Intake air booster for an internal combustion engine

An intake air booster for boosting air flow in an internal combustion engine or the like which includes a first air passageway communicating directly with an engine intake manifold having a plurality of interleaved rotating and stationary blades, the rotating blades forming a second internal passageway, the stationary blade providing an outer housing, so that air passing through this first passageway will be stirred by virtue of the interaction against these blades; the second air passageway formed by an internal band contained on the rotating blades includes caps on bottom and top portions of the passageway provided with a plurality of inlets and outlets and a source of compressed air adapted to engage the cap and by so doing providing additional air through the air passageway while simultaneously increasing the rotation of the rotary blades in the first air passageway, the source of compressed air including a reservoir and appropriate valving and sensing means which selectively engage the compressed air for the additional throughflow. In this manner, beneficial air can be combined with an increased fuel delivery for more efficient combustion and power.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The following invention relates generally to systems for increasing the 
intake air by providing a booster. 
Internal combustion engines, especially those used in fuel injection 
systems in which the fuel is delivered directly into the combustion 
chamber or alternatively into an intake manifold in close proximity to the 
combustion area, are limited in the capacity to produce more power 
primarily by an upper limit on the amount of air and therefore oxygen 
capable of being delivered into the intake manifold so as to maintain the 
stoichiometric fuel ratio, a design ideal. In fact, the intake manifold 
and the air cleaner geometry on current cars is such that, given a fuel 
injection system, it is extremely difficult to induce the requisite amount 
of air and therefore oxygen in such a manner that it will keep pace with 
the engine's ability to deliver fuel upon demand, thereby resulting in a 
restriction in the engine's performance as far as power output in relation 
to its size while simultaneously increasing telltale amounts of nburned 
fuel in the exhaust system. 
Historically, the quest in engine performance and emissions control has 
alway been to provide maximum atomization of the gasoline or fuel combined 
with an adequate air charge, to dispose same into a combustion chamber 
suitably formed to minimize quench area in the combustion chamber and to 
promote a beneficial flame pattern upon ignition. 
The following patents reflect the state of the art of which applicant is 
aware in so far as these patents appear to be germane to the patent 
process. 
______________________________________ 
3,007,626 Simpson 3,849,086 Johnson 
3,020,901 Cook 4,243,010 Zopfi 
______________________________________ 
Of these, the patent to Johnson teaches the use of supercharger for an 
internal combustion engine which is carbureted in which the dynamic 
supercharging produced is self generated as cylinder charging pressures 
are created by the vortex motion of the moving gases. This device may be 
more properly regarded as a baffle chamber since the vortexing gases 
within passageways are introduced into a large chamber creating additional 
vortex resulting in air and gas mixing within the combustion chamber. 
The patent to Simpson teaches the use of three possible modes for 
supercharging and associated compressor units so as to compensate for 
variations in atmospheric pressure and the like. In various forms, the 
receiver 16 is called upon to deliver pressurized air into the air box of 
the engine based upon criteria relating to atmospheric pressure and the 
like sensed in valving. 
Cook teaches the use of a supercharger for an internal combustion engine in 
which a compressor has a conduit extending to the intake manifold and also 
a branch network having appropriate valving for accommodating an air 
reservoir, and is mainly concerned with the sensing means for determining 
when to deploy the additional air charge contained within the reservoir. 
The patent to Zopfi teaches the use of a fixed baffle air fuel mixture 
routing box in which air from a conventional carburetor butterfly is mixed 
with fuel and diverted into a compressor before admission into the intake 
manifold of an engine, and a spring biased pressure relief valve limits 
the pressure of the air fuel mixture fed to the engine. In this manner, 
the compressor must be designed to accommodate the solvent nature of the 
fuel and may provide problems in the longevity of the compressor device by 
stripping it of the lubrication necessary to provide maintenance free 
service. 
By way of contrast, the instant application is directed to and claims an 
intake air booster for increasing air flow into an internal combustion 
engine or the like which includes a first air passageway communicating 
with an engine's intake manifold that is provided with means for altering 
the air flow rate in the passageway at all times without requiring a 
concomitant loss in engine power by providing a power takeoff or the like 
to run the compressor. Accordingly, when in this phase the engine runs 
more efficiently by virtue of the first air passageway. In addition 
however, a second air passageway is provided which communicates with the 
intake manifold as well in which the second passageway is powered by a 
compressor having an air storage facility sensitive to certain stimuli 
such as acceleration, certain criteria in exhaust gas, and associated 
drops in intake manifold pressure so that when energized the second air 
passageway not only provides a greater air input, but also induces the 
first air passageway to work more efficiently in providing a greater air 
charge. 
The prior art devices that are turbo or directly driven superchargers, 
depend upon the amount of their output by prior acceleration of the engine 
i.e. for the supercharger to produce a greater flow of air, the engine 
must first accelerate, thereby driving the superchargers impellers faster 
and consequently increasing the capacity. 
