Patent ID: 7717082

Claim:
A prime mover of the type used to supply power in industrial applications, the prime mover comprising: an internal combustion engine having an output shaft, the engine being cooled by engine oil supplied from an oil reservoir to the engine and circulated by an oil pump; a jack shaft mounted in a bearing assembly which allows rotational movement of the jack shaft; a sheave mounted on the jack shaft, the sheave being connected to an output shaft of the internal combustion engine by a drive belt; a housing framework which encloses the engine and supports the jack shaft bearing assembly, the housing framework including a base, a hood and a plurality of upright supports which extend upwardly from the base in the direction of the hood; and wherein one or more of the uprights is a specially designed compartment having a plurality of opposing sides which define an initially open interior space, the interior space comprising an integral oil reservoir for storing and supplying oil to the engine during normal engine operation.