Engine lubricating device

Application filed December 8, 1929. Serial No. 412,250.

My invention relates to internal combustion engines, and particularly to the means for engine lubrication.

The present prevailing practice in inter⁶ nal combustion engine lubrication, especially motor car engines, consists in pumping oil from a pool carried in the engine base and circulating it through the lubrication circulatory system to the various engine bearings. In such a system dirt, water, carbon, gasoline, and other deleterious substances accumulate in the engine base, mix with the lubricant, and are continuously circulated with the lubricant to the engine bearings, thereby impairing the quality of the lubricant.

And in such a system considerable water accumulates in the engine base in winter by condensation, and otherwise, and when a ₂₀ motor car stands idle, the water forms a pool ^u in the bottom of the engine oil-pan and freezes in severe winter weather, whereby the oil suction pipe, which extends to the oil-pan bottom, is closed and the lubrication system ₂₅ is rendered useless.

The principal object of this invention is to improve and simplify the mechanism shown and described in my Letters Patent of the United States, No. 1,369,239, of Feb. ₃₍₎ 22,1921.

Another object of the invention is to effect a direct communication between the oil pump and the oil suction pipe.

A third object of the invention is to effect 35 a rigid connection between the oil suction pipe and the float therefor.

Still another object is to provide improved means for attaching the screen to the suctionpipe float.

A further object is to provide means for spacing the inlet orifice of the suction pipe from the oil-pan bottom where water and other deleterious matter may have accumulated.

A still further object is to provide baffle means for causing the lubricating oil to flow thereover before entering the suction pipe.

Other and more specific objects of the invention are mentioned and described herein. ⁵⁰ The preferred embodiment of the inven tion is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein

Figure 1 is a section in elevation through an engine base to which my invention is applied ; 55

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in elevation, partially broken away, showing the suction pipe, the float, and the flanged connection to the pump;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3—3 of ⁶⁰Fig-2;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the float and screen, broken away;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5—5 of Fig. 2; 65

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating a modification of the device in combination with baffle means and stop means for limiting the movement of the float and suction pipe; ⁷⁰

Fig.. 7 is a plan view of the baffle plate and a portion of the pump elbow ;

Fig. 8 illustrates a plan view of a modified form of the baffle plate;

Fig. 9 illustrates still another modification of the baffle plate; and

Fig. 10 shows a side elevational view of the baffle plate illustrated in Fig. 8.

Similar numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views on the ⁸⁰drawings.

Referring to the details of the drawings the numeral 1 represents the crank-case of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine within which is mounted the usual crank-shaft 2 ⁸⁵having the usual bearings 3, 3 and an oil-pan 4 suitably connected with said crank-case. The numeral 5 indicates an oil circulation pump suitably mounted in the engine base and which may be operated by the upright ⁹⁰shaft 6, the latter being driven by the gears 7 and 8 carried, respectively, by said shaft and the engine cam shaft 9.

The oil-pan 4 contains the usual pool of lubricant 10 adapted to be circulated to the ⁹⁵shaft bearings 3, 3 through the pump delivery pipes 12,12. The oil pump 5 may be of any suitable type, but as illustrated, it is a · gear pump of a well known design, being provided with the suction inlet port 13 which ¹⁰⁰

1,890,884 is in communication with the bore 14 of the depending suction elbow 15 which may be fastened to said pump by screws 16. The outer end of the elbow 14 has its axis disposed in ⁵ a horizontal plane and may be counter-bored at 17 to receive the cylindrical tubular end 18 of the suction pipe elbow 19 with which the suction pipe 20 is rigidly connected, there being sufficient clearance between section 18 ¹⁰ of said elbow and said counter-bore to effect a hinge action therebetween.

The elbow 19 may be provided with the annular peripheral flange 21 which may engage the end wall of the counter-bore 17 and ¹⁶ which is held in juxtaposition by a furcated retaining plate 22 secured to the end face of the elbow 15 by screws 23, an arcuate portion of which plate overlies a part of said flange 21.

The outer end of the suction pipe 20 car²⁰ ries the float element 24 rigidly connected therewith, the latter being adapted to float upon the surface of the oil pool 10 to buoyantly sustain the pipe 20 therein to cause the latter to swing in a Vertical plane as the level ²⁵ of said oil pool may vary. Float element 24 may be annular in formation and is preferably made of thin sheet metal, and may comprise the bottom and side wall section 25 and 26, respectively, struck from a single ³⁰ sheet of ductile metal, and the annular cover 27 secured to the upper edge of said side-wall section by solder, or otherwise in any suitable manner. The suction pipe 20 extends through a suitable aperture m the float side³⁵ wall 26 to the center of the float body and has its downwardly turned inlet elbow 28 rigidly secured, by solder or otherwise, in the aperture 29 formed centrally in the float bottom wall 25, whereby the orifice of the elbow 28 is 40 held in permanent communication with the pool of lubricant adjacent its surface regardless of the varying level of the oil pool.

