US1472233A - Vaporizer for internal-combustion engines - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 30, 1923. 1,472,233

' A. J. TAYLOR, JR., ET AL VAP ORIZER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Dec. 15 1921 Patented Oct. 30, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1 1,472,233 PATENT OFFICE.

ABA J. TAYLOR, 33., AND CHARLES E. HARPER, IR, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOBS 0]! ONE-THIRD TO BERNARD I. CUMMINGS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VAPOBIZEB FOB INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application fled December 15, 1921. Berlin 1w. 588,487.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Asa J. TAYIDR, J r., and CHARLES E. HARPER, Jr., both citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vaporizers for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a s ecification.

ur invention relates to improvements in vaporizers for internal combustion engines and is of particular value in connection with engines employed for the purpose of propelling vehicles.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a vaporizer which will facilitate the starting of an internal combustion engine using liquid fuel; to provide an arrangement which will result in economy of fuel and improved efiiciency during the running period of such an engine; to provide a construction which may be conveniently and economically applied to existingpower plants without necessitating expensive change or reorganization of the existing parts of such plant; to provide an arrangement which shall be simple in design, economical to manufacture, and inexpensive to maintain and operate, and in general to provide an improved and efficient device of the character referred to.

On the drawings which illustrate our invention as applied to the powerplant of a self propelled gasoline-driven vehicle.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the general arrangement shown partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the attachment and Fig. 3 is a section taken on theline 3-3 of Fi 2. Y

Refining to the drawings, represents the intake manifold of a multi-cylinder gasoline engine, and 11 represents the carburetor supplied with liquid fuel such as gasoline through pipe 12. It will be understood that the carburetor 11 may be of any desired approved construction and may be equipped with the customary throttle valve 13 and air inlet 14.

Accordin to the usual practice the carburetor 11 1s connected to the inlet branch 15 of the manifold by means of a. pair of flanges 16 and 17, respectivel provided on the carburetor and the manifo d, said flanges being suitably faced ofi to fit one" another and being clamped together by a pair of bolts or cap screws 18.

Our improved device or attachment is installed by substituting same in place of the ordinar gasket customarily interposed between anges 16 and 17 the device serving the purpose of such gasket.

The attachment com rises as its principal parts a pair of neste elements preferably constructed of stamped or drawn metal for instance copper. Each of said elements consists of a base or flange corresponding in shape with the flanges 16 and 17 of the carburetor and manifold, and has, extendin from its upper surface a sleeve or tube pre erably made slightly ta red or in the form of a truncated cone, t e upper end being less in diameter than the lower end, both ends of the tube being open to permit the mixture of air and fuel to ass throu h same I into the manifold. etween t e flanges 19 and 20 of the inner and outer elements respectively, there is inserted a resilient gasket 21 preferabl asbestos, which gasket serves as a packing f dr spacin apart the said flanges 19 and 20.v The e ements. are also rigidly secured together to prevent separation thereof by making the inner cone or tube 22 of somewhat greater length than the outer cone 23 so that after the two cones have been assembled or nested together the upper end of the inner cone or tube 22 may be spun over the end of the outer tube 23, as indicated at 24.

Electrical ener is'employed for heating the'vaporizer, an to this end we provide between the inner and outer cones 22 and 23 a resistance element comprising a spirally arranged high resistance element 25 in the form of a flat strip of the proper specific resistance, cross section and length for admitting the required watta said resistance spiral 25 being insulated om the cones 22 and 23 by inner and outer cone shaped sheets 26 and 27, of fire proof insulating material such as mica. Said sheet insulating material 26 is preferabl made of relatively small thickness, so t at it will oppose as little resistance as possible to the passage of heat from the spiral heating element 25 to the walls of the tube element 23.

The device as shown is designed for use in connection with a source of electrical energy, one pole of which is connected to ground, i. e., the frame of the power plant.

Hence, the upper end of the spiral resistance element 25 may be connected to the upper ends of the shells 22 and 23 by bending the end 27 of the strip of the reslstance wlre over the upper edge of the outer cone or shell 23 prior to the crimpin operation. The lower or ungrounded end 0 the resistance element is connected to an insulated terminal plate 28. Said terminal plate 28 preferably consists of a flat punched annulus fitting within a correspondingly shaped aperture in the gasket 21 and is formed with an up-turned ear 29, to whlch the lower end of the resistance element is riveted as at 30. Connection plate 28 is also equipped with a laterall 31 projecting a substantial istance beyond the boundary of the asket 21 so as to accommodate a termina or bolt 32 to which is connected a wire 33 leading to a source of electrical energy.

