Apparatus for split engine operation

Apparatus for disabling selected cylinders of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine of the type including an intake manifold defining a first passage leading to one-half of the cylinders and a second passage leading to the remaining cylinders, and a carburetor secured to said intake manifold for delivering an air/fuel mixture to each of said passages, said apparatus being interposable between said intake manifold and said carburetor and comprising:

• a base plate defining at least a pair of spaced apertures;
• an intermediate plate defining a valve element aperture;
• at least one top plate defining another pair of spaced apertures which are coaxial with said apertures of said base plate, said plates being secured together in a stacked relationship;
• a generally planar valve element movably disposed within said intermediate plate valve element aperture and movable between first and second positions, said valve element when in said first position blocking one of said apertures of said base plate and said top plate so that the air/fuel mixture can pass through only said other apertures of said base and top plates to one of said first and second passages thereby to disable selected cylinders, said valve element when in said second position permitting flow through said apertures of said base and top plates;
• and
• actuator means connected to said valve element for shifting said valve element between said first and second positions, said intermediate plate defining a longitudinal axis and said valve element aperture extending at an acute angle with respect to said axis, said intermediate plate defining a bore opening into said valve element aperture and adapted to receive said actuator means.

A device mountable between the base of a multi-barrel carburetor and an intake manifold of an internal combustion engine for blocking communication of at least one barrel of the carburetor with the manifold to disable selected cylinders of the engine, said device comprising:

• a plurality of stacked and superimposed, thin, flat plates including a top plate and a bottom plate, said plates defining at least a pair of spaced barrel apertures opening through the top and bottom plates and one of said plates intermediate said top and bottom plates defining a valve element aperture;
• a valve element slidably disposed within said valve element aperture and sandwiched between said top and bottom ones of said plates;
• and
• a cable actuator means operatively connected to said valve element for shifting said element from a first position blocking at least one of said barrel apertures to a second position opening said one of said barrel apertures.