Cylinder head assembly with coupled valve assemblies
OwnerBarry Grantinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cylinder head assembly includes a coupled valve assembly, wherein valves are coupled together such that they are simultaneously actuated via a single rocker arm, push-rod, lifter, lobe, and cam shaft. The cylinder head assembly may be used in conjunction with an engine or may replace a cylinder head of the engine to increase the valves in at least one cylinder without extensive modification of the engine structure. The coupled valve assembly includes a bridge having opposed ends, each having a lower surface in contact with a valve stem, and a rocker arm that is generally parallel to the bridge and engages the bridge to actuate the valves.
Claims17
A valve-coupling assembly for coupling two valves, each having a valve stem and a valve stem end, to a single cam-shaft, lobe, lifter, and push-rod of an engine, the assembly comprising:
- a bridge comprising,
- an upper platform, and
- opposed ends, each opposed end having a lower surface, and each lower surface having a contact point in contact with a valve stem end, the position of the contact point changing as the valve stem end moves on the lower surface, wherein the opposed end is configured to retain the valve stem end in contact with the lower surface and the lower surface is configured to maintain the valve stem in perpendicular alignment with a plane tangential to the contact point;
- and
- a rocker arm pivotally connected to the engine and engaging the push-rod and the upper platform of the bridge,
- such that when the cam shaft, lobe, and lifter of the engine raise the push-rod, the rocker arm pivots to lower the bridge which concurrently lowers the valve stems.
A replacement cylinder head assembly for a reciprocating piston internal combustion engine, the engine having an engine block, a cylinder head, a cam shaft, a lobe, a lifter and a push-rod, the replacement cylinder head assembly used for adding a valve to a cylinder of the engine by replacing the cylinder head of the engine with the replacement cylinder head assembly, the replacement cylinder head assembly comprising:
- a replacement cylinder head, configured to function in substantially the same manner as the cylinder head of the engine, and configured to engage the engine block in substantially the same manner as the cylinder head of the engine such that the replacement cylinder head may be added to the engine block without altering the engine block, the replacement cylinder head comprising,
- a replacement valve opening, and
- a new valve opening;
- one coupled valve assembly for the new valve opening, the coupled valve assembly comprising,
- coupled valves, including a replacement valve for the replacement valve opening and a new valve for the new valve opening, wherein each valve has a valve stem and a disc that fits within the valve opening,
- a rocker arm pivotally connected to the replacement cylinder head and engaging the push-rod, and
- a bridge engaging the rocker arm and the valve stems, wherein the bridge is configured to maintain the valve stems in parallel alignment with the plane of motion of the rocker arm,
- such that when the cam shaft, lobe, and lifter of the engine raise the push-rod, the rocker arm pivots to lower the bridge, which lowers each valve from its valve opening.
A kit for replacing the cylinder head of a reciprocating internal combustion engine, the engine having an engine block, a cylinder head, a cam shaft, a lobe, a lifter and a push-rod, the kit comprising:
- a replacement cylinder head, configured to function in substantially the same manner as the cylinder head of the engine, and configured to engage the engine block in substantially the same manner as the cylinder head of the engine such that the replacement cylinder head may be added to the engine block without altering the engine block, the replacement cylinder head comprising,
- a replacement inlet valve opening, and
- a new inlet valve opening;
- one coupled valve assembly for the new inlet valve opening, the coupled valve assembly comprising:
- coupled valves, including a replacement valve for the replacement inlet valve opening and a new valve for the new inlet valve opening, wherein each valve has a valve stem and a disc that fits within the valve opening,
- a rocker arm pivotally connected to the replacement cylinder head, and
- a bridge engaging the rocker arm and the valve stems, wherein the bridge is configured to maintain the valve stems in parallel alignment with the plane of motion of the rocker arm;
- a replacement push-rod for each coupled valve assembly, engaging the lifter and the rocker arm;
- and
- at least one standard exhaust valve assembly, wherein the standard value assembly comprises a standard exhaust valve actuated using a standard rocker arm.
A method of delivering a fuel and air mixture to an internal combustion piston engine, comprising:
- placing a bridge having its ends in contact with the stems of adjacent valves,
- urging the bridge downwardly at a position between the ends of the bridge with a roller to open the valves,
- rolling the roller along the length of the bridge as the roller urges the bridge downwardly, and
- maintaining the roller aligned on the bridge with protrusions extending from the roller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.