Cylinder head assembly with coupled valve assemblies

Abstract

A cylinder head assembly includes a coupled valve assembly, wherein valves are coupled together such that they are simultaneously actuated via a single rocker arm, push-rod, lifter, lobe, and cam shaft. The cylinder head assembly may be used in conjunction with an engine or may replace a cylinder head of the engine to increase the valves in at least one cylinder without extensive modification of the engine structure. The coupled valve assembly includes a bridge having opposed ends, each having a lower surface in contact with a valve stem, and a rocker arm that is generally parallel to the bridge and engages the bridge to actuate the valves.

1 . A valve-coupling assembly for coupling two valves, each having a valve stem and a valve stem end, to a single cam-shaft, lobe, lifter, and push-rod of an engine, the assembly comprising: 
 a bridge comprising, 
 an upper platform, and  
 opposed ends, each opposed end having a lower surface, and each lower surface having a contact point in contact with a valve stem end, the position of the contact point changing as the valve stem end moves on the lower surface, wherein the opposed end is configured to retain the valve stem end in contact with the lower surface and the lower surface is configured to maintain the valve stem in perpendicular alignment with a plane tangential to the contact point; and  
   a rocker arm pivotally connected to the engine and engaging the push-rod and the upper platform of the bridge,    such that when the cam shaft, lobe, and lifter of the engine raise the push-rod, the rocker arm pivots to lower the bridge which concurrently lowers the valve stems.    
   
   
       2 . The valve-coupling assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each lower surface has a convex radius of curvature, and wherein each opposed end has a three-sided retaining wall that extends from the upper platform past its lower surface.  
   
   
       3 . The valve-coupling assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the rocker arm comprises a cylindrical roller in contact with the upper platform of the bridge such that as the rocker arm pivots the roller travels along the upper platform of the bridge.  
   
   
       4 . The valve-coupling assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the roller travels along a line on the upper platform that extends along the length and bisects the width of the upper platform.  
   
   
       5 . The valve-coupling assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the roller is configured to maintain the rocker arm in parallel alignment with the bridge.  
   
   
       6 . The valve-coupling assembly of  claim 5 , the upper platform further comprising a concave groove that extends along the length of the upper platform, and the roller further comprising a convex annular protrusion, wherein the annular protrusion engages the groove as the roller travels along the upper platform to maintain the rocker arm and the bridge in parallel alignment.  
   
   
       7 . The valve-coupling assembly of  claim 5 , further comprising a cylindrical flange on each side of the cylindrical roller, wherein each cylindrical flange extends past the upper platform to maintain the bridge in parallel alignment with the rocker arm as the roller travels along the upper platform.  
   
   
       8 . A replacement cylinder head assembly for a reciprocating piston internal combustion engine, the engine having an engine block, a cylinder head, a cam shaft, a lobe, a lifter and a push-rod, the replacement cylinder head assembly used for adding a valve to a cylinder of the engine by replacing the cylinder head of the engine with the replacement cylinder head assembly, the replacement cylinder head assembly comprising: 
 a replacement cylinder head, configured to function in substantially the same manner as the cylinder head of the engine, and configured to engage the engine block in substantially the same manner as the cylinder head of the engine such that the replacement cylinder head may be added to the engine block without altering the engine block, the replacement cylinder head comprising, 
 a replacement valve opening, and  
 a new valve opening;  
   one coupled valve assembly for the new valve opening, the coupled valve assembly comprising,    coupled valves, including a replacement valve for the replacement valve opening and a new valve for the new valve opening, wherein each valve has a valve stem and a disc that fits within the valve opening,    a rocker arm pivotally connected to the replacement cylinder head and engaging the push-rod, and    a bridge engaging the rocker arm and the valve stems, wherein the bridge is configured to maintain the valve stems in parallel alignment with the plane of motion of the rocker arm,    such that when the cam shaft, lobe, and lifter of the engine raise the push-rod, the rocker arm pivots to lower the bridge, which lowers each valve from its valve opening.    
   
   
       9 . The replacement cylinder head assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the bridge comprises: 
 an upper platform, and    opposed ends, each opposed end having a lower surface, and each lower surface having a contact point in contact with a valve stem end, the position of the contact point changing as the valve stem end moves on the lower surface, wherein the opposed end is configured to retain the valve stem end in contact with the lower surface and the lower surface is configured to maintain the valve stem in perpendicular alignment with a plane tangential to the contact point.    
   
   
       10 . The replacement cylinder head assembly of  claim 9 , wherein each lower surface has a convex radius of curvature, and wherein each opposed end has a three-sided retaining wall that extends from the upper platform past its lower surface.  
   
   
       11 . The replacement cylinder head assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the rocker arm comprises a cylindrical roller in contact with the upper platform of the bridge such that as the rocker arm pivots the roller travels along the upper platform of the bridge.  
   
   
       12 . The replacement cylinder head assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the roller travels along a line on the upper platform that extends along the length and bisects the width of the upper platform  
   
   
       13 . The replacement cylinder head assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the roller is configured to maintain the rocker arm in parallel alignment with the bridge.  
   
   
       14 . The replacement cylinder head assembly of  claim 13 , the upper platform further comprising a concave groove that extends along the length of the upper platform, and the roller further comprising a convex annular protrusion, wherein the annular protrusion engages the groove as the roller travels along the upper platform to maintain the rocker arm and the bridge in parallel alignment.  
   
   
       15 . The replacement cylinder head assembly of  claim 13 , further comprising a cylindrical flange on each side of the cylindrical roller, wherein each cylindrical flange extends past the upper platform to maintain the bridge in parallel alignment with the rocker arm as the roller travels along the upper platform.  
   
   
       16 . A kit for replacing the cylinder head of a reciprocating internal combustion engine, the engine having an engine block, a cylinder head, a cam shaft, a lobe, a lifter and a push-rod, the kit comprising: 
 a replacement cylinder head, configured to function in substantially the same manner as the cylinder head of the engine, and configured to engage the engine block in substantially the same manner as the cylinder head of the engine such that the replacement cylinder head may be added to the engine block without altering the engine block, the replacement cylinder head comprising, 
 a replacement inlet valve opening, and  
 a new inlet valve opening;  
   one coupled valve assembly for the new inlet valve opening, the coupled valve assembly comprising: 
 coupled valves, including a replacement valve for the replacement inlet valve opening and a new valve for the new inlet valve opening, wherein each valve has a valve stem and a disc that fits within the valve opening,  
 a rocker arm pivotally connected to the replacement cylinder head, and  
 a bridge engaging the rocker arm and the valve stems, wherein the bridge is configured to maintain the valve stems in parallel alignment with the plane of motion of the rocker arm;  
   a replacement push-rod for each coupled valve assembly, engaging the lifter and the rocker arm; and    at least one standard exhaust valve assembly, wherein the standard value assembly comprises a standard exhaust valve actuated using a standard rocker arm.    
   
   
       17 . A method of delivering a fuel and air mixture to an internal combustion piston engine, comprising: 
 placing a bridge having its ends in contact with the stems of adjacent valves,    urging the bridge downwardly at a position between the ends of the bridge with a roller to open the valves,    rolling the roller along the length of the bridge as the roller urges the bridge downwardly, and    maintaining the roller aligned on the bridge with protrusions extending from the roller.