Patent ID: 7775189

Claim:
A fuel system which supports operation of an engine, comprising: a carburetor having a body with a fuel and air mixing passage for supplying a fuel and air mixture to an operating engine, a float bowl carried by the body, a fuel inlet communicating with the float bowl through an inlet valve opened and closed by a float received in the float bowl and responsive to the level of liquid fuel in the float bowl to open and close the inlet valve, and a main fuel passage communicating with the float bowl and the mixing passage for supplying fuel from the float bowl to the mixing passage at least while the engine is operating; a drain unit having a variable volume fuel chamber, an actuator operable to vary the volume of the fuel chamber, and the fuel chamber communicating with the float bowl to remove from the float bowl and into the fuel chamber at least a substantial portion of the fuel in the float bowl as the actuator increases the volume of the fuel chamber, and as the actuator decreases the volume of the fuel chamber, fuel in the fuel chamber is supplied to the float bowl; a shutoff valve upstream of the inlet valve and which, when closed, prevents the flow of fuel from a fuel source to the inlet valve and float bowl and, when open, permits the flow of fuel from the source of fuel to the inlet valve; and a control operably connected with the shutoff valve and the actuator to close the shutoff valve and increase the volume of the fuel chamber to permit fuel flow from the float bowl into the fuel chamber when the engine is shut down and prior to attempted starting of the engine opening the shutoff valve and causing the actuator to decrease the volume of the fuel chamber to supply fuel from the fuel chamber to the float bowl prior to attempted starting of the engine.