Means for facilitating checking and replenishment of crankcase oil in a small engine

An oil filler and gage for an engine having a crankcase in which oil should normally be maintained above a predetermined level and into which oil is filled through an inlet port that is at a small distance above said level, said oil filler and gage comprising:

• A. an axially elongated funnel member having a bottom end portion removably securable in said inlet port and having an enlarged inside diameter at its top end;
• B. means defining a suction chamber having
• 1. a substantially rigid bottom wall,
• 2. a substantially rigid transparent side wall portion, and
• 3. a top wall portion displaceable flatwise upwardly and downwardly relative to the remainder of the suction chamber and biased upwardly to a normal position;
• C. cooperating securement means on the top of said funnel member and on said suction chamber means, below its transparent side wall portion, for removably securing the suction chamber means to the top of the funnel member to close the latter;
• D. a tube secured to the bottom wall of said suction chamber means and projecting downwardly therefrom, said tube
• 1. being of a length to have its bottom end at said level when the funnel member is secured in said inlet port and the suction chamber means is secured to the top of the funnel member,
• 2. having its interior communicated through said bottom wall with the interior of the suction chamber so that upon manual depression and release of said top wall portion (when oil in the crankcase is above said level) oil is sucked up into the suction chamber to be visible through said transparent wall portion, and
• 3. having an outside diameter substantially smaller than the narrowest inside diameter of said funnel member;
• and
• E. a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially projecting fingers fixed to said tube near the bottom end thereof to prevent oil on the exterior of the tube from being wiped off of the same as the tube is drawn lengthwise through the funnel member, so that the tube can be used as a dipstick for measuring crankcase oil quantities above said level.

In combination with an upright funnel member having a lower end portion adapted to be sealingly secured in a crankcase oil fill port of a small engine and having a larger diameter upper end portion adapted to be accessible at a distance above said port:

• A. means providing a readily removable closure for the upper end portion of said funnel member and defining a suction chamber above the funnel member, said means comprising
• 1. substantially rigid structure defining
• a. a transversely extending wall portion adapted to overlie the top of the funnel member and providing a bottom wall for said suction chamber,
• b. a first substantially annular wall portion projecting downwardly from said transversely extending wall portion and adapted to embrace the upper portion of the funnel member, and
• c. a second substantially annular wall portion projecting upwardly from said transversely extending wall portion and providing a side wall for said suction chamber, said second substantially annular wall portion being transparent, and
• 2. a diaphragm member that is sealed to the upper portion of said second substantially annular wall portion all around the same, and provides an upwardly and downwardly displaceable top wall for said suction chamber;
• B. a coiled expansion spring confined in said suction chamber with its axis upright and having its lower end portion received in an upwardly opening well in said transversely extending wall member;
• C. a spring retainer
• 1. having a substantially flat portion which flatwise underlies said top wall of the suction chamber and against which the upper end of said spring reacts,
• 2. said spring retainer having a concentric skirt portion depending from said flat portion and embracing the upper end portion of said spring to steady the same;
• and
• D. a tube secured to said transversely extending wall portion and projecting downwardly therefrom to normally have its lower end at said level, the interior of said tube being communicated with the interior of said suction chamber through said transversely extending wall portion, so that upon downward depression and release of said displaceable top wall, oil can be drawn up from a crankcase (if it is above said level therein), into said suction chamber, to be visible through said second substantially annular wall portion.