Fuel Porting for Two Cycle Internal Combustion Engine

Two cycle internal combustion engines are commonly provided with transfer passages and porting providing for delivery of fuel from the crankcase into the combustion chamber above the piston. Intake porting is provided in order to introduce fuel into the crankcase space for compression therein upon the downward stroke of the piston and for delivery from the crankcase space through the transfer passage means. Intake valves are commonly provided in the intake passageway or intake tract.

The present invention is concerned with improvements in passage and porting arrangements both in the transfer and in the intake system providing for increase in delivery of fuel into the combustion chamber above the piston. The increase in fuel delivery and the consequent improvement in operation of the engine are accomplished according to the present invention by providing a novel interrelationship between the intake porting and passages and the transfer porting and passages, according to which the intake porting and passages not only deliver the fuel to the crankcase space, but also deliver fuel by an injector type of action into the transfer fuel flow during the phase of the cycle of operation in which fuel is being transferred from the crankcase to the combustion chamber.

In the arrangements according to the present invention, reed type intake valves are preferably provided in the intake tract, and injector porting or passages are provided in order to deliver fuel from the intake tract substantially directly into the transfer passage means. According to the invention, this may be accomplished in several ways by providing a region of at least one transfer passage intermediate its ends in communication with the intake passage or tract downstream of the valve means. Indeed, in certain arrangements according to the invention, a region of the intake tract downstream of the valve means and a region of at least one transfer passage intermediate its ends are common to each other.

Several embodiments of engines providing improved operation as referred to above are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described hereinafter.

FIG. 1 is a view in section, taken along the line 1--1 of FIG. 2, and illustrating a two cycle reed valve engine having intake and injector porting according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but omitting most of the crankcase, the view being taken along the line 3--3 on FIG. 4 and illustrating a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 3 taken along the line 3--3 of FIG. 4;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are views similar to FIGS. 1 and 2, illustrating a third embodiment of the invention; and

FIGS. 7 and 8 are views similar to FIGS. 1 and 2, and illustrating a fourth embodiment of the invention.

Before considering the drawings in detail, it is first pointed out that FIGS. 1 and 2 are respectively the same as FIGS. 1 and 2 of my prior application Ser. No. 859,476 identified above. Since the structure which appears in FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown and described in the companion application referred to, reference may be had to said companion application for further amplification. Significant parts of the apparatus shown in these figures is described herebelow, and certain portions of this description correspond to portions appearing in the companion application where the structural features are the same.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a somewhat diagrammatic representation of a two-cycle engine comprised of a housing 10 the upper portion of which defines a cylinder 11 and the lower portion of which defines a crankcase 12. The upper, annular portion of the crankcase interfits with cylinder liner structure 13, which extends throughout the height of the cylinder 11, except where omitted or removed to provide certain porting (including the usual exhaust port 39), and projects beneath it in the manner plain from FIG. 1. While the use of a liner is preferred, it is not essential, and for most purposes of the present invention, the liner can be considered as a part of the cylinder 11, which, in turn, forms the upper portion of housing 10. A piston 14 is mounted for reciprocation within the cylinder and its connecting rod 15 is eccentrically mounted upon the crankshaft within the lower portion 16 of the crankcase, as indicated at 17. As is conventional, a circular counterweight is preferably employed, as shown at 18.

The cylinder 11 includes transfer passages 19, the lower end of each of which is in open communication with the crankcase and the upper end of each of which terminates in a port 21 opening through the cylinder wall and into the space lying to the combustion side of piston 14. As will be understood, it is preferred to employ at least two such transfer passages (see FIG. 2) and one thereof appears in FIG. 1 at 19, its lower end 20 having the stated open communication with the crankcase and its upper end terminating in the aforesaid port shown at 21. Conveniently, and as shown, the passage 19 is provided in the wall of cylinder 11, lying behind the liner 13, which is apertured to provide the lower communication at 20 as well as the upper port 21. As is conventional, combustable gases inletted during the upward stroke are pressurized beneath the piston and in the crankcase, by the piston throughout its downward stroke toward the bottom dead center position illustrated, and the gases flow from the crankcase through openings 20, passages 19 and ports 21, from whence the gases enter the cylinder above the piston 14.

