Abstract:
A carburetor spacer is provided with an isolation member to isolate the flow of atomized fuel from a carburetor to an intake manifold of an internal combustion engine comprising first and second hollow members fitting one inside the other and an elastomeric member interposed between said fitted hollow members. The elastomeric member also serving to thermally insulate the flow of fuel-oxidizer from heat produced by the engine. Thus, the isolation member helps prevent the fuel from reverting to a liquid state before being introduced into the cylinders of the engine and by reducing the heat input to the fuel-oxidizer mixture, less expansion of the mixture occurs before being introduced into the engine&#39;s cylinders. Less expansion results in more of the mixture of the fuel-oxidizer can be input to the cylinders resulting in a greater power output by the engine.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is related to U.S. provisional Application Ser. No. 60/874,329 entitled Carburetor Spacer, filed Dec. 12, 2006 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     a) Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates in general to the field of improved internal combustion engine 
     performance, and in particular to methods and apparatus to assist in stabilizing the flow 
     of flow of fuel mixture into the intake manifold of a carbureted internal combustion engine by providing and improved carburetor spacer 
     b) Description of the Prior Art 
     It is advantageous for carbureted internal combustion engines, especially engines used in performance automobiles or racing automobiles, to increase performance by developing maximum power and torque throughout the revolutions per minute (RPM) range of the engine. Such performance is usually manifested in engine throttle response and acceleration and of course top speed. 
     In a carbureted engine, the carburetor serves to determine the amount of fuel and oxidizer to be provided to the cylinders for burning and production of power. Thus air, an oxidizer, or another oxidizer, such as nitrous oxide, and fuel, usually gasoline, are input to a carburetor which meters both the air and oxidizer to provide a predetermined ratio of fuel and oxidizer. The carburetor also atomizes or vaporizes the fuel and mixes it with the oxidizer such that optimum burning of the fuel occurs during the power stroke of the pistons. Thus, the carburetor sets the stage for the ultimate performance of the engine. However, the output of a carburetor must be delivered in equal parts to each of the cylinders of an engine in order to continue the performance chain. An intake manifold serves this function. Many improvements have been made to intake manifolds in the nature of maintaining the previously supplied optimal mixture of the atomized fuel—oxidizer by not allowing the fuel to revert back to its liquid state and deposited out of the mixture onto one or more surfaces of the intake manifold, and to minimize pressure drop losses within the intake manifold that can inhibit the maximum flow of the fuel-oxidizer mixture. 
     In the relatively recent past, the performance of carbureted engines have been improved by the advent of a spacer located between the outlet of the carburetor and the inlet of the intake manifold. The spacer being exactly as it is stated, a device that adds space between the carburetor and the intake manifold. As would be expected, the spacer has been improved over the years and present day spacers significantly add to the power and torque produced by performance engines. 
     Present day spacers take a number of different forms. They are of different lengths, different internal sizes, have one or more flow passages, are made from different material, are manufactured by different methods such as casting, CNC machining, and the internal passages have taken on different shapes- all or any one of them to improve velocity of the fuel-oxidizer, the atomization and vaporization of the fuel, the oxygenation of the fuel and the mixing of the fuel and oxidizer. Still another improvement has been to provide means within the spacer to input an additional oxidizer and fuel. My previous U.S. Pat. No. 6,269,805, issued Aug. 7, 2001. is directed to this latter improvement. 
     Unfortunately, there are factors that occur during the operation and running of an internal combustion engine that tend to upset even a very carefully optimized and distributed fuel mixture. For example, the engine itself creates vibrations and resonances during its operation which can result in disturbing the atomization, vaporization, oxygenation, and distribution of the fuel mixture and therefore disadvantageously affect the output of the engine. Additional vibrations and resonances can be induced into the fuel mixture delivery system due to the engine being connected to its supporting structure. For example, if the engine is bolted directly to its supporting structure with no rubber or isolation dampening medium placed between the engine and its mounting structure, which direct bolting is often used in race cars. the probably of induced vibrations is increased. Even with the use of an isolation medium between the engine and its supporting structure, vibrations can be induced. Likewise, if the engine is used in an automobile, performance or otherwise, the road conditions can have an effect on the induced vibrations. There are probably other factors that cause and or aggravate the unwanted vibrations. As noted, the vibrations are one factor that can reduce the optimum performance of an internal combustion engine by disturbing the preferred or optimal atomization and distribution of the fuel mixture. 
     Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to minimize the effect of the ever present resonances and vibrations on the atomization, vaporization, mixing, and distribution of the fuel mixture being delivered to the cylinders of an internal combustion engine. The present invention accomplishes this objective in a proven manner. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention comprises a three piece carburetor spacer. One part of the spacer being a male member, another being a female member, and an elastomeric member. The male portion fits within the female portion leaving a space therebetween. The elastomeric member fits within the space between the male and female members and between an end of the female member and an underside of a flange of the male member. The three members comprising the spacer are held together by friction, although other methods can be used. The elastomeric member serves as a vibration and resonance isolator between the male and female portions by allowing relative movement between the male and female members. In use, the spacer is located between a carburetor and an intake manifold of an internal combustion engine; accordingly, vibrations and the resonances thereof of the engine are precluded from being induced in the intake manifold attached thereto. This in turn prevents the vaporized fuel in the fuel-oxidizer mixture from reforming as a liquid which would adversely affect complete combustion of the fuel when caused to burn in the engine&#39;s cylinders. 
