US1167762A - Ignition system. - Google Patents

Description

c. F.KET TERING.

IGNITION SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. I4, IQIO- 7 1,167,762, I v I Patented Jan. 11,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

C. F. KETTERING.

IGNITION SYSTEM.

. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 14, I910. 1,167,762. I Patented Jan. 11,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- UNITED STATES PATENT orrrcn.

CHARLES F. KETTERING, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE DAYTON ENGINEERING- LABOBATOBIES CO.,' CORPORATION OF OHIO.

IGNITION SYSTEM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARL S F.IETT ER me, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, county of Montgomery, and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ignition Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

' This invention relates to ignition systems such as are used for internal combustion engines, and relates more particularly to what may be called a duplex system in which alternative sources of energy such as battery and magneto, are utilized for supplying current to the ignition system.

It isone of the particular objects-of this invention to provide an automatic device connected with the control lever which controls the advance and retard of the spark, which mechanism will automatically throw in the battery as the source of energy over certain ranges of movement of the spark control lever, when for example. the magneto is not sufliciently effective because of too great advance or retard; For example by means of this device, the spark control lever, in starting from its zero position, or

position of greatest retard of the spark,.

moves over a certain range or number of degrees of movement, during which ,timethe battery alone is operating the ignition system. Then at a certain point of advance of the spark control lever (and of course advance of the spark), the magneto becomes eilective. Then when the continued advance of the spark has reached such a numher of degrees of movement that magneto current becomes insuflicient, as it would in the case oi corresponding too great retard,

the battery again becomes effective automatically. Means are also provided for cutting out this automatic device altogether.

so that the ignition system runs solely from the battery independent of the magneto. In this manner the device may be used even though the magneto gets out of order.

Another object is to provide an ,improv 'd form of blocking device and latch for the spark control lever so that the lever cannot be returned unintentionally, .to zero position where the current is absolutely broken, but can if desired be thrown into such a position to cut off the ignition current entirely. But this device is also so arranged that the lever can then be moved away from Specification of Letters Patent.

the Zero position without any manipulation of the latching device.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved duplex arrangement of the timer used for making and breaking the magneto and the battery circuits.

\Vith these and incidental objects in View,

I Patented Jan. 11, 1916. Application filed November 14, 1910. Serial No. 592,292.

the invention comprises certain novel ar-' rangements of parts, a preferred form of embodiment of which isshown in the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification. I ()t'said drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the arrangement of the ignition circuit including my automatic device. Fig.2 is a detail view of the. spark control lever connected to the makeandbreak device for advancing the spark and to the automatic device for controlling the battery and the magneto. Fig. 3 is a detail tail views of the blocking and latching mechanism for the spark control lever.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the ignition circuit is arranged as follows: The battery 20 is connected to a current interrupter or locking relay 21 comprising a low resistance coil-22 and a high resistance coil 23, the cores of which coils act upon .an armature 24 so as to break the main contact at the point 25, when the rest of the circuit is connected, which thereupon breaks the main current flowing through the low resistance coil 22 and the main lead wire 26 and thus gives the necessary sparking impulse to the induction coil presently to be explained. The high resistance coil 23 acts as a locking coil to hold down the armature 24until the current is broken at the timer, this high resistance coil 23 being then in series in the circuit from the wires 27 and 28. This results in producing a single spark in the induction coil foreach contact of the timer. A condenser 29 is shunted around the contact make-and-break point 25 in a well known manner. A key switch 30 is provided,'to cut out the locking coil 23 when the switch 30 is open, so

, 7 top plan view of the timer or make-and-.

25 later explained.

as to cause the coil 22 to act as an ordinary vibrator with a succession of sparks when desired.

