US1039171A - Electric ignition system for internal-combustion engines. - Google Patents

Description

J. L. MILTON. ELECTRIC IGNITION SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES, APPLICATION FILED 00120. 1911 1 ,039, 1 '7 1 Patented Sept. 24. 1912.

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JOHN LEWIS MILTON, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 24., 1912.

Application filed October 20, 1911. Serial No. 655,746.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Joim LEWIS BTU/TON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented a certain new and Improved Electric Ignition System for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a full, clear. concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to ignition systems for internal combustion engines, and its object is to provide a spark arr-ester which operates inrcverse manner to a distributcr. This is usedto short circuit high tension current outside of the engines spark plugs, progressively in the order of firing.

A further object is to admit of starting an automobile engine from the seat without cranking, when the cylinders are full of combustible gas, by simply closing an auxiliary battery switch, in an ignition system in which sparks are normally simultaneously created in two cylinders.

An instance of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which is a diagrann'natic representation of the circuit.

Referring to the circuit, it will be seen that the current is supplied by means of a generator, G, also a battery, B. One terminal (G) of the generator winding is connected to the binding post, Z, of timer, T, which is, in turn, connected to both primary windings of the two transformer "or induction coils, T and T through contacts K and. K of knife switch K. The other generator terminal, G through conductor, G is joined with one terminal, B of the bat.- tery; together these are led to the binding post, Y, of the timer, which is also permanently connected with the condenser, 0, through cond=' :tor, C Binding post, Y, is also connected to the timer blade, T, which is insulated from the ground and I have used the timer device disclosed in my U. S. application 443,608, for this circuit. The other pole of the battery is connectethto the contact, K, of the knife switch.

The insulated contact, T of the timer, is connected to contact K of the knife switch; also to insulated contact T of the swinging arm, T,'which is brought into contact and held in contact while the timer is operating, first with contact T then with contact T by means of the eccentric T, which is carried by the timer shaft. This arm, '1, is pivoted on shaft T. When contacts T and T are together the electrical impulse is directed through binding post X, and conductor X ,to the primary winding, T \Vhen contacts T 6 and T are together, the electrical impulse is directed through binding post X and conductor X to the primary winding T of transformer coil, T.

\Vhen the knife switch is in the position shown in diagram, one terminal of condenser C is connected through conductor C contacts K" and K conductor C, contacts K, K and conductor C. This places both ends of the condenser across the generating winding of G, and is a similar circuit used in my U. S. applications No. 384,049 and No. 443,608. When the knife switch is thrown to the other side, the generator is'thrown out of the circuit and the battery current is then sent to the induction coils through conductors B and T from one pole, and received through conductor B and the other part of the circuit, as described. The condenser is then placed across the contact points T and T The auxiliary switch, F, is connected to binding post, Y, and contact, T so that when the engine is stationary, the battery circuit may be closed and opened for generating and sending a spark to the spark plug.

The interrupter, or timer, includes a cam, T having wings, as shown, this cam being mounted upon the end of the generator spindle, not shown, and rotating, therefore, at the same speed as the rotor of the generator, and with fixed angularity with respect thereto. The function of the cam is ultimately to cause the appropriate vibration of the contact spring, T. This contact spring is mounted upon a metallic pedestal, which, in turn, is attached to the supporting timer plate, and insulated.

\Vhen operating on current supplied from the magneto, the contact spring, T is brought into electrical connection with the upper contact of T before the peak of the wave of electromotive force set up in the generator coil is reached. At or about the instant the peak of the wave is reached, the

contact spring is moved suddenly from the 45 arrester arm is rotated it is brought into' contact with the insulated contacts in the order in which the engine cylinders are fired. In the diagram the order is shown 50 between upper contact of T and spring T tween the contact of spring T and lower contact of T whereupon the condenser is discharged through the primary winding of the transformer, aided, under certainconditions, by the electromotive force of the generator, forces a sudden impulse ofcurrent through the primary winding of the transformer.- Since, the primary winding has been subjected to a diminishing current,-

and consequently *the cores of the trans-,

former-to -a..Wea kened energization, a very sudden change is caused by the sudden rush of current through the primary winding. v

the gas in the cyhnderm which.

causing two ex-- This rapid change causes a current impulse of very high'tension to be set up in the sondary winding of transformers. It is iis high tension current which causes a park to pass between the electrodes of the spark plug. hen the timer is operating ;0n currentsupplied from the battery, the

electrical action is similar, however, there is a continuous, constant pressure current in place of alternating waves.

