Acf Industries, Incorporated

Richard D Doerr

J Joseph Muller

Chusak Tansuwan

Paul M Meyer

Donald L Hicks

Mark A Jefferis

Steven R Bollinger

William A Green

An improvement for a controller (C) for controlling the idle speed of an engine. A logic circuit (1) is responsive to the position of switches (S1, S2) and the direction in which an extendible and retractable member (T) is to be driven by a motor (M) to energize the motor. The logic circuit includes logic gate (3) responsive to both switches being open when the member is at its extreme extended position and the member is to be retracted to energize the motor to retract the member. The logic circuit also includes a logic gate (5) responsive to both the switches being open when the member is at its extreme retracted position and the member is to be extended to energize the motor to extend the member. The motor is thus energized to move the member in the appropriate direction even though a switch which should be closed is open due to dust or debris preventing switch closure.

Idle speed controller improvement

A reversible d.c. motor adjusts the position to which a carburetor throttle valve closes. The throttle valve is mounted on a throttle shaft to one end of which is attached a throttle lever. The motor has an extendable and retractable member one end of which contacts the throttle lever, a rotatable shaft which rotates in one direction or the other when the motor is energized and a gear arrangement for translating rotary movement of the shaft into linear movement of the member. An improvement comprises a switch for de-energizing the motor as the member approaches either extreme of its extending or retracting movement. Deenergization of the motor stops movement of the member before the respective extreme is exceeded thereby to prevent damage to the motor.

Reversible d.c. motor with over-drive prevention switches

Apparatus for automatically controlling the idle speed of an internal combustion automobile engine. A sensor senses the operating speed of the engine and develops an electrical signal representative thereof. Movement of a carburetor throttle valve from an open to a substantially closed position is sensed and an electrical signal indicative thereof is generated. Closure of the throttle valve indicates the engine is operating at idle. A controller is responsive to the second electrical signal to process the electrical signal from the sensor and generate an electrical control signal. The controller processes the electrical signal from the sensor means in accordance with a predetermined format based upon a transfer function derived for the engine. An electromechanical device is responsive to the control signal for moving the throttle valve to a desired position at which engine idle speed is a preselected speed determined in accordance with the transfer function.

Engine automatic idle speed control apparatus

A combustible mixture of air and minute fuel droplets is produced for supply to the cylinders of an internal combustion engine. The engine includes a carburetor having a main air passageway in it, and an intake manifold interposed between the engine and the carburetor. The intake manifold includes at least one wall defining a plurality of fluid passageways operatively connected to the carburetor and to the combustion chambers of the engine. A throttle structure is mounted in the intake manifold. The combustible mixture is formed by introducing liquid fuel into a stream of intake air and uniformly distributing the fuel in the air by passing the air and fuel mixture through a constriction to increase the velocity of the mixture to sonic speed. The constriction occurs at the throttle structure in the manifold. The area of the constriction and the amount of fuel entering the air stream are adjustable for correlation with engine demand. After passing through the constriction, the air/fuel mixture is accelerated to supersonic velocity and thereafter decelerated to subsonic velocity to produce a shock zone where the fuel droplets are believed to be further subdivided. The supersonic and subsonic mixture speeds are obtained at the outlet of the throttle structure in the manifold. Thereafter, the mixture is inducted into the combustion chambers of the engine. Preferably, the throttle structure includes a cylinder movably mounted in the intake manifold. A plate either is suspended in or forms a part of the intake manifold. The plate and cylinder coact to provide the constriction, supersonic and subsonic zones of the mixture flow. Means are provided on the cylinder for delimiting those zones of mixture flow.

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St. Louis, MO, United States of America

Richard D Doerr