US3400695A - Internal combustion engine and cylinder block - Google Patents

Description

Sept 10, 1968 ZARUBA 3,400,695

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE AND CYLINDER BLOCK Filed June 1, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 67 i-l 17 Z az g;

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Karl Zaraba g I 1 BY 9 mug 46M K. ZARUBA Sept. 10, 1968 INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE AND CYLINDER BLOCK Filed June 1, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mvsmoa 62w! Zarabw ATTORNEY United States Patent r 3,400,695 INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE AND CYLINDER BLOCK KarlZaruba, Detroit, Mich., assignor to General Motors 7 Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 1, 1966, Ser. No. 554,450 11 Claims. (Cl. 12341.8 2)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE preferred embodiment comprises a V-type engine having a unitary cast cylinder block including a pair of longitudinal walls extending vertically upwardly from the inner edges of the cylinder banks and cooperating therewith to form an enclosed air compartment containingthe charging air blowers. The outer faces of the upwardly extending walls include integrally formed camshaft supports mounting the engine valve gear as well as generally vertical coolant passages arranged to receive coolant from the cylinder heads and discharge it to return manifolds carried by the block. Individual cylindrical cylinder heads and valve gear are enclosed by covers giving the upper portion of the engine a clean appearance without exposed blowers or valve gear.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines and to a cylinder block construction for such engines.

In its more particular aspects, the invention provides a cylinder block construction and an improved cylinder block and component assembly for a two-cycle diesel en- ;gine-having air supply blowers and overhead camshafts.

cured in the block immediately above each liner.

7 A unique feature of the block construction is the provision of longitudinal walls extending upwardly from the opposite inner edges of the cylinder banks and cooperating with the banks to form an enclosed inlet air compartment within which the charging air blowers are mounted. On the outboard face of the longitudinal walls, overhead camshaft supports are integrally formed which carry camshafts retained by bearing caps. The bearing caps in turn support rocker arms for actuating the valves in the cylinder heads. Provision is made in the block for the connection of the inlet air chamber with a plurality of ports surrounding each liner intermediate its ends to provide for the admission of charging and scavenging air to the cylinders.

Cooling of the cylinder liners and cylinder heads is provided by novel jacketing and connecting passages through the cylinder block and the individual cylinder heads. The cylinder block jacket includes upper and lower portions surrounding respectively the portions of the cylinder liners above and below the air inlet ports and provides for adequately cooling these portions of the cylinder liners. The central portions of the liners are cooled by the fiow of charging air into the ports. From the upper cylinder jacket portion, passages direct coolant through a plurality of annularly spaced openings around the lower walls of the cylinder heads and into jackets therein.

3,400,695 Patented Sept. 10, 1968 Coolant passes from the cylinder heads through connecting members to passages formed in the opposed longitudinal walls which carry the coolant vertically upwardly to the upper surfaces of the walls on which are mounted coolant return manifolds to return the coolant to the heat exchanger or other component of the cooling system.

These and other novel features of the invention may be more clearly seen by reference to the following description of a preferred embodiment having reference to the drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional view of a two-cycle diesel engine constructed according to the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the engine viewed in the direction of the arrows 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken generally in the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken generally in the plane of line 44 of FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, numeral 10 generally indicates an internal combustion engine having a cylinder block 12 preferably formed as a unitary casting and having a pair of angularly disposed banks 13 and 14 arranged generally in a V. Within each of the banks are provided longitudinally spaced bores 16 in which are received a plurality of removable cylinder liners 17, each having a pluaralily of air inlet ports 18 intermediate their ends.

Adjacent the upper ends of each of the cylinder liners a cylindrical recess 20 is provided in the cylinder block, each recess having a radially extending annular surface 22 formed outwardly of the upper end of the associated cylinder liner. Within each recess 20 is secured a pottype cylinder head 23 of generally cylindrical configuration. Each cylinder head includes a lower wall 24 which sealingly engages the upper end of is associated cylinder liner and extends opposite to the surrounding annular surface 22 for purposes to be subsequently described.

Each cylinder head further carries a centrally-mounted fuel injector 26 which mounts on the upper portion of the cylinder head and extends through the lower wall 24 to provide for the admission of fuel to the engine cylinders. Exhaust passages 27 are provided Within the cylinder head which terminate at the cylinder head lower wall in a plurality of port openings controlled by poppet valves 28. The exhaust passages extend outwardly and connect with intermediate exhaust ports 30 provided along the outer sides of each bank which in turn connect to exhaust manifolds 32 secured to the sides of the cylinder block.

