US2450556A - Engine rocker arm - Google Patents

Description

Patented Oct. 5, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ENGINE ROCKER ARM James M. Leake, Monroe, Mich.

Application February 19, 1945, Serial No. 578,657

2 Claims.

My invention relates to engine rocker arms and more particularly to the type of rocker arm used to operate the valves of an internal Combustion engine.

My former stamped rocker arms, disclosed in Patents Nos. 2,176,083, 2,338,726 and 2,345,822 provide many advantages over the old style of cast and forged engine rocker arm which were of solid cross sectional construction.

My improved engine rocker arm combines the advantages of the old style cast and forged rocker arms with the advantages of my former pressed sheet metal engine rocker arms.

One object of my invention is to provide an engine rocker arm that is light in weight.

Another object of my invention is to provide an engine rocker arm with a hollow cross-sectional construction formed from sheet material.

Another object of my invention is to provide an engine rocker arm that provides adequate lubrication control.

Another object of my invention is to provide an engine rocker arm that can be provided with walls of varying thickness.

Another object of my invention is to provide an engine rocker arm that is strong, durable and inexpensive.

With these and other objects in View, my invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangements of the various parts of my improved device as described in the specification, claimed in the claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my improved type engine rocker arm.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of my improved type engine rocker arm shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of my improved engine rocker arm shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is an end view of my improved engine rocker arm.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the fixed contact bearing used in my improved engine rocker arm.

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the contact bearing shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a side view of the reinforcing members used in my improved engine rocker arm.

Fig. 10 is an end view of the reinforcing member shown in Fig. 9.

Referring to the drawings in more detail, in

Fig. 1 I have shown a stamped 0r pressed arm member lil. This arm member In is pressed from a fiat sheet metal blank which has been cut to a predetermined size and shape. The arm member l0 comprises substantially parallel side walls il-H spaced a substantial distance apart, and an upper wall l2 integral with the side walls I I- ll, thus producing an inverted U-shaped cross section as shown in Fig. 6. The side walls I l-l I are joined by end wall portions which are integral with the side walls lI--Il and the upper wall !2. Thus a continuous wall is provided around the sides and ends of the arm member Ill.

The walls of one end of my improved engine rocker arm are formed into a partial hexagonal hollow prism portion is which is adapted to receive a hexagonal nut 14. The hexagonal nut I4 is adapted to receive the stem l5 of the adjustable contacting bearing IS. The lock nut ll locks the adjustable contacting bearing IS in a predetermined position.

A fixed contacting bearing I8 is located in the other end of the rocker arm member Ill. The fixed contacting bearing l8 comprises a stem portion 19 and an upset head portion 20 which is integral with the stem portion [9, The stem portion I9 is secured between the walls II and the end wall as shown in Fig. 2.

The nut l4 and stem 19 of the fixed contacting bearing are preferably brazed in position although they may be secured by spot welding, projection welding or any other suitable process. The face 2| of the fixed contacting bearing is provided with a smooth curved surface which is hardened to withstand wear.

Holes are provided in the side walls llll of the arm member l0. These holes are directly opposite each other and are adapted to receive a hub member 22. The hub member 22 may be cut from seamless tubing or it may be formed from a sheet metal blank. The hub is pressed into the arm member ID and is then preferably brazed in position. A bushing or bearing member 23 is pressed in the hub 22. When the engine rocker arm is installed on an internal combustion engine, the engine rocker shaft (not shown) fits in the bushing 23. An oil tube 24 extends from the bushing 23 to the top surface of the rocker arm as shown in Fig. 5. The passageway 25 in the tube 24 communicates with the oil passageway 26 in the bushing 23, thus providing a sealed oil passageway from the rocker arm shaft to the top of the engine rocker arm. Oil under pressure from a suitable source of supply is fed from an oil passageway in the rocker arm shaft (not shown) to oil passageways 26 and 26 to the top surface 21 of the rocker arm. Oil metering surfaces 28-28 adjacent the top surface 21 control the flow of oil to each end of the engine rocker arm. Oil flowing off of the sides of the metering surfaces 2828 flows down the sides of the rocker arm, drops into a reservoir and then is returned to the supply source. Oil flowing over the metering surfaces 28-28 flows to the ends of the rocker arm then down the sides-and ends" of the. rocker arm and ultimately reaches the adjustable and fixed contacting bearings 16 and It. The flow of oil to these points is controlled by varying the length width ratio of the oil meteringrsurfaces" 28-28. The oil flow to each end of the arm member can be controlled independently because one of the oil metering surfacesu28 controls the: flow of oil to one end, while the other oil metering surface 28 controls the flow of oil to the other end of the engine rocker arm.