     The preferred details of the disclosed embodiments and the advantages thereof are further described below and in conjunction with the attached drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following discussion taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a composite, isometric rendering of the various components of the inventive spacer in combination with a standard prior art carburetor illustrating the manner in which the components are assembled; the carburetor is shown schematically and without any normally attendant lines or connections. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of an assembled spacer illustrating a preferred embodiment of the elastomeric isolator and its position within the spacer; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial cross sectional view of another embodiment of the elastomeric isolator; 
         FIG. 4  is cross sectional view of another embodiment of the elastomeric isolator; 
         FIG. 5  is cross sectional view of another embodiment of the elastomeric isolator; and, 
         FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view of another embodiment of the inventive carburetor spacer as provided by the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting; but rather, to provide an understandable description of the invention. 
     Reference is now made to the drawings accompanying this application.  FIG. 1  is an isometric rendering of the various components which are shown in an expanded view for purposes of clarity. 
     Carburetor  9  is a typical prior art carburetor that is attachable to the inventive spacer. The inventive spacer comprises three major components, a male member  11 , a female member  12  and an isolator member  13 . The male member  11  is configured to fit within the female member  12  with a space therebetween. The space is provided to fit therein the isolator  13 . Thus, the isolator is interposed between the female member and the male member. The fitup between the three parts is a close fit such that essentially no space or gap exists between the parts when they are assembled and the members are held together by friction. 
       FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view taken along an axial center line of the assembled spacer  10 . The male member  11  includes a flange  14  at one end thereof. A hollow portion  15  depends from the flange  14 . Both the flange  14  and the depending portion  15  include an opening  16  therethrough. The opening  16  provides the flow channel for the fuel-oxidizer mixture flowing from a carburetor to an intake manifold of an internal combustion engine to which the spacer  10  is adapted to be assembled therebetween. The carburetor being sealingly attached to the upper end of flange  14 . The openings  21  in flange  14  provide for this attachment, such as by bolts and nuts. The seal between the carburetor and the flange can be effectuated by a gasket or other well known method of sealing a metal to metal joint. 
     The female member  12  includes a flange  17  and an attached extending portion  18 . The extending portion  18  of female member  12  extends upward from flange  17 . A through opening  19  is provided in flange  17  and extending portion  18 . Opening  19  is larger than the outside dimension of the depending portion  15  of the male member  11 . Thus, a space exists between the inside of the extending portion  18  and the outside of depending portion  15 . Additionally, the length of depending portion  15  is longer than the length of extending portion  18 . Flange  17  also includes openings  22  that for convenience are similarly sized and located in alignment with the openings  21  in flange  14 . Openings  22  are used to sealingly attach the spacer  10 , by the flange  17 , to the intake manifold of the internal combustion engine. Usually, the flanges  14  and  17  and the depending and extending portions of members  11  and  12  are generally square with rounded corners that coincide with the outlet of a typical carburetor. For convenience and lessening of weight, the openings  21  and  22  being in located in portions of the flanges extending outward from the corners of the square. 
     In one embodiment, the elastomeric member  13  comprises a hollow body portion  23  and a flange-like portion  24  extending outward from one end of the body portion  23 . This configuration of the elastomeric member  13  allows for the body portion  23  to fit within the space provided between the outside of depending portion  15  and the inside of the extending portion  18 ; and, and when the members  11 ,  12 , and  13  are assembled, the end of the depending portion  15  and the end of the body portion  23  of the elastomeric member  13  are aligned with the lower end of flange  17 . Further, when assembled, the upper end of extending portion  18  is in contact with the underside of the flange-like portion  24  of the elastomeric member  13  and the upper end of the flange-like portion  24  is in contact with the underside of flange  14 . In other words, the flange-like portion  24  of elastomeric member  13  is sandwiched between the upper end of extending portion  18  and an inside surface of the flange  14  of the male member  11 . Again, the close fit of the depending portion  15 , the body  23  of the elastomeric member  13 , and extending portion  18  relative to each other provides the friction that is used to keep members  11 ,  12 , and  13  assembled to each other. 
     The assembled configuration shown in  FIG. 2 , in conjunction with the rubber-like properties of the elastomeric member  13  provide the spacer  10  with flexibility allowing the flanges  14  and  17 , and therefore members  11  and  12 , to move relative to each other in any direction. In actual tests using the inventive spacer  10 , the carburetor was observed to shake randomly in all three directions due to engine vibrations and resonances, but in accordance with the flexibility of the spacer, none, or substantially none, of the shaking was transmitted to the intake manifold. 