The cylinder 11 also includes an intake chamber 22 which leads to a source of fuel (not illustrated) and which chamber contains the reed valve means 23, which is adapted to open and provide for intake of fuel throughout the entire upward stroke of the piston, and to close, during the downward stroke of the piston, when the fuel inletted into the space below the piston is being compressed. While, for certain purposes of the present invention, the reed valve means 23 may take a variety of forms known in the art, it is preferred that said reed valve means be of the so-called "vented" type described and claimed in my earlier disclosures and particularly in U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,340, to which reference may be had for a more detailed description. It is also preferred that the valve means includes a plurality of valve assemblies as described hereinafter.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the reed valve means 23 includes a reed valve body or cage of wedge shape, with the base end of the wedge open to the fuel supply passage, each inwardly inclined surface of the wedge-shaped cage having a pair of valve ports and each such port provided with primary and secondary reeds 24 and 25, the primary reeds being vented. This valving arrangement is more fully illustrated and described in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,340 above identified.

The opposite sides or ends (top and bottom) of the reed valve cage are provided with parallel triangular walls; and in the construction shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lower triangular wall of the valve cage is provided with a valve port 26 with which a pair or primary and secondary reed valves 26a are associated. In this case also, the primary reed is vented and is of the general type described in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,340.

From FIG. 2, it will be seen that the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 includes two valve assemblies 23 arranged in side-by-side relation and positioned respectively in separate intake passages 29,29 lying at opposite sides of the dividing wall 28. The fuel entering through the valves 24, 25 flows directly into the cylinder intake passages 29 and also laterally and downwardly into the intake passages 26b, referred to hereinafter. From FIG. 1, it will also be seen that the intake passages 26b are extended downwardly and laterally from the lower side of each reed cage and thereby provide communication with the crankcase independently of the passages 29. The reed valves 26a of each valve assembly control the fuel flow from the interior of the reed cage into the associated intake passage 26b, and this flow joins the downward fuel inlet flow coming from the valves 24, 25. From FIG. 1, it will also be observed that the passages 26b communicate with the crankcase at a point below the piston skirt laterally at each side of the vertical plane of the reed cages, even when the piston is in BDC, as in FIG. 1. The communication through the valves 26a, the passages 26b and into the crankcase, is thus maintained throughout the entire cycle of operation of the engine, and the flow would, of course, only be terminated when the compression is occurring in the crankcase, with consequent increase in pressure communicated back to the valve structure, thereby permitting the valves 26a to close.

It is desirable, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, that each reed cage be positioned with its apex extended in a vertical direction, i.e., in a direction parallelling the axis of the cylinder. When positioned in the manner just referred to, it will be clear from inspection of FIG. 2 that the flow of fuel through the valve ports controlled by the reed valves or petals 24 and 25 substantially directly enters the passages downstream of the valves, without the necessity for any extensive or sharp angular deflection. Similarly, the flow of the fuel into the inclined passages 26b when the reed valves 26a are opened is a substantially direct flow not requiring sharp or extensive angular change in direction. These and other factors are of importance in maximizing the input of fuel into the engine.

The above mentioned directness of flow is enhanced by virtue of the arrangement as shown in which a pair of reed valve assemblies are mounted in separate generally parallel intake passages 27,27, as established by intervening wall structure including partition 28.

A plurality of injector passages are provided at each side of the cylinder; and in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, where a single transfer passage is provided at each side of the cylinder, there are two injector passages at each side, both of which interconnect the fuel inlet means with the same transfer passage. Thus, in this embodiment, there are provided injector passages 30--30 in the form of a pair of cavities each recessed in the wall of the cylinder in a position in which its open side confronts an outer side wall portion of the piston 14. These passages are of open construction, facilitating casting of the cylinder, making possible the employment of injector passages of larger cross section, and promoting smoother fluid flow. The outer side wall of piston 14 provides the inner wall limit (considered radially of the cylinder) of each injector passage 30, as appears in FIG. 2, and each interconnects one of the intake ports 29 with the transfer passage at that side of the cylinder. The connection or junction of the injector passage with the transfer passage is immediately adjacent to the transfer port 21.

