In-line cylinder head for internal combustion engine

Claim 1

A valve in-line, cast cylinder head assembly for a high performance internal combustion engine using a mixture of air and fuel, generally comprising a cylinder head and a valve train partially disposed within said head; said valve train including for each cylinder of said combustion engine only one intake valve of the poppet type and one exhaust valve of the poppet type, each valve having a stem portion concentric with a valve axis and a head portion and axially movable along said valve axis from an open position to a closed position; said head having a flat mounting surface adapted to overlie a plurality of cylinders in said combustion engine, an intake surface extending from one side of said mounting surface, an exhaust surface extending generally from the opposite side of said mounting surface; said head, for each overlaid cylinder, having a wedge shaped, generally closed end combustion chamber formed therein and extending from an opening in said mounting surface, a frusto-conical intake valve seat in said combustion chamber having a first axis coincident with said intake valve axis, said intake valve's head portion seated against said intake seat in said closed position and moved toward said opening in said open position; a frusto-conical exhaust valve seat in said combustion chamber having a second axis coincident with said exhaust valve axis, said exhaust valve's head portion seated against said exhaust seat in said closed position and moved towards said opening in said open position; intake passage means including an especially configured intake passageway formed in said head and extending with increasing width and cross-sectional area from an intake opening in said intake surface to said intake valve seat for preventing fuel droplets from being deposited in said combustion chamber; contouring means formed in the wall of said combustion chamber and extending from said intake valve seat to said opening for, and in combination with, said intake passage means, producing a helical flow pattern of vaporized fuel and air past said open head portion of said intake valve and into said combustion chamber towards said opening minimizing any tendency of said fuel and air mixture from entering said exhaust valve seat should said exhaust valve head portion be not completely seated against said exhaust valve seat when said intake valve head is not seated against said intake valve seat, said contouring means including an added mass of metal in the form of a protuberance formed in said combustion wall from a point midway between the position whereat said valve seats are closest one another in an adjacent relationship to the edge of said combustion chamber's opening whereat said opening is generally closest to said intake valve seat, said added mass gradually blending into said chamber along a helical line extending from said point to said edge opening.