Before describing the automatic control 5 for throwing the battery into and out of circuit,'the other parts of the ignition circuit, comprising the timer, the magneto, and the induction coil, will be described still referring-to diagrammatic Fig. 1. The tuner is of aduplex sort, for simultaneously operating the magneto make-andbreak and the battery make-and-break, this for the purpose of using the timer in this duplex system in which either the battery or the magneto is used as the source of energy, and

in fact some of the tune both are effectwe;

The timer shaft 40 is provided with operating cams 41. The contact device for the battery side of the circuit comprises a contact arm 42 which is fast to the pivotal block 43 and is at its other end adapted to make 42 and block &3 are connected by wire 47 to the ground. Similarly for the magneto circuit, there is a contact arm 52, pivotal block 53, stationary contact point 54, connecting wire 55 to the magneto and a resilient operating arm 56 engaged by the timer cams 41. This pivotal block 53 is likewise grounded through the wire 47. The magneto is shown at 60. Its armature is grounded by the wire 61 and the other side is connected by the wire 62 on one side to the timer contact 54: and on the other side by the wire 63 to the induction coil. This induction coil comprises the primary coil 70 which is grounded at one end and at the other end is connected to the aforesaid wire 63; and also said induction coil includes the secondary coil 71 connected at one end to the wire 63 and at the other end to the spark-gap 72 in a customary manner, said spark-gap being grounded and the spark being used for the desired ignition purposes. A condenser 73 is connected between the wire 63 and the ground. It may be added here that the wire 74 leads from an intermediate point on the primary coil 70 to the battery 20. The reason for having the battery connected at thls intermediate point as compared with the point of connection of.

the magneto to the primary. is that the hat tery needs less turns of the primary coil than the magneto in order to get efiective impulses. It will be seen that when the timer cam 41 closes the magneto circuit at the contact point 54 the magneto is then short-circuited to ground; and when the oontact is broken at the point 54:, the kick-back sends the necessary impulse through the wire 63 and through. the primary of the induction coil sufliciently to cause the spark. Since the magneto is run from the same engine shaft as the timer, the eifectiveness of the magneto current depends upon the point of time at which the circuit is broken at 54 with relation to the point of revolution of the armature of the magneto. This is a well known matter in connection with the use of magnetos for this purpose and it is a matter of common knowledge as to the advance and retard of the spark by the control of the timer to produce quicker or later breaking of the circuit and consequent sparking, with reference to the position of the magneto.

There is an effective range of movement of the timer over which the magneto gives a desirable and efficient current for ignition purposes. Any greater range of current is such as to make the magneto current too weak in that it has not risen to its proper amount or has dropped to too low an amount. This range is usually spoken of as a range of 30 degrees, these measured with reference to the rotation of the crank shaft of the engine. The result is that when it is desired to get a greater range of movement of advance and retard of the spark some other means than the magneto must be employed as an alternative source.

It has heretofore beencustomary to use a battery as an alternative source for the ignition circuit, such battery being used for the starting of the engine and for low speeds. Then when the engine speeds up, a hand switch is operated which throws the magneto into operation and the-same is then utilized with a range of advance of movement approximately as referred to above. When the engine slows down for any reason whatever,it has then been necessary for the operator to throw the hand switch over again to throw the battery into operation. In my present invention I make this all automatic and under the control of the spark advance lever. That is, starting the spark control lever, which is connected with the timer, at

its zero position, the first extent of movement of the lever, as for 20 degrees, makes use of the battery circuit. Then at about the end of that range, the magneto becomes effective, and when effective as such. the battery circuit is automatically cut off so that the ignition circuit is runningv under the magneto alone. This endures for a range of say 30 degrees for the magneto. Then reaching the end of best efiiciencv for the magneto, the battery circuit is again thrown into connection. This automatic device will now be described more in detail, in connection with Fig. 1. The controlling plate 80, pivoted at 81, is formed with segmentalprojections 82 and 83, and with notches 84 and 85. A

pointer 86 working over an are 87 represents automatically the ranges and degrees of movement referred to. The wires 26 and 28 already explained in the-battery circuit are connected by a wire 90 to a contact point 91' spark impulse sent through the primary 70.

of the induction coil due to the breaking of the contact at the point 25 in the battery circuit. That is, in this position of thecontrolling plate 80, the battery circuit is effective. \Vhen however the controlling plate 80 is moved so that the pointer. reaches thepointmarked 20 degrees on the arc87, the switch 92 then is spring-returned by its own resiliency into the notch 85 so that contact is broken at the point 91. This entirely cuts out the'battery circuit even though the timer makes contact at the point 44. It is from this range of the pointer from 20 dcgrees to 50 degrees as marked on the are 87, that the battery circuit is cutout and during thistime, the magneto alone is effective due to the making and breaking of the contact at the point 54 bv the timer.

