US2249893A - Automatic ignition circuit breaker - Google Patents

Description

July 22, 1941. K, L 2,249,893

AUTOMATIC IGNITION CIRCUIT BREAKER Filed Jan 2, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a 1 M IQ Z7 July 22, 1941. K. A. GILL 9 3.

AUTOMATIC IGNITION CIRCUIT BREAKER Filed Jan. 2, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 G .76 h I I Q 74 76 Q/V/ 9 I Patented July 22, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFEQE Kenneth A. Gill, Hunter, N. Y., assignor of onehalf to Harold H. Van Loan, Hunter, N. Y.

Application January 2, 1940, Serial No. 312,113

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an automatic ignition circuit breaker especially adapted for an engine of an automobile, and has for the primary object the provision of an efficient and inexpensive device of this character which may be readily installed in an ignition circuit including an engine starter circuit for automatically breaking the ignition circuit when the engine stops from any cause while the usual ignition switch is closed and which will permit starting of the engine as usual by the electric starter, thus obviating any possibility of injury or damage to any of the electric equipment of the ignition circuit caused by the ignition circuit remaining closed during an extended period of idleness of the engine.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating a portion of an engine of an automobile equipped with an automatic ignition circuit breaker constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the breaker with the cover of the casing removed.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the breaker showing the mounting of the electro-magnet and vacuum actuated diaphragm of the circuit breaker within the casing.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatical View illustrating the wiring diagram of an ignition circuit with the present invention connected therein.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 indicates a fragmentary portion of an internal combustion engine of the type employed for the propulsion of an automobile and 6 indicates the intake manifold of said engine. A fragmentary portion of the ignition system of the engine is indicated by the character I in which the high tension coil is shown at 8 connected to a ground 9, as shown at l0, and to a circuit breaker I I forming a part of the present invention and which includes spaced contacts l2 connected to the coil 8 by a conductor l3 and a switch arm l4 movable into and out of engagement with the spaced contacts [2 by the flexation thereof. The switch arm I4 is shown as mounted on a bracket I5. The invention further includes an electromagnet l6 arranged at one side of the switch arm M for flexing the latter into engagement with one of the contacts I2 when energized. The electro-magnet is connected to a ground I! by conductors I8. The bracket I5 is connected to one terminal of the battery I9 of the ignition circuit while the other terminal of the battery is connected to a ground 20. The usual ignition switch 2| is connected into the conductor 22 which connects the bracket l5 to one of the terminals of the battery IQ for the purpose of controlling the circuit of the battery to the coil 8. The electro-magnet is also has connected thereto a conductor 23 which is connected to one terminal of a starter switch 24 shown mounted on the starter 25 of the engine 5. The other terminal of the starter switch 24 is connected to the conductor 22 by a conductor 26.

The electro-magnet l6, contacts l2 and switch arm I4 are mounted in a suitable casing 21 and the latter may be installed on any suitable place upon the automobile, preferably upon the engine compartment partition 28 which is arranged between said compartment and the drivers compartment of the automobile.

A lever 29 is pivotally mounted on a bracket 39 arranged in the casing 21 with the lever located on an opposite side of the switch arm M from the electro-magnet. Formed on the switch arm 14 is an extension or arm 3| which is pivoted to the free end of the lever 29. Pivoted to the lever 29 substantially intermediate the ends thereof is an attaching arm 32 secured to a diaphragm 33 mounted in a diaphragm housing 34. The diaphragm housing includes a vacuum chamber 35 and in communication therewith is a substantially L-shaped pipe 36. The L-shaped pipe is secured to the diaphragm housing and to the casing 21 for supporting the diaphragm and diaphragm housing in proper position within said casing 21. A pipe 3'! connects the pipe 36 to the intake manifold 6 so that whenever the engine is in operation a partial vacuum is developed in the vacuum chamber 35 for flexing the diaphragm 33 upwardly which flexes the switch arm [4 upwardly into engagement with the uppermost contact shown in Figure 4 and with the ignition switch 2| in a closed position the circuit to the engine or the coil 8 thereof is completed. The normal position of the switch arm I4 is between the pair of contacts l2.

As long as the engine is in operation the switch arm [4 remains in engagement with the uppermost contact. However, should the engine stop from any cause and the ignition switch 2| be left in circuit closing position, the diaphragm 33 returns to normal position permitting the switch arm to assume a position out of engagement with the uppermost contact thereby breaking the ignition circuit. With the ignition circuit broken as specified the engine may be again started by the actuation of the starter switch 24 which when in a closed position completes the electric circuit to the electromagnet, energizing the latter so that it will attract the switch arm 14 and move the latter into engagement with the lower contact I2 in Figure 4, completing the ignition circuit to the coil 8 and when the engine starts under its own power the starter switch 24, as usual, is allowed to assume a circuit-breaking position which deenergizes the electro-magnet H3. The engine being in operation flexes the diaphragm 33 to automatically move the switch arm 14 in engagement with the uppermost contact still maintaining the ignition circuit to the coil closed. Thus it will be seen that if the engine is stalled or stopped from any cause and the operator permits the ignition switch to remain closed the ignition circuit will be automatically broken through the use of this invention and thereby obviate any possibility of the electric equipment of the ignition system of the automobile engine from being damaged or injured, it being understood that the ignition circuit can be manually controlled at any time desired through the operation of the ignition switch 2|.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings,

the casing includes a removable cover plate so that access to the interior of the casing can be had at any time necessary.

It is believed that the foregoing description, when taken in connection with the drawings, will fully set forth the construction and advantages of this invention to those skilled in the art to which such a device relates, so that further detailed description will not be required.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

In combination with an engine having an intake manifold and an ignition circuit for the engine including a manually operated ignition switch and an electric starter circuit having a starter switch, an automatic switch electrically connected in said ignition circuit for breaking the ignition circuit during a period of idleness of the engine with the ignition switch in a closed position and having a pair of circuit closing positions, said automatic switch including a flexible switch arm, an electro-magnet connected in the starter circuit for operating the switch arm into one of the circuit closing positions any time that the starter switch is closed, a diaphragm casing, a diaphragm in said casing and providing therein a vacuum chamber, means for connecting the vacuum chamber of the diaphragm casing to the intake manifold, and means for connecting the diaphragm. to the svitch arm for moving the latter into the other circuitclosing position during the operation of the engine.

KENNETH A. GILL.

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