US1399534A - Safety-indicator for internal-combustion engines - Google Patents

Description

G. S. WITHAIVI, JR.

SAFETY INDICATOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-25, 1916.

L89,534 Patented Dec. 6, WZJL.

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UNITED sr GEtlItG-E S. WITHAM, JR, F AU SABLE FORKS, NEW YORK, ASSTGNOR T0 GUSTAV'UFJ A. SUJHEANZJEI, 01E CLEVELAND, 011E110.

fiAIFETY-IIENIIDICATOF; FUR TNTERNAJLr-UOMBUSTTON ENGINE? specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented 11cc. b, 1221..

\ Application filed. March 25, 1916. terial lt'o. $6,577.

dicators for Internal-Combustion Engines;

' and l-do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a safety indieating device for internal combustion engines of the type employed in self-propelled vehicles, such as automobiles, aeroplanes, motor boats, etc.

Fngines of this type are provided with circulatory lubricating systems and it is important that the driver of the vehicle be apprised at all times 'of the conditions of How and temperature of this system.

The novel safety indicatingdevice of the present invention comprises an improved construction for indicating in an automatic and continuous manner and at a point distant from the engine the above-named con- All ditions of the circulatory system.

The invention will be described more particularly in connection with the embodi ments thereof illustrated in the accompanying. drawings, but it will be understood that the invention is illustrated by, but not limited to, these specific embodiments.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 shows in elevation and partly in diagram an automobile engine with the invention embodied therein;

Fig. 2 is a view of the face of the thermal indicating instrument;

Fig. '3 isa cross-section of this instrument upon the line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

. Fig. 4 is a cross-section upon the line 4l-4l of Fig. 2;

A Fig. 5 is a view of the face of another embodiment of the invention; and

' Fig. 6 is a view partly in section along the line (5-6 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views thereof, Fig. 1 illustrates an internal combustion engine of any suitable construction as applied to an automobile. It is shown as made up of cylinders 1 and crank case 2 suitably inclosed within a hood 3. A radiator for the cooling liquid is indicated at A. It communicates with the cylinder jackets through pipes 5, and 6, there being a pump of any well known construction for maintaining the circulation of the liquid.

The crank case 2 is provided with any suitable lubricating system in Which the flow of oil is maintained by a pump 7 having an inlet opening at the bottom of the crank case and a discharge pipe 8 near the top of the case. From the pipe 8 there is tapped ofl' a small branch pipe 9 leading to the indicating instruments upon the dash board 10 of the vehicle. It will be understood, of course, that the indicating instrument may be variously arranged wherever it may be convenient for observation and that the arrangement will also depend upon the nature of the vehicle.

As shown herein, the pipe 9 leads to a coupling 11 from which there is a branch 12 tion of flow of the oil by the pressure thereof produced by the circulatory pump. llf for any reason circulation stops, the gage Wlll immediately indicate this fact. (As gages of this type of construction are well known,

it is unnecessary to further illustrate or de scribe the same?) a 15 designates the thermal indicator of the invention and the form illustrated in Fig.

\ 1 is shown in detail in Figs. 2, 3 and ,4. As

appears from these figures the instrument comprises a casing 20 within which is' mounted a thermometer 21, the bulb of the latter being contained within an enlargement at the bottom of the casing. The

thermometer may be retained within the casin in any convenient manner. Tn order that indications of the thermometer may be observed, the casing is provided with a sight opening 22, coveredby a glass plate 23retained in place upon the casing by a plate 2 1 upon which may be engraved the scale of the instrument. At the rear of the till casing and near the bottom thereof are proof which the circulation of oil about the bulb of the. thermometer is permltted. These apertures are surrounded with screwthreaded projections 27.

One convenient; mode of connecting the pipes 14 and 17 .to the casing is shown 1n sectionin Fig. 3 which illustrates the connection of the latter pipe. This pipe has attached to its ,end an enlargement 28 formed with a conical front face to engage any other convenient mode of attaching the oil pipes to the, casing of the thermometer mziy be used.

n' the use of this instrument, as illustrated, 25 is the inlet port and'26 the out.-

let port, the oil flowing upward around the bulb of the thermometer, but the operation remains the same if the flow is reversed.

. As this oil is under pressure, there will be a tendency for it to pass upward around the stem of the thermometer, and to prevent this a bushing or washer 31 should be placed around the stem of the thermometer immediately above the aperture 26.

Tn order that the thermometer may be attached to the dash board without project-. ing any considerable distance in front of the same, the casing is provided with lugs 30 by means of which it may be screwed.

to the back of the board, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3. should preferably be of a thickness corre- The entireinstrumentsponding approximately-to that of the dash 7 board or 1nstrument board so that when l in place the instrument will project only a slight distance above the top surface of the board.

