[0001] This invention relates in general to vaporization of liquid fuel fed'to internal
combustion engines and, in particular, to a liquid fuel vaporizing screen unit. The
unit may be used singly or in multiple depending upon whether a carburetor is a one-barrel
or multi-barrel carburetor feeding corresponding intake manifold openings. Each screen
unit is positioned in a manifold intake opening such that fuel laden air from the
carburetor passes through screening of the screen units with screen mesh and wire
size coupled with depressed dish shape of the screen units such as to optimize vaporization
atomizing of fuel in the fuel air mixture being fed to the engine.
[0002] Fuel economy is an increasingly important consideration in vehicles, particularly
with present energy problems and fuel shortages and constantly increasing fuel costs.
Further, present day problems of environmental pollution have resulted in legislative
action requiring more efficient engines with less pollution to meet tighter emission
standards. In meeting such standards, exhaust gas recirculation, catalytic converters
and/or auxiliary air pumps and other associated controls are designed into vehicles,
both passenger cars and trucks, resulting in greatly increased vehicle costs. Still
further, addition of such additional pollution control equipment is a further power
drain on-the vehicle engine further decreasing efficiency. Obviously, if engine efficiency
can be increased to the point that pollution control devices are no longer needed
in meeting tightened pollution standards still further increases in efficiency are
attainable through the lessened power loading with removal of driven equipment. If
engine efficiency is such that catalytic converters and/or other pollution control
devices are not needed then the range of fuels useable is expanded and the engine
may be tuned for optimum engine efficiency and not for optimized pollution control
device efficiency.
[0003] With engines employing conventional carburetors for fuel vaporization a portion of
the intake air is used to break the fuel into fine droplets. Since droplet size varies
with intake air speed and intake air speed varies over a wide range droplet size varies
from smaller droplets at higher intake air speeds to larger droplets at lower intake
air speeds. It should be noted that there is some beneficial gasification of the fuel
in the carburetor and delivery through intake manifolding. However, much of the fuel
remains in the form of droplets of varying sizes passed into the intake manifold with
much of air fuel mixing occurring downstream from the carburetor resulting in uneven
cylinder.to cylinder distribution. More complete vaporization of the fuel leads to
more uniform mixing of fuel with air in the carburetor area and through the engine
intake manifold. Further, the more completely fuel is transformed to a vapor as opposed
to a mist droplet state the efficiency of combustion in the cylinder is improved.
[0004] It is an object of this invention to provide improved engine fuel feed gas vaporization,
increase internal combustion engine efficiency and also to reduce emission pollution.
[0005] According to the present invention I provide in a fuel atomizing screen for installation
in internal combustion engine intake manifold openings beneath engine carburetors:
a screen unit of relatively fine mesh screening (preferably of stainless steel wire)
having a depending formed depression sized to fit the intake opening of the intake
manifold beneath a barrel of a carburetor with the depending formed depression extending
down and away from the carburetor.
[0006] Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 represents a partially broken away and sectioned elevation view of a carburetor
mounted on an intake manifold with an air/liquid fuel vaporizing screen unit positioned
in an intake opening of the intake manifold with the mounting flange of the screen
unit held between the carburetor mounting boss of the intake manifold and the mounting
base of the carburetor;
Figure 2, a perspective view of a screen unit as used in the carburetor intake manifold
assembly of Figure 1;
Figures 3 and 4, side elevation views of other screen unit configuration embodiments
that may be used in intake manifold openings in place of the screen unit of Figures
1 and 2; and,
Figure 5, an exploded perspective view of a two-barrel carburetor and intake manifold
combination also including an air valve in a _(PCV) positive crankcase ventilation
system control valve line.
[0007] Referring to the drawing:
The intake manifold 10 fuel atomizing screen unit 11 of Figures 1 and 2 is shown to
be held in place with the dished bowl 12 thereof extending down into and through intake
opening 13 of the engine intake manifold 10 with annular screen flange 14 tightly
held in place by carburetor gasket 15 clamped under the mounting flange 16 of carburetor
17, fastened by bolts 18 to the carburetor mounting boss 19 of the intake manifold
10. The screen unit 11' of Figure 3 is an alternate screen unit embodiment with a
rounded hemospheric like formed depression 12' depending from annular flange 14' with
screen unit 11' useable in place of screen unit 11 in the intake manifold one-barrel
carburetor combination of Figure 1 or in a plurality of intake openings 13' such as
with the two barrel carburetor 17' and intake manifold 10' combination of Figure 5.
In like manner the alternate screen unit 11" embodiment of Figure 4 having a conical
depression 12" depending from annular flange 14" may be used in the combination of
Figure 1 or that of Figure 5 in place of the screen units 11 or 11'.
[0008] Screen units 11, 11' or 11", which may also be called screen baskets, may be formed
to fit different engine intake manifold openings 13 but a typical screen unit size
at the depression perimeter diameter is approximately one and one-half inches, a flange
extension of about one quarter of an inch and a bowl depth of approximately three
quarters of an inch. Stainless steal wire or copper wire screen mesh with a 60-40
mesh of 0.010 inch diameter wire has proven to be a particularly good mesh from which
screen units, 11,11' or 11" may be formed in providing excellent operational results.
