Engine brake for a multicyclinder internal combustion engine

An engine brake for a multicylinder internal combustion engine comprising:

• (a) a decompression valve included within each cylinder of the multicylinder internal combustion engine;
• (b) a plurality of hydraulic pistons, each of said plurality of hydraulic pistons being connected to one of said decompression valves;
• (c) a positive displacement pump, having an inlet line and an outlet line, being actuated synchronously with the operation of said multicylinder internal combustion engine;
• (d) a hydraulic pressure distributor being actuated synchronously with the operation of said multicylinder internal combustion engine, said outlet line being in fluid communication with said hydraulic pressure distributor;
• and
• (e) a plurality of control lines extending out of said hydraulic pressure distributor and providing fluid communication with said plurality of hydraulic pistons, said hydraulic pressure distributor being in selective fluid communication with each of said control lines and a low pressure region, said selective fluid communication being synchronous with said camshaft of said internal combustion engine so that each of said decompression valves is opened in the vicinity of a compression and ignition reversal point of an operating piston of the multicylinder internal combustion engine, said low pressure region being in fluid communication with said inlet line of said positive displacement pump, said outlet line being in fluid communication with a volume resonator to smooth pressure pulsations.

An engine brake for a multicylinder internal combustion engine comprising:

• (a) a decompression valve included within each cylinder of the multicylinder internal combustion engine;
• (b) a plurality of hydraulic pistons, each of said plurality of hydraulic pistons being connected to one of said decompression valves;
• (c) a positive displacement pump, having an inlet line and an outlet line, being actuated synchronously with a camshaft of said multicylinder internal combustion engine;
• (d) a hydraulic pressure distributor being actuated synchronously with said camshaft of said multicylinder internal combustion engine, said outlet line being in fluid communication with said hydraulic pressure distributor;
• (e) a plurality of control lines extending out of said hydraulic pressure distributor and providing fluid communication with said plurality of hydraulic pistons, said hydraulic pressure distributor being in selective fluid communication with each of said control lines and a low pressure region, said selective fluid communication being synchronous with said camshaft so that each of said decompression valves is opened in the vicinity of a compression and ignition reversal point of an operating piston of the multicylinder internal combustion engine, said low pressure region being in fluid communication with said inlet line of said positive displacement pump;
• and
• (f) an electrically actuated pressure limiting valve being in fluid communication with said outlet line, the pressure limiting valve being adjustable to control a fluid pressure in communication with the hydraulic pressure distributor.

A method for varying the adjustment of the braking valve in a multicylinder internal combustion engine comprising the steps of:

• (a) actuating a positive displacement pump synchronously with a camshaft of the internal combustion engine;
• (b) actuating a hydraulic pressure distributor synchronously with the camshaft of the internal combustion engine;
• and
• (c) selectively opening an outlet valve in each cylinder of the internal combustion engine in synchrony with the camshaft of the internal combustion engine during a period of time in the vicinity of a compression and ignition reversal point of an operating piston of the internal combustion engine, the opening of the outlet valves being in response to a fluid pressure exiting from the positive displacement pump and being selectively applied to open the outlet valves by the hydraulic pressure distributor.