Fuel injector pump for a unit fuel injector

A jerk-type fuel injector - pump unit is provided with a two-stage plunger rotatably and reciprocably journaled in the cylinders of a two-stage bushing to provide therewith a primary chamber for pumping fuel for injection and a secondary chamber for pumping fuel, with an annular fuel chamber encircling the bushing, the bushing having conventional upper and lower main fill and bypass ports in communication with the primary chamber as controlled by the first stage of the two-stage plunger with each port sequentially closable and operable by spaced helical lands on the first stage of the plunger to effect beginning and ending of injection during the pumping stroke of the plunger to discharge fuel through an outlet at the lower end of the bushing for injection into the cylinder of an engine, the bushing further having secondary port means and a lower flow control passage means, each opening at one end into said secondary chamber with flow therethrough controlled by the second stage of the plunger, the second stage of the plunger being of a larger external diameter than the diameter of the first stage and sized relative thereto so that the cross-sectional working area of the primary chamber is substantially equal to the cross-sectional working area of the secondary chamber.

This invention relates to pressure fluid injectors, and particularly to 
those of the so-called "jerk" type for the injection of liquid fuel into 
the cylinder of an internal combustion engine. In particular, this 
invention relates to a two-stage, plunger-bushing arrangement for such a 
unit fuel injector. 
It is well known that conventional jerk-type fuel injector - pump units, 
because of their mode of operation, generate noise. In such injector - 
pump units, there are two phases during the injection operating cycle of 
such a unit which relate directly to the creation of such noise, namely, 
the beginning and end of injection. Thus, noise is generated because of 
the pressure rate development within the unit injector and because of the 
high pressure release in the injector at the end of injection. 
Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide an 
improved pump arrangement for a jerk-type, fuel injector - pump unit 
whereby the force rate change of the injection period is smoothed out 
without altering the actual injection process of such a unit which 
requires immediate starting and ending of injection for proper performance 
and emission considerations. 
A further object of this invention is to provide an improved jerk-type, 
fuel injector - pump unit in which the pump portion of such a unit has 
incorporated therein a two-stage plunger whereby the plunger force is 
transferred rapidly from one stage to the other with the total plunger 
force thus smoothed out. 
A still further object of this invention is to provide a unit type fuel 
injector with an improved plunger and bushing arrangement therein 
utilizing a two-stage plunger - bushing. 
These and other objects of the invention are obtained in a unit injector of 
the type having a bushing positioned in an injector housing to form 
therewith an annular fuel supply chamber encircling the bushing 
intermediate the ends thereof and having a plunger axially and 
reciprocably positioned in the bushing for effecting a pumping stroke and 
a suction stroke, the plunger in accordance with the invention being a 
two-stage or stepped plunger with a first primary piston portion at one 
end thereof and an enlarged secondary piston next adjacent thereto, the 
stepped plunger being received in a two-stage or stepped cylinder as 
provided by a stepped bore through the bushing to form therein a primary 
chamber and a secondary chamber with the primary chamber having an outlet 
at one end of the bushing, the bushing being provided with an upper side 
port spaced from the outlet and a lower side port intermediate the upper 
side port and the outlet each opening into the primary chamber with flow 
therethrough controlled by spaced helical edges of the lands of the 
primary piston, the bushing further including in one embodiment an upper 
secondary side port and a lower secondary side port in communication with 
the secondary chamber as controlled by lands on the secondary piston 
portion of the plunger and further including a lower flow control passage 
means including bleed orifice means for the controlled discharge of fluid 
from the secondary chamber during a pumping stroke of the plunger. In an 
alternate embodiment, the lower flow control passage means is provided 
with a valve to control the discharge of fuel from the secondary chamber.

Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown a unit injector - pump assembly 
having a housing 1 in which a two-stage plunger 2, to be described in 
detail hereinafter, is rotatably and reciprocably positioned. Forming an 
extension of and threaded to the lower end of the housing 1 is a nut 3 
within which is supported a two-stage bushing 4, to be described in detail 
hereinafter, providing a pump cylinder structure for the plunger 2. An 
annular chamber or space 5 encircling the bushing 4 within the nut 3 is 
supplied with fuel via passages 6 in the housing from an external fuel 
connection 7 in a well-known manner. 
Clamped to the lower end of the bushing 4 by the nut 3 is a fuel injector 
or nozzle assembly, including a valve body comprising a spray tip 10, a 
valve spring cage 11 and a check valve cage disk or spring retainer 12. 
