Back to results
US 4,053,405 AGranted
Warning device and method for fuel filtering systems
AssigneeCaterpillar Tractor Co.
InventorsRichard A. DeKeyser, John H. Parks
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeCaterpillar Tractor Co.
InventorsRichard A. DeKeyser, John H. Parks
Estimating the term…
A fuel filtering system comprises a case having a cartridge-type filter disposed therein, along with a separator which defines a reservoir. Fuel, such as diesel fuel, is adapted to normally enter an inlet to the case, flow through the filter and thence to an outlet of the case for engine consumption purposes. A valve member, having a specific gravity less than water but greater than that of the fuel, is movably mounted adjacent to the outlet. When the level of water in the reservoir exceeds a predetermined level, the valve member will float on the water and move upwardly to at least partially close-off communication of fuel to the outlet to thus adversely affect engine performance whereby the vehicle operator is alerted to the water-in-fuel problem. In a first embodiment of this invention, such valve member comprises a tubular member mounted exteriorly on a tube defining the outlet therein whereas in a second such embodiment the valve member comprises a spherical ball movably mounted in the tubular member.
A fuel filtering system for filtering water contaminated fuel in an operator controlled engine comprising
A method for alerting an operator of a vehicle that a fuel filtering system of an internal combustion engine thereof is contaminated with water, said filtering system comprising an inlet passage, reservoir means, and a filter for communicating fuel to an outlet passage during normal engine operation, comprising the step of progressively decreasing flow of said fuel from said inlet passage to said outlet passage and to said engine to some minimum flow range in response to the increasing level of accumulated water in said reservoir means, said minimum flow range functioning to be sufficient to continue operation of said engine in an idle or partial condition of operation sufficient to alert said operator of said increasing water level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.