Chavez shipping gold back to Venezuela.

Friday as the first shipment arrived on a flight from Paris.

Troops guarded the shipment in a caravan of at least five armored trucks that carried the gold to the Central Bank in Caracas.

A group of government supporters cheered and waved flags as the caravan passed, with soldiers holding their rifles at the ready. Two light tanks escorted the shipment.

Chavez announced in August that his government would retrieve more than 211 tons of gold held in U.S. and European banks.

Chavez announced earlier Friday that the first of the gold was on its way.

"It's coming to the place it never should have left. ... The vaults of the Central Bank of Venezuela, not the bank of London or the bank of the United States," Chavez said. "It's our gold."

He said that previously the gold was held in Britain. He didn't specify the bank nor say how much was in the shipment.
The leftist president has said his decision to repatriate the gold reserves is aimed at helping to protect the oil-producing country from economic troubles in the United States and Europe.

Economist Pedro Palma, who is a professor at the Institute of Higher Studies of Administration, said he saw no economic justification for moving the gold.

"From the economic point view, it is the same to have it here as in England. The reserves will not change because of this," Palma said. He said it seemed to be an attempt to show the public "heroic actions" on the part of the government.

Chavez's opponents have called the plan costly and ill-advised.

Central Bank president Nelson Merentes said the gold has been held abroad since the late 1980s as backing for loans requested from the International Monetary Fund by prior governments.

With the gold in Venezuela, Merentes said, "it's a guarantee" for the country.

"If there's some problem in the international markets, here it's going to be safe," Merentes said

Missing Iraq money may have been stolen, auditors say

U.S. Defense officials still cannot say what happened to $6.6 billion, sent by the planeload in cash and intended for Iraq's reconstruction after the start of the war.

June 13, 2011|By Paul Richter, Los Angeles Times

After the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, the George W. Bush administration flooded the conquered country with so much cash to pay for reconstruction and other projects in the first year that a new unit of measurement was born.
Pentagon officials determined that one giant C-130 Hercules cargo plane could carry $2.4 billion in shrink-wrapped bricks of $100 bills. They sent an initial full planeload of cash, followed by 20 other flights to Iraq by May 2004 in a $12-billion haul that U.S. officials believe to be the biggest international cash airlift of all time.
This month, the Pentagon and the Iraqi government are finally closing the books on the program that handled all those Benjamins. But despite years of audits and investigations, U.S. Defense officials still cannot say what happened to $6.6 billion in cash — enough to run the Los Angeles Unified School District or the Chicago Public Schools for a year, among many other things.
For the first time, federal auditors are suggesting that some or all of the cash may have been stolen, not just mislaid in an accounting error. Stuart Bowen, special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, an office created by Congress, said the missing $6.6 billion may be "the largest theft of funds in national history."
The mystery is a growing embarrassment to the Pentagon, and an irritant to Washington's relations with Baghdad. Iraqi officials are threatening to go to court to reclaim the money, which came from Iraqi oil sales, seized Iraqi assets and surplus funds from the United Nations' oil-for-food program.
It's fair to say that Congress, which has already shelled out $61 billion of U.S. taxpayer money for similar reconstruction and development projects in Iraq, is none too thrilled either.
"Congress is not looking forward to having to spend billions of our money to make up for billions of their money that we can't account for, and can't seem to find," said Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills), who presided over hearings on waste, fraud and abuse in Iraq six years ago when he headed the House Government Reform Committee.
Theft of such a staggering sum might seem unlikely, but U.S. officials aren't ruling it out. Some U.S. contractors were accused of siphoning off tens of millions in kickbacks and graft during the post-invasion period, especially in its chaotic early days. But Iraqi officials were viewed as prime offenders.
The U.S. cash airlift was a desperation measure, organized when the Bush administration was eager to restore government services and a shattered economy to give Iraqis confidence that the new order would be a drastic improvement on Saddam Hussein's Iraq.
The White House decided to use the money in the so-called Development Fund for Iraq, which was created by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to hold money amassed during the years when Hussein's regime was under crippling economic and trade sanctions.
The cash was carried by tractor-trailer trucks from the fortress-like Federal Reserve currency repository in East Rutherford, N.J., to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, then flown to Baghdad. U.S. officials there stored the hoard in a basement vault at one of Hussein's former palaces, and at U.S. military bases, and eventually distributed the money to Iraqi ministries and contractors.
But U.S. officials often didn't have time or staff to keep strict financial controls. Millions of dollars were stuffed in gunnysacks and hauled on pickups to Iraqi agencies or contractors, officials have testified.

