US1553559A

US1553559A - Timer

Info

Publication number: US1553559A
Application number: US696409A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edwin E Savard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1924-03-03
Filing date: 1924-03-03
Publication date: 1925-09-15
Anticipated expiration: 1942-09-15

Description

lio

rao

Patented Sept. l5, 1925.

EDWIN savant), or VENTURA, cnLiroRNIA.

TIMER.

Application VfiledAIn/Iarch 3, 1924. Serial No. 696,409.

citizen of the United States, residing atA Ventura, in the county of `Ventura and 4State of California, have invented new and useful improvements in Timers, of which the following 'is a specification.

This invention relates to timers of the character employed in the ignition circuits of internal combustion motors and ris an improvement on the timer patented to me September 18, 1928, No. 1,468,405. In said former patent contact was made with a ring mounted on an eccentric, turning of the eccentric causing the ring to contact in succession with a series of spring pressed ball contacts.

According to the present invention electric contact elements ride on the periphery of an insulation ring that is flattened at a point in its periphery to permit the contact elements in succession, as the insulation ring rotates, to contact with a metal ring of smaller diameter than the insulation ring. The metal contact ring is preferably loosely mounted so that the friction of the contact elements, when 'they engage said ring contact, causes the metal ring to turn slightly relative to the insulation ring, thereby to cause constantly new surfaces to be presented for engagement'by the contactelements, thus wearing the contact ring more evenly than would be possible if said contact and insulation rings were in fixed relation.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention Fig. 1 is a front elevation Aof a timer embodying the invention, the case being mainly in section so as to disclose the mechanism therein.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal midsection of the timer shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the frustoconical cap for making easy the slipping ,of the roller contacts into place upon the rperiphery of the insulation andcontact rings.

A portion of the front wail of the housing of the cam shaft operating-gears of the motor is shown at 4, and may be recessed as indicated at 5. The wall 4 supports a bearing .6 in .which rotates the cam shaft 7 f the motor, only a fragment of said cam shaft being shown in Fig. 2. Fitting in the recess 5 is the timer cover V8. The parts so far described are well known in the art pertaining to timers, especially to that type of timer used on a well-known make of light automobiles. rlhe shaft 7 is provided with a shoulder 9 against which the inner end of the bearing 6 thrusts, said shoulder inwardly terminating a reduced portion 10 of the shaft 7 and said portion 10 being journaled in the bearing 6. n

Mounted on the forward end of the reduced shaft portion 10 is a collar comprising an annular flange 11 and a reduced portion 12, said flange thrusting against the outer end of the bearing 6. The collar 11, 12 is detachably fastened to the shaft 10, to rotate therewith, by a headed pin 18 which entends through a perforation 14 in the collarand engages a hole 15 extending transversely through the shaft 10.

Mounted on the reduced portion l2 of the collar, adjacent to the fiange 11, is an insulation ring 16, which is flattened at one point on its periphery to form a low point indicated at 17. The insulation ring may be secured to the collar by suitable means as, for example, rivets 18.

Rotatably mounted relative to the collar is an electric contact ring 19 of metal. ln this particular instance the contact ring 19 is vnot mounted directly upon the reduced portion 12 of the collar but upon the ren duced portion 20 of an outer collar which also comprises a flange 21 to hold the ring 1'9 toward the insulation ring 16. The outer collar is also held in place by the pin 18 which passes through a hole `22 in said ,outer collar.

It will be noted that the insulation ring 16 is of larger Ydiameter than the` contact ring 19 excepting at the low point 17. At said ,low point the radins of the insulation ring is less than the radius of the contact ring, but the actual difference is so slight that 'it is more or less exaggerated in the drawings.

Adapted to ride on the peripheral face of the insualtion ring 16 is an electric contact or contacts 28, preferably in the form of rollers. These rollers are each rotatably mounted on a U-shape arm 24 which is pivotally carried at 25 on a bracket 26 secured to the inner face of the case 8 by a binding post 27 that extends to the outer face of the case 8 and that is insulated from said case by an insulation bushing 28. rlhus an electric circuit is established through wires, not shown, attached to the binding posts and through the contact rollers 23, arms 24, brackets 26 and binding posts 27. ln this particular instance four contact rollers 23 are shown as this particular timer is designed for a four cylinder motor. On each pivot 25 is a coil spring 29 having one end bearing against the associated arm @-1 and its other end againstthe bracket 26, the arrangement being such as to press the arms 2d toward the center of the case.

