Bypass oil filter adapter

Claim 1

In combination with an engine lubricating system including a full flow filter 16 and a filter mounting block 12 having means 18, 20 for flowing dirty oil to said full flow filter and means 22, 24 for receiving clean oil from said filter, an adapter 10 for bypassing a portion of the dirty oil to a bypass filter and for returning cleaned oil from the bypass filter to the block, said adapter comprising: a body 36 having a substantially unobstructed central passage 38 open at each end defining at least three sections of successively larger cross-sectional area 40, 42, 44, a first radial conduit 46 defining an oil inlet from the bypass filter to the middle section 42, an annular channel 48 formed in the body surrounding the smallest section 40 and located to receive dirty oil when the adapter is mounted on the block, a second radial conduit 52 defining a dirty oil outlet from the channel 48 to the bypass filter and an axial conduit 50 defining an oil outlet from the annular channel to the full flow oil filter; and an insert 60 including means for securing the full flow oil filter to the filter mounting block and having an axial passage 68 for returning clean oil from the full flow filter to the mounting block and at least one radial passage 74 communicating with said axial passage, whereby the insert may be inserted into the axial opening of the body, said insert and said body together defining an annular chamber 76 which is in communication with the first radial passage 46 in the body and the radial passage 74 in the insert so that clean oil may return to the axial passage 68 through the insert regardless of the orientation of the body relative to the insert.