Method and apparatus for maintaining lubricant in an internal combustion engine

In combination:

• a liquid lubricant container for mounting on the underside of an internal combustion engine including a bottom wall having a deep well therein for storing a predetermined volume of engine lubricant at a predetermined level for lubricating an internal combustion engine;
• pump means operative to remove lubricant from said deep well and pump it through said internal combustion engine and returning same to said deep well to reduce the level of lubricant in said deep well to a substantially lower level;
• apparatus for maintaining the level of said lubricant in said deep well at said substantially lower level while said pump means is operative to pump said lubricant comprising:
• an airtight tank of make-up liquid lubricant disposed above said substantially lower level and having a lower discharge end;
• and
• a conduit, having an upper end coupled to said lower discharge end of said tank, leading downwardly from said tank and having a downwardly opening, open-ended lower terminal end substantially at said substantially lower level for allowing make-up liquid lubricant in said tank to flow therethrough into said well under the force of gravity if the level of lubricant in said container drops below said substantially lower level and for precluding the flow of make-up liquid lubricant to said well when the level of lubricant in said well reaches said substantially lower level to close said lower terminal end.

Apparatus for supplying make-up liquid lubricant to a deep well, provided in the bottom wall of a lubricant storage pan, normally filled with liquid engine lubricant to a predetermined level, said pan being coupled to an internal combustion engine which has lubricant circulating mechanism for circulating a predetermined volume of engine lubricant from said well to said engine and reduce the level of liquid lubricant in said well to a lower predetermined level, said apparatus comprising:

• an air impervious reservoir mounted at a level above said lower predetermined level and having a lower discharge end;
• said reservoir containing make-up liquid lubricant;
• a gravity fed conduit having an upper end coupled to, and in open liquid communication with, said lower discharge end of said reservoir having a lower end received by said well and including an opening at said predetermined lower level for passing therethrough make-up liquid lubricant from said reservoir to said well when the level of lubricant in said well reaches a level below said predetermined lower level and for interrupting the flow of make-up lubricant from said reservoir to said well when said level of said lubricant reaches said predetermined lower level and closes said opening;
• said bottom wall having a predetermined breadth and said storage pan including a side wall integral with said bottom wall for coupling to the underside of said engine;
• said well having a breadth substantially less than said predetermined breadth;
• said deep well storing all of said liquid lubricant when said liquid lubricant reaches said predetermined level;
• said bottom wall being downwardly inclined in a direction toward said well for directing liquid lubricant from said engine to said well.

In combination

• a liquid lubricant container, adapted to be mounted on the underside of an internal combustion engine, for storing a predetermined volume of liquid engine lubricant, said container including
• a bottom wall and an integral upstanding side wall for coupling to an internal combustion engine,
• said bottom wall including a lubricant receiving deep well for receiving and storing all of said engine lubricant;
• pump means operable to remove lubricant from said deep well and deliver said lubricant to said engine and thence to return to said container;
• said pump means being operative to reduce the level of lubricant in said deep well from a predetermined level to a substantially lower predetermined level;
• and
• make-up lubricant means for maintaining the level of said liquid lubricant in said deep well at said substantially lower predetermined level including
• airtight tank means for storing make-up liquid lubricant and having a lower discharge end, and
• conduit means coupled at its upper end to said lower discharge end of said tank means and including an open ended lower terminal end substantially at said lower predetermined level for allowing make-up liquid lubricant in said tank means to flow therethrough to said well under the force of gravity if the level of said liquid in said well drops below said lower predetermined level until the level of liquid in said well is raised to said lower predetermined level to close said lower terminal end.