The terminal plate 28 is insulated from the flan es 19 and 20 by a pair of insulating washers 34 and 35 of the same shape as the terminal plate 28, so as also to fit within the opening punched in the gasket 21. The thickness of gasket 21 is equal to the combined thickness of late 28 and insulating washers 34 and 35. 11 order to prevent pos sible short circuits between the inner periphery of annular terminal plate 28 and the lower ends of shells 22 and 23, the insulating washers 34 and 35 are preferably formed with short upwardly extendin circumferential flanges 36 and 37, w ich overlap slightly the lower ends of mica sheets 26 and 27.

extending lug Any desired source of current may be employed for supplying electrical energy to wire 33. However, in the present instance, I have illustrated the attachment as used on Ford cars which are equipped with a storage battery aswell as with the usual fly wheel magneto. As so installed, the supply Wire 33 is connected to the pivotal point of an ordinary two way switch arm 38 which may be thrown into contact with either of the contact buttons 39 and 40.

When it is desired to start the engine in cold weather, before cranking the motor, the operator moves switch arm 38 into contact with button 39 thus permitting battery 41 to send current through the resistance element 25. Wire 25 heats up, the heat being transmitted to the inner shell 23, and when the motor is cranked, particles of unvaporized or unatomized liquid fuel, before they enter the main portion of the manifold, strike the heated inner surface of the cone 23 and are instantly converted into gas. Diflicult of starting the engine, due to failure of tii e gasoline or other fuel to properly va orize, are thus eifectiually eliminated.

n view .of the fact that in some cases the battery is not able to deliver more current than is needed for the lamps of the vehicle, I prefer not to use the battery for supplying current to the vaporizer except when starting. After the engine has taken hold, the switch 38 maybe moved over out of contact with button 39 and into contact with button 40, which is connected to the magneto. It will then be energized from the magneto and no additional load is imposed on the battery. It may be stated that the device is not only of inestimahle value in facilitating starting of a cold motor, but is also of great service in reducing fuel consumption and improving the eflicicncy of the motor during ordinary mnningconditions.

The described details of construction and operation are merely illustrative of a single phase of our invention, the scope of which should be determined by reference to the appended claims, said claims being construed as broadly as possible, consistent with the state of the art.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a sectional pipe for the combustion gases, and a tubular element in said pipe having an integral base flange forming a gasket between the pipe sections, said tubular member comprising spaced inner and outer metallic walls having a heating ele ment disposed between said walls.

2. The combination of an internal combustion engine' rovided with an intake manifold, a car uretor, coupling flanges respectively provided on the manifold and on the carburetor, a metallic tubular element within the manifold, and through which tube the fuel mixture passes, a flange on said tube and interposed between the coupling flanges for securing said tube in position and means for electrically heating said tube comprising a spirally arranged resistance wire surrounding and insulated from said tube.

3. In combination, a gas engine manifold provided with a depending flanged inlet, a carburetor provided with an outlet flanged to fit the manifold flange, a metal tube located within said inlet provided with an integral flange interposed between said first mentioned flanges, a spirally arranged resistance element surrounding said tube and connected to the upper end thereof, insulation interposed between said resistance element and said tube and a supply terminal extending from the lower end of said spiral through the space between the carburetor and manifold flanges and insulated from all of said flanges.

4. In combination, a. gas engine manifold provided with a depending flanged inlet. a carburetor provided with an outlet flanged to fit the manifold flange, a tube located within said inlet provided with an integral flange interposed between said first mentioned flanges, a spirally arranged resist ance element surrounding said tube and connected to the upper end thereof, insulation interposed between said resistance element andsaid tube and a supply terminal extending from the lower end of said spiral through the spacebetween the carburetor and manifold flanges, insulated from all of said flanges, and an outer shell enclosing said tube and resistance element and insulated from the latter.

5. For self-propelled vehicles, the combination of a as engine having an inlet manifold, a ca buretor, said carburetor and said manifold being respectively provided with an outlet opening surrounded by a flange and an inlet opening surrounded b a fla 0, said openings re 'stering wi each 0t er,'a metallic tube s11 tantially exunited together to form a sealed annular space between said tubes, means for securing said tubes in said manifold comprisingi flanges on the outer ends of said tubes an interposed between the manifold and the carburetor flanges, means for clamping all of said flanges together and means for electrically heating said tubular elements, comprising a resistance wire spirally arranged within said sealed space and having its convolutions insulated from said tubes, and means for supplying said wire with current.

AsA -J. TAYLOR, JR. CHARLES E. HARPER, JR.

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