In Figs. 5 and 6 another form of'thermal indicator has been shown. In this embodiment of the invention'there is a casin 40 having atuhular extension 41 near the ottom thereof for receivingthe bulb of a thermometer 42. The thermometer may be ofany desired construction and is preferably so arranged that it may be easily detached from the casing 40 as by a thread projection 43. At the rear of the casing 40 are screw-,

A suitable bushing or washer 46 may be provided to prevent the oil from flowing into the thermometer casing and coupling 43.

The casing 40 is formed so that it may be attached to the instrument 'board' of a vehicle in any convenient manner. with this arrangement the thermometer will project onl a slight distance above the board, and 1f desired, the construction may be arranged so that the upright" portion of the tube of the thermometer comes upon one side of the instrument board, while casing 40 and the pipe connections, are upon the other side of the board.

Having described the construction of an apparatus embodying my invention, the operation thereof may be briefly reviewed.

If the engine is running, pump 7 should maintain a flow of oil from bottom to top of the crank case, and there will be a certain pressure of oil in pi e 8 and branch pipe 9 leading therefrom. 0 long .as this pressure Even is maintained, the gage 13 will indicate that the oil is being properly circulated. There are many abnormal conditions within the lubricating system, or sufiiciently related thereto as to be indicated thereby, which would not be shown by the gage 13. These conditions are particularly due to abnormal increase in temperature. A low grade of oil, an insufficient amount of oil, low water in the radiator, with resulting over-heating thereof, hot bearings, dirty spark plu'gs,-and over-working of the en ine, are some of the abnormal conditions w ich result in over-heating of the oil and may thereby give indication of their existence. By the provision of the thermal indicator 15, the driver of the vehicle has before him at all times a means for indicating the ex istence of any of these abnormal conditions.

The valve 16 controlling passage of oil to the thermal indicator will under normal conditions of use be open, but if for any reason it is desired to shut off the supply of oil to the latter, it can be easily done by simply manipulating this valve.

There is thus provided, accordin to the present invention, a mechanism which will indicate in a continuous and automatic manner both the thermal and the flow conditions of the circulatory system, thereby serving threaded extensions 44 to which thetubes 14 and. 17 may be connected by means of the coupling hereinbefore described, or inany other convenient manner. Thermometer 42 is so related to the casing 40 in the construction illustrated that the bulb of the former comes directly below the channel 45 in the casing. It will be convenient to place the bulb within the aperture of projection 44, where the -bulb willbe directly in the path of the oil flowing through the device.

to protect the engine against accidental in: jur due to the various causes enumerated.

he indicator or gage 15 enables the operator to tell at a, glance whether the oil has been over-heated or whether it is of normal temperature. The indicator or gage 13 shows the operator whether the lubricating pump is operatin properly with the necessary amount of oi The combination of the two indicators gives to the operator 8, complete and automatic indicatlon which enables him to tell whether the oil is bein properly clrculated in the right amount and 180 measaa whether the temperature of this oil is high or low. High temperatures indicate abnormal conditions which require investigation. It is important that both the circulation of the oil and its temperature should be indicated for the reason thateither indication alone would not indicate all of the conditions which are necessary to be present for satisfactory operation. Without the thermal indicator the oil might be highly overheated without vwarning of a nature which the operator would heed. Without the indicator of the oil circulation, the thermal indicator might indicate the temperature of the casing when no oil were present. The two indicating devices coact to give a com plete indication such as cannot be obtained with either device alone.

Various modifications or changes in the details of construction of my invention may be made without limiting the scope of the same or departing from the principle thereof.

I claim 1. A device of the character described,

comprising in combination, an internal cornbustion engine, a lubricating system there-.

for, including a pump, a gage for indicating fluid pressure, a pipe connection between said system and said gage, a thermometer mounted adjacent said gage, a separate casing it'or said thermometer, a pipe leading from said connection to said casing, a valve in said pipe and a return pipe leading from said casing to said system; substantially as described.

2. A thermal indicating device for useein connection with the circulatory systems of internal combustion engines, comprising a unitary casing having an elongated central passage formed with an enlarged chamber at the lower end thereof, a thermometer within said passage with its bulb in said chamber, an aperture in the wall of said casing adjacent the upper end of said chamber, a second aperture in said casing nearthe bottom of said chamber and means surrounding said apertures whereby said casing may be connected to pipes leading to the circulatory system; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

enonen s. WITHAM, JR.

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