Engine start-up system and method
AssigneeCaterpillar Tractor Co.
InventorRobert H. Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An internal combustion engine comprises first and second banks of fuel injection means each adapted to communicate fuel to a combustion chamber of the engine in response to rotation of an engine-driven cam shaft. Upon start-up of the engine, a handle-actuated lock-out mechanism is actuated to inactivate one of the banks of fuel injection means whereby fuel communicates only through the other one of the banks of fuel injection means. After engine warm-up, the handle of the lock out mechanism is released to permit normal engine operation whereby fuel communicates through both of the banks of fuel injection means.
Claims22
In combination with an internal combustion engine comprising a sleeve metering fuel system including first and second banks of pumps, a housing at least substantially filled with liquid diesel fuel, a cam shaft rotatably mounted in said housing, a master control shaft rockably mounted in said housing and a plurality of control levers secured on said master control shaft, each of said pumps comprising a plunger reciprocally mounted in said housing and engageable with said cam shaft for reciprocation thereby, a pair of axially spaced fill and spill ports formed in said plunger, a barrel mounted in said housing and having an upper end of said plunger reciprocally mounted therein and positioned to alternately cover and uncover said fill port upon reciprocation of said plunger and a sleeve reciprocally mounted on a lower end of said plunger for alternately covering and uncovering said spill port, each of said control levers engaged with the sleeve of each pump of said second bank of pumps, lock-out means for selectively permitting (1) communication of fuel through only said second bank of pumps, or (2) communication of fuel through each of said first and second banks of pumps.
In combination with an internal combustion engine comprising first and second banks of fuel injection means, lock-out means for selectively permitting (1) communication of fuel through only said second bank of fuel injection means, or (2) communication of fuel through each of said first and second banks of fuel injection means, said lock-out means comprising control means adapted to be moved between first and second positions and linkage means interconnected between said control means and said first bank of fuel injection means for selectively permitting condition (1) or (2), above, in response to movement of said control means between said first and second positions thereof, said linkage means comprising a pair of scissor-like first and second levers, said first lever having a first end thereof rotatably mounted on a rock shaft and a first end of said second lever being secured on said rock shaft for oscillation therewith.
A method for starting an engine having first and second banks of fuel injection means each having a plunger reciprocally mounted therein comprising the steps of
- starting said engine while simultaneously
- first communicating fuel through only said first bank of fuel injection means while simultaneously spilling fuel from said second bank of fuel injection means without stopping reciprocation of the plungers thereof and thereafter
- second communicating fuel through both said first and second banks of fuel injection means upon warm-up of said engine.
In combination with an internal combustion engine comprising first and second separate banks of fuel injection means each having a plunger reciprocally mounted therein and a pair of fill and spill ports formed in said plunger, lock-out means for selectively permitting (1) communication of fuel through only said second bank of fuel injection means while simultaneously spilling fuel from the spill ports of the plungers of said first bank of fuel injection means without stopping reciprocation of such plungers, or (2) communication of fuel through each of said first and second banks of fuel injection means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.