As a matter of fact it may be -and. prefera blv is true, that the magneto is partially effective to give a slight amount of current in add tion to the battery current before the projection 82 rides off of the switch 92'to break the current at the point 91. This is only however for the early and weak stage of the current from the magneto it being understood of course that the timer shaft 40 and theicontrol plate 80 are connected or geared together and to the spark advance lever as will be shown more in detail later. The effective range then of the magneto .alone is from approximately the 30 degree 50 amount previously" referred to and during which time the switch lever 92 rests within the notched portion 85. From beyond 50 degrees howeverthe controlling plate is then in such position that its projection 83 againoperates the switch lever 92 to-close contact at the point 91 and thus again bring the battery circuit into effectiveness. This is sov that when the spark has been advanced by the control lever beyond the point of best efliciencyfor the magneto, the batterymay again automatically take up the work of supplying the ignition circuit.

It will be seen that when the controlling plate 80 is rotated so that the pointer occupies the diagrammatic position represented by the zero degree marked on the scale 87, the notched portion 84 is brought opposite the switch 92. This results in breaking of the battery circuit at this point and thus cutting out the battery. The point of retard of the spark-at this point is so great that the magneto is entirely ineifective. Therefore no current at all flows through the ignition circuit and the ignition system is dead. In order to prevent the lever from being unintentionally thrown to this zero position and thus entirely cutting off the current, a blocking and latching device is provided which will be described later.

Since, as above stated, there are times when the battery and the magneto are operating together, it is desirable to have the sparking impulses occur both in the battery circuit and in the magneto circuit at the same "time. For this reason the timer is so constructed that the contact is made at the point 44 for'the bat-tery by one of the cams 41 at the same time the other contact point 54 is broken for the magneto by another oneof the cams 41. The exact construction of this timer is shown more in detail in Fig. 3, some of the elements of which timer are shown in my co-pending application Serial No. 564,737, filed June 3, 1910. In this Fig. 3 the make-and-break elements on the timer shaft and cams are shown as numbered as in diagrammatic Fig. 1, the contact points 44 and 54 being connected with their respective binding posts to join the lead Wires 45 and 55 above referred to. Some of the further. details of this makeand-break device are shown and described in my co-pending application Serial No. 564,7 37 filed June 3, 1910. "In order to advance and retard the spark, a lever 100 is provided which is connected to the casing 101 which carries the aforesaid make-andbreak device. ,In fact this entire casing, carrying all the parts except the timer shaft and cam, is freely revoluble by the lever 100 about the timer cam shaft as a center. This results in making it possible to change the time of sparking by turning the lever 1'00 and thus rotating the entire casing or breaker-box as it is sometimes called, thus making the timer cams strike the contact arms 46 and 56 at an earlier or later period according to the position of the lever 100. As previously explained, the timer shaft and contact elements are so arranged that -when the magneto circuit is broken at the erence to their cooperating contact arms as to produce the effect mentioned, the contact arms in the presentcase being located opposite two ad oinmg tlmer cams 41. The

connection between the spark control lever and the timer and the automatic circuit control will now be described particularly with reference to Fig. 2. The spark control lever 110 is shown as located upon a wheel 111 such as is ordinarily the location in automobiles where ignition devices are used for the gas engines, in which 111 represents the usual steering wheel for such automobiles. The lever 110 travels over a bearing segment 112, and is connected by a link 113 to the aforesaid lever 100 which controls the breaker-box or the advance and retard of the spark as previously explained. The lever 100 is also attached by link 114 to the aforesaid controlling plate explained in reference to diagrammatic Fig. 1, this control plate'controlling the switch 92 to automatically throw the'battery in and out of the ignition circuit as already explained.

As shown in Fig. 2, the spark lever 110 is at zero position, and in such position the notch 81 of the control plate 80 stands opposite the switch 92 so as to break battery circuit. In this condition the ignition circuit has neither the battery as a source of energy nor is the magneto effective at this stage because of the retarded position of the spark lever. This results in affording a quick shut-off for the ignition circuit all controlled by the actuation of the spark lever itself. Since it is desirable not to have the spark thrown back to this zero position to cut off the ignition circuit unintentionally a blocking and latching device is shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The block 120 is movably mounted in the supporting segment 112 over which the lever 110 travels. This block 120 is beveled on the side toward the zero position of the spark lever, but on its opposite side presents an abrupt block to prevent the lever being moved into zero position unless the latching knob 121 is pulled downward against its spring tension, thereby pulling downward on the block 120 and allowing the lever 110 to pass until it comes against the abrupt stop 122. This puts the spark lever in its zero position with the ignition circuit dead, and does not occur unless the operator has intentionally pulled down on the latching knob 121. It will be seen that on account of the beveled side of the block 120, the spark lever can then be freely moved away from zero position to ward the spark advance, without any manipulation of the latching knob 121.

