Upper cylinder area lubrication system

An upper cylinder area lubrication system is disclosed that dispenses a small amount of lubricant to the upper cylinder area of an internal combustion engine at regular intervals for a metered period of time. Typically, the lubricant is dispensed for one second every thirty minutes. An electric pump is used to draw the lubricant from the reservoir and apply it, preferably through a mixing chamber in the gasoline line located just before the gasoline is applied to the firing chambers. The control of the pump is via a solid-state timing device that separately sets the alternate on periods and the off periods.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention pertains to automatically lubricating the upper cylinder 
area of an internal combustion engine. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Internal combustion engines generally are inadequately lubricated in their 
upper cylinder areas. As a result, it is well-known that the cylinders and 
other parts of an internal combustion engine have a much shorter life span 
than the parts of a diesel engine. In addition, the parts operate less 
efficiently than they would if properly lubricated. With the advent of 
non-leaded gasolines, and especially high octane non-leaded gasolines, 
that are dryer burning than leaded gasolines, this problem of inadequate 
lubrication is exacerbated. Internal combustion engines that operate with 
methane fuel are even more notoriously poorly lubricated in their upper 
cylinder areas than are gasoline internal combustion engines because of 
the extremely dry burning conditions. The problem exists with internal 
combustion engines with fuel injectors as well as those without. 
Attempts in the prior art to provide upper cylinder area lubrication 
include the system described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,115,874, which basically 
puts lubricant into the upper cylinder by drawing a vacuum on a lubricant 
reservoir and applying the lubricant through a valve in a manifold. 
Metering is provided through a "bi-metal" valve that determines the 
opening depending on the heat of the engine. The amount of lubricant 
applied is often entirely too much, however, since lubricant is constantly 
applied. As a result, the lubricant reservoir empties faster than is 
economical or practical and there is a gumming effect on the operating 
parts that are over-lubricated. 
U.S Pat. No. 2,721,545 describes another system for lubricating the upper 
cylinder area of an internal combustion engine, this system using a fine 
spray or mist head to dispense the lubricant more uniformly over the parts 
than with a delivery scheme not including such a head. The lubricant is 
constantly applied, however, as with the '874 system. There is no known 
spray head that dispenses with a fine enough spray to be both efficient 
and non-wasteful. That is, the '545 scheme also dispenses much too much 
lubricant to be commercially acceptable. 
Therefore, it is a feature of the present invention to provide an improved 
system for lubricating the upper cylinder area of an internal combustion 
engine that dispenses only the required amount of lubricant at 
intermittent intervals. 
It is another feature of the present invention to provide an improved 
system for lubricating the upper cylinder area of an internal combustion 
engine that utilizes long-acting solid state timer means. 
It is still another feature of the present invention to provide an improved 
system for lubricating the upper cylinder area of an internal combustion 
engine that utilizes a long-acting electric pump that does not impart a 
constant pressure condition on the operating engine parts, as with the 
'874 system. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The upper cylinder area lubrication system for an internal combustion 
engine in accordance with the present invention generally includes a 
conduit means, such as for example a mixing chamber where the gasoline or 
other fuel is mixed with lubricant, a lubricant supply means and timer 
means for automatically dispensing the lubricant in a predetermined 
manner. The lubricant supply means includes a reservoir for the lubricant 
and an electric pump that dispenses lubricant for typically a second or so 
when it is controlled on. More specifically, the electric pump is 
controlled on/off by timer means preferably comprising two timers, one for 
determining the duration of off periods (typically, of 30 minutes 
duration) and one for determining the duration of the on periods that 
occur between the off periods (again, typically one second periods). This 
intermittent dispensing scheme is sufficient to adequately lubricate the 
area without rapidly depleting the reservoir or creating gumming or other 
undersirable engine conditions when too much lubricant is applied. The 
parts are long-acting and do not interfere with the normal operation of 
the parts by imparting a constant pressure condition.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Now referring to the drawings and first FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of a 
fully automatic, electronic lubrication system in accordance with the 
present invention is shown in mechanical schematic representation. The 
system is designed to lubricate the upper cylinders, rings, piston chamber 
walls and valves of a gasoline or similarly fueled internal combustion 
engine every time the engine is turned on. Referring to the components 
illustrated in FIG. 1, an enclosure 1 is located underneath the hood or 
under the dashboard area of the cockpit of the vehicle serviced by the 
internal combustion engine to be lubricated and includes positive terminal 
strip 3 and negative terminal strip 7 for making electrical connections to 
the power system of the vehicle. Included in the enclosure is timing 
control 4 described more fully hereafter, that activates an electric relay 
5. An isolation switch 2 is included for disabling the entire system, if 
desired, and is located mounted to cover 17 of the enclosure. Hence, 
switch 2 provides a convenient electrical disconnect for the unit from the 
electrical system of the vehicle. 
Also included underneath the hood of the vehicle is lubricant reservoir 10 
filled with an appropriate lubricant 12 for dispensing via tubing 8 to 
electric lubricant pump 6. A filter 13 maybe included at the intake to 
tubing 8, if desired. Also, if desired, a float switch 11 may be included 
for ensuring that the electric pump is deactivated when the lubricant 
level falls below a predetermined level. Float switches are commonly 
employed in the art and their manner of operation is well known. 
Lubricant pump 6 is connected by way of tubing 9 to flow control valve 22. 
