US1367586A - Ignition-generator - Google Patents

Description

P. H. BRANDT.

IGNITION GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.23. I917.

1,367,586. Patented Feb. 8,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

W e/772x" 20 Bra/74f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IAUL H. W, OI W1). OHIO, ASSIGNOB TO THE TEAGLE comm, OI

WI), OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

IGNITION-GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

Application filed August 28, 1917. Serial No. 187,790.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL H. BRANDT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ignition-Generators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in electric generators for ignition purposes, and is especially a plicable to ignition generators of the in uctor alternator type.

The provision of a suitable spark range in inductor generators limited in dimensions to the standards now generally fixed for internal combustion engine ignition generators presents a 1groblem difiicult of satisfactory solution. umerous constructions designed to effect relative angular movement between the unwound rotor of the inductor generator and a normally stationary stator ca ing a generating winding, have been tri e d out, all of which so far as I am advised have possessed numerous inherent disadvantages. It has been suggested to mount the normally stationary stator 80' that it may be turned about the axis of the unwound rotor to secure the desired advance or retard of the generated current waves. However, not only has it been found diflicult to mount the stator effectively and economically to allow for such swinging, but the electro-magnetic impulses on the stator thus swingably mounted, which occur periodically during the rotation of the unwound rotor tend to stator and its mountings but particularly upon the nry train of members by which the stator is adjusted. Furthermore, such stators Hm rily considerable mass and it is disadvantageous to have this mass free to swing about the axis of the unwound rotor.

It further has been an to swing both the field magnet, generating winding 1d pole pieces about the axis of the unwound rotor, but this idea is essentially impractical because of the fact that the field magnet mass is unbalanced relative to the axis about which it is swung, the oscillatory vibrations set up are highly objectionable and the requirements for space n was: t

permit the. swinging are ry diflicult to provide where the usual standard conditions obtain for the mounting of ignition generators on internal combustion engines.

Again, it has been suggested to connect the rotor at a point outside the ignition generator to a driving shaft by a connecting mechanism which will permit the rotor as an entirety to be turned angularly relative to the driving shaft while it is turning the rotor. Owing to the mass of the rotor, the stresses placed on an angular adjusting mechanism of this sort have been found to be very severe and the wear and tear to be so considerable as to effect lost motion between the parts of the adjusting mechanism within a relatively short period of time.

Further, it has been suggested to interpose between the field structure carrying the stationary generating winding and the rotatable unwound inductor an oscillatable sleeve having magnetic and non-magnetic sections for field flux shifting purposes. The expense of such constructions, together with the undesirable reluctances imposed by them in the magnetic circuit, among other characteristics, have made them commercially undesirable.

I have thought to solve the problem by reducing to a minimum the mass of metal which is angularly adjusted about the axis of the unwound rotor in order to effect the desired advance and retard of the generated current waves, and with this object in view I have provided means for mounting the flux distributing part of the unwound inductor rotor loosely upon the shaft of such rotor and connecting it with the said shaft by a suitable device which will cause the flux distributing section always to turn with the rotor, whereas by a relative shiftin of elements comprising said device the ux dis tributing section may be caused to turn angularly relative to the rotor shaft to efl'ect the desired advance or retard of the current waves simultaneously with the advance or retard of the spark.

My invention further contemplates a simple form of circuit opening and closing mec anism adapted to be associated with a cam on a rotating shaft of the i 'tion generator and constructed so that 1) the breaker electrodes are disposed at one side of the generator where they may be readily inspected, ('2)" the parts comprising the circuit opening and closing mechanism are assembled as a unit, which unit may be slid longitudinally into and out of operating position within the ignition generator, and (3) this unit may be introduced from either side of the ignition generator, readily to accommodate the same for either clockwise or anticlockwise rotation of the unwound rotor For the purpose of clearly explaining the invention and the manner in which its objects may be attained, I have illustrated a preferred form of construction in the accompanying drawings. In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal vertical section of a generator embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the broken line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an axial section of one of the parts of the mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the broken line 44 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 5 and 6 are side and end elevations, respectively, of one of the parts of the mechanism.

