Valve lifter

For use in an internal combustion engine block used in a high speed motor vehicle having:

• open-ended cylindrical bores in which valve lifters reciprocate;
• a cam shaft with cams that reciprocate the lifters;
• and
• an engine block oil passage communicating between adjacent cylindrical bores intermediate the ends of the bores;
• an improved valve lifter for reciprocation within one of said bores comprising an elongated body having:
• a. a recess in one end;
• b. two pin-receiving apertures on opposite sides of the recess;
• c. a cylindrical pin secured against rotation in said pin-receiving apertures and extending through the recess;
• d. a roller cam follower rotatably supported in the recess on the pin;
• e. a primary oil passage for communicating with the engine block oil passage to facilitate the flow of oil between said bores, said primary oil passage extending transversely of the body and displaced longitudinally of the body from the pin and roller cam follower;
• f. a lubrication oil passage within the pin having:
• i. an inlet opening located in a portion of the pin that is in one of the pin-receiving apertures of said body;
• and
• ii. outlet means only facing oppositely away from a line of contact between said roller cam follower and said pin during reciprocation of the lifter, and displaced longitudinally of the pin from the inlet opening, for discharging oil between the pin and roller;
• and
• g. a secondary oil passage extending in fluid communication between said primary oil passage and the inlet opening of said lubrication oil passage.

for use in an internal combustion engine block used in a high speed motor vehicle having:

• open-ended cylindrical bores in which valve lifters reciprocate;
• a cam shaft with cams that reciprocate the lifters;
• and
• an engine block oil passage communicating between adjacent cylindrical bores intermediate the ends of the bores and parallel to the cam shaft;
• an improved valve lifter for reciprocation within one of said bores comprising an elongated body which is in major part cylindrical and in minor part non-cylindrical or of a different cylindrical curvature than the major part, the minor part extending parallel to the cylindrical axis of the major part the full axial length of the body and the major cylindrical part being of a size sufficient to obturate the block oil passage, the minor part cooperating with a member constructed and arranged to extend into the bore at a stationary location out of alignment with the oil passage and to engage the minor part to restrain rotation of the body about its axis without interfering with reciprocation, the body having:
• a. a recess in one end;
• b. two pin-receiving apertures on opposite sides of the recess;
• c. a cylindrical pin secured against rotation in said pin-receiving apertures and extending through the recess;
• d. a roller cam follower rotatably supported in the recess on the pin;
• e. a primary oil passage for communicating with the engine block oil passage to facilitate the flow of oil between said bores, said primary oil passage extending transversely of the body and displaced longitudinally of the body from the pin and roller cam follower;
• f. a lubrication oil passage within the pin having:
• i. an inlet opening facing predominantly toward the primary oil passage and located in a portion of the pin that is in one of the pin-receiving apertures of said body;
• and
• ii. an outlet opening only facing predominantly toward the primary oil passage and displaced longitudinally of the pin from the inlet opening, the outlet being located in a cylindrical surface of the pin in a portion of the pin that is surrounded by the roller;
• and
• g. a secondary oil passage extending in fluid communication between said primary oil passage and the inlet opening of said lubrication oil passage.

For use in an internal combustion engine block used in a high speed motor vehicle having:

• open-ended cylindrical bores in which valve lifters reciprocate;
• a cam shaft with cams that reciprocate the lifters;
• and
• an engine block oil passage communicating between adjacent cylindrical bores intermediate the ends of the bores;
• an improved valve lifter for reciprocation within one of said bores comprising:
• a. an elongated body having a recess;
• b. a generally cylindrical pin secured against rotation within the recess and having an axis transverse to a center line of the body;
• c. a roller cam follower rotatably supported by the pin;
• d. a primary oil passage defined by the body which communicates with the engine block oil passage;
• e. a lubrication oil passage within the pin having an inlet and an outlet only located within a segment of the pin that faces generally toward the primary oil passage;
• and
• f. a secondary oil passage located between the primary oil passage and the roller cam follower, the secondary oil passage having an inlet in fluid communication with the primary oil passage and an outlet in fluid communication with the lubrication oil passage.