If desired, a pressure regulator 24 may be included in the tubing line 
between lubricant pump 6 and flow control valve 22. Also, a one way flow 
valve 14 may be included in this line to prevent any possible backup of 
flow to pump 6. Also, a normally closed electric flow valve 28 must be 
included to prevent vacuum pull when the system is off provided that pump 
6 is the kind that does not shut off when not in use. In such case, valve 
28 would not be required. Preferably, the solenoid coil of valve 28 is 
located in parallel across pump 6, as shown in FIG. 2 and physically the 
valve itself would be located just beneath pump 6, as shown in FIG. 1 or 
ahead of valve 22 in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. 
In FIG. 1, flow control valve, which may be a simple pitcock valve, allows 
the application of lubricant from pump 6 to enter a lubricant mixing 
chamber 15. Chamber 15 also receives the gasoline supply to the engine to 
be lubricated. Although theoretically the mixing chamber may be located 
anywhere in the gasoline supply line, it is most conveniently and 
efficiently located near the engine to be serviced. 
The system is operated or controlled by two timers, which are most 
conveniently mounted on cover 17 of the enclosure. Timer 25 includes a 
potentiometer that may be set so that each time the timer operates, the 
coil of electric relay 5 is energized. The setting for this potentiometer 
allows relay energizing periods from approximately one half (1/2) second 
to 30 seconds. Timer 26 includes a potentiometer for establishing the off 
periods that occur between the on periods set by timer 25. The 
potentiometer of this timer allows the setting of the off periods over a 
range from about 15 minutes to one hour. Normally timer 25 is set to 
provide for one second "on" operation and timer 26 is set to provide 30 
minute "off" operation, or less time if desired. In case the vehicle 
operates primarily in town, or in short time operation, the control box 
can be located near the driver so the off timer can be set to a shorter 
time (15 minutes is suggested for town driving) and then set back to 30 
minutes for highway driving. 
Also included and mounted in enclosure cover 17 are a fuse 20, a pilot 
light 27 to show the circuit is protected operational, and deactivating 
switch 2, previously described. In operation, each time the ignition 
switch is turned on to activate the engine, the system is enabled and the 
timers are started. For the duration of each off period, no lubrication is 
supplied to the engine. However, when the "off" period expires, the "on" 
period timer energizes the coil of relay 5, thereby closing its contacts 
and causing electric pump 6 to operate for a short period of time, 
typically one second. During the "on" period, electric pump 6 draws a 
measured quantity of lubricant from the reservoir and pressure pumps the 
lubricant into mixing chamber 15, located in the gasoline line as 
described above. The lubricant is mixed with the gasoline in chamber 15 
precisely in a proportionately measured amount. Thereafter, the mixture is 
injected into the firing chambers of the engine. The dispensing head which 
is connected to the output tubing from the mixing chamber can conveniently 
include atomizer spray nozzles located in tapped holes in the intake air 
manifold. If desired, as shown in FIG. 3, the output from valve 22 can be 
applied directly into the engine air filter at the carburetor of the 
engine. In this case, a mixing chamber is not used. Alternatively as shown 
in FIG. 4, the lubricant can be pumped directly from valve 22 into 
conveniently located atomizer spray nozzles located in holes in the engine 
air intake manifold without going through a mixing chamber first. This is 
particularly applicable to engines with turbo or fuel injectors. Finally, 
as shown in FIG. 5, spray nozzles can be located directly in the engine 
intake manifold. 
Now referring to FIG. 2, the wiring diagram for the vehicle upper cylinder 
area lubrication system is shown. The electrical power for the system may 
be either AC or DC. It will be seen that timing control device 4 is 
connected at terminal T3 through fuse 20, switch 2 and ignition switch 18 
to one side of the power system. The opposite side is wired directly to 
terminal T1. Terminal T2 is wired to the coil of relay 5 through float 
switch 11, which is connected back to terminal T3. The potentiometers or 
variable resistors for the timers, are also shown in the FIG. 2 diagram. 
The potentiometer for timer 25 is shown connected to terminals T6 and T7 
and the potentiometer for timer 26 is connected to terminals T4 and T10. 
The contacts for relay 5 are shown in series with electric pump 6. 
Electric pump 6 is connected directly to one side of the power wiring and 
through the switch contacts to the opposite side at the junction with fuse 
20. A pilot light 27 is connected between the same points, as shown on the 
diagram. 
A preferred timing device that includes both an "on" time delay and an 
"off" time delay is the TRS Repeat Cycle Timing Control marketed by 
Infitec Inc. of Syracuse, N.Y. This device is a fully solid state digital 
C/MO timing device and has a specification life of one hundred million 
operations minimum under full load. Although this timing means has proven 
effective, equivalent means are available. The electric pump employed as 
pump 6 can be TRW type no. 55469 or other fast response fuel pump. 
The upper cylinder area lubrication system described above results in 
reduction of friction, heat and engine wear and thus increases engine 
operating life substantially. The operation is fully automatic. The only 
operator requirement is to maintain lubricant in the reservoir. The 
reservoir does not empty dramatically when the vehicle is in operation 
however, since it is not continuously being drained, as with reservoirs in 
some prior art systems. 
The ability to adjust the time periods on and off enables a precise 
measured amount of lubricant to be pumped to the engine upper cylinder 
area to optimize the performance of the engine without fouling the spark 
plugs or adversely affecting engine operation in any way. 
While particular embodiments have been shown and described, it will be 
understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Many modifications 
may be made and will be become apparent to those skilled in the art.