Referring again to Fig. 2 it will be seen that as the spark lever 110 is moved forward to advance the spark by connection to the lever as above explained, this also rotates the plate 80 and causes the projection 82 to operate the switch 92 to throw in the battery as the source of energy for the ignition circuit. Then when the notch 85 is reached for the further spark advance, the

merges battery is automatically thrown out of operation, this being the effective range of the magneto advance. Then when the spark lever has advanced so far as to leave the magneto ineffective or ineflicient, the rojection 83 again closes the switch 92, thereby automatically bringing the battery circuit into play. In the event that the magneto should get out of commission so as to be inoperative, it will be seen that the notch 85 would then leave a certain range of movement of the spark lever in which range neither the battery nor the magneto would be supplying current to the ignition circuit. To obviate this possible difiiculty I provide a switch 130 shown in diagrammatic Fig. 1 which is adapted to 0108s contact at the point 131 which is connected by the wire 132 to the lead wire 45. It will thus be seen that when the switch 130 is closed, the battery circuit is completed through the locking relay and through the wires 26 and 28, switch 130, and wires 132 ,and 45, thus entirely cutting out the automatic control so that thebattery is in circuit for all the time independently of the position of the controlling plate 80. This therefore takes care of the difliculty of the magneto becoming inoperative.

In Fig. 4 I have shown apparatus which may be used mechanically for operating the automatic controlling plate 80. The lever 1430 is pivoted at 141 and connected to a segmental gear 142 meshing with the gear 143 formed on the controlling plate 80. Thus by connecting together the aforesaid breaker-box lever 100 and this lever 140, the automatic controlling plate 80 is moved in the manner just describedwith reference to Fig. 2.

The general form of apparatus shown in Fig. 1 is similar to what is shown in my aforesaid mentioned co-pending application Serial No. 564,737, in which said application the timer is inclosed in an' apparatus of this sort. That is, if such apparatus embodies the timer device in itself, the lever 140 may be utilized to control the timer to advance and retard the spark and also in the same apparatus control the gear 142 and controlling plate 80. But in the form which I have shown in detail, the timer control lever 100 and the lever 140 are separately embodied and are connected together as shown in Fig. 2.

It is to be understood that the construction herein shown and described is only a preferred form of embodiment of the invention and that the same may be embodied in other forms all coming within the spirit or scope of this invention.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In an ignition system, the combination with an ignition circuit including a spin-1c ing device and a battery and a magneto as tarded spark range, cutting out the battery for the range of effectiveness of the magneto, and cutting the battery into circuit again for the advance spark range beyond the effective advance of the magneto.

3. In an ignition system, the combination with an ignition circuit including a sparking device and a battery and a magneto as energizing sources therefor; of means for controlling the spark advance and retard; and means connected with and operable by said spark'controlling means for connecting the battery into the ignition circuit for retarded spark range, cutting out the battery for the range of effectiveness of the magneto, and cutting the batteryinto circuit again for the advance spark range beyond the effective advance of the magneto; with provisions for cutting out the battery when the spark control means is in its position of extreme retard.

4. In an ignitionsystem, the combination with an ignition circuit including a sparking device and a'battery and a magneto as energizing sources therefor; of means for controlling the spark advance and retard; and means connected with and operable by said spark controlling means forconnecting the battery into the ignition circuit for retarded spark range, cutting out the battery for the range of effectiveness 0 the magneto, and cutting the battery i to circuit again for the advance spark ran'ge beyond the effective advance of the magneto; with provisions for cutting out the battery when the spark control means is in its pdsition of extremeretard; and a latch-device for blocking the movement of the spark control means into such extreme retard position until the latch is operated.

