US1469903A - Method and means for starting combustion engines - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 9 1923.

J. GOOD METHOD AND MEANS FOR STARTING comsuswmu ENGINES Filed July 29 1919 RYTORNEY 1 l l l l I Patented Oct. 9, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN GOOD, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GOOD INVENTIONS CO., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METHOD AND MEANS FOR STARTING COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed July 29,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN Goon, United States citizen, residing in Brookl 11, New York, have invented the following mprovements in Methods and Means for Starting Combustion Engines.

Th invention provides a new means and method for starting combustion engines on poor gasoline or heavy fuels or in cold weather, enabling the engine to start promptly upon its normal action with a minimum of attention by the operator and a minimum use of the starting battery or hand crank. It provides such results by the use of few extra parts which are simple and inexpensive and in many cases can be applied as attachments or additions to existing automotive power plants and without changing their normal mode of operation or complicating their structure. These being the general objects and also the results of the invention, they are accomplished by equipping a standard or ordinary spray type caruretor with an ignitcr located therein in a certain definite position with reference to other parts and conditions as presently explained, so that the carburetor acquires double functions. One of such functions is its normal function of producing a properly proportioned mixture of fuel spray and air for delivery to and consumption by the engin in the usual or any suitable way; The other, additional, function is to produce by partial combustion within itself, a readily combustible medium containing hot combustion products and enough unconsumed cracked or vaporized fuel to ignite the cold engine and run it until it becomes hot. By th proper relative dispositions of the fuel spray and the igniter, the functioning of the carburetor as a producer of such a medium and the operation of the initially cold engine thereon may be caused to produce such a degree of heat in the intake passage and the engine generally as to produce an approximately normal operating temperature in a few seconds. and the transformation from this special function to the normal function may be accomplished automatically and, if desired, without. doing more than increasing the flow rate through the carburetor as by opening the regular engine throttle and thereby putting the engine in 1919. Serial No. 314,061.

operation on its normal unburned fuel mixture. So that thus the operator wishing to start his engine and having first closed the ignition circuit of the engine, has merely to place his throttle control lever in the starting position and energize the carburetor igniter, as by closing a supplementary switch, and then to rotate the engine in the usual way by batteiy or hand as usual. This procedure, which is not different from that to which all are accustomed, causes the engine to start and run immediately, developing little power but much heat and raising the general engine temperature so quickly that merely advancinq the throttle lever in the usual way and, after only a momentary delay, transforms the carburetor and engine action to normal. The igniter in the carbureter may remain in operation or not as desired, but if left operating will not ignite the mixture therein unless and until the starting flow conditions are again rcstored. Preferably it is connected with the other starting agencies so that it is not in action except when starting.

I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to ignite the fuel mixture in a specially designed fuel mixing device as a means of producing a gaseous combustible medium on which to operate an engine on heavy nonvolatile fuels. In such apparatus the object has been to burn as littl as possible of the fuel in order to deliver a comparatively cool medium very rich in unburned fuel to the engine and thus obtain maximum power for continuous normal operation whereas my use of combustion in the carburetor is merely temporary and a large proportion of the fuel is burned principally to develop heat and incidentally to create a combustible medium sufficient in power value to keep the engine in action at moderate speed and thus keep up the flow through the carburetor to maintain the gas production during the tem porary heating period.

The specific manner of carrying out my invention and the apparatus at the present preferred therefor are illustrated in the drawings wherein Fig. 1 represents a conventional automotive combustion engine equipped with a carburetor having the dual functions referred to.

2 is a vertical section of the latter.

0 3 is a detail of the throttle control 4 is a preferred detail of the igniter 3. The remaining circuit diagram represents the usual ignition circuit of the engine which need not be described. It includes in the present case an extra contact point 4 on the regular distributor head 5 connected through the switch 6 with the electric igniter or spark plug 7, in the carburetor so that when the switch is closed each rotation of the distributor produces a spark at the mid plug. The switch 6 is operated by the plunger 3 and is composed of two yielding contacts arranged so that they close in advance of the motor circuit when the plunger is depressed and remain closed after the motor circuit is opened by elevation of the plunger. It will be understood that the plunger and these switch contacts are shown diagrammatically and that their object, which is to energize the spark plug when the motor is first being rotated, may be accomplished by various forms of mechanism, automatic or otherwise. It is preferred to combine the control of the plug circuit with the motor circuit so that a single act will govern both, or otherwise to connect it so that the act of starting the electric motor will energize the plug. It will be obvious that the plug circuit could be connected to one of the cylinder contact points on the distributor head if desired and with the same effect, or it could be connected with any other source of sparking or igniting current.