The spring retainer 12 has a cavity 14 facing the cylinder opening or 
outlet 15 at the lower end of the bushing 4 and, projecting centrally 
upwardly from the bottom of the cavity is a protuberance 16 which forms a 
stop for a circular flat disk check valve 17. The cavity 14 extends 
laterally beyond the extremities of the cylinder opening 15 and the lower 
end of the bushing 4 forms a seat 18 for the check valve 17 when in 
position to close the opening or outlet 15. Extending centrally through 
the protuberance 16 and into a spring chamber 20 formed within the valve 
spring cage 11 is a passage 21. The upper end of the protuberance or stop 
16 forms a seat for the check valve when in its position shown blocking 
entrance to the passage 21 from the cavity 14. 
A plurality of circumferentially spaced, inclined passages 22 are also 
provided in the spring retainer 12 to connect the cavity 14 with an 
annular groove 23 in the upper end of the valve spring cage 11, this 
groove 23 being connected with a similar annular groove 24 on the bottom 
face of the valve spring cage by a longitudinal passage 25 through the 
valve spring cage and, the lower groove 24 is, in turn, connected by one 
or more inclined passages 26 to a central passage or chamber 27 
surrounding a needle valve 30 reciprocably positioned within the spray tip 
10. At the lower end of this passage 26 is an outlet for fuel delivery in 
the form of a tapered seat 28 for the needle valve 30 below which are 
connecting spray orifices 31 in the lower end of the spray tip 10. 
The needle valve 30 is normally biased to a closed position in abutment 
against the seat 28 by a coil spring 32 positioned in the valve spring 
cage 11 with one end thereof in abutment against the spring retainer 12 
and its other end abutting against a spring seat 33 which, in turn, abuts 
against the reduced stem end of the needle valve 30 which slidably extends 
through an aperture provided for this purpose in the lower end of the 
valve spring cage 11 into the spring chamber 20. 
Other details of the upper portion of the unit fuel - pump assembly are not 
important to the present invention, and are common to the construction 
shown and described in such prior art patents as U.S. Pat. No. 2,951,643 
entitled "Fuel Injector with Pilot Injection" issued Sept. 6, 1960 to 
Royce G. Engel, Jr. and U.S. Pat. No. 2,898,051 entitled "Fluid Injection 
Device" issued Aug. 4, 1959 to Conrad A. Teichert and, hence, will not 
require further description here. For further details of the fuel injector 
or nozzle assembly, reference is made herein to U.S. Pat. No. 3,075,707 
entitled "Fuel Injector Pump with Hydraulically Controlled Injection 
Valve" issued Jan. 29, 1963 to Thomas E. Rademaker, since a more detailed 
description of the fuel injection or nozzle portion of the fuel injector - 
pump assembly need not be considered herein since the details of such a 
fuel injector or nozzle assembly form no part of the subject invention. It 
should also be realized that other forms of fuel injector or nozzle 
assemblies could readily be incorporated into such a unit injector, as 
will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 
Referring now to the subject matter of the invention, the bushing 4 is 
provided with a stepped bore therethrough to define at one end thereof, 
the lower end with reference to FIG. 1, a first or primary cylinder 40 
with the outlet 15 at one end thereof and at its other end an enlarged 
second or secondary cylinder 41 interconnected to the primary cylinder by 
a shoulder 42, whereby in effect, the bushing 4, although shown as a 
unitary structure, may be considered to be a double bushing, with each 
having a different size central aperture therethrough. 
The plunger 2, rotatably and reciprocally journaled in the bushing 4, is a 
stepped or two-stage plunger and includes a lower or primary piston 43 and 
an upper or secondary piston 44. As shown, the lower or primary piston 43 
is reciprocably journaled in the primary cylinder 40 of the bushing to 
form therewith a primary chamber or pump chamber used to effect delivery 
of fuel under pressure to the fuel injector or nozzle assembly of the unit 
injector, while the upper or secondary piston 44, which is of a 
predetermined larger diameter than the primary piston, is reciprocably 
received within the secondary cylinder to form therewith a secondary 
chamber for fuel, the upper portion of the primary piston 43 extending up 
into this secondary chamber to in part define this secondary chamber. 
Again referring to the bushing 4, it is provided with at least an upper 
side port 45 and a lower side port 46 to permit fluid communication 
between the primary cylinder 40 and the annular fuel space 5 and, in a 
preferred embodiment, it is provided, starting at the lower end relative 
to secondary cylinder 41, with a predetermined small diameter bleed 
orifice 47, a lower secondary side port 48, a predetermined large diameter 
bleed orifice 50 and an upper secondary side port 51, in predetermined 
space apart relationship to each other, for a purpose to be described, 
whereby to permit fluid communication between the secondary cylinder 41 
and the annular fuel space 5. As shown, the cylinder end of bleed orifice 
47 is located adjacent to the bottom, as defined by shoulder 42, of the 
secondary cylinder 41. 