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House Government Reform Committee investigators charged in 2005 that U.S. officials "used virtually no financial controls to account for these enormous cash withdrawals once they arrived in Iraq, and there is evidence of substantial waste, fraud and abuse in the actual spending and disbursement of the Iraqi funds."
Pentagon officials have contended for the last six years that they could account for the money if given enough time to track down the records. But repeated attempts to find the documentation, or better yet the cash, were fruitless.
Iraqi officials argue that the U.S. government was supposed to safeguard the stash under a 2004 legal agreement it signed with Iraq. That makes Washington responsible, they say.
Abdul Basit Turki Saeed, Iraq's chief auditor and president of the Iraqi Board of Supreme Audit, has warned U.S. officials that his government will go to court if necessary to recoup the missing money.
"Clearly Iraq has an interest in looking after its assets and protecting them," said Samir Sumaidaie, Iraq's ambassador to the United States.
paul.richter@latimes.com

A National Debt Of $14 Trillion? Try $211 Trillion

by NPR Staff August 6, 2011

All Things Considered

August 6, 2011

When Standard & Poor's reduced the nation's credit rating from AAA to AA-plus, the United States suffered the first downgrade to its credit rating ever. S&P took this action despite the plan Congress passed this past week to raise the debt limit.

The downgrade, S&P said, "reflects our opinion that the fiscal consolidation plan that Congress and the administration recently agreed to falls short of what, in our view, would be necessary to stabilize the government's medium-term debt dynamics."

It's those medium- and long-term debt problems that also worry economics professor Laurence J. Kotlikoff, who served as a senior economist on President Reagan's Council of Economic Advisers. He says the national debt, which the U.S. Treasury has accounted at about $14 trillion, is just the tip of the iceberg.

"We have all these unofficial debts that are massive compared to the official debt," Kotlikoff tells David Greene, guest host of weekends on All Things Considered. "We're focused just on the official debt, so we're trying to balance the wrong books."

Kotlikoff explains that America's "unofficial" payment obligations — like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits — jack up the debt figure substantially.

Courtesy of Boston University

Laurence J. Kotlikoff served as a senior economist on President Ronald Reagan's Council of Economic Advisers and is a professor of economics at Boston University.

"If you add up all the promises that have been made for spending obligations, including defense expenditures, and you subtract all the taxes that we expect to collect, the difference is $211 trillion. That's the fiscal gap," he says. "That's our true indebtedness."

We don't hear more about this enormous number, Kotlikoff says, because politicians have chosen their language carefully to keep most of the problem off the books.

"Why are these guys thinking about balancing the budget?" he says. "They should try and think about our long-term fiscal problems."

According to Kotlikoff, one of the biggest fiscal problems Congress should focus on is America's obligation to make Social Security payments to future generations of the elderly.

"We've got 78 million baby boomers who are poised to collect, in about 15 to 20 years, about $40,000 per person. Multiply 78 million by $40,000 — you're talking about more than $3 trillion a year just to give to a portion of the population," he says. "That's an enormous bill that's overhanging our heads, and Congress isn't focused on it."

"We've consistently done too little too late, looked too short-term, said the future would take care of itself, we'll deal with that tomorrow," he says. "Well, guess what? You can't keep putting off these problems."

To eliminate the fiscal gap, Kotlikoff says, the U.S. would have to have tax increases and spending reductions far beyond what's being negotiated right now in Washington.

"What you have to do is either immediately and permanently raise taxes by about two-thirds, or immediately and permanently cut every dollar of spending by 40 percent forever. The [Congressional Budget Office's] numbers say we have an absolutely enormous problem facing us."

The Economy

After many years of book research I am convinced that all crises are created by government for societal manipulation. I am Henry Kroll, author of ten books that I market on line, www.GuardDogBooks.com

Every country’s worth is measured by its natural resources, commodities, inventiveness and the sweat and blood of its people who earn the original dollar. Correct me if I am wrong about this. If you disagree with this statement I want to know why. Please post your reply on my Facebook page.

The fishermen, farmers, loggers, miners, oil men and manufactures are the ones who harvest the natural resources to earn the original dollar. All others are parasites living off the labor of these people.

When the government gives away trillions of the precious original dollars to foreign countries and prints more money to keep the economy moving it steals our savings, our retirement, our Social Security and our life blood. Why can’t the Harvard economists figure this out?

You can’t have a prosperous economy without money! No amount of Conservative budget cutting is going to solve the current problem—only prolong the agony.

There is a money shortage in America! Bush Junior and Senior sent trillions to Iraq and Affiganistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and every country in the Middle East. We are sending 8 billion a year to Affiganistan. We send five billion a year to Israel and we have been giving Hosni Mubarak one billion a year for decades. They sent 300 billion to Iraq 6-billion at a time. They lost a C-130 plane load of hundred dollar bills. It probably fell into the hands of Al-Qaida

Obama gave the big banks a trillion who sent the money overseas to bail out the fraudulently bundled mortgages and derivatives.  The money went to Germany, England and China…. The US has been sending trillions overseas to maintain over 200 military bases for decades.

The solution:

Get rid of the Foreign owned Federal Reserve banks and print our own money 150-million Americans could die in the next two years if we don’t act. This is the end of America!  

MONEY NEVER TRICKELS DOWN—IT ONLY TRICKELS UP. RICH PEOPLE HAVE HUNDREDS OF YEARS EXPERIENCE HIDING MONEY IN THEIR TRUSTS, FOUNDATIONS AND OFFSHORE ACCOUNTS.

The solution: give every small business in America $300,000. This would be equivalent to what Obama gave the big banks. The government would get all the money back in two years BECAUSE PEOPLE WOULD BE PAYING INCOME TAX.