Referring in detail to the construction illustrated, 1 indicates a lower pole piece and 2 an upper pole piece. each of which may be made of any suitable magnetic material. The pole piece 1 is formed with a polar surface 1 and the pole piece 2 carries polar projections 2, 3, the former of which has a polar face 2 and the latter a polar face 3, each of which is opposed to the polar face 1 of the pole piece 1, while all'three faces are disposed in the arc of a common circle. The polar projection 3 may consist of a plurality of laminae of soft iron held together by side plates 4, 4, and rivets 4. At their upper ends the side plates 4, 4, extend beyond the upper edge of the adjacent laminations and snugly fit over the projection 2 of the upper pole piece and are secured to the latter by means of bolts 5. The surfaces 2 and 2 of the portion 2* may be suitably ground or made relatively true mechanically so as to come into intimate mechanical contact with the adjacent edges of the la-minations of the polar projection 3 to insure a joint of relatively low magnetic reluctance.

6 and 7 are end plates, each formed of non-magnetic metal, such as die cast white metal or metallic alloy of aluminum. The end plate 6 may be secured to the pole pieces 1 and 2 in any suitable manner and may be provided with shoulders 6'. 6, in order to insure the proper relation of these parts. Likewise the end plate 7 may be secured to the lower and upper pole pieces 1 and 2, respectively, in any suitable manner and may be provided with shoulders 7'. 7, for insuring the proper positioning of these parts. In the construction shown the end plates are secured by bolts 6", which pass through both end plates and the pole piece 1, and bolts (3" which pass through both end plates and the pole piece 2. It will .be noted that when the four elements comprising the pole pieces 1 and 2 and the end plates 6 and 7 are cured together, they form substantially a rigid, rectangular frame structure.

8 indicates a flux distributer, preferably formed of laminae of soft iron and having polar surfaces 8, 8, shaped and disposed to cooperate with the polar surfaces 1, 2", and 3. This flux distributing section 8 is loosely mounted upon ashaft 9 which in turn is suitably mounted in anti-friction bearings 10 and 11, the former being suitably supported in the end plate 6 and the latter in the end plate 7. 12 indicates as an entirety means interposed between the flux distributer 8 and the shaft 9 for causing the flux distributer to rotate with the shaft 9 while permitting it to be adjusted angularly relatively thereto. Preferably this flux distributer connector and shifter "mechanism 12 comprises a sleeve 12 loosely mounted on the shaft 9 and having a flange 12 which is rigidly secured to the flux distributer 8 in any suitable manner, as by means of the rivets 13, which also serve to bind together between the side plates 8 and 8. the laminae which constitute the flux distributer. At 12' the sleeve 12' is preferably reduced in diameter and mounted within the inner race of the anti-friction bearing 11, so that Whereas it has heretofore been stated that the shaft 9 is mounted in the bearing 11, it is indirectly mounted therein, having interposed between it and the inner race of the bearing the portion 12" of the sleeve 12'. The sleeve 12' is further reduced in diameter as indicated at 12 and helicallv grooved internally as indicated at 12. The rear end of the shaft 9 is reduced in diameter as indicated at 9, and longitudinally key-seated as indicated at 9", there preferably being a plurality of these key seats disposed about the periphery of the reduced portion 9 and parallel to the axis thereof.

14 is a shiftable sleeve formed internallv with a plurality of keys 14', each of which is adapted snugly to fit into one of the key ways 9 in the reduced portion 9 of the rotor shaft 9. Externally this sleeve 14 is formed with a plurality of helical tongues or splines 14', each of which is adapted snugly to fit into one of the helical grooves 12 in the sleeve 12'. 15 is a grooved wheel rigidly secured to the outer end of the sleeve 14 in any suitable manner.

9' is a collar on the shaft 9, engaging at one side with the inner ring of the antifriction bearing 10 and at its other side with the adjacent end plate 8' of the flux distributer 8. 11 is a screw-threaded collar fitted into a screw-threaded recess in the end plate 7 and 11 is a similar collar on the sleeve 12', said collars serving properly to position the anti-friction bearing 11. 16 is a gear wheel fitted upon the reduced section 12 of the sleeve 12 and secured to turn therewith in any suitable manner. 17 is a cam fitted upon the reduced section 12 of the sleeve 12', and suitably secured to turn.

therewith, the cam being secured against endwise movement by a nut on the sleeve 12. It will be noted that longitudinal movement of the shaft 9 toward the bearing 10 is prevented by engagement of the collar 9 with the inner wall of said bearing, whereas longitudinal movement of the shaft 9 in the opposite direction is prevented by engagement of the-said shaft with the shoulder 12 on the sleeve 12. Longitudinal movement of the flux distributer 8 and sleeve 12 toward the bearing 10 is precluded by the shoulder 9' on the shaft 9, whereas the longitudinal movement of these parts in the opposite direction is precluded by the engagement of the shoulder 12 on the sleeve 12 with the inner race of the antifrietion bearing 11.

