Engine mounting apparatus

An engine mounting apparatus adapted to absorb engine vibration in every direction which comprises the base frame of a vehicle, a bracket for mounting the engine on said base frame, a first bolt for fastening said bracket against said base frame, a cushion rubber disposed coaxially with said first bolt, and a second bolt having a spacer on the periphery thereof so as to provide a clearance between the bracket and the outer periphery of the spacer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to an engine mounting apparatus, and more 
particularly to an engine mounting apparatus which can absorb engine 
vibration in every direction. 
In the case where a cushionrubber is provided between an engine bracket and 
the base frame of a vehicle for absorbing engine vibration, no device for 
protecting the cushionrubber from the deflection thereof has heretofore 
been employed. 
Based upon this reason, when the vehicle is suddenly stopped or if any 
shock load is applied to the vehicle, the deflection of the cushionrubber 
tends to exceed an allowable limit, thereby reducing the durability of the 
cushionrubber and causing serious damage to the engine mounting system. 
Installing or connecting two or more mechanical parts together via 
cushionrubber is disclosed in German Pat. No. 937,134 or German Patent 
Publication No. 1,063,426. 
This prior art, however, does not disclose or relate to an apparatus for 
mounting the engine on a vehicle body. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an engine 
mounting apparatus having a safeguard for a cushionrubber of the engine 
mounting apparatus. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide an engine mounting 
apparatus with a safeguard which can prevent or absorb marked vibration so 
as to protect cushionrubber from possible damage. 
The present invention is directed to an engine mounting apparatus adapted 
to absorb engine vibration in every direction, comprising the base frame 
of a vehicle, a bracket for mounting the engine on said base frame, a 
first bolt means having a washer for fastening said bracket against said 
base frame, a first spacer disposed coaxially with said first bolt means, 
a cushion rubber disposed coaxially with said first bolt means between 
said washer and said base frame for holding said bracket, a second bolt 
means provided in spaced relation with said first bolt means, and a second 
spacer disposed coaxially with said second bolt means so as to provide a 
clearance between said bracket and outer periphery thereof. 
The clearance between the bracket and the outer periphery of the spacer is 
large enough to allow vibration of the bracket during the normal running 
condition of the engine and is also small enough to allow collision of the 
bracket against the spacer when marked vibration of the engine occurs. 
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be 
readily apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with 
the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The present invention will now be described below by way of embodiments 
with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
In the drawings, reference numeral 1 denotes an engine mounting bracket 
fixedly secured to an engine 2, numeral 3 denotes a main frame of the 
vehicle body, and 4 a rubber vibration insulator means or cushionrubber 
interposed between the engine mounting bracket 1 and the main frame 3 of 
the vehicle body. The rubber vibration insulator means 4 comprises two 
rubber components 4a and 4b which sandwich the engine mounting bracket 1 
in the vertical direction and which are rigidly secured to the main frame 
3 of the vehicle body by a fixing bolt 5 which passes through the central 
part thereof, a washer 6 and a nut 7. The rubber components 4a and 4b of 
the rubber vibration insulator means 4 are attached to the engine mounting 
bracket 1 so as to hold the latter strongly thereby holding the engine 2 
during the normal operating condition thereof. Reference numeral 9 denotes 
a spacer means rigidly adhered to the inside bores of the rubber 
components 4a and 4b. Reference numeral 10 represents a second spacer 
means located in spaced relation with the rubber vibration insulator means 
4. The second spacer means 10 comprises spacer members 10a, 10b and bolt 
11 adapted to fixedly secure the spacer members to the main frame 3 of the 
vehicle body. The second spacer means 10 is fitted on the above-mentioned 
engine bracket 1 so as to provide clearances c.sub.1 and c.sub.2 between 
the latter and itself in a direction at right angles to the axis thereof 
and in the vertical direction. The clearances c.sub.1 and c.sub.2 should 
be predetermined so as to be kept within allowable of deflection of the 
rubber vibration insulator means. Minor adjustments of the clearances 
c.sub.1 and c.sub.2 can be effected by means of a ring 12 and a shim 13 
etc. as shown in FIG. 5. Such rubber vibration insulator means 4 are 
usually to be located in three or four places. 
Thus, the vibration of the engine 2 in the vertical and horizontal 
directions in the normal operating condition thereof is absorbed or 
isolated by the rubber vibration insulator means 4, and at that time the 
engine mounting bracket 1 does not contact the second spacer means 10. 
When the vehicle is suddenly stopped or any shock load is applied to the 
vehicle tending to cause a large movement of the engine 2 in the 
horizontal or vertical direction so as to produce a large deflection of 
the rubber vibration insulator means 4, the second spacer means 10 serves 
to prevent the occurrence of such a large movement of the engine so as to 
prevent the generation of a large deflection of the rubber vibration 
insulator means 4 exceeding allowable limits. 
FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 illustrate another embodiment of the present invention 
which differs from the first embodiment in the structure of the spacer 
means. 
Stated more specifically, holes 14, 14 are formed on the opposite sides of 
an engine mounting bracket 1' carried by a rubber vibration insulator 
means 4. Projections 15a, 15a of spacer means 15, 15 fixedly secured to 
the engine mounting bracket 1' are fitted in the holes 14, 14, 
respectively. The arrangement is made such that vertical clearances 
c.sub.2, c.sub.2 are provided between the projections 15a, 15a and the 
holes 14, 14, respectively, and also clearances c.sub.1, c.sub.1 are 
provided between the both side faces of the engine mounting bracket 1' and 
the spacer means 15, 15, respectively. 
In this embodiment too, the engine vibration under the normal operating 
condition can be absorbed or insulated by the action of the rubber 
vibration insulator means 4, while when a large movement or deflection of 
the latter occurs due to a large shock load applied thereto, such movement 
can be restricted by the action of the spacer means 15, 15. 
Since various changes and modifications of the invention will occur to and 
can be made readily by those skilled in the art without departing from the 
concept of the invention, the invention is not to be taken as limited 
except by the scope of the appended claims.