Cummins Engine Company, Inc.

Larry D Wells

Karl Graham

J Dan Baugh

James D Baugh

Kent V Shields

Mostafa M Kamel

Jerry C Buchanan

Yoke L Yam

Nigel Gale

A rocker arm assembly for an internal combustion engine is provided which is lightweight and inexpensive to manufacture, which securely mounts and supports a pair of rocker arms and associated structures on the cylinder head of an internal combustion engine, and which provides and maintains a supply of lubricant to the rocker arm bearing structures, valves and push rods. The rocker arm assembly includes a two part pedestal which clamps the shaft on which the rocker arms are journaled to the engine. The base portion of the pedestal includes a pair of positioning projections which position and support the pedestal so that the proper alignment of the rocker arms relative to the longitudinal axis of the engine is achieved and maintained.

Rocker arm support assembly

A head gasket, for sealing a junction between a top face of a cylinder block of an engine and a bottom face of a cylinder head thereof, of the type having a row of relatively large circular cut-outs, that, in use, correspond in size, number and position to that of cylinder spaces formed in the cylinder block and a plurality of apertures that are relatively small in comparison to the circular cut-outs that, in use, correspond in number and position to coolant passages formed in the faces of the cylinder block and cylinder head, as well as holes sized and positioned, in use, in accordance with holes in the cylinder block and head for connecting bolts and holes for lubricant circulation. In addition to a first row of apertures extending along a first lateral side of the circular cylinder cut-outs, the gasket is provided with a second row of apertures that are used to orifice outlet coolant passages from the cylinder head to the cylinder block. The second row of apertures comprises pairs of apertures flanking longitudinally opposite sides of each of the circular cylinder cut-outs, an aperture of each pair being larger in area than the other aperture of each pair. Furthermore, from a point between an intermediate pair of the circular cylinder cut-outs, the larger apertures and the smaller apertures, respectively, on each of opposite sides of the intermediate point, progressively increase and decrease in area toward opposite ends of the second row of apertures. The gasket is also provided with a third row of smaller orificing apertures, as well.

Coolant flow orificing head gasket

A lubricant supply rail is provided for an internal combustion engine to provide an adequate supply of lubricant from the engine lubrication circuit to the bearing surfaces of the rocker arms, the valves and the push rods. The lubricant supply rail of the present invention is configured to provide automatic fluid communication between the cylinder head lubricant outlet port and the lubrication channels contained within the rocker arm support assembly and includes a lubricant supply inlet which communicates directly with the cylinder head and a plurality of transfer bores spaced to communicate directly with each rocker arm support assembly. The lubricant supply rail is preferably formed of nylon or like material and includes a conduit portion sealed at each end by end caps having a configuration which permits effective sealing of the conduit by ultrasonic welding techniques. The conduit portion of the lubricant supply rail has a cross-sectional configuration which permits the rail to be held in sealing engagement with the rocker arm pedestal base. Installation of the lubricant supply rail is accomplished quickly and easily during engine assembly.

Lubricant supply rail

An internal combustion engine, of the type having a block with a line of cylinders and a cylinder head attached to the block and coolant distribution and discharge manifolds provided adjacent each other on one side of the block is provided with an improved coolant arrangement. Coolant from a pump enters the distribution manifold at a point intermediate the ends of the line of cylinders and from there flows freely up into the cylinder head through cast openings corresponding in number to the number of cylinders. The majority of coolant flows across the cylinder head and down to coolant chambers surrounding the engine cylinders via a pair of orificed holes for each cylinder. The orificed holes control the flow of coolant around the cylinders and are provided in a gasket between the cylinder block and cylinder head. After the coolant flows around the cylinder liners, it is discharged from the coolant chambers in the cylinder block to the discharge manifold via a cast opening for each cylinder. In order to prevent creation of an air pocket at the top of the discharge side of the coolant chambers, a portion of the coolant entering into the head is routed directly, via a small opening, to the coolant chambers surrounding each cylinder cavity. To ensure that this coolant flow is distributed around the top of each cylinder liner, a deflector ledge is situated directly below this coolant opening.

Internal combustion engine with improved coolant arrangement

A valve cover for an internal combustion engine has a cover body of an inverted trough-like configuration and a perimetric flange surrounding its open bottom side. A seal receiving groove is formed in a bottom surface of the perimetric flange and extends more than one full circuit around the perimeter of the open side. An elongated elastomeric seal strip of a length that is greater than the circumference of the cover body, as measured within the seal receiving groove, is inserted into the seal receiving groove in a manner wherein opposite ends of the seal strip are overlapped side-by-side and wherein the bottom of the seal strip extends out of the seal receiving groove in a manner forming a sealing ridge around the bottom of the perimetric flange of the cover body. Furthermore, through the provision of O-ring seals on thread fastening bolts used for securing the cover body to an engine, in conjunction with the elastomeric seal strip, the valve cover is able to minimize the production of engine vibration related noise. Additionally, an arrangement of partition walls, ribs, and columns is utilized to distributing loading applied by a row of top mounted fastening bolts uniformly throughout the periphery of the valve cover and a pair of the partition walls are also utilized to form an isolated chamber for a breather vent connection.

Engine valve cover

A diesel engine fuel supply system wherein additives for improving the cetane number of diesel fuel are mixed with the diesel fuel and wherein return fuel containing such additives are recirculated to the engine without being passed to the fresh fuel tank.

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Columbus, IN, United States of America

Larry D Wells