It will now be clear that, when the timer shaft 7 is rotated, it effects rotation of the insulation ring 16 which, in turn, causes rota'lion of the rollers 23. As the low point 17 of the insulation ring comes adjacent to each of the rollers 23, the actuating spring 29 of said roller urges the roller inwardly into contact with the peripheral face of the ring 19 which, not being insulated from the shaft 7, completes the circuit through one of the spark plugs, not shown, connected in circuit with the timer. Each time a roller 23 engages the ring 19 the friction between itand said ring is sufficient to retard rotation of the ring 19 suiiiciently tov cause relative rotation between said ring and the insulation ring 16 so that, when the low point 17 again rotates into position adjacent to the same roller 23, said roller will contact with a different place in the periphery of the contact ring 19. Because of the ring 19 being loose on the collar 20, Q1 more uniform wearing of the ring 19 occurs than if said ring were in fixed relation to the shaft 7. j

It will be noted that the head of the pin 13 is covered by a cap 30 which is held in place by a nut 31 threaded onto the outer end of the shaft 7. The rim of the cap 30 fits over the periphery of the flange 21 and is preferably of frusto-conical shape so that, when the case 8 with its rollers 23 mounted therein, is pushed into place during the assembling of the timer, the tapered face of the cap 30 will function to wedge al1 of the rollers 23 outwardly against the pressure of the springs 29, thus spreading the rollers sufficiently to admit of the entrance therebetween of the

rings

16, 19. rI`he cap 30 covers the head of the pin 13 and prevents said pin from falling out of place.

It will be clear from the foregoing that the insulation ring 16 constitutes a cam and the rollers- 23 follower contacts, and that said cam alternately functions to lift the follower contacts off of the ring contact and permit said follower contacts to be returned by the spring into engagement with said ring contact.

I claim:

1. In a timer, the combination of an insulation cam, means to turn the cam, a moyably mounted metal follower contact projecting beyond one side of the cam, means yieldingly holding the follower contact engaged with the cam, and a metal contact mounted to one side of the cam in position to be engaged by the follower contact when the low point of the cam comes adjacent to said follower contact.

2. In a timer, the combination of an insulation cam, means to turn the cam, a moyably mounted metal follower contact projecting` beyond one side of the cam, means yieldingly holding the. follower contact engaged with the cam, and a metal ring contact of smaller diameter than the cam mounted to one side of the cam in'position to be engaged by the follower contact when the low point of the cam comes adjacent to said followerl contact.

3. In a timer, the combination of an insulation cam, means to turn the cam, a movably mounted metal follower contact projecting beyond one side of the cam, means yieldingly holding the follower contact engaged with the cam, and a metal ring contact of smaller diameter than the cam rotatably mounted relative to the cam and to one side thereof in position to be engaged by the follower contact when the low point of the cam comes adjacent to said follower contact.

et. In a timer, the. combination of a collar, an insulation cam secured to the collar, means to rotate the collar, a movably mounted metal follower contact, means yieldingly holding the follower contact engaged with the cam, an outer collar mounted on the first collar adjacent to the insulation ring, and a metal ring contact of smaller diameter than the cam mounted on the outer collar 'in position to be engaged by the follower contact when the low point of the cam comes adjacent to said follower contact.

5. In a timer, the combination of a collar, an insulation cam secured to the collar, means to rotate the collar, a movably mounted metal follower contact, means yieldingly holding the follower contact engaged with the cam, an outer collar mounted on the first colla-r and having a flange, and a metal ring contact of smaller diameter than the cam mounted on the outer collar between the flange and insulation cam, the follower contact engaging the ring` contact when the low point of the cam comes adjacent to said follower contact.

Signed at Los Angeles, California this 23d day of February 1924.

EDIVIN E. SAVARD.