The lower portion 33 of the cylinder block provides the usual crankcase closed by an oil pan 34 and carrying a rotatable crankshaft 36 supported by a plurality of bearing caps 37 bolted to the block in a conventional manner. The crankshaft carries eccentrically pairs of connecting rods 38 which connect with pistons 40 reciprocably carried in the various cylinder liners 17.

A particularly unique portion of the cylinder block structure is the provision of a pair of opposed longitudinal walls 42 which extend upwardly from the opposed inner edges of the cylinder banks 13 and 14. The longitudinal walls 42, in addition to strengthening the cylinder block construction, serve a number of additional purposes as will be subsequently discussed.

The upwardly extending walls 42 cooperate with the inner surfaces of the banks 13 and 14 to form an inlet chamber or air box 43 for the engine. The air box extends outwardly into the central portions of the cylinder banks so as to surround the liners 17 at the location of inlet ports 18 in order to provide for the admission of charging air to the cylinders.

Within the upper portion of the air box, a pair of 3 roots-type blowers 44 are mounted between longitudinal walls 42, the blowers being seated on supports 46 extending into the air box from the adjacent cylinder bank walls. While only one of the blowers is shown in FIG- URE 1 of the drawings, it is to be understood that a second blower is mounted in an end-to-end relationship therewith; however, it is within the scope of the invention to utilize a single blower or any desired number mounted within the air chamber.

The blower includes an upwarly facing air inlet opening 47 and a downwardly facing discharge opening 48 which opens into the air chamber 43. A closure plate 50 extends between the walls 42 enclosing air chamber 43 and includes inlet openings 52 for passing air from inlet fittings 53 to the blower inlet 47. The inlet fittings 53 are secured to the upper portion of the associated blower, sealingly clamping the closure plate 50 therebetween to prevent the leakage of air into the system other than through the inlet fittings.

The mounting of the blowers within the air chamber gives a clean appearance to the engine and prevents the accumulation of dirt around the blower mounting, aiding cleanliness when maintenance of the blower or engine components is required. Additionally, the enclosing of the volume surrounding the blower itself increases the air box volume from that which would otherwise be obtained and thereby reduces pressure pulsations caused by the blower input to the chamber and the intermittent escape of air to the various engine cylinders.

Cooling of the engine cylinders and cylinder heads is obtained by appropriate jacketing throughout the engine. A coolant jacket is provided in the cylinder block which includes upper and lower portions 54 and 56 respectively. The lower portion 56 has an inlet 57 opening through a side wall of the block for the admission of coolant thereto from an externally mounted source of supply. Jacket portion 56 surrounds the lower portions of the cylinder liners 17 and includes inner cylindrical walls 58 which separate the body of coolant from the lower liner walls thereby reducing the cooling effect in this area.

A plurality of passages 60 cast into the block connect lower jacket portion 56 with the upper jacket portion 54 to carry the coolant thereto. Jacket portion 54 surrounds the upper portions of the liners above inlet ports 18 and is open to the outer surfaces of the liners to provide a greater degree of cooling in the upper bore than in the lower bore. This is advantageous since the upper bore is in direct contact with the combustion gases as well as the upper portion of the pistons and the piston rings through which a great deal of heat is transmitted to the liner walls. The upper jacket portion 54 also extends outwardly of the cylinder heads surrounding the block exhaust ports 30 to provide cooling thereto. Seals 62 between the cylinder block and liner wall prevent the escape of coolant from the upper jacket portion.

In order to conduct coolant from jacket portion 54 to separate coolant jackets 63 provided within the cylinder heads, a plurality of drilled passages 64 extend upwardly in the block around the peripheries of liners 17 opening through the surfaces of annular wall portions 22. Passages 64 connect with additional passages 66 opening through the lower face of the cylinder head which direct coolant into the jacket 63 for cooling the cylinder head face, the valves and the injector carried by the heads.

In the present construction, seven annularly disposed pairs of passages 64, 66 are utilized extending upwardly from portions of the jacket 54 located between an equal number of bosses 67 which protrude into the jacket volume. These bosses retain bolts 68 which extend through the cylinder heads to hold them in place within the cylinder block.

