Patent GB-418709-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in fuel feed arrangements for internal combustion engines
IPC: B64D37/20
Filed: 1933-11-24
Abstract: 418,709. Fuel and lubricating-oil feeding-systems; valves. COADOU, M., MANCIER, P., and HODEBERT, A., 20, Avenue de Versailles, Paris. Nov. 24, 1933, Nos. 32965 and 32966. Convention dates, Dec. 8, 1932 and May 23, 1933. [Class 7 (iii).] To prevent danger of fire in the event of a fracture in the fuel pipe system of an internalcombustion engine, obturator elements are spaced apart in the pipe line and are closed automatically when the pressure in the pipe line falls. The obturator elements may be provided with an overriding manual control. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 liquid fuel passes from a reservoir a through a pipe a<1> into an obturator d<1>, and through a pipe c to an obturator e<1> connected by a pipe q to a carburetter b. The pressure in the pipe c is indicated by a manometer h, and a reserve fuel tank j may be connected to the pipe q through a tap k. The fuel passes through a filter 42 into a chamber 43 in the obturator d<1> and through an orifice 44 into a chamber 40 which communicates with the conduit c through a passage 47 which is of larger cross section than the inlet 44. Normally, the chamber 40 is full of fuel which supports a float 46 that holds open a needle valve 45 co-operating with the orifice 44. If the pipe c breaks, the chamber 40 empties rapidly and the valve 45 automatically closes the orifice 44 to prevent the reservoir a emptying. The valve 45 may be held on its seat by a lever 121 actuated by a remote control cable o<2>. To refill the chamber 40, a lever 53 is depressed by a cable o<3> to engage the top of a rod 48 and open the valve 45. The obturator el is formed by a flexible membrane 60, Fig. 4, or by a rigid plate or piston the edge of which carries a deformable part housed in a casing 61, and subjected on one side through a pipe 62, to the pressure of the fuel in the pipe c, and on the other side to the pressure of a spring 63. If the pipe c breaks, the spring 63 forces a valve 64 on to a seat 65 to close the pipe c. A positive manual control o<1> is also provided to close the valve 64 when desired. In a modified construction, the carburetter is supplied by a plurality of pipe lines in parallel, each being of sufficient capacity to supply the engine, and the obturator elements allow any conduit to be isolated, the supply being continued by the other conduit or conduits. The conduits may be arranged coaxially. The pipe a<1>delivers fuel past a filter into a chamber from which it is fed past two float-controlled valves provided with auxiliary hand controls similar to those shown in Fig. 2 into two separate conduits c<1>, c<2> Fig. 8 that supply the carburetter, a baffle being provided at the inlet to the chamber to avoid the formation of eddies. To refill the float chambers, the valves are opened by a hand operated lever which may follow the movements of the floats and if one pipe breaks, the resultant closing of the corresponding float valve causes the lever to maintain the other valve open. The pressure in the pipes c<1>, c<2> is transmitted through pipes 62 Fig. 8 to opposite sides of an elastic membrane 60 which controls valves 64 in passages 70 connecting the conduits c<1> c' to the conduit q. If the pressure in one pipe fails the membrane 60 is deformed and closes the corresponding valve 64. In modified constructions, (1) an obturator is provided at the bottom of the reservoir a and delivers fuel through a filter into a chamber from which it is fed past two float-controlled valves into two separate conduits and valvecontrolled bye-passes enable the float chambers to be filled when empty. The float chambers may be provided with tubes open to the atmosphere, the tubes being closed by non- return valves during inverted flight to prevent escape of fuel. The tubes are sufficiently high to balance the pressure in the float chamber, (2) the pipe a<1> Fig. 11 feeds a chamber 39<3> which communicates through orifices 44<1> with chambers 40 feeding pipes c<1>, c<2>. The orifices 44<1> are controlled by valves 45 mounted on a rocker 79 and each valve rests freely on a float 46<1>. If one of the pipes c<1>, c<2> breaks, the chamber 40 empties and the corresponding valve 44<1> is seated. Each float may carry a needle valve 80 to close the chambers 40 when empty and hand operated taps d<6>, d' may be provided to close the pipes c<1>, c<2> positively when desired. The rocker 79 may be lowered by a control o<3> to force the valves 45<1> on to their seats and cut off the fuel supply. To prevent the valves 80 closing during inverted flight and cutting off the fuel supply, abutments 82 are placed in the path of the floats by an external control 83, or the valves 45<1> are connected to the rods of the floats 46<1> by sliding joints to prevent the floats from separating from the valves sufficiently to enable the valves 80 to close the conduits c<1>, c<2> and (3) the fuel passes from the conduit c into a float chamber 84 Fig. 12 ; it then traverses an orifice 85 controlled by the float valve 86 and issues past a non return valve 89 into the pipe q. When the pipe c is broken, the chamber 84 empties and the float applies the valve 86 to its seat. A pile of washers 91 limits the downward movement of the valve 86. During inverted flight, the pilot opens a byepass valve 73 to allow fuel to pass through the condut 72. Hand operated means may be provided to hold the valve 86 on its seat. The Specification as open to inspection under Sect. 91, states that the obturator elements may be included in lubricating-oil circuits and that the obturators may be operated by springs co-operating with fusible elements or releases for extinguishers near the parts which in the case of fire are most exposed to heat. This subject-matter does not appear in the Specification as accepted.