Businesses would have money to hire people.

There would be no unemployment crises.

There would be no welfare crises.

There would be no banking crises because the money would go into the local small banks so they can make loans.

No mortgage crises: People would have money to pay their mortgages.

There would be no Social Security crises!

To learn more read my book, The FROG IS COOKED. Go: www.GuardDogBooks.com

Why did Obama closed down auto dealerships?

> CHRYSLER'S DIRTY STORY!! UNBELIEVABLE!!!
>
>
> Sooner or later this will all come to light!
>
>
> This could be a scandal of epic proportions and one that makes Nixon's Watergate
or Clinton's Monica Lewinsky affair pale by comparison.
>
> Why was there neither rhyme nor reason as to which dealerships of the Chrysler
Corporation were to be closed?
>
> Roll the clock back to the weeks just before Chrysler declared bankruptcy.
Chrysler, like GM, was in dire financial straits and OUR federal government
"graciously" offered to "buy the company" and keep them out of bankruptcy and
"save jobs."
>
> Chrysler was, in the words of Obama and his administration, "Too big to fail,"
same story with GM.
>
> The feds organized their "Automotive Task Force" to fix Chrysler and GM. Obama,
in an act that is 100% unconstitutional, appointed a guy named Steve Rattner to
be the White House's official Car Czar - literally, that's what his title is.
>
> Rattner is the liaison between Obama, Chrysler, and GM.
>
> Initially, the national media reported that Chrysler 'had made this list of
dealerships'. Not true!
>
> The Washington Examiner, Newsmax, Fox News and a host of other n ews agencies
discovered that the list of dealerships was put together by the "Automotive Task
Force" headed by no one other than Mr. Steve Rattner.
>
> Now the plot thickens.
>
> Remember earlier we said that there was neither rhyme nor reason why certain
dealerships were closed?
>
> Actually there's a very interesting pattern as to who was closed down. Again, on
May 27, 2009, The Washington Examiner and Newsmax exposed the connection.
>
> Amazingly, of the 789 dealerships closed by the federal government, 788 had
donated money, exclusively to Republican political causes, while contributing
nothing to Democratic political causes.
>
> The only "Democratic" dealership on the list was found to have donated $7,700 to
Hillary's campaign, and a bit over $2,000 to John Edwards.
> This same dealership, reportedly, also gave $20000 to Obama's campaign.
>
> Does that seem a little odd to you?
>
> Steve Rattner is the guy who put the list together . Well, he happens to be
married to a Maureen White. Maureen happens to be the former national finance
chairman of the Democratic National Committee. As such, she has access to
campaign donation records from everyone in the nation Republican or Democrat.
But of course, this is just a wacky "coincidence," we're certain.
>
> Then comes another really wacky "coincidence."
>
> On that list of dealerships being closed down, a weird thing happened in
Arkansas, North Louisiana, and Southern Missouri. It seems that Bill Clinton's
former White House Chief of Staff, Mack McClarty, owns a chain of dealerships in
that region, partnered with a fellow by the name of Robert Johnson.
>
> Johnson happens to be founder of Black Entertainment Television and was a huge
Obama supporter and financier.
>
> These guys own a half dozen Chrysler stores under the company title of
RLJ-McClarty-Landers.. Interestingly, none of their dealerships were ordered
closed - not one! While a ll of their competing Chrysler/Dodge and Jeep
dealership were!
>
> Eight dealerships located near the dealerships owned by McClarty and Johnson were
ordered shut down. Thus by pure luck, these two major Obama supporters now have
virtual monopoly on Chrysler sales in their zone. Isn't that amazing?
>
> Go look in The Washington Examiner, the story's there, and it's in a dozen or so
other web-based news organizations; this isn't being made up.
>
> Now if you thought Chrysler was owned by Fiat, you are mistaken. Under the
federal court ruling, 65% of Chrysler is now owned by the federal government and
the United Auto Workers union! Fiat owns 20%. The other 15% is still privately
owned and presumably will be traded on the stock market.
>
> Obama smiles and says he doesn't want to run the auto industry.
>
> As horrifying as this is to comprehend, and being as how this used to be the
United States of America, it would appear that the president has the power to
destroy private businesses and eliminate upwards of 100,000 jobs just because
they don't agree with his political agenda There are voices in Washington
demanding an explanation, but the "Automotive Task Force" has released no
information to the public or to any of the senators demanding answers for what
has been done.
>
> Keep your ear to the ground for more on this story. If you've ever wanted to
make a difference about anything in your life, get on the phone to your national
senator or representative in the House and demand an investigation into this.
>
> Benjamin Franklin had it right when he said, "All that's necessary for evil to
triumph is for good men to do nothing."
>
> Car Czar No More
>
> An amazing thing happened as this story was going to press. Obama's Car Czar,
Steve Rattner, resigned on July 13 and was promptly replaced by former steel
workers union boss Ron Bloom.
>
> According to CBS News, Rattner left "to return to private life and spend time
with his family."
>
> Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said, "I hope that he takes another opportunity
to bring his unique skills to government service in the future."
>
> By the way, Rattner is under investigation for a multi-million dollar pay-to-play
investment bank scandal in New York.
>
> Uh-oh!
>
> But, we're certain that had nothing to do with his resignation. And, according
to several news sources out there, there are rumors he's being investigated for
what could be pay-to-play scandal involving the closing of Chrysler and GM
dealerships. Really?
>
> Again, that couldn't have anything to with his resignation-that's ridiculous!
Like CBS said, this guy just wants to "spend more quality time with his family."
>
> Obama has 32 personally appointed "czars" who answer to no one but him, all of
whom are acting without any Constitutional authority. But hey, we're sure they
all have "unique skills,"... as Tim Geithner likes to say!
>
> SOOOOO, HOW'S THAT HOPE AND CHANGE WORKING FOR YA?
>
> Check it out at the following websites:
>
> http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Furor-grows-over-partisan-car-dealer-closings-46261447.html
>
> http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Furor-grows-over-partisan-car-dealer-closings-462
61447.html
>
> This goes from beyond corruption in high places - to gross criminal actions on
the part of our government!
>
> I hope you will spread this far and wide, and hopefully the taxpaying public will
demand some of that transparency we were promised...... followed by criminal
prosecution of the perpetrators!
>
> WAKE UP AMERICANS!!!


