Vertical engine

Abstract

A number of embodiments of high pressure pumps for internal combustion engines having vertically extending output shafts. In each embodiment, the high pressure pump has its pump driving shaft rotatable about an axis that is parallel to the crankshaft axis and is driven by the crankshaft. This arrangement lends itself to application in outboard motors. The high pressure pump includes an integral lubricating pump for lubricating components of the high pressure pump.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A fuel injected internal combustion engine having an output shaft rotatable about a vertically extending output shaft axis and driven by the combustion within the engine, a high pressure piston pump driven by a rotatable pump driving shaft journaled for rotation about a vertically extending pump drive axis and extending parallel to said engine output shaft axis, pump drive means for driving said pump drive shaft from said engine output shaft, and a lubricant pump driven off one end of said pump drive shaft for pumping lubricant to the elements of said high pressure pump. 
     
     
       2. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  1 , wherein the engine is a reciprocating engine and the engine output shaft comprises a crankshaft. 
     
     
       3. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  1 , wherein the lubricant pump is driven off the lower end of the pump drive shaft. 
     
     
       4. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  1 , wherein the pump drive shaft drives at least two pumping plungers. 
     
     
       5. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  4 , wherein the pumping plungers are disposed at an angle to each other, but in the same vertical plane. 
     
     
       6. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  5 , wherein the pumping plungers are opposed to each other. 
     
     
       7. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  4 , wherein the pumping plungers are arrayed in a vertical plane. 
     
     
       8. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  7 , wherein each pumping plunger is driven by a separate cam lobe. 
     
     
       9. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  3 , wherein the pump drive shaft is supported by a pair of spaced apart bearings and wherein the lubricant pump delivers lubricant to the bearings. 
     
     
       10. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  9 , wherein the lubricant pump further delivers lubricant to the pumping plunger for the lubrication of the pumping plunger. 
     
     
       11. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  10 , wherein the lubricant from the pumping plunger and the bearings is returned by gravity to the lubricant pump. 
     
     
       12. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  2 , wherein the lubricant pump is driven from the engine output shaft by a flexible transmitter. 
     
     
       13. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  12 , wherein the flexible transmitter comprises a chain. 
     
     
       14. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  1 , wherein the engine comprises the power plant of a marine outboard drive. 
     
     
       15. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  14 , wherein the engine is a reciprocating engine and the engine output shaft comprises a crankshaft. 
     
     
       16. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  14 , wherein the lubricant pump is driven off the lower end of the pump drive shaft. 
     
     
       17. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  14 , wherein the pump drive shaft drives at least two pumping plungers. 
     
     
       18. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  17 , wherein the pumping plungers are disposed at an angle to each other, but in die same vertical plane. 
     
     
       19. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  18 , wherein the pumping plungers are opposed to each other. 
     
     
       20. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  17 , wherein the pumping plungers are arrayed in a vertical plane. 
     
     
       21. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  20 , wherein each pumping plunger is driven by a separate cam lobe. 
     
     
       22. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  16 , wherein the pump drive shaft is supported by a pair of spaced apart bearings and wherein the lubricant pump delivers lubricant to the bearings. 
     
     
       23. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  22 , wherein the lubricant pump further delivers lubricant to the pumping plunger for the lubrication of the pumping plunger. 
     
     
       24. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  23 , wherein the lubricant from the pumping plunger and the bearings is returned by gravity to the lubricant pump. 
     
     
       25. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  15 , wherein the lubricant pump is driven from the engine output shaft by a flexible transmitter. 
     
     
       26. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  25 , wherein the flexible transmitter comprises a chain. 
     
     
       27. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  14 , wherein the engine comprises a reciprocating engine and the engine output shaft comprises a crankshaft driven by a pair of pistons slidably supported in a cylinder block having opposed cylinder banks, each defining at least one bore receiving respective one of said pistons. 
     
     
       28. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  27 , wherein the high pressure pump is disposed in a valley between the cylinder banks. 
     
     
       29. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  28 , wherein the high pressure pump has at least two plungers driven by the pump driving shaft and which are disposed in opposed relationship to each other. 
     
     
       30. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  27 , wherein the high pressure pump is disposed adjacent one side of one of the cylinder banks of the engine. 
     
     
       31. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  30 , wherein the pump has a plurality of pumping plungers disposed in a vertically arranged plane and which lie at a complementary angle to the angle of the cylinder bank. 
     
     
       32. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  27 , wherein the high pressure pump has a pair of pumping plungers disposed at a V angle to each other and is disposed on one side of one of the cylinder banks. 
     
     
       33. The fuel injected internal combustion engine of claim  32 , wherein one of the pumping plungers reciprocates along an axis that is generally parallel to the axis of the cylinder bore of the adjacent cylinder bank and the other of the pumping plungers reciprocates along an axis that is generally perpendicular to the axis of the first pumping plunger. 
     
     
       34. An outboard motor comprised of a power head consisting of an internal combustion engine and a surrounding protective cowling and a driveshaft housing and lower unit containing a propulsion device within said lower unit depending from said power head, said engine being mounted within said protective cowling so that its crankshaft rotates about a vertically-extending axis, said crankshaft being coupled to a drive shaft that depends into said driveshaft housing and lower unit for driving said propulsion device, said engine being formed with a plurality of combustion chambers, a plurality of fuel injectors for injecting fuel directly into respective of said combustion chambers, a high pressure fuel pump contained within said protective cowling and having a pumping element reciprocating along a horizontal axis for pressurizing fuel for delivery to said fuel injectors, and a mechanical transmission for driving said pumping element from said crankshaft for delivering, high pressure fuel to said fuel injector. 
     
     
       35. An outboard motor as set forth in claim  34  wherein the pumping element is operated by a rotating cam. 
     
     
       36. An outboard motor as set forth in claim  35  wherein the rotating cam rotates about a vertically extending axis that is parallel to the axis of rotation of the crankshaft. 
     
     
       37. An outboard motor as set forth in claim  36  wherein the rotating cam is positioned externally of the engine body. 
     
     
       38. An outboard motor as set forth in claim  37  wherein the rotating cam is fixed for rotation with a camshaft that is directly driven by the crankshaft through a flexible transmitter. 
     
     
       39. An outboard motor as set forth in claim  34  wherein the engine is a spark ignited engine. 
     
     
       40. An outboard motor as set forth in claim  39  wherein the fuel injectors, inject fuel directly into the combustion chambers.