Combined Lifting Eye and Flywheel Housing Opening Cover

This invention relates to internal combustion engines, and more specifically, to a combined lifting eye and flywheel timing opening cover.

Most multiple cylinder engines in use today include blocks mounting one or more lifting eyes whereby the engine can be lifted from a support such as the frame of a vehicle to facilitate major servicing of the components. In many cases, peripheral equipment associated with the engine demands that the lifting eye or eyes be located asymmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the engine thereby causing the engine to tend to skew relative to its support when moved towards or away therefrom. Such skewing makes it difficult to remove an engine from cramped quarters in an engine compartment and/or align the engine with motor mounts and transmission components when introducing the engine into an engine compartment or the like.

Moreover, many lifting eyes are secured directly to the engine block with the consequence that the eye or opening in the lifting eye is relatively inaccessible in the application of a lifting hook thereto and the application of a lifting force may cause the hook to damage engine components such as valve covers or the like.

Typical engines include timing marks on their rotary components as, for example, fan belt drive sheaves or flywheel, and in the case of the latter, typically an opening is provided in the flywheel housing along with a stationary index mark. The opening is covered and the cover must be removed prior to timing the engine with a strobe or the like.

In many cases, the opening is relatively inaccessible due to the proximity of the flywheel housing to a firewall or the like with the consequence that it is difficult to remove and replace the cover for the opening.

The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the above problems.

According to the present invention, there is provided in an engine having an elongated block terminating at one end in a flywheel housing and having a flywheel with at least one timing mark on its periphery rotatable within the housing and spaced lifting eyes secured to the engine so that the engine may be lifted from a support, an improved combination lifting eye and flywheel housing timing opening cover. The flywheel housing has an opening in its generally uppermost surface through which the timing mark may be viewed. One of the lifting eyes includes a base defining a closure for the opening, and means are provided for removably securing the base to the flywheel housing about the opening to (a) close the opening and (b) secure the lifting eye to the engine.

The construction provides a more accessible lifting eye than those in prior art, eliminates the need for separate lifting eyes and flywheel housing timing opening covers, and enables the easy removal of the closure for the timing opening.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following specifications taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an engine embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the engine; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, partial sectional view of part of the flywheel housing.

An exemplary embodiment of an engine made according to the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 in the form of a four cylinder reciprocating engine. However, it is to be understood that the invention is applicable to engines having numbers of cylinders other than four and having other than the straignt line configuration illustrated. It is also to be understood that the invention will be applicable to non-reciprocating engines such as rotary engines of the trochoidal or slant axis rotary type.

The engine includes a block 10 having a depending crank case 12. An exhaust manifold 14 is provided as is an intake manifold 16 and the latter is provided with a carburetor 18.

Valve rocker arms and the like are housed by a valve cover 20 on the head of the block. One end of the crank shaft extends forwardly of the block and mounts a fan belt drive sheave 22 while the opposite end of the block mounts a flywheel housing 24 which is secured to the block by any conventional means. A starter motor 26 is associated with the flywheel housing 24 in a conventional manner. A variety of other components such as an alternator 28 are provided in a conventional fashion and the uppermost end of the forward end of the block mounts an upwardly extending lifting eye having an aperture 32 extending therethrough for receipt of a lifting hook. It will be noted that the uppermost extent of the lifting eye 30 is not appreciably above the height of the valve cover 20 and that the same is spaced somewhat therefrom so that a hook may be easily inserted through the opening 12 without fear of damaging the valve cover 20 when a lifting force is applied.

The opposite end of the block mounts a lifting eye 34 having an opening 36 extending therethrough, also for receipt of a hook. The lifting eye 34 is in the form of an L-shaped plate having a base 38 and an upright portion 39, the latter being spaced from the block a distance approximately on the order of the width of the base 38 to ensure free accessibility to the opening 36. Again, the uppermost extent of the lifting eye 34 is not much more than the uppermost extent of the valve cover 20 to insure that the engine has a relatively low profile. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the openings 32 and 36 reside in a vertical plane which is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the engine, i.e., that axis defined by the crank shaft. The vertical plane extending through the openings 32 and 36 extends through the center of gravity of the engine. For the construction illustrated, the center of gravity is displaced slightly to one side of the crank shaft. Such an arrangement prevents the engine from tipping or skewing when the engine is suspended by the eyes 30 and 34.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the base 38 of the lifting eye 34 is secured as by bolts 40 to the flywheel housing 24. As seen in FIG. 3, the flywheel housing 24 terminates in an opening 42 in its uppermost surface.

Within the housing 24 is a conventional flywheel 44 mounting a ring gear 46 which may be engaged with the pinion of the starter 26 in a conventional fashion.

A peripheral flange 48 on the flywheel 44 has one or more timing marks on its periphery and in a position to be viewed through the opening 42. The flywheel housing 24 stationarily mounts an index pin or pointer 50 and through the use of a strobe in a known fashion, proper timing can be obtained through suitable adjustment of other components by lining up the timing mark on the flange 48 with the point of the pointer 50. Of course, to do such, the two components must be visible through the opening 42. On the other hand, in order to preclude entry of foreign material into the flywheel housing 24 during normal operation, it is desirable that the opening 42 be closed.

In general, the opening 42 will be rectangular as seen in dotted lines in FIG. 2 and tapped bores (not shown) will be provided on two opposed sides thereof, the bores being in the flywheel housing 24. The bolts 40 extend through apertures (not numbered) in the base 38 to (a) secure the base 38 across the opening 42 whereby the base 38 serves as a closure therefore and (b) secure the lifting eye 34 to the block.

As a consequence of the foregoing construction, it will be appreciated that invention provides an engine wherein lifting eyes are aligned with the longitudinal axis of the engine and with the center of gravity thereof to prevent skewing of the engine when the same is suspended. At the same time, the lifting eyes are substantially spaced from components which might be damaged by hooks used in connection with the eyes and are easily accessible. Similarly, the use of a combined lifting eye enclosure for the timing opening in the form of the eye 34 eliminates components heretofore required while retaining their function by utilizing one element to perform the function heretofore performed by two separate elements in the form of a separate lifting eye and a separate cover. Additionally, access to the cover defined by the base 38 of the lifting eye 34 is easily obtainable. The bolts 40 are easily removed by wrenches and the cover removed simply by grasping the upright portion 39 and removing the same. In this respect, the upright portion 39 can act as a handle for the closure or base 38.