Ralph and Roxy Mills

100 mile per gallon--we have had the technology for 50 years.

The C.E.O. of EXXON makes $400-million a year.

Everyone suffers when they suppress this technology. Its all about the money!

Internal combustion engines burn vapor not gas. When you vaporize fuel more you get more power out of your engine while burning less gas. We need to use exhaust heat to vaporize the fuel. Drill a hole in the top of your catalytic converter, weld a 1/2 inch fitting and run a small pipe back up to the engine through the exhaust pipe and back to the air intake.

US Patent # 4,177,779
Fuel Economy System for an Internal Combustion Engine

Tom Ogle (December 11, 1979)

Abstract ~
A fuel economy system for an internal combustion engine which, when installed in a motor vehicle, obviates the need for a conventional carburetor, fuel pump and gasoline tank. The system operates by using the engine vacuum to draw fuel vapors from a vapor tank through a vapor conduit to a vapor equalizer which is positioned directly over the intake manifold of the engine. The vapor tank is constructed of heavy duty steel or the like to withstand the large vacuum pressure and includes an air inlet valve coupled for control to the accelerator pedal. The vapor equalizer ensures distribution of the correct mixture of air and vapor to the cylinders of the engine for combustion, and also includes its own air inlet valve coupled for control to the accelerator pedal. The system utilizes vapor-retarding filters in the vapor conduit, vapor tank and vapor equalizer to deliver the correct vapor/air mixture for proper operation. The vapor tank and fuel contained therein are heated by running the engine coolant through a conduit within the tank. Due to the extremely lean fuel mixtures used by the present invention, gas mileage in excess of one hundred miles per gallon may be achieved.

Inventors: Ogle; Thomas H. W. W. P. (9028 Mt. Delano, El Paso, TX 79924)
Current U.S. Class: 123/522; 261/DIG83 ~ Intern'l Class: F02M 031/00
Field of Search: 123/133,34 A,122 E,134,136 48/180 R 261/144,145

Description ~

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention ~
The present invention is related to internal combustion engines and, more particularly, is directed towards a fuel economy system for an internal combustion engine which, when applied to a motor vehicle, obviates the need for conventional carburetors, fuel pumps and gasoline tanks, and enables vastly improved gas mileage to be obtained.

2. Description of the Prior Art ~

The prior art evidences many different approaches to the problem of increasing the efficiency of an internal combustion engine. Due to the rising price of gasoline, and the popularity of motor vehicles as a mode of transportation, much of the effort in this area is generally directed towards increasing gas mileage for motor vehicles. Along with increased gas mileage, much work has been done with a view towards reducing pollutant emissions from motor vehicles.

I am aware of the following United States patents which are generally directed towards systems for improving the efficiency and/or reducing the pollutant emissions of internal combustion engines:

Chapin ~ 1,530,882
Crabtree, et al ~ 2,312,151
Hietrich, et al ~ 3,001,519
Hall ~ 3,191,587
Wentworth ~ 3,221,724
Walker ~ 3,395,681
Holzappfel ~ 3,633,533
Dwyre ~ 3,713,429
Herpin ~ 3,716,040
Gorman, Jr. ~ 3,728,092
Alm, et al ~ 3,749,376
Hollis, Jr. ~ 3,752,134
Buckton, et al ~ 3,759,234
Kihn ~ 3,817,233
Shih ~ 3,851,633
Burden, Sr. ~ 3,854,463
Woolridge ~ 3,874,353
Mondt v 3,888,223
Brown ~ 3,907,946
Lee, Jr. ~ 3,911,881
Rose, et al ~ 3,931,801
Reimuller ~ 3,945,352
Harpman ~ 3,968,775
Naylor ~ 4,003,356
Fortino ~ 4,011,847
Leshner, et al ~ 4,015,569
Sommerville ~ 4,015,570

The Chapin US Pat. No. 1,530,882 discloses a gasoline tank surrounded by a water jacket, the latter of which is included in a circulation system with the radiator of the automobile. The heated water in the circulation system causes the fuel in the gasoline tank to readily vaporize. Suction from the inlet manifold causes air to be drawn into the tank to bubble air through the gasoline to help form the desired vapor which is then drawn to the manifold for combustion.

