US1292241A - Ignition system for internal-combustion engines. - Google Patents

Description

W C. BRINTON. JR.

IGNITION SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1. 1916.

1,292,241; Patented Jan. 21,1919.

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Jirmwmwa W. C. BRINTON, JII. IGNITION SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7. 1916- Patented Jan. 21,'1919.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. BRINTON, JR., OF KENNE'IT SQUARE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO PHILIPS-BRINTON COMPANY, OF KENNETT SQUARE, IENNSYLVANIA, A CORPO- RATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

IGNITION SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

Continuation in part of application Serial No. 86,236, filed March 23, 1916. This application filed November 7, 1916. Serial No. 129,933.

To all whom z'tmay concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM C. BRINTON, J r., a citizen of the United States, residin at Kennett Square, county of Chester, an State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ignition Systems for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

The objects of my invention are: first, to provide, for internal combustion engines in which the charge in each cylinder is ignited by a plurality of sparks, an ignition system which will insure the absolutely simultaneous production of the sparks, thereby insuring the most perfect ignition of the entire charging mixture; and secondly, to control the ignition by means of a vibrator so constructed as to insure the preservation of proper contact surfaces on the fixed and movable contacts of the vibrator, this construction of the vibrator also possessing utility where each of the engine cylinders is provided with but a single spark plug.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a diagram of the ignition systom, the vibrator and part of the switch apparatus bein shown in plan. Fig. 2 is a face View of the movable member of one switch. Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, of the switch apparatus. Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view, partly in section, of the upper members of the ,switch apparatus. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view through the distributer.

A source of current supply as, which may be assumed to be a storage battery, is groundedat one side While its other side is connected with the two primary coils, y, 3 corresponding to the two spark plugs w of eachengine cylinder A. The coils I ,3 are arranged in series, the current passlngthrough them to a binding post a mounted on the base B, which forms a closure for both the main switch apparatus and the switch apparatus for reversing the polarity of the circuit and for closing the circuit through either the main system (the contact maker and interrupter C) or through the auxiliary or high frequency system (the vibrator D), as hereinafter described.

The main switch Eturns on a binding post I) centrally mounted on the base B and is adapted to connect with either a binding post. 0 (electrically connected through the contact maker and interrupter to ground) or a post (1. By shifting the switch E to connect with post (Z the primary circuit is opened. Posts 0 and (l are mounted on the base B.

The base B also carries a binding post 6 (which is connected with the binding post a through a. plug switch G), a binding post f, which leads to ground, a contact 9 connected to binding post 6, a contact it connected with binding post 6, and four other contacts 1, 2. 3 and 4. Contact 1 is connected with binding post 0, contacts 2 and 3 with opposite poles of the vibrator D, and contact 4 with binding post 7'.

The base B is stationary. Mounted to turn on the cover plate B of the base is the movable member of the polarity reversing switch F. This member comprises a rotatable hub and disk of insulating material, carrying an annular bridge piece 1' of conducting material, which, at four points, is shaped to form contacts 2'', of which either opposite two are adapted to engage contacts 9 and h on the base (I. Also carried on said disk are two parallel strips or bridge pieces 5, 6, of conducting material. which are adapted to connect contacts 1, 2, 3 and '4 in a manner to be hereinafter described.

Assume that the circuit is closed from the battery m through the primary coils 3 to the binding post a, that the switch G is closed, that the main switch E connects binding posts I) and c, and the rotatable member of the switch F is in such position that strip 5 connects contacts 1 and 2 and strip 6 connects contacts 3 and 4. The current now passes from binding post (2 to contact 1, thence through strip 5 to contact 2, thence through the vibrator D to contact 3, thence through strip 6 to contact 4, and thence to binding post .7 andground. The circuit at this time is not closed through the contact maker and interrupter because no two opposite contacts i are in position to engage contacts 9 and h. v

If the rotatable member of the switch F is given a one-eighth turn, the strips and contacts i engage respectively the contacts g and It. Thereupon the current coming to binding post 0 passes to contact g, thence through plate'i to contact h, thence to binding post I), through switch E, to binding post.

