Abstract: An intake manifold for an internal combustion engine having a selectively controlled variable length flow path whereby the manifold may be resonantly tuned for optimum performance over a wide engine speed range.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine has two cylinders (12, 14) interconnected at their head ends by a combustion chamber (20) which contains a catalyst (22). The cylinders have respective pistons (16, 18) reciprocable towards and way from the combustion chamber (20) and arranged to perform together the induction, compression, expansion and exhaust strokes. Air only or the like is freely inducted into one cylinder (12) while fuel or a fuel/air mixture is metered and inducted into the other cylinder (14) during the induction stroke. The catalyst is of a type which effects a chemical reaction to initiate combustion at a relatively low temperature so that when the fuel/air mix contacts the catalyst at the required temperature ignition takes place.

Abstract: A purging and recharging system improves the repeating of detonations from a detonation device 10 having a detonation chamber 20 separated from an ignition chamber 25 by a detonation plate 22 having an opening 23 through which a flame jet can pass from ignition chamber 25 to detonation chamber 20. A differential piston 30 driven by a detonation in a differential cylinder 31, 32 around detonation chamber 20 affords a fluid passageway between differential piston 30 and detonation chamber 20. On a power stroke, differential piston 30 compresses recharging air and draws in cooling and exhaust purging air to surround detonation chamber 20. On a return stroke, differential piston 30 forces cooling and purging air into detonation chamber 20 and then admits compressed recharging air into detonation chamber 20.

Abstract: A crankshaft supporting structure in a multicylinder internal combustion engine has a cylinder block made of a light alloy and including a cylinder housing and a crankcase having a plurality of spaced journal walls. A plurality of spaced bearing caps made of an iron alloy are coupled respectively to the journal walls. A crankshaft is rotatably supported in bearing holes defined by the journal walls and the bearing caps. A bridge made of a light alloy extends across the bearing caps and is coupled to the bearing caps. The bearing caps and the bridge are fastened together to the journal walls by connecting bolts disposed one on each side of the crankshaft. The bridge has a main portion defining a main gallery extending longitudinally therethrough and a plurality of legs coupled to the bearing caps, respectively. The bearing caps and the legs jointly define branch oil passages communicating with the main gallery and the bearing holes.

Abstract: An improvement to an internal combustion engine (10, 90) having a fuel system for feeding a fuel-air mixture to the combustion chambers which utilizes ammonia gas as an auxiliary fuel which is partially dissociated and added to the fuel-air mixture of the engine (10, 90). The dissociated ammonia allows the engine to have its fuel-air ratio leaned down well below the misfire limits of hydrocarbon fuel and air to thereby improve the mileage of a vehicle and reduce certain pollutants in the exhaust of the engine. The ammonia is stored in a liquefied state under pressure in a storage container (24, 98) and is fed to a dissociator (28) including a heater (30, 106) using heat from the engine's exhaust and a catalyst chamber (31, 107) and is then fed to the engine (10, 90). The partially dissociated ammonia being fed to the engine is metered simultaneously with the changing of the fuel-air mixture and is controlled to lean the normal fuel-air mixture down.

Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, the cylinder head 1 is screw-fastened to the cylinder crank case 2 by means of differential screws 8, each of which has two threaded sections 11 and 12, of which section 11 has a larger outside diameter and a smaller pitch than the second section 12. The threaded sections 11 and 12 cooperate with corresponding internal threads 13 or 10 in the cylinder head 1 or in the cylinder crank case 2. As a result of the different pitches of the two threaded sections 11 and 12, there occurs a joint tensioning of the cylinder head 1 with the cylinder crank case 2, without a bearing surface for a screw head or a nut being required. The space requirement for the cylinder head fastening thereby becomes exceptionally small, so that the fastening can be provided at points, for example, between adjacent valves, at which no space would otherwise be available for a bearing surface for screw heads or nuts.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a cylinder head having attachment surfaces which lie in the same plane and to which a head cover and an intake manifold are attached, respectively. The attachment surfaces can therefore be machined simultaneously in one process with a common cutting tool. The internal combustion engine also has a valve operating mechanism housed in a valve mechanism chamber in the cylinder head for actuating intake and exhaust valves. The valve mechanism chamber is defined by a pair of opposite trapezoidal end walls extending from the bottom of the valve mechanism chamber and a ceiling wall integrally interconnecting the upper ends of the trapezoidal end walls. The valve mechanism chamber has a pair of windows defined one on each side of the ceiling wall thereof between the trapezoidal end walls to provide access therethrough to the valve operating mechanism.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the fiber optic lighting system includes a centrally disposed light source and a plurality of fiber optic cables running from that central light source to a respective plurality of remote locations on the boat. The light source is mounted in a first transparent tube having open axial ends. A second transparent tube is concentrically disposed in close proximity to, but spaced from the first transparent tube. The first tube is removably mounted in the second tube. An internally mirrored chamber circumferentially surrounds the first and second tubes. The chamber is sealed at each axial end. The proximal ends of each fiber optic cable extends into the mirrored chamber and is in substantial engagement with the outer surface of the second tube. A light fixture is associated with each distal end of the optic fiber cables. Each light fixture includes a truncated, inverted cone with the distal end of the fiber mounted proximate the truncated vertex thereof.

Abstract: An engine intake system including an intake passage opening to the combustion chamber through an intake port having an intake valve. A control valve is provided in the intake valve for cyclically opening the intake passage. Upstream the control valve, the intake passage is provided with a tank which functions to reverse the negative pressure propagated from the control valve into a positive pressure which is then transmitted to the combustion chamber to increase the intake charge. A timing control mechanism is provided for retarding the opening timing of the control valve in a low speed, high load engine operation.

Abstract: An air intake system for internal combustion engine comprises a surge tank the inside of which is divided by a partition wall into two elongated parallel volumetric chambers. The surge tank has a portion extending beyond the branch tube that is located most remote from an air inlet in the tank. The partition wall of the surge tank extension is provided with an aperture for communicating the volumetric chambers with each other. The aperture is opened and closed by a butterfly valve operated by an actuator in response to engine operating conditions, to match the effective length of the intake system with an engine speed. In a preferred embodiment, the surge tank extension provided with the butterfly valve and the actuator forms a valve assembly which is separate from the remainder of the surge tank.

Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, an improved mechanism for adjusting the rotational axis of the crankshaft to vary the engine compression ratio. The crankshaft is supported at spaced points therealong in circular disks that are swivably adjustable about their central axes. The crankshaft rotational axis is eccentric to the disk axis, whereby disk adjustment moves the crankshaft axis in a direction to vary the engine compression ratio.

Abstract: A recessed remodeling light fixture adapted for mounting in an opening within a ceiling includes a cylindrical housing having a wall and an open end. The wall has a pair of opposed and aligned elongated slots disposed above the open end. A pair of spring clips is disposed in the slots and inside the housing during shipping and prior to installation. The clips are adapted to rotate outwardly for securing the housing above the ceiling in an installed position. Each of the clips has a wide body portion, a narrow leg member, and a foot portion. The leg member has a first bend adjacent the body portion and a second bend adjacent the foot portion so as to form a partial loop.

Abstract: An engine comprises an output shaft journalled in a crankcase for rotation about an axis, an even number of cylinders, each having its axis parallel to the shaft axis, arranged in diametrically opposite pairs radially equidistant from the shaft axis and equally spaced-apart circumferentially, and a piston movable axially along each cylinder. A cross-head beam for each pair of pistons is connected to the respective pistons and journalled on a carrier that is received on the shaft for rotation with and movement axially along the shaft. A mechanism selectively moves the carrier axially along the shaft to vary the clearance volumes of the cylinders. The engine operates on a six-stroke cycle consisting of a four-stroke combustion cycle followed by a two-stroke steam cycle. The water injected for the steam cycle cools the engine. The intake air for the combustion cycle is supercharged and preheated before induction.