The Buckton et al US Pat. No. 3,759,234 advances a fuel system which provides supplementary vapors for an internal combustion engine by means of a canister that contains a bed of charcoal granules. The Wentworth and Hietrich et al U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,221,724 and 3,001,519 also teach vapor recovery systems which utilize filters of charcoal granules or the like.

The Dwyre US Pat. No. 3,713,429 uses, in addition to the normal fuel tank and carburetor, an auxiliary tank having a chamber at the bottom thereof which is designed to receive coolant from the engine cooling system for producing gasoline vapors, while the Walker U.S. Pat. No. 3,395,681 discloses a fuel evaporator system which includes a gasoline tank intended to replace the normal gasoline tank, and which includes a fresh air conduit 22 for drawing air into the tank.

The Fortino US Pat. No. 4,011,847 teaches a fuel supply system wherein the gasoline is vaporized primarily by atmospheric air which is released below the level of the gasoline, while the Crabtree et al U.S. Pat. No. 2,312,151 teaches a vaporization system which includes a gas and air inlet port located in a vaporizing chamber and which includes a set of baffles for effecting a mixture of the air and vapor within the tank. The Mondt U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,223 also discloses an evaporative control canister 48 for improving cold start operation and emissions, while Sommerville U.S. Pat. No. 4,015,570 teaches a liquid-fuel vaporizer which is intended to replace the conventional fuel pump and carburetor that is designed to mechanically change liquid gasoline to a vapor state.

While the foregoing patents evidence a proliferation of attempts to increase the efficiency and/or reduce pollutant emissions from internal combustion engines, no practical system has yet found its way to the marketplace.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and improved fuel economy system for an internal combustion engine which greatly improves the efficiency of the engine.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a unique fuel economy system for an internal combustion engine which provides a practical, operative and readily realizable means for dramatically increasing the gas mileage of conventional motor vehicles.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved fuel economy system for internal combustion engines which also reduces the pollutant emissions.

The foregoing and other objects are attained in accordance with one aspect of the present invention through the provision of a fuel vapor system for an internal combustion engine having an intake manifold, which comprises tank means for containing fuel vapor, vapor equalizer means mounted on and in fluid communication with the intake manifold of the engine, and vapor conduit means which connect the tank means to the vapor equalizer means for delivering fuel vapor from the former to the latter. The vapor equalizer means includes a first valve means connected thereto for controlling the admission of air to the vapor equalizer means, while the tank means has a second valve means connected thereto for controlling the admission of air to the tank means. A throttle controls the first and second valve means so that the opening of the first valve means proceeds and exceeds the opening of the second valve means during operation.

In accordance with other aspects of the present invention, filter means are positioned in the vapor conduit means for retarding the flow of fuel vapor from the tank means to the vapor equalizer means. In a preferred form, the filter means comprises carbon particles and may include a sponge-like collection of, for example, neoprene fibers. In a preferred embodiment, the filter means comprises a substantially tubular housing positioned in series inthe vapor conduit, the housing containing a central portion comprising a mixture of carbon and neoprene and end portions comprising carbon positioned on each side of the central portion.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a second filter means is positioned in the vapor equalizer means for again retarding the flow of the fuel vapor to the engine intake manifold. The second filter means is positioned downstream of the first valve means and in a preferred form includes carbon particles mounted in a pair of recesses formed in a porous support member. The porous support member, which may comprise neoprene, includes a first recessed portion positioned opposite a vapor inlet port in the vapor equalizer means to which the vapor conduit means is connected, while a second recessed portion is positioned opposite the intake manifold of the engine.

In accordance with still other aspects of the present invention, a third filter means is positioned in the tank means for controlling the flow of fuel vapor into the vapor conduit means in proportion to the degree of vacuum in the tank means. The filter means more particularly comprises means for reducing the amount of fuel vapor delivered to the vapor conduit means when the engine is idling and when the engine has attained a steady speed. The throttle means acts to close the second valve means when the engine is idling and when the engine has attained a steady speed to thereby increase the vacuum pressure in the tank means. In a preferred form, the third filter means comprises a frame pivotally mounted within the tank means and movable between first and second operating positions. The first operating position corresponds to an open condition of the second valve means, while the second operating position corresponds to a closed condition of the second valve means. The tank means includes a vapor outlet port to which one end of the vapor conduit means is connected, such that the second operating position of the frame places the third filter means in communication with the vapor outlet port.

More particularly, the third filter means in a preferred form includes carbon particles sandwiched between two layers of a sponge-like filter material, which may comprise neoprene, and screen means for supporting the layered composition within the pivotable frame. Means in the form of a conduit is positioned on the third filter means for placing the latter in direct fluid communication with the vapor outlet port when the frame is in its second operating position.

