US3185896A

US3185896A - Ignition device

Info

Publication number: US3185896A
Application number: US143135A
Authority: US
Inventors: Herman A Gorske; Lourdes V Mccarty
Original assignee: Controls Company of America
Current assignee: Controls Company of America
Priority date: 1961-10-05
Filing date: 1961-10-05
Publication date: 1965-05-25
Anticipated expiration: 1982-05-25
Also published as: CH380277A

Description

May 25, 1965 H. A. GoRsKE ETAL 3,185,896

IGNITION DEVICE Filed Oct. 5, 1961 I54 3b 32 l." 3 o 52 42 44 4o Fu. 2 to Us 5o f INVENTORS HERMAN A.6.oRSKa ATroRNeY United States Patent O 3,185,896 IGNITION DEVICE Herman A. Gorske and Lourdes V. McCarty, Milwaukee, Wis., assignors to Controls Company of America, Schiller Park, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 5, 1961, Ser. No. 143,135 Claims. (Cl. 317-88) This invention relates to an electric ignition device for pot-type oil burners.

Maintaining a pilot iiame in a pot-type oil burner for ignition purposes has been unsatisfactory in that the pilot flame is a source of soot which impairs efiiciency. There have been prior attempts at providing electric ignition for pot-type burners, including spark ignition and glow elements of various types. However, during the combustion and ignition cycles carbon deposits on and builds up between the electrodes of the spark ignitor or tends to foul the glow elements or associated parts. In the case of a spark ignitor which is the type provided here, this build up of carbon is rapid and bridges the spark gap rendering the ignitor inoperative and requiring cleaning or replacement of the ignition device.

It is an object of this invention to provide a spark ignition device suitable `for use in a pot-type oil burner.

Another object of this device is to provide a spark ignition device for a pot-type oil burner which will remain free of undesirable carbon deposits.

A further object of this invention is to provide a spark ignition device for a pot-type oil burner which will burn oli any carbon deposits in the spark gap.

The novel features of this invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be more clearly understood from a reading of the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment has been illustrated and in which:

FIG. l is a view of the spark ignition device as assembled in a pot-type oil burner;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section view of the ignition device;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along lines 3-3 of FIG.k 2;

FIG.

FIG. f FIG. 6 is an end view thereof.

In a preferred embodiment of this invention the spark ignition device includes a body 10 composed of a suitable ceramic electrically insulating material and having a generaliy conical end portion 12 and stepped cylindrical por- 4 is a sectional view along lines 4-4 of FIG. 2;

yincludes a generally conical surface 32 and a cylindrical 5 is a side view of the spark ignition device; and

`tions

14 and 16 forming a shoulder 18. An elongated surface 30 which engages cylindrical portion 14 of the body to maintain the guide 23 and surface 32 in spaced relation to form an annular, generally conical air passage 34 between end 12 and guide 28.

An annular electrode 36 is positioned on guide 28 in concentric relationship with electrode 22 to provide an ICC annular spark gap 33 therebetween and adjacent the end of air passage 34.

A cap 40 tits over the outer end of guide 28 to hold the electrode 36 in engagement with the guide. A wick member 42 extends through slots 44 in the cap and includes portions 46 disposed between electrode 36 and guide 28. The wick is adapted to be positioned in an oil pool or reservoir 41 (see FIG. l) to draw oil up to the spark gap, and includes a portion 48 disposed adjacent the spark gap to insure oil delivery to and vaporization at the spark gap. Electrode 36 is preferably made of silicon carbide which, in addition to being an electrical conductor, also possesses good wicking properties so that it in effect forms an extension of the wick and insures the delivery of oil to the spark gap.

The assembly comprising body 10, electrode 20, guide 28, wick 42, electrode 36 and cap 40 is positioned within a metallic mounting sleeve 52. Mounting sleeve 52 is provided with an inwardly turned end 54 which is adapted to engage cap 40. The ignition device lits snugly within the sleeve with a cylindrical portion 50 of body 10 and guide 28, both of which have substantially equal outside diameters, engaging the sleeve. A spring 5S is suitably connected to mounting shell 52 and is positioned to engage body lii to maintain the ignition device in assembled relationship with the sleeve.

Guide 28 abuts shoulder 18 and, when the ignition device is assembled within the mounting sleeve, an annular chamber 5S is formed between guide 28 and cylindrical portion 5t?. A plurality of grooves 6l) extend axially of and are spaced peripherally around the body and connect chamber 53 to annular passage 34. Mounting sleeve 52 includes an aperture 62 which, when the ignition device is assembled inthe sleeve, is in registry with air chamber 53 to provide ingress of air to .that chamber.

