Patents Examined by Brian J. Hairston
  • Patent number: 6138629
    Abstract: The invention concerns a system for active reduction of radial vibrations of a rotating shaft (4), especially the drive shaft of an internal combustion engine (1), with at least one active electromagnetic device (7; 10; 15, 16), which is configured and controlled such that it applies radial forces to the shaft (4), which counteract the radial vibrations of the shaft (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignees: ISAD Electronic Systems GmbH & Co. KG, Grundl und Hoffman GmbH
    Inventors: Ullrich Masberg, Thomas Pels, Klaus-Peter Zeyen, Andreas Grundl, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 6125800
    Abstract: For a cooling system of a liquid-cooled internal-combustion engine, a charging, venting and pressure control arrangement is suggested. In this case, a compressive stress mechanically generated in the coolant is combined with a forward-flow system control, in which case the gradual shutting-off or reduction of pressure is achieved into a pressureless coolant reserve acted upon by atmosphere. During cold charging, the arrangement provides a rapid filling of the cooling system with the coolant. Checking of the filling level in the reserve chamber in the case of operationally warm coolant without a loss of pressure and the risk of a coolant ejection is also permitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Werner Lugs
  • Patent number: 6105561
    Abstract: In a fuel feeding system for an internal combustion engine adapted to selectively operate with gasoline or with a gas, such as LPG or methane, the engine is compelled to restart automatically in the gasoline mode after a stop during which the gas reservoir has been filled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Massimo Ferrera, Riccardo Gozzelino, Aldo Perotto
  • Patent number: 6079383
    Abstract: The engine balancer unit includes a first oil pan attaching to the bottom of an engine cylinder block, a second oil pan attaching to the first oil pan to close a bottom of the first oil pan, and a unitary case inserted in the first oil pan to support counterbalance shafts with balance weights. The cylinder block does not need to be modified to install the engine balancer unit because the first oil pan which encloses the unitary case is attached under the cylinder block. Further, fluid tightness between the first oil pan block is not spoiled by the unitary case because the unitary case is provided inside the first oil pan. Furthermore, fluid tightness between the first oil pan and the second oil pan is not spoiled by conventional fastening structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Makoto Shirai, Hiroyoshi Tanikawa
  • Patent number: 6065434
    Abstract: A rocker arm or a finger lever (1) receives a valve clearance compensation element (4) in a reception bore (3). A cap (15) inserted into this reception bore (3) supports one end of an inner piston (7) of the valve clearance compensation element (4). This cap, through which on the one hand, the pressure medium is fed into an oil reservoir (8) and which, on the other hand, vents this oil reservoir (8) is fixed by an extension (17) in a complementary opening (18) of the rocker arm or the finger lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2000
    Assignee: Ina Walzlager Schaeffler oHG
    Inventor: Dieter Schmidt
  • Patent number: 6044811
    Abstract: There is provided an air guide casing for an air-cooled engine, characterized in that in an air-cooled engine, the air guide casing comprises an air guide member (11) (12) consisting of a synthetic resin molded product, which is fixed so as to connect with an inside air guide casing (30), an outside air guide casing (6) provided on the outside of the air guide member (11) (12) so as to cover the air guide member, and positioning means (13) for positioning the air guide member (11) (12) with respect to a cylinder block (2); the air guide member (11) (12) is positioned with respect to the cylinder block (2) through the positioning means (13); and the air guide member is fixed by holding and pressing at least one place of the air guide member (11) (12) between the tightening portion of the outside air guide casing (6) and the cylinder block (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2000
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyoshi Kouchi, Kazuyuki Kobayashi, Shogo Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6032617
    Abstract: A method of operating an engine assembly having a cylinder assembly which defines a combustion chamber is disclosed. The method includes the steps of performing an intake stroke of the cylinder assembly and advancing a conditioning fuel into the combustion chamber during the intake stroke performing step. The method further includes the steps of advancing a gaseous fuel into the combustion chamber during the intake stroke performing step and performing a compression stroke of the cylinder assembly after the intake stroke performing step. The method yet further includes the steps of advancing a pilot fuel into the combustion chamber during the compression stroke performing step and combusting the pilot fuel in the combustion chamber during the compression stroke performing step so as to ignite the conditioning fuel and the gaseous fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Martin L. Willi, Min Wu
  • Patent number: 6029639
    Abstract: A fuel system is provided with an accelerator pump. The accelerator pump has a single influent port and multiple effluent ports. The single influent port draws fuel from a single charge former into a fuel chamber of the accelerator pump. An operational linkage controls a release of the fuel such that the fuel in the fuel chamber is released into the charge formers during periods of rapid acceleration and like operating conditions. Upon actuation, the accelerator pump discharges an additional amount of fuel into multiple charge formers through the corresponding effluent ports of the accelerator pump. Accordingly, a single accelerator pump can be used with multiple charge formers to reduce to overall size of an assembled engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tetsuya Mashiko
