US1806442A - Means for preliminarily heating internal combustion engines - Google Patents

Description

May 19, 1931. A. c. BELL ET AL MEANS FOR PRELIMINARILY HEATING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed April 26, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l M a m 4 INVENTORS a 5:22

ATTORNEY Patented May 19, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALONZO C. BELL AND THADDEUS B. BELL, OF WESTFELD, NEW JERSEY I MEANS FOR PRELIMINARILY HEATING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Application filed April 26,

The invention relates to the warming of internal combustion engines, more especially preliminarily to their starting so as to facilitate this operation-by not only rendering less '5 viscous the lubricating oil contained in the cranckcase andlubricating chamber of the engine, but also securing the heating of the engine parts themselves. It will be appreciated that, due to low atmospheric temperature conditions, the lubricant of an internal combustion enginefrequently thickens to such an extent that when it is desired to start the engine this becomes a difficult matter and places an undue drag upon the battery, the

charge of which thereby becomes seriously depleted.

The invention has for its object to aiiord simple and effective means whereby this vis- .cous condition of the lubricant is quickly overcome so that the oil may properly be distributed and faulty lubrication obviatedtas well as ready starting of the engine attained; also, to provide a device of this character which may be readily applied or attached to existingengines and will involve no structural change in the engine other than, in certain embodiments, an opening in the crankcase.

, We are aware that various expedients have been resorted to in an attempt to secure this result. For example, it has been proposed to totally immerse in oil of the crankcase of the engine or in the lubricant chamber thereof, an electric heating element to which power is supplied either externally or from the battery associated with said engine. It has been proposed, also, to circulate exhaust gases from the engine through the crankcase, but, aside from the objection of having free exhaust .gas in the crankcase, this arrangement will be of no avail, of course, in the starting of a cold engine.

To overcome these objectionable features, the present invention contemplates the provision, at the crankcase of an internal combustion en ine such as is utilized in propelling vehicles, airplanes and the like, of an electric heating unit having means adapted to afiord a circulation of heated air therein, whereby not only are the cylinders of the said engine and other parts thereof readily heated, but

1929. Serial No. 358,207.

the oil of said crankcase is quickly brought to a. suitable fluid condition so that all stiffness in starting of the engine is overcome. The arrangement admits, furthermore, of obtaining a rapid heating by providing for the regeneration or reheating of the air as in recirculating the same through the heating unit by means of said circulation producing means.

The nature of the invention, however, will best be understood when described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a motor vehicle engine of the internal combustion type with the novel heating arrangement shown installed thereon, portions of the crankcasing being broken away to disclose the interior and portions of the engine cylinders.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the novel heating attachment.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 33, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail longitudinal section through the heating unit and fan, with motor in elevation; and Fig. 5 is a transverse section thereof taken on the line 55, Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates an internal'combustion engine having the base or crankcase 11 with usual breather pipe 12 projecting therefrom, and lubricant chamber 1 3., In accordance with'the invention, pro vision is made for supplying heated air into the said crankcase 11 over the oil reservoir 13 and beneath the cylinders 14. of said engine 7 so that at lower temperatures the enginemay more readily be started by renderingdess viscous the lubricating oil contained in the chamber 13 and applied at the various engine parts.

This may conveniently be effected by intro: ducing the heated air into the breather'pipe 12; and to this end, there may be arranged, for example, as in being secured to the crankcase,'a novel heating arrangement forte'mporarily heating and directing air into said crankcase preliminarily to starting of the engine.

Thus, a centrifugal blower 16, driven by an electric motor 17 may be assof ciated with or attached to the crankcase and the air delivered by said. blower directed through a pipe 18 in which is mounted a heating coil 19. The motor and the coil are adapted for temporary connection for operation to a suitable source of electricity, preferably external of said engine, as by means of leads 20 and 21 having the usual plug and socket connections. The outer end of the ipe 18, moreover, is provided with a swivelled outlet 22 which may be swung over the breather pipe so that the airy heated in passing over the coil 19 is directed into said crankcase and affords the necessary temperature'for rendering the oil therein less viscous, the air also rising upwardly into the cylinders for loosening the engine parts.

It is preferred, inorder to more quickly bring the engine to a proper working temperature, to re-circulate the heated air-and reheat the same, for example, by having the inlet duct 23 of the fan connected to a difler- I out part of the crankcase as at the end opposite the breather pipe, for example at the point 24, so that the air delivered through the breather pipe will be drawn through the crankcase and duct 23 for reheating by coil 19 and thus ra idly build up to a substantial temperature. 11 order to avoid any danger of exploding a possible combustible mixture from the crankcase, the heating coil 19, which includes a resistance wire wound over a porcelain core 25, is encased in a sealed tube 26 provided with radiating fins 27 over which the air is directed by the fan.

By the foregoing arrangement, it will be appreciated that air may rapidly be brought to the desired temperature and applied to the engine for rendering the lubricating oil thereof sufliciently liquid to permit ready starting of said engine, whereupon the leads 20 and 21 are disconnected. It will be appreciated thus that merely by plugging in, for example, from an external source of electricity, the engine can quickly be brought to proper condition for starting and without requiring any material structural changes in the engine.

We claim:

1. In an internal combustion engine having a crankcase associated therewith, and breather pipe opening thereinto: heating means for the engine adapted to be installed at the crankcase and comprising an electric heating unit, an electrically driven fan associated therewith to direct air over the heat ing unit into the outer end of the breather pipe, and means for connecting the heating unit and fan to a' source of electricity.

2. In an internal combustion engine having' a crankcase associated therewith, and breather pipe opening thereinto: heating means for the engine adapted to be installed at the crankcase and comprising an electric heating unit, a tube mounted thereover having a swivelled end adapted to fit over the outer end of the breather pipe, an electrically driven fan associated with the heating unit to direct air thereover and through said tube, and means for connecting the heating unit and fan to a source of electricity.

"'3. In an internal combustion engine having a crankcase associated therewith, and breather pipe opening thereinto: heating means for the engine adapted to be installed at the crankcase and comprising an electric heating unit, a tube mounted thereover having a swivelled end adapted to fit over the outer end of the breather pipe, an electrically driven fan associated with the heating imit t direct air thereover and through said tube, the intake to said fan being connected to the crankcase for returning air to the fan for reheating of the same, and means for connecting-the heating unit and fan to a source of electricity.

4. In an internal combustion engine provided with a crank case having an opening therein, a. conduit secured to and communicating with said opening, means for forcing a circulation of hot air through said conduit and opening into said crank case above the level of the oil therein to initially force cold air from the crank case and to heat the interior thereof and the operating mechanism therein.

5. In an internal combustion engine provided with a crank case having an opening therein, a conduit secured to and communicating with said opening I an electrical heating unit within said con' 'uit", an electricallydriven fan for forcing air over said heating unit and through said conduit which opens 'into said crank case above the level of the oil therein to initially force cold air from the crank case and to heat the interior thereof and the operating mechanism therein.

6. In an internal combustion engine provided with a crank case having an opening therein, a conduit secured to andoommunicating with said opening, an electrical heating unit within said conduit, an electricallydriven fanv for forcing air over said heating unit and through said conduit which opens into said crank case above the level of the oil therein to initially force cold air from the crank case and to heat the interior thereof and the operating mechanism therein, the intake to said fan being connected to the crank case for returning air to the fan for reheating of the same.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

ALONZO C. BELL. THADDEUS R. BELL.

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