Fuel pumping apparatus

A liquid fuel injection pumping apparatus for supplying fuel to internal combustion engines and of the kind comprising an injection pump, a rotary distributor member housed in a body, the injection pump and distributor member being driven in use, in timed relationship with an associated engine having injection nozzles, the distributor member including a delivery passage through which fuel delivered by the injection pump flows and which registers in turn with a plurality of outlet ports which in use are connected to the injection nozzles of the associated engine respectively during successive delivery strokes of the injection pump, a spring loaded delivery valve mounted within the distributor member and positioned in said passage, said delivery valve being opened during the delivery of fuel by the injection pump and when the delivery of fuel by the injection pump has ceased, closing to allow a limited volume of fuel to return to the injection pump from the outlet ports, a branch passage formed in the distributor member, the branch passage communicating with the injection pump, said branch passage extending to the periphery of the distributor member for communication with an outlet port in advance of the communication of the same outlet port with the aforesaid passage, the size of the outlet ports and the spacing of the passages about the periphery of the distributor member being such that the initial volume of fuel delivered by the injection pump flows to the outlet ports by way of said branch passage, the fuel flow then being gradually diverted to the aforesaid passage to achieve gradual opening of the delivery valve.