Accordingly, there is a time lag in which the supercharger is not 
effective, particularly at low speeds. Clearly, if a desired increase in 
air delivery is predicated on a process of getting the engine to run 
faster, that effect is hampered by the fact that the engine cannot 
accelerate efficiently without the additional air to begin with. By way of 
contrast, the storage facility and associated structure according to the 
instant application along with a new and novel air introduction device 
considerably shortens the response time for providing the needed air 
during increased fuel throughput thereby providing more rapid 
acceleration, a desired phenomena for example when passing or going up 
steep grades. 
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, this invention has as an object to provide the engine with an 
increased amount of oxygen by increasing the amount of air available to 
the intake manifold as a function of sensors in compliment with the 
engine. 
It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a device of the 
character described above which is sensitive to a drop in intake manifold 
pressure. 
It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a device of the 
character described above which is responsive to a sensed increase in fuel 
throughput. 
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a device of the 
character described above which is sensitive to monitoring devices 
contained within the exhaust chamber of an automobile indicating 
excessively rich mixtures. 
A further object of this invention is to provide a device of the character 
described above which is extremely durable in construction, safe to use, 
and relatively easy to install. 
It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a device of the 
character described above which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, 
and lends itself to mass production techniques. 
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a device which 
provides beneficial oxygen to the engine during critical moments such as 
acceleration or changing altitudes or the like to increase safety factors. 
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a device of the 
character described above in which the density of the air is increased so 
as to provide an oxygen enriched charge of air into the engine. 
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a device of the 
character described above in which the enriched air is in storage and 
available at an instant's notice; that when the demand does not exist, the 
hardware associated with the apparatus according to the instant 
application is allowed to idle and to provide no objectionable drain on 
the engine's reserve by virtue of other design considerations according to 
the apparatus set forth hereinafter. 
More specifically, this invention has other related objects which will be 
made manifest when considering the following detailed specification taken 
in conjunction with the appended drawing figures in which there has been 
provided an intake air booster for increasing air flow to an internal 
combustion engine in which a first air passageway communicates with the 
engine's intake manifold and stirs the air available therein, which 
includes a first passageway having a means for increasing the air flow, a 
second air passageway having a means for simultaneously and selectively 
increasing the air flow rate in both the first and second passageways, a 
compressed air means operatively providing air to the second means for 
simultaneously and selectively increasing the air flow rate, sensing means 
for actuating said compressed air means, impeller means disposed on said 
second air passageway to improve the air throughflow and simultaneously to 
accelerate air through the first air passageway which has rotary and 
stationary vane means disposed therein, in which the entire apparatus is 
provided with fastening means and suitably dimensioned to be accommodated 
in a relatively small space available in most vehicle engines 
compartments, the device lending itself to ready installation with current 
engine design.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring to the drawings now wherein like reference numerals refer to like 
parts throughout the various drawing figures, reference numeral 10 is 
directed to the intake air booster according to the present invention. 
The booster 10 includes a housing 4 of substantially cylindrical 
configuration formed from plural sections 1, 2 and 3 etc. respectively 
being merely illustrative of a means for ganging together or stacking the 
device to accommodate various engine requirements, in which each section 
1, 2, 3, includes a rotary vane 5 and a stationary vane 6. The stationary 
vane 6 is formed integrally with the housing 4, and the vane 6 is defined 
by a plurality of radially inwardly extending vanes all of equal length 
terminating on an annular inner sleeve 50. The rotary vane 5 extends 
substantially to the inner face of the housing 4 and emanates at oblique 
angles from a central band 26 of substantially annular configuration a 
portion of which resides within sleeve 50, the axial length of the central 
band and each housing section being of substantially of the same dimension 
so that whereas the stationary vane has a housing portion within which the 
rotary vane rides, the rotary vane has a band portion to which the 
stationary vanes are adjacent. 
A plurality of central bands 26 which when stacked one upon the other form 
an internal core which defines a second air passageway 28 to be described 
hereinafter, and plural such housings, bands, etc. are provided with 
nesting means which allow the plural sections to be stacked. The first air 
passageway 27 defines an concentric annular space around the second air 
passageway 28, so that normal ambient air when introduced into the first 
air passageway will encounter the rotary vanes 5, and by the air reacting 
against the stationary vanes 6 a compressive effect is experienced, such 
that a certain amount of air is delivered to the intake manifold M 
disposed below the housing. 
The second air passageway 28 is provided with upper and lower caps 8 and 9 
respectively each of which serves as impeller means in an manner now to be 
defined. The upper cap 8 includes a plurality of apertures 11 extending 
from the top surface 8a through the bottom surface 8b in an oblique manner 
so that air impinging from an upper area downwardly will cause a rotation 
of the cap. Similarly, the lower cap 9 has further apertures 11 similarly 
dimensioned for the same effect. The caps are each frictionally engaged 
with respective band portions so that increased rotation of the caps 
necessitates a corresponding increased motion of the rotary vanes 5. 
