US1023180A - Ignition apparatus for hydrocarbon-engines. - Google Patents

Description

I M. TIBBETTS v I IGNITION APPARATUS POBLHYDROGARBON ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 17. 1W8.-

1,023,180 Patented Apr. 16,1912. I

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-- mva wto'a M, TIBBBTTS. IGNITION APPARATUS FOR HYDROOABBON ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED APR.1'I. 1908.

1,023,180; Patented Apr. 1 6, 1 912.

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MILTON TIBBETTS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNO-R, ZBY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

Specification of Letters Patent.

OAR COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, .A CORPORATION OF VIGNITIONAPPARATUS non. HYDROCARBON-ENGINES.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912,

hpplic'ation filed April 17, 1908. Serial No. 427,634.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, MILTON TIBBETTS, a

-high'te'nsion wires and knife switches on insulating posts on the engine cylinders, means for making connection between the wires and switches for the spark plugs and adjustable means for alimng the knife switches and 'spark plugs. Its objects are to simplify the construction and improve I Fig. 5

the appearance and operation of the ignition device, thereby producing an ignition system in. which the parts may be quickly and easily assembled and adjusted to proper operative posit-ion In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of two-ad-' jacent engines having the preferred form of my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is an elevation taken at right angles to that of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the insulating posts carrying a wire terminal and a knife switch; Fi Lisa plan view of a modified form of t e invention; is a side elevation of what is shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an adjustable contact piece for the spark plug; Fig: 7 is a side view of the spark plug having the contact piece secured in positlon thereon; and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a modified form of contact piece.

In Fig. 1, I have shown my system applied to two two-cylinder engines mounted sideby-side. casting, the cylinders 1 and 2 being surrounded by the water jackets 3 and 4. Each water jacket has an outlet connecting with the outlet pipe 5 which may be made flexible, and which is mounted at an inclination above the tops of the engine cylinders, as is usual in motor cars.

Each engine cylinder is provided with an opening in the inlet in which is mounted a spark plug, the casings of these plugs being lettered in the drawlngs as 7, 8, and 10. ,Adjacent the plugs are the insulating posts 11, 12,13 and 14 which carry the high ten- Each engine is made of a single sion wires which supply current to the spark plugs, and also carry the two wires leading to the transformer. These .insulating posts are secured in placeon top of the cylinder by means of bolts passing through the lug 15 on the top of the cylinder casing (see Fig. 3'). 'As'show-n in Fig. 1 there are six wires leading to the osts 11, one of the top wires 16, 17 being intended to carry the low tension current to the transformer coil, and the other being intended. to carry the high tension current from-the distributer of the magneto to the secondary -wire of the transformer coil. lTherefore these two wires pass'entirely across the top of the engine cylinders and to the transformer. The four lower wires 18, 19, .20" and 21 carry the high tension current for the .four spark. plugs, one wire'ter'mlnating at each insulating post.

It will'be noted that the wires are arranged at an inclination substantially the same as that of the water outlet pipe 5, and-that the lowest wire is the one which terminates at any post and makes 7 connection with the knife switch of the spark plug. This inclined arrangement of the wires and the connection of the lowest wire with the switch makes a construction having distinct advantages over those in common use where the top wire is the one connected with the spark plug, It improves the appearance of the device and enables the connection with the knife switch to be made at a lower point. j

It will be understood that the high tension wires are insulated and are made up of small wires in the form of a cable and it has been customary to bend the wire which is to terminate at a particular post so as to make connection with the knife switch mounted on that post. In order to avoid this and to make a simpler and more eflective terminal connection with the knife switch I have devised 'the structure shown clearly in Fig. 3. As here shown, the knife switch 22 is piv-.

ot-ally secured in the cars 23 on the bracket the screw 26, and it will be understood that 1 to make electrical contact between the wire cable and this terminal thimble the wires in the cable are bent back over the insulation before the end is inserted in the thimble, and the screw 26 makes contact with the wires at the center of the cable, thus making good electrical contact between the high tension wire and the thimble.- The thimble is pro-- vided with the conducting arm 27 which has an opening through which the pivot pin 28 of the kni e switchpasses. A thumb nut 29 secures this arm against one of the ears on bracket 24 and thus electrical connection'is made between the high tension wire and the switch arm 22. It will be noted that the switch arm 2 2 ma be bent upwardly "as shown in Fig. 3w en this is necessary to properly reach the spark'plug.