The primary piston 43 of plunger 2 is provided with the usual spaced apart 
lower and upper lands 52 and 53, respectively, with an external annular 
main metering groove 54 therebetween, by which opening and closing of 
ports 45 and 46 in the bushing 4 are controlled, and connecting axial and 
transverse passages 55 and 56, respectively, for bypassing fuel from the 
primary cylinder 40 to the annular fuel space 5 when the groove 54 is in 
registry with one or the other of the ports 45 and 46. As is well known 
and in accordance with conventional practice, the main metering groove 54 
has that edge portion or control edge of the upper land 53 which traverses 
upper port 45 and that edge portion or control edge of the lower land 52 
which traverses the lower port 46, each inclined, as desired, helically of 
the axis of plunger 2, and the plunger is axially rotatable by means of a 
pinion 8 on the plunger and by a rack, not shown, to thereby regulate 
injection timing and to regulate the fuel charge per cycle, as desired. 
Thus, during each downward or pumping stroke of the plunger from its 
position shown (effected by means of, for example, an engine rocker, not 
shown, engaging the follower 34), fuel is initially bypassed to the fuel 
space 5 from the primary cylinder below the primary piston 43, but after 
the groove 54 is moved out of registry with the upper port 45 and the 
lower port 46 is closed by the land 52, fuel is displaced under high 
pressure through the outlet 15 until the groove 54 moves into registry 
with the lower port 46 to again bypass the fuel and end injection. 
Upon the completion of the so-called pumping stroke, the rocker arm, not 
shown, would be retracted whereby the return of the plunger 2 on its 
suction stroke to the position shown can be effected by a spring 35 which, 
as shown, may be interposed for this purpose between the housing 1 and the 
head of the follower, the plunger 2 being suitably connected to the 
follower 34, in a well-known manner, to effect this function. Such fuel 
charge delivered from the primary cylinder 40 is delivered to the 
injection or nozzle assembly of the unit for discharge in a conventional 
manner. 
The secondary piston 44 of plunger 2 is provided in the preferred 
embodiment, shown in FIG. 1, with spaced apart lower and upper lands 57 
and 58, respectively, with an external annular secondary groove 60 
therebetween, by which opening and closing of the ports 51 and 48 and the 
large bleed orifice 50 in the bushing 4 are controlled. As shown, the 
secondary groove 60 has the edge portions or control edges of the lower 
and upper lands 57 and 58, respectively, which traverse the ports 51 and 
48, respectively, and which traverse the large bleed orifice 50 inclined 
helically to the axis of the plungers. As shown, the control edge of the 
upper land 58 is shaped to conform to the control edge of the lower land 
52 of the primary piston. In a similar manner, the control edge of the 
lower land 57 of the secondary piston would be shaped to conform to the 
control edge of the upper land 53 of the primary piston but, in the 
embodiment illustrated, would be diametrically opposed to that shown for 
the upper land 53 and, accordingly, is not seen in FIG. 1. Thus, the 
helices on the secondary piston are preferably shaped to conform to those 
used in the primary stage and in registry therewith, in the manner 
described, so that the pressure switching, as disclosed in detail 
hereinafter, between stages occurs at all rack positions (load demands). 
Thus, preferably, events of the secondary stage should be timed according 
to those of the primary stage. Connecting transverse and axial passages 61 
and 62, respectively, in the secondary piston and transverse passage 63 in 
the upper end of the primary piston 43, are provided for bypassing fuel 
from the secondary chamber in the secondary cylinder 41 to the annular 
fuel space 5 when the groove 60 is in registry with one or the other of 
the ports 51 and 48 or with the large bleed orifice 50. 
It will be apparent that the longitudinal spacing of the ports 48 and 51 
and of the large bleed orifice 50 are correlated with the axial spacing of 
the lower and upper lands 57 and 58, respectively, of the secondary piston 
44 and to the axial extent of the groove 60. 
Preferably, the primary piston 43 and the secondary piston 44 have their 
outside diameters sized relative to each other so that the primary chamber 
and secondary chamber are of substantially the same cross-sectional area 
so that the volume of fuel in these chambers during the pumping stroke 
will be substantially the same, taking into consideration, of course, any 
possible leakage from these chambers in the clearance space between the 
exterior peripheral surfaces of the plunger 2 and the internal peripheral 
surfaces of the bushing 4. 
