US1211018A - Spark-plug. - Google Patents

Description

A. H. WALLACE.

SPARK PLUG.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29.1916.

Patented Jan. 2,1917.

W/ T/VESSES A TTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT oEFrcE.

ARCHIBALD H. WALLACE, 0E NEW YORK, N. Y., AssIGNoR or oNE-H/AL'E To ERIC BBANDQUIST, or ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

SPARK-PLUG.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

Application led April 29, 1916. Serial No. 94,358.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARCHIBALD H AWAL- LACE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Spark-Plug, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to spark plugs and particularly to an improved construction and arrangement which has for its principal object the production of means whereby the spark gap may be adjusted without removing the plug.

Another object in view is the provision of an improved arrangementwhereby the side plugs are rotated to any desired extent and means are provided exteriorly of the plug for indicating the amount of rotation and, consequently, the length of the spark gap produced.

A still further object in view is to provide a spark plug arranged with an adjustable positive contact member.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a plug embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a view partially in elevation andpartially in section of theplug shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the plug shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section through Fig. 1 on line 4-4. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section through a slightly modified form of plug. Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar t0 Fig. 5 but showing a modified form of the invention. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to the lower part of Fig. 6, the adjustable shown in a different position.

Referring to the accompanying drawing by` numerals, 1 indicates the plug casing which is formed in substantially the usual manner exteriorly so as to be threaded into the cylinder of an explosive engine in the usual manner. Interiorly the casing 1 is provided with a shoulder 2 which receives the shoulder 3 or al rotatable sleeve 4, said sleeve merging into outer contacts 5 and 6 at the lower end and into threaded upstanding arms 7 and 8 at the upper end. A porcelain receiving sleeve 9 is arranged in sleeve 4, said porcelain receiving sleeve parts being receiving a porcelain member 10 and a packing thimble 11, saidfpacking thimble being provided with enlargements 12 and 13 (Fig. 4) whereby openings 14 and 15 are produced in which the arms 7 and 8 are allowed to move. A manually operated member 16 surrounds the porcelain member 10, as shown in Fig. 1, the same being provided with journal members 17 and 18 projecting into suitable openings in the arms 7 and 8 whereby when the member 16 is rotated or partially rotated said arms will move but within the limits of the notches or openings 14 and 15 and will turn sleeve 4 and as contacts 5 and 6 are on this sleeve they will be turned, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 `so as to increase or decrease the spark gap.

A pointer 19 is arranged to move over a scale 20 whereby the position of the contacts 5 and 6 may be observed at any time without removing the plug. As shown in Fig. 3, the parts are arranged for giving the longest spark possible but if a spark, for instance, half this length was desired members 5 and 6 would be turned by partially rotating member 16. The pointer 19 will move over scale 20 for a certain distance and will, by such movement, indicate the amount of movement of contacts 5 and 6, the scale and pointer being of course properly regulated to correctly show the position of the Contact members.

In order 'to positively lock the porcelain sleeve 9 one or more set screws 21 may be provided, as shown in Fig. 2, said set screws tightly pinching the sleeve so that no independent rotary movement thereof can be produced unless these set screws are moved. In arranging the set screws 21 in position countersunk portions are preferably provided in the sleeve 9 so that no longitudinal movement or rotary movement of said sleeve may be produced. This is desirable, as the lock nut 22 forces the shoulder 3 of member 4 against the lower end of sleeve 9 when the contacts 5 and 6 have been properly adjusted. This produces a tight joint and also allows for theV contacts to be rigidly held against movement when in use.

In Fig. 5 will be seen a'slight modified form of the invention in which the operating parts are similar to spark plugs heretofore usedexcept that the porcelain 23 is provided with' a bore 24 for accommodating nut 25 so as to rigidly clamp the rod 26 in position, a set screw 27 being used at the' lthe central contact is adjustable instead of the side contacts, as shown in F ig. 1.

