GB1580219A

GB1580219A - Ignition distributor for a combustion engine

Info

Publication number: GB1580219A
Application number: GB1252777A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Ducellier et Cie
Current assignee: Ducellier et Cie
Priority date: 1976-04-22
Filing date: 1977-03-24
Publication date: 1980-11-26
Also published as: ES458050A1; FR2349040B1; DE2718060A1; FR2349040A1; IT1080365B

Description

(54) AN IGNITION DISTRIBUTOR FOR A COMBUSTION ENGINE (71) We, DUCELLIER & CIE, a French Body Corporate, of Echat 950, 94024 Creteil Cedex, France, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a Patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to an ignition distributor of the type having a centrifugal advance device, a support plate carrying part of an ignition current control device, which latter is operable by rotation of the distributor shaft to control the production of a high tension voltage in an ignition circuit, and a rotor arm adapted to distribute said voltage to the various spark plugs of an engine with which the distributor is associated in use.

Normally, an ignition distributor housing is generally cylindrical, its lower portion having an integral extension formed by a sleeve in which the distributor shaft rotates.

The open end of the housing, remote from the sleeve, is closed by a distributor head on which are disposed connection terminals corresponding to each of the spark plugs, the terminals being in electrical connection with conducting studs disposed within the head and facing towards the rotor arm. Such a distributor is, in use, fixed on the outside of the engine block by means of the sleeve.

Some conventional distributors are particularly adapted to be mounted on the end of the engine cam shaft and others on an extension of the vehicle generator. These two types of distributor require different adaptation means, and two different versions of the distributor are generally required respectively for the two types of mounting.

It is conventional practice for the housing to support various components both internally and externally, including the plate which supports said part of the ignition current control device, an anti-interference condenser and a depression advance capsule, the mounting of which latter necessitates radially threaded holes for assembly by means of fixing screws.

An object of the present invention is to provide an ignition distributor in which the mounting of the various parts is simplified and also with a view to obtaining a standard assembly which can be mounted regardless of the method of adaptation to the engine.

According to the invention, an ignition distributor comprises a housing containing a centrifugal advance device and a support plate carrying part of an ignition current control device, which latter is operable by rotation of the distributor shaft to control the production of a high tension voltage in an ignition circuit, and a rotor arm at one end of the shaft adapted to distribute the high tension voltage to the various spark plugs of an engine with which the distributor is to be associated, the housing being constituted by two housing portions and the support plate being carried at the level of the junction between the housing portions, the upper housing portion carrying a distributor head and the lower portion being adapted to be extended by a removable sleeve in which the distributor shaft rotates.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the single accompanying drawing which is a schematic view in longitudinal section of a distributor of the invention, in which view the portion to the left of the axis shows the distributor particularly adapted for use without a sleeve and the portion to the right for use with a sleeve.

Referring to the drawings, the distributor of the invention comprises a housing 1 constituted by two housing portions 2 and 3, a contact-breaker carrying pate 5 being inserted at the junction 4 between the housing portions. The contact-breaker carrying plate carries a contact-breaker arm 6 connected to an advance lever 7 actuated by a depression capsule (not shown in the drawing).

The contact-breaker arm 6 co-operates with a fixed contact 8 under the action of a cam 10, the contact 8 being carried by a support 9 fixed on the contact-breaker carrying plate 5 so as to be adjustable. The cam 10 is driven in rotation by a distributor shaft 11 by way of a centrifugal advance device, constituted by a lower plate 13 crimped or welded to the end of the shaft 11 and by an upper plate 14 crimped or welded to the base of the cam 10, and freely mounted for rotation on the shaft 15 constituting an upward extension of the shaft 11 with which it is fast for rotation.

A rotor arm 17, preferably made of electri cally insulating moulded plastics material is disposed under a head 16 of the distributor.

This arm has at its upper portion a conductive tongue 18 which permits conduction of the secondary high tension current led in by a central terminal 19 of the head 16 to studs 20 of the peripheral terminals. The arm 17 is made fast for rotation with the shaft 15 and consequently with the distributor shaft 11 by means of a ring 21.

The distributor head 16, which is centred on the upper housing portion 2, is held thereon by springs 22 which engage in suitable cavi ties 23 in the head 16. The contact-breaker carrying plate 5 has two radial lugs 24 res pectively at two diametrically opposed leca- tions and projecting outside the housing 1 when the plate 5 is in position. The end of each lug 24 is upwardly bent and has a transverse slot 25 in which one of the ends of the corresponding spring 22 is hooked.

The assembly of the two housing portions 2 and 3 constituting the housing 1, and be tween which the contact-breaker carrying plate 5 is inserted and centred, is secured together by means of tie bolts 26.

A standard ignition distributor assembly is thus produced, the distributor shaft of which rotates in a bearing 27 fixed axially in the housing portion 3, the extension 15 of the said shaft 11 rotating in a bearing 28 fixed in the other housing portion 2. This assembly, shown in the left-hand portion of the drawing, may be mounted directly on to the engine block, or on the end of the cam shaft, or even as an extension of the vehicle generator.

For a conventional adaptation of the dis tributor to the outside of the engine block, the distributor shaft 11 is secured to an inter mediate shaft 29 forming an extension thereof in a downward direction. The intermediate shaft 29 which is fast for rotation with the shaft 11, is itself rotationally secured to the shaft of the engine.

The intermediate shaft 29 rotates within a bearing 30 of a removable sleeve 31 fixed to the base od the housing portion 3 (right hand portion of the drawing).

In order to ensure the correct alignment of the distributor shaft 11 and its extensions 15 and 29 in this method of mounting, the bearing 27 is removed.

