Engine valve actuating mechanism having a hydraulic fulcrum lifting device

Claim 1

A hydraulic fulcrum lifting device for a valve actuating mechanism of an internal combustion engine, said device comprising: a hollow housing having a bottom wall and an open top end; a plunger disposed in said housing for reciprocating movement, said plunger having an outer end extending outwardly through the open end of the housing and providing a fulcrum for a rocker arm of the valve actuating mechanism, said plunger being subjected to an outward biasing force of a spring; a pressure chamber in the housing defined between said bottom wall and an inner end of the plunger; a reservoir chamber in said plunger communicated with said pressure chamber through port means in said inner end of the plunger; check valve means provided in said port means and adapted to open only toward said pressure chamber; passage means formed in said plunger for opening the reservoir chamber to the atmosphere; an annular stop member disposed proximate the open end of said housing and adapted to engage a shoulder portion of said plunger so as to limit the outward stroke of said plunger and to close said passage means when the device is not installed in the engine; and deflector means provided in said reservoir chamber to encircle said port means and adapted to be fitted to the inside wall surface of said reservoir, said deflector means including a stop wall spaced from said port means, an annular side wall substantially parallel to and spaced from the inside wall surface of said reservoir, and opening means in said annular side wall permitting fluid communication between said reservoir and said port means.