Cylinder leak detector
OwnerGary Sellersinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for detecting cylinder leaks in an internal combustion engine includes a hose having an end configured for communication with a spark plug hole connecting to a cylinder to be tested and an end for attachment to a source of pressurized gas. Flow of pressurized gas into the cylinder is limited to the maximum amount of allowable gas leakage from the cylinder. The hose end configured for communication with the spark plug hole includes a resilient stopper sized to seal the end of the hose with respect to the spark plug hole when manually pressed into and held in the spark plug hole. If gas pressure builds up in the cylinder against the stopper during limited gas flow into the cylinder, leakage from the cylinder is below the allowed maximum leakage. Lack of gas pressure build-up indicates excessive cylinder leakage.
Claims15
Apparatus for detecting cylinder leaks allowing more than a predetermined maximum volume of pressurized gas to leak from a cylinder in an internal combustion engine, comprising:
- a hose having a first end configured to be held by manual pressure by a user in sealing position in communication with a spark plug hole connecting to the cylinder to be tested wherein build up of pressurized gas in the cylinder will act against the manual pressure applied by the user to hold the end in the spark plug hole, and a second end configured for attachment to a source of pressurized gas pressurized to a pressure that will require noticeable force by a user to hold the end in place in the spark plug hole if such pressure builds up within the cylinder;
- and
- an orifice positioned between the first and second ends with no flow connections between the orifice and first end, said orifice positioned to limit flow of pressurized gas from the source of pressurized gas into the cylinder to be tested when the second end of the hose is connected to a source of pressurized gas, said orifice limiting the flow of pressurized gas to an amount about equal to the predetermined maximum allowable leakage, leakage more than the predetermine maximum being determined by a lack of pressure build up in the cylinder while leakage less than the predetermined maximum being determined by a build up of pressure in the cylinder which is determined by the user noticing that force is required to hold the first end in the spark plug hole.
Apparatus for detecting cylinder leaks allowing more than a predetermined maximum volume of pressurized gas to leak from a cylinder, comprising:
- a conduit having a first end configured to be held by manual pressure by a user in sealing position in communication with a spark plug hole connecting to the cylinder to be tested wherein build up of pressurized gas in the cylinder will act against the manual pressure applied by the user to hold the end in the spark plug hole, and a second end configured for attachment to a source of pressurized gas pressurized to a pressure that will require noticeable force by a user to hold the end in place in the spark plug hole if such pressure builds up within the cylinder;
- and
- means, when the second end of the conduit is connected to a source of pressurized gas, to control flow of pressurized gas from the source of pressurized gas into the cylinder to be tested to an amount about equal to the predetermined maximum allowable leakage, leakage more than the predetermine maximum being determined by a lack of pressure build up in the cylinder while leakage less than the predetermined maximum being determined by a build up of pressure in the cylinder which is determined by the user noticing that force is required to hold the first end in the spark plug hole, there being no flow connections to the conduit between the means and the first end.
A method for detecting cylinder leaks, comprising:
- manually holding a source of pressurized gas in sealing position in a spark plug hole connecting to a cylinder to be tested, the pressure of the pressurized gas being sufficient to require noticeable force by a user to hold the first end in place in the spark plug hole if such pressure builds up within the cylinder;
- controlling the flow of pressurized gas into the cylinder to be tested to limit the flow of gas to a maximum amount of allowable gas leakage from the cylinder;
- and
- determining if gas pressure builds up in the cylinder during gas flow into the cylinder, lack of gas pressure build-up indicating cylinder leakage and a build up of pressure in the cylinder, which is determined by the user noticing that force is required to hold the first end of the conduit in the spark plug hole, indicating leakage less than the allowable maximum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.