Lucas Industries Limited

Brian W Tumber

Robert T Skinner

Michael J Davison

Ronald F Sheraton

A governor system for controlling the setting of a fuel control member of a fuel injection pump includes a manually operable member, a connecting device connecting said members, the connecting device being such as to allow movement of the fuel control member independently of the manually operable member. The system includes a pivot lever upon which acts a speed responsive device which moves the lever in opposition to the force exerted by resilient means in the middle speed range of the associated engine. The lever is connected to the fuel control member through a dash-pot device which acts in the middle speed range to adjust the setting of the fuel control member if there is a sudden change of engine speed. A high speed spring and an idling spring are also provided to provide a normal two speed governor action.

Governor system

A fuel injection pumping apparatus for supplying fuel to an engine is of the rotary distributor type and has an annular cam ring having cam lobes for imparting inward movement to a pumping plunger. The trailing flanks of the cam lobes define metering portions which are less steep than those of known pumps so as to extend the time during which the outward movement of the plunger is controlled by the cam lobes. In addition the apparatus includes a sleeve slidable in the distributor member of the apparatus and this incorporates a shaped recess which communicates with a source of fuel. The bore containing the plunger communicates with an inlet port which can be uncovered to the recess while the plunger is under the contact of the metering portion of the cam lobe. The sides of the recess are not parallel so that the amount of fuel which flows to the bore depends on the setting of the sleeve.

Fuel pumping apparatus

A fuel injection pumping apparatus of the rotary distributor type has a distributor member which is also axially movable to determine the allowed outward movement of the pumping plungers and hence the amount of fuel supplied to the associated engine. The extent of outward movement is determined by inclined stop surfaces which co-operate with complementary surfaces on shoes associated with the plungers. In order to minimize axial movement of the distributor member when the shoes engage the stop surfaces a chamber to which liquid is supplied to vary the axial setting of the distributor member, is locked off from fluid supply and drain passages, by a servo valve 41 when the correct position of the distributor member is obtained. A hydraulic lock is thus created in the chamber.

Fuel injection pumping apparatus

A liquid fuel injection pumping apparatus of the axially slidable rotor type includes a low pressure supply pump which supplies fuel to an injection pump including pumping plungers mounted in a rotary distributor member. A surface of the distributor member is located within a chamber to which a control pressure can be supplied by way of a control valve from the outlet of the low pressure pump. The distributor member is moved by increasing control pressure against a spring to reduce the amount of fuel supplied by the injection pump. A valve is provided which is responsive to the pressure drop across the control valve, the valve acting to prevent flow of fuel to the injection pump in the event that the pressure drop across the control valve falls below a predetermined value.

Liquid fuel injection pumping apparatus

A transducer for providing signals representative of the axial setting of an angularly movable component comprises a member having a first series of zones thereon, said zones having the same circumferential width and axial length and a sensing device having a sensing surface presented to the zones. As the area of the zones in turn presented to the surface of the device varies a fluctuating electrical signal is obtained which varies with the relative axial setting of the member and device. Calibration zones can be located between the zones respectively.

Variable capacitor transducer

The output of a transducer is passed to an electrical circuit for supply to a fuel control network. In order to check the output of the transducer the output of the electrical circuit is sampled in a sample circuit when the movement of the member associated with the transducer is a known value. The signal from the sample circuit is compared in a comparator with a reference signal. Any difference is passed to a gain determining circuit which calculates a new gain value for a variable gain amplifier in the electrical circuit. The value of the gain is retained in a holding circuit and supplied to the amplifier until further adjustment is required.

Transducer calibration device

A fluid control valve, principally for controlling the flow of fuel to a compression ignition engine, comprises a valve body and a valve member slidable within the body, the valve member co-operating with a seating on the valve body to control the flow of fluid through the valve. A spring urges the valve member into engagement with the seating and in use, the pressure of the fluid entering the valve is arranged to act on the valve member in opposition to the spring so as to lift the valve member off the seating. The valve member and the seating are formed from electrically conductive material and are electrically insulated from each other except when the valve member is engaged with the seating. An electrical terminal extends to the exterior of the valve body and enables the electrical resistance between the valve member and the seating to be measured. The measured electrical resistance provides an indication of movement of the valve member towards and away from the seating.

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Greenford, United Kingdom

Brian W Tumber