The end plate 7 at its bottom has a forward extension 7 19 is a casing secured to the extension 7 as by means of cap screws 19", and having a chamber 19 disposed to receive the free end of the sleeve 14 and the shifting wheel 15 thereon. 20 is a rock shaft suitably mounted in the upper part of the casing 19., It carries within the casing a plurality of rocker arms 21, 21, connected by a tubular section 22 with which they are preferably integrally formed. 23 is a cap screw and pin for securing the tubular section 22 to the rock shaft 20. At its lower end each rocker arm carries an antifriction roller 24 disposed within the flanges of the wheel 15 in the well known manner, so that when the rocker arms 21 are swung toward the flux distributer 8 they engage the innermost pulley flange and exert inward pressure on the said pulley, whereas when they are swung away from the flux distributer they engage the outer pulley flange and force the pulley and sleeve 14 outwardly. Each of the rollers 24 is loosely mounted on a stud 25 carried by the adjacent rocker arm. The rock shaft 20 extends outside of the casing 19 and preferably has secured to one end thereof an operating lever 26.

28 indicates as an entirety circuit closing and opening mechanism preferably assembled as a unit to be inserted into or withdrawn from operative relation with the cam 17 by endwise bodily movement of said unit. This breaker unit comprises a frame 28' in the form of a slide having intermediate its ends a pair of upwardly turned ears 28, a

breaker arm 28 pivotally mounted between said cats 28 on a rod or shaft 28, a movable electrode 28 carried at one end of said breaker arm, a cam engaging shoe 28 carried at the other endo'f said arm, a breaker arm spring 28 and a normally stationary adjustable electrode 28 disposed in the path ofmovement of the movable electrode 28 and suitably insulated, as indicated, from the slide 28. The shoe 28 may be made of fiber or any other suitable wear resisting material for engagement with the surface of the cam 17. The spring 28 may be ofany suitable construction. I have shown it to be a flat spring connected at 28 to a lug on the slide 28 and at 28 to the breaker arm, the tendencyof this spring being to swing the movable electrode 28 into engagement with the normally stationary electrode 28 This slide 28' is fitted into a guide or seat 7 formed in the extension 7 of'the front plate 7. Preferably the slide is held in position within the guide so that the shoe 28 will be in propefcooperative relation with the cam 17 by means of the screws 19*, 19*, which are also used to hold the casing 19 in position.

The end plate 7 has openings 7 e at opposite sides of the forward extension 7 through which it is possible to insert and withdraw the breaker unit 28 in either direction. It will be noted that not only may the unit 28 be inserted from either side of the extension 7, but it also may be inserted'with the breaker electrodes at either side of the vertical plane through the axis of the rotor, so as to accommodate the breaker for proper operation with the cam 17 in either direction of rotation thereof, that is clockwise or anticlockwise. i

In other words the same breaker assembly can as a unit, be used interchangeably on generators operating in either clockwise or counter-clockwise directions. The advantages of this in manufacture are obvious.

Any suitable distributer mechanism may be employed in connection with the ignition generator. For the purpose I have illustrated one which is designated as an entirety by 30. It comprises a distributer cap '30 of suitable insulating material which carries a plurality of distributer contacts 30 from each of which a high tension lead 30 extends in the well known manner. This distributer cap 30 may be fitted to the end plate in any suitable manner so as to be readily detachable for inspection purposes. This connection I have shown to be accomplished at the top of the distributer cap by means of a pivoted bolt 30 andat the bottom thereof by means of screw clamps 30. 30 is a distributer brush suitably mounted in a rotatable block 3O of insulating material, which brush is electrically connected to the brush .30 in an suitable manner as by means of gear 16 on the sleeve 12 and havin section of insulating material having a. hub section to receive the hub of the section 30 and at its inner end an insulating flan e. 31 is a distributer gear meshing with t e a hub 31 which firmly engages the hub o the insulating section 30". The gear 31 may be secured to the sections-30 and 30" in any well known manner. This hub 31' is rotatably mounted in a bearing bushing 32 suitably supported in an enlarged portion 7 of the front plate 7.