Various modifications may be made to the distributor described above. For example, the membrane capsule of a depression ignition advance device could be fixed by welding, crimping, snap engagement or any other means to the end of a lug of the contactbreaker carrying plate extending outside the housing 1. Moreover, the contact-breaker device could be replaced by a toothed rotor having a magnetic flux sensor associated therewith.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. An ignition distributor comprising a housing containing a centrifugal advance device and a support plate carrying part of an ignition current control device, which latter is operable by rotation of the distributor shaft to control the production of a high tension voltage in an ignition circuit, and a rotor arm at one end of the shaft adapted to distribute the high tension voltage to the various spark plugs of an engine with which the distributor is to be associated, the housing being constituted by two housing portions and the support plate being carried at the level of the junction between the housing portions, the upper housing portion carrying a distributor head and the lower portion being adapted to be extended by a removable sleeve in which the distributor shaft rotates.

2. An ignition distributor according to Claim 1, wherein said part of the ignition current control device is a mechanical contact-breaker actuated by a cam rotatable with the distributor shaft, the cam being freely mounted for rotation on a shaft con stituting an upward extension of the distributor shaft with which the upward extension is fast for rotation.

3. An ignition distributor according to Claim 1, wherein the distributor shaft is fastened for rotation with the engine by means of an intermediate shaft rotating in the sleeve and constituting a downward extension of the said distributor shaft with which it is fast for rotation.

4. An ignition distributor according to Claim 2 wherein the cam is driven from the distributor shaft by way of a centrifugal advance device.

5. An ignition distributor according to any on of the preceding claims wherein the two housing portions are secured together by axially extending tie bolts.

6. An ignition distributor substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

10, the contact 8 being carried by a support 9 fixed on the contact-breaker carrying plate 5 so as to be adjustable. The cam 10 is driven in rotation by a distributor shaft 11 by way of a centrifugal advance device, constituted by a lower plate 13 crimped or welded to the end of the shaft 11 and by an upper plate 14 crimped or welded to the base of the cam 10, and freely mounted for rotation on the shaft 15 constituting an upward extension of the shaft 11 with which it is fast for rotation.

A rotor arm 17, preferably made of electri cally insulating moulded plastics material is disposed under a head 16 of the distributor.

This arm has at its upper portion a conductive tongue 18 which permits conduction of the secondary high tension current led in by a central terminal 19 of the head 16 to studs

20 of the peripheral terminals. The arm 17 is made fast for rotation with the shaft 15 and consequently with the distributor shaft

11 by means of a ring 21.

The distributor head 16, which is centred on the upper housing portion 2, is held thereon by springs 22 which engage in suitable cavi ties 23 in the head 16. The contact-breaker carrying plate 5 has two radial lugs 24 res pectively at two diametrically opposed leca- tions and projecting outside the housing 1 when the plate 5 is in position. The end of each lug 24 is upwardly bent and has a transverse slot 25 in which one of the ends of the corresponding spring 22 is hooked.

The assembly of the two housing portions

2 and 3 constituting the housing 1, and be tween which the contact-breaker carrying plate

5 is inserted and centred, is secured together by means of tie bolts 26.

A standard ignition distributor assembly is thus produced, the distributor shaft of which rotates in a bearing 27 fixed axially in the housing portion 3, the extension 15 of the said shaft 11 rotating in a bearing

28 fixed in the other housing portion 2. This assembly, shown in the left-hand portion of the drawing, may be mounted directly on to the engine block, or on the end of the cam shaft, or even as an extension of the vehicle generator.

For a conventional adaptation of the dis tributor to the outside of the engine block, the distributor shaft 11 is secured to an inter mediate shaft 29 forming an extension thereof in a downward direction. The intermediate shaft 29 which is fast for rotation with the shaft 11, is itself rotationally secured to the shaft of the engine.

The intermediate shaft 29 rotates within a bearing 30 of a removable sleeve 31 fixed to the base od the housing portion 3 (right hand portion of the drawing).

In order to ensure the correct alignment of the distributor shaft 11 and its extensions

15 and 29 in this method of mounting, the bearing 27 is removed.

Various modifications may be made to the distributor described above. For example, the membrane capsule of a depression ignition advance device could be fixed by welding, crimping, snap engagement or any other means to the end of a lug of the contactbreaker carrying plate extending outside the housing 1. Moreover, the contact-breaker device could be replaced by a toothed rotor having a magnetic flux sensor associated therewith.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. An ignition distributor comprising a housing containing a centrifugal advance device and a support plate carrying part of an ignition current control device, which latter is operable by rotation of the distributor shaft to control the production of a high tension voltage in an ignition circuit, and a rotor arm at one end of the shaft adapted to distribute the high tension voltage to the various spark plugs of an engine with which the distributor is to be associated, the housing being constituted by two housing portions and the support plate being carried at the level of the junction between the housing portions, the upper housing portion carrying a distributor head and the lower portion being adapted to be extended by a removable sleeve in which the distributor shaft rotates.
2. An ignition distributor according to Claim 1, wherein said part of the ignition current control device is a mechanical contact-breaker actuated by a cam rotatable with the distributor shaft, the cam being freely mounted for rotation on a shaft con stituting an upward extension of the distributor shaft with which the upward extension is fast for rotation.
3. An ignition distributor according to Claim 1, wherein the distributor shaft is fastened for rotation with the engine by means of an intermediate shaft rotating in the sleeve and constituting a downward extension of the said distributor shaft with which it is fast for rotation.
4. An ignition distributor according to Claim 2 wherein the cam is driven from the distributor shaft by way of a centrifugal advance device.
5. An ignition distributor according to any on of the preceding claims wherein the two housing portions are secured together by axially extending tie bolts.
6. An ignition distributor substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.