In accordance with yet other aspects of the present invention, a conduit is connected between the valve cover of the engine and the vapor equalizer means for directing the oil blow-by to the vapor equalizer in order to minimize valve clatter. The tank means also preferably includes a copper conduit positioned in the bottom thereof which is connected in series with the cooling system of the motor vehicle for heating the tank and generating more vapor. A beneficial byproduct of the circulating system reduces the engine operating temperature to further improve operating efficiency.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated as the same become better understood from the following detailed description of the present invention when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the various components which together comprise a preferred embodiment of the present invention as installed in a motor vehicle;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of one of the components of the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 and taken along line 2--2 thereof;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the vapor tank illustrated in FIG. 2 and taken along line 3--3 thereof;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating in greater detail one component of the vapor tank shown in FIG. 3 and taken along line 4--4 thereof;

FIG. 5 is a perspective, partially sectional view illustrating a filter component of the vapor tank illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of another component of the preferred embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 1 and taken along line 6--6 thereof;

FIG. 7 is a partial side, partial sectional view of the vapor equalizer illustrated in FIG. 6 and taken along line 7--7 thereof;

FIG. 8 is a side view illustrating the throttle linkage of the vapor equalizer shown in FIG. 7 and taken along line 8--8 thereof;

FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of another filter component of the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a view of another component of the present invention; and

FIG. 11 is an exploded, perspective view which illustrates the main components of the filter portion of the vapor equalizer of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and more particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention as installed in a motor vehicle.

The preferred embodiment includes as its main components a fuel vapor tank 10 in which the fuel vapor is stored and generated for subsequent delivery to the internal combustion engine 20. On the top of fuel vapor tank 10 is mounted an air inlet control valve which is indicated generally by reference numeral 12 and whose structure and operation will be described in greater detail hereinafter.

The internal combustion engine 20 includes a standard intake manifold 18. Mounted upon the intake manifold 18 is a vapor equalizer chamber 16. Connected between the fuel vapor tank 10 and the vapor equalizer chamber 16 is a vapor conduit or hose 14 for conducting the vapors from within tank 10 to the chamber 16.

Reference numeral 22 indicates generally an air inlet control valve which is mounted on the vapor equalizer chamber 16. Thus, the system is provided with two separate air inlet control valves 12 and 22 which are respectively coupled via cables 24 and 26 to the throttle control for the motor vehicle which may take the form of a standard accelerator pedal 28. The air inlet control valves 12 and 22 are synchronized in such a fashion that the opening of the air inlet control valve 22 of the vapor equalizer 16 always preceeds and exceeds the opening of the air inlet control valve 12 of the fuel vapor tank 10, for reasons which will become more clear hereinafter.

The cooling system of the vehicle conventionally includes a radiator 30 for storing liquid coolant that is circulated through the engine 20 in the well-known fashion. A pair of hoses 32 and 34 are preferably coupled into the normal heater lines from the engine 20 so as to direct heated liquid coolant from the engine 20 to a warming coil 36, preferably constructed of copper, which is positioned within vapor tank 10. I have found that the water circulation system consisting of hoses 32, 34 and 36 serves three distinct functions. Firstly, it prevents the vapor tank from reaching the cold temperatures to which it would otherwise be subjected as a result of high vacuum pressure and air flow therethrough. Secondly, the heated coolant serves to enhance vaporization of the gasoline stored within tank 10 by raising the temperature thereof. Thirdly, the liquid coolant, after leaving tank 10 via conduit 34, has been cooled to the point where engine 20 may then be run at substantially lower operating temperatures to further increase efficiency and prolong the life of the engine.

Included in series with vapor conduit 14 is a filter unit 38 which is designed to retard the flow of fuel vapor from the tank 10 to the vapor equalizer 16. The precise structure of the filter unit 38 will be described in greater detail hereinafter. A thrust adjustment valve 40 is positioned upstream of the filter unit 38 in conduit 14 and acts as a fine adjustment for the idling speed of the vehicle. Positioned on the other side of filter unit 38 in conduit 14 is a safety shut-off valve 42 which comprises a one-way valve. Starting the engine 20 will open the valve 42 to permit the engine vacuum pressure to be transmitted to tank 10, but, for example, a backfire will close the valve to prevent a possible explosion. The tank 10 may also be provided with a drain 44 positioned at the bottom thereof.

Positioned on the side of the vapor equalizer chamber 16 is a primer connection 46 which may be controlled by a dash mounted primer control knob 48 connected to tank 10 via conduit 47. A conduit 50 extends from the oil breather cap opening 52 in a valve cover 54 of the engine 20 to the vapor equalizer 16 to feed the oil blow-by to the engine as a means for eliminating valve clatter. This is believed necessary due to the extreme lean mixture of fuel vapor and air fed to the combustion cylinders of the engine 20 in accordance with the present invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the fuel vapor tank 10 of the present invention is illustrated in greater detail in orthogonal sectional views and is seen to include a pair of side walls 56 and 58 which are preferably comprised of heavy duty steel plate (e.g. 1/2" thick) in order to withstand the high vacuum pressures developed therein. The tank 10 further comprises top wall 60 and bottom wall 62, and front and rear walls 64 and 66, respectively.