  • Patent number: 6029620
    Abstract: An engine block containing thermoelectric materials that generates a direct current during operation and, in so doing, provides for at least some of the necessary engine cooling requirements and for at least some of the electric power requirements. The result is wasted heat energy is being converted into electricity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Inventor: Robert Dan Zinke
  • Patent number: 6019077
    Abstract: A spark plug is described incorporating a metal hydride in one of its electrodes thereby being able to generate plasma or ionization in the spark gap for ignition of the fuel mixture in the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Inventor: Vladimir I. Gorokhovsky
  • Patent number: 6000373
    Abstract: The invention provides, in one aspect, a lubrication system for internal combustion engines of the kind comprising a crankshaft (1) and an associated oil sump (3), a camshaft in a cylinder head above the oil sump, and a timing belt (5) connecting the crankshaft and camshaft via respective, pulleys (2, 4). In accordance with the invention, the timing belt is adapted to entrain a sufficient quantity of oil from the oil sump to lift it to the cylinder head for lubricating purposes, thereby eliminating the need for a separate oil pump. Preferably, an oil pulley (7) is provided below the crankshaft pulley (2) positioned to be immersed in oil within the oil sump for entraining oil therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: Stephen Ronald Tickner (a part interest)
    Inventor: Timothy C. Woodhouse
  • Patent number: 5992369
    Abstract: An intake device made from a thermoplastic synthetic resin material and intended specifically for use in an internal combustion engine. The intake device includes a first intake pipe or manifold composed of upper and lower half-shells which are joined to one another and have a common connecting flange. At least one other intake pipe or manifold composed of upper and lower half-shells is also provided and likewise also opens out through the common connecting flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: Filterwerk Mann & Hummel GmbH
    Inventor: Georg Mehne
  • Patent number: 5960749
    Abstract: A control valve is disposed in a communication passage for communication between a combustion chamber and a chamber portion adjacent to the combustion chamber, and through the communication passage at least one of a fuel and an air-fuel mixture, and a highly compressed gas, are supplied or charged into the combustion chamber and the chamber portion adjacent thereto, respectively. The control valve includes a first control valve disposed in the first communication passage and a second control valve disposed in the second communication passage, the first control valve causes the first communication passage to open at a timing near closing of an exhaust port and causes it to close halfway in a compression stroke. The second control valve causes the second communication passage to open at a timing near closing of the scavenging ports and causes it to close prior to closing of the first communication passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichi Isomura, Masahiro Asai, Masashi Amano
  • Patent number: 5950577
    Abstract: A water pump is provided with pressure-feed means whereby coolant that has leaked into the space between a bearing and a seal member in a pump housing is forcibly fed into an radiator reservoir tank in order to be recovered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Norio Sasaki, Mitsutoshi Hagiwara, Yasuo Ozawa, Itsuro Hashiguchi
  • Patent number: 5941204
    Abstract: A heating and pressurization system for a liquid-cooled engine having a cooling system is provided. The heating and pressurization system includes a coolant circulation and pressurization system comprising a coolant tank, a coolant pump receiving coolant from the coolant tank through a manifold, a coolant outlet conduit, and a coolant inlet conduit. The coolant outlet conduit and coolant inlet conduit each have an end which has a double dry break quick disconnect coupling which is detachably fixable to the cooling system of the engine and to another double dry break quick disconnect coupling attached to the coolant tank though an access passage. An immersion heater is incorporated into the coolant circulation and pressurization system which is operable to heat coolant circulating therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1999
    Inventor: Ronald E. Randolph
  • Patent number: 5918572
    Abstract: On an annular lib 16 formed at the downstream of an upper cylinder portion 3a of an air-cleaner outlet hose 3, a hose connecting portion 3f is formed to which one end of a resonator 6 is connected, and an intermediate portion 6c of the resonator 6 is fastened at a resonator clamp portion 3h formed in a unit with the upper cylinder portion 3a at the upstream. Further, on the above mentioned annular lib 16 provided adjacent to the bellows portion 3c of the air-cleaner outlet hose 3 a suction air temperature sensor 4 is provided at a position which is not opposing to the position of the resonator, and a harness clamp portion 3e of the suction air temperature sensor 4 is provided. Due to the floating support of the resonator, a reduction of the vibration transmission to the vehicle chamber and the number of the parts and the mounting processes is realized, and eventually a cost down is realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
    Inventor: Takehiro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 5899174
    Abstract: The engine generator set has an internal combustion engine and an alternator in a main compartment. Two separate cooling air streams independently cool the internal combustion engine and alternator. The independent air streams are then intermixed in the main compartment and used to cool the engine exhaust system and gases. Heat sensitive components are segregated from the heat generating components. Cooling air is drawn over the heat sensitive components maintaining them at nearly ambient temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1999
    Inventors: Wayne A. Anderson, Donald R. Fischer, James L. King