US1159911A - Spark-plug. - Google Patents

Description

A. ECKHARDT.

SPARK PLUG. APPLlcATloN FILED oc.8. 1914.

patented Nov. 29, 1915*.

drum

' rinirnn errar ne learner prision.

ADoLrH ncxHAnnr, or sUrrcN, NEBRASKA.

SPARK-PLUG.

Specification of Letters Patent.

'Patented Nov. e, 191.5.

Application filed October 8, 1914. Serial No. 865,728.

To all whom t may concern Be it known Ithat I, ADOLPH ECKHARDT, citizen of the United States, residing at Sutton, in the county of Clay and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spark-Plugs, of

.which the following is a specification.

v This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in spark plugs for internal combustion engines and has as its primary object to provide a spark plug having a plurality of sparking points and wherein the spark gaps orthe distance between the sparking points may be simultaneously adjusted. l

The invention has as a further object to provide an improved device of this character including an integrally formed electrode which will be detachably connected to the plug and which will provide a plurality of sparking points having sparking terminals detachably connected thereto to the end that either of said terminals may be selectively removed to be replaced by anew' terminal, or, on the other hand, that the entire electrode including its terminals may be removed. And a still further object of the invention is to provide an improved spark plug o1 the above described character A including an electrode having a plurality of sparking points and provided with a. single terminal by which the said electrode may be connected with a suitable source of electrical energy.V

With these and other objects in view my invention will be more' fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawmgs and then specifically-pointed out in the claims which are attached tovand form a part 0f l' ferred to in the following description indicated'in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

vthis application.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure Iis a vertical sectional view of my improvedA spark plug showing the parts thereof in as` fsembledrelation, ,specti've View and Fig. 2 isa detail perof the electrode carried by the insulating member of the plug and showing the said electrode detached. y

Corresponding and like parts are re My improved spark plug is especially designed for use upon `internal combustion engines to have detachable connection with the cylinders thereof to communicate with the ignition chambers of the engine in the usual manner.. More particularly, the plug includes a metallic shell 10 which is reduced intermediate its ends to provide an internal annular shoulder 11, the reduced extremity of the shell being externally screw threaded as at 12 to engage within a suitable threaded bore formed in an engine cylinder. 'At its upper extremity, the shell 10 is provided with a squared head 13 disposed for engagement with a wrench or other tool.

Seated within the shell 10 is an insulating plug or member 14 which may be formed of porcelain or any other suitable material. Formed on the plug 14 intermediate its ends, is an annular shoulder 15 disposed to confront the shoulder 11 of the shell and interposed between the said shoulders is a gasket or packing ring 16 which y may -be formed of rubber -or any suitable fibrous material. l

The shell 10 ',a't its'upper extremity is internally screw threaded to detachably engage an externally screw-'thrgeaded collar 17 'the said collar beingv disposed to surround the plug 14n and being arranged to engage the shell, the plug, and the collar may be v readily detached from each other.y

The inner extremity of the" plug 14 is preferably tapered toward its free end so that it may be easily' fitted within the reduced extremity of the shell 10, and formed in the plug adj acent opposite sides thereof, are ,y longitudinally extending bores 19 arranged substantially parallel with the vertical axis of the plug and opening at their extremities through the opposite end walls thereof.

Detachably mounted upon the plug 14 is an electrodewhich l have illustrated in Fig. 2 ofthe drawings and indicated as a whole at 20L More particularly, the elecf trede 2O includes a threaded terminal 21 which is bifurcated at its 'inner extremity to provide members 22 extending laterally each side of the terminal 21, the memlbers 22 `at their outer extremities being bent lto Provide opposltely disposed arms 23 a1:-

ranged substantially parallel to each other. At their outer extremities, the arms 23 are screw threaded to detachably engage the sparking terminals or points 24 .while the terminal 21 is disposer; toreceive a suitable thumb nut 25. i

1 As shown in Fig. l of the drawings, the arms 23 of the electrode are'disposed to extend through the bores 19 with the sparking terminals 24 seating against the adjacent lower face of the 'plug and with the members 22 of the electrode countersunk within the upper extremity 'of the plug. By this arrangement, it will be seen that the electrode 20 may be readily detached from the plug 14 whendesired by removing the sparking terminals 24 and this is a very desirable feature of the; construction which I provide since shouldu the electrode 20 become damaged in use, it can be readily replaced. Inthis connection, it is also to be observed that should the sparking terminals 24 -become burnt'in use or damaged, the said terminals may be readily detached and new ones substituted therefor.