The numeral 30 indicates a wire gauze screen applied to and covering the bottom 45, of the float to exclude impurities and deleterious matter from the oil circulatory system, said screen being spaced from the float bottom 25 by a series of depending radially formed ribs 31 stamped in said bottom to provide oil conduit channels between said ribs, whereby the oil may move freely to the inlet orifice of the pipe elbow 28. The screen 30 may be secured to said float bottom in any suitable manner, but the preferred method 55 is illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings and comprises the annular inwardly extending groove 32 stamped in the bottom edge of the oat side-wall section 26, and extending circumferentially thereof, within which groove βο the upwardly and inwardly hooked outer periphery 33 of the screen is clamped by compressing the walls of said groove upon said screen.

The retaining plate 22 may be provided «5. with the integral furcations 34 and 35, which are curved outwardly and arranged in spaced relation, respectively, above and below the elbow 19 and adapted to serve as stop elements to limit the upward and downward movement of the pipe 20.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 6 the construction of the float 24 contemplates an upwardly dished lower wall section 36 suitably apertured at 29 to receive the elbow 28 of the pipe 20. To accommodate such a ⁷⁵structure the pipe 20 may be upwardly curved or bent at 37 within the float. And in Fig. 6 the numeral 38 represents a stationary annular oil control or baffle element, or plate, which, as illustrated, is integral with the ⁸⁰lower prong of the retaining plate 22, and which may have a depending leg 39 at its forward end to hold or support said baffle plate in spaced relation with the bottom of pan 4, whereby the oil is caused to flow over ⁸⁵the outer periphery of said baffle, from all points thereof, to the float center, in a substantially horizontal plane, before it enters the inlet orifice of the pipe 20. In this manner any deleterious substance on the oil pan ²⁰bottom is not readily taken into the suction pipe or picked up by the screen 30.

To control the movements of the float 24 upper and lower stop means are provided, and in Fig. 6 the upright post 39, secured to ⁹⁵the plate 38 at 40, has laterally bent upper and lower stop elements 41 and 42, respectively, preferably integral therewith, the latter serving also to space the float screen 30 from the upper face of the baffle 38 when the ¹⁹⁰float is at its lowest position. Under some circumstances it may be advisable to limit the upward travel of the float to a plane below the stop 41, and even confine it rigidly in contact with the lower stop 42. There is ^J°5 therefore provided a headed upright adjusting stop screw 43 threaded into the enlarged end 44 of the prong 34 of plate 22 (Fig. 6) and adapted to contact with the elbow 19 and which may be manually adjusted to confine ¹¹⁰the float in contact with stop 42.

Obviously, the stop screw 43 may be so adjusted as to permit limited upward movement from the stop 42, if so desired.

In Figures 8 and 10 a modified form of ¹¹⁵the baffle plate 38 is shown, wherein the body thereof is segregated from plate 22 and is provided with a plurality of legs 45 which are suitably apertured at 46 to receive fastener screws 47 for securing the baffle in ¹spaced relation with the oil pan bottom, and wherein a stop element 42' is provided integrally therewith and bent inwardly from one edge thereof. 125

In Fig. 9 another modification of the baffle 38 is illustrated, and therein the annular baffle body is provided with a plurality of upwardly bent integral fastener lugs 48 which may be riveted to the side wall of the 130

1,890,984 3 float 24 to secure said baffle below the float screen and in spaced relation thereto.

In operation, it will be obvious that the pipe 20 is buoyantly sustained in the oil pool ⁵ 10 and that the inlet orifice of the elbow 28 of said pipe will always be held in communication with the oil pool at a point adjacent the surface thereof and remote from the oil pan bottom where water and deleterious mat10 ter collect. It will also be evident that the pivotal mount of the suction pipe 20 enables the float 24 to readily adjust itself to the varying level of the oil pool when the latter is agitated or reduced in quantity for any ¹⁵ reason, and also that any ice formation, due to water accumulation, will be on the oil pan • bottom and remote from the inlet orifice of the suction pipe elbow 28.