In operation, sleeve is attached to the wall 64 of a pot-type oil burner and is mounted adjacent the lower end of the oil burner where oil reservoir 41 is provided. A port 66 is provided to supply oil to reservoir 41 and the mounting sleeve is positioned so that Wick 42 extends into the reservoir. Electrode 22 is connected to a suitable source of electrical power and electrode 36, through cap 4G, mounting sleeve 52, and wall 64, is connected to ground to thereby complete an electrical circuit for the spark gap. @il is drawn up to the spark gap where, when a spark arcs across the gap, it is ignited to initiate combustion within the burner. Preferably the ignition device or this invention is used in a forced draft oil burner wherein the pot of the burner is positioned within a rchamber o8 (only a portion or which is shown in FlG. l)

which has associated therewith a source of air such as a blower 7i?. In such an oil burner, the air in chamber 6d' is'maintained at a positive pressure 'and will provide a forced air iiow through the ignition device. More particularly, air is forced through opening 62 into chamber SS then passes through grooves 6d to annular passage 34 `and is discharged through the spark gap. Hence means is provided for directing a forced draft of air through the ignition device. in addition, combustion within the .burner causes air to rise producing an aspirator el'lect kat adsense developed which will reduce the tendency to produce carbon such that the aspirator effect alone will be sufcient in all applications. rl`hus a continuous flow of air through the spark gap is provided so that carbon which deposits on the electrodes, when it has been heated to a combustible temperature by the spark, vill burn-ofi` to result in continuous removal of carbon which deposits on the electrodes. It should also `be noted that the discharge end of air passage 34 conforms to the configuration of spark gap '3S so that a stream of air is provided through the entire spark gap.

The discussion of this invention with relation to a particular preferred embodiment thereof, has been intended for illustrative purposes only and should not be taken by way or limitation. Accordingly7 it is intended in the appended claims to cover all modications and embodiments of this invention as fail within the true spirit' and scope thereof.

What we claim is:

l. A spark ignition device for use in a pot-type oil burner comprising, in combination, elongated body having a generally conical end and a plurality of longitudinally extending peripherally spaced grooves, a first electrode supported from said conical end, a first member disposed in surrounding relationship with said body adjacent said conical end, an annular electrode supported on said first member in spaced surrounding relationship from said first electrode and forming a spark gap therewith, said first member including a generally conical inner wall disposed in spaced relation from said conical end of said body and forming therewith a conical passage extending .between said grooves and said spark gap, means supported on said first member for engaging said annular electrode and urging said annular electrode into engagement with said first member, a wick extending from said spark ignition device and having a portion disposed between said annular electrode and said first member, and a sleeve member disposed in surrounding relationship with said body and engaging said first member to clamp said annular electrode on said first member with said portion of said wick therebetween, said sleeve including an aperture opening into said grooves for ingress of air so that air passes through said grooves and said conical passage and is discharged through said spark gap.

2. The combination of claim l includinry means connected between said body and said sleeve for clamping said sleeve on said body.

3. The combination of claim l wherein said annular electrode is made of silicon carbide.

4. A spark ignition device for use in a pot-type oil burner comprising, in combination, an elongated body having a generally conical end and a plurality of longitudinally extending peripherally spaced grooves, a rst electrode supported from said conical end, a first member disposed in surrounding relation to said body adjacent said conical end, an annular electrode supported on said first member in spaced relationship from said first electrode and forming a spark gap therewith, said first member including a generally conical inner wall disposed in spaced relation from said conical end of said body and forming therewith a conical passage extending between said grooves and said spark gap, means supported on said rst member for engaging said annular electrode and urging said annular electrode into engagement with said first member, a mounting sleeve member in engagement with said body and including an aperture opening into said grooves for ingress of air so that air passes through said grooves and said conical passage for discharge through said spark gap, and wick means for supplying fuel to said spark gap.

5. A spark ignition device comprising, in combination, a generally cylindrical body having an end portion and a grooved portion including a plurality of axially extending, circumferentially spaced grooves each extending away from said end portion and terminating intermediate the ends of said boda, a first electrode projecting from said end portion, means cooperating with said grooves to define restricted air passages from the termination of said grooves through said grooves to a point adjacent said first electrode and including a hollow member having a generally cylindrical interior engaging said body at said grooved portion and extending from a point adjacent said first electrode in a direction away from said rst electrode over said grooves and terminating intermediate said body end portion and said groove termination, a second electrode supported on said first member at said point adjacent said first electrode and disposed in spaced relation from said first electrode so that said first and Vsecond electrodes define a spark gap through which air is discharged directly by said restricted air passages, and wick means for supplying fuel to the spark gap.

