Oil pan for internal combustion engines

An oil pan for an internal combustion engine having a piston--piston rod--crankshaft assembly and having a pressurized engine lubrication system, said oil pan comprising;

• an elongated open-top housing having side and end walls and a bottom wall, said housing also having a main sump disposed in the bottom wall of the housing for containing oil therein, said housing also having a side sump disposed in one side wall of the housing and in fluid flow communication with said main sump, an elongated windage tray semi-circular in cross-section and positioned longitudinally in the housing adjacent the side sump with the convex side down and spaced above the housing bottom wall, a coacting elongated skimmer bar positioned above and spaced from an upper edge of said tray adjacent the side sump for channeling oil skimmed off the tray into the side sump and thence into the main sump in controlled flow, said main sump being formed below said bottom wall of the housing, a sponge disposed in said main sump for retaining a predetermined amount of oil in the sump and for effecting a controlled flow of oil therethrough, a sponge flange secured to said bottom wall and extending partially over said sponge to retain the sponge in position in the main sump, and a plurality of semi-circular tray support straps positioned transversely in said oil pan and secured to the housing side walls for supporting the windage tray, said skimmer bar being positioned immediately above said straps and immediately above said side sump, said side sump being an outwardly bulging cavity formed in said one side wall and configured in transverse section to effect a controlled orderly flow of oil received from the skimmer bar into the main sump.