5. In an ignition system, the combination with an ignition circuit including a sparking device and a battery'and a magneto as energizing sources therefor; of means for controlling the spark advance and retard; and means connected with and operable by said spark controlling means for connecting the battery into the ignition circuit for retarded spark range, cutting out the battery for the range of effectiveness of the magneto, and cutting the battery into circuit again for the advance spark range beyond the effective advance of the magneto; with provisions for cutting out the battery when the spark control means is in its position of extreme retard;and a .latch device for blocking the movement of the spark control means into such extreme retard. position until the latch is operated, with provisions permitting the free movement of said spark control means'away from extreme retarded position independently of the manipulation of said latch.

6. In an ignition system, the combination with an ignition circuit'including a spark-.

ing device and a battery and a magneto as energizing sources therefor; of means forcontrolling the spark advance and retard; and means connected with and operable by said spark controlling means for connecting the battery into the ignition circuit for retarded spark range, cutting out the battery for the range of effectiveness of the magneto, and cutting the battery into circuit again for'the advance spark range beyond the eflective advance of the magneto; and a switch for permanently connecting the battery in the ignition circuit independently of said battery controlling means.

7. In an ignition system, the combination with an ignition circuit including an induction coil with spark device, a duplex energizing source therefor .comprising a magneto in one branch circuit and a battery and interrupter in the other branch circuit, and a timer' common to the magneto and the battery; of a spark control lever having connections with said timer for advancing the spark; and a device also connected with and operable by the spark control lever for throwing the battery into and out of the ignitioncirhcuit.

'8. In an ignition system, the combination with an ignition circuit including an. inductioncoil with spark device, a duplex energizing source therefor comprising a magneto in one branch circuit and a battery and interrupter in the other branch circuit, and a timer common to the magneto and the battery; of a spark control lever having connections with said timer for advancing the spark; a switch in said battery branch circuit; and a controlling plate connected with erating cams, a batterycontact device and a magneto contact device, said pair of contact devices belng located 111 1uxtapos1t1on to adjacent cams; means for adjusting therelative positions of the timer cams and said contact devices to efiect advance and retard of the sparking; connections between the latter means and the spark control lever to control the spark timing; and a device also connected with and operable by the spark control lever for throwing the battery into and out of the ignition circuit 10. In an ignition system, the combination with an ignition circuit, including a sparking device, a single induction coil, and a battery and magneto as energizing sources therefor; said induction coil having a. primary winding of a predetermined number of turns; separate connections between said energizing sources and the primary winding of the induction coil, the connections with one of said sources comprising a greater number of turns of said winding than the connection with the other of said sources; of means for controlling the spark advance and retard; and means connected with and operable by said spark controlling means for selecting the electrical source to be connected with the ignition circuit, and thereby controlling the primary winding as to the nu mber of turns included in the ignition circuit.

11. In an ignition system, the combination with an ignition circuit, including a sparking device and a battery and electric generating machine as energizing sources therefor;'of means for controlling the spark advance and retard; and means connected with and operable by said spark controlling means for cutting the battery into and out a of the ignition circuit; and switch means operable to cut the battery into the ignition circuit, independently of the action of the means connected to the spark controlling means.

memes 12. In an ignition system, the combination with a plurality of electrical sources; circuit connections including sparking devices, adapted to be connected with said sources; and means for controlling the time of occurrence of the sparking impulses, and operable to maintain one of said electrical sources in connection with said circuit connections, throughout the range of operation of said means.

18. In an ignition system, the combination with an ignition circuit, including a sparking device, a battery and a magneto as energizing sources therefor; of means for controlling the spark advance and retard, said means having a determined range of operation; means for maintaining the magneto in the ignition circuit at all times; and means connected with and operable by the spark controlling means for throwing the battery into and out; of the ignition circuit.

145111 an ignition system for combustion and explosion engines, the combination with an ignition circuit, including a sparking olevice; an electric machine efi'ectually operable as a source of current for said ingintion system throughout a determined range of engine speeds; of a battery: circuit connections between said battery and the i nition circuit, but non-effectually operable during other ranges of engine speed; and means for closing said battery connections to provide a current source for the ignition system throughout the range during which the electric machine is non-effective as a current source.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES F. KETTERING. Witnesses:

J. B. HAYWARD, CHAS. D. BRONSON.

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