The injector passages 30 are similar in general function to passages described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,341, being open throughout the complete cycle and serving to increase intake of fuel throughout the RPM range of the engine. When the charge contained in the crankcase 16 is pressurized by the descending piston 14, such charge flows upwardly through the transfer passages 19 to the transfer ports 21 and into the cylinder. This flow takes place at high velocity; and the rapidly moving charge in the passage 19 causes an eductor effect in the injector passages 30 which, in turn, causes relatively low pressure to exist through such passages. Accordingly, fuel is drawn from the intake tract downstream from the valve assembly, through the injector passages 30, and into the transfer passages 19. It is to be noted that the arrangement of these passages and ports provided by the present invention is such as to provide for only one-way flow in any one passage.

A second pair of injector passages is provided at each side of the cylinder in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Each of these additional injector passages is indicated at 30a, and from FIG. 1, it will be seen that these passages are downwardly inclined. Each of these passages interconnects the intake system with the transfer passage 19 at that side of the cylinder in a position close to the lower end of the transfer passage, so that the injector passages at each side of the cylinder are associated respectively with the upper and the lower portions of the transfer passage.

As is pointed out in U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,341, and graphically portrayed therein the peak horsepower of an engine is raised considerably by the use of injector porting. By employing the porting, especially in combination with the extended intake porting characteristic of various embodiments of the present invention, I have found that it is possible to further increase fuel delivery throughout the cycle, and thereby to maximize power. This is particularly true with respect to the multiple injector port arrangements of FIGS. 1 and 2.

With reference to the orientation of the engine and reed valves as shown in FIG. 1, it should be kept in mind that in many installations, particularly in motorcycles and snowmobiles, the intake passage of a two-cycle engine, and also the engine itself, is somewhat inclined in a direction such that liquid fuel tends to flow from the carburetor (not shown) to the intake passage or chamber 22 and toward intake port 29. Such inclination is shown in FIG. 1.

The injector passages are each arranged at a substantial angle with respect to the axis of the adjacent transfer passage 19, which terminates in the transfer port 21. As will be appreciated, the port of each transfer passage lies above the piston 14 when the latter, as shown fragmentarily in FIG. 1, occupies its bottom dead center position (BDC).

From the above, it will be seen that in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, provision is made for extensive intercommunication between the intake tract and the transfer passage and that the injector intercommunication between the intake and the transfer passages occurs in regions spread along the length of the transfer passages.

This embodiment is also disclosed in my application Ser. No. 674,102, filed Apr. 6, 1976, and issued Dec. 13, 1977, as U.S. Pat. No. 4,062,331, and significant features thereof are still further disclosed in my prior application Ser. No. 859,476, filed Dec. 12, 1977; and reference may be made to those prior applications for further amplification.

Turning to FIGS. 3 and 4, in which similar parts bear similar reference numerals including the subscript b, it will be seen that this third embodiment also utilizes injector porting which comprises a pair of passages 30b,30b formed by removing portions of liner 13b and of cylinder structure 11b. Again each injector passage 30b comprises a cavity in the cylinder and liner, and interconnects the intake porting 29b with the transfer passage 19b.

In this embodiment, instead of employing only a single transfer port and passage at each side of the cylinder, a pair of adjacent ports are employed, each opening separately into the combustion space of the cylinder, as seen most clearly in FIG. 3. These ports are the transfer port 21b and an auxiliary inlet port 36 which has a dual function serving the purposes of a transfer port (see the flow arrow 36') and which also is fed directly from the intake porting 29b through the cavity region just beneath the auxiliary port 36. As is revealed by the broken-away central portion of the piston in FIG. 3, a cavity portion 37 opens directly through the wall of liner 13b, while another adjacent cavity portion 38 is formed in the cylinder behind the liner. These cavity portions 37 and 38, together comprise an injector passage 30b, the cavity portion 37 serving also as a means for directly feeding the port 36 in its auxiliary inlet function. Thus, the auxiliary port 36 is in free communication not only with the injector passage 30b (formed by cavity portions 37 and 38), but also with the transfer passage 19b, and its port 21b. Wall w lying between the ports 21b and 36 supports the piston, in the region of those ports, but this wall terminates at W.sup.1, as shown in FIG. 3, just below the plane of section line 3--3, leaving the cavity portions 37 and 38 in free communication with each other. As in the other embodiments, the intake porting 29b has vertical extent sufficient to provide fuel intake immediately below the piston, as shown by arrow 40, even when the piston is at BDC.