The removal of coolant from the cylinder head jackets is accomplished through outlet openings 70 in the head upper walls and connecting members 72 extending from the openings 70 to the lower ends of longitudinal walls 4 1 v 4. 42. Individual vertically extending outlet passages 73 are integrally formed within walls 42 for each cylinder and include openings 74 at their lower ends to receive coolant from connecting members 72. Passages 73 open through horizontal upper surfaces 76 of walls 42 to discharge coolant to return manifolds 77 mounted thereupon. Coolant in the manifolds 77 is then returned through engine mounted heat exchangers 78 or other cooling system devices, which need not necessarily be mounted on the engine, to a water pump or other pressure source (not shown).

The described coolant distribution system provides different degrees of cooling for the lower and upper cylinder liner portions, the central portion of the liners being cooled by the flow of charging air through the inlet ports. Additionally, a well distributed supply of coolant to the cylinder head jackets is provided and efficient use is made of the longitudinal walls 42 as passage means for the return coolant flow as well as support means for externally mounted return manifolds.

In addition to partially defining the engine air box, the longitudinal walls 42 form the inner edges of valve gear compartments 80 which are enclosed by covers 82 secured to the outer edges of the cylinder banks and outwardly extending flanges 83 of the longitudinal walls 42. Within these compartments, rocker arms 84 are provided to actuate the fuel injectors and valve bridges 86 which actuate the valves 28. The rocker arms are mounted on shaft members 87 carried between adjacent pairs of hearing caps 88 which are in turn secured to supports 90 integrally formed with the outer surfaces of longitudinal walls 42. Camshafts 92 are carried by the supports 90 and retained in position by the bearing caps 88. These camshafts engage their respective rocker arms to provide for the actuation of the valves and injector.

The described mounting arrangement provides for easy removal of the cylinder heads without first requiring removal of the camshafts since the camshaft supports and the camshaft itself are carried by the longitudinal walls to one side of the cylinder head locations. Removal of an individual cylinder head then may be accomplished after removal of the bearing caps and the associated rocker arms for that cylinder as well, of course, as disconnecting fuel and water lines connecting with the cylinder head.

The specific embodiment of an engine and cylinder block described herein discloses basic improvements in cooling systems and cylinder block construction comprising the present invention. The provision for variable degrees of cooling of upper and lower portions of the cylinder liners with the even distribution of coolant from the block jackets directly to the cylinder heads and the efiicient carrying away of coolant through passages in the horizontal Walls 42 provides a unique and novel arrangement. The multiple uses provided by the horizontal wall structure of enclosing the blowers and portions of an air chamher and providing direct support for the camshafts as well as paths for outlet coolant flow form a unique and efiicient construction leading to a clean lined and compact engine arrangement of unusually desirable characteristics.

While features of the invention have been disclosed by reference to a specific embodiment thereof, it is' intended to cover all changes which may be made within the spirit and scope of the invention which is, accordingly, to be limited only by the language of the following claims. It should be noted, however, that terms such as upper, lower, upwardly extending, horizontal and the. like which may be found in the claims refer to an engine positioned in the manner disclosed in the drawings and are not intended to limit application of the claims to an engine of similar structure which may be otherwise positioned. I

I claim: z

1. An internal combustion engine comprising a unitary cylinder block having a pair of angularly disposed-banks arranged in a V and a pair of opposed longitudinal .walls extending vertically upwardly fromthe opposite inner edges'of said banks and cooperating therewith to define an inlet air compartment, a I

a plurality of cylinders arranged in rows longitudinally of each of said banks, each of said cylinders having a piston reciprocably movable therein,

a plurality of cylinder heads received in said block and closing the upper ends of said cylinders each cylinder head having at least one passage controlling poppet valve,

a plurality of camshaft supports carried on said longitudinal walls outboard of said air compartment,

a pair of camshafts rotatably carried in said supports and valve gear operatively connecting each of said camsha-fts with the valves in the cylinder heads of one of said banks to actuate said valves.

2. The combination of claim- 1 and further comprising an inlet air blower having an inlet and an outlet and disposed between said longitudinal walls within said air compartment, said outlet opening to said compartment to deliver air thereto, and

closure means between said longitudinal walls and enclosing the upper end of said compartment, said closure means having an opening connecting with said blower inlet to permit access of air thereto.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said camshaft supports are formed integral with said longitudinal walls and carry bearing caps retaining said camshafts on said supports and said valve gear comprises a rocker arm shaft for each cylinder and secured to a pair of said bearing caps and at least one rocker arm carried on each said rocker arm shaft.

4. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder block having a pair of angularly disposed banks arranged in a V and a pair of opposed longitudinal walls extending upwardly irom said banks and cooperating therewith to define an air compartment a plurality of cylinders arranged in rows longitudinally of each of said banks, each of said cylinders having a piston reciprocably disposed therein,

a plurality of cylinder heads received in said block and closing the upper ends of said cylinders, said cylinder heads having internal coolant jackets and inlet and outlet means connecting with said jackets said cylinder block having a coolant jacket surrounding said cylinders, said block jacket having inlet means through a wall of the cylinder block and connectable with a source of flu-id coolant and a plurality of outlet means connected with the inlet mean-s of said cylinder head coolant jackets and coolant passage means formed integral with said longitudinal walls and extending generally vertically therealong, said passage means lower ends being con nected to said cylinder head outlet means and said passage means opening through the upper ends of said longitudinal walls for connection with coolant return means.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said cylinders include air inlet port openings intermediate their ends,

said air compartment connects with said port openings to deliver air thereto for charging said cylinders and said cylinder block coolant jacket comprises upper and lower portions located respectively above and below said cylinder port openings and passage means in said cylinder block connecting said upper and lower jacket portions,

said block jacket inlet means connecting with said upper jacket portion.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said cylinders comprise removable liner members and said cylinder block includes generally cylindrical recesses adjacent the upper end of said liners and having radially extending annular wall portions surrounding-said liner upper ends,

said cylinder heads comprising individual cylindrical bodies received-in said cylindrical recesses and each closing the end of a single cylinder, said heads each having a lower wall sealingly engaging the end of one of said cylinder liners and extending into opposed relationship with the anular wall portion of one of said recesses,

said block jacket outlet means and said cylinder head inlet means comprising aligned passages extending through said annular wall portions and said head lower walls respectively outboard of said cylinder liners.

7. The combination of claim 4 wherein each said cylinder head has at least one passage controlling poppet valve and further including a plurality of camshaft supports rotatably carried on said longitudinal walls, outboard of said air compartment,

a pair of camshafts rotatably carried in said supports and valve gear operatively connecting each of said camshafts with the valves in the cylinder heads of one of said banks to actuate said valves.

8. The combination of claim 7 and further comprising an inlet air blower having an inlet and an outlet and disposed between said longitudinal walls within said air compartments, said blower outlet opening to said compartment to deliver air thereto and closure means extending between said longitudinal walls and closing the upper end of said compartment, said closure means having an opening connecting with said blower inlet to permit access of air thereto.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said cylinders include air inlet port openings intermediate their ends,

said air compartment connects with said port openings to deliver air thereto for charging said cylinders, and

said cylinder block coolant jacket comprises upper and lower jacket portions connected by passage means,

said block jacket inlet means opening to said lower jacket portion and said block jacket outlet means connecting with said upper jacket portion.

10. A cylinder block for an internal combustion engine and comprising a pair of angularly disposed cylinder banks arranged in a V, each bank having a plurality of spaced cylinder receiving bores and cylindrical head receiving recesses at the outer ends of said bores a pair of opposed longitudinal walls extending upwardly from the opposite inner edges of said banks and cooperating therewith to define an inlet air compartment therebetween,

a coolant jacket having upper and lower portions surrounding the upper and lower portions respectively of said cylinder receiving bores,

integral coolant passage means connecting said upper and lower jacket portions, and a plurality of outlet means connecting said upper jacket portion with said head receiving recesses,

generally vertical coolant passage means formed integral with said longitudinal Walls adjacent each cylinder head recess, said vertical passage means opening through the upper ends of said longitudinal walls and having openings at their lower ends adapted to provide for connection to the coolant jackets of associated cylinder heads.

11. A cylinder block as defined in claim 10 and further including a plurality of camshaft supports formed integral with said longitudinal walls and outboard of said air compartment to provide for the mounting of overhead camshafts adjacent said cylinder head receiving recesses.

(References on following page) 7 8 References Cited 1 2,782,776 2/1957 'Kremser 123-55 2963 006 12/1960 Karde- 12365 X UNITED STATES PATENTS 2 1491023 4/1924 Belden 3,161,182 1 /1964 vAlbmson et a1. 123 195 X 1,740,790 12/1929 Stanton. 2,349,157 5/1944 Ford et a1 123 9o 5 AL LAWRENCE W f

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