To control such leakage between chambers, there is provided an annular 
groove 64 in the wall of the primary cylinder 40 closely adjacent to the 
shoulder 42 but axially spaced therefrom, which is connected by a radial 
passage 65 to the annular fuel space 5. 
In the operation of this embodiment of FIG. 1, when the plunger 2 is at the 
top of its stroke, the position shown in FIG. 1, the upper port 45 and 
lower port 46 to primary cylinder 40 are open, permitting a charge of fuel 
to enter the primary chamber as formed in part by the primary cylinder 40. 
At the same time, the upper secondary port 51 and lower secondary port 48 
to the secondary cylinder are open, permitting fuel to enter the secondary 
chamber as formed in part by the secondary cylinder 41. Thus, both stages 
or chambers are supplied with a charge of fuel. As shown in FIG. 1, the 
small bleed orifice 47 is always open to the secondary cylinder, but the 
large bleed orifice 50 to this cylinder is closed by land 57 on the 
secondary piston at this point in operation. 
As the plunger 2 begins its travel, both secondary ports 51 and 48 are 
closed, the pressure in the secondary chamber will gradually increase, but 
this pressure is partly bled by the discharge of fuel through the small 
bleed orifice 47 into the annular fuel space 5 until the start of 
injection. As the plunger continues on its downward stroke, both the 
primary upper and lower ports 45 and 46, respectively, will close so that 
a rapid pressure rise will then occur within the primary chamber. 
Simultaneously, the large bleed orifice 50 for the secondary cylinder will 
be uncovered when the upper edge of the lower land 57 of the secondary 
piston traverses this bleed orifice thereby relieving the pressure in the 
secondary cylinder, with fuel flowing from the lower portion of this 
secondary cylinder through the passages 63, 62 and 61 out through the 
large bleed orifice 50 and, of course, fuel will also flow out through the 
always open small bleed orifice 47. Fuel will be continuously discharged 
from the primary cylinder until the lower port 46 is uncovered so that 
pressure may be relieved from this stage by the flow of oil up through the 
passages 55 and 56 for discharge out through this side port. At the same 
time, the large bleed orifice 50 is reclosed by passage of the upper land 
58 thereacross so that the pressure will then again increase within the 
secondary cylinder. As the plunger continues to the bottom of its travel 
on the pumping stroke, the pressure within the secondary cylinder acting 
on the plunger will be gradually relieved due to the controlled passage of 
fuel out through the small bleed orifice 47, which as noted previously is 
always open to the bottom of this secondary cylinder. 
Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown an alternate embodiment of a 
two-stage plunger and bushing assembly, in accordance with the invention, 
which has incorporated therein a shuttle valve to control the flow of fuel 
from the second or secondary stage of this assembly. 
The bushing 4' like the bushing 4 is provided with a stepped bore 
therethrough to define at one end thereof, the lower end with reference to 
FIG. 2, a first or primary cylinder 40' having an outlet 15' at its lower 
end and, at its other end, a second or secondary enlarged primary cylinder 
41' with a radial annular shoulder 42' therebetween. 
The plunger 2', rotatably and reciprocably journaled in the bushing 4', is 
a stepped or two-stage plunger that includes a lower or primary piston 43' 
and an upper or secondary piston 44'. 
The bushing 4' is provided with the usual upper side port 45' and lower 
side port 46' opening into the primary cylinder 40' and this bushing is 
further provided with an upper secondary side port 51' into the secondary 
cylinder 41' and, in addition, it is provided with an upper large bleed 
orifice 50' and a lower small bleed orifice 47' in fluid communication 
with a cylindrical valve chamber 70 which, in turn, is connected 
intermediate its ends by a flow control passage 71 opening into the 
secondary cylinder 41', as by extending through the shoulder 42' and, in 
addition, the cylindrical valve chamber 70 is connected at one end, the 
lower end with reference to FIG. 2, by a passage 72 to the primary 
cylinder 40' intermediate the ports 45' and 46', for a purpose to be 
described. 
Reciprocably positioned within the cylindrical valve chamber 70 is a 
shuttle valve, generally designated 73, this valve having a lower land 74 
and an upper land 75 with an external annular groove 76 therebetween, the 
lower land 74 being adapted to control the flow of fuel through the small 
bleed orifice 47', while the upper land 75 is used to control the flow of 
fuel through the upper large bleed orifice 50', with a spring 77 being 
positioned in the cylindrical valve chamber so as to normally bias the 
valve 73 toward the bottom of this chamber, with reference to FIG. 2, 
whereby the land 75 is normally positioned to block flow through the upper 
enlarged bleed orifice 50' and thereby normally place bleed orifice 47' in 
fluid communication, via passage 71, with the secondary cylinder 41'. 