0 and contact maker and interrupter C to ground.

If-the rotatable member of the switch F is given another one-eighth turn, the contacts i are again moved out of connection with contacts 9 and It (thus opening the cirouit through the contact maker and mterrupter) and strip 6 connects contacts 2 and 4, while strip 5 connects contacts 1 and 3. The current passing to binding post a now passes through contact 1, strip 5 and contact 3, thence through the vibrator, 1n the reverse direction from that hereinbefore described, thence through contact 2, strip 6, contact 4 and binding post f to ground.

The switch F can be turned only in one direction owing to the engagement of a ratchet m on the hub of its rotatable member with a spring arm m, as shown in Fig. 4. This construction also operates'to stop and hold the switch at the exact posltion to which it is turned. Hence, whenever switch F is moved intoposition to closethe circult through the vibrator, it causes the current to flow therethrough in the directlon opposite to its flow during the last preceding closure of the circuit through the vibrator.

The contacts 1, 2, 3, 4,. g and h are plungers pressed upward by springs n, as shown in Fig. 3, thereby insuring the establishment and maintenance of proper elec trical connection between these contacts and the bridge pieces carried by the rotatable member ofthe switch F.

The main switch E comprises a hub 0 turnable in a boss 0 and carrying a handle 0 and an arm 0 The boss 0 is cut away to limit the movement of the arm 0 in opposite directions. The arm 0 carries a spring pressed plunger 39 havlng a convexly rounded end adapted to settle into a concave depression-in the contact 0 when the switch arm is turned to the left, Fig. 1. The hub 0 is cut away to receive the bent-in portion of ,a plate I], which connects with the contact b. A leaf spring p is secured at one end to the plate 9 and at the other end'contacts with the lower face of the hub 0.- \Vhen the switch is in its closed position, the current travels from contact I) through plate I], spring 7), arm 0 and plunger p to contact a.

The vibrator D may be of any approved construction. Thus, it may comprise a binding post 1', a core-r, a winding 1' an armature r and a condenser 0".

On, or actuated by, the regular cam shaft 8 of the engine is a cam s which intermittently actuates the contact maker and interrupter C, causing it to intermittently contact with a binding post 8 thereby intermittently closing the primary curc-uit from binding post 0 through binding post 8 and contact maker and interrupter C to ground 8 is a condenser in the condenser circuit 8* The contact maker and interrupter B may be of any approved construction, examples of which may be found in the patents issued to me February 23, 1915, No. 1,129,445 and No. 1,129,446, in a patent issued to me July 24, 1917, No. 1,234,275 and in a patent issued to William H. Brown and myself jointly July 24, 1917, No. 1,234,278.

The two primary coils y energize respectively the coils 2 of two secondary circuits.

In each secondary circuit is a distributer H, one for each spark-plug of each cylinder. Each distributer is shown provided with six terminals and therefore adapted for use with a six cylinder engine. It will be understood that corresponding terminalsof the two distributers are connected respectively to the two spark plugs of the engine cylinder. The distributers, which are on, or actuated by, the regular cam shaft s, need not be of any specific construction, but it is preferred, for reasons set out in. my Patent No. 1,227,109, issued May 22, 1917, to employ distributers of the construction. set forth therein. The main elements of such a distributer are shown in Fig. 5, the same comprising a holder or cap t, a head 6' with- .in the cam and rotatable with the cam shaft 8, a central common terminal binding post it, binding posts u carried by the cap and electrically connected with" the several spark plugs, and a distributer plate 4; carried by the rotatable head t In starting the engine, the switch F is moved to throw the vibrator D into circuit, and'the switch E is moved into circuitclosing position; The circuit will pass through the vibrator until the switch F is given a one eighth turn to open the circuit through the vibrator and close the circuit throughthe contact maker and interrupter C, which thereafter is relied upon to continue the engine in operation.

