Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
725
The present invention relates generally to internal combustion
engines and more particularly pertains to an apparatus for selectively
delivering a fuel additive to such an internal combustion engine, as well as
providing a means whereby fuel may be bypassed around a clogged fuel filter
to the engine.
The concept oE delivering fuel additives to an internal combustion
engine i9 generally well-known in the prior art. In this re~pect, reference
is made to U.S. patent No. 3,148,670, issued September 15, 1964, to Fiedler
et al, wherein an additive fuel is contained in a pressurized container and
is selectively delivered to an internal combustion engine fuel line by a
manually operable valve located in the passenger compartment of a vehicle.
In this regard, the Fiedler et al device does not make use of an additive
supply contained in a tank positioned within the vehicle, but rather relies
upon disposable pressurized containers which, as can be appreciated, are
expensive and difficult to obtain.
Another arrangement for supplying an additive to an existing engine
fuel system is to be found in U.S. patent No. 3,308,794, issued March 14, 1967,
to Bailey, wherein there is disclosed an engine fuel system which includes a
secondary fuel supply contained in a separate tank and deliverable to the
combustion chambers of the engine by means of a pump. In this respect, the
pump is automatically operated in response to a depression of an accelerator
positioned within the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Specifically, if
the accelerator is depressed substantially far so as to require additional
fuel to be delivered to the engine, the pump cuts in to provide the additional
fuel directly to fuel injectors in communication with the combustion chambers.
Of course, the Bailey system does not really envision the use of a fuel
additive, but rather only increases the supply of fuel delivered to the
combustion chambers during times of need. Additionally, the system is not
selectively operable since the pump will always cut in if the accelerator is
depressed sufficiently far, and no means are provided for continuing
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deliverance of fuel to the engine in the event of a fuel filter failure.
Similarly, in U.S. patent No. 3,783,849, issued January 8, lg74,
to Bramfitt, there is illustrated another dual fuel system wherein a separate
tank of volatile fuel is provided for selective delivery to the carburetor of
an engine when required. In this connection, an appropriate valve switching
system has been designed to allow operation of the engine on the volatile
fuel during start and warm-up, and then to switch to normal fuel during
warmed-up operation. The self-generation system utilizes engine vacuum as an
aid in vaporizing a portion of the normal gasoline, and as can be appreciated,
no means for manual operation are provided nor are any means provided for
continuing engine operation in the event of a fuel filter failure.
Lastly, U.S. patent No. 4,096,839, issued June 27, 1978, to Niertit,
discloses an internal combustion engine air-fuel ratio control system which
utilizes an oxygen sensor to maintain a desired air-fuel ratio at a first
location in an intake manifold to an engine combustion charnber. In this
connection, a method and apparatus is disclosed for adding fuel or air to the
air-fuel mixture at a second location between the first location and the
engine combustion chamber, so that the engine operates at a higher efficiency.
However, this system also makes no use of a selective manual injection of a
fuel additive nor is there any provision for bypassing clogged fuel filters
associated therewith.
As such, it can be recognized that there still exists a need for a
system which permits selective admission of a fuel additive for cleaning,
lubricating or other purposes into an existing fuel line in combination with
a means for bypassing fuel filters should they become clogged. The present
invention substantially fulfills this need.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be de-
scribed subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a controlled fuel
injection system whereby a fuel additive may be selectively injected into the
combustion chambers of an internal combustion engine and further where fuel
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filters in the fuel line from the fuel tank to the engine may be bypassed
in the event they become clogged. 'rO attain this, the present invention
provides for a separate tank of fuel additive to be positioned within a
vehicle, and the additive contained within the tank is deliverable to the
regular fuel line of the internal combustion engine through the use of an
electric pump. In this regard, the electric pump is selectively actuated
by a manually operable pump switch located on the dashboard of the vehicle,
while a check valve is provided between the pump and the additive tank to
prevent the regular fuel from flowing into the tank. By the same token, a
check valve is positioned within the regular fuel line to prevent the
additive from back flowing into the regular fuel tank, and a bypass line
is provided from the output of the electric pump directly to the engine
carburetor or fuel injectors, so as to bypass fuel filters located in
the regular fuel line in the event that the same should become clogged.
In this respect, a manually operable valve is located in the bypass
injection line so that the same may be shut off or opened as desired.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a
controlled fuel injection system which has all the advantages of the prior
art controlled fuel injection systems and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a
controlled fuel injection system which may be easily and economically
manufactured.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
controlled fuel injection system which is durable and reliable in opera-
tion.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a
controlled fuel injection system which is easily adaptable for use in both
gasoline and Diesel powered engines.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a con-
trolled fuel lnjection system which allows the selective admission of an
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additive to the combustion chambers of an internal combustion engine.