6. A spark ignition device comprising, in combination, a generally elongated body having an end portion and a grooved portion including a plurality of longitudinally extending, peripherally spaced grooves each extending away from said end portion, a first electrode projecting from said end portion, means extending from a point adjacent said first electrode in a direction away from said rst electrode over said grooves and terminating in spaced relation from the termination of said grooves to define restricted air passages from said groove terminations and through said grooves to a point adjacent said first electrode, a second electrode supported on said means at said point adjacent said first electrode and in spaced relation from said first electrode so that said first and second lectrodes denne a spark gap through which air is discharged directly by said restrictcdair passages, and wick means for supplying fuel to the spark gap.

7. The spark ignition of claim 6 wherein said wick means engages one of said electrodes and said one electrode is made of silicon carbide to function as an extension of said wick means in supplying fuel to said spark gap.

8. A spark ignition device for use in a pot-type oil burner comprising, in combination, an elongated body having a generally conical end and a plurality of longitudinally extending peripherally spaced grooves, a first electrode supported from said conical end, means disposed in surrounding relation to said body adjacent said conical end, an annular electrode supported on said means in spaced relationship from said first electrode and forming a spark gap therewith, said means defining a generally conical wall in spaced relation from said conical end of lsaid body and forming therewith a conical passage extending between said grooves and said spark gap, a mounting sleeve member engaging and fitting over said body and including an aperture opening into said grooves for ingress of air so that air passes through said grooves and said conical passage for discharge through said spark gap, and wick means for supplying fuel to said spark gap.

9. A spark ignition device for use in a pot-type oil burner comprising', in combination, an elongated body having an end portion and at least one groove extending away from said end portion, a first electrode supported from said end portion, means disposed in surrounding relationship with said body adjacent said end, an annular electrode supported on said rst' member in spaced surrounding relationship frorn said first electrode and forming a spark gap therewith, said means defining a wall disposed in spaced relation from said end portion of said body and forming therewith a generally annular passage extending between said groove and said spark gap, wick means extending from a point operatively adjacent said spark for supplying fuel to said spark gap, and a sleeve member en'vaging and fitting over said body and including an aperture opening into said groove for ingress of air so that air passes through said groove and said passage and is discharged through said spark gap.

l0. The combination of claim 6 wherein said second electrode is generally annular and is arranged in spaced surrounding relationship with said first electrode to define a generally annular spark gap through which air from said restricted air passages is discharged.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Fitzpatrick 317-88 Steeg 158-28 Sarto 158-28 Udale 200-166 Arthur 158-28 Peroutky et al 158-28 Arthur etal 317-83 X Delano 158-28 RICHARD M. WOOD, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A SPARK IGNITION DEVICE FOR USE IN A POT-TYPE OIL BURNER COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, AN ELONGATED BODY HAVING A GENERALLY CONICAL END AND A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING PERIPHERALLY SPACED GROOVES, A FIRST ELECTRODE SUPPORTED FROM SAID CONICAL END, A FIRST MEMBER DISPOSED IN SURROUNDING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID BODY ADJACENT SAID CONICAL END, AN ANNULAR ELECTRODE SUPPORTED ON SAID FIRST MEMBER IN SPACED SURROUNDING RELATIONSHIP FROM SAID FIRST ELECTRODE AND FORMING A SPARK GAP THEREWITH, SAID FIRST MEMBER INCLUDING A GENERALLY CONICAL INNER WALL DISPOSED IN SPACED RELATION FROM SAID CONICAL END OF SAID BODY AND FORMING THEREWITH A CONICAL PASSAGE EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID GROOVES AND SAID SPARK GAP, MEANS SUPPORTED ON SAID FIRST MEMBER FOR ENGAGING SAID ANNULAR ELECTRODE AND URGING SAID ANNULAR ELECTRODE INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIRST MEMBER, A WICK EXTENDING FROM SAID SPARK IGNITION DEVICE AND HAVING A PORTION DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID ANNULAR ELECTRODE AND SAID FIRST MEMBER, AND A SLEEVE MEMBER DISPOSED IN SURROUNDING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID BODY AND ENGAGING SAID FIRST MEMBER TO CLAMP SAID ANNULAR ELECTRODE ON SAID FIRST MEMBER WITH SAID PORTION OF SAID WICK THEREBETWEEN SAID SLEEVE INCLUDING AN APERTURE OPENING INTO SAID GROOVES FOR INGRESS OF AIR SO THAT AIR PASSES THROUGH SAID GROOVES AND SAID CONICAL PASSAGE AND IS DISCHARGED THROUGH SAID SPARK GAP.