The carburetor 8, connected as usual to the intake manifold 9 is arranged to be heated by the normal combustion in the engine, either by the jacket water if the engine has a water jacket, or by the exhaust gas. The latter method is indicated in the drawing, 10 being a pipe conducting engine exhaust gas to the jacket space 11 of the carburetor. The purpose of such heating is to vaporize, or help in vaporizing, the fuel liquid delivered by the carburetor in its normal operation. It is frequently desirable, according to the kind of fuel, to heat also the intake manifold for the same purpose. The carburetor comprises a main carbureting passage or mixing space 12, connected to the engine intake to which air enters from the air entrance 13, past an air valve 14. The air valve is mounted to slide in the tubular guide 14 and is controlled in its movement b a dash-pot piston 15 at its lower end. iquid fuel from the float bowl 16 flows through the passage in the piston 15 to the interior of the valve stem and thence upwardly and past a tapered metering pin 17 through the tube 18 opening in the spray orifice 19 in the head of the valve. Some air is admitted to the space between tube 18 and the surrounding part of the valve head, through the passages 20 and holes 21 so that the fuel delivered to the space 12 is aspirated and atomized b the air. The rest of the air needed to pro uce the normal explosive mixture for combustion in the engine passes around the valve, lifting it more or less against gravity, and the lifting of the valve serves to vary the fuel delivery proportionately by varying the relation of the fuel duct in the valve stem to the position of the tapered metering pin therein which latter is fixed in the base of the carburetor and adjustable by the operation of the thumb piece and parts marked 22.

The carburetor as thus far described, and without the igniter, is well known in the trade as the Stewart carburetor. I have merely selected this carburetor as illustrative of many others with which my invention can be used without substantial change. In its normal action it delivers a fuel spray, which without any air, or with very little passing around th valve head, is generally sufiicient to keep the engine running idly on low speed, but when the throttle 23 is slightly opened the spray from the orifice 19 is increased in richness, the balance of the air needed for explosive combustion, now arriving from around the valve, having lifted it slightly from its seat as indicated in the drawing. In such position of throttle and air valve the flow velocity of the spray is at such a rate that a spark occurring at the gap of the plug 7 will ignite the spray and cause it to burn in such a manner as to generate the gaseous medium referred to and which will explode on ignition in the engine cylinders even though the latter are quite cold. Such a medium contains air, a portion of vaporized fuel liquid, some carbon monoxide gas, and perhaps other combustible elements together with carbon dioxide and other diluents, all in a considerably heated condition. If therefore the plunger 3 has been depressed to energize the spark plug 7 and likewise rotate the engine, and provided the throttle has been set to produce aflow at the rate indicated, the result will be the delivery of said medium to the engine cylinders and explosion of the same therein instantly setting the engine in operation by combustion. The controlling factors of this operation appear to be the location of the spark or ignltor in the spray and the richness and velocity of the spray at the point of ignition. Th spark should directly intercept the spray; the richness of the latter should be greater than will permit complete combustion if no further air were added and the spray velocity (though the flow is some what ulsating de ending on the number of cylin ers) should generally less than the rate of flame propagation in such a spray mixture. Th arrangement and dimensions in the drawing are substantially accurate for satisfactory results there being eight holes 21 for aspirating air. The correct flow velocity may be obtained in various ways and is subject of course to the speed at which the engine is rotated by the starting motor. It is generally suflicient to control the flow by the throttle adjustment and its correct position is readil determined- Its location with respect to t e spray nozzle determines the extent of the partial combustion occur ring during the starting combustion and when located in about the position indicated, where the space 12 narrows down to the diameter of the intake passage, the throttle cuts off or abbreviates the flame and thereby this particular ap aratus develops a gas having ust enough iiiel value to keep the engine turning over, idle, and at the same time gives a generous development of heat as above stated, about half of the fuel being consumed in the carburetor (by estimate). It will be apparent however, that as a means of controlling the gaseous flow the throttle might be located elsewhere and that other means or arrangements may be utilized for abbreviating the flame, as well as for extinguishing it, the important object being to create temporarily and from the available carburetor fuel supply an engine-heating and engine-operating gas capable of quickly warming the engine on its own power and to the end that the normal carburetor function may be promptly taken up with maximum power development. Other means for abbreviating the temporary flame may consist of grids or wire screens as used in the gas producing devices above referred to which grids may be placed between the plug and the engine and be movable for ad'ustment of the heating and power effects 0 the gaseous medium. On account of simplicity of structur and operation it is referred to extinguish the flame by increasing the flow velocity as by opening the throttle, but it is obvious that extinguishment can be produced by shutting off the engine ignition and allowing the engine to stop, thereafter starting it without operating the plug 7, as well as by other means.

