery system for piston engines as defined in claim 1, and said intake manifold having a central inlet intersecting said manifold passage, said atomizing valve projecting into said inlet with said biased atomizing screen assembly and manifold passage closure means moving through the inlet and across the manifold passage responsive to changes in engine demand, and a continuous longitudinal divider wall in the manifold passage extending from said inlet to the fuel inlet means of the engine cylinders, whereby when the screen assembly and manifold passage closure means are in a biased minimal engine demand position full manifold suction will exist in the manifold passage on one side only of said divider wall, the portion of the manifold passage on the other side of the divider wall being disabled by said variable closure means.

Claim 4

A fuel delivery system for piston engines as defined by claim 2, and said divider wall dividing the manifold passage into two unequal size passage portions, the passage portion of smaller size being actively utilized alone in minimal engine demand conditions and both manifold passage portions being actively utilized in conditions of maximal engine demand.

Claim 5

A fuel delivery system for piston engines as defined in claim 3, and said manifold passage variable closure means comprising a skirt extension on said screen assembly, and a cup-like extension on one side of the manifold adjacent to said central inlet and adapted to receive the skirt extension as the screen assembly and closure means move in one direction responsive to increasing engine demand.

Claim 6

A fuel delivery system for piston engines as defined in claim 4, and a biasing spring for said screen assembly in said cup-like extension and engaging a bottom wall of the screen assembly near the top of said skirt extension.

Claim 7

A fuel delivery system for piston engines as defined in claim 1, and said fixed screen covering means comprising a pair of fixed spaced concentric sleeves within the movable screen assembly and being supported on the manifold with the screen assembly engaging telescopically over the outermost fixed sleeve and spaced substantially from the innermost fixed sleeve to define a substantial radial jump space between the inner fixed sleeve and the atomizing screen wall of said assembly for greatly accelerating a fuel-air mixture being inducted into the manifold passage.

Claim 8

A fuel delivery system for piston engines as defined in claim 6, and the lower ends of said fixed concentric sleeves terminating at the same level in said manifold, the upper end of the outermost fixed sleeve extending above the corresponding end of the innermost fixed sleeve, and a conically tapering air funneling screen covering the top of an air only annular space between the fixed sleeves and serving to funnel air into the innermost fixed sleeve during conditions of low engine demand and then blocking the passage of air into said annular space, the conical screen allowing air only to enter said annular space during conditions of increased engine demand, and air and fuel continuing to pass through the innermost fixed sleeve under all conditions of engine demans, the comparative confined passage through the innermost fixed sleeve causing homogeneous mixing of air and fuel at all times during engine operation.

Claim 9

A fuel delivery system for piston engines as defined in claim 7, and means to inject fuel on demand into the confined passage of said innermost fixed sleeve along with air being continuously inducted through the innermost sleeve.

Claim 10

A fuel delivery system for piston engines comprising an intake manifold having a manifold passage for delivering an air-fuel charge to cylinders of an engine from an air-fuel source, and a variable capacity engine demand responsive atomizing valve connected in said manifold passage and being in communication with said source, said valve including a yieldingly biased atomizing screen assembly and a coating fixed screen covering means whereby movement of the screen assembly against the biasing means in response to increasing engine demand causes a progressively greater screen area to be uncovered in the manifold passage, said fixed screen covering means comprising a pair of fixed concentrically spaced sleeves within the screen assembly with the outermost fixed sleeve engaging telescopically in the screen assembly in close relationship thereto, the innermost sleeve being spaced substantially from the atomizing screen wall of the assembly to define a substantial jump space between the bore of the innermost fixed sleeve and said screen wall.

Claim 11

A fuel delivery system for piston engines comprising an intake manifold having a manifold passage for delivering an air-fuel charge to cylinders of an engine from an air-fuel source, and a variable capacity engine demand responsive atomizing valve connected in said manifold passage and being in communication with said source, said valve including a yieldingly biased atomizing screen assembly and a coating fixed screen covering means whereby movement of the screen assembly against the biasing means in response to increasing engine demand causes a progressively greater screen area to be uncovered in the manifold passage, said fixed screen covering means comprising a pair of fixed concentrically spaced sleeves within the screen assembly with the outermost fixed sleeve engaging telescopically in the screen assembly in close relationship thereto, the innermost sleeve being spaced substantially from the atomizing screen wall of the assembly to define a substantial jump space between the bore of the innermost fixed sleeve and said screen wall.

Claim 12

A fuel delivery system for piston engines as defined by claim 9, and corresponding ends of the fixed sleeves terminating in alignment in the manifold, the opposite end of the outermost fixed sleeve extending beyond the corresponding end of the innermost fixed sleeve, and a conical air blocking and funneling screen spanning the annular passage defined by the two fixed sleeves at the air inlet end of said passage.

Claim 13

A fuel delivery system for piston engines as defined by claim 9, and a manifold passage variable closure means carried by the screen assembly to progressively increase and decrease the active cross section of the manifold passage responsive to varying engine demand.

Claim 14

A fuel delivery system for piston engines as defined by claim 11, and said manifold passage variable closure means comprising an annular skirt on said screen assembly, the screen assembly having a cross wall at the top of said skirt for movement with the screen assembly toward and away from the opposing ends of said fixed sleeves.

Claim 15

A fuel delivery system for piston engines as defined by claim 12, and a biasing spring for said screen assembly interposed between it and an offset portion of said manifold.

Claim 16

A fuel delivery system for piston engines as defined by claim 9, and said source including fuel injection means for injecting fuel on demand into the innermost fixed sleeve only.