33 is a generating windin It may be of any desired construction. Treferably it is wound on the polar projection 3, a portion intermediate the ends thereof serving as a laminated core for the winding. The winding is suitably insulated in any well known manner and when the polar projection 3 is connected to the pole piece 2, the winding 33 is properly disposed in inductive relation in the magnetic field between the poles 1 and 2. This winding 33 I have shown to be constituted of a relatively coarse wire, or primary section, 33', surrounded by a section of relatively fine wire, or secondary winding, 33W One terminal of the winding 33 is electrically connected to a terminal 34 with which engages the brush 30*. The terminal 34 may be extended upwardly, as indicated at 34, so as to form between the free end thereof and an adjacent metallic part of the generator, such as one of the bolts 5, a safety air gap for the high tension circuit.

'llhe other end of the secondary winding 33 and one terminal of the primary winding 33 are electrically connected in the usual manner to each other and to an electric conductor which extends to and is electrically connected with the normally stationary electrode 28 The other end of the primary winding 33' and also the movable electrode 28 are suitably grounded.

35 is a condenser of any suitable construction which may be suitably positioned and held in a recess 7' in the end plate 7. This condenser is connected in parallel across the electrodes 28 and 28. in the usual manner.

All of the parts heretofore described may be assembled adjusted and properly correlated before the permanent magnets 36 are introduced into place. Preferably these magnets consist of straight sections of suitable magnet steel each of which at its upper end makes magnetic contact with the pole piece 2 and at its lower end with the pole piece 1. The magnets are preferably arranged in groups, one group at either side of the field structure, and with all of the poles of one polarity in magnetic contact with one pole piece and all of the poles of opposite polarity in contact with the other pole piece. For example, all of the north poles of the magnets at either side of the pole piece 2 will be in magnetic contact with said pole piece, whereas all of the south poles of the magnet will be in magnetic contact with the pole piece 1. The magnets may be held in position in any suitable manner, as by means of screws 37- which extend therethrough and are fitted into the adjacent pole piece.

The casing 19 may be provided with a cap 19 suitably held in position thereon. An

-oil duct 19 may extend downwardly through the cap 19 and casing 19 and have an inward extension 19 along the axis of the rotor, the inner end of the duct 19 being disposed so as to deliver oil to the interior of the sleeve 14 to insure the proper lubrication thereof. The oil may collect in the chamber 19 so that the wheel 15 runs therein and distributes it over the anti-friction rollers 24 and also onto the sleeve 14 so as to insure the proper lubrication of the sleeve 14 within the sleeve 12. The sleeve 12 is preferably made of non-magnetic material, such as brass, and the sleeve 14 may be made either of magnetic or non-magnetic material, as desired.

The end 9 of the shaft 9 is shaped to be connected with any suitable driving mechanism so as to be continuously rotated in one. direction thereby during the operation of the ignition generator. The angle of the helical grooves 12 and splines 14 is such that when the sleeve 14 is rotated in either direction by the shaft 9, the sleeve 12' will be rotated in the same direction, whereas if it is desired to adjust the flux distributer 8 angularly in either direction in relation to the shaft 9 during the rotation of the latter, and simultaneously with the advance or retard of the spark the same is accomplished by moving axially in one direction or the other the sleeve 14 through the instrumentality of the anti-friction rollers 24 and wheel 15, which longitudinal movement of the sleeve 14 will, through the helical splines 14 and grooves 12*, effect the desired angular swing of the flux distributer 8 and the breaker cam 17 relative to the shaft 9. l he mass of the flux distributer 8 and sleeve 12' may be maintained relatively low, so that the amount of energy necessary to effect the angular shifting of these parts in either direction is relatively small.

The operation of my improved generator will readily be understood without an extended description. Assuming movement of the rotor in the direction indicated by the circuit opening and closing mechanism 28, operatin in timed relation to the movement of the ux distributer, serves to close and open the circuit through the coarse section of the generatin winding at suitable points to effect generation of the high tension ignition current; preferably the said circuit is closed and opened during decrease of flux through the generating winding, the circuit being opened for the production of the high tensioned current when the decrease of flux is at its maximum. The collapse of the field throu h the generating coil due to the opening 0 the coarse wire circuit and the rotation of the flux distributer serve to generate a high tension ignition current in the fine wire section of the winding in a well known manner. The distributer 30, operating synchronously with the flux distributer and the breaker cam, serves in the well known manner to conduct the high tension current to one or another of the spark plugs of the engine in connection with which the generatoris used.