Centrally disposed shaft 7 extends through the second air passageway 28 and 
the caps 8, 9, the shaft 7 having extremities with two threaded area 7a 
and 7b. The innermost threaded portions 7b extend just above and below the 
caps 8 and 9 when in an assembled condition so that a fastening means such 
as a nut can be threaded thereon to retain the housing in a fixed manner. 
In addition, nesting means are provided along all abutting surfaces, the 
lower cap 9 serving as an example wherein a shelf 9a registers with a 
depending lip 31 from the lowermost portion of a band 26. By virtue of 
this tight machine fit, a reliable driving engagement between the caps 8, 
9 and the band 26 is assured. Unwanted displacement of the housing and 
caps is also assured by means of stepped portions 7c of the shaft 7 as 
best seen in FIG. 1. 
FIG. 1 also reveals an upper carrier frame 12, and lower carrier frame 13 
which are adapted to overlie top and bottom edges 32 of the housing 4 as 
shown in FIG. 2, so that the first air passageway is not occluded. 
Specifically, each carrier frame includes an annular rib 12a having on a 
face proximate to the housing a groove 33 dimensioned to accommodate the 
edge 32 of the housing, and a plurality of radially outwardly extending 
eyelets 12b, 13b, adapted to receive and engage elongate bolts B for 
further support. Webbing 12c, 13c, extends radially inward from the 
annular rib 12a, 13a terminating in a carrier sleeve 12d, 13d, of 
cylindrical configuration, adapted to overlie and provide a container for 
the upper and lower caps 8, 9 respectively. The top area of the carrier 
sleeve is covered by means of an injector plate and nozzle support 14 on 
the upper portion thereof and a lower injector plate 15, both of which are 
stationary and fastened by means of nuts which threadedly engage the 
outermost threaded termini 7a of the shaft. 
The injector plate and nozzle support 14 includes a plurality of nozzles 30 
extending through the plate adapted to cause air to impinge upon the cap 
apertures 11. Thus, air extending through the nozzle 30 from a storage 
tank 21 through a manifold 55 will cause increased rotation of the rotary 
vane 5, and a throughput of air into the second air passageway 28. Note 
the nesting means 40, 41 on the upper and lower plates, which similarly 
frictionally engage the carrier sleeve 12d, 13d as was discussed in the 
nesting supra. 
FIG. 4 teaches the use of a second embodiment for the impeller 8, the 
second embodiment 8' having a top surface 8a', a bottom surface 8b' and 
plural apertures 11' which bow in such a way as to define an axis of 
symmetry beween the top and bottom surfaces, that is the apertures 11' 
form concave air foil type shapes when taken in section. In this 
embodiment, the impellers of 8' are disposed within the top and bottom 
bands 26. The lower impeller 9' can be frictionally fit as impeller 9 and 
has a portion underlying the lowermost stationary vane 6. A further nozzle 
30 extending through housing 4 and adjacent the vane 6 discharges air on 
the aperture 11' as shown. 
FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a preferred environment for the 
intake air booster 10 according to the present invention in which the 
booster is operatively connected to a storage tank 21, and interposed 
therebetween, a valve 22 is selectively openable by any of a plurality of 
sensing means. Three such sensing means may be the manifold pressure drop 
23 indicated by a diaphragm type switch located within the manifold M 
proper and capable of sending a signal to the valve 22: a sensor 24 
indicative of throttle depression signaling the introduction of a larger 
fuel charge within the intake manifold and thence the combustion chamber; 
or an exhaust gas analyzer 25 in the exhaust manifold which senses an 
unduly rich mixture of unburned gasoline or fuel. 
The storage tank 21 is filled by means of a pump 16 having interposed 
therebetween a check valve 20 to allow only the unidirectional flow of 
compressed air from the pump to the storage tank 21. 
It is contemplated that pump can be driven by a number of means, 
schematically depicted are a belt drive off of an engine component, the 
belt 17 preferably connected to the crankshaft near the traditional timing 
cover, a source of electro motive force such as a battery 18, or may be 
energized by exhaust gases similar to a turbo charger 19. 
In use and operation therefore it should be appreciated in the normal 
course of events, such as highway cruising speed, the first air passage 27 
is more than adequate to provide a turbulent throughput of air than the 
prior art devices. Should acceleration take place, the reservoir having 
been charged will provide an air pulse into the secondary air passage 28 
through the cap 8 and nozzle 30 thereby rotating the vanes 5 as described 
hereinabove and further inducing a larger amount of air into the intake 
manifold. 
Moreover, having thus described the invention, it should be apparent that 
numerous structural modifications are contemplated as being a part of this 
invention as set forth hereinabove and defined hereinbelow by the claims.