The primary piston 43' of the plunger is provided with the usual spaced 
apart lower and upper lands 52' and 53', respectively, with an external 
annular metering groove 54' therebetween, by which opening and closing of 
the ports 45' and 46' in the bushing 4' are controlled, and connecting 
axial and transverse passages 55' and 56', respectively, for bypassing 
fuel from the primary cylinder 40' to the annular fuel space 5 when the 
groove 54' is in registry with one or the other of the ports 45' and 46'. 
The secondary piston 44' of the plunger is, in this alternate embodiment, 
provided with a continuous land 80 by which opening and closing of the 
upper secondary port 51' for the secondary cylinder 41' is controlled. As 
schematically shown in FIG. 2, the control edges of both the lower and 
upper lands 52' and 53', respectively, of the primary piston 43' and the 
control edge of the secondary piston 44', that is, the edge of this 
secondary piston which controls the opening and closing of port 51' are 
all shown schematically as providing constant event timing. However, it 
will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these control edges can 
be inclined helically, as desired, in accordance with the description of 
the corresponding control edges previously made in regard to the 
embodiment of FIG. 1. 
In the operation of this alternate embodiment, when the plunger 2' is at 
the top of its stroke, the position shown in FIG. 2, the primary upper and 
lower ports 45' and 46', respectively, are open permitting a charge of 
fuel to enter the primary chamber 40' and, at the same time, the upper 
secondary port 51' is uncovered allowing fuel to enter the secondary 
cylinder 41'. Since at this stage of operation the fuel in both the 
primary and secondary cylinders is at a relatively low supply pressure 
from the annular space 5, the spring 77 is operative to bias the valve 73 
to a position, the position shown in FIG. 2, whereby the small bleed 
orifice 47' is in fluid communication with the secondary cylinder 41' via 
the annular space within the chamber 70 encircling the groove 76 of the 
valve and via the passage 71. 
As the plunger 2' begins to move downward on the pumping stroke, the 
secondary upper port 51' is closed and, since the initial plunger velocity 
is low during this phase of the operation, the initial pressure build-up 
in the secondary cylinder 41' increased gradually. This pressure from the 
secondary cylinder 41' is bled through the small bleed orifice 47' until 
such time as both the upper and lower ports 45' and 46' to the primary 
cylinder 40' are closed. As this occurs, the pressure builds up rapidly 
within the primary stage, that is, in primary cylinder 40', (since plunger 
velocity at this time is near maximum), whereby this pressure acts against 
one side of the valve 73 via passage 72 to overcome the force of spring 77 
and move the valve 73 to a position at which the lower land 74 will block 
flow through the small bleed orifice 47' while the upper land 75 thereof 
is moved to a position whereby large bleed orifice 50' is uncovered so 
that the pressure (force) within the secondary cylinder 41' can be 
relieved more rapidly but at a predetermined rate depending on the size of 
the orifice 50'. As the actual injection process proceeds, the pressure 
within the primary cylinder 40' increases at a rapid rate while the 
pressure of the fuel within the secondary cylinder 41' decreases, so that 
the total force acting on the plunger by the fluid within these cylinders 
is significantly smoothed out. 
At the instant the primary lower port 46' is uncovered, the pressure within 
the primary cylinder 40' immediately drops to a minimum corresponding to 
the fuel pressure in the fuel supply annular space 5. As this occurs, the 
valve 73 will be immediately biased by the force of spring 77 to the 
bottom of the valve chamber 70, the position shown in FIG. 2, thereby 
closing the large bleed orifice 50' and reopening the small bleed orifice 
47', thus allowing the pressure within the secondary chamber 41' to 
increase at a predetermined rate since fuel is now only discharged through 
the small bleed orifice 47'. As the plunger 2' continues to the bottom of 
its pumping stroke, the pressure acting against this plunger is developed 
entirely within the secondary stage of this assembly, that is, within the 
secondary cylinder 41', and this pressure is then gradually reduced, 
somewhat proportional to the plunger velocity decline during the 
termination of the pumping stroke by the flow of fuel out through the 
small bleed orifice 47'. 
From the above description of the operation of both embodiments of the 
two-stage plunger-bushing arrangement disclosed, it will be apparent that 
the force rate changes acting on the plunger over the injection period, 
that is, during the pumping stroke of the plunger, will be smoothed out 
without altering the actual injection process of the fuel injection pump 
portion of this assembly, that is, the injection process will immediately 
start and end injection in a normal manner for proper engine performance 
and emission consideration.