Patent ID: 6138634
Filing Date: 2000-10-31
Classification: F01M,F01P,F02B

Abstract:
In an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders formed in a cylinder block, a piston reciprocally movable within each cylinder, and a crankshaft assembly including a plurality of connecting rods joining the pistons to a crankshaft for converting the reciprocating movement of the pistons into rotational movement of the crankshaft, the crankshaft having a plurality of counterweights, the crankshaft extending vertically and rotating about a vertical axis, the improvement comprising:a plurality of oil passageways formed in the cylinder block for distributing oil to lubricate the engine, each oil passageway terminating in an outlet opening, the outlet opening being positioned such that oil exits the outlet opening and falls by gravity in a direction parallel to the vertical extension of said crankshaft and onto said connecting rod and is distributed by the movement thereof, the piston reciprocating in the cylinder between a top dead center position and a bottom dead center position, wherein the outlet opening is exposed and uncovered in each of the top dead center and bottom dead center positions of the piston, such that oil exiting the outlet opening falls by gravity onto the connecting rod in each of the top dead center and bottom dead center positions of the piston, and wherein the outlet opening is horizontally spaced from the piston along the direction of the connecting rod when the piston is in the bottom dead center position and wherein the outlet opening is horizontally spaced from the counterweights along the direction of the connecting rod when the piston is in the top dead center position.