A particular advantage of this form of the invention lies in the fact that it eliminates short circuiting of fuel which had previously occurred in engines having transfer ports (see 21b), as well as auxiliary ports sometimes referred to as booster ports. Previously, fuel inletted through the transfer port has to some extent flowed back through the booster port and passage and into the intake area, with a resultant loss of efficiency. This difficulty arose in prior constructions because of the position which earlier auxiliary ports occupied with relation to the direction of fuel introduced from the transfer port into the space above the piston. To avoid premature passage of fuel out of the cylinder through the exhaust port (see the port shown at 39 in FIGS. 3 and 4) it is common to introduce fuel through the transfer port so that it flows in a direction toward that side of the cylinder which is away from the exhaust port 39. This direction of flow is indicated by the flow arrow shown extending from the port 21b (FIG. 3). On the other hand, the booster port was generally located in vertical alignment with the intake porting, and the result has been a tendency for the fuel to short circuit out of the transfer port, into the booster port, and thence back into the intake area.

In my new arrangement shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the auxiliary inlet-transfer port 36 is adjacent to the main transfer port 21b. Since both of the ports 21a and 36 are angularly spaced from the intake porting, in a plane transverse the cylinder axis, both "look" in generally the same direction across the cylinder, rather than generally confronting one another. Short circuiting is therefore eliminated, since the fuel, due to its velocity and kinetic energy, does not make the 180.degree. turn which would be required to flow from the transfer port 21b into the auxiliary port 36.

As will be seen from the above, in the arrangement of FIGS. 3 and 4, provision is also made for intercommunication between the intake tract or passage and the transfer passages. Indeed, in this arrangement, a region of the intake tract and a region of the passage leading to the port 36 are common to each other, thereby providing for direct and effective supplementing of the fuel being transferred from the crankcase to the combustion chamber.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a third embodiment of Applicant's arrangements providing for augmenting the introduction of fuel into the combustion chamber by bringing certain transfer and intake passages into communication with each other. In these figures, certain of the basic parts of the engine are identified by reference numerals as used in some of the earlier figures, expecially FIGS. 1 and 2; and in addition, certain parts are also identified by reference numerals similar to those employed in FIGS. 1 and 2 but including the subscript c.

It will be seen from inspection of FIGS. 5 and 6 that the arrangement here shown not only includes two transfer passages 19c at each side of the cylinder, but also includes a combined intake and transfer passage at each side. The combined intake and transfer passages are described below but it is first pointed out that the transfer passages are provided with appropriate ports into the combustion space and also have their lower ends communicating with a chamber 41 formed within the upper portion 12 of the engine housing 10, this chamber also communicating with the lower portion of the crankcase but being located above the crank and counterweight space immediately adjacent to the lower ends of the transfer passages.

As seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, the intake passages or tracts 29c downstream of the reed valves 27c have communication with the chamber 41 and the crankcase space; and this communication is arranged within the wall structure 42 in such manner as to remain open throughout the entire cycle of operation of the engine, including bottom dead center position of the piston. The intake passages or tracts 29c also extend upwardly for communication with the cylinder ports 43, one such port being provided for each of the passages 29c. These ports 43 are positioned at the same level in the cylinder as the ports 21c and 36c of the transfer passages 19c, and the ports 43 serve a similar function. It will be observed that the intake passages 29c receive fuel from the valves 27c in a region above the chamber 41 and intermediate the ports 43 and the zone in which the passages 29c communicate with chamber 41 and the crankcase. Therefore, during the lower portion of the downward or compression stroke of the piston, the intake passages 29c serve to deliver compressed fuel from the chamber 41 and thus from the crankcase upwardly into the combustion chamber, in the general manner of a transfer passage, but since these passages 29c have communication with the fuel supply, at least at higher speeds of operation, additional fuel is supplied to the flow by virtue of the action referred to herein as injector action.

It is also to be noted that since the chamber 41 in the immediate vicinity of the lower ends of the transfer passage 19c directly communicates with the intake passages or tracts 29c, under certain conditions of operation, the delivery of fuel into the combustion space through the transfer passages 19c is also augmented.

It will be noted that in effect at least a region of each passage 29c serves in part as an intake tract and in part as a transfer passage.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a fourth embodiment of applicant's arrangements providing for augmenting the introduction of fuel into the combustion chamber by bringing certain transfer and intake passages into communication with each other. In these figures, basic parts of the engine are again identified by reference numerals as used in earlier figures, especially FIGS. 1 and 2; and in addition, certain parts are also identified by reference numerals similar to those employed in various of the other figures, but including the subscript d.