AnLaperture ZQ provides ansopening for the stemi=5 of the adjustable contacting bearing to pass through: the arm member;

Reinforcing? members 30 arersecured adjacent the sidewalls l-ll l between the hub 22 and the nut MA The reinforcingmembers 30 are provided with. a recess 3| to provide a means for hol'ding' the reinforcingxmemberszin place during assemblyz After the nut M is placed in the hollow prism portion 13, T the reinforcing plates 30440 are placedin position; The hub 22 is thenpressed in position. The hub 22 fits into the recess-3| holding: the reinforcing members 30 in place-.-

The reinforcing :members are. then brazed'in positionz=-All of the brazing is'preferablydone at one time, that is, the nut M, the hub 22, the fixed contacting bearing 8 and the reinforcing members 30'-30 are all brac'ed'in position. in a brazing fm'nace at the same time.-

After the brazing is completed, the bushing 23 and-the contactinglbearingl" l6 are securedin position.

The reinforcing members- 30-30 are sym metrical-so that if the members are coated on one sidewith a brazing material, the same member or piece can be used on either-side.

It Will readily be noted-"that my improved engine rocker arm has an inverted U-shaped cross section at any point. It is closed on top so that dirt: cannot collect in the arm member; The upper Wall also provides an oil metering surface; Rigidity-is provided for the side-wallswhen the hubis brazed to the side walls. The "reinforcing members provide added strength at the Weaker contacting bearing in my improved ty-pe'of engine rocker arm also tendsto keep it in position.

My improved engine rocker arm provides all of the advantages of the rocker arms disclosed in Patents Nos. 2,176,083, 2,338,726 and 2,345,822 plus the advantages described above.

While I have described the details of one form of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the particular form shown and described as it will be apparent that many modifications therein may be made without departing from the scope of my invention as set forth in the Tappended'claims.

Having -thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An engine rocker arm comprising a sheet metal arm member, said arm member comprising spaced side walls, a partial cylindrical wall portion at one end of said arm member, a hollow partial prism wall portion at the other end of said arm member and an upper wall integral with said side. walls, said partial cylindrical wall portion and said hollow partial prism wall portion at the upper edges thereof; a hub intermediate the ends of said arm member; a fixed contacting bearing-secured in said partial cylindrical wall portion; an internally threaded member secured in said partial prism wall portion; an adjustable contacting. bearing provided with a threaded stem-portion adjustably secured in said internally threaded-member, said internally threaded member secured in said partial prism portion intermediate: said upper wall and said adjustable contacting bearing; and a hollow member extending from said hub to an aperture in said upper wall. 2. An engine rockerarm comprising a, sheet metal arm member, said arm member comprising spaced side walls, a partial cylindricalwall portion at one. end of said arm member, a hollow partial prismyvall portion at theother end of said armmember and an upper wall integral with said side walls, said partial cylindrical wall portion .andsaid hollow partial prism wall portion at the upper edges thereof; a hub intermediate the ends of said arm member; a fixed contacting bearing secured in said partial cylindrical wall portion; an internally threaded member secured in said-partial. prism wall portion; an adjustable contacting bearing provided with a threaded stem portion adjustably secured in said internally threaded member, said internally threadedrmembersecuredin said partial prism portion intermediate said upper Wall and said-adjustable contactingibearing; a hollow member extending from said hub. to an aperture in said upper wall; and a narrowed surface portion in said upper wall.

JAMES M. LEAKE'.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are'of record in the filetof t-hisi'patentst UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,872,982.-- La Brie Aug. 23, 1932 2,176,083 Leake Oct. 17,193!) 2,288,831 OHarrow July 7, 1942 2,345,822 Leake Apr..'4, 1944

Images