In Figs. 6 and 7 will be seen a further modified form of the invention in which the general arrangement of plug now commonly in use is disclosed but a pair of extending members 27 and 28 are provided which are either rigidly secured to the casing l or formed integral therewith, said members extending upwardly and provided with pointers`29 and 30 arranged near the pin '31, which pin is rigidly secured to the rod 32 in any suitable manner. rlhe members or arms 27 and 28 are in the same rvertical plane as the contact members 33 and 34, and the contact 35, which has two branches as shown in Fig. 7, is rigidly secured to the rod 32 and is parallel with the pin 31 so that the condition of the contact 35 may be observed by observing the position of the pin 31. A conical-shaped member 3G is rigidly secured to rod 32 and also a. cup-shaped member 37, the cup-shaped member 37 fitting over the end of the porcelain 10 and the conicalshaped member 36 fitting into a conicalshaped recess 38. A plurality of nuts 39 are arranged adjacent the upper end of rod 32 for receiving an electrical conductor andl also for acting as locking means for the washer 40, which washer is pressed by spring 4l, said spring in turn pressing against washer 42. `Washer 42 rests on top of the porcelain 10 so that the spring 41 continually acts to hold the parts in the position shown in Fig. 6. However, whenever it is desiredv to clean the contacts 33 and 34 the rod 32 may bepressed downwardly and turned to the position shown in Fig. 7. `When in this position the rod 32 may be moved back and forth and the contacts cleaned by the rubbing of the contact 35. After the contacts have been properly cleaned'the parts are turned so as to be free of contacts 33 and 34 and allowed to assume the position shown in Ifig. 6. The pin 3l is then adjusted so as to give the proper gap between contacts 33, 34 and 35. The taper of the conical-shaped member 36 is such as to afford a lock for preventing accidental Iturning of Ilrod 32, said locking characteristic being assisted by the cup-shaped member 37 which acts also as means for preventing gas from being forced through the porcelain 10 along rod 32. The rod 32 may be easily released at any time by pressing downwardly against spring 41 and then may be turned to adjust the contacts as may be desired. Preferably spring 41 is comparatively stif so as to properly holdthe parts firmly in position.

What I claim is 1. In a spark plug of the character described, a stationary contact havin a pair of branches, a movable contact coacting with said branches, said movable contact merging into a cylinder fitting into the casing of the plug, arms extending from said cylinder to a position exteriorly of the outer end of the plug, and means engaging said arms for moving the same whereby said movable contacts will be adjusted.

2. In a spark plug of the character described, a casing provided with a bore therethrough arranged with a seat intermediate the length, a sleeve arranged in the lower part of the bore provided with a iiange resting on said seat, a plurality of arms extending upwardly from said liange, said arms extending beyond the outer end of said casing, said arms being threaded, a nut engaging the threaded end of said arms for bringing the arms under tension and thereby locking the arms and parts connected therewith against movement, a pair of contacts rigidly connected with said sleeve whereby whenever said arms and sleeve are moved said contacts will be moved, a fixed contact member, and means for rigidly holding the lixed contact member in'position and insulating the same from the movable contact member. v

3. In a spark plug of the character described, a casing provided with a bore therethrough, said bore having a shoulder intermediate its length, a sleeve iitted in the lower part of said bore, a flange member-extending through said sleeve and resting on said shoulder, an arm extending upwardly from said sleeve to a position beyond the outer end of said casing, means connected'y with said arm for moving the same and said sleeve, a contact arranged on said sleeve, said contact being adjusted when said arm is moved, a fixed contact, and means including an insulating member for holding the ixed contact member in s aid casing'.

4. In a Spark plug of the character described, a casing, a porcelain arranged in said casing, a movable rod extending through said porcelain, a pair of contacts arranged at the lower end of said casing, a contact connected with the lower end of said rod, a pair of indicating members extending to a position adjacent the upper/end of said rod, said indicating members indicating theposition of the contacts on said casing, and a pin connected with said rod adjacent said indicating members, said rod being adjustable whereby the spark gap may be varied at will.

miams ing said rod against movement and in proper position so that the Contact connected therewith will correctly coact With the contacts on the casing, and an indicating member on said rod for indicating the position of the Contact on said rod.

ARCHIBALD H. WALLACE.

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