Even another object of the present invention is to provide a
controlled fuel injection system which permits fuel to be supplied to an
internal combustion eng;ne in the event of the fuel filter~ becoming clogged.
The figure ;s a schematic diagram of the controlled fuel injection
system forming the present invention.
The single figure of the drawing, which illustrates the preferred
embodiment of the controlled fuel injection system forming the present
invention and as generally designated by the reference numeral 10, shows an
internal combustion engine 12 having a carburetor 14 and air cleaner 16
operably positioned thereon. In this respect, it can be appreciated that the
controlled fuel injection system 10 forming the present invention can just as
readily be employed in use on a Diesel engine, and as such, the internal
combustion engine 12 illustrated in the drawing is representative of all fuel
powered engines. Further, it can be seen that a fuel tank 18 having a filler
pipe 20 is provided, such fuel tank being of the type conventionally supplied
with a vehicle containing the internal combustion engine 12 and further
containing the regular supply of fuel deliverable to such engine. ~n this
regard, a conventional fuel line 22 is illustrated as extending between the
fuel tank 18 and the carburetor 14 whereby fuel may be delivered through the
use of a conventional fuel pump 23 to the internal combustion engine 12 so as
to power a vehicle or other device associated therewith. Further, the
regular fuel line 22 is provided with a pair of fuel filters 24, 26 which are
operably employed to clean the fuel being delivered from the fuel tank 18 to
the carburetor 14 prior to its combustion within the combustion chambers of
the internal combustion engine 12. Additionally, a check valve 28 is posi-
tioned in fluid communication with the regular fuel line 22 at a position
proximate to the fuel tank 18 whereby a back flow of fuel or other fluids is
prevented into the fuel tank.
Also illustrated in the drawing, is an additive tank 30 which,
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within the scope of the present invention, will be a permanent part of a
vehicle or other device containing the internal combustion engine 12, such
additive tank having a supply of additive, such as an engine cleaner or
lubricant, contained therein and being deliverable to the carburetor 14 by
means of an electric pump 32. In this connection, the electric pump 32 is
selectiv~ly operable through the use of a manually operable pump switch 34,
which might be typically positioned on the dashboard 36 of a vehicle contain-
ing the internal combustion engine 12. Further, it can be seen that a second
check valve 38 is provided in the fluid line 39 between the electric pump 32
and the additive tank 30, whereby a back flow of additive from the electric
pump into the additive tank is prevented. By the same token, it can be seen
that the outlet conduit 40 coming from the electric pump 32 has one branch 42
in fluid communication with the regular fuel line 22 and has a second branch
44 forming a bypass injection line in direct fluid communication with the
carburetor 14. Additionally, a manually operable shutoff valve 46 is
provided in the bypass injection line 44 whereby the same may be selectively
shut off or opened depending on the desires of the operator.
In use then, it can be seen that the internal combustion engine 12,
which may be designed to use either gasoline or Diesel fuel, has such fuel
delivered to its fuel injection system or carburetor 14 by a conventional
fuel line 22 in fluid communication with a fuel tank 18. During the course
of operation of the internal combustion engine 12, it can be appreciated that
at times it might be desirable to clean or lubricate parts of the engine,
especially with respect to cleaning the fuel filters 24, 26. This is par-
ticularly true when using Diesel fuel since the same has a heavy wax content
and other by-products which tend to clog fuel lines, especially during cold
weather. In this regard, an operator need only to actuate on the pump switch
34 so as to activate the electric pump 32 whereby a supply of additive may be
drawn out of the additive tank 30 and delivered to the regular fuel line 22.
As can be appreciated, the additive will travel through the respective fuel
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filters 269 24, cleaning the same if desired, and being then deliverable into
the carburetor or fuel injection aystem 14. Further, the additive is pre-
vented from running back through the ~uel line 22 into the fuel tank 18 by
means of the check valve 28 while conversely, the Euel Erom the fuel line 22
is prevented from running into the additive tank 30 through use of the check
valve 38.
During the further course of operation of the present invention,
should one or both of the fuel filters 24, 26 become irreparably clogged so
as to shut off the fuel supply to the internal combustion engine 12, an
operator need only to open the stop valve 46 so as to open the bypass injec-
tion line 44. As is apparent, the fuel in the reguler fuel line 22 may then
travel through the conduit 42 and thence into the bypass injection line 44
for delivery to the carburetor 14. By the same token, this flow of fuel is
again prevented from entering the additive tank 30 by means of the check
valve 38, and further, if it is desired to still add some additive to the
internal combustion engine 12, an operator still can actuate the electric
pump 32 whereby the additive may also travel through the bypass injection
line 44 to the combustion chambers of the engine.
While a prefered embodiment of the present invention has been
described, it is to be understood that the optimum dimensional relationships
for the parts of the invention are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one
skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in
the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed
by the invention, subject only to the limitations specifically appearing in
the claims.