In the front wall 64 of tank 10 is positioned a coupling 68 for mating the heater hose 32 with the internal copper conduit 36. The tank 10 is also provided with a pair of vertically oriented planar support plates 70 and 72 which are positioned somewhat inwardly of the side walls 56 and 58 and are substantially parallel thereto. Support plates 70 and 72 lend structural integrity to the tank 10 and are also provided with a plurality of openings 74 (FIG. 2) at the bottom portions thereof to permit fluid communication therethrough. The bottom of the tank 10 is generally filled with from one to five gallons of gasoline, and the walls of the tank 10 along with plates 70 and 72 define three tank chambers 76, 78 and 80 which are, by virtue of openings 74, in fluid communication with one another.

In the top wall 60 of tank 10 is formed an opening 82 for placing one end of vapor conduit 14 in fluid communication with the interior chamber 76 of tank 10. A second opening 84 is positioned in the top wall 60 of tank 10 over which the air inlet control valve 12 is positioned. The valve assembly 12 comprises a pair of conventional butterfly valves 86 and 88 which are coupled via a control rod 90 to a control arm 92. Control arm 92 is, in turn, pivoted under the control of a cable 24 and is movable between a solid line position indicated in FIG. 2 by reference numeral 92 and a dotted line position indicated in FIG. 2 by reference numeral 92'.

Rod 90 and valves 86 and 88 are journaled in a housing 94 having a base plate 96 which is mounted on a cover 98. As seen in FIG. 1, the base plate 96 includes a plurality of small air intake ports or apertures 100 formed on both sides of the butterfly valves 86 and 88, which are utilized for a purpose to become more clear hereinafter.

Rod 90 is also journaled in a flange 102 which is mounted to cover 98, while a return spring 104 for control arm 92 is journaled to cover 98 via flange 106.

Extending through the baffle and support plates 70 and 72 from the side chambers 78 and 80 of tank 10 to be in fluid communication with apertures 100 are a pair of air conduits 108 and 110 each having a reed valve 112 and 114 positioned at the ends thereof for controlling air and vapor flow therethrough. The reed valves 112 and 114 cooperate with the small apertures 100 formed in the base plate 96 to provide the proper amount of air into the tank 10 while the engine is idling and the butterfly valves 86 and 88 are closed.

Mounted to the front wall 64 of tank 10 is a pivot support member 132 for pivotally receiving a filter element which is indicated generally by reference numeral 134 and is illustrated in a perspective, partially cut away view in FIG. 5. The unique, pivotable filter element 134 comprises a frame member 136 having a pin-receiving stub 138 extending along one side member thereof. The actual filter material contained within the frame 136 comprises a layer of carbon particles 148 which is sandwiched between a pair of layers of sponge-like filter material which may, for example, comprise neoprene. The neoprene layers 144 and 146 and carbon particles 148 are maintained in place by top and bottom screen elements 140 and 142 which extend within and are secured by frame member 136. A thick-walled rubber hose 150 having a central annulus 151 is secured to the top of screen 140 so as to mate with opening 82 of top wall 60 (see FIG. 2) when the filter assembly 134 is in its solid line operative position illustrated in FIG. 2. In the latter position, it may be appreciated that the vapor conduit 14 draws vapor fumes directly from the filter element 134, rather than from the interior portion 76 of tank 10. In contradistinction, when the filter element 134 is in its alternate operative position, indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 2, the vapor conduit 14 draws fumes mainly from the interior portions 76, 78 and 80 of tank 10.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of one of the reed valve assemblies 114 which illustrates the manner in which the valve opens and closes in response to the particular vacuum pressure created within the tank 10. The valves 112 and 114 are designed to admit just enough air to the tank 10 from the apertures 100 at engine idle to prevent the engine from stalling.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 through 8, the vapor equalizer chamber 16 of the present invention is seen to include front and rear walls 152 and 154, respectively, a top wall 156, a side wall 158, and another side wall 160. The vapor equalizer chamber 16 is secured to the manifold 18 as by a plurality of bolts 162 under which may be positioned a conventional gasket 164.

In the top wall 156 of the vapor equalizer 16 is formed an opening 166 for communicating the outlet end of vapor conduit 14 with a mixing and equalizing chamber 168. Adjacent the mixing and equalizing chamber 168 in wall 154 is formed another opening 170 which communicates with ambient air via opening 178 formed in the upper portion of housing 176. The amount of air admitted through openings 178 and 170 is controlled by a conventional butterfly valve 172. Butterfly valve 172 is rotated by a control rod 180 that, in turn, is coupled to a control arm 182. Cable 26 is connected to the distal end of control arm 182 and acts against the return bias of spring 184, the latter of which is journaled to side plate 152 of vapor equalizer 16 via an upstanding flange 188. Reference numeral 186 indicates generally a butterfly valve operating linkage, as illustrated more clearly in FIG. 8, and which is conventional as may be appreciated by a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Positioned below mixing and equalizing chamber 168 is a filter unit which is indicated generally by reference numeral 188. The filter unit 188, which is illustrated in an exploded view in FIG. 11, comprises a top plastic fluted cover 190 and a bottom plastic fluted cover 192. Positioned adjacent the top and bottom covers 190 and 192 are a pair of screen mesh elements 194 and 196, respectively. Positioned between the screen mesh elements 194 and 196 is a support member 198 which is preferably formed of a sponge-like filter material, such as, for example, neoprene. The support member 199 has formed on the top and bottom surfaces thereof a pair of receptacles 200 and 202, respectively, whose diameters are sized similarly to the opening 166 in top plate 156 and the openings formed in the intake manifold 18 which are respectively indicated by reference numerals 210 and 212 in FIG. 6.