However, it will be understood that the engine maybe run on the contact maker and interrupter alone, or on the vibrator alone. So far as concerns'the accomplishment of the object of creating a plurality of simultaneous'sparks, the invention will be operative with either one or the other, or both as described, and even though no provision is made for reversing the polarity of the vibrator. On the other hand, the contact maker and interrupter and the vibrator, either or both, will work equally well where but a single spark plug is employed in each engine cylinder, in which case there will be of course but one set of primary and secondary coils and one distributer. I do not herein make any claim concerning the combination of the vibrator, with or without the polarity reversing means, and the contact maker and interrupter, as the same forms the subject-matter of other patents, namely: No. 1,227,109 and No. 1,227 ,110, both issued May 22, 1917.

It will be understood that'where I claim a plurality of spark plugs in each cylinder, I do not mean to be confined to two, it being obvious. that theconstruction is readily adaptable to any number of spark plugs by providing a corresponding number of primary coils, and a corresponding number of secondary coils, secondary circuits and distributors.

It may be'stated that the main switch E is adapted more particularly for use where the contacts 0 and (Z are connected to different electrical circuits and where the intermediate position is the olf position, as in my said Patent No. 1,227,110, and while the switch E herein shown is operative with the specific arrangement herein set forth, it will be understood that any ordinary switch may be substituted.

So far as'concerns the construction herein shown and described for reversing the polarity ofthe circuit in the vibrator, this application is division of my said Patent No. 1,227 ,110.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Lettors Patent is 1. An ignition system for internal combustion engines comprising an engine cylinder, a plurality-of ignition devices therein,

a primary electric circuit, means to inter-.

der, a plurality of ignition devices therein,

a primary electric circuit, means to interrupt the current in the primary circult. terminals connected with the respective ignition devices in the cylinder, circuit closing members one in operative relation with one ignition device terminal and another in operative relation'with another ignition device terminal, other terminals connected with the respective clrcult closing members,

and means actuated by the interruption of the primary circuit to induce a flow of secondary current simultaneously through the last named terminals respectively and their corresponding circuit closing-members and ignition devices.

3. An ignition system for internal combustion engines comprising an engine cylinder, a plurality of ignition devices therein, a primary electric circuit, means to interrupt the current in the primary circuit, a' plurality of secondary circuits, means actus ated by the interruption of the primary circuit to induce a low of current simultaneously through the several secondary circuits, and independent distributers in'the respective secondary circuits corresponding to and electricall connected with the respective ignition evices, each .distributer comprising a circuit closing member adapted to 85 always close the same secondary circuit through the same ignition device of said cylinder.

4. An ignition system for internal combustion engines comprising a plurality of engine cylinders and a plurality of ignition devices in each cylinder, a primary electric circuit, a plurality of secondary circuits, means actuated by the. interruption of the primary circuit to induce a flow of secondary current simultaneously through the several secondary' circuits, a plurality of series of terminals, the number of said series corresponding to the number of ignition devices in a cylinder and a number of terminals in a series corresponding to the number of cylnders, the terminals of each series being respectively connected to ignition devices in as many different cylinders, and independent distributers, one for each secondary 108 circuit and each series of terminals, each distributer adapted to successively close the circuit through only the terminals of its own series.

5. An ignition system for internal combustion engines, comprising an engine cylinder, a plurality of ignition devices therein,

a primary electric circuit, a secondary electric circuit, means to interrupt the current in the primary circuit, a plurality of distributers. and means actuated by the interruption of the primary circuit to induce a flow of secondary current simultaneously through the several distributers, the said means including cooperatingprimary and secondary coils so wound as to effect a flow of secondary circuit of the same polarity simultaneously through the several distributers.

6. In an ignition system for internal comhustion engines, in combination, a primary circuit. a secondary circuit in operative correlation with the primary circuit. a distributer in the secondary circuit. a shaft adapted to operate the distributer. a vibrator in the sition to close the circuit between the first 10 and third contacts and the second and fourth contacts, whereby the circuit may be closed through the vibrator in opposite directions.

In testimony of which invention, I have hereunto set my hand. at Philadelphia, Pa., 15

on this 13th day of October, 1916.

VILLIAM C. BRINTOX, JR.

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