Valve cover

A cover for use on a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having a rotatable overhead camshaft and having associated with each respective cylinder (i) an operating mechanism for operating one or more engine parts in response to rotation of said camshaft and (ii) a pair of projecting members disposed adjacent to the operating mechanism of the cylinder with which the members are associated, the camshaft being supplied with lubricating oil a portion of which sprays from the camshaft when the camshaft rotates, said cover is for use in association with a respective one of the cylinders, said cover comprising:

• a plurality of walls including a top wall, said plurality of walls for at least partially enclosing the operating mechanism with which said cover is associated;
• a plurality of ribs projecting inward from said top wall for intercepting and collecting oil sprayed from the camshaft and for dripping the collected oil down onto the operating mechanism with which said cover is associated;
• a pair of projecting portions connected with said top wall and engageable in a press fit relationship with the projecting members on the engine for supporting said wall in a position adjacent to the camshaft;
• at least some of said plurality of walls having lower end portions which are spaced from the engine and which are not in sealing engagement with the engine when said projecting portions are engaged in the press fit relationship with the projecting members on the engine;
• and
• a collecting rib projecting inward from said top wall and having collection points for collecting oil flowing along the inside of said top wall and for dripping the oil from the collection points onto selected portions of the operating mechanism with which said cover is associated.

An apparatus comprising:

• (a) a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having a rotatable overhead camshaft and having associated with each respective cylinder an operating mechanism for operating one or more engine parts in response to rotation of said camshaft, said camshaft being supplied with lubricating oil a portion of which sprays when the camshaft rotates;
• (b) a multi-cylinder cover assembly enclosing at least a portion of said camshaft and a plurality of adjacent operating mechanisms;
• and
• (c) a plurality of single-cylinder covers disposed within said multi-cylinder cover assembly for use in association with respective ones of said plurality of adjacent operating mechanisms;
• each one of said single-cylinder covers comprising (1) a first wall for intercepting oil sprayed as a result of rotation of said camshaft and for directing the sprayed oil onto the respective one of said plurality of adjacent operating mechanisms with which said single-cylinder cover is associated, and (2) support means connected with said first wall for supporting said first wall in a position adjacent to the respective one of said plurality of adjacent operating mechanisms with which said single-cylinder cover is associated;
• each one of said single-cylinder covers including a series of axial ribs which extend parallel to said camshaft, said axial ribs being disposed generally above said camshaft, said axial ribs having surfaces for collecting oil sprayed from said camshaft and for redirecting the collected oil onto parts of the engine to lubricate the engine parts, said axial ribs having surfaces defining gaps in at least one of said ribs for channeling oil collected on said axial ribs to a location spaced apart from said axial ribs.

An apparatus comprising:

• (a) a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having a rotatable overhead camshaft and having associated with each respective cylinder an operating mechanism for operating one or more engine parts in response to rotation of said camshaft, said camshaft being supplied with lubricating oil a portion of which sprays when the camshaft rotates;
• (b) a multi-cylinder cover assembly enclosing at least a portion of said camshaft and a plurality of adjacent operating mechanisms;
• and
• (c) a plurality of single-cylinder covers disposed within said multi-cylinder cover assembly for use in association with respective ones of said plurality of adjacent operating mechanisms;
• each one of said single-cylinder covers comprising (1) a first wall for intercepting oil sprayed as a result of rotation of said camshaft and for directing the sprayed oil onto the respective one of said plurality of adjacent operating mechanisms with which said single-cylinder cover is associated, and (2) support means connected with said first wall for supporting said first wall in a position adjacent to the respective one of said plurality of adjacent operating mechanisms with which said single-cylinder cover is associated;
• each one of said single-cylinder covers including a collector rib formed on the inside of said first wall, said collector rib having points for collecting oil flowing along the inside of said collector rib and for dripping the oil from the points down onto selected portions of said operating mechanism of said cylinder with which said cover is associated, said collector rib having a generally W-shaped configuration.

A plurality of covers for use on a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having a rotatable overhead camshaft and having associated with each respective cylinder an operating mechanism for operating one or more engine parts in response to rotation of the camshaft, the camshaft being supplied with lubricating oil a portion of which sprays from the camshaft when the camshaft rotates, each one of said plurality of covers for use in association with a respective one of the cylinders, each one of said covers comprising:

• a plurality of outer walls for intercepting oil sprayed from said camshaft;
• and
• support means connected with said walls for supporting said walls in a position adjacent to the selected one of the cylinders;
• at least some of said outer walls of each one of said covers having lower end portions for location spaced from the engine and not in sealing engagement with the engine when said covers are supported in position adjacent to the cylinders;
• said plurality of outer walls of each one of said covers form respective inner enclosures enclosing the respective operating mechanisms with which said covers are associated, said plurality of outer walls of each one of said covers including a top wall and a series of interconnected side walls connected with said top wall and depending from said top wall to form said inner enclosure with an open-bottomed configuration;
• each one of said covers having an inner one of said side walls which has a lower end portion engageable with the engine to block flow of oil past said inner side wall.