When, under the various conditions of operation, it is desired to advance or retard the spark, this is efiected by simply shifting the operating lever 26 and thereby correspondingly shiftin the sleeve14 endwise so as to adjust the s eeve 12' forwardl or' backwardly on the shaft 9. his ad ustment of the sleeve 12' effects corresponding angular adjustment of the flux distributer 8 and the cam 17, so that with the advance and retard of the s ark the flux distributer is simultaneously a 'usted to maintain the generation of the ignition current at the point of maximum voltage.

Should it be desired to adapt the breaker mechanism for o ration of the nerator in the 0 site irection from t at indicated in i 2, it is only necessary to remove the sli e 28 of the breaker mechanism and the parts mounted thereon, and replace it in reverse position.

The device which I provide for the adjustment of the flux distributer accomplishes the desired object in a thoroughly effective manner and because of the relatively light weight of the parts adjusted and the large bearing surfaces of the several splines and grooves by which the train of adjusting elements are connected, shock and vibration are reduced to a minimum.

Furthermore, the structure is exceedingly compact, the overall dimensions of the gen erator being little different from those of a generator without the adjusting feature and at the same time it has the advantage 0 a self-contained unit.

It is to be understood that the construction illustrated can be varied widel without departing from my invention, e particular construction shown having been set forth for purposes of explanation and without the intention of in any way limiting the invention.

What I claim is: 1. In an inductor ignition nerator, the

combination of a stationary eld structure, a stationary generating winding disposed in inductive relation to said field structure, a shaft rotatably mounted in said field structure, an unwound flux distributer loosely mounted on the shaft, a sleeve rigid with the flux distributer and loosel mounted on said shaft, a cam rotatable with the sleeve, means connecting the sleeve and shaft to cause them to rotate together and permit the sleeve to be adjusted angularly relatively to the shaft to advance or retard the flux distributer and cam simultaneously, and circuit opening and closing mechanism for the generating winding arranged to be actuated by said cam.

2. In an inductor ignition generator, the combinationof a stationary field structure, a stationary generating winding disposed in inductive relation to said field structure, a shaft rotatably mounted in said field structure, an unwound flux distributer loosely mounted on the shaft, a sleeve rigid with the flux distributer and loosely mounted on said shaft, a driving device between the shaft and sleeve having an axially elongated tongue and groove connection with the shaft and the sleeve, one. of said tongue and groove connections being helical, and means for shifting said driving device longitudinally of the shaft to angularly advance or retard the sleeve and flux distributer relative to the shaft.

3. In an inductor ignition generator, the combination of a stationary field structure, a stationary generating winding disposed in inductive relation to said field structure,

a shaft rotatably mounted in said field structure, an unwound flux distributer loosely mounted on the shaft, a sleeve rigid with the flux distributer and loosely mounted on said shaft, a second sleeve keyed to said shaft to slide longitudinally thereon and having a helical tongue and groove connection with the first named sleeve and means for shifting the keyed sleeve longitudinally of the shaft to advance or retard the flux distributer in relation thereto.

the outer end of the keyed sleeve, an oil chamber surrounding said wheel, and means disposed in said chamber for moving the wheel axially.

5. In an ignition generator, the combination of a frame structure formed with a seat, a cam mounted to rotate in said frame structure in transverse alinement with said seat, and a circuit closing and opening mechanism comprising a frame formed to fit said seat, a stationary electrode member mounted on the second frame, a movable electrode member mounted on the second frame and having a cam engaging surface, and means for holding the second frame in said seat in cooperative relation to the cum.

6. In an ignition generator, the combinamemes tion of a frame structure formed with a seat, a cam mounted to rotate in said frame structure in alinement with 'said seat, and a circuit closing and openin mechanism comprising a second frame ormed to fit the seat, a stationary electrode on the second frame, a breaker arm with an electrode and a cam en aging shoe mounted on the second frame, said second frame and parts thereon being reversible as a unit relative to the seat so as to locate the said shoe at either side of theaxis of the cam to adapt the mechanism for rotation of the cam in either direction.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature. I

, PAUL H. BRANDT.

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