     The inventive spacer, due to the presence of the elastomeric member  13  provides for thermal insulation between the female member  12  and the male member  11 . This feature advantageously prevents heat from the engine environment from entering the male member  11 . In turn, the avoidance of such heat transfer prevents or at least diminishes any adverse effects that might cause the vaporized fuel to revert to a liquid state Thus, the heat insulating properties of the inventive spacer  10  advantageously serves to maintain the atomization and vaporization of the fuel in the fuel-oxidizer mixture and therefore prevents a power loss that would occur without the spacer  10 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates another embodiment  20  of the elastomeric member  13  of the inventive spacer  10 . In this embodiment, another flange-like portion  25  is attached to the body portion  27 , but at the end opposite of flange-like portion  24 . Flange-like portion  25  differs from flange-like portion  24 , in that it extends inward of body portion  27  In order to accommodate the extra flange-like portion  25 , the depending portion  15  of male member  11  and the flange  17  would be configured a shown in  FIG. 4 . Such configuration would allow the lower flange-like portion  25  to also be sandwiched but between the end of depending portion  15  and the upper surface of lower flange  17 . Depending on the properties of the elastomeric material, this double flange-like configuration and sandwiching can provide for more relative movement between the upper  14  and lower  17  flanges and therefore more isolation from the adverse effects of vibrations and its harmonics. The heat insulation characteristics of the embodiments of  FIGS. 2 and 3  would be about equal. 
     Another embodiment  30  of the elastomeric member  28  is shown in cross section in  FIG. 5 . In this embodiment, the elastomeric member  28  comprises only a body  29 . With this configuration, the sandwiching features of the previous embodiments would be eliminated and would most probably result in a loss of some flexibility between the male and female members. However, a tradeoff would exist in that the embodiment of  FIG. 5  would be simpler and less expensive to make. 
     In the embodiments of  FIGS. 1-5  the length of the spacer  10  is substantially determined by the length of the depending portion  15  and the extending portion  18 , plus the thickness of the flange-like portions, if any, of the elastomeric member,  13 ,  26 , or  28 . The length being defined as the distance from the top of flange  14  to the bottom of flange  17 . 
       FIG. 6  illustrates, in cross section, another embodiment of an isolating spacer containing an elastomeric member that serves to minimize unwanted vibrations and provides heat insulation. In this embodiment  40 , the elastomeric member  41  comprises only a body  42  as per the embodiment  30  of  FIG. 5 . However, only an upper flange  14  and a lower flange  17  are used in conjunction with the elastomeric member  41 . The hollow elastomeric member  41 , is provided with a plurality of through holes  32  that are aligned with an equal number of through and aligned countersunk holes  33  and  34  in flanges  14  and  17  respectively. Bolts  35  and nuts  36  can then used to secure the elastomeric member  41  to flanges  14  and  17 . In this embodiment,  40  the through openings  37 ,  38 , and  39 , in flange  14 , elastomeric member  41 , and flange  17 , respectively, define the flow opening in the spacer embodiment of  40  of  FIG. 6 . The embodiment  40  of  FIG. 6  provides the additional advantage of being able to change the length of the spacer by simply replacing the elastomeric member  41  with an elastomeric member having a different length. 
     In all of the above embodiments, the flow opening in the spacers is not restricted to a through opening in the flanges. The upper flange  14  can be provided with any number of different flow openings and configurations as are known in the field of modern day spacers. 
     When the inventive spacer  10  is to be attached to an internal combustion engine, appropriate sealing gaskets, as are known in the prior, are used to create a leak free connection to a carburetor and an intake manifold. Such gaskets can be seen in  FIG. 1 , above and below the spacer  10 . 
     It is to be understood that the above described configuration of the inventive spacer  10  can be constructed such that the isolating elastomeric member and the flanges can be reversed end for end. Additionally, it matters not which member comprises the male member or the female member. All such variations are within the scope of the present invention. Of course, the internal configuration of the inventive spacer  10  is to be such that it conforms to the size of the openings in the carburetor and the intake manifold regardless of the exact construction used, even if the carburetor opening and the intake manifold opening are not the same size. 
     In practice, the isolating spacer serves to dampen and eliminate, or minimize the resonances and vibrations created by the engine and the engine&#39;s supporting structure. As a result, a more precise and stable fuel oxidizer mixture curve is achieved throughout the operating RPM range of the engine. In practice it is preferred that the isolator  23  is made from a polymer such as polyisoprene, although other similar materials can be used. The isolator and spacer construction perform the addition advantage of providing the fuel mixture with a heat barrier that serves to minimize changes in temperature of the fuel mixture and prevent fuel drop out as it progresses from the carburetor to the intake manifold. 
     While the invention has been described, disclosed, illustrated and shown in certain terms or certain embodiments or modifications which it has assumed in practice, the scope of the invention is not intended to be nor should it be deemed to be limited thereby and such other modifications or embodiments as may be suggested by the teachings herein are particularly reserved.