It is preferred to protect the plug when not in use and for that purpose it may be withdrawn into the socket, in the sidewall of the mixing space, which socket is made elongated, as indicated at 25 in Fig. 4, and

rovided with a groove indicated in dotted lines to cooperate with a screw 26 for limiting the inward and outward movement of the plug. A link and bell crank 27 connect the plug to the plunger 3 so that the plug is advanced to igniting position, in this form, when the engine is to be started and withdrawn and protected from the spray during normal carburetor action. This avoids short-circuiting of the spark gap by keeping the plug relatively dry.

It is also preferred to mount a small tube or shell 28 around the spray as indicated in the detail modification of Fig. 5, for the purpose of preventing dilution by the air from around valve 14 thereby guarding against failure to ignite in very cold weather. The tube, 28, has a notch in its upper end So that it clears the terminals of the spark plug 7 With this arrangement, kerosene or heavier fuels are reliablyignited and can thus be used as the engine fuel without starting on a more inflammable fuel.

In the case herein used for illustration of the invention, the particular type of carburetor selected is converted from one function to its other function without change in the relation of its several parts, which is of course desirable, for the sake of simplicity, but as above stated, the invention may be also carried out with other types of carburetting apparatus, and in many cases,

it is desirable, according to the particular structure, to moderate or increase the capacity of the normal spraying means, temporarily so as to enable it to ignite reliably and burn properly during the starting period and it may likewise be necessary to change or obstruct, temporarily,the main or auxiliary air entrance in some makes of carburetors in order that the conditions necessary to the generation of a partially combusted explosive medium in the manner above described may be properly realized. Such temporary conversion of the carburetor will be readily carried out. The person skilled in this art will understand from the description above given that the igniter must be located in a spray, or in a part of a spray, Where the mixture of fuel and air is locally over-rich in fuel, too rich to burn completely if no other air were available, and that its velocity at that point must be less than the rate of flame propagation through such mixture and that the rest of the air entering the intake should make up the total proportions equivalent to those of an explosive mixture. It is preferred and herein specifically claimed that the partial combustion used to develop the starting medium for heating the engine shall occur in the space which receives the whole engine mixture when the engine is operating normally, for example, in thespace 12, no air being admitted beyond the point where the flame is cut off, but this as stated is the preferred form and other arrangements may be employed for first generating the partially burned explosive medium to heat the engine while operating it and later producing an unburned or normal engine mixture.

Claims:

1. The method of starting a combustion engine, which consists in causing a spray mixture of liquid fuel and air to flow to the engine at a velocity less than the rate of flame travel in said mixture, ignitlng said mixture, limiting the combustion thereof to produce a hot, engine-operating medium, operating the engine on said medium and then operating the engine on an unignited mixture of fuel and air.

2. The method of starting a combustion engine which takes its fuel charge from a spray type carburetor consisting in igniting the carburetor mixture and abbreviating the flame thereof to generate a combustible gaseous medium, allowing the engine to run on such medium until warmed and then stopping said combustion and causing the said carburetor to deliver an unburned charge mixture of fuel and air to the engine for its normal operation.

3. The method of starting a combustion engine having a spray type carburetor from which it normally takes an explosive charge mixture of fuel spray and air, consisting in producing a mixture flow at a velocity less than the rate of flame travel through the mixture, igniting said mixture at a point where the spray mixture is overrich in fuel, causing the flame to produce a partially burned gaseous medium, allowing the engine to run on said medium until warmed, and thereupon terminating the delivery of said medium and causing the carburetor to deliver uncombusted charge mixture to the engine.