The high tension circuitconsists of two secondary windings, T and T the termi- .path. of lower electrical resistancefor the .nals of T being connected to spark plugs l and 4,-and the-terminals of T being connected to spark plugs 2 and 3-, also conductors 12,'2-2, 32 and 42, connected respectively to insulated contacts 1*, 2 3 and 4 of SA, whichi's'a spark arrester designedto provide, at predetermined intervals, :1

electric current than across a. spark plug or spark: gap in a cylinder, as the conducting arm, S, which is connected to the ground, isrotated- This arm is" rotated" by .the engine'at'a definiteratio to thet'imer. For conditions as shown in the-diagrammatic drawing, the spark arrester arm will rotate at half engine speed while the timer mechanism operates at engine speed. As the spark secondary-windings, T and T When the current is created in T it flows through conductor 2-1, across spark plug'2 to the ground. If the spark arrester was not incorpora-ted in the system, the current'would flow through the ground, then across spark plug '3, returning .by conductor-31 to the 60 secondary-winding T In a standard four cylinder, four cycle internal combustionengine, the current leaping across plug 2 would ignite theg'as, and the current would pass across plug3 just about the. time the intake valve of the cylinder in whichit is' spark would "cylinder in which 3 is proximately half full of gas, supposing the placed would be opening, the fresh gas. if

any, would be too weak or thin to ignite,

tion for starting on the spark when it is.

desired to start on-the spark, and the auxiliary switch F is pressed and released to send the'battery current to transformer T, a

occur at plugs-2 and 3. The

placed-would be apcrank to have'stopped, normally at a point I 90 degrees from the engine dead center.- .This spark at plug 3, under some conditions.

will ignite the gas at the. same time that plug 2 is placed is ignited, thereby plosion's, then the motor will not start. To overcome this condition. I haveinterposed aspark arresterwhich, in the condition thus described, would causethe current to pass outside of plug 3*, thereby-preventinga spark .at this plug, andallowingthe engine to start rotating by the explosion caused by the spark from plug 2. The same condition will occur for corresponding cycles in.th e

engine. v

. Many variations of the application of this principle may be suggested, consequently I do not limit myself to the form disclosed-in the above specification and the diagrammat-ic drawin p I p v iYhat'I claim as new and desireto secure 4 by Letters Patent, is:

1., In a multiple cylinder ignition sy tem for internal combustion engines, spark plugs associated. with the several cylinders, a 7

source of current, a primary circuit clud ing said source, and an interrupter,,a'l ansformer,means for distributing secondary current to the fixed spark gaps in themriouscylinders, in combinatlon with means for periodically connecting to the ground the insulated terminal of the spark plug of 'a cylinder not to be fired as a spark is created in one of the other cylinders.

- 2. In a multiple cylinder ignition system for internal combustion engines a primary circuit including a source of current, and an interrupter including said source and a secondary circuit associated with said primary circuit'and including a spark arrestingdevice operated by the engine; and which is periodically electrically connected to each of.

the spark plugs in the order'of firing. 3. In a mult ple cylinder internal combustion engine, a spark plug associated with each cylinder, a jump spark ignitionsystem tor same, consisting. or a primary-circuit including a source of'current and an inter-- rupter, a" secondary c rcuit associated wlth said primary circuit, means for distributing.

said secondary current,t0= the fixed spar gaps in" the various cylinders, anda spark arresting device operated by the engine and which is electrically connected to each one of. the spark plugs, thereby establishing a temporary short circuit to the ground in the order of firing, and following the cylinder to be fired during the short-circuiting period. 4:. In combination with amultiple cylinder internal combustion engine, spark plugs associated with the several cylinders, a multiple cylinder jump spark ignition'system, in which a spark arresting device 0 erated by the engine is electrically connected to all the spark plugs and means for temporarily tiple cylinder jump spark ignition system,

in which a spark arresting device 0 erated by the engine is electrically connecte to all the spark plugs, and which temporarily establishes a low resistance circuit from the high tension circuits leading to each plu to the ground circuit, through said spar arresting device, in the order of firing during the intake cycle of the cylinder in which a given plu is being temporarily shortcircuited, and simultaneously with the ignition cf the gas in one of the other cylinders.

6. In a multiple cylinder ignition system for internal combustion engines, a primary circuit including a source of current and an interrupter, a secondary circuit associated with said primary circuit and including means for temporarily individually and periodically establishing for each spark plug a circuit of less resistance for the high tension current, than offered by the spark plugs, including the gaps in the cylinders.

7. In a multiple cylinder internal combastion engine, spark plugs associated with the s veral cylinders, a jump spark ignition system for mm. a source of current, a primary circuit including said source and an interrupter, a transformer, means for distributin'g secondary current to the fixed spark gaps in the various cylinders, in combination with means for causing elec tric current to return to the transformer windings through a path of lower resistance than across the fixed spark gaps in the cylinders, synchronously with the ignition of gas in one of the cylinders.

JCT-IN LEWIS MILTON.

Witnesses:

N. S. MILTON, PRESTON P. Jones.

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