In most respects, the arrangement of FIGS. 7 and 8 is very similar to the arrangement of FIGS. 5 and 6.

The principal difference between the arrangements of FIGS. 5 and 6 and FIGS. 7 and 8 is the downward extension in FIGS. 7 and 8 of the portion of the cylinder structure indicated at 44 below the piston, so that the communication of the intake tracts 29d with the chamber 41d adjacent the lower ends of the transfer passages is provided only through the space below the piston. This is in contrast with the arrangement of FIGS. 5 and 6 in which the communication of the intake tracts 29c with the chamber 41 and thus with the lower ends of the transfer passages is established not only in the space below the piston, but also around the lower edge portion of the piston even in bottom dead center position.

It is to be noted that in all of the embodiments illustrated, the intake tracts or passages from the fuel supply and valve cages are in constant communication with the crankcase space or chamber in a region below the piston throughout the entire cycle of operation of the engine including the bottom dead center position. This communication is maintained at normal operating speeds without requiring reversal of flow through the transfer passages; and as brought out in certain of my cross referenced applications and patents above identified, this is of importance in augmenting fuel input to the combustion chamber. It will further be seen that in all embodiments, a chamber (identified at 41 in FIGS. 5 and 6) is provided below the piston and above the crank and counterweight space in the crankcase, with which chamber not only the intake tract communicates but with which the inlet end of the transfer passages also communicate. This chamber is partially separated from the crank and counterweight space in the crankcase by the configuration of the wall structure of the engine housing. The intercommunicating opening between the chamber and the crank and counterweight space in the crankcase is, of course, adequate to accomodate the connecting rod 15 and its motions, but, particularly at high engine speeds, the crank and counterweight space is in effect a "dead" space and the chamber 41 is a "live" and very active space, through which fuel passes at high rate from the intake side of the system to the transfer side of the system, and thus to the combustion chamber. This fuel flow occurs at high engine speeds in a manner which is not substantially influenced by the fact that the chamber 41 is in communication with the crank and counterweight space. One of the reasons why this flow is not substantially influenced by the communication between the chamber and the crank and counterweight space is the fact that the chamber is immediately adjacent to the piston whereas the crank and counterweight space is remote from the piston and it is the piston motion which acts to reduce and increase the pressure in the chamber, as occurs on the suction and compression strokes of the piston. This action of the piston originates immediately under the piston and is, therefore, highly effective in providing the desired pressure fluctuations in the chamber; and at high speeds, such fluctuations are not communicated to any substantial extent downwardly in the more remote space where the crank and counterweight are enclosed in the engine housing, provided that the intake porting is located at least as high as the chamber.

As to most of the fuel flow passages, it is also of importance that complete reversal of the direction of flow is not required, as such reversal, particularly at high engine speeds, has a tendency to diminish delivery of fuel, because of the inertia of the fuel itself. Even in the case of the intake passages 29c and 29d of the embodiments of FIGS. 5-6 and 7-8, at normal operating speeds, the fuel flow through the passages 29c and 29d is in the upward direction throughout the cycle of operation and this is of importance in maintaining high velocity of flow and thereby provide the fuel injector effect contemplated according to the invention.

In all of the embodiments illustrated and described, the supply of fuel to the combustion space by virtue of transfer flow of the fuel from the compression side of the piston to the combustion side of the piston is augmented by an injector or induction type of action resulting in flow of some fuel from the intake or supply passages substantially directly into the transfer flow without previous compression in the space below the piston. This action is of appreciable effect over a substantial range of engine speeds and is particularly significant at high engine speeds.

In certain of the embodiments, injector passages are employed interconnecting the fuel supply tracts or passages with the transfer passages, and such injector passages may be either drilled in the wall of the cylinder or may be hogged out of the inside cylinder wall, so that the injector passages are defined in part by the piston itself. In certain embodiments, the injector intercommunication between the fuel supply passages and the transfer passages may also be provided by arrangement of those passages in a manner establishing a fuel flow region which is common both to a transfer passage and also to an intake tract, without the presence of a separate injector duct or passage interconnecting spaced intake and transfer passages.