The screen units intercept course fuel droplets dispersed in the airstream and atomize
the fuel droplets in turbulence in the screen and about the wires of the screen units
in creating a suspension of minute fuel particles in the air downstream from the screen
units in an air/fuel mist flowing to the cylinders through the intake manifold 10
as shown diagrammatically in Figure 1. The downward depressed dishes or bowls of screen
units 11, 11' or 11" increase the sateen area for passage of fuel/air mixture, therethrough
with minimized obstruction to through flow of fuel laden air to the engine cylinders.
Tests with a number of automobiles have shown beneficial operational results with
mileage increase generally falling in a range of 20% to 50% increase. This also, with
more complete burning of fuel in the engine, results in improved significant reduction
of noxious contaminant emissions. It is of interest to note that the downward depending
walls of screen units 11, 11' and 11" extend inward and away from the walls of intake
manifold openings 13 in Figure 1 or 13' in Figure 5 in insuring that the full area
of the downward formed depressions or bowls be effective in passing fuel and air mixture
through flow.
[0009] Screen units 11, 11' and 11" and in other variation modifications thereof to fit
various intake manifold openings under carburetors for various engines are useable
not only with a single-barrel carburetor such as in Figure 1, but with two-barrel
carburetors 17' and a two-intake-hole 13' manifold 10' such as in Figure 5. Obviously,
screen units 11, 11' and 11" may also be used with four-barrel carburetors (not shown)
in much the same manner with, in some instances, screen units used in only the two
front intake manifold openings and in others in all four manifold openings. In the
two-barrel carburetor showing of Figure 5 the screen units 11 are shown as being in
place with flanges 14 above gasket 15' rather than below gasket 15 as shown in Figure
1. With screen units 11 in place the carburetor 17' is fastened in place with bolts
18' extended through holes 20 in carburetor mounting flange 21 into intake manifold
carburetor mounting boss 19'. With the installation of Figure 5 set screw 22 adjustable
vacuum T unit 23 is inserted in line 24 interconnecting PCV valve 25 and carburetor
$7' and on through line 26 to the engine for passage of engine crankcase blow-by gases
back to the carburetor 17' and fed into the intake air flow.
[0010] The set screw 22 of vacuum T unit 23 in line 24 is set to achieve fast idle with
air bleed through the vacuum T 23 bleed opening 27 to line 24. Then after adjusting
set screw 22 the carburetor linkage is set to idle in accord with factory specifications.
[0011] With two screen units 11 (11' or 11") and a vacuum T furnished as a field modification
kit installation is made as follows:
1. Remove carburetor.
2. Insert screen baskets into intake manifold in front two holes, if you have a 4-barrel
carburetor. If you have a 2-barrel carburetor, insert the screen baskets in the two
holes under carburetor.
3. Replace carburetor. (Make sure you have the right carburetor gasket.)
4. Start motor and check for vacuum leak.
5. Insert vacuum T into PCV vacuum line.
6. Adjust set screw on top of T to achieve fast idle.
7. After adjusting set screw make sure you set carburetor linkage idle to factory
specifications.
[0012] To insert T into PCV vacuum line, cut rubber line with knife. (No clamps are necessary.)
[0013] Please note that with factory installation carburetors may be provided with an air
bleed adjustment eliminating the requirement for addition of a vacuum T 23 in a PCV
line 24.
[0014] Whereas this invention is herein illustrated and described with respect to several
embodiments thereof, it should be realized that various changes may be made without
departing from essential contributions to the art made by the teachings hereof.
1. In a fuel atomizing screen for installation in internal combustion engine intake
manifold openings beneath engine carburetors: a screen unit of relatively fine mesh
screening (preferably of stainless steel wire) having a depending formed depression
sized to fit the intake opening of the intake manifold beneath a barrel of a carburetor
with the depending formed depression extending down and away from the carburetor.
2. A fuel atomizing screen according to Claim 1, also including a mounting flange
surrounding the upper peripheral edge of the depending formed depression sized to
be clamped with a carburetor gasket between the carburetor and a carburetor mounting
boss on an intake manifold.
3. A fuel atomizing screen according to Claim 2, wherein said mounting flange is an
annular extension of the mesh screening forming said depending formed depression.
4. A fuel atomizing screen according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein said depending
formed depression has walls angled inward and away from the wall of said intake opening.
5. A fuel atomizing screen according to Claim 4, wherein said depending formed depression
is a depressed dish shape.
6. A fuel atomizing screen according to Claim 4, wherein said depending formed depression
is a depressed rounded hemospheric-like formed depression.
7. A fuel atomizing screen according to Claim 4, wherein said depending formed depression
is generally a conical depression.
8. A fuel atomizing screen according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein said screening
is at most a 30-30 mesh screen with maximum wire diameter of 0.020 inches.
9. A fuel atomizing screen according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein said screen
unit is formed of one piece of approximately 60-40 mesh screening of approximately
0.010 inch diameter wire.
10. A fuel atomizing screen according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein at least one
of said fuel atomizing screens is supplied as part of a field installation kit also
including a set screw equipped vacuum T fitting for PCV line installation carburetor
adjustment when fuel atomizing screening is in place in an intake manifold opening
beneath a carburetor.