A cover for use on a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having a rotatable overhead camshaft and having associated with each respective cylinder an operating mechanism for operating one or more valves in response to rotation of the camshaft, the camshaft being supplied with lubricating oil a portion of which sprays from the camshaft when the camshaft rotates, said cover being for use in association with a respective one of the cylinders, said cover comprising:

• at least one upper wall for intercepting oil sprayed from the camshaft;
• support means connected with said wall for supporting said upper wall in a position above the camshaft and adjacent to the selected one of the cylinders;
• and
• a plurality of ribs projecting inward from said upper wall and extending generally parallel to the camshaft for intercepting and collecting oil sprayed from the camshaft and for dripping the collected oil down onto the operating mechanism with which said cover is associated, said plurality of ribs including surfaces defining at least two gaps in at least one of said parallel ribs for channeling oil collected on said ribs to a location spaced apart from said ribs.

An apparatus comprising an internal combustion engine having an upper portion, an overhead camshaft connected with and rotatable relative to said upper portion of said engine, a plurality of rocker arms movable by said camshaft, and a cover connected with said upper portion of said engine and extending over at least a portion of said camshaft and said rocker arms, said cover including an upper wall portion which is engaged by lubricating liquid during operation of said engine, a first end wall portion which extends downward from said upper wall portion and which has a lower edge portion which at least partially defines an open gap between said first end wall portion and said upper portion of said engine, a second end wall portion which extends downward from said upper wall portion and which has a lower edge portion which at least partially defines an open gap between said second end wall portion and said upper portion of said engine, an inner wall portion which extends downward from said upper wall portion adjacent to said camshaft and extends along at least a portion of said camshaft, an outer wall portion which extends downward from said upper wall portion and which has a lower edge portion which at least partially defines an open gap between said outer wall portion and said upper portion of said engine, and a plurality of rib sections which extend downward from said upper wall portion, said rib sections being effective to promote downward dripping of lubricating liquid from said upper wall portion of said cover toward said camshaft and rocker arms during operation of said engine.

An apparatus comprising an internal combustion engine having an upper portion, a plurality of cylinders connected with said upper portion of said engine and disposed in a linear array, an overhead camshaft having a length which is at least substantially as great as a length of said linear array of cylinders and extending along said upper portion of said engine adjacent to each of said cylinders in said linear array of cylinders, a plurality of rocker arm assemblies, each of said rocker arm assemblies being disposed adjacent to one of said cylinders in said linear array of cylinders and being connected with said upper portion of said engine, each of said rocker arm assemblies being actuatable by said camshaft during operation of said engine, a plurality of inner covers disposed in a linear array having a length which is at least as great as the length of said linear array of cylinders, each of said inner covers in said linear array of inner covers having first and second recesses which open downward toward said upper portion of said engine and through which said camshaft extends, each of said inner covers in said linear array of inner covers enclosing at least one of said rocker arm assemblies and a portion of said camshaft, and an outer cover which extends over each of said inner covers in said linear array of inner covers, said outer cover having a length which is at least as great as the length of said linear array of inner covers, said outer cover being movable relative to said upper portion of said engine between a closed position extending over said linear array of inner covers and an open position to provide access to said linear array of inner covers.

An apparatus comprising an internal combustion engine having an upper portion, a plurality of cylinders connected with said upper portion of said engine and disposed in a linear array, a plurality of groups of projections are connected with said upper portion of said engine, each group of projections being disposed adjacent to one of said cylinders, a plurality of inner covers disposed in a linear array, each of said inner covers in said linear array of inner covers being disposed adjacent to one of said cylinders and enclosing one of said groups of projections, each one of said inner covers in said linear array of inner covers including an upper wall which extends over one of said groups of projections, each one of said inner covers in said linear array of inner covers including a plurality of tubular sections which are integrally formed as one piece with said upper wall of said one of said inner covers and extend downward from said upper wall of said one of said inner covers, each of said tubular sections of each one of said inner covers in said linear array of inner covers being disposed in a telescopic relationship with one of said projections to retain said one of said inner covers in a desired position relative to said upper portion of said engine during operation of said engine, and an outer cover which extends over each of said inner covers in said linear array of inner covers, said outer cover having a length which is at least as great as the length of said linear array of inner covers, said outer cover being movable relative to said upper portion of said engine between a closed position extending over said linear array of inner covers and an open position offset from said linear array of inner covers to provide access to said linear array of inner covers.