The' knife switches being mounted as above. described opposite thespark plugs are intended to be brought down against the contact pointsof the spark plug, but it has been found in practice. that the parts are not always properly alined so that the knife switches will fit easily upon the c'ontactpoint without bending. 'To bend the switch not "only disfigures it, but impairs its efiiciency. In order to avoid these defects and to insure the proper alinement of the switch and contact piece I have devised-the adjustablecontact piece which is most clearly shown in Figs. 6, 7 and '8. This contact pieceembodies a main upright portion 30 having a base 31 in theshape of a washer which fits over the upper end of the screw threaded part 32 which in turn makes contact with the electrode of the spark plug.- The thumb nut 33 on the part 32 binds the base 31 to the upper part of the spark plug-casing,

-mounted in the way heretoforein common is claimed is: 1

and thus makes electrical connection be tween the contact piece and the electrode of the spark plug. On the upper end of the contact piece is the .cylindrical head 34 which is adapted to fit between the .two

blades of the knife switch, and it will be observed that this cylindrical head is. mounted on the contact piece not in line with the point of pivotal support on the part 32,

ut eccentrically. It is thus apparent that the head 34 may be moved from one side to use as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

Having thus described the invention, what 1. In an ignition system for hydrocarbon engines, the combination with the engine cylinders, of spark plugs thereon, high tension conducting wires-supported above one another in an upwardly extending plane adjacent said plugs, each wire being inclined downwardly, switches for making contact with the sparkplugs, and means for connectpost for connecting the lowest wire with the corresponding-switch. i

3. In an ignition system for hydrocarbon engines, the combination with the engine cylinders, of spark plugs thereon having contact points, insulating posts on said cylinders adjacent said plugs, knife switches mounted on said posts in a positionto make contact with the spark plugs, high'tension wires carriedby said posts and extending d i agonally, downward above one another, and means for connecting the terminal of the lowest wire at each post with the knife switch of that post. I

4. In an ignition system for hydrocarbon engines, the combination with the engine cylinders, of spark plugs thereon, insulating postson said cylinders adjacent said plugs provided with means for supporting wires one above theother, knife switches pivotally secured to said posts adjacent the lowest wire supporting means, and adapted to make contact with the corresponding spark plugs, and a wire terminal on each post for the lowest wire electrically connected to the knife switch 'on that post.

' 5 In an ignition system for hydrocarbon engines, the combination with the engine cylinders, of spark plugs thereon, insulating posts on said cylinders adjacent said plugs provided with means for supporting wires one above the other, secured to said posts'adjacent the lowest knife switches pivotally wire supporting means and adapted to make contact with the corresponding, spark, plugs, a thimble-shaped conducting terminal for the end of the lowest wire'on each post, and a conducting arm connecting said terminal with the switch on'that post.

6. In an ignition system for hydrocarbon engines, the combination with the engine cylinders, of sp plugs thereon, insulating v posts on saidcylinders adjacent said plugs provided with means for supporting wires one above the other, knife switches pivotally secured to said posts adjacent the lowest wire supporting means and adapted to make contact with the corresponding spark plugs,

a thimble-shaped conducting terminal for the end of the lowest wire on each post, a conducting arm rigidly Secured to said terminal having an eye adapted to fit over the pivot pin of the knife switch, and a thumb nut,for clamping said arm in place on the pivot pin.

7 In an ignition system for hydrocarbon engines, the combination with the engine cylinders, of spark plugs thereon having contact points, insulating posts on said cylinders adjacentsaid plugs, knifeswitches mounted in said posts in a position to make contact with the spark plugs, high tension wires carried by said posts and extending diagonally downward, means for connecting the terminal of the lowest wire at each post with the knife switch of that post, and means for adjusting the contact point of the spark plug into proper alinement with the knife switch.

8. In a device of the class described, thecombination with a post having a hole therethrough for supporting a conducting cable, of a thimble shaped conducting terminal adapted to fit over the end of said hole, a bracket secured to said post adjacent said hole having 'projectlng ears, a knife switch secured is said bracket by a pivot pin pass-' ing through said ears, a conducting arm rig-.

idly secured to said terminal having an opening fitting over the end of the pivot pin, and a thumb nut for securing said arm on the pin.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pivotedknife switch, of a spark plug adjacent thereto having a contact point adapted to be engaged by the switch, and means for adjusting said contact point laterally on said plug into alinement with the switch.

10. In a device of the class described, the v combination with a knife switch, of a pivotal support therefor permitting it to move 1n-a single plane, a fixed spark plug adjacent thereto having a contact point adapted to be engaged by the switch, and means for adjusting said contact point laterally on said plug into alinement with the switch.

11. In a device of the classdescribed, the combination with a pivoted knife switch, of a spark plug adjacent thereto, a contact member pivotally mounted on said plug substantially in line with the knife switch, and

a contact point on said member eccentric to the pivotal point of support and adapted to be brought into alinement with said switch, for engagementtherewith, by rotationof said member on its pivotal support. I

12. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pivoted knife switch, of a spark plug adjacent thereto, a screw threaded extension of the electrode of said plug, a contact member having an opening L. C. TENNEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Gomxiaissionerof Patents, Washington, D. G.

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