Removably fitted over the upper extremity of the plug 14 is a preferably metallic cap 26, the said cap Surrounding the terminal 21 of the electrode and providing a seat `for a conductor carrying a suitable source of electrical energy and disposed to be connected lwith the terminal 21 by the nut 25.

Seated within the shell 10 at its outer extremity, are members 27 which are bent to extend radially toward the axis of the'plug and provide sparking-points 28 disposed to coperate with the sparking terminals 24 of the electrode 20. -It will be observed that by turning the plug 14 within the shell l0, that the distance between the sparking terminals 24 and 28 may be adjusted to consequently regulate the length ofthe spark gap between the :said points and that in thus turning the plug 14, simultaneous adjustment will be had between each of the terminals 24 and the adjacent terminal 28 coperating therewith. f

As is well known, in the type of spark plug employing a single spark gap, the sparking terminalsoften become sooted or burnt to render the plug ineilicientand in the provision of my improved plug employing an integrally formed electrode having a lplurality of sparking terminals, the electrical current passing through the electrode is distributed between the said terminals so that the likelihood of the burning thereof is 'justed It will further be seen that I provide a construction wherein a common electrode is employed for each of said gaps wliichmay be readily detached to permit of 30 repair and wherein the sparking terminals ,connected with the said electrode may also be each disconnected therefrom either to effect the removal of the said electrode from the plug or'to permit of repair or replace- 85 .ment of the said sparking terminals.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a shell having sparking points and an insulating member, of an electrode carried by the insulating member, said electrode including a terminal disposed l for connection with a suitable source of electrical energy and bifurcated at one extremity to provide members extending upon opi posite sides of the' terminal, said members being thence bent to provide spaced arms-f\\ \u screw threaded adjacent their 0135er/ extremities, `the electrode bginfj disposed to -seat upon the insulatingmember with-the members ofthe electrode counter-sunk within -the upper end of the insulating member and with the arms of the electrode extending through the said member, and sparking terminals screw threaded to engage the threaded extremities of said arms, said sparking terminals being disposed to coperate with the sparking points of the shell.

2. A .device of the character described including a shell having members arranged thereon providing sparking points, an insulating member carried by the shell,` the said insulating member having longitudi- 1'15 nally extending bores formed therein adjacent opposite sides, an electrode including a', terminal disposed to receive a suitable conduit and having spacedl arms extending from said terminal and disposed in said 120 bores, andl sparking terminals detachably secured to the outer extremities of said arms and detachably connecting the electrode with the insulating member,` said sparking terminals being disposed to cooperate with the sparking points carried by the shell.

3. @A device of the character described including a shell, an insulating member carried by the shell, members arranged upon the shell and' providing sparking points, a 13'0.

substantiallyv U-shapedelectrode having its arms extendingl through the insulating memf" ber, and sparking points carried at the free ends of said arms and detachably connecting the electrode with Athe said insulating member, said last mentioned sparking points being adapted to coperate, with said first mentioned sparking points.A

.4. A device of the character described including a shell, an insulating member carried by the shell, members arranged upon ing member and having spaced terminals,

and sparking points engaging said terminals and seating against the said insulating vmem'- ber for detachably connecting the electrode With the insulating member, said last mentioned sparking points being adapted to coact with' said first mentioned sparking points.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two'witnesses.

ADOLPH EGKHARDT.y [L s] Witnesses:

GEO. B. CAMPBELL,

H. H. SCHWAB.

Copies of this. patent may be obtained for-five cents each, vby addressing thel Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

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