Positioned in receptacles 200 and 202 are carbon particles 204 and 206, respectively, for vapor retardation and control purposes.

Referring now to FIG. 9, the filter unit 38 mounted in vapor conduit 14 is illustrated in a longitudinal sectional view and is seen to comprise an outer flexible cylindrical hose 214 which is adapted to connect with hose 14 at both ends by a pair of adapter elements 216 and 218. Contained within the outer flexible hose 214 is a cylindrical container 220, preferably of plastic, that houses in the central portion thereof a mixture of carbon and neoprene filter fibers 222. At both ends of the mixture 222 are deposited carbon particles 224 and 226, while the entire filtering unit is held within the container 220 by end screens 228 and 230 which permit passage of vapors therethrough while holding the carbon particles 224 and 226 in place.

FIG. 10 illustrates one form of the thrust adjustment valve 40 which is placed within line 14. The valve simply controls the amount of fluid passable through the conduit 14 via a rotating valve member 41.

In operation, the thrust adjustment valve 40 is initially adjusted to achieve as smooth an idle as possible for the particular motor vehicle in which the system is installed. The emergency shut-off valve 42, which is closed when the engine is off, generally traps enough vapor between it and the vapor equalizer 16 to start the engine 20. Initially, the rear intake valves 12 on the tank 10 are fully closed, while the air intake valves 22 on the equalizer 16 are open to admit a charge of air to the vapor equalizer prior to the vapor from the tank, thus forcing the pre-existing vapor in the vapor equalizer into the manifold. The small apertures 100 formed in base plate 96 on tank 10 admit just enough air to actuate the reed valves to permit sufficient vapor and air to be drawn through vapor conduit 14 and equalizer 16 to the engine 20 to provide smooth idling. The front air valves 22 are always set ahead of the rear air valves 12 and the linkages 24 and 26 are coupled to throttle pedal 28 such that the degree of opening of front valves 22 always exceeds the degree of opening of the rear valves 12.

Upon initial starting of the engine 20, due to the closed condition of rear valves 12, a high vacuum pressure is created within tank 10 which causes the filter assembly 134 positioned in tank 10 to rise to its operative position indicated by solid outline in FIG. 2. In this manner, a relatively small amount of vapor will be drawn directly from filter 134 through vapor conduit 14 to the engine to permit the latter to run on an extremely lean mixture.

Upon initial acceleration, the front air intake valve 22 will open further, while the rear butterfly assembly 12 will begin to open. The latter action will reduce the vacuum pressure within tank 10 whereby the filter assembly 134 will be lowered to its alternate operating position illustrated in dotted outline in FIG. 2. In this position, the lower end of the filter assembly 134 may actually rest in the liquid gasoline contained within the tank 10. Accordingly, upon acceleration, the filter assembly 134 is moved out of direct fluid communication with the opening 82 such that the vapor conduit 14 then draws fuel vapor and air from the entire tank 10 to provide a richer combustion mixture to the engine, which is necessary during acceleration.

When the motor vehicle attains a steady speed, and the operator eases off the accelerator pedal 28, the rear butterfly valve assembly 12 closes, but the front air intake 22 remains open to a certain degree. The closing of the rear air intake 12 increases the vacuum pressure within tank 10 to the point where the filter assembly 134 is drawn up to its initial operating position. As illustrated, in this position, the opening 82 is in substantial alignment with the aperture 151 of hose 150 to place the filter unit 134 in direct fluid communication with the vapor conduit 14, thereby lessening the amount of vapor and air mixture fed to the engine. Any vapor fed through conduit 14 while the filter 134 is at this position is believed to be drawn directly off the filter unit itself.

I have been able to obtain extremely high gas mileages with the system of the present invention installed on a V-8 engine of a conventional 1971 American made automobile. In fact, mileage rates in excess of one hundred miles per gallon have been achieved with the present invention. The present invention eliminates the need for conventional fuel pumps, carburetors, and gas tanks, thereby more than offsetting whatever the components of the present invention might otherwise add to the cost of a car. The system may be constructed with readily available components and technology, and may be supplied in kit form as well as original equipment.

Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. For example, although described in connection with the operation of a motor vehicle, the present invention may be universally applied to any four-stroke engine for which its operation depends upon the internal combustion of fossil fuels. Therefore, it is to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.