Abstract: A two stroke spark ignition engine requiring a minimum of one pair of cylinders is constructable in multiple cylinder pairs. Each cylinder contains two oppositely working pistons. Four pistons drive, without rocking couples, opposite sides of a single crankshaft having three crankpins. Two paired cylinders are interconnected through and share a common precombustion chamber insuring cylinder pressure equalization and require only one fuel injector and one spark plug. The valveless engine has piston controlled intake and exhaust ports and crank phasing insures that exhaust ports are opened and closed prior to the respective opening and closing of the intake ports rendering the uniflow scavenged cylinders superchargeable. The precombustion chamber is optionally made variable in volume to simultaneously provide a variable compression ratio to both cylinders without affecting piston geometry or stroke.

Abstract: A crankshaft support structure for a multicylinder internal combustion engine employing a plurality of bearihng caps with pairs of vertical and horizontal surfaces fitting mating surfaces in the cylinder block for structurally mating the bearing caps to the cylinder block. A structural bridge extends across the bearing caps and is connected through the bearing caps to the block by one set of bolts and directly to the block by a second set of bolts. A second embodiment employs a third set of bolts connecting the bearing caps separately to the block. Arcuate baffle plates form the portion of the bridge between bearing caps to inhibit oil agitation and suppress noise.

Abstract: Several embodiments of induction systems for an internal combustion engine wherein each cylinder is served by a pair of intake passages having significantly different lengths for tuning them for different engine running requirements. A throttle valve arrangement controls the flow through the intake passages and the selection of the appropriate length for a given running condition. Each intake passage is supplied with air from a respective plenum chamber and the plenum chambers are located at different locations within the engine compartment. In all embodiments, one plenum chamber is positioned adjacent the engine and in the embodiments, the other plenum chamber is positioned either at the end of the engine or at the opposite side. Both plenum chambers are supplied with filtered air from a common air cleaner.

Abstract: An inlet manifold 7 for both banks of cylinders of a V-configuration internal combustion engine has two different lengths of tuned inlet passage between a plenum 14 and an inlet valve 3. A first length extends from an opening 13a in one face (in this case the upper) of the plenum 14. A second length extends the first length when valve 13 closes the opening 13a, passes along passage 16 around the side of the plenum remote from the cylinder 2, and communicates with the other face (in this case the lower) via an opening 18. It is possible to construct such a manifold in three parts: a plastics moulding 10 defining the plenum 14; two metal pressings 8, 9 which engage each other; and a third metal pressing 11. Such a construction can be cheaper and lighter than hitherto.

Abstract: A fuel and lubricating oil mixing system designed primarily for two-cycle engines. Lubricating oil and fuel are stored in separate containers and mixed prior to entering the carburetor. Fuel flow is monitored by flow detector which relays information to a control unit. This unit in turn controls valves and pumps, mounted on both lubricating oil and fuel lines, in order to maintain a preferred mixture ratio regardless of engine speed or fuel flow rate. Such control ratio makes possible maximum convenience and performance with minimum engine wear.

Abstract: A rocker arm in an internal combustion engine is pivotably supported by a fixed fulcrum retainer with a rocker key operatively positioned therebetween. The rocker arm and fulcrum retainer each have a concave, semi-cylindrical bearing surface and the rocker key has a pair of spaced apart, opposed convex, semi-cylindrical bearing surfaces, the concave, semi-cylindrical bearing surfaces and associate convex, semi-cylindrical bearing surfaces having radii ratios on the order of 1.7:1 to 3:1 and preferably 2:1 whereby to effect substantial rolling contact of these elements relative to each other. In addition, the rocker arm is preferably of U-shaped configuration as defined by a base with side walls depending from opposite sides thereof.

Abstract: A system incorporating a pivotally mounted control valve to selectively close the upper portion of an exhaust port in a two-cycle engine including a motor coupled with the valve for driving same. A speed determination means is provided to determine the engine speed relative to a specified value. A drive means rotates the motor in either direction based on the sensing by the speed determination means. A drive current control means detects the magnitude of change of the engine speed and increases or decreases the current supplied to the motor to increase or decrease the speed of change of the control valve.