4. The method of starting a combustion engine having a spray type carburetor, which consists in rotating the engine and coincidently igniting and partially burning the fuel spray from said carburetor to produce a flow of combustible gaseous medium, at a velocity less than the rate of flame travel therein, allowing the engine to run on such medium until warm enough to carry on its normal operation, and then terminating production of said gaseous medium by increasing the velocity of said medium to the point of extinguishment of the combustion.

5. The method of starting a combustion engine having a spray type carburetor normally delivering an explosive mixture of fuel spray and air under the control of an engine throttle, which consists in rotating the engine and coincidently igniting and partially burning the fuel spray in said carburetor, while said spray is moving at :1 velocity less than flame travel and thereby causing it to produce a hot, engine-operating gaseous medium, allowing the engine to run on such medium with a restricted throttle and thereafter terminating the production of said gaseous medium by opening the throttle.

6. In an engine having an intake passage provided with a fuel spray orifice and air entrance mutually related to deliver a mixture of predetermined relative proportions to the engine, means for igniting said mixture at a point where the velocity is less than the rate of flame travel through the mixture and means for optionally abbreviating the flame to produce hot engine-operating medium or for extinguishing the combustion to produce an unheated medium.

7. In an engine having means for rotating it, an intake pipe and a carburetor secured thereto for normally supplying it with an unburned mixture of liquid fuel and air. the combination of means mounted in the carburetor structure for igniting and partially burning the fuel therein to form an engine-operating gaseous medium, said means including a movable member adapted for abbreviating the flame in the carburetor and adapted for operation to extinguish the flame to cause delivery of unburned explosive mixture to the engine.

8. An engine having means for rotating it and a suction-operating spray carburetor for normally supplying it with an unburned explosive mixture of liquid fuel and air, in combination with an electric igniter intercepting the spray mixture and located therein where it ignites and causes partial combustion of the fuel when the flow velocity is moderate and leSs than the rate of flame travel and is ineffective for such purpose when the velocity is increased.

9. In an engine, an intake passage provided with means for producing a spray mixture of liquid fuel and air and having a chamber of greater sectional area than said passage for receiving or conducting surhmixture, in combination with an igniter in said chamber and means whereby the said parts may be optionally operated to produce a partially-burned engine-operating medium or an unburned mixture.

10. A dual functioning carburetor of the kind described comprising an air entrance passage, a valve controlling the same and a fuel spray orifice subject to the suction determined by said valve and an electric igniter adapted to ignite said spray, said parts being adapted for alternate operation to produce a partially burned or wholly unburned engine operating medium.

11. In an engine the combination of a mixing space for liquid fuel and air, a relatively restricted outlet therefrom to the engine, a flame abbreviating means in said outlet, suction means for delivering a spray mixture of liquid fuel and air into said space and an igniter in said space, said parts being mutually organized for optionally delivering a artially burned hot engine-operating me mm to the engine or an unburned medium.

12. In an engine the combination of an intake passage provided with suction means for delivering thereto a mixture of liquid fuel and air in the proportions of an explosive engine-operating mixture, means adapted for initiating and maintaining steady combustion in said passage, means in said passage for cutting off or abbreviating the length of the flame thereby producing an explosive engine-operating medium and means whereby such flame may be completely extinguished and whereby the engine receives unburned fuel.

13. In an engine the combination of an intake passage having a mixing space, suction-operated spray producing means on one side of said space, a single throttle on the other side controlling the connection of said space to the engine and an igniter in said space, said throttle serving to abbreviate the flame in said space.

14. The combination with an engine having a suction intake and apparatus connected therewith ada ted to supply hot combustion products to t e engine, an igniter in said apparatus to start the combustion therein, and means whereby the igniter is shielded from the fuel when not in use.

15. The combination of an engine having a carburetor adapted to deliver combustion products to the engine, an igniter in the carbureter adapted to establish combustion therein and a movable mounting for the igniter.

16. In apparatus of the kind described, the combination with an engine, of a carbureter having a mixing chamber, a fuelspraying means and an air entrance for said chamber, a shell or wall isolating the spray delivered by said means from the air entering said chamber and an igniter intercepting said spray.

17. In combination, an engine, a chargeforming apparatus therefor adapted to de liver either a hot partially burned mixture of fuel and air or a non-burned mixture of fuel and air, a starting agency whereby the engine may be set in motion, a control mechanism for such charge-forming apparatus and means whereby the starting of the engine by such agency depends upon the setting of said control mechanism in a predetermined position. r

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

JOHN GOOD.

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